Muslima Success

With the month of Ramadan being around the corner, there is a wealth of reminders and resources on how to make the most out of Ramadan, for yourself, as well as for your family and children if applicable.  It is important to remember though among the many to do lists, reminders, and suggestions (which include and are not limited to decorating, iftar ideas, children’s activities, Eid gift planning, etc.), our focus ought to be on our unique priorities, abilities, and ultimately the underlying goal of growing closer to God in this blessed month.   As a religious season, Ramadan is also a time which can bring family and community together in a spirit of peace, joy and spiritual growth.  However, with long hours of fasting and unrealistic societal or personal expectations, preparing for and observing the blessed month can have additional challenges for some, despite the desire for it to be a fulfilling time. This may be especially the case for mothers who are pregnant or...

We are all inevitably going to face moments of disappointment in our life – disappointments from work, family, friends, society, and even ourselves. That’s the very nature of the world we live in – it’s not ideal, it’s not perfect and shortcomings are bound to happen from others and from ourselves. The question is how do we deal with these disappointments – how do we reconcile our need to have fulfilling jobs and relationships and fulfill our own promises to ourselves when we as well as others are humans who can be weak and forgetful? How do we forgive when we’re hurt? How do we “forget” when we need to move on? How do we overcome intense feelings of disappointment and sometimes disbelief about what happens around us? Nobody said it was going to be easy – in fact we are told – “Verily We have created the human being into toil and struggle”(Quran 90:4) . We hope, we dream, we strive, we build and yes indeed we can fail, fall, and feel hurt, betrayal, and just simply a lack of empathy an...

  Raise your hands and pray to the One who hears you at every time of night and day Raise your hands and pray to the One who holds our hearts and knows the fears and hopes they may hold Raise your hands and pray to the One who says He is so very near and answers the call of the one who calls onto Him regardless of who they are or what they’ve done Raise your hands and pray to the One who tells us to not be sad for He is truly with us Raise your hands and pray to the One who promises us that with hardship there is ease And with struggle there is relief And with sadness there can be contentment And with patience there can be light And with gratefulness, He will increase us forever more, with the multitude of His blessings Raise your hands and pray to the One Who loved you before anyone loved you Raise your hands and pray to the One who protected you in the depths of darkness when you were still a fetus carried inside of your mother Raise your hands and pray to the One Who swore...

This article was originally published with ProductiveMuslim. Sometimes we face stubborn challenges that hold us back from our dreams. They keep us ‘stuck’ and slow down our journey to fulfilling our potential, being more productive, and living life with purpose and passion. These challenges can come in the form of some sort of loss: whether a loss of health, wealth, loved ones, or loved things. They try our emotions and mentally hold us back from fulfilling the vision we have for our life. We are told in the Qur’an: “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 155]. So the question is, how can we overcome the losses, challenges, and disappointments that are inevitable in life? How can we carry on with our lives to fulfill our ultimate purpose and maintain a strong connection with Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He)? How can we heal those...

In the Quran, God says “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (39:53) This verse explains that we simply can’t cut ourselves off and lose hope from the love, care, and mercy of Allah. And that we need to believe that Allah didn’t stop loving us, caring about us or depriving of us His mercy – that’s simply not the case. We need to believe with all our heart that Allah has the Power to change our state, our matters, and our life for the better, even after prolonged difficulty, in a matter of hours, minutes, or even seconds. If we look back, sometimes we can come to the realization that everything we have been through was always part of a Divine Plan to purify us and teach us and elevate us to a higher level – one that could have not been reached without the struggles and the challenges and the disappointments. They were all stepp...

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...

Many of us strive to achieve contentment and success; however, given the nature of the world we live in, we will encounter hardships which will impact our ability to achieve our goals and live the life we want. First, we need to acknowledge that none of us is immune from experiencing sadness, loss, hurt, hopelessness, anxiety and/or a lack of confidence. These hardships may lead us to lose faith in ourselves and those around us if we don’t learn how to manage them properly. Allah [swt] explains to us the inherent lack of perfection in this world and the nature of trials and tribulations in the Quran in various verses when He [swt] says: “Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said “When is the help of Allah?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.”[Quran: Chapter 2, Verse 21...

