youth voice february 2010

Three Levels of Faith: Islam, Iman, & Ihsan

By Hassan El-Najjar, Al-Jazeerah, May 21, 2007

Submission By Rustum Sohrab

As most people do, I turned to God during the hard times of my life. It’s a sad fact of life. When times are happy and life is good, no one feels obliged to turn towards his or her religion. It’s all about living the moment and having immediate pleasure. Often this happens when we forget to answer the most important question our curious minds have - What is the purpose of life?I was at a program that was held in a large auditoriumthe day after 8th grade graduation. I was invited by the host because the host was a director of an organization my father had put me into. -Continued on page 5

Volume III, Issue 2 February 2010 http://munayouth.org

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

“Verily, the men of knowledge are the inheritors of the prophets.” (Hadith)

Inside

the Voice:Theme of the Month:

Tenets of FaithPages 2

Agenda for FebruaryPage 3

What’s Going On in MUNA Youth

Pages 4Opinion Articles

Page 5-6Creative Creations

Page 7-8

Islam: There are three levels of faith a person can attain. The first level is Islam. Prophet Muhammed, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him (pbbuh) explained it as observing the five major obligations (the adhering to which creates an Islamic structure, as these obligations constitute the pillars of Islam’s structure). Thus, to be a Muslim, a person has to proclaim (or testify) that there is no other god but Allah (praise to Him) and that Muhammed (pbbuh) is His Messenger. -Continued on page 2

DeathBy Rakibul Mazumder

Getting older simply means the passing of time. But with the passing of time, things happen. For one, you have moments to be enjoyed and cherished. For example, you get into college, you graduate, and then you get a job, get married, have your first kid, then your second, then your third, and so on. All your friends also graduate, get jobs, get married, and have kids too. There will be so many weddings to attend, parties to go to, gatherings to join. All of that makes life great, but in this world, there is a natural balance. Things are given and they are also taken away. While we will achieve and accomplish, we will also lose and fail.

-Continued on page 6

youth voice

A MUNA Youth Publication

-Continued from page 1The importance of this declaration or testimony is that a person acknowledges the existence of God (Allah), praise to Him, as the Creator of the Universe, and that Muhammed (pbbuh) is the Messenger of God. This means that a person accepts the message of God revealed to humanity through Prophet Muhammed (pbbuh), as expressed in the word of God (the Holy Qur’an) and the Sunna of the Prophet (his sayings, actions, and what he approved of ). Once a person pronounces the Islamic proclamation, then he/she proceeds to observe the Islamic obligations, namely to perform the five prayers, pay the Zakat, fast during the month of Ramadhan, and make the pilgrimage to the House of God in Makkah, if he/she is able to do so (for more details about these obligations, see Islam: A Brief Introduction). It is important to note that these are ways of worshipping God, ‘Ibadat, as He wanted and commanded Muslims to do. He promised to reward those who worship Him and to punish those who don’t do that on purpose. In analyzing these Islamic ways of worshipping God, one discovers that all of them benefit the worshipper directly and his/her society in this life, then they are rewarded with Paradise in the hereafter. By performing prayers, a Muslim has to clean himself/herself through wudu’, by washing the mouth, nose, face hands, arms, ears, hair, and feet, every time before prayers. Muslims also have to take showers after sexual intercourse and must keep their clothes clean. By praying five times a day in specific times, Muslims live in orderly fashion, budgeting their time, and literally exercising five times a day, doing certain movements that range between standing, bowing down, prostrating, and sitting down on the floor. These unique movements exercise various body organs and push more blood to certain areas of the body, like the brain through bowing and prostrating. By paying the Zakat, a Muslim assists the poor and contributes to the well-being of society. It is, at least, 2.5 percent of a person’s annual savings. When properly given, the poor will not be left alone in society. It is a systematic expression of compassion and social solidarity. The Zakat does not replace charity or government taxes. However, it contributes to the welfare and well-being of society in areas not covered by government-funded projects. Fasting the month of Ramadhan by abstaining from food, drinks, and sexual activity from dawn to the sunset has tremendous benefits for the body and the soul of a worshipper. Fasting strengthens the control of the self over the body. It allows the rich to feel the suffering of the hungry poor and prompts them to share food with

them when they break the fast at the sunset. By eating moderately at the breakfast, many people lose weight, get rid of the accumulated fats throughout the year. Most importantly is giving a break to the digestive system, after eleven months of continuous hard work. Finally, Haj, pilgrimage to the House of God in Makkah, is the climax of being a Muslim. It is a personal journey for God first but it gives great satisfaction to the Haaj (pilgrim), as he/she leaves everything in this life behind. The pilgrimage to Makkah is also a worldwide conference of Muslims, where they meet there representing all nations, racial groups, and ethnic divisions. They are instructed by God to be loving, caring, and tolerant of each other, as well as praising God for His limitless benefits and bounties they have been enjoying.

