P a g e 1

Transcription

1 P a g e 1

2 P a g e 2 Lighthouse Magazine Say: O People of the Book, come to a fair word between us and you, that we shall serve none but Allah and that we shall not associate anything with Him, and that some of us shall not take others for gods beside Allah. But if they (people of other faiths) turn away, then say: Bear witness, we are Muslims. Chapter 3, verse 63. Allah gives us advice about everything in the Quran. Allah knew in His wisdom that while Islam would be welcomed by many people, many more would not accept its message and prefer to follow their old religions. Allah knew that somewhere in America or England or Canada, Fatima, Hillary and Divya would make friends at school but as their friendships grew they would wonder if belonging to different religions would pull them apart. How should we behave with people who have a different religion? Most of us are living in a country where people have different faiths and every day we meet them at school, in our neighborhoods, and shopping places. In fact it may be hard to meet people who are Muslim as we go about in our daily lives. Allah tells us to meet people of other religions with love and kindness. Our beliefs may be different but there are still many things that bring us close to one another. We belong to the same gigantic family of humans even if we look different, act differently and pray differently. It is a good idea to try to learn more about the religions of the people who live near you to understand them better. The details of religion are different for each of us, like how and when we pray and fast, but the values of each religion are almost identical.

3 P a g e 3 Each religion tells us to be kind to our neighbors, to take care of little children and to respect our elders. All faiths ask us to help feed those who are hungry and to help those in need. Stealing, lying, cheating, hitting, using bad language, and bullying are forbidden by all religions. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, even people who deny the existence of God, can all believe in hard work, honesty, kindness and love. If we think about it we are not really that different from one another. It is almost impossible to avoid any talk about religion when you are with a friend, neighbor or teacher. We should not be afraid or embarrassed to discuss our beliefs in a friendly way. If we can show interest, respect and understanding for what beliefs the other person has grown up with, chances are they will be interested to know our beliefs. In this verse of the Quran, Allah advises us to start with what is similar, like a belief in ONE GOD, and to move on from there to common values. We should not expect anyone to agree with us entirely and follow our religion after a brief discussion. Allah tells us to accept the things that are different ZZZZZZZZZZand submit to the differences Allah created us with. Most of all we should be firm in our own faith and show others through our manners and kindness that our religion is wonderful. It is good to remember that our feelings and thoughts and our human nature make us more similar than different. All people feel sad when they are alone, hurt, hungry or afraid. Doing good deeds makes us all feel warm, fuzzy and happy. We all have the same red blood in our bodies and the same hearts, lungs and kidneys. The ideas in our minds make us different but with love and respect, we can disagree in a polite way.

4 P a g e 4 The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) once had a Jewish man for a guest at his house. This man did not have much sympathy for Islam and the Muslims and so he was not a good houseguest. When it was time for the evening meal, he deliberately ate too much and stuffed himself because he could see that food was not very abundant and this was his way of annoying his guests. It is true that food was never plentiful in the Prophet s household and many days they did not have enough to fill themselves. He was given a place to sleep at night, but instead of sleeping he was sick with diarrhea and vomiting, probably because of his greedy eating. When he saw the huge stinking mess he had made in the room, he feared the Prophet might be angry with him and sneaked out very early to leave, before it was light outside. He had not gone far when he remembered that he had left his precious sword behind! He would have to go back and get it. As he approached the Prophet s home he was nervous about how the Prophet would respond. He was very surprised to find the blessed Prophet washing the blankets filled with vomit with his own hands, and full of concern upon seeing the guest return. The Prophet asked him how he was feeling and wished he had known his guest was sick and could have helped him. He had kept the precious sword safe and immediately returned it to his guest. The Jewish man was entirely overcome with this remarkable display of kindness and loving care and decided to accept Islam. Can you do as the Prophet did? Can you think of a similar time in your own life? Many times something small happens and we get very upset about it and react badly, feeling that it is the right thing to do, since the other person was being unkind or un-thoughtful. This simple story shows us that true greatness is not only in the big things of life, but in the little things that we can overlook and forgive. Do you know someone like that? Can you become that someone?

