!!!!! EiD !!!!!!

BIsMiLlAh,

Eid Mubarak everyone!! 

I hope Y'all had an awesome Eid  :) I know fo sho I did Alhamdullilah.  Hopefully y'all had an amazing eid with your friends and family. And i hope that everyone is safe from Hurricane Sandy. :-S  

 May Allah save us from the punishment from where there is no escape.  Ameen. 

 Picture taken by me :)
my dad is pointing out the heart

My father and uncle sacrificed 2 sheeps. 

Here's some history behind our udhiya:

Prophet ibrahim was given a son after so very long and he was quite old and it was a miracle for him to have a son. So Allah (swt) testing Prophet Ibrahim and his love of his son vs Love Of Allah by revealing in a dream that the was to sacrifice his son. Prophet Ibrahim knew that prophets dreams are true and told his son. His son said "do what you have been commanded,.,. surely you will find me among the sabireen" (patient ones) 

just imagine. i mean.. not even ask to think about it- he jus said do what our lord has commanded you. Subhanallah. Look at his love for Allah. And Prophet Ibrahim blinded folded himself and sharpened the knife so it would be fast and not much pain. Allah (swt) was very pleased of Prophet Ibrahim 's action and replaced his son with a goat.  Allah (swt) loved this so much that he made all of Ummah do this.

May Allah enable us to act upon our knowledge. 
Keep me in your duas! 

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Deed 10 in Dhul Hijjah EID !!

10.  Attend Eid prayers

Attending Eid prayers is from the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet . We should be keen on practicing this Sunnah and performing it according to the teachings of our Prophet . Eid is a time of joy and happiness and we should be inclusive of all of our brothers and sisters who may not be as fortunate to have enough to enjoy this blessed occasion.

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Deed 9 in Dhul Hijjah- Udhiya

8. Slaughter an animal and distribute the meat 

Ibn Umar said: “The Prophet  lived in Madinah for ten years and every year he slaughtered an animal.” (Ahmad-Saheeh by al-Albaani)


3 portions
The needy 
Your friends and family 
Yourself

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Deed 8 in Dhul Hijjah -Shukr

8. Thank Allah
One of the biggest forms of worshiping Allah  is to thank Him, deeply, sincerely and continuously. After all, it is He who blessed you with all that you have. In fact, you wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for the Mercy of your Creator. So thank Him for ALL that He gave you: the blessing of Islam, the blessing of life and every blessing you possess. Thank Him for the opportunity to experience these ten days. Ask Him for His mercy, forgiveness and guidance.

Alhamdulillah, there is much to be gained in these coming days. So make the most of this perfect opportunity offered by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten to do good deeds and appreciate this blessing and make the most of it.

“And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (death).” [Al-Hijr 15:99]

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Deed 7 in Dhul Hijjah -A'mals

7. Increase in doing ALL good deeds
If you are not able to perform Hajj this year, occupy yourself during these blessed days by any and every possible good deed. Every act that is done with sincerity for the pleasure of Allah (swt) will bring you closer to Him.

“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it; and whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it."
Al-Zilzal [99:7-8]

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Deed 6 in Dhul Hijjah - Quran

6. Return to Book of Allah... The Quran
It is time to dust off your copy of the Quran. Revive and strengthen your relationship with the Quran- Kalamullah.  Recite its verses and ponder upon them. Understand its message. Try your best to implement the commandments of this book into your life. This relationship with the Quran will open for you the doors of wisdom and happiness in your life. Having a strong relationship with the Quran will lead to guidance and success in this life and the Hereafter inshAllah. 

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Deed 5 in Dhul Hijjah -Repent

5. Make Sincere Repentance
Allah swt) loves those who repent to Him in complete submission. The act of sincere repentance to Allah with intention to never return to His disobedience and sin is very dear to Allah (swt). Return to Allah by giving up all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes. Be regretful of your sins and disobedience and resolve to never return to sin and to firmly adhere to the Right Path; Siratul Mustaqeem...Yo- Follow the deen. :) 

Allah  says, “But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful.” [Al-Qasas 28:67]

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Deed 4 in Dhul Hijjah -Qiyaam

4. Stand the Night in Prayer
Seeking Allah’s forgiveness and humbling ourselves in front of Him in supplication and prayers during the latter part of the night is an act of worship that is very beloved to Allah (swt).

Allah (swt) calls out to His servants in the latter part of the night: “Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?” (Bukhari, Muslim)

We should seize this opportunity and beg Allah for His Mercy. We should ask Him as the Prophet Muhammed (saw) taught us: “Our Lord, bless us with the best of this world and the best of hereafter and save us from the fire of Hell.”

