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

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:

‘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.

-Continued on page 6

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.

-Continued on page 2

youth voice

A MUNA Youth Publication Page 1

-Continued from page 1He stayed in Makkah for thirteen years to each the people eemaan and to educate his Companions on this point and to correct the beliefs of the people. That is the pattern upon which the Companions were brought up. Jundub Ibn Abdullaah al-Bajaly said, “We learned eemaan (faith) and then we learned the Qur’aan and it increased our eemaan.” Abdullaah ibn Umar said, “We lived during an instant of time in which one of us would receive faith first before receiving the Qur’aan and when the surahs were revealed we would learn what they permitted and what they prohibited and what they forbade and what they ordered and what should be the stance towards them. But I have seen many men from whom one is given the Qur’aan before eemaan and he reads it from the opening of the Book to its closing and he does not know what it orders and what it forbids and what should be his stance towards it. He is like someone who is just throwing out dates [i.e., he does not get any benefit from his recital].” That is the manner in which the Prophet brought up his companions: Eemaan first and then the Qur’aan. This is similar to what Imaam Abu Hanifa pointed out: Understanding in the religion first (i.e. tawheed) and then understanding in the science (i.e. the sharee’ah). The beliefs must be corrected first, then follows all of the other aspects of the religion. And Imaam ash-Shafi’ee said, “That a servant meets allaah with every sin except Shirk is better say than meeting Him upon any of the innovated beliefs.” al-Aqeedah linguistically is derived from the term aqada. In Arabic, one states, “Aqada the rope” when the rope is tied firmly. And, “Aqada the sale” or “He settled the sale” when the person ratifies and contracts a sale or agreement. And Allaah says in the Qur’aan,“And as for those whom your right hands have made a covenant (Ar.,aqadat)” [al-Nisa 33]. And Allaah also says,“But He will take you to task for the oaths which you swear in earnest (Ar., aqadtum)” [al-Maida, 89] which means asserted and adhered to, as proven in the verse,“And break not oaths after the assertion of them” [an-Nahl, 91]. If one says, “Aqadtu such and such,” it means his heart is firm upon such and such. Therefore, al-aqidah or al-itiqad according to the scholars of Islam is: The firm creed that one’s heart is fixed upon without any wavering or doubt. It excludes any supposition, doubt or suspicion. Imaam Abu Hanifa called this great subject al-Fiqh al-Akbar (“The Greater Understanding”) and the understanding of the religion. He called the science of law (Ar., sharee’ah) the understanding of the science. Many scholars of Islaam use the word tawheed

for all matters that a person must believe in. This is because the most important of these matters is the basic tawheed that is contained in the phrase, “There is none worthy of worship except Allaah.” Tawheed, according to them, may be divided into two categories: tawheed of cognition and affirmation and tawheed of purpose and deeds. Tawheed of cognition and affirmation is the tawheed of the Oneness of the Creator and the tawheed of His Names and Attributes [i.e. He is Unique in His being the only Creator and the only One with His names and attributes]. Tawheed of purpose and deeds s tawheed of lordship or that none should be worshipped except Allaah [i.e., He is the only One worthy of worship]. The scholastic theologians (Ar., kalaamiyoon) - and what will explain to you who the scholastic theologians are - call this great subject “the root of the religion” and they call the law “the branches of the religion”. This is their terminology. We also have a dispute with them in this matter but this is not the place to discuss it. all of them give it a name or adjective according to their needs. But what is the name the Qur’aan gives to this matter? The Qur’aan gives the grave matter the name eemaan. Allaah says in the Qur’aan,“And thus We inspired in You (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our command. You did not know what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith was. But we have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of our bondmen...” [al-Shura, 52]. The general concepts that the heart of the believer must be firm about are the “pillars” of this faith. But one will not be called a believer just by knowing and understanding these pillars but he must come to the level where he submits and implements what is described, in the hadith of Gabriel, as Islam. Eemaan, in this manner, incorporates Islam. If eemaan was simply knowing the facts in one’s heart, then its companion would be equal to Satan and Pharaoh [Note: The Satan was the most knowledgeable of his Lord but he was destroyed because of his pride and envy. And Pharaoh, even though he claimed to be the lord, knew that the lord is Allaah and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him. Allaah says,“He said: In truth you know that none sent down these portents save the Lord of the heavens and the earth as proofs...” [al-Isra, 102]. - Although they knew the truth, they did not put it in practice by turning their ‘ibadah to Allaah Alone]. In the hadith of Gabriel, the Prophet explained the pillars of this faith in which every human must believe, when he was asked, “What is eemaan?”, he said, “To believe in Allaah and His angels and His books and His messengers and the Last Day and predestination of good and evil.” It is a must for every person to know

