A Letter To All Those Hater's Out There

Dear Fear and Hate Monger’s of the World,

 Hi. I’m writing to you because you’ve stolen my banner, and I finally want it back.

No, don’t give me that confused look...you know exactly what I’m talking about. That banner is my faith...and you seem to have taken ahold of it, determined to hide it’s beauty from the rest of the world.

You see, I wouldn’t have minded sharing my banner with you, except you’re adamant on holding it backwards. And to make things worse, it looks like you’ve painted all over it so I can barely tell what was written on there in the first place. And yet, you claim that it’s the same banner I’ve proudly displayed my whole life.

Hmm. I’ll admit, part of me is very angry at our predicament here. I mean, that banner is one of my most prized possessions...and here you are trying to rip it apart...thread by thread. And what’s worse, myself and co-protectors of it and its message aren’t doing enough to stop you.

As I pondered what to do, an unsettling realization dawned upon me. The anger that I’m feeling is exactly what exactly what you want me to feel. You want me to feel alienated. You want me to feel robbed of my identity. You want me to feel helpless. You want to win.

You know, I’m not some overly important policy maker (yet) or an arrogant politician. I’m just your average American citizen. Born in a little suburb someplace in Florida. Spend my Sunday’s watching football. Not really a big fan of apple pie, but you get the picture...

Wait! Before you think you can step on me and get away with it, I warn you, I’m armed with something that might give you goosebumps...I follow the Qur’an. Yes, you just read the QUR’AN! :O

Woah, before you go to call the authorities and start painting me as some crazed jihadi militant, let me elaborate a little more about what I mean exactly...

The Qur’an teaches me to be tolerant of all people...regardless of faith, ethnic background, or race. It teaches me to be kind to my neighbors...to smile in the face of those who rather argue...to have mercy on the old...to give charity to the needy...to give the salutations of peace to everyone...yes, everyone...even you. 

Surprised? I figured you would be. I mean, you could have known that if you hadn’t painted lies all over my banner before getting a chance to read it...

So, I write this with one message in mind: I won’t let you win. WE won’t let you win. As human beings, we can’t afford to let you take over....to continuously drive wedges between families, neighborhoods, and nations. 

I stand here with my fellow Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Agnostic, Spiritual, Atheist and anyone else in between with understanding in their heart, united against your tactics. Only once we stand together, hand in hand, willing to learn from and educate one another, do we have a chance in countering this wave of hatred sweeping our world.

As to those out there who are doing Fear and Hatred’s bidding: I know we’re not exactly on good terms right now...and that’s okay. You might be a bit misinformed about what I stand for, and given the present state of world affairs, I forgive you for that.

But I hope to meet you one day, even for just a minute, and smile. You know, we have a lot more in common than you think. I hope to have the opportunity to get to show you that. 

For now, you see me as your enemy...However, I see you as my future friend.

And no offense to you, future friend, but you’ve been holding on to my banner for far too long. I’m taking it back now. With a little time, patience, and teamwork all the paint can be removed and the frayed edges mended...allowing its true message to finally shine through.

Don’t worry, I’m not letting you walk away empty handed. As a parting gift, here’s a short poem I read the other day:

World Peace

It’s not just an empty slogan or bumper sticker

No!

World Peace is our struggle

A struggle to overcome our fear and prejudice of others

By reaching out to learn, understand, appreciate

To discover new friends and ancient ways 

Only then

Can we change...

Terror into Security

Hate into Love

And War into Peace.

My Sincerest Regards,

Sarah Kassem

University of Florida

Muslim Youth For Truth Co-Founder

Everyone Has A Story: How Ungrateful Was I!

Packing my first box for the children in Afghanistan during class on Jan 24, 2011

Often times we get lost in the bubble of our hectic lifestyles, and forget that beyond the lines of this country, people do exist. These are people who dream of a better future, which they hope one day to achieve. People with families and friends who they hope will never leave. People with a desire to learn, grow, and better themselves so that one day, they could be as great as those they look up to.


So many times I have been told, “You can do anything you want to do if you just try hard enough,” but now I see how untrue that might be. How ungrateful was I before I noticed the suffering of others who did not have a pencil to write with, or paper to write on, or a book to read just for fun! How ungrateful was I before I realized the blessings of something as small as having four pencils in my bag that I rarely even use. How ungrateful was I.

I did not expect to be in this position two months ago when I first registered for this class nor did I expect to attain such a passion for the cause when the descriptions for the classes were first being read aloud! I heard “homeless awareness” and thought I had made my decision right off the bat! Until I heard the name, “One Pencil can help bring Peace,” a project dedicated to benefit the students of Afghanistan who did not have the simplest necessities required for education. My perception of this class suddenly turned upside down. I expected to learn from this class through the standard methods of lecturing and writing meaningless essays. However, I found myself becoming a part of something amazing, an opportunity that would give students like myself, who are yearning for knowledge, a chance to learn.

I was always taught the importance of education throughout my life and how it can make or break my future, but I have never truly appreciated that statement until now. The power of education is one that extends beyond our understanding. It has the ability to transform an entire community by allowing them to perceive and comprehend the mechanics of society as well as illustrate the crucial role they play in it. Education plays a pivotal role in showing these people that they have the capability to change the world.

Children in a classroom without walls at the Abdul Hali Mazare School in Mazar I Sharif, Afghanistan (Photo courtesy: The Stony Brook School)

When SMSgt. Rex Temple came into our class to present to us this project and the situation of the Afghan children, it brought about a sense of urgency for myself. These children want to learn but are hindered from doing so, because of the lack of schools and teachers and because many of them simply cannot afford to pursue an education. But the rebuilding of their country cannot occur without the future generation being educated and built into strong leaders of tomorrow. Progression can only occur with strong heads leading the way. The importance of education is exemplified through this need. It has the ability to create strong minds and people that can alter the future of this world, uniting it.

