Chill Yo Islam Yo

Salam Yo,

A lot of brothers and sisters who don’t smoke cigarettes end up going to hookah bars for fun. They will order there exotic strawberry, double apple hookah or sheesha whatever you want to call it and then breathe in and out. Ahhhh!

Alhumduillah in another breath that was given to that person they in return thanked Allah by destroying their inner physical self. Good Job! Our beloved Prophet said “your body has right on you”.

Any way I’m not here to support the use of hookah or cigarettes, being an asthma patient I have experienced just how important your lungs can be. For those brothers and sisters still smoking, I think you should cut down and then eventually try to stop inshallah.

You don’t want to be doing tawaf around the kabah and suddenly run out of breath. People ask all the time, is smoking haram? Is hookah permissible? I personally feel like this is all the nafsi nafsi kicking in. For those that don’t know, smoking is haram. Please accept it. I know 9 out of 10 scholars accept this and for that one scholar saying its ok, if you’re reading this please change your opinion.

Often times I hear brothers saying oh yea the scholars say its impermissible but “that one scholar said its ok” so it’s all good. Sorry but that’s called blind following, we all know that the haram overpowers itself in cigarettes, so you can’t justify it. Stop trying to, you’re just looking for an escape route to make yourself feel good but trust me its not good. I can’t stand a smoker who is addicted to cigarettes, mad haram yo! Salat should relieve stress not tobacco. Wake up!

So if you’re a smoker thinking about if hookah is permissible, think again. Yea it might have less carcinogens than a cigarette and a low percent of tobacco but study s indicate that the biggest hazard for hookah users is hookah produces greater levels of carbon monoxide and other dangerous substances than all-natural, non-additive charcoal. The quick-lighting charcoal is produced by mixing powdered-charcoal with various chemicals that allow it to be quickly and easily ignited. Ignition of a quick light coal normally results in the emission of sparks.

I have heard of family’s who do hookah as a tradition just like the Rastafarians who smoke weed for their tradition because mister bob marley did also, but you know that doesn’t make it acceptable. At the end of it all smoking is haram and hookah seems to be a practice which seems doubtful.

So what do the believers in issues that are doubtful? They leave it alone to be on the safe side.

It is based on the Hadith: What is Halal is clear and what is Haram is clear. Midway between them are things which people do not know whether they are Halal or Haram. He who keeps away from them will protect his religion and will be saved. He who aproaches them is very near to Haram, like a shepherd wandering his flock near Hima (protected grazing land), who could soon enter the forbidden area, and Allah’s protected area is what He has declared forbidden.”

At the end of it all smoking hookah or cigarettes doesn’t help you become a better person physically or spiritually as a servant of God. Allah says in the quran “Do not kill yourself. Allah is Merciful unto you.” (Surat al-Nisaa’ 4:29)

So next time a person offers you a hookah pipe or a cigarette be like “Chill Yo Islam Yo”

Inshallah stop smoking….start reading the quran. Yes I just stepped on a cigarette.

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The intelligent one is the one who remembers death most often, and prepares for it. They leave this world in honor and with the blessings of the Hereafter. [Ibn Abi Dunya]

One thing I realized as a Muslim, from the different transitions in my life was that every soul shall taste death, as I sometimes sit and think, will I be ready for death when the angel of death comes for me?, I think its something to seriously think about, I mean sometimes I think, when I wasn’t on the deen during high school, Allah could have taken my life, and I could have died in that state, but alhumduillah I didn’t.

I have learned alot, but one thing to remember for everyone is knowing right and wrong is worthless if we don’t practice it, and no one is perfect walking the earths surface. We all commit sin, but its important we remain conscious of our actions in what we are doing all the time, because we never know and its so vital to our success in this life and the hereafter, in reference to the hadith i put all the way on the top.