In light of all the tragic and heart breaking events happening to people all around the world, of all faiths, I write this knowing that I and many of the people reading this are infinitely blessed, which can therefore cause a great amount of guilt and feelings of helplessness when we see great suffering happening around us. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad says “Whoever wakes up safely in his home and is healthy in his body and has provisions for his day, would have acquired all the worldly possessions he is in need of.” (Al-Tirmidhi). I am writing this though to help us all form a new lens – yes indeed, people around the world are being tested with losing their homes, their families, and their lives – with losing everything dear to them.  So what is our test? What is our test when we are blessed from head to toe with safety, shelter, food, and family amongst countless other blessings? Our test is how we will use those blessings to make this world a better place. Our test is how we ...

-By Raghad Ebied What if we replaced hate with love? What if we remembered that everything is seen by God above? What if we replaced war with peace? What if all human suffering would simply cease? What if We cared for our neighbors like We should? What if We said showing empathy, kindness and compassion We could ? What if we forgave instead of resented ? What if we gave of what we love instead of with-held it? What if We could protect every child, every man and every woman from the cruelty of war? What if we searched deep inside our hearts for the core The core of humanity lest we forgot We’re all human beings no matter what So much suffering, pain and destruction How can I continue to hope for protection Protection of the values of human decency Protection of living life gracefully Protection of every human life From war, hunger and every other strife What if We lifted our hands to pray To a Lord Who Has been with us all along the way And witnessed a dawn of a new time Where deep...

I was recently reminded of the story of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him), who had an amazing journey since His birth.  When he was born, his mother was asked by Allah (SwT) to place him in a wooden chest in the middle of the river so he is not caught by the army of the Pharaoh who decided to do away with all baby boys at the time.  Can you imagine a mother placing her own baby in the middle of a river? It was Allah (SwT) who reaffirmed her heart and promised that He would return Musa to her and make him among the messengers.  This is the first glimmer of hope that we see in this story.  And truly even though Musa ended up in the house of the Pharaoh after being picked up from the river by the wife of the Pharaoh and adopted, Allah did not allow him to nurse from any other woman, such that he was returned to his mother so she can nurse him and be overcome with joy once again.  This is the second lesson in hope. And there are more when we see that when Musa accidentally killed one of the...

– By Raghad Ebied When you first think of a ‘new place’ – you might think of moving to a new home, which involves packing, selling, maybe saying good bye, and then of course unpacking everything you spent months packing.  Essentially, it can entail building a new life. My family and I recently had the experience of not only moving to a new home, but moving overseas, across the world, to a new community where we did not know anyone.  Now, that is really a whole new place.  Moving with two young children to someplace new was naturally concerning for our family and friends. But as crazy as it seemed, this was what we wanted to try at this stage in our lives, and was ultimately what God had chosen for us now.  There were a number of reasons we decided to make the move and regardless of the reasons, there is so much that I have learned from the exercise of moving overseas and am still learning. The first of which is the process of letting go.   Moving internationally, and having limite...

(This article was originally published on onislam.net) The doors of heaven are open while the doors of hellfire are closed.  The devils are tied up while Allah increases your rewards in multiples for every good that you do.  It really is the most blessed time of the year: it is Ramadan. In past years, Ramadan came, Ramadan left, and sometimes not much may have changed.  Even if we thought we had a ‘good’ Ramadan, should we not continue to aim higher and approach this Ramadan with the intent to make it better than the last? Ramadan is a time of revival for everyone – those who have been practicing for years, those who have just come to realize the beauty of feeling close to Allah and those who may have not fully realize that beauty yet. Ramadan is the golden opportunity for everyone as many have had their lives transformed in Ramadan. Better yet, how would you like to come out of Ramadan this year feeling that it was the best Ramadan you have ever experienced? How would you like to exce...

Alhamdullilah, as Muslims, we are given the gift of understanding our purpose on earth, which people will spend a lifetime searching for, in the Quran in the following verses: “I have not created mankind and jinn except to worship Me” (51:56) “When your Lord said to the angels: ‘I am placing on the earth a caliph” (2:30) These two verses would need pages and chapters written to reveal their full depth and meaning.  Very briefly though, ‘worship’ in the first verse is not limited to our prayers and fasting for example but can truly encompass everything we do in our lives when we do it with the intention of drawing nearer to Allah.  So it can include our eating, sleeping, spending time with our loved ones, studying, working, etc. As for the meaning of ‘caliph’ – this term is used to define the one who will take care of this earth, help build it, make a positive difference and fulfill the role of leadership that Allah (Swt) has placed them in – whatever that role may be – from a Hea...

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...