5 P a g e 5 Why leaves fall in the Fall Congratulations to the winners of last month s question about why leaves fall in the Fall. They will receive their prizes soon Insha Allah! Leaves fall before the winter because they don t have warmth or food and the soil does not have enough water. So the trees cannot live. Even though trees make oxygen we can still breathe. The leaves of the trees have a cycle. If the leaves stayed on in the spring, there would never be new life in the tree. Eventually there will be no young new leaves and the tree would die because its leaves would be too slow to bring food to the tree. That is why Allah has made the leaves fall in the Fall. By Aafia Ahmad. Age 9. Minnesota, USA. Why leaves fall The leaves fall down because the next season is winter. The leaves fall down because if they don t they will get pressure from the snow. We get new leaves in Spring because it is a cycle. By Aarif Ahmad, age 6, Minnesota USA.

6 P a g e 6 How Hajj has changed with time Does following Islam mean we have to go back in history and act as people in the olden times behaved? The answer is mostly No, but sometimes Yes. We follow the religion of Islam that Allah sent to us through the Prophet Muhammad. Allah does not want us to follow the history of Arabia in that period; we can adapt most things to fit modern times, since God has made us live in modern times and conditions have changed greatly. In the Hajj, some things we do are a part of history and we follow them because they have great importance in teaching us about Allah and bringing us closer to Him and to our fellow beings. Other things that the Prophet Muhammad did, that were a part of history, do not have to be followed in exactly the same way. For example, Prophet Muhammad used a toothbrush made out of a tree branch called miswak to clean his teeth. They did not have regular brushes in those days. We have tooth brushes and tooth paste and that is a great way to keep our teeth clean. We should brush regularly, following the directions of our dear Prophet, for good health and hygiene, because he wanted our mouths to be clean, not for us to copy his exact kind of toothbrush. In the days of Hajj, we try to follow the rituals done by Prophet Abraham and Prophet Muhammad as closely as we can because that part of history is very important and it is a once in a lifetime event. However the sacred Mosque of Kaabah is not entirely the same. It has been enlarged and rebuilt many, many times to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. Here are some of the ways in which the rituals of Hajj have been made more modern and easier for millions of Muslims. At Mina the pilgrims perform Ramy al-jamarat. Ramy means stoning and Jamarat means pillars. The pilgrims throw stones to signify their defiance of the

7 P a g e 7 Devil. This symbolizes the trials experienced by Abraham while he decided whether to sacrifice his son as demanded by God. The Devil challenged him three times, and three times Abraham refused. There used to be three pillars and each pillar marked the location of one of these refusals. Because of the crowds, accidents were happening so in 2004 the pillars were replaced by long walls. Pilgrims climb ramps to the multi-levelled Jamarat Bridge, from which they can throw their stones at the one jamarat. One of the parts of the Hajj is Sayee. The pilgrims used to run between the two hills of Safa and Marwa, seven times. The path they took used to be in the open air, but is now entirely enclosed by the Masjid al-haram mosque, and can be accessed via air-conditioned tunnels. Pilgrims are advised to walk the circuit, though two green pillars mark a short section of the path where they are allowed to run, along with an 'express lane' for the disabled. The safety procedures are in place because previous incidents in this ritual have resulted in stampedes which caused the deaths of hundreds of people. As part of Hajj the pilgrims drink water from the Zamzam well, but they don t need to drop a bucket in a well and haul out water. The Zamzam water is made available in coolers throughout the Mosque and pilgrims can drink to their hearts content as well as purchase more water to take home with them. Hajj includes the sacrifice of an animal to complete the tradition of Prophet Ibrahim. People used to sacrifice the animal they bought by themselves, by reciting bismillah (in the name of Allah) and Allah ho Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) and then slaughtering it. Today many pilgrims buy a sacrifice voucher in Mecca

