abdelrahman.murphy

"And I've prepared you for Myself" Quran 20:41

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While teaching the students at Qalam Institute Seminary during our tazkiyyah class, we came across an incredible perspective by Imam Al Ghazali. In his Ihya, he writes about the rights of sisters and brothers on one another (حقوق الأخوة والصحبة), listing things like financial and material assistance, hiding ones' faults, appreciating and praising one another, etc. The section that we read through last week was on pardoning and being light with mistakes when your brother or sister is engaged in wrongdoing. He highlights how the goal of community is to uplift one another, and mentions specifically that isolating someone due to a sin that they commit will not soften their hearts to return, rather forgiving, loving, and encouraging one another is a much more logical approach. Then he said something amazing: وهذا لأن التفريق بين الأحباب من محاب الشيطان كما أن مقارفة العصيان من محابه؛ فإذا حصل للشيطان أحد غرضيه فلا ينبغي أن يضاف إليه الثاني "And this is because causing separation between loved ones is of the most beloved things to Shaytan - just like getting someone to commit sins is also from the things he loves. So, if Shaytan is able to attain one of his goals [in getting someone to commit sins] then don't be the reason he attains the second!" When someone has moments of shifts upwards in their devotion to Allah, they grow strong enough to abandon old diseases of the heart, but are also made weak and vulnerable to new ones. Arrogance, judging others, being condescending, lack of mercy - all of these are diseases that run rampant within the self-identified "religious" person - may Allah protect us! Don't ever let a superficial increase in iman be a reason for you to separate yourself from others, to look at them as lowly and living their life without purpose, etc. All of us make mistakes. No one is perfect. Don't abandon others, because you would also hate to be abandoned. Find the good in people, for everyone has some amazing good that you and I don't possess. Magnify the good, mute the bad, and never forget that you are as close as you are to Allah because someone was soft and pardoning with you.

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Are you gay, why are you obsessed with A N J

First of all, cause he's awesome, and he's done a lot for me.Second, don't use gay as a slur, not cool at all.Third, this is why I rarely get on tumblr. There are some good things on here, but generally this place feels like the sewer of the Internet. Sad to see Muslims getting dirty in spiritual sewage. Nafs central.Happy Thursday!

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Many of y'all may have heard about a young man, Ahmed Mohamed, from the Irving, TX Muslim community who was interrogated, and arrested on suspicion of building a "hoax bomb" - when all he did was go to school with a clock that he was proud to show his teachers he had built. The story has yielded overwhelming response from the public, people who are shocked and disappointed in the clear profiling of this young Sudani inventor - his faith, and no doubt the color of his skin, led to this ridiculous suspicion and subsequent arrest. Even the likes of Mark Zuckerberg (inventor of Facebook) and President Obama tweeted in reference to Ahmed, inviting him to both Facebook headquarters, and the White House, respectively. But no gesture in this whole ordeal has been more wonderful than the response of his father. We probably cannot imagine what a stressful time it must have been, to have your son arrested for being a creative and motivated good kid, and then to be hit with so many reporters. How did he respond to all of the attention? The way I can only imagine the Prophet Muhammad (saw) would've: by smiling and feeding his guests (the media). Check out the picture below, and a reminder to us all: no matter what life hits us with, respond with Iman and by following the Sunnah, and you'll have won no matter what.

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DFW peeps! Check this schedule for Roots programming this fall in the Metroplex insha Allah.

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Why. Do you only call out good men who are doing well in Islam and not women, like you did the gundagi guy, and now this brother abo taleb, you always only talk about only good MEN in communities... And not women.

Sigh this again.Can I get another question calling me liberal and deviant for teaching and retweeting women, now?I hate the Internet.

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In a letter to his student, Imam Ghazali quotes a hadith of an advice conversation between Jibreel and the Prophet Muhammad [saw] (and through him, to us):

1. Live as long and however you want, but remember you will die. 2. Love what you want, but remember you will be separated from it. 3. Do whatever you want, you'll be compensated according to it.

