A COMPREHENSIVE DU'A

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRWBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

The following is a comprehensive du'a from the hadith source. It might be beneficial during Ramadhan:
" O Allah, I seek Your protection from helplessness, lethargy,cowardice, senility, debt, and sinfulness; from the punishment of the Fire, the ordeal of the Fire, the tribulation of the grave, the punishment in the grave, and the evil tribulations of affluence and of poverty; from the evil tribulation of the Anti-Christ; from the tests of life and death; from the hardness of heart, heedlessness, economic dependence, humiliation, indigence, unbelief, transgression, dissension, and seeking fame and showing off; from deafness, dumbness, lunacy, leprosy, and all painful diseases; from the burden of debt, worries, grief, stinginess, and coercion of the people; from reaching debilitating old age; and from the tribulations of this world, the knowledge that does not benefit, the heart that does not submit to Allah, the soul that is never satiated, and the du'a that is not accepted."

Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

IBN AL-JAWZI'S VIEW REGARDING TIME

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRWBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

Imam Abu'l-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi lived for 89 years, and in that time he wrote 500 books! The following is his saying regarding the importance of time:
" I have seen majority of people making strange use of time! Spending long nights in useless talk, or reading books of ghazal (love poetry) and entertainment, and spending long days in sleep, and you would find them at the end of the day by the river Dijlah or in the markets. I likened them to people chatting while on a ship that is moving fast while they are unaware of its movement! I found that rare were those who understood the essence of existence, and it is those you find gathering their provisions and preparing for their departure. Thus be ever conscious of the passing of time, and hasten to use it before it is too late, and compete against time."
* One of the signs regarding the End of Time is that there will be no barakah (blessing) in time. It has already appeared. How many of us can truly recall events that happened not too long ago? How many of us are baffled on Fridays because the week had gone away with such speed? But at the same time, when we pray our salat on time, or when we are engaged in work that are pleasing to Allah SWT, time continues at a slow pace.
May Allah SWT bless the moments of our lives and fill them with activities that please Him. May we leave this transient world while we are involved with good work.*

Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

INFORMATION ABOUT YESTERDAY'S TALK

ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRWBTH, DEAR SISTERS,
Thank you so much for coming to the ICN yesterday. I really appreciated seeing all of you.
The following are the three books about which I spoke about:
1. Muslim Women - A Biographical Dictionary by Aisha Bewley, Ta-Ha Publishers
2. The Women of Madina by Muhammad Ibn Sa'd (translated in English by Aisha Bewley), Ta-Ha Publishers
3. Muslim Women Activists in North America, Speaking for Ourselves, edited by Katherine Bullock, University of Texas Press
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The following are the list of women that I spoke about:
1. Aisha RA, Ummil Momineen
2. Nusayba bin Ka'b al-Ansariyya
3. Umm Hahiba bint Abi Sufyan RA, Ummil Momineen
4. Aisha bint Ali
5. Aisha bint Muhammad ibn 'Abdil-Hadi
6. Bersilat
7. Fatima Al-Hadina
8. Iparhan
10. Khawla bint Al-Azwar al-Kindiyya
11. Nana Asma'u
12. Aisha (Gray Henry) Gouverneur
13. Ingrid Mattson
14. Naila Alam and Yasmeen Durrani
15. Nadjet Bouda (Algeria)
16. Mehrangiz Kar (Iran)
17. Mariam Hussein Muhammad (Somalia)
18. Muborak Tashpulatova (Uzbekistan)
19. Saliha Kalandra Cooke (my friend)
20. Susan B. Anthony
Once again, Jazak Allah Khairan.
Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

VALUE OF TIME

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRWBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

Allah SWT vows by Time in surah Al-Asr:
" By (the token of ) Time (through the ages),
Verily man is in loss,
Except such as have faith, and do righteous deeds,
And (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy."

Imam Fakhr-al-Razi commented on the value of Time:
" Allah vowed by Asr - which is time - because of its wonders, for within it good and bad matters occur, health and illness, richness and poverty, and because its value and preciousness cannot be measured against anything else. For if you wasted a thousand years in useless things, then repented and achieved happiness in the last instant of your life, you would dwell in Paradise for eternity, and you would know that the most precious thing in your life is that instant. Thus time is one of the most fundamental blessings, hence Allah vowed by it, and He the Exalted, stressed that night and day are opportunities wasted by Man!..."

Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

SCHOLARS AS GUIDES

BISMILLAAIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

Anas RA related that Prophet Muhammad SAWS said: " The similitude of the religious scholars on earth is that of the stars in the sky, by which (people) are guided through the darkness of the land and sea. If the stars are extinguished, even the guides might stray." (Ahmad)
Imam Hanbali explained: " The scholars are the guides through the darkness of ignorance, ambiguity, and deviation. When these guides are lost, the travelers go astray.
The religious scholars have been likened to the stars, which provide three benefits: they guide (people) through the darkness; they adorn the sky; and they are missiles that repel the satans who ascend the heavens (endeavoring to intercept Allah's Commands to the angels)."

Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

SEEKING SACRED KNOWLEDGE

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

Our esteem Sahabahs went out of their way to acquire sacred knowledge. Ibn Masud RA stated:
" I swear by Allah, beside whom there is no deity, no chapter of the Quran has been revealed except that I know where it was revealed. No verse from the Book of Allah has been revealed except that I know why it was revealed. Yet if I know of anyone more learned than me in the Book of Allah, I would make every effort to reach him."
We know that Muslims of earlier times traveled far and wide just to learn sacred knowledge. Let us also try to emulate them in some ways.
Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

WORDS OF WISDOM

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALMU'ALAIKUM WRBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

The following are some words of wisdom:
1. " Nations are but morals, while they last. For if their morals are gone, they will follow."
Poet Hafith Ibrahim

2. " No gift is more precious than good advice." Erasmus

3. " The wise strives to attain wisdom, whereas the ignorant thinks he has already found it."
English Proverb

4. "Thousand dollars cannot buy a single laugh." Proverb

Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

RE: REPENTANCE

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

We know from an hadith narrated by Salman Al-Farsi RA that the middle part of Ramadhan is about Allah SWT' s Forgiveness. Therefore, since we have the privilege of passing through that period, we should beg Al-Ghafur Ar-Raheem for forgiveness.
Shaykh Masihullah Khan writes in his book, The Path To Perfection, about Repentance:
" Repentance (tawba) is the regret and sadness that arises from the heart when remembering a sin. For the validity of the repentance, shunning the sin, firmly resolving to abstain from it in future, and controlling the lower self when it calls for the sin are necessary."
Yes, how many incidents we can all recall in out past that we feel badly about! This month offers us the golden opportunity to have our past sins erased which will lighten our load. How Great and Merciful is our Lord who has promised forgiveness.!
Allah SWT reminds us: " He who makes repentance after his transgression and reforms, verily Allah turns towards him." (Quran, 5:39)
Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

THE DANGER OF IGNORANCE

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

The people who lived before the advent of Islam are referred to have lived in 'Jahiliyyah' or the 'in ignorance.' Being ignorant as human beings is a moral and a social crime. It is a crime against Allah SWT, who in His Mercy sent us the light of Quran and His beloved Prophet Muhmmad SAWS to take us out of this darkness into light.
It is said that when Allah SWT created ignorance, He said to it, " Come!" but it moved away. Then He said to it, "Go!" but it came back. Then He said, " By My Might, I have created nothing in creation more hateful to Me than you, and I shall place you amongst the worse of My creation!"
Ali RA said, " There is no enemy worse than ignorance. A man is the enemy of that of which he has no knowledge of."
This month let us read and reflect upon the Word of Allah SWT, the Holy Qur'an. How can we not be touched by its depth and the effect it has on our souls! Let us invite the light of knowledge into our beings and become the real Allah SWT's Khalifas on earth! Aameen.

Ma'Salamah,
Your sister in Islam,
Tasneem

RAMADHAN FOOD FOR THOUGHT

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

I apologize for the long absence. Many worldly matters prevented me from posting Ilhams. I hope and pray to Allah SWT that He will Help me in this matter.
This Ramadhan many people have lost their loved ones. How lucky are they who have joined Allah SWT in this holy month! This reminded me of the transient nature of this world. The following in found in the Quran, the Book from our Creator:
" The likeness of the life of this world is that of water which we send down from the sky, then the plants of the earth mingled with it, from which men and cattle eat. Then when the earth takes on its ornaments and is embellished, and its people think they have power over it, Our command comes down upon it by night or day, and We make it as reaped (wheat) as if it had not flourished the previous day. Thus We make plain Our signs for a people who reflect." (Quran, 10:24)
Prophet Muhammad SAWS said: " The fortunate is he who prefers that which is permanent and of lasting pleasures over that which is ephemeral and of endless torment. He is the one who gives of what is now in his hand for the sake of where he is going, before leaving it to those who will happily spend it after he has toiled to accumulate and monopolize it."
Ali RA added: " I found this world to be six things:
That which is eaten, the best tasting is honey, and it ts the secretion of an insect;
That which is drunk, the best is water, and in this both the righteous and the depraved are equal;
That which is smelled, the most fragrant is musk, and it is the blood of an animal;
That which is worn, the softest is silk, and it the weaving of a worm;
That which is ridden, the worthiest is the mare, and it is that on whose back men are slain;
Those which one marries, it is but base fluid in base base fluid;
It is sufficient for you to know that although the woman adorns herself with the best she has, your desire for her is for the basest she has!"

Let us try to embrace Taqwah during this Ramadhan. The goal of this month is to attain Taqwah of Allah SWT. Then perhaps He will remove our excessive love of this world and let us work for the future (the inevitable Hereafter).
Ma'Salamah,
Your sister in Islam,
Tasneem