Iman: By being a Muslim, as explained above, a person is promised God’s rewards in this life and in the hereafter. However, for those who are more ambitious to be closer to God, and to gain a higher level of his rewards, they need to reach a higher level of faith than Islam, which is Iman. Iman is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof. This level is more theoretical than the first level of Islam. In the first level, Islam, a person is saved by worshipping God through actions, that is through performing the five obligations mentioned above. To reach the second level, Iman, more faith is needed. A deeper degree of acknowledgement is required. This includes a belief in God and what He said. He informed us in His Book, the Holy Qur’an, that He has angels, He sent previous Books to humanity, delivered through previous messengers. Thus, a person reaching Iman (a Mu’men) believes that not only God exists but He is capable of doing anything He wants. A Mu’men believes in everything God told in the Holy Qur’an. He/she believes that there are other intelligent creations of God than human beings, particularly angels. Among these are Jibril (Gabriel, the medium between God and His human messengers), Mika-il (Michael, the

angel of sustenance), Ezra-il (angel of death), Israfil (angel of the Trumpet), Radhwan (custodian of Paradise), Malek (custodian of the Hellfire), Raqeeb and ‘Ateed (the angels who keep records for our good deeds and bad deeds), and Nakker, and Nakeer (the angels who question a human being briefly after death). A Mu’men is a person who believes that these angels exist and we are affected by them. A Mu’men also believes that God revealed His guidance to humanity in previous Books before the Holy Qur’an. These included the Torah (Old Testament revealed to Moussa, Moses, pbbuh), Zaboor (revealed to Prophet Dawood, David, pbbuh), and the Engel (New Testament revealed to the Messiah, Essa Bin Mariam, Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, pbbuh). These Books included the same message of guidance to humanity summarized in the Holy Qur’an. A Mu’men, further, has the same respect and love to the previous messengers of God, and should not differentiate one from the other, or side with one against the other. A Mu’men believes that this life is a test, in which all our deeds and activities are recorded by angels. We will be held accountable for the entire test when we meet our Creator in the Day of Judgment. So, the belief in the Last Day is an acknowledgement of accountability and reckoning. It is an incentive for people to do good in this life in order to be rewarded in Paradise, and a warning against doing bad in order to avoid punishment in the Hellfire. Finally, a Mu’men believes in Al-Qada wal Qadar, or divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof. This is a belief in the ability of Allah, praise to him, to predict our behavior. (For a brief discussion about predestination, see: Five Islamic Issues, predestination and choice, position toward other religions, angels, and the End of Days).

Ihsan: Ihsan is the highest of the three levels of faith and the closest to God. It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him. While you do not see Him, He truly sees you. Then, Ihsan means that a Muhsen is sure that Allah is seeing him/her in everything he/she says or does. Therefore, a Muhsen does his/her best to say and do only what pleases God and conforms to His commands. This is the level of righteousness, the level of perfection, the level of doing and saying the ultimate good, the level of Ihsan. The word “Ihsan” in Arabic is a derivative of the verb “ahsana,” which means doing things better. Thus the literal linguistic meaning of Ihsan is doing the best, which is doing what God commanded us to do.

You can read the rest of this article athttp://www.aljazeerah.info

Three Levels of Faith: Islam, Iman, & IhsanBy Hassan El-Najjar, Al-Jazeerah, May 21, 2007


Dr. Sayeed Chowdhury Abu Ahmed Nuruzzaman Abul Faizullah National President, MUNA National Vice President, MUNA National Executive Director, MUNA Arman Chowdhury Abdullah al Ma’mun Rakibul Mazumder National Director, MUNA Youth Editor, Youth Voice Designer & Assistant Editor, Youth Voice

If you have any comments or suggestions or would like more information, email us at [email protected]


1st Week• Introduction• Dars al-Qur’an: Tenets of Faith• Personal Portfolio Presentation & Analysis• Organizational Portfolio Presentation & Analysis• Youth Voice: Review & Discussion• Monthly Planning: Discussion on da‘wah and member development• Ehthesab • Miscellaneous (Remember to have Primary Members’ meeting)• Du‘aa

2nd Week (Tarbiyaa Session)• Introduction • Dars al-Qur’an: An-Nas • Islamic Topic: Tenets of Faith• Organizational Topic: Supporter• Prophets & Messengers (AS): Idris and Nuh• Sahabah (RA): ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab• Profession: Information Technology• “How To” Workshop: Wudu• Words of Wisdom• Miscellaneous (Can use this session as a large da‘wah program)• Du‘aa

3rd Week• Introduction • Recitation of the Qur’an with meaning: Al-Baqara (2:255-257) • Practice Tajweed• Review & Discussion of Islamic Literature: Let Us Be Muslim, Chapters