This ‪#‎realtalk‬ narration focuses on one equation made up of two moments: the first moment is the result of our choice, the second is the result of an inevitable reality

The advice that's sitting in between the lines for us is this: if a we choose and struggle and strive to live in a way that takes into account the inevitable reality, we'll end up in a good place insha Allah.

PS: The ability to remember the second part of each advice would be a good way to define "taqwa."

[abdelrahmanmurphy]

Here's an iman protip with regards to good and bad deeds: along with being recorded, they also serve as a spirituality compass. If a person wants to check and see how their relationship with Allah is, a great way to gauge is to see what their deeds look like recently.

If you find yourself developing good habits, shedding bad habits, and turning back to Allah after committing mistakes, that is an indication that you are coming closer to Allah.

But if a person finds themselves losing good habits, gaining bad habits, and carelessly neglecting to turn back to Allah after committing mistakes, then that's a sign that they're drifting away and their connection and relationship with Allah is not as strong.

At the beginning and end of each day, reflect about the quality of your deeds - did I pray on time and with quality, or was I late and did I speed through the prayer? Was I conscious of Allah in what I watched and listened to and said? Have I checked up on my family and friends? Am I oppressing others' in my actions and habits?

The answers to these questions (and many more that you can come up with) will give you and I our answers to the question, "how is my relationship with Allah?"

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“Whoever believes in God & the Last Day, let them speak good, or remain silent.” How many problems would vanish if we followed this Hadith?

Have caution with your words, as they impact not only others but also your own hearts. Nothing that we say leaves our lips without leaving residue on our hearts - good or bad!

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I saw your Instagram, so, your a Sufi now huh

Assalamu Alaykum,Are you talking about the recitation of Quran?You don't like Quran? Liking Quran makes you Sufi? What is a Sufi, even? So many questions, not enough doner kebab!

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Eid Mubarak :)

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Tonight in Taraweeh the Imam recited from the 29th Juz, teaching us an incredible lesson: Across the span of a few lines, Allah mentions the wives of Prophets Nuh and Lut - despite being so intimately connected with to prophets - were identified as disbelievers. He even says that they will not get any benefit from being associated with prophets in the least.

Then, Allah contrasts with the wife of Pharaoh - despite being married to the worst of people - as being among the sincere believers, teaching us about one of the most beautiful supplications in the Quran, when she called out to Allah, "My Lord, build for me a home with You in Paradise!"

One example of women externally near two of the most pious of people, but internally destroyed due to the sicknesses in their heart, their rejection of Allah.

And another example of a woman near the most wretched of people, but internally strong due to her beautiful relationship with Allah.

Who you are related to or who you associate with can affect you if you allow it (for better or for worse), but the reality of your iman is up to you and your relationship with Allah. Your spiritual health, at the end of the day, is on you.

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Existential Sunday School, Ramadan Style

Three things every young Muslim person needs to read.

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“Allah feels shy - when a servant raises their hands to Him - to send those hands back empty.” Prophet Muhammad (s) #lastten #justduait

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Qalam launching a Quran Study for students and professionals after Ramadan in the DFW insha Allah. An open, safe-space group reading and discussion of the Quran. Gain confidence and depth in faith. More details on specific location and time tba insha Allah.

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Why do we commit sins in Ramadan?

Sins are sourced in four places:

1 nafs (ego/self): this is the center of where desires come from. Can be trained to exhort to goodness or command body to evil.

2 hawa (desires): byproduct of nafs, sort of like remnants of the self that leave trace temptations in us. Strength depends on health of heart and state of nafs.

3 dunya (world): filled with stimuli toward bad and good, temptations and desire. Opportunity for bad is there.

4 Shaytan/shayaateen (devil/s): uses all of the above in conjunction with whispering to achieve his goals of destroying your relationship with Allah.

Just because one of them is temporarily absent (4) doesn’t mean that we haven’t been conditioned to sin during the other 11 months. This month shows us what the state of our soul and the health of our heart is without active Shaytan influence. This is who we are. Time to fight back.

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The dunya has a way to make filthy ones heart - but no matter how dirty our hearts, how many sins we’ve committed, Allah’s mercy is greater. No matter how many times we’ve stumbled on the path to Allah, or even if we’ve turned our backs on Him, He still waits for us to come back.