Refer to surah mudathir also. 

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Deed 3 in Dhul Hijjah -Dhikr

3. Perform Dhikr and Takbeer

The Prophet  said: “There are no days on which good deeds are greater or more beloved to Allah than on these ten days, so recite much Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah), Takbeer (saying Allahu Akbar) and Tahmeed (saying Alhamdu Lillaah).” (Ahmad -Saheeh)

Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurairah used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them. (Bukhari)

Takbeer nowadays is a Sunnah that has mostly been forgotten, especially during the first few days. So try your best to revive this Sunnah...and those who hear you and then say it themselves... you will get hasanah also ^_^ 

Say it in the masjid, in your home, on the street and every place where it is permitted to do so. 

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Deed 2 in Dhul-Hijja -Fast

2. Fast all nine days and especially on the ‘ Day of Arafah’

We should try to our utmost ability to fast in these sanctified days. It may be hard- but hard are the things that have worth. 

The Prophet  said: “Anyone who fasts for one day for Allah’s pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

The Prophet  used to fast on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijja and he said: “Fasting the Day of ‘Arafah (ninth Dhul-Hijja) is an expiation for (all the sins of) the previous year and expiation for (all the sins of) the coming year.” (Muslim)

Just imagine... fasting on one day expiates your sins of the previous year and future year! I mean seriously yo..this is a huge opportunity Allah (swt) gives us- don't let it go to waste!    

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Deed 1 in Dhul Hijja -Hajj

1. Perform Hajj (Pilgrimage)
Obviously, Hajj is one of the best deeds that one can do during these ten days. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam  It is incumbent upon the one who is in good health and has good money to preform Hajj. The Prophet (saw) said that one who has fulfilled the necessities of being able to do hajj and still does not preform hajj Allah does not care whether or not he dies a Christian or a Jew {bukhari}. Thus stating he is out of the fold of Islam.  However for those of us who were unable to do so, there are still many more ways to earn the pleasure of Allah.

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

!!!~. 10 days of Dhul Hijjah .~!!!

Bismillah, 

The 10 days of Dhul Hijjah are upon us!  The Prophet (PBUH) said, “There is no deed that is better in the sight of Allah or more greatly rewarded than a good deed done in the (first) ten days of Al-Adha”. It was asked, “Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah?” The Prophet (PBUH) replied, “Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah, unless a man goes out himself for Jihad taking his wealth with him and does not come back with anything.” Narrated by Al-Bukhari

Allah (swt) blessed the nation of Muhammad (saw) with opportunities to reap rewards and blessings every day of the year. The last ten nights of Ramadan  are among the most blessed nights of the year; in particular Laylatul-Qadr  is extremely sacred. Similarly, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijja carry special status during the blessed month of “Pilgrimage.” The above Hadith of the Prophet  spells out the importance of these ten days in the sight of Allah  and the amplified reward  for all good deeds during this blessed season. (Dhul Hijjah is part of the ashharul harrm) 

In surah fajr ayah 2 -wa layanin ashr- Allah  swears by ten days. The ten ten days of Dhul Hijjah. One day of worship equals to one year of worship like of layatul qadr.

So, the questions we should be asking ourselves are, “How do we make the most of these 10 Days?  “What deeds can I perform to attain Allah's pleasure?”. The following 10 posts are some examples of the acts and deeds of worship that will help us gain His pleasure InshaAllah. :-) 

Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Real Beauty

Real Beauty

Bismillah,

Beauty is a word that man has defined himself. It is a word that’s definitions’ changes ranging from person to person and from situation to situation. In the Good Ole’ Days beauty was categorized something different than as it is now. Say a girl wearing beautiful gown might look beautiful, with her hair done up high she looks absolutely regal. But now one might describe beautiful as a girl wearing a short skirt and tight shirt. This clearly shows us how man has changed their values. The formula is -more skin=more attention-. And this has corrupted our youth. Girls wish with dreamy eyes, “if I didn’t wear hijab  ... or if I wasn’t a Muslim  ...I wish I could dress like that…she looks so pretty I wish I could be like her.” Now who is exactly is this 'she' that has become their role model? Most prolly a crazy celeb. o_O

That celeb is fake. You might have heard it all before but it doesn’t hurt to hear it again. What she has on is like 100 pounds of makeup. 50 pound alone jus being the foundation. Her hair color? I’m sorry dear, she dyed it. What bout her gorgeous eyes? 8/10 times she’ll be wearing contacts. What bout that body? HELL-OO… Photoshop anyone?  