3 & 4• Miscellaneous • Du‘aa

4th Week• Introduction • Recitation of the Qur’an with meaning: Al-Baqara (2:1-5) • Memorization of Du‘aa: Du‘aa for Concentration-

“Salla-l-laahu alaa Muhammad wa aal-e Muhammad. Allahumma inni as’aluka yaa mudhakkira-l khayr wa faa’ilahu wa-l-aamimira bihi dhakir-ni maa ansaani-hi-shaytan.” (“Blessings of God be upon Muhammad and his progeny. O God, I ask you, the One who mentions goodness and actualizes it and commands it, remind me of that which the shaytan makes me forget”)

• Islamic History: The History of Islam/A History of Islamic Societies• Discussion of Hadith: Bukhari Vol 1, Book 2, # 45-55 (Book of Belief )• Miscellaneous • Du‘aa

* Try to sit in a tajweed class at least weekly. All subchapters should focus

on developing every participant’s ability to read the Qur’an properly.* Those who present should prepare before, not during, the halaqa

Dr. Sayeed Chowdhury Abu Ahmed Nuruzzaman Abul Faizullah National President, MUNA National Vice President, MUNA National Executive Director, MUNA Arman Chowdhury Abdullah al Ma’mun Rakibul Mazumder National Director, MUNA Youth Editor, Youth Voice Designer & Assistant Editor, Youth Voice

If you have any comments or suggestions or would like more information, email us at [email protected]

The Youth Voice is published by Muslim Ummah of North America

The February Agenda Theme: Tenets of Faith


Share Your VoicesBy MUNA Youth

MUNA Youth’s newsletter, the Youth Voice, is meant to be a means of communication by the nation’s youth with the nation’s youth. That means we need

the younger generation to step up and write. Writing is a powerful tool to convey messages to other people. Indeed, as young Muslims, we carry the best message that mankind can recieve. So we invite you all to write. In fact, we humbly request you all to write. Engage yourself with literature, engage yourself with good people, and engage yourself with your own intellectual and spiritual thoughts. The ideas that spring from that can be shared and should be shared. Here is your outlet. Write an article. And another, and maybe even another. This can be a means of developing your writing skills. Know that we are completely open to your initiatives and desires.

As many of our regular readers may know, every monthly issue of the Youth Voice has a Theme of the Month. You can view the list of themes for the year 2010 below. As contributors to this publication, you can write an article, anywhere from 500 to 1,000 words, on any of these themes for the respective months. You also have the option to write about what is going on within the organization. For example, you can write about local events you’ve organized or attended. Let everyone know what the kids in MUNA Youth are doing. You also have the option to write about anything you want for the Opinion Section in the Youth Voice. You can talk about religion, politics, academics, entertainment, even something personal. But perhaps writing articles isn’t one of your strengths. Maybe you like to be more creative and come up with a poem or a song. Maybe you have the ability to make beautiful illustrations. Maybe you can write comics or make clever jokes. Or maybe you can do something none of us have ever even thought of. Whatever it is, we have a spot just for you in this newsletter known as Creative Creations. The main point we want to make is the follwoing: as long as you provide a meaningful and good message, advice or set of information to the larger community, we will greatly appreciate your contribution and will not hesitate to publish your work.

Remember, any one of you can write for the Youth Voice. Age doesn’t matter. You can be in elementary school or even in college. You can also be located anywhere, from New York City to Detroit to L.A. to Houston to wherever. Gender certainly doesn’t matter. It doesn’t even matter if you are part of MUNA Youth or not. As long you’ve got something good to say, you are all welcome. So get on your computers and laptops, do some research if you have to, organize your thoughts, and just type away. Then email us at [email protected]. We’re open 24/7.

January: ‘AqeedahFebruary: Tenets of Faith

March: Salah (Prayer)April: CharityMay: Angels

June: Family/ParentsJuly: Prophets

August: AkhirahSeptember: FateOctober: Hajj

November: Adab (Manners)December: Bay‘at (Oath of Allegiance)

Abundant Faith, Shrinking SpaceBy William Wan,Washington Post, 08/22/09

“Mighty, Mighty Muslims!”

By Saima Mazumder Every year, we Muslims express our great delight and excitement at the magnificent celebration, the Muslim Day Parade. The Parade consists of the glowing faces of spirited individuals, from toddlers to teenagers to adults to the elderly. They come from various countries and carry unique customs and languages, but together, they show their deep passion for Islam and love for Allah (SWT). The parade last year, on October 12th, 2008, was the first one I have ever been to.