these pillars and to learn them with a correct understanding and to believe in them in the manner that he pious forefathers understood and believed in them, in the same manner that the Companions of the Prophet believed and understood them, as well as their Followers and those who followed on their path. This includes the four Imaams, Sufyan Al-Thauri, Sufyan ibn Uyaina, Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak and others similar to them, as well as Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhaaree, Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj, Shaikh al-Islam ibn Taymiya and al-Hafedh ibn al-Qayyim. And scholars similar to them who followed the same manner of understanding and believing in these pillars. This is the first obligation upon the responsible human being. There is no difference of opinion on this question among the scholars whose opinions are worth following. Imaam Abu-Hanifa said, “The understanding of faith is better than understanding of the science.” What he meant by faith is tawheed and what he meant by science is the sharee’ah. He put the understanding of tawheed before the understanding of the sharee’ah. And Shaikh al-Islam al-Haruwi al-Ansari (d. 481 AH) stated at the beginning of his book, Itiqad ahl al-Sunnah, “The first obligation upon the slave is the knowledge of Allaah. This is proven by the hadith of Muadh, when the Prophet said to him, ‘You will come to a people from the People of the Book. The first thing that you should call them to is the worship of Allaah. If they gain the knowledge of Allaah, then tell them that Allaah obligates upon them five prayers during the day and night...’ “ From this premise did the great scholars of Islam precede. Ponder, for example, what Imaam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhaaree did in his book al-Jami al-Sahih, which is the most authentic book after the Book of Allaah; one will see that from his detailed knowledge and understanding of this religion, this great Imaam began his book with “The Beginning of Revelation” and then he followed it with chapters on faith, followed by the chapters on knowledge. As if he means, may Allaah have mercy on him, to point out that the first obligation upon a human being is faith or Eemaan and the way to attaining faith is knowledge. And the source of faith and knowledge is revelation. So he began by showing how the revelation occurred and what it was like. Then he followed by mentioning faith and knowledge. This arrangement is no accident; by it he makes some important points. This is the sum of what we wish to mention and what we wish to raise our voices about. The matter of aqeedah is the first priority. Faith and knowledge are the means of attaining it. And the source of knowledge and faith is the Book and Sunnah.

Importance of AqeedahBy Dr. Abdul Aziz al-Qari, from ‘Aqeedah (Matters of Faith) First...If They But Knew’

A MUNA Youth Publication Page 2

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 info@munayouth.org

A MUNA Youth Publication Page 3

1st Week• Introduction• Dars al-Qur’an: ‘Aqeedah• 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: Al-Fatiha • Islamic Topic: ‘Aqeedah• Organizational Topic: Aim & Objective• Prophets & Messengers (AS): Adam & Eve• Sahabah (RA): Abu Bakr As-Siddiq• Profession: Journalism• “How To” Workshop: Speech• 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: An-Noo (24:44-51) • Practice Tajweed• Review & Discussion of Islamic Literature: Let Us Be Muslim, Ch.1 & 2• Miscellaneous • Du‘aa

4th Week• Introduction • Recitation of the Qur’an with meaning: An-Nisa (4:69-72) • Memorization of Du‘aa: Du‘aa for Students (http://tiny.cc/19Aa)• Islamic History: The History of Islam/A History of Islamic Societies• Discussion of Hadith: Bukhari Vol 1, Book 2, # 7-15 (Book of Belief )• Miscellaneous • Du‘aa

5th Week• Introduction • Recitation of the Qur’an with meaning: Muhammad(47:31-37) • Quiz: Du‘aa & Ahadith• Current Events in the Islmaic World: Bring in articles and discuss• 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 info@munayouth.org

The Youth Voice is published by Muslim Ummah of North America

The January Agenda Theme: ‘Aqeedah

A MUNA Youth Publication Page 4

MUNA Youth, Bringing the HeatBy Ashraf Ali Al-Shams

This winter season, the East Coast has experienced some of its coldest temperatures. With lows