Some of the supplies that our class shipped to Afghanistan on Jan 24, 2011

I have slowly begun to realize the importance of everything that I have in my life and how grateful I should be of it. These people do not have a pencil to write with, while we have the luxury of owning 3-4 computers in a single family – computers that have made our lives so easy. These people – the Afghan people - are just like us. They desire the same things that we do. They have the same goals as we do. They want to learn just like we do. They want to grow and become prominent members of a society to help it grow and prosper just as we do. They are our brothers and sisters in humanity, and their suffering is our suffering. That is why I am here.

Mohammed Ali Ismail

University of South Florida

MSA @ USF President

Muslim Youth For Truth Contributer

So I Could Get Good Deeds...By Eating A Salad?

Crunchy, fresh lettuce; ripe, red tomatoes; dark, green cucumbers; topped with goat cheese, red onions and chopped dates; drizzled with olive oil and some…sunnah dressing? That’s how you make a scrumptious, sunnah salad. 

SubhanAllah, the deeper I study Islam, the more I realize how easy it is. The fact that I could simply set my intention and turn everyday activities into acts of worship is just amazing. We could transform our every meal into a form of worship. Ever notice all the foods mentioned in the Qur’an and sunnah? These foods definitely weren’t mentioned by accident. It requires no extra effort if you just redirect your intention, every action and every bite you take can translate into an act of worship! Olives, onions, dates; these are all foods that are incorporated within the Quran and sunnah just to name a few. If I could make my own nutrition labels for these foods, right under ‘calories from fat’, I would add ‘good deeds from sunnah.’ Why would you not want to incorporate these foods into your daily lives? Not only can you be blessed, inshaAllah, with reward for adhering to the Qur’an and practices of the Prophet (pbuh), but also with all the tremendous health benefits of these foods. 

So I’ve got my day job and my night job: civil engineer by day; health and fitness guru by night. Sometimes they overlap. Here’s the engineering nerd in me about to come out: so as civil engineers, we deal a lot with the soil that’s underneath everything we want to build. The more I learned about the characteristics of soils, clays, and sands the more I understood the human body. We were all created from clay, and I don’t want to get too nerdy here, but if we came from the earth, wouldn’t it make sense that the place to get our nourishment would be from, well… the earth. In a society where manufactured and processed foods are the norm, it has become more and more challenging to eat healthier foods...you know, the kind that grow from the earth! This stigma surrounding salads and vegetables has gotten the majority of people thinking that anything healthy can’t taste good! Wrong! How could a chemically processed, mystery meat concoction is more appealing to us that a balanced salad, filled with food items the Prophet (pbuh) himself used to eat?! 

From a larger perspective, health is a part of our deen. Allah gave our bodies to us. We are entrusted with our bodies, and only we can control what we do to them. No one is holding up french fries and candy bars and forcing us to eat them. No matter what’s served in front of us, at the end of the day, we’re the ones who control what our hand picks up to place in our mouths. We are eating way too much and our food selections, simply said, aren’t the best. It’s time to take drastic action before we further harm our bodies and teach our younger generations the same unhealthy eating habits. So what do we do?!

Here we are almost a month after we’ve established our new year’s resolutions. I can almost bet that if you’re a female (and perhaps the occasional guy), ‘losing weight’ or ‘working out’ were probably up there on your list. Whether you’ve lost sight of these goals or you’re still continuing strong, I hope this has rejuvenated you or opened your eyes to a new way of looking at being healthy.  

For you ladies out there, there’s an organization aimed at women’s health and fitness with an interesting incorporation of Quran and sunnah. I recommend all to check it out because it really makes eating healthy and staying fit fun and easy! Check out www.Nadoona.com and get started on a healthier path in life. 

Sunnah salad for dinner anyone?

Nadine Abu-Jubara

Nadoona

Executive Director

Muslim Youth For Truth Contributor

P.S. Here’s some tips to help you get started:

1) Water water water. Drink lots of water before you decide you need a big huge plate full of food to satisfy yourself. The part of your brain that tells you you're hungry is conveniently the same one that tells you you're thirsty. Sometimes your body is just telling you it’s super thirsty, not super hungry! 

2) Take it slow! It takes 15-20 mins for your tummy to tell your brain that you're full. Try not pile up your plate, fully chew all your bites, and give your body time to process what's going on before you jump right into seconds.

3) Soda is NOT a staple! Try some icie cold water or FRESHLY squeezed fruit juice please. High in phosphorous and phosphoric acid, soft drinks infiltrate bodily fluids and corrode stomach linings, upset the alkaline-acid balance of the kidneys, and eat away at your liver like Hannibal Lecter. Is that really want going into the 1 body you own?

4) Vitamins- you should take a multivitamin once a day. What kind, or which brand you ask? The multivitamin of the Prophet (pbuh)! They contain natural fibres, proteins, oil, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper and magnesium. Have you guessed it yet? yep dates, eat one :) Sorry Centrum, the Quran beat you to it.

5) BREAKFAST! Breakfast, breakfast, breakfast. The most neglected meal of the day. Most common excuses for not eating breakfast are “I’m not hungry” or “I have no time.” You haven’t eaten for 8 hours! How are you not hungry?! I don’t care if you’re ‘not hungry,’ after 8 hours, you need to eat! Time an issue? Try preparing something the night before. I boil my eggs the night before so in the morning all I need to do is peel, heat a little, and enjoy. I think it’s worth the extra 5 minutes in the morning! Ladies! Women who eat breakfast burn 300 calories more in a day than women who don’t…do it! 

JUST DO IT! (....I think Nike might be onto something)

So it’s a new year! We’ve all decided that we are going to start working out and start eating healthier. This year is going to be a good one. This summer I will be the leanest, meanest, most ripped I’ve ever been in my life - even more than when I used to be a high school athlete who trained hard every single.  Why? Because I’ve made a RESOLUTION. No more playing games and joking around.