A couple of months ago alhumduillah i was able to attend an Islamic fund raiser with Mufti Jamal Uddin, Mufti Abdul Rehman Ibn Yusuf, and Shaykh Hasan, so you know the speeches were hot. Besides that the last speech with skaykh hasan wrapped the day up lovely, he said some amazing stuff, but one thing he said that got to me was that, people get so caught up in this life, to the point where they think they are going to be here forever.

Then when the angel of death comes to them, the first think they ask him is “can i go back?” and have another chance in the life that was given to me but no when the times comes thats it, its not like the rolex you have with rechargeable battery’s, its a death clock, and when the times up its up. I mean look its certain we will all face death in the Quran it says Say: “The Angel of Death, put in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls: then shall you be brought back to your Lord. (32:11).

So we learn that there is no escape, actually i heard a story also from shaykh hasan which was funny but very true, about a man who tried his best to escape death, i am not that good at telling stories so it wont be as accurate as it should be, so anyhows you have this guy, and he tried his best to escape death, he ran from the deserts of saudi arabia to india where he was totally secluded, but of course he couldn’t escape it, anyhows if you think about, no one can escape it, Allah says in the Quran.. Wherever you are, death will find you out, even if you are towers built up strong and high. (4:78)

So I will try to draw this scenario out

here is the guy

—->>>> =( … he’s running from death in this direction, and in reality death is coming closer to him <<<<——–

So yea real talk, I mean people get scared, why? it is what it is, don’t deny it, get ready for it, and no one likes to think about hell all the time, but trust me its good to, to remind ourselves that first and foremost Allah is watching, then we should tell people also the pleasures of paradise, this will help people sacrifice the pleasures of this life and listen to what Allah tells us in every aspect of our life and how to practice ISLAM righteously.

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Salam,

I just wanted to say happy thanksgiving to you brothers and sisters.

Chill Yo, I am going to need a chainsaw to cut this 13 pound turkey today…

Yes its thanksgiving, is it permissible for Muslims to celebrate it? I know some of you are already rejecting this day but its obviously not associated with religion, and its culture friendly, so turkey? Yes halal turkey!

Besides that it’s great to know that this beautiful country we live in is unified together on one day to be thankful for what they have. Of course in Islam we are thankful everyday, and although this day has no connection to jewish or christian religious traditions, it does help us appreciate what Allah gave us in this life and become more aware of morality.

We also learn to have shukr. What is Shukr? The Qur’anic word for thanks is “shukr.” It is mentioned in the Qur’an many times. It is the quality of human beings and it is also the quality of Allah.

According to scholars Shukr means:
“It is the consideration of the favor and its acknowledgment. Shukr from the human means the recognition of the favor. Shukr from Allah means the reward and appreciation.”

So see how that relates to being thankful, reminding us and Thanking Allah for the unconceivable never ending blessings, this should be in our hearts constantly. We know that our beloved Prophet Muhammad used to give thanks to Allah when putting on clothes, going to bed, on a journey, eating food, mashallah so much.

So are you thankful for what Allah gave you? in this country people put two chickens in one pot, three cars in a two car garage, we have caffeine free diet coke, crystallized water, posturepedic beds, and the list goes on, oh yea and that breath right now also that you took, it could have been your last. Thank Allah!

Most importantly while we have so much, there is a person on the other side of the world who has nothing but is showing patience and is asking Allah to make this test as a means of purification. So think about it. Inshallah lets be thankful for what we have…Everyday!

“Those who do not thank people, they do not thank Allah.” (Al-Tirmidhi 1878)

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Salam,

Tip number one: stop mopping the floor for shatan

Question number one: why does our iman go up and down like the dow jones?

Yea I can feel it fluctuating, one day I am praying 5 times and the next day 4.

For those who analyze the stock market, obviously you can understand that it goes up and down, but although on the day it depreciates we don’t just say the stock is collapsing because it can go back up and we must look at the overall performance. Likewise for some moslems, my bad Muslims, our imam goes up and down, but when it goes down, do you just tell yourself that your failing and fall into depression? No!!!