Volume II, Issue 13 November 2009 http://munayouth.org



Inside


HajjPages 2

Agenda for NovemberPage 3

MUNA Youth in ActionPages 4-5

Opinion ArticlesPage 6

Creative CreationsPage 7

Important NewsPage 8

They stream in through the doors every Friday -- a sea of Muslims pouring into a synagogue in Reston. The men roll out long prayer rugs on the synagogue floor. An imam stands up front and praises Allah. And as the faithful begin whispering their prayers in flowing Arabic, their landlord, a rabbi, walks by to check whether they need anything. This unlikely arrangement between a burgeoning Muslim congregation and a suburban synagogue is what happens when you combine the region’s rapidly growing Muslim population with a serious shortage of worship space.


The HajjBy Dr. Hamidullah, “Introduction to Islam”

Hajj literally means to travel (i.e., towards God) and it also means an effort to dominate something (the self, in this connection). Conventionally this term is translated as ‘pilgrimage,’ although this far from gives the exact significance of the word Hajj. This is the third of the religious duties of a Muslim. It is obligatory on every adult, man or woman, to go once in his or her lifetime to Mecca in order to perform there the great Effort for annihilating the ego (fana), i.e., assimilating one’s self with the will of God. Those who do not possess the material means of travel, however, are exempted from it.


youth voice

A MUNA Youth Publication Page 1

Abundant Faith, Shrinking SpaceBy William Wan,Washington Post, 08/22/09

“Mighty, Mighty Muslims!”

By Saima Mazumder Every year, we Muslims express our great delight and excitement at the magnificent celebration, the Muslim Day Parade. The Parade consists of the glowing faces of spirited individuals, from toddlers to teenagers to adults to the elderly. They come from various countries and carry unique customs and languages, but together, they show their deep passion for Islam and love for Allah (SWT). The parade last year, on October 12th, 2008, was the first one I have ever been to.


Volume II, Issue 13 November 2009 http://munayouth.org



Inside


HajjPages 2

Agenda for NovemberPage 3

MUNA Youth in ActionPages 4-5

Opinion ArticlesPage 6

Creative CreationsPage 7


They stream in through the doors every Friday -- a sea of Muslims pouring into a synagogue in Reston. The men roll out long prayer rugs on the synagogue floor. An imam stands up front and praises Allah. And as the faithful begin whispering their prayers in flowing Arabic, their landlord, a rabbi, walks by to check whether they need anything. This unlikely arrangement between a burgeoning Muslim congregation and a suburban synagogue is what happens when you combine the region’s rapidly growing Muslim population with a serious shortage of worship space.


The HajjBy Dr. Hamidullah, “Introduction to Islam”

Hajj literally means to travel (i.e., towards God) and it also means an effort to dominate something (the self, in this connection). Conventionally this term is translated as ‘pilgrimage,’ although this far from gives the exact significance of the word Hajj. This is the third of the religious duties of a Muslim. It is obligatory on every adult, man or woman, to go once in his or her lifetime to Mecca in order to perform there the great Effort for annihilating the ego (fana), i.e., assimilating one’s self with the will of God. Those who do not possess the material means of travel, however, are exempted from it.


youth voice


CAIR-NY Welcomes City Council Vote on Muslim Holidays in

SchoolsFrom Newswire, 06/18/09

The Answer to the Heat Wave of Fitnah: Grab

the Umbrella of TaqwaBy Suhaib Webb, suhaibwebb.com, 06/27/09

Assalamu alaykum, I hope all of you are well and pray that everyone is in a state of being close to Allah. Just 10 short years ago I was struggling as a new convert to Islam and one of the greatest hurdles was the ladies. My college days were rough in many regards. Before my conversion I was a successful DJ (I had just got my hands on a really nice four track mixer. Okay so you know I’m old school. But, in those days I could make it fl y) and was about to walk the Burning Sands.

- Continued on page 5


Volume II, Issue 10 July 2009 http://munayouth.org



Inside


AkhirahPages 2-3

Agenda for JulyPage 4

MiscellaneousPages 5-7

Important NewsPages 8

NEW YORK, NY- Th e New York chapter of the Council onAmerican-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today joined a coalition of community organizations in welcoming the passage of a resolution by a committee of the city council that calls for adding Muslim holidays to the school calendar. -Continued on Page 8

Finding My Way

By Allen Jo

Since I was a child, I would always question everything, from how things worked to why they existed. Consequently, I questioned my religion. At the time, I was a Christian. However, I could never truly believe in Christianity. Many things deterred me: the corruption of the Catholic Church, hypocrisy and logical fallacy of the Trinity, and all the diff erent versions of the Bible. Eventually, I no longer believed in Christianity and, for some reason, God. As time went by, I started to have doubts about my atheistic beliefs. For some reason, I still felt that there is a God.