Oh, but wait. First I have to make a training plan. Ehh, but how can I start training if I’m not even eating properly? It’s just going to make my stomach hurt and I’m never going to see results with this horrible diet. So, I also first need to make a nutrition plan. Actually, you know what? I’ll first let one week of classes pass by so I can get used to the new semester.  God knows I don’t want to overdo it all at once; baby steps right? Hmm, I just thought about it, but I have an evening class every day. So, I’ll train in the morning. BUT! There’s no way that I’ll wake up on time, so first I need to get into the habit of sleeping properly. Once I’m used to waking up early, I’ll train right after Fajr. You know, now that I think about it, I can’t workout with this crick in my neck. I’ll wait for that to heal before I start working out, too.

Subhan’Allah it’s February now! And by the mercy of Allah all these conditions have been met. NOW I can start training. So, I was reading online, looking for the best workout plan, and I found about four that are really good. But I can’t pick one because they all have some good things about them. Hmm, I should create my own plan and save myself the headache.

Yes! It’s only March and I’m done creating my own workout plan! Now time to put it to the test! Ahh!!!! I have to study for midterms!!!! Okay, I promise myself that after midterms I’ll start working out every day! Oh no, but I can’t because my cousins are visiting for Spring Break. Well, after they are gone it’ll be all dedication! No social life, just training! Then when they all see me in the summer, I’m going to be a no fat machine!

So Spring Break is over, but I ate too much junk food with my cousins and we stayed up late every night. I need to realign my life first before I dive into this whole workout thing.

Crap! It’s summer time! Everyone is going to know that everything I said about getting ripped was a lie! I have no results to show! But it’s okay. Alhamdulillah, I’m going overseas this summer, so no one will have to see me in my sorry state.

Hmm. Does this sound familiar? ALL OF IT!?!?! If not, then Masha’Allah, you are blessed. But if you are like most people including myself, THINKING about working out is one of our greatest hobbies. We think and think and think. We plan and plan and plan. We do all the research in the world. We spend all the time making sure everything in our lives is perfectly ready to handle the training. We spend so much time reading about and watching videos about the success of others . We are so determined. We are so driven. We are so passionate. We think about it so much that we look into the mirror and without having worked out a single day, we believe we already start seeing results. We start telling others that we feel so much better. That we’ve gotten so much stronger or faster. But in reality, all we’ve done is planned and thought we were training. What we’ve done is made excuses. What we’ve done is cut our own legs from under ourselves.

Here’s the truth:  You are never going to find the perfect workout plan. The average human being does not need a special training plan to see results- movement in itself is enough. If one becomes a pro-athlete, then one needs to start worrying about tailoring your training to make it personalized. But the average person can do any decent training plan and see results IF they actually do it and if they stick with it.

Your lifestyle will never be perfect so stop saying that I’ll wait until my eating habits are good, or until my sleeping habits are good. There will always be something you can improve.

No more, I’ll start slow by first getting used to my course load then I’ll start training. Why? One hour of working out a day is going to destroy your studying? If you have cousins over, one hour of working out is too much time away from them? Okay maybe an hour is too much. You can’t do 20 push ups (on your knees if you have to)? You can’t do 20 burpees? You can’t do 10 minutes of running?  You can’t do a 8 minute Tabata workout? You can’t crank out 10 pull-ups, 20 push ups, and 50 squats?

The problem is not that you need the perfect training plan. Because all there is to know about working out is easy to learn. The problem comes when you decide you haven’t learned enough and so you sacrifice your workout so you can do more “research”. And of course that research will prompt more questions leading to more research and thinking and planning.

For those people who know me well, when asked about training advice, I usually point out the best exercises and the best routines and the best style of training for specific goals. But I intentionally am not giving any training advice now. Why? Because you all already know what to do. You might even know better than I do. Now the only thing left is to do it.

Go! Do it! Right now get out of your chair and do as many push ups as you can. Go! Now! Why are you reading this still if you haven’t done the push ups? Do them! I just finished doing mine. And you know what? It feels good! It’s humbling though. Now I just realized that I cannot do as many as I imagined I could. But at least I did them. Now I have a starting point. Now you have a starting point. Tomorrow let’s beat that number. And then next day beat that number. Very soon, those of us who did 5 push ups will do 40. Those of us who ran a 13-minute mile will run 5- minute miles. Those of us who power cleaned 50 pounds will clean 250 pounds. Insha’Allah

All it takes is the mentality that NOW I’m going to do it. There is no tomorrow! There is no “tired”. There is no too much homework! Too much homework to fit in a 10 minute workout? C’mon please! We spend more time browsing Facebook.

Sure it’s going to be hard in the beginning. But no one said it was going to be easy. Nothing worth having comes easy. What’s easy is eating until you have diabetes---- then it’s all-hard from there. But being able to run when you are 65 is hard. But it’s worth working for.

Start now! Stop making excuses! It’s already the New Year! We all already know WHAT to do. Now we have to do it. We all have a goal in our minds. Now it’s time to achieve that goal. Let’s collectively tell ourselves that we will start. Because once we start, the habit is easy to build. It’s just that the beginning step is the hardest. So why not start now? I don’t care if it’s 3:00am and you are reading this! Do as many push ups as you can! Now!! No push ups? Fine do squats! Now! The point is to get started NOW because there is no tomorrow.

If you’re reading this and haven’t already done push ups or squats, then I’m sorry to tell you that this year is going to be just like the last year for you. And you’re going to stay in your out of shape condition. You are going to continue making resolutions and telling your friends about them. But you will never show them results. In fact you’re simply going to get worse. The gut is going to grow. The spare tires are going to be joined by more. Joint pain will not be too far behind. That is IF you haven’t started yet. So start now!!! The pain is worth it! You know it is. You wouldn’t have made the resolution otherwise!

