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It was supposed to be a normal free Friday at Qabeelat Nurayn. At least that’s what everyone told him…..

1 WEEK BEFORE: Abdullah was just like any other Muslim born and raised in America- he enjoyed basketball, ice hockey, and the occasional round of croquet with the boys while gulping down a cold glass of Rooh Afza in the middle of the summer. But if there was anything he loved more than croquet, it was learning about Islam. And oh, how he loved it! He was a regular at the masjid, had more CD sets than he could keep track of, and his iPod only had lectures by people with the first name ‘Shaykh.’ Abdullah was no scholar, sure, but he was a person striving to learn about his religion.

One day, while at salatul jumuah, he came across a flier. The flier was brown in color and read ‘Torch Bearers’; intrigued- as he would be- he grabbed a few for him and his family. He rushed home, registered, paid, and found out about the AlMaghrib Forums. There, he discovered an ocean of people just like him! He read posts on a host of issues, and was able to access opinions of shuyukh, all at the convenience of his home. It was like a dream come true….or was it?

2 days before the class, a harsh reality sets in on Abdullah…….he has NO CAR!!!! How will he get to the class? In a desperate plea to find a ride, he contacts everyone he knows on a massive email with subject line: “I NEED A RIDE.” Only a handful of responses come back, all either apologizing for not being able to give him a ride, or laughing at his misfortune.

It’s finally Friday and Abdullah still keeps up hope. Surely someone would give him a ride. But as the clock ticks, the minutes pass like days, and hours like weeks. Agonizing over his dilemma, Abdullah feels helpless….and then, four hours later, the unthinkable has occurred:

Abdullah has missed all of the first Friday…Friday the 14th.

O’Nurayni and O’Nurayniiyah, (especially O’Nurayniiah because this scenario often happens to sisters), don’t let this happen to you or someone you know!

All you have to do is put your junk in your trunk and leave that extra seat for the brother or sister in need of a rideJ. They might be on your way, or a few turns away, but inshaAllah with the right intention, no curve or turn will go without the malkayn recording awayJ. So come on, sign up and help your peer in tawheed, and let your sister or brother in Islam experience the joy you’ve been waiting for—today!

Remember: “Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.” –Prophet Muhammad Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]

Let’s work together to make sure that everyone who needs a ride gets one: Click HERE.

Jazakum Allahu khairan

Why the emphasis on social services? The enhancement of humanity’s welfare is intrinsic to Islam.  Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is The Merciful and All-Compassionate, and the Qur’an and Sunnah are replete with guidance to help the less fortunate.  “(Charity is) for those in need, who, in Allaah’s cause, are restricted (from travel) and cannot move about in the land, seeking (trade or work).  The ignorant man thinks that because of their modesty that they are free from want.  Thou shall know them by their unfailing mark: they beg not importunely from all and sundry.  And whatever of good ye give, be assured Allaah knows it well.”  (Al Baqarah, Verse 273)

Some AlMaghrib tribes have turned their efforts to feeding the homeless.  In the Greater Washington DC area, Nurayn (Light of the Eye) Tribe volunteers have hooked up with The Dinner Program, to provide a healthy supper to women every night. In New Jersey, the Durbah (Pursuit of Excellence) Tribe volunteers at Elijah’s Promise Soup.  One student referred to his experience as “eye opening and humbling” as he sees the response of gratitude in the eyes of the people he served. In San Francisco, the Haadi (Pacific) Tribe conducts a large-scale feed the homeless campaign. In Atlanta, the Salaam (Peace) Tribe works with the Muslim organization “Giving Back to Humanity” every Sunday to provide nourishment to the needy in the impoverished inner city.

In New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, the thrust is initiatives to help children. New York’s Tayybah (Madina) Tribe teamed up with the Al Yateem Foundation to sponsor an Orphan Walk to raise money for local orphans, and the Zakat Foundation to provide backpacks and toy to needy children. Maryam Sultan, who has taken five seminars, says she participated in these projects because “They foster a sense of community. We take our friendships outside the classroom to help people we normally wouldn’t interact with…It’s one thing to take a class and gain knowledge, but it’s much better to take this knowledge to the next level by acting on it, getting a good feeling, and gaining Hassanaat.”  In Chicago, the Wasat (Middle) Tribe collaborates with ZAM’s Hope to provide big brother and big sisterly companionship, advice and homework assistance; while the Haqq Tribe in Los Angeles has hooked up with Stand Up for Kids, an organization that aids children who are homeless, runaways or sleeping in the streets.

Other tribes conduct multiple social service programs.  Hosna (The Best) in Houston organizes food drives and distributions, gathers to cook food and distribute it to the needy, and passes out toys and goody bags to children. Moreover, when not attending classes, it maximizes opportunities to practice the Hadeeth of the Prophet Muhammad, sal Allaahu alayhi wa salam, which states that one may earn Jannah by attending a funeral procession, visiting the sick, feeding the poor, and fasting all on the same day.   To alert students of these quadruple opportunities, volunteers text message each other with details and logistics.