youth voice

Anti-Islam Film’s Maker Blasts UK Over Ban

By Richard Allen Greene and Melissa Gray , CNN, 2/12/09

One Earth, Two Worlds

By Rakibul Mazumder Mankind has its own world, a world containing cars, cities, bridges and houses. Th ere are more than 6.7 billion of us going through the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Some of us are at home studying for the SAT, while others are in the jungle hunting for food. But this is just one world. Th e jinn form another. Th ey are similar to humans in that they are capable of reason and understanding, and so they can choose between wrong and right. But there are some diff erences, one of which is in the origin of their creation. -Continued on page 2

Acceptance of the Terrorist Image

By Ashraf Ali Al-Shams

The American public has inducted fi ctional terrorism into its stockpile of gags, jokes, riddles, and humorous oddi-ties. With various mediums capitalizing on terrorist attacks, mainstream media promotes the humorous side of terror-ism, pushing radical Muslims as the de facto members of Islam and promoting all Muslims as backwards, insane, and uneducated citizens of society. Terrorism and Islam have become synonymous like Italians and the Mafi a had once been. Muslims have become the running joke of the nation.



Volume II, Issue 6 March 2009 http://munayouth.org



Inside


Creation StoriesPages 2-4

Agenda for March Page 5

Opinion ArticlesPages 6-10

Current Events:A Look at the World

Pages 11-14

ONDON, England-- Controversial Dutch fi lmmak-er Geert Wilders condemned as “crazy and cowardly” Brit-ain’s refusal to let him enter the country Th ursday. Wilders, a Dutch lawmaker who produced a much-criticized fi lm about Is-lam last year, fl ew to London for a screening of the movie

despite being told a day ear-lier he would not be admitted. “I still believed and hoped that they would change their tune,” he told CNN by tele-phone, saying he was speak-ing from a detention room at London’s Heathrow Airport.


youthvoice

L

Bobby’s Story: An Inspiration for Muslims

By Ashraf Ali Al-Shams

Ramadan: A BriefExplanation

By Mohammed Taslim Uddin Tuhin So the ninth month on the Islamic calendar has fi nally arrived and it is the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is celebrated all over by Muslims in this vast and growing world. Th is particular month is also known as the Month of Forgiveness and Repentance, and also as the month of Taqwa and Abstinence. During Ramadan, we Muslims fast throughout the day, and we eat once in the morning before Fajr. Th is meal is known as Suhur. We also eat during the night at the start of Maghrib, and this is known as Iftar.


Volume II, Issue 12 October 2009 http://munayouth.org



Inside

the Voice:Th eme of the Month:

JihadPages 2

Agenda for OctoberPage 3

Living MUNA YouthPages 4-5



In today’s business world, many Muslims have amassed massive fortunes. Take for example the center of the tourist world, Dubai, where about a quarter of the world’s cranes are scattered across the horizon. Shopping malls, fl oating, islands, beach resorts, and fancy night clubs are all being erected by world-renowned non-Muslim developers funded by Muslim entrepreneurs. Yet, in the mist of all the money fl oating around, the building of masjids, orphanages, homeless centers, soup kitchens, retirement homes, and other similar institutions have taken a downturn. -Continued on Page 7

A Call to the True Jihad www.sa.niu.edu/msa/articles/taqwa.htm

All praise is due to Allah (SWT), the Master of the Worlds. Peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW).It is a common Muslim American experience to be afraid of the term jihad. And this term Jihad has been a heated topic of discussion and a dreaded word after the cowardly acts of 9/11 by terrorists. Furthermore, some so-called contemporary scholars of the Middle East have deemed Muslim conservative extremists that carry the Muslim faith as “jihadists”.


youth voice


Enlightening the Clothes-Minded

By Selena RobertsSports Illustrated, CNN, 03/05/09

The Young and the Restless

By Rakibul Mazumder On the Day of Judgment, all of mankind will be stand-ing shoulder to shoulder, crowded upon the earth as if wait-ing for a delayed train at a subway station. But their wait will last years and years, until they lose their patience. Still, they will not be able to do anything about their situation. Th ose who lived in ancient times as well as those who have yet to come into the world will be gathered together, unable to take even single step until they answer fi ve questions. Just fi ve simple questions. Doesn’t sound too bad. I mean, a job or college interview can consist of as many as fi fty questions.



Volume II, Issue 7 April 2009 http://munayouth.org



Inside

the Voice:Theme of the Month: Qualities of a Mu’min

Pages 2-6

Agenda for April Page 7


Current Events:A Look at the World

Pages 12-16

ow does she do it? In the face of triple teams, with defenders all but linking their arms like paper dolls, Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir is able to exploit the limited daylight she gets and average 42 points a game. How does she do it? Passing Rebecca Lobo’s 17-year-old Massachusetts high school

mark of 2,710 career points is about as easy as bumping Julie Andrews off the hilltop, and yet Bilqis graciously eclipsed the legend in January on her way to becoming the fi rst player in state history--male or female--to score 3,000 points.