We all want a secret pill, a secret formula, some special shortcut; but the only secret formula that is battle tested and proven to work is the one we don't want to hear: HARD WORK.

Let’s get off of our lazy glutes and start busting them. A whole new you is a little elbow grease away!

By now I’m expecting you all to have finished 200 push ups……………………… (Sarcasm)

Insha’Allah, make dua’a that our path easy for us to follow so that we may reap the rewards of living healthier lives. And Insha’Allah we use our health to serve Islam and our Lord to the best of our abilities. Allah helps those who help themselves. So let’s get started.  Click here for some motivation.

Enjoy and Asalamu’Alaikum.

Ashkaar Qazi
University of South Florida
Project Downtown Tampa President
Muslim Youth For Truth Contributor

Going Green For The Deen (...Oh, And Yourself Too)

Most Muslims know what ‘deen’ is – religion, faith, way or path.  Deen is the Arabic word. Islam is a deen.  Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and other faiths are deens. 

    

What many Muslims may not know is that their religion encourages them to live a Green Deen.  Catchy name, right? It’s quite brilliant and author Ibrahim Abdul-Matin in his new book, Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet, has presented to Muslims and anyone interested in what Islam has to say about the environment what a green deen is.  It fosters awareness of one’s environment and surroundings in order to become a God-conscious and conscientious human being of one’s actions on the planet and thus, towards other fellow earthlings.

Abdul-Matin’s passion for being an environmentally-conscious Muslim and person of this planet is from his father telling him the hadith of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, “The Earth is a mosque.”  Hence, everything in it is sacred.  Abdul-Matin went on several nature ventures with his father throughout his childhood and when prayer time arrived, his father would take the time to pray by finding an appropriate area and brush it free of twigs and leaves.  Abdul-Matin explains how this connection to nature was instilled onto him during his youth, and has remained and continues to propel him to be better person via his actions on this planet.

Divided into four parts, “waste, watts (energy), water, and food,” Abdul-Matin’s book provides great examples of what Muslims are currently doing to be more green, while also offering ample solutions of how to build or modify mosques that are more earth-friendly.  An interesting preexisting model is the holy mosques of Mecca and Medina.  Both recycle wastewater called gray water which is treated and used for wudu’ or ablution before prayers.  The Saudi Arabian government issued a fatwa that this method of water recycling is encouraged.  

What is most remarkable about the book and a great motivator for readers, is six Islamic principles Abdul-Matin elaborates on that align Islam and the environment so closely.  They are: 1. Understanding the Oneness of God and His creation (tawhid) 2. Seeing signs of God (ayat) everywhere 3. Being a steward (khalifah) of the Earth 4. Honoring the covenant, or trust, we have with God  (amana) to be protectors of the planet 5. Moving toward justice (adl) and 6. Living in balance with nature (mizan).  

Abdul-Matin constantly draws upon these concepts and reminds the reader of them when talking about a Green Deen.  An example is water.  Allah (swt) reminds us in the Qur’an, “We made from water every living thing.” (21: 30).  Being a Muslim means taking wudu’ and let’s be honest, how many of us put the sink on full blast, wasting gallons of water and being passive in our ritual ablution before facing our Lord?  Well, you can change that.  If we keep the six principles in mind with water usage, we can be better stewards, khalifah of this Earth.  

Unfortunately, many water sources are filled with toxins.  Large corporations dump their chemicals into our water.  Thankfully, there are people whose lives are occupied with cleaning up these messes, which contaminate water.  The author introduces his sister, Tauhirah, as an example of a Muslim trying to instill the six Islamic principles into her work.  Her company cleans up these messes and Tauhirah sees firsthand how the signs, ayat, of God in nature are polluted by human action and neglect, writes Abdul-Matin.  The delicate balance, mizan, is in peril and it is Tauhirah’s job to work for justice, adl, every day to improve ecological struggle.  She is a khalifah who, as Abdul-Matin explains, takes the trust, amana, she has with God seriously and wholeheartedly.

Alhamdulillah, there are other great examples of Muslims working for a greener planet such as Tauhirah in all four areas: waste, watts, water and food.  

Abdul-Matin’s passion and enthusiasm is clear in this eye-opening book which should be a must for all Muslims and all people who want to better their home, Earth.  The author is a policy advisor in the New York City Mayor’s Office and works on issues of long-term planning and sustainability.  

The green phase that has been going on lately is something Muslims should not take lightheartedly; rather, it should not be a phase, but become a lifestyle.  Abdul-Matin provides a plethora of ways to live this lifestyle, which is essential to Islam.  It is unfortunate that Muslims forget this, do not care to recycle or at least use less, and actually contribute to the degradation of our planet.  It doesn’t matter your faith to be a greener person, but Muslims should step up to the plate.  We have the tools, Alhamdulillah.  Let’s green deen-ify our life!  Of course, we must first pray sincerely to Allah (swt) to give us the energy and care to take of this planet, which our Creator has blessed us with us.  Ameen for a Green Deen!

Nora Zaki

University of Florida

Muslim Youth For Truth Co-Founder

For more information about this book, please visit www.greendeenbook.com.  

"Verily, Allah (God) never changes the condition of a people until they change themselves."*

I finally made it to my apartment door, gasping for air. I could barely stand up straight, and instead, was propping myself up against the door handle, looking for my room key. If you’d seen me, you would have thought that I had run a 10K while being chased by full-sized Siberian huskies...you know, those really big, scary looking dogs with razor-sharp teeth.

So, what really happened...?

I stupidly opted to live on the third floor while signing my lease, and now have to suffer the consequences of climbing three flights of stairs daily, while being pathetically out of shape.