Although we might have our ups and downs we have to ground ourselves at the end of the day and remind ourselves like yo “even though I had a bad day as a Muslim” I gotta use this as an incentive to do better especially when I wake up the next day, because we know the least of Allah gifts to us is another breath we take. So exhale, inhale…AllahuAkbar

Alot of us would never go gamble in Atlantic City or Las Vegas, but why do we gamble with our life? Rolling dice with the time we have is all an illusion. We have to constantly keep ourselves in check like a pair of Nikes and stay on point like a protractor and not be actors, we have to keep it real with ourselves and Allah, because with shatans deception comes a well polished oscar…award that is. Oh yea shatan is garbage like oscar the grouch, and next time you see pennies lying in your couch take it to the masjid and drop it in the donation box. A small deed can get you to heaven.

But you have to remember, be real with yourself. One thing i was thinking about over the weekend was how we say we believe in the Angels, the books, and everything that suppose to come with iman but where is the remembrance of the Angels who are recording our bad deeds when we are doing something haram. That moment in which you forgot is gone so the next one you have make sure you’re ready for it. Be conscious of yourself.

So sit down and ask yourselves some serious questions.

What is your purpose in life?

Do we constantly remind ourselves that Allah is watching us or are we worried about our parents watching us?

What do you submit to? Allah or something or someone else.

Inshallah yo, gotta get back on track like the MTA.

Wasalaam….Random Post of the day.

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Salam,

Have you wondered what you can do for Allah, well guess what? You can do everything for the sake of Allah. But the most important action which Allah loves is Salat (praying). A lot of us including me I would say haven’t prioritized our life to be revolved around salat or salah…wait what’s the difference? Actually it’s the same thing. Potato or Po-tato.

We know all that salah is the second pillar of Islam. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “I have not created the jinn and humankind for any other purpose except that they should worship me.”

The other day i was doing wudu in the bathroom at college and and some rock looking dude saw me in the middle of washing my feet, he asked me “what are you doing” looking at me like i was an alien. Ding! My dawah bell rang and i told him the whole wisdom behind wudu and outer purification and why its so important before we stand in front of Allah to pray. I have to say he was impressed by what he heard, Anyway his name was dusty and i wondered maybe if he did wudu then he can change his name…not so dusty anymore .

A lot of times we think we have to put emphasis on talking when giving dawah, but the best dawah is the dawah which is put into practice. When people see you do something which they find interesting they will most likely look at your weird or ask you, if they dont you should talk to them and tell them why you do what you do.

So back to salat, it disciplines our soul, it brings us in constant reminder of our purpose of life and it is the most important purifying act. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad before he left this world to go to heaven put emphasis on salat and said it will be the first thing we will be questioned about on the day of judgment.

For those who are wondering how beautiful salat is, check out this hadith.

The Rasulallah once asked his companions “Tell me if there was a river at the door step of one of you in which you washed 5 times a day would any of your dirt remain?” When he received the reply that none of it would remain he then said “That is like the 5 times Salah, with which Allah wipes out sin.

Alhumduillah in my college we started to have jamat this semester, inshallah we get 70 times more reward for the prayers we have done together. College life takes a 180 degree turn when you pray salat with the Muslims on campus. I mean for all the fitnah that goes on, when i come out of class now I feel like a turtle ready to go into my shell.

Interesting enough to say, the highest form of submission in salat is when we go down and bow our head on the floor (sujud) and say Allahu Akbar. Think about that, we don’t bow to no one except Allah. All praise is due to him alone.

One more hadith before i wrap up like a mummy, once our beloved Prophet Muhammad shook a dry branch of a tree so that all of the leaves of the branch fell off, than the Prophet said “The sins of those who pray Salah, drop off as the leaves of this branch fell off.”

So stop playing with your life, start praying with pure intention. Inshallah I gotta work on my salat also and i hope we all do. Jazakullah for reading this post…..now go play…I mean Pray! 

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