H

Who is a Mu’min? www.inter-islam.org/faith/mumin.htm

It has remained the way of Allah that whenever a na-tion was to become corrupt, Allah would send a Proph-et from amongst them who would show them the right path. Allah Taa’la sent many messengers into this world and many Prophets. Th e last Messenger who was sent onto the face of this world is our beloved Prophet who was given the Qur’an. Th e Qur’an was given to the Proph-et for an important reason: Guidance for Man and Jinn. Allah Taa’la says in the Qur’an: “Th is is the book in which there is no doubt, it is the guidance for those who fear Allah.” So the Qur’an is a means of guidance for those who fear Allah.


youth voice

How to Solve the Rubik’s Cube

By Saiem bin Ferdous

Brooklyn East Sports Day

By Fkharul Tushar Al-Hamdulillah, MUNA Youth had a successful sport-ing event on Saturday, May 9th, 2009. Brothers from all over New York City, including Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, came together to have fun. We all met up in Brook-lyn Islamic Center (BIC) around 3:00 pm. We waited un-til all the brothers showed up and then headed to Prospect Park. Each of us carried at least some food, a bag of drinks, or some sport equipment. We walked into Prospect Park and continued towards the center. As soon as we reached the area, without wasting any time, everyone started playing.



Volume II, Issue 9 June 2009 http://munayouth.org



I am here to teach you how to solve society’s mod-ern-day mystery. Ernö Rubik’s magic puzzle-cube is some-thing that has frustrated millions of people since it’s re-lease in 1980. But never fear; I am here to put an end to all that because I am going to teach you how to solve it. But before I teach you how to solve this mystery, I have to teach you the move notations because you will have trouble understand a lot of the information if you do not understand the move notations. First of all, T = Top, B = Bottom, FL = Front Left, FR = Front Right, BL = Back Left, BR = Back Right.

-Continued on Page 4

The Importance of Da’wah

By Tuhin Uddin

Did you know that Da’wah is a tradition we Mus-lims take part in nowadays? Did you also know this tra-dition dates back to the fi rst prophets such as Lut (AS), Hud (AS), and Nuh (AS) and, of course, our last Prophet Muhammad (SAW)?! Da’wah is not only a tradition but also one of the many mandatory duties we Muslims must fulfi ll. It is also one of the requirements for our ticket to heaven, so it’s also a good investment for the hereafter. Now perhaps some of you are wonder-ing what da’wah actually is and why it’s so important.


youth voice

The Value of Volunteerism

By Br. Asad

Strangers By Tasnim Tanim Nabil

Life is short and limited but many seem to misunderstand this fact. Sometimes we treat this life as if it was the only purpose for our creation. Well, as a reminder to those who forgot, let me just say that this is just the first out of three stages in our lifetime. This is the stage where we as servants of Allah (SWT) must prove that we are worthy enough to be amongst those who will be allowed to enter Paradise. This is the stage where we have to strive to be amongst the strangers: the companions of the Prophet (SAW) who established the greatest of all the civilizations. -Continued on page 6

Volume III, Issue 1 January 2010 http://munayouth.org



Inside


‘AqeedahPages 2

Agenda for JanuaryPage 3

What’s Going On in MUNA Youth

Pages 4-5Opinion Articles

Page 6Creative Creations

Page 7-8

I had an amazing and heart-touching experience at the homeless shelter the last couple of days. I spent my Christmas vacation volunteering in there. There are more than seventy people in this shelter, most of them African American. There wre also four Latinos and one Muslim! The Muslim brother is suffering from heart disease. He is originally from Iraq. Because of obesity and heart disease, he lost his job and was not able pay his rent from November. Ever since he has been living in this homeless shelter.


Importance of Aqeedah

By Dr. Abdul Aziz al-Qari

The Messenger informed Mu’adh bin Jabal, when he was going to the land of Yemen, “You are going to a people from the People of the Book. Let the first thing that you call them to be the worship of Allaah. If they acknowledge Allaah, then inform them that Allaah has obligated upon them five prayers during their days and nights.” [al-Bukhari, Muslim] This hadith is clear. It does not require much of an explanation. The Prophet (SAW)applied this principle in his practical calling to Islam.


