Dunya & Akhira
My original plan for this homepage was to have two links, one for a dunya and another for the akhira. My akhira link would be to a picture of our local Masjid. But now I think, instead I'll put a link to some Islamic resources that would better suit the akhira purpose
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I was on MYC (Muslim Youth Council) last year and a few years back and I gotta admit it was fun. Last year we had a cool group on MYC. It included Saima Nasim, Sadaf Iqbal, Sadiya Durrani, Zenab Khan, Omar Nasim, and Atif Ali! We had our ups and down, but I' m sure we all learned a lot from our mistakes and insha'Allah we've become better individuals because of it.
This years' MYC is also a good group. Masha'Allah we've got some real cool people on and just make duaa that everything goes smoothly for them. But if you'd like to know more about MYC or want to help out, just drop off an email on the Pillar homepage.
Pillar is Winnipeg's Youth Magazine. It's been around for a number of years and reflects some of the issues and concerns of Muslim Youth here in Winnipeg
For those who wanna get funky with Islam, I strongly suggest that you look into forming a hallqa with your peers in your community. I must say, alhamdulilah, I've been in a hallqa for a number of years now and it helps a lot. I've gone through many ameers, but its been worth it. People ask me whats the most important thing I've been taught, and I really can't narrow it down to one thing. However, I do have some suggestions that might be useful.
One suggestion I have is for people to have an open mind. There are many difference of opinions out there, and its useless arguing amongst each other on issues that there is a clear difference of opinion. (Read 'The Ethics of Disagreement' by Taha Jabir Al-Awani, IIIT).
Also, people make mistakes and we shouldn't brand people as being too screwed up to help or people themselves shouldn't think that they're too screwed to change. In Imam Nawawi's 40 hadith book, he rightfully puts the first hadith as being 'Actions are based on Intentions'. If your intentions are for Allah, then work at whatever you are doing for that purpose and that purpose only. I know its hard to keep your intentions clear, but its always a good idea to sit back and think about what's going on in life.
Another major suggestion I have for people is to read, and read anything they can get their hands on. Especially the younger kids in junior and senior high. I really regret not reading that much coming out of high school (I guess you can tell by the way I write). But, no matter what career choice you make, you need to have an analytical way of thinking and I found that by reading, the brain really gets tuned for university readings. For those who want to learn more about Islam I strongly suggestion you kill two birds with one stone by reading Islamic books. My favorite authors have got to be Fathi Yakun and Khurram Murad, and for real intellectual stuff, read IIIT books; master Tawhid by al-Faruqi and you've got it going on!
For those starting off in Islamic work, I suggest reading "To be a Muslim" by Yakun, it’s a very easy reading book, but it sets things into perspective for an Islamic worker.
For those who just want to learn more about Islam, I suggest "Way to the Quran" by Murad. It’s a systematic way of looking into the Quran.
But the most important book any Muslim can read is the Quran. And if one can understand the message of the Quran, then DANG.. talk about analytical baby! Subhanallah, after reading the Quran and understanding it, one can truly understand and appreciate the miracle it really is.
I just finished reading a biography on Isma'il al-Faruqi ('An Enduring Legacy'). Masha'Allah, a great individual. For those who don't know who he is, he authored many books, including his most famous one titled 'Tawhid: Its Implications for Thought and Life' (IIIT, 1985). Here's a quote that really caught my attention:
"There was a time in my life when all I cared about was proving myself that I could win my physical and intellectual existence from the West, that I could succeed as a man of the West. But, when I won it, it became meaningless. I asked myself: Who am I? A Palestinian, a philosopher, a liberal humanist? My answer was : 'I am a Muslim."