feeling like 10º Fahrenheit, it is no wonder that most people are bundled up inside with a nice cup of chocolate. However, on the streets outside our homes, millions of Americans are bracing the cold with holes in their shoes and jeans. The need for basic nutrition, already difficult to fulfill for many, has been replaced with the need for warmth and clothing. At its NYC Executive Meeting, MUNA Youth embarked on a new initiative this year termed “Clothing Drive.” MUNA Youth stationed boxes fitted with instructions in masjids around the tri-borough area. The program is currently being spearheaded by Naseef Siraj, Assistant Director of NYC Chapter, and Aminul Islam, President of Jackson Heights Sub-Chapter. About ten masjids scattered throughout the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn have installed these specialized boxes including the well-known masjid, Abu Hurairah, in Queens and BIMCC in the Bronx. Plans for extension to other masjids are already in motion. While the initiative is running a trial from December through February, Abdullah al-Ma’mun is keeping his prospective high for an annual event saying, “The youth have converted this idea into a fruitful project. Insha’allah, our efforts will help those in need this brutal winter.”So far, the clothing drive has reaped big success with the garments piling sky high. “Alhamdulillah! It is so great that we have this big old box in our Masjid with MUNA Youth standing behind it; my mom would have discarded all these clothes in the trash,” says Ruhul Amin as he donates a crimson red button-up shirt. “This winter, may Allah save us all from the harsh winter climate!” If you would like more information on how to contribute or where to go, please visit the Facebook group and join us. Also, check out our fan page at http://facebook.com/munayouth and our website at http://munayouth.org.

A MUNA Youth Publication Page 5

So Here’s the Plan...Color-CodedBy MUNA Youth

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S

1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tarbiyaa Session(s) - every second Saturday

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 31 Youth Conference

Federal Holiday

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S

1 2 3 4 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 Eid / Ramadan

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Power Camp

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

26 27 28 29 30 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 YES Camp

31

"Youth Member" Conference

"MAP" Conference

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S "BASA" Conference

1 2 3 4 1 1 2 3 4 5

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Qur'an Camp

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 MY Games

26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30 MY Outing/BBQ

30 31

MUNA Senior Member Assembly

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S

1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 X MY Ummrah Group

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 - Dec 23 thru Jan 2

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 27 28 29 30 31

Annual Plan - MUNA Youth Department - 2010

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH Key:

Every Second Saturday - National MUNA

Youth Dept. Conference Call

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

NYC Youth Chapter Executive Officers

Meetings - every first Saurday

APRIL MAY JUNE

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

A MUNA Youth Publication Page 6

StrangersBy Tasnim Tanim Nabil

-Continued from page 1They loved their Deen, sacrificed everything they had, fought and bled for the establishment Deen. Their lives revolved around the needs of the Muslim Ummah, which they wanted to spread and continue existing so that the light of Islam would reach as many people as possible and guide them to the right path in order to not fail in this life and be amongst the losers of the eternal hereafter. We as youths of this Ummah sometimes forget the right path and forget why we were created and what our purpose in life is. We tend to overlook the fact that this life is not the end and that our main ambition or purpose in life is to go back to our home, Jannah. That is where we all belong and that is the home for all true Muslims. Many of us leave it for us to get older in order to think about and practice Islam. We often think we don’t have time for “that stuff,” putting academics, parents, friends and society’s influences in front of fulfilling requirements to be Muslim. Beyond fulfilling requirements, we must look forward to overachieve, go above and beyond, so that we are not afraid to die, and so that we have some confidence our actions will earn us a spot in Jannah (Paradise). Many of us are easily mislead by the thought of what others might think of us if we act or follow certain commands and regulations asked to do by Allah (SWT). We think that if we dress a certain way, speak a certain way, or even look a certain way, it is the end of the world. Point being made is that it shouldn’t matter to us Muslims on what others think of us or what they have to say about us even if it means we lose some friends or the respect and hopes of family members. We are foolish and we tend put the thoughts of others ahead of the purpose bestowed on humans by

the All Mighty Allah (SWT), the One who is going to judge us for our actions on the Day of Judgment. He is the one we should be afraid of. What Allah thinks of us is what we should be afraid of, not the disbelievers or your non-Muslim friends. We need to realize that how others see us does not matter because this life does not matter. Whatever happens here should only be for the sake of Allah (SWT) because this life will end and it is going to decide our life in the hereafter. We must all struggle to be like the companions of the prophet(SM), the ones who were the strangers among their people from the very beginning of Islam. They did not care for what others thought of them, but they did care about what Allah (SWT) thought of them. They cared for Islam and this deen and we should do the same today. We should be the strangers among our community, the ones who are different from others so that the non Muslims can see our way of life and maybe accept the message we are trying to spread and deliver through our actions. Many people, including some Muslims argue that society has changed drastically, so much so, that Islam or parts of Islam are no longer applicable to the modern world. That’s what the people of every age and every corner of human history said to the message of Allah. However they were proved wrong every time, by Allah Himself, through various prophets, messengers, miracles and the very strangers themselves: the servants of Allah. Once they found the truth there was no turning back, and the same goes for our age. We get tied with what the media feeds us, our friends that have never ending desires, and our personal struggles for material gain in this world. In order to overcome these desires we need to follow the footsteps of such strangers as the companions