How did AlMaghib’s social services initiatives start? Mostafa Khalifa, of the Durbah Tribe, credits one the Institute’s seminars as getting the ball rolling.   He describes “Rules of Engagement: The Islamic Code of Ethics” as a course that emphasizes community service and “generates positive energy encouraging us to elevate our consciousness and make the world better, rather than complain about what’s wrong or unfair. The more good we do, the more we increase our Eman (faith) and there is a huge ripple effect.  I’ve seen this reflected in the student body with family, friends, neighbors, their Masjids and communities.  We take what we learn in class and integrate it into our daily living and, as a result, our relationships and everything we do – our knowledge, faith, spirituality, and effort to do good deeds – improves.”

Since Toronto, after the Majd (Glory) Tribe hosted the “Rules of Engagement” seminar in 2006, it started feeding the homeless on a monthly basis, and has prepared and distributed more than 1500 meals thus far.

Munazzah Shirwani, a mother of four of Qabeelat Majd Tribe in Toronto, describes a sense of personal responsibility fostered by AlMaghrib.   This commitment to serving the underserved is contagious as volunteers solicit generous donations from local mosques, businesses and families reinforcing charity as an Islamic pillar.  In Ottawa, the Ansar (Supporters) Tribe has partnered with the Ottawa Muslim Association to conduct the “Our Neighborhood Food Drive” to collect food for individuals in need during Ramadan, in an initiative that brings the whole community together.

And the list of AlMaghrib social service initiatives in cities across North America goes on. Recently, in a unified effort, students from all 16 AlMaghib tribes supported the “Save Baby Aariz” fund, and helped raise $325,000 to provide medical services to an immigrant child fighting cancer with no health insurance.

Muhammad Alshareef the President and founder of AlMaghrib says this voluntary spirit and sense of pleasing Allaah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, reinforces enrollment in the Institute’s seminars. “Our students aren’t attending classes because parents make them.  They’re saving their allowances; they’re begging their parents ‘Please can I go?!?’ with an enjoyment and passion not found with the typical university student who attends classes as an unpleasant means to the end of getting a good job.  Students studying to be doctors or engineers and taking AlMaghrib classes actually become better professionals because of their higher purpose. They are not motivated by money but by higher goals that will gain them the pleasure of Allah.”

It is this overriding principal of doing good works in the hope of “gaining the pleasure of Allah” that generates contagious enthusiasm about AlMaghrib classes, which include: “The Light of Guidance: Fundamentals of Faith 101,” “Route 114: Sciences of the Qur’an,” “The Chain of Command: Sciences of Hadeeth,” and “Fiqh of Love: Marriage in Islam”.

As a result, enrollment in AlMaghrib continues to grow as students who take seminars are provided opportunities to gain knowledge and increase their scales with good deeds in the hope of gaining the pleasure of Allaah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala). Furthermore, says a female student from New York “contact with those less fortunate instills a sense of thankfulness for all of the blessings we have that we take for granted. It is an excellent way to give Dawa to non-Muslims, who learn of the benevolence of Islam as a social system and come to appreciate Muslims as caring and compassionate individuals.”

Time: 3:30 PM

Location: Dar Us Salaam

5301 Edgewood Road, College Park, Maryland 20740.

Here are a few photos from the event (over 150 were taken, lol).

Insha’Allah more will come…

Striving Hard in Worship

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to strive hard in worship during the last ten days of Ramadaan as he never did at any other time, praying, reading Qur’aan and making du’aa’. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that when the last ten days of Ramadaan came, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would stay up at night and would wake his family up, and would abstain from marital relations. Ahmad and Muslim narrated that he used to used to strive hard in worship during the last ten days of Ramadaan as he never did at any other time.

Staying Up

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined staying up and praying on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and in the hope of reward. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:  “Whoever stays up and prays on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” Agreed upon. This hadeeth indicates that it is prescribed to observe Laylat al-Qadr by spending the night in prayer.

Dua

One of the best du’aa’s that may be recited on Laylat al-Qadr is that which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her). Al-Tirmidhi narrated, and classed the report as saheeh, that ‘Aa’ishah said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, if I know which night is Laylat al-Qadr, what should I say on that night?’ He said, ‘Say: Allaahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibb al-‘afwa fa’affu ‘anni (O Allaah, You are forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me).”

When is it?

With regard to specifying which night of Ramadaan is Laylat al-Qadr, this needs specific evidence, but the odd-numbered nights during the last ten nights are more likely than others, and the night of the twenty-seventh is the most likely to be Laylat al-Qadr, because that is mentioned in the ahaadeeth.