youth voice



SubmissionBy Rustum Sohrab

-Continued from page 1The topic of the event was “The Predecessors”. The speaker began to say how we would not even be able to comprehend what the companions of the Prophet Muhammad sacrificed just as we are not able to comprehend infinity. He gave a story about the first man to accept Islam and the Prophet’s right hand man, Abu Bakr. Once, running from their oppressors, they ran into a cave and hid there. The Prophet fell asleep next to Abu Bakr. Seeing a hole and fearing that a snake may come through it, Abu Bakr covered it using the heel of his foot. Soon a venomous snake did attempt to come through the hole, and it struck at Abu Bakr’s foot. But Abu Bakr did not move his foot. Only when one of the tears of Abu Bakr fell upon the Prophet, did the Prophet wake up and bless him, thus removing the poison. This was the care taken by the people hundreds of years ago for fear and love of their Lord. It was that day that I learned that every bit of pain we endure, both emotional and physical, alleviates us from our punishments in the afterlife. It was then that I started to truly understand the ways of God, how everything that happens has a purpose and that we are supposed to learn from that. It’s been almost three and a half years since that period of my life. It took me a year and a half to actually start changing. I knew Islam, but I did not put it into practice. I thought I was happy, but deep down inside I knew that I was not. I was a hypocrite, and as much as I tried denying it, I could not. It sank in and I accepted it and prayed that I find the right way. My conscience was not dead, but I had muted it. Today, as a revert, I have found that the religion of Islam has vastly improved my life, my morals, my self confidence and inner strength. This building of character and good faith is a lifelong struggle I have dealt with. As a Muslim everything is done for the service of God, and in that way you can never be selfish. If everything you do is for a ‘higher power’, then you are not thinking of worldly goods but

about the “next life”. I have been able to acquire tranquility and happiness within myself, with my family, and with my community. I strive to build better character. To be friendly and amicable. I do not feel the need to drink alcohol, to use drugs or to get involved in vulgarity or immorality. To me Islam is not a dogma, but a way of life that resonates in my soul and makes

me act upon the comprehensive wisdom. For the Qur’an says “Do they not reflect within themselves?” and the Qur’an tries to impose itself on you, but this imposition is not negative, it is positive because it engages the mind and the heart. I truly now understand what the meaning of Islam is. For I now have found true peace after submitting to my Lord.

Museum of Natural HistoryBy Jawad Chowdhury, 3rd Grade, South Grove Elementary, New York

The Museum of Natural History has two shops and one diner. When we went to the Museum

of Natural History, I explored it. Then I bought a bag of magnets for myself and a football for my brother. I touched one dinosaur tooth; it looked sharp and it was. I was surprised that the tooth was sharp but if you touch the bottom of the tooth it doesn’t hurt. Then I looked at this fake forest in the Museum of Natural History.

It had animal fossils that lived in the forest. I looked around. The fossils looked cool. I even looked at the dolphins. I liked watching them. It was fun doing it. Then I went to get some rock candy. I took the money from my dad. He told me to buy four rock candies. So, I bought four and I took one. My dad took one, my cousin took one and my other cousin took one. Then we finished our rock candies. Then we went back to the Masjid with the train.


DeathBy Rakibul Mazumder

-Continued from page 1As we celebrate the wonders of living, every now and then death comes and ruins the party. And people do die all the time. Especially as we get older, we hear about the deaths of grandparents and parents of friends and acquaintances. Maybe we even suffer deaths in our own families. Personally, I’ve had to receive the sad news of three grandparents and two fathers dying in the last month. And it has been my closest friends suffering these losses. My heart goes out to these individuals, but I’ll never be able to understand their grief until it happens to me. But these misfortunes did help me realize that as I go on with my life, people around me will be dying. I will end up going to funerals and praying janaza for those close to me every once in a while. I’ve accepted this obvious,

undeniable fact of life. It is naturally a sad fact, because death is usually an unfortunate occurrence and brings about sorrow and grief. And it is human to feel these things. The Prophet (SAW) himself was greatly saddened by the loss of his uncle Abu Talib and his beloved wife, Khadijah (RA). In fact, the year that happened is known as the Year of Grief But grief cannot overcome us. If we are to be true servants of Allah who completely surrender our will to the Will of Allah (SWT), then we cannot let a worldly loss lead to us to become swallowed by our own emotions and weaknesses to the extent that it hurts our religious practice, our love and remembrance of Allah, and our character and behavior. To prevent this from happening, we may need to revise our perception of death. One of the ahadith in Al-Muwatta goes as follows: Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said, “One of my wives died and Muhammad ibn Kab al Quradhi came to console me about her. He told me of one among the Bani Israil who

was a diligent, worshipping, knowing and understanding man who had a wife that he admired and loved, and she died. He grieved over her intensely and lamented her until he withdrew into a house and locked himself in, hidden from everyone, and no-one visited him. A woman heard about him and visited him, saying, ‘I need him to give me an opinion. Nothing will satisfy me except what he says about it.’ Everyone left, but she stuck to his door and said, ‘I must see him.’ Someone said to him, ‘There is a woman who wishes to ask your opinion about something,’ and she insisted, ‘I will only talk to him about it.’ When everyone had left, and she still had not left his door, he said, ‘Let her in.’ So she went in and saw him and said, ‘I have come to ask your opinion about something.’ He said, ‘What is it?’

