The challenges at Home (the upbringing of youth, internet use, and pop culture) during downturn economy.
Life Cycle in the Quran:
Here is one aya in the Quran explaining away the challenges of life for all ages. The stages in one's life are the following:
childhood - play and amusement youth - beautification adult - mutual boasting elder - increase in wealth and children
Quran Al-Hadid - 57:20 YUSUF ALI translation: "Know ye (all), that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, (in rivalry) among yourselves, riches and children.
Here is a similitude: How rain and the growth which it brings forth, delight (the hearts of) the tillers; soon it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away.
But in the Hereafter is a Penalty severe (for the devotees of wrong). And Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the devotees of Allah). And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception?"
Love is a human experience that touches the heart of every human being.
People either love themselves by fulfilling their own desires, or they love others
Two Important Components in Life:
1. sustenance- provision à the best of provision is taqwa of Allah
2. companion – a good husband/wife
A companion in life is a good spouse, husband and wife are trusts for each other.
We control everything by mathematics…”My spouse must have 1, 2, 3”….everything is based on a calculation yet the spiritual dimension is absent
The word “love” is the most abused word in the world; it is limited and subjugated to so many different meanings.
For example, Love for Rasul (saw) – Do we prioritize hi sunnah over our sunnah or do we prioritize over what he says?
Some people reduce love to external beauty so that a person becomes obsessed with the external image. When falling in love, we tend to become a slave of this state in the beginning….remember that beauty will eventually fade
Others are enslaved to social status, education and wealth. At the end we are all children of Adam (as)
Marriage is NOT the goal – it is a MEANS to a goal which is to get closer to Allah (swt)
Objective is to please the Creator in the marriage & to perform worship with correct niyah
What do we look for in a spouse?
Deen and morality of an individual & their upbringing
The best amongst you is one who is most pious. Taqwa is found in the heart, in cannot be calculatedand nobody knows one’s true piety except Allah (swt)
Three Things We Should Treasure:
1. a heart thankful to Allah
2. a tongue that does dhikr of Allah
3. a spouse who is pious- helping to be successful in the akhira
Quran states in a meaning, if there is an ugly slave and a beautiful woman, marry the first if she is a believer over the second.
A spouse is your garment- gives you comfort, protection, warmth
A spouse is your home – The one who is happy is the one who is happy at home even if the rest of the world is against you. It is your comfort zone.
Smile at your spouse à it is a sign of sadaqa, Prophet (s) was always seen smiling
Marriage is what you put into it – that is what you reap.
MashAllah, it was a great event. Shaykh M. Ninowy gave a great lecture and he handled many questions after his speech. There were around 300 to 400 people and ISCJ was packed. I will ask individuals to share their thoughts on "Love Takes Time".
Special Thanks to:
- Social Activities Committee (ISCJ) - for providing snacks and tea for the event and all the logistical support (esp. Br. Akm, Dilawar, Zubair, Sr. Azra.
- Br. Arif Patel, Wajed Syed, Ali Mobarak.
- ISCJ Youth - esp. Kholoud, Mona, Adnan, Housien, Abdullah, Saadia, Anum, Sohaib, Ahmed, Ismaeel, Youssef, and many others.
- Al-Mishkat Instituteand Al-Medina Institute for sharing their resources with ISCJ Youth. Special thanks to Br. Ghuydar and Anwar for their tireless effort in promoting the program.