Innovations during Ramadan

With regard to innovations, they are not permissible during Ramadaan or at other times. It was proven that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected.” According to another report, “Whoever does any action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.”

We know of no basis for the celebrations that are held during some nights of Ramadaan. The best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the worst of matters are those which are innovated (bid’ah).

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

For once the wheels finally seemed to be in motion……or were they? As the weeks went by, May soon turned to June.  With a little less than a month to go, the registration numbers were flat at 180.  Sure, people were registering daily, but we needed something.  We needed to impact public opinion……we needed to create a buzz.

So we did what all successful campaigns do- we used the power of the press.  Qabeelat Nurayn published a full page ad in the Muslim Link advertising Sacred Scrolls.  The volunteers went on an all-out marketing campaign: no masjid was safe from fliers and no halal food store was safe from our posters.  Qabeelat Nurayn was beginning to become a force to be reckoned with………..to be continued

Is it really worth reading a story that you already know the ending to? Maybe not.  But then again, Titanic won 11 Academy Awards and we all knew that the boat was gonna sink at some point, right?? (look, just read on…)

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In the year 49 B.C., Julius Caesar marched across the River Rubicon with the Roman Army in an effort to invade Italy.  Once across the river, Caesar made a proclamation that would forever be dignified in the annals of history: 

“the die is cast” he said (or, rather, the Latin equivalent of it), and so those words would forever become associated with a decision being made which involved an irrevocable choice.  In sum, those few words indicated that there was no turning back.

Fast forward to this past April.  Qabeelah Nurayn has just completed hosting its largest seminar ever, Heavenly Hues by Shaykh Yaser Birjas, with over 170 attendees.  The volunteer base is energized and eager to hear about the upcoming seminar and all of our committee heads and active volunteers are on a conference call with AlMaghrib Headquarters as they explain the challenge that lies ahead for Qabeelah Nurayn……. 

‘five hundred students is the bar,’ we are told, in no uncertain terms.  Say what?? That’s right, Nurayn was presented with the opportunity to host Shaykh Yasir Qadhi and Imam Suhaib Webb for a special, one-weekend seminar but our goal for attendance was not merely 170 students….it was 500!  Enthusiasm soon turned into apprehension and eagerness into fear.  Could it be done? Did 500 Muslims even exist in this part of the world? So many questions, so little time….. 

A decision needed to be made, and it needed to be made soon.  The next morning, the ameer/ah’s reconvened after hearing feedback from the volunteer base: ‘lets do it, 500 students, insha’Allah’

The die had once again been cast.   Two millenniums and half a century later, history was repeating itself (although at an admittedly reduced scale)

Were the courageous brothers and sisters of Nurayn ready for this voyage? Or was it another case of Gilligan and his crew preparing for shipwreck on the S.S. Minnow at the end of our ‘three-hour tour.’  In either case, we’d soon find out…… (to be continued)

Maps/Timings

July 11-13, 2008

Fridays: 7pm-10pm, Saturdays: 10am-7pm
Marshall High School – Auditorium
7731 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22043

Sundays: 10am-7pm
George Mason University – Dewberry Hall in Johnson Center building
4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030
Map of GMU

Directions:
Map your directions to Marshall High School
Map your directions to GMU

Parking

Friday/Saturday:
Park in Marshal HS school parking lot.

Sunday:
GMU student lots are FREE. Closest student lot to Dewberry Hall is Lot A (Lot B is under construction.)

Parking Decks Map – Sandy Creek Parking Deck is close to Dewberry Hall

Tips: Dewberry Hall has a drive-up road for drop-off of passengers. Nearby free parking is also available right outside the University Field House along University Drive (street). Walking distance from Fieldhouse to Dewberry Hall is approximately 20 minutes. On Fridays there is a bus that comes every ten minutes to the University Field House until 11PM and drops off at the GMU Bus Stop. Side street parking is also available in some nearby housing areas, also quite a walk from Enterprise.

On-Campus Eats

Building Name: Johnson Center
Taco Bell: 11am-11pm (Friday), 12pm-12am (Sat/Sun)
Freshens: 9am-11pm (Friday), 12pm-11pm (Sat/Sun)
Yaya’s Chinese: 11am-10pm (Friday)
La Patesserie: 7am-11pm (Friday), 9am-10pm (Sat/Sun)
Express: 7am-2am (Friday), 9am-2am (Sat/Sun)

Building Name: Sub 2 (Student Union Building II)
Ciao Hall Buffet: 11am-8pm 11am-8pm

Building Name: Sub 1 (Student Union Building I) – Map
Damon’s Grill: 11am-11pm (Friday), 11am-11pm (Sat/closes at 9pm on Sundays)

Behind Fenwick Library
Ike’s: 9pm-4am (Friday), 9pm-4am (Sat/Sun)

Nearby Masajid and Halal Eateries – Click Here for interactive map

Car-Pooling
Please contact services.nurayn@almaghrib.org
or post on forums.