It wasn’t always like this, you know. For the most part, I thought I was pretty “fit”. I used to go to the gym five times a week.  I even ate all the main food groups. Climbing stairs used to be no big ordeal...I actually used to see elevators as one of the reasons America’s obesity percentage is steadily rising.

As I fumbled in my bag for my keycard, I noticed a disturbing pattern in my train of thought...the phrase “used to”.

‘Uh oh’, I frantically thought to myself. ‘I’m becoming a bum!’

It had been almost a month and half since I moved out of my parents house and decided to embark on the road of getting a higher education solo. Part of the reason was the fact the Journalism program in this new town is ranked higher than the one I previously attended. The other part was that I needed to prove to myself that I could make it in the real world strictly on my own. And that last bit, well, is a lot more challenging than it sounds.

It also meant no more of my mom’s healthy-without-you-knowing-it-so-it-still-tastes-amazing cooking. Now THAT was probably one of the biggest blows.

The first few days after moving in to my new place were fine. I still kept up the healthy routine. Jogged to the gym daily. Raced up the stairs. I felt amazing.

But after the first two weeks of school and the work started to pile up...that’s when it all went down hill.

The evidence

Maybe I’ll go the gym tomorrow instead...I’m too tired today....Ah, ran out of groceries...Is McDonalds really that bad? Come on now.....

The vicious cycle officially began....that one day became two....two became three...and so on. Gym time became rare. Racing up the stairs was slowly starting to become more difficult. Soon, I began dreading it.

As I finally made it inside and sat on the couch panting, I realized that I was treading down a very treacherous path.

Fast food is like a drug...once you get hooked, it becomes very difficult, and for some, almost impossible, to stop. Part of you knows that this garbage is killing you, slowly clogging up the arteries that feed the very organ that keeps you alive...your heart. But the attraction of the laziness and convenience involved force you not to care. As your health worsens, physical activity starts to become less and less attractive, until you eventually stop exercising at all. And that garbage starts to build in your system, with no means of escape.

I thought about what my life would be like in thirty years (if I'm blessed to live that long). If I had kids inshaAllah, would I be able to get through a game of tag without collapsing midway? No, probably not. I thought about all the time I’d be spending in a doctor’s office being treated for God knows what...heart disease, diabetes, cholesterol.....the list of possibilities is endless. As someone who tries to live every minute to its fullest potential, did I really want to waste valuable time in hospitals and clinics? And whenever I wasn’t in one, did I want to be hindered by the symptoms of these various diseases and the side-effects caused by being medicated to treat them? Especially when many of these diseases are preventable if the right measures are taken early?

One of the greatest blessings Allah (swt) bestowed on us after our belief is our health. The Prophet (saw) said, “Ask Allah (swt) for forgiveness and health, for after being granted certainty, one is given nothing better than health.” (Tirmidhi)

We often take our health for granted. However, Allah (swt) has entrusted us with our bodies for a predestined period of time and will hold us to account on how we utilized them, which is a reflection of our health. With this in mind, we have a duty to make sure we undertake all necessary actions to protect this blessing.

I looked down at those spicy mystery-meat Mc Nuggets in my lap and wondered if they were really worth it.

‘Nah’, I sighed. 

That was three months ago, and alhamdulilah, putting down those mini-heart attacks was one of the best decisions I ever made. I wish words could adequately describe the difference in how you feel while being fit and healthy versus the attractive, yet completely poisonous alternative. No, poisonous is not an exaggeration...It seriously is poison, or at least, near poison!

All this is why we at MAS Tampa Media have decided to start the New Year with practical tips on how to improve both your nutritional intake and fitness routine, hopefully leading to a more holistic and wholesome lifestyle. We’ll also discuss the importance of going “green” and how it relates to our daily lives. You might think this “green” thing is just a fad, but it goes much more beyond that. 

It’s 2011 people. There’s a whole year ahead of you to send your bad habits packing and invite new, better ones to stay. Seriously, give it a shot. Trust me, you won’t be sorry that you did :)

Sarah Kassem

University of Florida

Muslim Youth For Truth Co-Founder


* Quranic Verse, (13:11)

To Make An International Impact, Look No Further Than Your Own Backyard

“This great increase of the quantity of work which, in consequence of the division of labour, the same number of people are capable of performing, is owing to three different circumstances; first to the increase of dexterity in every particular workman; secondly, to the saving of the time which is commonly lost in passing from one species of work to another; and lastly, to the invention of a great number of machines which facilitate and abridge labour, and enable one man to do the work of many.” Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776)


It has been many years since I’ve read Adam Smith, but amidst prying open my 43rd plastic zip-lock bag, inserting my 43rd packet of Ceralite, and handing it over to the girl next to me so she could contribute her 43rd bottle of hand sanitizer (before handing the bag off to the girls in charge of soap, etc), I looked up for a brief second and saw before me a sight that would have made Mr. Smith proud: over 50 Muslims and Muslimahs lined up along four long tables working in an assembly line fashion, quickly grabbing a bag from their predecessor, inserting their respective piece, and handing it over to the next worker, and so on. The final product was a complete hygiene kit that would soon travel across the Bahamas and wind up in the hands of our long awaiting consumer: a brother or sister in Haiti who was at risk of contracting the deadly disease known as cholera.  
             
Although not capitalistic in nature, our goals were very much like those of any other company: to produce the greatest amount of product while pressed for time. We had 4,000 kits to make and the speed with which cholera was (and still is) spreading made our mission all the more urgent. 