8 P a g e 8 before the greater Hajj begins which allows an animal to be slaughtered in their name on the 10th, without the pilgrim being physically present. Centralized butcher houses will sacrifice a single sheep for each pilgrim, or a cow can represent the sacrifice of seven people. The meat is then packaged and given to charity and shipped to needy people around the world. WHAT SHOULD WE SACRIFICE? Saleh hugged his kitten one last time. Then he gave her fur a last brush and stood up shakily. His stomach felt squeezed and his knees trembled slightly as he headed down to the basement. Samee was stuffing his toys in his purple backpack. He did not look up till Saleh gently placed kitty in his arms. What? What are you doing? he asked in surprise. I want you to have her, said Saleh trying not to let his voice tremble. I hope you make her happy and she makes you happy. And then he ran back upstairs before he changed his mind. He could hear Samee shouting happily behind him. Rabbana takabbal minna, O ALLAH please accept my sacrifice he whispered to himself and it made him feel much better. Samee was his cousin and had been staying with his family for a while because his father had cancer and had come to their town for treatment. Saleh had watched how hard it was for Samee to watch his father stay sick in bed, unable to play with him and even eat and drink much. He knew how much Samee loved his kitty and would miss her when they got back. Kitty did the strangest things, like when she dragged Dad s shoes all through the house, chewing on the shoelaces. Samee laughed till he started coughing. Samee s father was still sick and Saleh could not change that, but he could make things a little better by giving his little cousin something to love and take care of. He had learned all about Eid al Adha and the sacrifice of Prophet Abraham and it had given him the idea of his own sacrifice. It might be small, but his mother said when she hugged him at night and tucked him into bed, sometimes a small deed done with great love is very precious in the sight of ALLAH. And he hoped it was.

9 P a g e 9 A Recipe for Salat Ammar loved the apple fritters his mother made. As soon as he got home from soccer practice he asked her to cook some for him. His mom reminded him to pray his Maghrib salat before it was too late while she mixed the batter for the fritters. Ammar ran upstairs and his mother had barely measured out a cup of flour and mixed it with baking powder when Ammar came bounding back down. Are they ready Mom? I m starving said Ammar. His mother frowned. You did your salat already? she asked Yup said Ammar searching the fridge for something to munch on. But Ammar you were barely gone for two minutes. Did you do wudhu? Yes mom. How long till the fritters are done? His mother looked at Ammar thoughtfully and replied It ll take two minutes. And she was right. Ammar hungrily attacked his plate of fritters, but he barely swallowed the first bite. His mom watched his expression as he ate. Mom! These taste awful..what did you do? Ammar was shocked. His mom was a great cook and her apple fritters were always light, crispy and delicious. These tasted like soggy things the cat spit up. Well you were rushing me so I did things really quick. I didn t mix the batter a lot, cut the apples really thick, and fried them quickly in the oil that wasn t even hot enough. Oh Mo-oom, I didn t mean for you to rush and spoil the recipe. I was just hungry. I can t eat these anyway now. Said Ammar, puzzled and upset at how strange his mother was acting. But you don t seem to think that rushing spoils things. You rush each time you pray salat. You do wudhu in a split second and then your salat is really quick too.

10 P a g e 10 How do you think your salat turns out when you don t slow down and do each part properly? asked his mom gently. Ammar looked guilty. He was getting used to praying salat and he had found out that it was pretty easy if he went really fast. For wudhu he just splashed some water on his face and then salat went by in a flash as he rushed ahead while thinking about his new soccer moves. He barely noticed how many rakats he had done and it was over. Once he said he was done, his parents stopped nagging him about it. But Mom, salat is not something to cook. I just go fast because I have so many other things to do said Ammar defending his speed. Ammar, salat is a very important part of your life. If you don t have enough time to pray salat it means you are much too busy and need to slow down a bit. Soccer is a great game but we have to keep everything in its place. I work as a nurse in the day but in the evening I do other stuff that is important, like praying, cooking and cleaning. If I just behaved like a nurse all the time and handed out bandages and shots each time you wanted food or clean clothes, it would be pretty weird. Ok Mom. I get the point. Can I make myself a sandwich? Oh I can make a good batch of fritters by slowing down, just like you can get closer to Allah by slowing down a little when it s time to pray said his mom with a twinkle in her eye. I promise to try Mom. I m sorry. Save that apology for Allah, son. Your salat is between you and Allah but as a parent it is my job to remind you as long as you re a kid. I m sorry I made such bad fritters but I thought I would try out your way of rushing to see if my recipe could still turn out right. I learned my lesson that cooking needs to take its time. Ammar looked at the ugly apple fritters in front of him with disgust. Just then his friend Bob popped his head in the door and sniffed. Yum, I smell apple fritters he said. Ammar and his mother burst into laughter.