That’s right. Now let’s bring in the real hard core stuff. Real beauty. Every girl whether Muslim or not has beauty- even if she’s not beautiful. How? Inner beauty. The beauty that lies within her soul. Her heart and mind. Many choose to corrupt while others nurture it. Inner beauty is the true beauty and that is the beauty that reflects on the outside too. The hijab is a beauty itself. You don’t need any make up to cover up. Your beautiful just the way you are.

Tight hijabis:

My friend coined this term for hijabi girls that wear tight clothing or half sleeves. And they pour makeup over their face like no tomorrow. (lol) And then the jewelry... don’t get me started... lemme jus say – if they sold it – they would be pretty rich. Dear if you’re going to make fun of the hijab and defeat its purpose of it...then maybe you should rethink your reason of wearing it.

I mean think of it. If EVERYONE looks at you every single drab day wearing makeup and looking pretty... when the time comes to be beautiful... you’ll be looking the same you do every day :P sides it’s the heart that counts not the face ^_^. Take care of your personality not only your looks. Your personality and your actions are the things that will benefit you in this and in the Hereafter. Not your appearance. You may be gorgeous but have a witchy personality. Or you may be the girl who’s decent in looks but her Iman shines on her face and has a wonderful personality. Your pick. :-)  

“A girls beauty is like a pearl in an oyster…let that oyster stay closed till the time comes...she’s like a delicate rose…let that rose be untouched until the right hand picks it.”

Dua For Looking in the Mirror
When we look in the mirror at ourselves we should read this Dua:   

  اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ  حَسَّنْتَ  خَلْقِي  فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقِي  

Allahumma anta hasanta khalqi fahassin khuluqi

"O Allah, just as you have made my external features beautiful, make my character beautiful as well"

Try posting it on the mirror that way it becomes a habit.
Everyone is beautiful in his or her own way. It all depends how you live and how your present yourself. Whether or not if you are true to yourself and others….or are you no better than those fake celebs? Think about it. 

    Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice 

Just repent and its all good yo

Bismillah,

PeAcE!

We have all had our share mistakes and experiences of the past. Some more than others, but still. Sometimes we make mistakes and don’t realize they are wrong and get so indulged in them we care not if it’s wrong.

Then after a while we realize what we did was wrong. What comes after that? 9 out of 10 times we go into depression thinking “omigod Allah meri tawba!! “ (d|b) ;-) You go to some higher figure saying, ‘I’m bad yo... so bad.’ -No its ok bro jus repent and don’t ever do it again.- No man I’m really bad- like really really bad.- No man.. You’re not… One of the biggest sins is underestimating Allah’s mercy. Who are we to limit Allah’s mercy??

Quran:

Allah says in the quran, Surah zumur:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ

يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ 

Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. For Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 39:53 

Hadith:

It is narrated on the authority of Anas (ra), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say:

"Allah the Almighty said:

'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.'"

                                                                             
[At-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal)].

Dua:

Now with renewed enthusiasm (I hope :-D) let us all remember these

duas –

- 

                        

   Sidra Afzal

© TheUmmahVoice

dont forget to follow my page ^_^ https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/100055206970544067928/100055206970544067928/posts/p/pub

                            

Smile...It's Sunnah :)

Bismillah, 

Smile. Yea show those pearly whites. :D. Sometimes its soo hard to smile- so hard to find something to be happy about. 

So always remember -When life gives a 100 reasons to cry then give it a thousand reasons to smile. 

And another good quote is ,

"If you never thank Allah after every smile then you have no right to blame him for every tear." 

Smile and the world will smile with you...And trust me its contagious. :)

i was on a train in Texas and I had come out and i saw a lady. Her head was in her hands and she was lookin so depressed.. me being me ^.^ - i waved to her with a smile - and she waved back at me with a genuine smile on her face from inside the train. I felt happy that i made her smile :)  

Maybe if all smiled the world would be a better place. 
A shine of light on every face.
Oh Sunshine- why don't you shine.
Show that smile till the end of time
Don't care what other say 
you keep on smilin' and livin' your way
Life is filled with ups and downs 
But that ain't no reason to frown
Now hear it from me 
Cuz these words i say are real- originality
No matter what happens- never forget 
to smile- cuz ~that- is sumthin' u ain't ever gunna regret. 

So smile often it makes you happy even if your not :-P and best of all its Sunnah!!! You get hasana for it what more do you want man? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3siTzn0hEPM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sidra Afzal 

©TheUmmahVoice