But unlike the workers of a company, working for several hours in a day to produce a product that is far removed from them, for a cause that is completely irrelevant, for the satisfaction of their $13 per hour pay check plus benefits, I was part of a system that would have shocked any laissez fare economist. The Muslims around me who were toiling away were consumed by an entirely different and more important purpose—one that was larger than any of us. It is the duty of a Muslim to treat his neighbors with kindness: “And serve Allah and do not associate any thing with Him and be good to the parents and to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the neighbor of (your) kin and the alien neighbor, and the companion in a journey and the wayfarer and those whom your right hands possess; surely Allah does not love him who is proud, boastful;” (Surat An-Nisā, Verse 36)


I am sad to say that many of my neighbors in Haiti have so far died. Two hundred-thirty thousand died from the earthquake almost a year ago, and almost 3,000 have died from the more recent cholera epidemic. Over a million of my brothers and sisters in Haiti are currently homeless, making them extremely susceptible to the deadly disease brought about by the lack of such a basic requirement as hygiene. 

That Sunday, amongst the laughter, the secret competitions that arose among workers (“How many bags has your table made? Ha! Look at our box!”), aside from the pizza we enjoyed, the prayer we held in jamaat, the time we spent with our friends; a silent cognizance was continuously present in everyone’s mind. We were doing this for our neighbors across the Bahamas who may never get a chance to enjoy the luxuries of friends, family, and peace of mind that we all enjoyed that evening. For each grin that blossomed into laugher in that room, tears of pain and loss followed throughout the world. Brother Shafi, founder of Muslims Without Borders, talked about his experiences in Haiti and made us realize our own blessings. He made us realize just how desperate a people’s situation can become. We soon realized that, much in our Prophet’s (p.b.u.h.) example, we were obligated to extend our blessings to those whose situation vastly contrasted our own…which reminds me of another quote:


“No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.” (Smith, Wealth of Nations).


Yes, I think Mr. Smith would have indeed been proud.  


Adeeba Khan
University of South Florida
Muslim Youth for Truth Contributer

Editor's Note:  The event Ms. Khan is referring to occurred on Sunday, December 19th,  2010. Muslims Without Borders Tampa Bay Chapter teamed up with Muslim Aid Australia, the Muslim Student Association at University of South Florida, Sisters United Muslim Association, Project Downtown, MAS Youth, and other student volunteers in Tampa, FL for a local "Day of Action". Volunteers met at the Islamic Community of Tampa (Peace House) at 4:00pm to assemble thousands of hygiene kits that will be distributed at schools and survivor camps in Haiti over the winter holidays, in an effort to help stop the spread of cholera. They hope that wide-scale distribution and education initiatives will produce a shift in hygiene standards and general awareness among the local Haitian population.

Hijab-Me-Not?

I wrote this a while ago, but I heard something about someone very dear to me that broke my heart. I figured it was time I threw some of these thoughts out there for you to digest if it relates to you, because recently, I've had several people bring up their insecurities with wearing hijab ...


Let’s just say, this isn’t preaching because that’s not me, nor am I anywhere near any level to preach even if I wanted to lol. If you know me well enough , then you know I’m a pretty outspoken person, with an “I call them as I see them” mentality- the last person to judge, the first to care and give advice.

So, as of lately, a lot of girls around me who wear hijab have been saying that it makes them feel not as pretty, less confident, and like they don’t fit in. Or they wish they didn’t wear it, and perhaps waited more before putting it on, or some are even considering taking it off....

Some have taken it off, and I’ve heard many reasons ranging from “I was never ready”, to “I did it for someone else not Allah”, to “my hijab is making me go bald so the doctor told me not to wear it”. I’ve heard it all, however, all the reasons you give people don’t matter ,because hijab was never something between you and other people.

But it is something between you and Allah...

As I said, I don’t judge, I don’t really care if you wear hijab, if you don’t, if you took it off, whatever. It doesn’t affect my life ,and I'll never be in your shoes to experience what you go through from your perspective . I’ll never know why you do what you do, hence why I don’t judge, and don’t care.

Then what’s my point ?

I just want to get down to some issues that some girls wearing hijab encounter... People sometimes don’t want to talk about them because they feel guilty for questioning a decision they already made, but I mean if you don’t talk about it ,how are you ever going to find ways to amend your insecurities? Now mind you, mashaAllah, you may be reading this and feel like "well I never think about those things, I don’t feel like that, I’m perfectly content, and I never have a doubt" . Then more power to you my friend, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala has blessed you in this particular aspect more than some of the rest of us.

Here you are, a young college girl in America wearing hijab. Most of my friends are in Florida, and we're constantly surrounded by girls in really short shorts, and low-cut tops. The thoughts that cross your mind are...

1. "Wearing hijab makes me feel less pretty; I'm so much prettier with my hair out, and so much better looking than the rest of those chicks people are flipping out over"

Well ya duhhhhh, that’s what hijab is for, to conceal your beauty. To leave you humble and modest, so people will not judge you based on your physical appearance. We sometimes over look this nifty little fact, only remembering the "hijab is mandatory" part ,and don’t think about why. Let us be honest now, this is all vanity and human nature to compete and want to be the best [looking, in this case] .

2. "Wearing hijab makes me less confident"

This relates to point number one, when you’re saying this, you really feel that because hijab doesn’t show off your physical beauty as much(making you feel ugly) , you’re not as not confident . Refer back to #1, in order to amend the "I feel ugly" thought ,and then let me spin your perspective on this whole confidence thing anyways.... Who is more confident? The brunette in shorts who walks into class late, but no one even gives her a second glance cause she blends in, or the hijabi who walks in a few minutes after her? You see the heads turn towards her because she’s different. Let’s face it, she sticks out, and not necessarily in a bad way. A girl who wears hijab definitely isn’t dressed just like any other girl when its 100 degrees outside. People look, and they usually even remember you. Do you know how many times I’ve met people in classes and they’ve said to me "oh ya I’ve seen you around, I saw you walk in late the other day"... You ,my dear little hijabis, should feel confident because you’re not just a dime a dozen, and it always takes more confidence to stand out than to blend in—that’s just a fact of life. Use it to your advantage, not to make you feel isolated or belittled. At one point you chose to wear hijab because you knew it was right, so do not let the struggles or your vanity make you question your morals or decisions.