11 P a g e 11 Going for Hajj is one of the five pillars, or basic duties, in Islam. It is an adventure every Muslim should think about and hope for. Praying that we get to perform the Hajj should be one of our regular prayers. For the next issue of Lighthouse Magazine please write and tell us what your dreams and plans for Hajj are. When would you like to go and how long would you like to stay there. If you are lucky enough to have performed the Hajj please share your experience with us. best answers in next month s issue. To learn more about Hajj, explore some of the great Is where you can read the diary of a h about how to prepare for Hajj. Why was the girl scared to swim in the sea? Because she thought it had anemonie (an enemy)! Why was the game shop owner so bored? Because he had too many board (bored) games!

12 P a g e 12 Turn your faces to Allah, to the Sacred Mosque in Meccah In God I trust, the pilgrim says marching round the Kaabah He is the One, the only One Chants the swirling pilgrims crowd We need to seek and find Him Our spirits pure, our heads bowed. Our life on earth and far ahead is short and full of trials We need you God, these tears we shed Bless for us this time of Hajj This clean, white ihram I wear The worship that I do I wish my hear as pure and clear with prayers rising up to you This time of Hajj, I love the air So filled with praise and love My heart is calm, I do not fear I feel such joy when You are near. Turn your faces to Allah, to the Sacred Mosque in Meccah In God I trust, the pilgrim says marching round the Kaabah.

13 P a g e 13 Dear Ayesha, I was talking to a Hindu friend about Eid Al Adzha and she started saying that it seemed cruel to kill so many animals at one time and that it was better to eat no meat. Sometimes I get confused when people say things like that and wonder if it really is cruel to sacrifice so many animals at the time of Eid? Dear Anxious about Eid I can understand why you feel sad about killing animals, but to understand what Eid ul Adzha is about, we have to know where it came from. Eid ul Adzha is about sacrificing the desires of what we want for the goodness that is Allah. It came about when Prophet Abraham saw his son being sacrificed in a dream. He knew this dream was from Allah and so felt he had to obey it even though he loved his son soooooooo much. He went to his son and told him what he had seen in his vision. His son, Ishmael, was also a very good person who loved Allah, and he loved his father Abraham. He also knew that some things are more important than getting what we want and that we have to give up what we want sometimes to do what is right even if that means giving up our life for Allah. So Prophet Abraham and his beloved son Ishmael decided that obeying Allah, Who always knows what is best even if we don't understand His reasons, was more important than what they wanted. Prophet Abraham was willing to give up his son who meant everything to him for Allah. And Ishmael

14 P a g e 14 was willing to give up his life for Allah. When they made this decision, Allah revealed to them that He was only testing them. He gave them a situation where they had to decide what the most important thing in the whole wide world was and both of them decided, Allah was the most important. Once this decision was made, Allah did not actually need them to sacrifice Prophet Ishmael's life. So Allah told Prophet Abraham to sacrifice an animal instead. When Prophet Abraham and Prophet Ishmael saw how merciful Allah was, their hearts filled with even more love for Him and they were secure that they had made the right choice. They knew now that whatever faced them in life, they would be able to face it and make the right decision because they had been strong enough to make the right decision when everything was at stake the life of Prophet Ishmael and the love of Prophet Abraham. This is the story we remember on Eid ul Adha and this is the sacrifice we try to mimic when we take an animal's life. So why take the animal's life? Why can't we just remember the story and eat some spinach or candy? Well, for one thing, we do get attached to animals, don't we? And if we have to give up the love we feel for the animal for the sake of Allah, it helps us to understand what sacrificing for Allah means. It means we are strong enough to give up our selfish little desires when we have to choose between getting what we want and doing what is right. If we didn't have to give anything up, how would we grow strong enough to face the hard decisions we have to make in life? So Allah has given us this opportunity to grow closer to Him and stronger in our souls. Remember though, that Allah is the only one who gives life and He is the only one who has the right to take it away. It is with His permission that we take the life of the animal and that is why we say "Allah hu akbar" or "Allah is Great" when we sacrifice the animal. Of course, taking a life for no reason is not right either. So we use one third of the animal to nourish ourselves; protein is a very important part of our diet and it is essential for our growth. We share one third with our friends and neighbors

15 P a g e 15 because sharing with our friends brings us closer together. And we give one third to the poor because remembering those that our less fortunate than us and sharing with them what we have is an important part of being a Muslim and an everyday part of being a good human being. This way, that animal gave up its life for the good of so many people and nothing is wasted. So remember what Eid is all about this year and try to think of a way that you too can make a little sacrifice for the good of other people and to draw closer to Allah.