Muslima Success

(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...

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...

Story from Native American Tradition: An elder Cherokee was teaching his grandchildren about life.  He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me.  It is a terrible fight between two wolves.  One wolf represents anger, greed, hatred, envy, fear, arrogance, resentment, self-pity, guilt, lies and ego.  The other stands for peace, love, patience, joy, compassion, generosity, humility, kindness, friendship, truth, and faith.  This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, as well.” The children thought about this for a while and then one child asked, “Which wolf will win?” The wise elder replied simply, “The one you feed.” Taken from “Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living”

The Power of Your Decisions -By Raghad Ebied Have you decided where you want to be in the next 5 to 10 years of your life? Anthony Robbins makes such a simple, yet thoughtful statement.  He says “You see, ten years from now, you will surely arrive.  The question is: Where? Who will you have become? How will you live? What will you contribute? Now is the time to design the next ten years of your life – not once they’re over”. Many times, we are in the “I wish I had done that” mode – we always seem to realize what we could have done a lot later than when we could have actually done it.  This statement also comes up several times in the Quran when people wished if they had believed or they wished if they had done good. The reason for this is that we are not able to make firm decisions and commit to them.  Or we let the circumstances or the people around us make our decisions for us. What does it take to make a decision? Making a decision takes an honest and courageous stance from you to...

-By Raghad Ebied Think it Feel it Believe it But don’t you dare speak it For fear of offending For fear of seeming condescending For fear that you may be transcending What our community perceives as ‘limits’ Why is there such marginalization And a deep lack of realization That outspoken members of our community Means they’re thinking and they really do care about our unity That they want to see positive change and creativity That they want to support in the cause of liberty Liberty that leads to justice and equity Liberty that is supported by our Quran and Prophet’s history Liberty that leads to a deep sense of humility For Allah’s Grace of giving us the capacity To think, feel, believe and speak meaningfully And to not fear judgment and criticism To not give in to the surrounding cynicism And to continue to pray for a day Where we embrace the outspoken members of our community.