Furthermore, on the topic of confidence, if wearing hijab makes you feel less confident—then you’re never going to be truly confident, even without hijab. If it’s not one thing it’s another. If it’s not hijab covering your hair and body, then tomorrow it’s going to be your nose, face, stomach, height, and it’s always going to be something. This feeling of “ having no confidence because you wear hijab”, stems from a need to gain approval from others . It also stems from comparing yourself to others, which will still happen ,with or without hijab. There’s always going be someone prettier, taller, cuter, nicer, whatever-er, and that’s life . There’s also always someone uglier, meaner, fatter, etc lol .

3. "Hijab makes me feel like I don’t fit in"

I’ve heard girls say this before ,and sweetie, this is all how you choose to look at it .It is not hijab that makes you feel that way, it’s either your lack of confidence ,or because you’re trying to fit in somewhere you shouldn’t be. For example, do not complain that hijab makes you feel like you don’t fit in if you’re at the club ,grinding up on some random dude with a drink in your hand lol .... But seriously, there are some hijabis that are very abrasive, especially to non-Muslims ,and even towards Muslims.

And I don't understand why.

Yes as a hijabi ,you should behave with a certain manner, but you don’t have to sit there with a scowl on your face ,making people not want to approach you just ask a simple question. I have even had non-Muslim girls ask me why other hijabis they have encountered are so un-approachable, I’m just like “well that's just her personality, the rest of us have normal personalities” lol. Once you talk to people and they talk to you, you will start to see that hijab does serve its purpose, and you can get your point across without worrying that your looks are pushing you forward, or holding you back. Most people, especially people in college, are accepting, and if they aren’t, then they shouldn’t be people you care about fitting in with anyways...

4. "Mid- Hijab Crisis"

My last point, which maybe should have been my first, is what I've seen some girls go through and what I like to call a"mid-hijab crisis". Everyone knows what a mid-life crisis is, so you should be able to deduce what I'm implying. Many girls started covering when they were obligated to (i.e. when they reached puberty, or even slightly before). That means these girls started covering at the age of about oh say 12-ish.I don’t know about you guys, but at age 12 ,I had no concept of beauty ,vanity, wanting to look pretty, or any thoughts like that. Maybe I was slightly tom-boyish, and, quite possibly, this younger generation may start to think about these things earlier. Either way, I'm pretty sure that most girls my age who started covering when they were about 12, were like me, not concerned with how they dressed or looked or if they wore make up or did their hair and all that jazz. So, putting on hijab wasn’t even a big deal, other than that it making us a little hotter in the summers.... But, then you grow up, and your self-esteem hits the floor, making you realize that you want to look pretty, you want to do your hair, and you want to wear that short sleeved shirt! If nothing else you just want the EASINESS of not having to put on an undershirt or a jacket over everything because you get lazy or it’s too hard to match lol. Who hasn't walked into a store and been like “ I wish I could wear that?!” . You turn the corner just to see that other girl with her hair down looking so pretty ,and you know you could look just as good as her, maybe even better. If only you had your hair down too! This ,my friends, is your mid-hijab crisis. You've been wearing hijab for several years, and suddenly, you find yourself questioning it for silly vanity reasons. Once again, those reasons you suddenly give yourself, and that desire to impress others and outdo others are all just your need to win acceptance from other than Allah. Are you really willing to defy Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala’s commands for other people? At the end of the day, at the very end of the day, who do you really want acceptance from? Sarah, Jim, Bob, and Sally?

Or Allah?

Never regret a decision you've made that is pleasing to Allah, even if you struggle to fulfill it. Remember that Allah compensates us for every struggle we encounter.

“Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness.” — Ibn al-Qayyim

Reem Akel

Barry University

Muslim Youth For Truth Contributor

To Flirt, Or Not To Flirt: That Is The Question

Flirting with the opposite gender is becoming a common practice in our community, even amongst the most “religious” brothers and sisters. We have all witnessed some degree of flirting, whether it is a scene in a movie, at the library, or even while buying something at a store. Defined straight from the dictionary, the word “flirt” means: to behave or act amorously without emotional commitment; toy or play with another's affections. In addition to describing what flirting is, we will also explore how to avoid it, as well as how to stop if we are already engaging in it. Please note that any advice I give is a reminder to myself before anyone else.


There are Muslims who choose to stay away from the “flirting frenzy” , while avoiding interacting with the opposite gender ( unless it is strictly for business reasons. And, if this person chooses to talk with the opposite gender , he/she does so with a business-like attitude, keeping in mind the example of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) when talking to non-mahrams) . It is so easy for these Muslims to look at all of our “flirting” brothers and sisters as sinful , but has anyone tried to advise them in a kind way? Or do they just over look the issue , and say “ At least they are not touching each other”, or “ it could be worse, they are not committing a really big sin anyways”. While these statements may have a tiny bit of truth to them, we cannot ignore the problems this type of logic leads to. This is a trick of shaytan , which leads a Muslim to commit larger and larger sins. We need to stop the lower levels of Zina before they escalate.

In surat Al Israa, ayat 32, Allah Subanahu wa Ta’Ala says : "And come not near to unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a great sin and an evil way." .Zina is unlawful sexual intercourse, and anything that leads to unlawful sexual intercourse is a lesser type of zina. We all have heard the story of Barsees, a man among The Children of Israel, who was a close servant to Allah Ta’Ala , who worshiped Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’Ala for over 60 years. During those 60 years, Shaytan was unable to misguide Barsees. Four brothers came to Barsees, asking him to watch over their sister while they fought in the war. Barsees finally agreed to let the girl stay in a tent in the back of his house. Step by step, shaytan started to tempt Barsees to come in contact with the girl. And, in order to cut a really long story short, Barsees eventually commits zina with the sister of the four brothers . Not only does shaytan convince Barsees to commit zina, but he also convinces Barsees to commit murder, and shirk. Barsees spent his whole life worshipping Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala ,and died committing shirk. SubhanAllah, what a great importance there is in ending small sins and immediately repenting to Allah Ta’Ala.