of the prophet. They persevered in finding peace and happiness within their hearts without the need for materialistic gains, and in the process conquered the minds of more than half the people in the world at their time. Our role models or heroes should not be Miachel Jordan, Miachel Jackson, Martin Luther King, Stephen Hawking, etc. but instead it should be Abu Bakr(RA), Ummar Ibn al-Khattab(RA), Khalid bin Walid(RA), Usman Ibn Affan(RA) etc. Our character, our actions, our ways of thinking, should all be like that of the companion of the prophets. This life will challenge our iman and our commitment. Being a Muslim will make everyone around doubt us, including our family and friends. Sometimes it will even make us doubt ourselves. The Deen of Allah came to distinguish father from son, mother from daughter, brother from sister and separated individuals from the family, all on the basis of Islam. Belief, commitment, sacrifice, knowledge, obedience, fear of Allah (SWT), consistency, courage, steadfastness, loyalty, respect, love for each other, brotherhood, discipline, patience, support, cooperation are all the characteristics of the strangers. The prophet said: “this religion began as a stranger and it will return as a stranger.” So you and I should want to be strangers, we should want to be a part of the return of the strangers, and we should realize that no matter what the non-Muslims do, no matter what they try to do to extinguish Islam, they will never wipe out Islam because Allah(SWT) will perfect his light through us, the strangers. We should all stop committing forbidden actions and come back to this Deen and be the strangers that the companions were. Only then will Allah (SWT) bring this religion back to the way it was, and only then will Muslims all over the world prevail.

The Value of Volunteerism

By Br. Asad

-Continued from page 1Ever since he has been living in this homeless shelter. With me, there were one Pakistani and four Arabs who were also volunteering for this project, and together we raised some funds for this Muslim brother from the local Masjid! Alhamdulillah. The time I passed there became a big lesson for me. But this wasn’t the first time I’ve worked with Homeless people in the U.S. In 2005, I also worked for one week with the Salvation Army in

Carlyle, Pennsylvania during my trip as a participant in the Student Leadership Program sponsored by the State Department. There are many problems you start to become aware of when working this Homeless Shelter. First is the hyper individualistic society around us. This is the crude reality of capitalism and “survival of the fittest.” There is also a broken family system. The most important lesson I got from this project is the value of volunteerism

in American society. I think we have to learn how community-based activities and volunteerism can play a vital role in society.I strongly believe that this approach of community service, social justice and voluntary activities can be a catalyst for the Islamic Movement. I hope our small initiatives will have a spillover effect in our society insha’allah. May Allah help us to make a social movement for the Ummah through community service and other social welfare activities.

A MUNA Youth Publication Page 7

Being Muslim ain’t that hardOnce you see evil you keep your guard,Fight till the end in the name of God,

And whatever you do don’t act like a retard.Life is short, we ain’t got time,

So whatever we decide, we gotta make up our mind,The clock is ticking, the hour hand is moving,

The world is at war, the day of reckoning is coming,We gotta stop this madness, end this war,

And fight for the real cause and do the chores,The chores asked to do by Allah,

Something like giving dawa,That’s one thing we live for, one thing we fight for,

Spreading the message door to door,They think they have what they need to win,

But we have one thing that’s the secret in wining this game,That’s one thing that makes them go insane,

Because no matter what they do we don’t hide in shame,They don’t understand the words of Islam so they find someone to blame,

Giving false info to the people brains,This makes them think wrong about us and gives us a bad name,

But we don’t care….what they thinkWe need to be the strangers among these wrong doers,

So they can see what we do and become followers,Become those who fear nothing but Allah,

And that will lead us to JannahBeing Muslim ain’t that hard

Once you see evil you keep your guard,Fight till the end in the name of God,

And whatever you do don’t act like a retard.Cause you’re a Muslim, a Muslim,

You’re a Muslim, a Muslim.

You’re a MuslimBy Tasnim Tanim Nabil

A MUNA Youth Publication Page 8

Rustum’s RemindersBy Rustum Sohrab

Reminder: Love Allah, the ExaltedA Step to Becoming a Better Muslim

Reminder: Eat HalalA Step to Becoming a Better Muslim

Reminder: Reflect Upon Allah’s CreationA Step to Becoming a Better Muslim