Baby-Sitting
Friday/Saturday: Marshall High School Room 133
Sunday: GMU – Johnson Center 3rd Floor, Rooms C and D

Please contact services.nurayn@almaghrib.org
or post on forums.

Finally, Please check the Media tab for some valuable seminar resources as well as the Financial Aid tab for Financial Aid information.

On Saturday of IlmFest 2008 in NYC, Shaykh Waleed Basyouni stepped onto the stage to give the festival of hundreds of people what is one of the most precious commodities available to a person in their life, and one that – as a person grows older – always seems to be lacking and escaping more and more: Time.
Shaykh Waleed’s address was entitled Studying Ilm in America: Pitfalls and Difficulties. Anywhere in the world a person goes, there are obstacles on the path to gaining knowledge of the deen.
Shaykh Waleed focused on the situation in America, and in particular the situation of students who would like to have a career and knowledge other than the sharia, yet at the same time be well educated in their religion and worship Allah based upon knowledge.
After having talked with many brothers and sisters across the nation during his time in the States, Shaykh Waleed shared a number of points regarding the pitfalls and difficulties on the path to seeking knowledge.

He emphasized that learning knowledge requires studying and does not come by a magical touch. “Ilm will be gained by learning”, Shaykh Waleed quoted the Prophet, peace be upon him.
Shaykh Waleed then solicited hands from the audience: “Who here – really, I want you to raise your hand, among the brothers and sisters – has full-time job, who among you feels that his schedule is busy, raise your hand…” Audience members then raised their hands. “And among those who raised their hand, who among you really love to learn knowledge – I’ll put everyone, OK. Who among you really WANT to acquire knowledge, let me see the hands…”
Scanning the audience, Shaykh Waleed selected a brother to come up on stage and began to question him, albeit humorously.
As expected, the brother was nervous and admitted it. He was still quite good at not showing it!
Noticing his nervous volunteer, Shaykh Waleed gave the young man a cup and then poured some bottled water into it. Take a drink, he told him. Perhaps that would calm him down.
That was until Shaykh Waleed started pouring more and more into the cup until it overflowed and spilled onto the stage.
Shaykh Waleed then broke the analogy down.
“Whenever you try to bring the knowledge inside the heart: No space, you have no time, you have no strength to absorb any more knowledge. You’re already full! You’re already occupied. You cannot add any more to it – exactly like this cup. Whatever I give you, it will just go and fall off, it will never settle. So I think you learn from this, that one of the biggest challenge that we have here is that you need to take some time out of your busy schedules. You need to make time for knowledge, you need to make some time for learning. Don’t expect to just add ilm along with your daily schedule and have it stick. I would not imagine that’s going to be easy.”
Shaykh Waleed then pointed out sentiments some people may have.
“I will imagine the problem is, “Shaykh Waleed I read, I learned” – but nothing settled…. you know why? because it’s already full, because all what you have filled your heart with – not necessary knowledge, sometimes work, sometimes other things like games and other things. ”
Shaykh Waleed then went on to explain that a person needs to make space in their heart, in their daily schedule, their weekly schedule, or even their monthly schedule.
“Tell yourself that this time is for knowledge, this is what I want to do, and I want to free myself. I don’t want to use all my ability, all of my strength in one area (outside of knowledge), and then when it comes to knowledge I remain so weak such that I cant observe, learn, or memorize because I’m already too occupied with other things in my life..”
He said that Imam Shafi, may Allah have mercy on him, used to say: “If my family will depend on me to get them basala” – to purchase onions and things for the house – “I will not be able to do what I am doing.”
Reminding the audience to keep the balance, Shaykh Waleed pointed out that he was not telling the audience members to quit their jobs, or quit studying, or not cook for their husbands, and not to buy whatever they -the wives – tell you, but to be moderate.
“Try to make time for Ilm; I want to make time for knowledge, and that’s something I’m proud of, I will work hard on it, I have every week this amount of hours that I’m going to dedicate to it – this is for my Qur’an, this is for my memorization, this is for my reading, this is for some articles, this is for research, etc.. I want to know why I have to say ameen out loud and other people they don’t do that. ……I want to know why, I want to go research this, read it, write it down. I need to be ready psychologically because I’m preparing myself for gaining knowledge. This is a key point to learning knowledge. Make sure that you have space in your time, in your heart, and in your mind for learning.”
So if you feel your cup is a little too full or even overflowing, now is the time to clean up the mess and let it dry out, and make room for what truly benefits, insha’Allah.
May Allah bless all of our time and grant us knowledge that is beneficial, and grant us refuge from knowledge that does not benefit, ameen.