We have already defined flirting, but what exactly is it? I will provide some examples of business-like communication, and examples of communication infused with flirting. For example, You are a sister who wants to know the date of a certain event in the Muslim community, and decide to ask a brother. Here is an example of communication infused with flirting.

Sister: “ Salams, What day is the event? I am looking forward to you organizing a great event, cause you always do ;) MASHA’ALLAH =]”

Brother: “ Wa Salams, the event is on the 31st. Stop making me blush, we all know the events are only successful because of devoted volunteers like yourself, MashaAllah” .

Sister: “ I am not trying to make you blush, because you know it’s true. You are the best community organizer ever, alhamdulilah. I would also like to volunteer for this event, can you let me know what you need me to do ? =)”

Brother: “ Of course sister, here is my number 813-000-0000, and meet me at the library before every one else gets there so we can get in some extra planning in for this event”

Sister: “ Sounds like a great idea! , count me in, inshaAllah”

Here is an example of a conversation with a business-like attitude:

Sister: “Salams, what day is the event? InshaAllah all goes well with your planning”

Brother: “Wa salams, the event is on the 31st , and InshaAllah all goes well”

Sister: “ I would like to volunteer for this event, so please let me know how I could help out”.

Brother: “ Jazaki Allahu Khair, it is much appreciated. You could help us by cleaning up at the event. Here is Sr.Sisters number813-000-0000, please contact her first if you have any questions. If she cannot answer them, I would be able to answer your questions inshaAllah, at 813-000-0000 “.

Sister: “ Jazak Allahu Khair for your help, inshaAllah I will be able to volunteer, and I am sure Sr.Sister will be able to answer all of my questions inshaAllah”.

Do we notice the difference between the first conversation and the second conversation? In the first conversation, the “friendliness” has no boundaries, and could lead to something that is haram. In the second conversation, the brother and sister have respect for each other, saying only what needs to be said, while being nice and formal.

The best way to avoid flirting with the opposite gender is to avoid talking to the opposite gender unless it is absolutely necessary. I cannot stress this enough. What is cute and simple can turn into something bad . Real Quick. This is our deen we are talking about—and it certainly is not something to risk. So how exactly do we do this? If we know that there are 2 brothers and 7 sisters volunteering for an event, and we want information about it, we can contact the gender that matches our own, thus avoiding talking to the opposite gender. We are not suggesting that we never speak to the opposite gender and all become hermits. Eww. Haha.

What I am suggesting, however, is that we try to avoid that which can lead to harm. It is the best way to prevent something from happening.

So, now that we have a general idea of what flirting really is, how do we avoid engaging in it? There is a simple formula that can be used to stop anything we want to change:

What are we getting out of what we are doing?

• As stated by Dr.Phil, “ People do what works”. If we engage in the same behavior over and over again, we better believe it is for a reason. We would not do something if it did not work for us.

• What does this mean? It means that even though we know we are doing something wrong, we still continue to do it because we are getting something out of it . Even though we know that flirting with the opposite gender could lead to something extremely haram, we still do so because it helps us to feel better about ourselves. Or maybe we do it to get attention, or to feel loved.



 Once we know why we are doing what we are doing, we can create a plan to slowly( I cannot stress the SLOWLY enough=])end this behavior. The companions of the Prophet SAW memorized 10 ayat of Quran at a time, then implemented what they memorized into their lives.

• I do not know what level everyone is at when it comes to this issue, however, I will use a generic example to explain what I mean.

• Let us say that a girl or guy tends to flirt with everyone he/she talks to. Maybe the first step to ending this issue would be to flirt with two less people at a time. If the girl or guy flirts with 20 people a day, then decrease it to 18 people a day.

• The following steps would be to keep decreasing it until it reaches to as low of a number as possible.

 While we are making these changes, we must find a way to get the same “ payoff” as Dr.Phil says, for the better behavior as we did for the old behavior. If we flirt with someone to feel “special”, then we must realize that there are other ways to feel that way that do not involve doing something haram. We can feel special by writing a poem, running a mile, reading a book, laughing with our family, and, most importantly, worshipping Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala .




 Even though this should be obvious, I will point it out anyhow

• Make Duaa, and ask Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala to help us all to stay away from those things which displease him. Read the Quran often, and reflect upon its meaning.

• Make your intention to change only for Allah Ta’Ala, because if you are changing for your friend who you want to impress, your future husband or future wife, then you will stop when you think they are not looking. The change will have meant nothing if you only do it when people are watching you.

• Keep your tongue in constant remembrance of Allah Ta’Ala. The world is full of Masha’Allahs and SubhanAllahs. Just go outside one night and gaze at the stars. Run through freshly cut grass. Drink ice cold water. Talk a walk with your family. And do not forget to say Alhamdulilah =)

   We live in a place and time where people tell us what is right, and what is wrong. Advertisements set the standard for what is normal. We think something is okay if “everyone is doing it”. We spend so much time doing meaningless tasks that we forget about the things that really matter. It is time for us to start paying attention to things that matter, even if they are as small as “flirting”. There will come a day when a mother will forget her child. When our tongues and limbs will speak on our behalf. Let us remember this day.


                                                    And prepare for it. Daily.


“Your souls are precious, and can only be equal to the price of Paradise. Therefore, sell them only at that price.”



— Ali ibn Abi Talib



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