She said, ‘I borrowed a piece of jewelry from a neighbor of mine, and I have worn it and used it for a long time. Then they sent to me for it. Should I let them have it back?’ He said, ‘Yes, by Allah.’ She said, ‘I have had it for a long time.’ He said, ‘It is more correct for you to return it to them, since they have lent it to you for such a long time.’ She said, ‘Yes. May Allah have mercy on you. Do you then grieve over what Allah has lent you and then taken from you, when He has a greater right to it than you?’ Then he saw the situation he was in, and Allah helped him by her words.” This story reminds us of the relationship that we and everything around us have with Allah (SWT). Basically, nothing is ours and everything is Allah’s (SWT). And everything besides Allah (SWT) is temporary, so we should not become too attached to it. Yet another way to discipline our hearts when it comes to death is to simply remind ourselves of it constantly. Abu Huraira (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW), said,

“Remember frequently the thing that cuts off pleasures,” i.e. death” [at-Tirmidhi]. We must always be conscious of the fact that death is certain, it being already appointed long ago, and of the fact that it may come to any of us at any moment. Allah Almighty says, “When their specified time arrives, they cannot delay it for a single hour nor can they bring it forward,” (16:61) Since there is nothing we can do about death, we might as well expect it and be ready for it. Ibn ‘Umar used to say, “In the evening, do not anticipate the morning, and in the morning do not anticipate the evening. Take from your health for your illness and from your life for your death.” [al-Bukhari] In the end, death is just another chapter in the book of our souls. The souls of all people were created before their bodies and

this earth, and Allah (SWT) spoke to them and instilled in them a fitra, an innate human nature or disposition toward tawhid, the Oneness of Allah (SWT). Now our souls lie within our worldly bodies, and our bodies will one day stop functioning or break down, but our souls will continue on to the Hereafter. The bodies we reside in are miniscule and insignificant compared to the rest of Allah’s (SWT) creation, and the time we spend in them is basically nothing compared to the lifetime of the universe or the eternal lives we will lead later on. So as Ibn ‘Umar said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took me by the shoulder and said, ‘Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveller on the road.” Thus, if we, our familis, and our friends lead virtuous lives during what this short “visit,” we’ll move on to a permanent and infinitely greater, more wondrous, more beautiful place, and we will have nothing to worry about, insha’allah. And death for us won’t be the constantly traumatizing and painful experience that it is for most people.


Verily, we will all be resurrectedWhen mankind will be septically infected with fear

Affected by the hectic cries and screams of an eclectic crowdWe’ll be standing naked unprotected

Wondering if we’ll have our insides dissected and digested by the Fire Whose flames erected so big and bright could make us epileptic

For we attested to the oneness of God and elected the respected Prophet as our model But never fulfilled our objective

Have our deeds inspected as expectedOnly to hear Allah’s Voice directed at us, projected with anger because we neglected

A religion perfectedBe selected to be subjected to the Hellfire, infested with liars and skeptics,

Anyone who contested Him now detestedRejected Paradise because we connected the dots,

But with defective hearts failed to see the collective big picture, Sadly lacking perspective

Suspected we were on the right path yet failed to correctly trek itOne opportunity to be tested and we wrecked it

So look at your soul, check it and inject it with the faith you need to not end up One of the dejected

Let our dialectic choices be reflected in our actions so no hypocrisy can be detectedAnd God willing we’ll our receive our prospective rewards when we’re finally accepted

Don’t Fool YourselfBy Rakibul Mazumder


Rustum’s RemindersBy Rustum Sohrab

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most MercifulIf a voice said it was the last day on EarthI would want to rejoice after my rebirth

So what would I do and where would I go?I would remember Him and keep running the same show

I would say the Shahada, La IlahaRight from the heart

But what’s really on our chart? Is it beautiful art?Or have we been hit by Shaytans dart?

Believing and practicing without falling apart, this is smart, a really good startBut what will we choose?

Drinking booze and getting tatoos?Lets not diffuse from the issues that still ensues

Look at the clues, there is no excuseSo I would still pray 5 times a day, every step of the way

I would still pay Zakah, a donation, giving Sadaqah, my wealth earning BarakahI would still be fasting, from sunrise till dawn

Yes! Even outside the month of RamadanCuz the Angels are watching, the end is very nearSo reflect and SHARE and defeat the devils dare

Look, Im just tryna remind this kind speech of the DivineOur lives we must refine and if need be take a u-turn

So we dont have have to burnLet us instead learn, discern from the right and the wrong

Because how long is lifelong? Do you livelong or is life as long as this song?But alls well that ends well, so its alright if the world is halted

Because I praise Allah, the Exalted.

youth voice february 2010

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