Muslima Success

In the Quran, God tells us “By time, indeed man is in a state of loss. Except those who believe, and do good and enjoin each other on the truth, and enjoin each other to be patient” (Al-Asr) And we are also told “We will certainly test you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and fruits (earnings); but give glad tidings to the persevering and patient” (2:155). These verses explain to us that human beings are naturally and regularly in a state of some sort of loss – some loss of heath, some loss of wealth, some loss of loved ones, some loss of loved ‘things’ – whether they be a career or a dream, and in some extreme cases, safety and freedom. Arguably, if these losses are not managed properly, they can amount to an ultimate loss of a strong connection with Allah, happiness in an after-life, and peace and contentment in this life. So the question is, how can we overcome these losses that are inevitable? How can we carry on with our lives to fulfill our ultimat...

When any kind of turbulence or tribulation strikes in our lives, we must remember that it does not have to break us or stop us from pursuing our path to Allah (Swt).  In fact, we can by the will of Allah (Swt), use it to confirm and affirm our convictions and to increase our determination, trust in Allah (Swt) and our good deeds in this world that will in sha Allah lead to a place of ultimate bliss and happiness. The prophet peace be upon him has told us that “If Allah loves a servant, He shall test him” so imagine that even in the midst of the tribulation you are facing, the King of the Worlds, the One Who Holds the Dominion of the Heavens and the Earth, the All Merciful, the All Compassionate, is there with you, loving you and guiding you, every step of the way.  The key is will you turn to Him? Will you turn to Him to allow you to transform that tribulation or difficulty into a source of energy and motivation to step into something bigger and better in sha Allah?  Indeed...

You know how sometimes you really want something to happen or there’s already something really important happening in your life, yet you feel like there are so many challenges and obstacles to overcome? Whether it’s a personal or community project, a new relationship like starting a marriage or expecting a child, or acquiring a new job, you will notice more often than not, that anytime we as human beings want to do something great or important and start creating more fulfillment in our lives and in the lives of others, that there will be all sorts of tests and tribulations along the way. We have so many examples of this from our Islamic history.  Think about the Prophet peace be upon him.  He was the one man on earth at the time who had revelation coming down to him, peace be upon him, from the seventh heaven.  He was the most beloved human being to Allah (Swt) and had an ever so important message to deliver, yet he faced trials and tribulations, one after the other. After his first in...

  Some say religion is the root of all the conflict in the world But if we were to take a moment to pause and ponder We may realize that it can in fact be the reason for peace in our world Peace…justice…morality….these are the principles that religion calls to so I wonder What happened to love for your brother what you love for yourself….Treat your neighbours with kindness…Honour your Parents This is some of what my faith has taught me It has not taught me to hate, it has not taught me to judge, it has not taught me to do evil It has taught me to love, it has taught me to forgive, it has taught me to do good How could we dismiss our common humanity? How could we threaten each other with such vanity? Where have our hearts gone? Why does everything seem so wrong? If we were to look into our hearts, we would know We would know the truth… We would know that religion can be a beautiful thing That it can bring us together, rather than tear us apart Tha...

  Your alarm rings at 6:15am.  You have to pray, prepare breakfast and lunch, get dressed and head out quickly so you’ll arrive at work and start jumping from one meeting to the next, making phone calls, replying to emails, and dealing with your boss and co-workers all day.   Besides your fajr prayer in the morning, what else do you do during the work day to remind yourself of Allah and keep your faith high? It’s hard enough to keep your sanity at work sometimes and barely get dhuhr prayer in.   Balancing our faith and work life is certainly not an easy equation.  Here are some tips that may at least set us on the right path:   1) Renew Your Intentions and Perfect Your Work   Islam lays great emphasis on work. In many places in the Qur’an it is made clear that time should not be wasted.  The Qur’an directs a message to humanity that it should contribute positively to the earth meaning we should traverse the universe and make use of all the abundant resources that have bee...

Subhana’Allah, sometimes we find in life that we are facing a challenging time in one particular area or situation, but then without any indications or pointers, we’re given a wave of something so beautiful, so relieving, so profound.  Something that allows us to truly feel that Allah (SwT) is with us, every step of the way, seeing, hearing, and knowing all that we are experiencing without us having to even utter a word. That wave can be a moment of tasting the sweetness of faith – a moment where we truly feel that our hearts have humbled themselves to Allah (swt).  One of those moments can come as we sit after prayer and ask Him for His blessings, both in this world and in the hereafter. That meaning of uboodiyah – a true state of worship – where we are not just performing rituals, but we are putting forth our entire selves as we try to draw nearer to our Lord – The All-Merciful, The Sustainer, The Creator, The One Who holds the dominion in the heavens and the earth.  Life these ...

As I first land in Medina, I feel this sudden rush of joy, thinking to myself, could I possibly be treading upon the same earth as the Prophet (peace be upon him)? Could I possibly be so close to visiting him (peace be upon him)?   The feeling intensifies further once I arrive in Mecca and slowly approach the Sacred Kaaba.   I stride slowly, overwhelmed by the masses of people and trying to keep close to my husband in fear of becoming lost, yet I am lost already.  I am lost in a sea of hope, awe, and admiration for this beautiful, blessed place.   A few years ago, Allah (SwT) blessed my husband and I with the trip of our lifetimes.  It was the journey to Mecca to perform our hajj.  I remember trying to read everything I could possibly get my hands on about hajj before leaving, talking to as many people as I can, and looking at every existing “to-do list”.   I embarked on this journey thinking I was as prepared as I could be, but subhana’ Allah, I feel ...

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