Al-Nur: Volume 18 | Issue 2 by Al-Nur Literary Magazine

Volume 18 ● Issue 2 ● November 2011 ●Dhul Hijjah 1432

The Submission Edition Journey of a Lifetime Personal accounts of Hajj and Umrah

Trusting in Allah (SWT) The ultimate power of faith

Discovering our Purpose Defining directions

Contents

The Submission Edition

Cover by Zoeya Saleem & Sofia Beg; inside art by Mehreen Rasheed

5 6 7 8 9

Upcoming Events Hadith of the Month

News What Can I Do? By Committee Heads

10/11 12

Peaceful Protest

Feature The Journey of a Lifetime (Hajj/Umrah) By Zoeya Saleem

Message from our Advisors Home Sweet Home By Br. Tarif Shraim What Constitutes “Civil” Dialogue By Sr. Sahar Khamis

By Osama Eshera

Lifestyle

Creative Writing Gardens of Eden By Tara Mohammed Maut-e-Azrael

An Overnight Orphan By Arif Kabir

By Farhan Shah

Purpose: Your Driving Force

Spirituality

By Muneer Zuhurudeen

14/15

All It Takes From Us Is a Little Bit of Trust by Zeynep Karakas The True Life of the Soul (Part 1) By Mohammed Shaikh Sacrifice – The Big Picture By Anonymous

Staff

Assalamu’alaikum! Just a few weeks ago, millions of Muslims participated in the most spiritually uplifting experience of their lives – Hajj! This month’s issue will spotlight those lucky few who were able to make this journey of a lifetime. The story of Ibrahim (A.S.) demonstrates the power of trusting in and sacrificing for the sake of Allah, and this issue includes many articles that resonate on that very point! From striving to end hate speech on campus to determining our purpose and

what we can contribute to the MSA, the Spiritual Awakening Edition really calls on bettering ourselves as Muslims and members of the MSA/ MWM. On a final note, Al-Nur is accepting articles for the December issue! Please email me at msa.nur@gmail.com if you are interested to get involved! Whether you are a writer, layout designer, editor, or interested to get involved in advertising/ outreach – we have a place for you in our staff! Bushrah Rahman

Msa.nur@gmail.com

A Special Thanks to:

President: Muneer Zuhurudeen Vice President: Osama Eshera Secretary: Tara Mohammed Treasurer: Saad Rehman Masjid Affairs: Omari Sefu Public Relations: Youssef Elnabawi VP of Sisters’ Affairs: Sheima Gimie

Editor-in-Chief:

MSA/MWM Liason:

Bushrah Rahman

Mai Salem Editors:

Somaya Albadawi Sofia Beg

Mefruz Haque Mai Salem

Layout Designers: Somaya Albadawi Sofia Beg

Zoeya Saleem Fatimah Waseem

Writers/Contributors: Anonymous Osama Eshera Arif Kabir Zeynep Karakas Tara Mohammed

Mai Salem Farhan Shah Mohammed Shaikh Muneer Zuhurudeen & Our Advisors

President: Noha Eshera Vice President: Tara Mohammed Secretary: Mai Salem Treasurer: Hafinah Dasti Public Relations: Safia Latif

News/Spirituality

Upcoming Events

A weekend of sharing and learning about Judaism and Islam. Open to the entire campus community! Hosted by FRIEND (Jewish and Muslim Women's Alliance) and JAMM (Jewish and Muslim Men). Sponsored by Hillel, MSA, and the Interfaith Council.

Hadith of the Month Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever possesses the (following) three qualities will have the sweetness of faith: (1) The one to whom Allah and His Apostle becomes dearer than anything else; (2) Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's Sake; (3) Who hates to revert to atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the Fire." (Bukhari) Narrated by Anas The Holy Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;anâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;image taken by current MSA student

NEW

Trying to find a way to contribute to MSA ? – look no further – JOIN A COMMITTEE!

WHAT CAN I DO? Al-Nur Committee: Al-Nur is YOUR literary and artistic outlet. You (yes you!) have the opportunity to work as a staff writer, layout designer (cover designer, center spread designer, or page layout/content designer), editor, photographer, comic artist, graffiti artist, advertising/marketing coordinator, and/or issue pickup person! Each and every person has some skill set that may be useful to the Al-Nur team, so please don’t ever let that hold you back from contributing to the committee. Our long-term goal is to make AlNur a campus wide publication, but in order to do that we need YOUR help – whether that involves being a consistent contributor or working on reaching out to businesses and the campus at large! *To get involved, please contact us at msa.nur@gmail.com.

Dawah Committee: Why Islam? I am pretty sure many of us have seen a billboard of I-95 asking this question. Today we are in a day and age where Muslims are under a microscope. Islam is labeled as violent, oppressive and unjust. Obviously this is not true. Islam is a beautiful way of life in which we can attain peace by submitting to Allah (SWT). Alhamdulilah, Allah (SWT) has made us Muslim. He has also given us a responsibility. That is, to let others know about this beautiful way of life. At the University of Maryland College Park, we are in a campus with over 35,000 students many of whom are interested in learning about this way of life. As our responsibility, we must share this message with others. Alhamdulilah, this is our goal and objective in the Dawah Committee - to teach and educate as many as possible about Islam. We do this through weekly dawah tables, largescale campus events, and interfaith

dialogues. Next semester we will be hosting a one week event - Islam Awareness Week. *If you are interested in joining the Dawah Committee to help with these initiatives, please email me at aquasem23@gmail.com

Sisters’ Sports & Social: The MSA Sisters’ Sports and Social, spearheaded this year by Anam Siddiqui and Amnah Sultan, is looking forward to a really fun year of social activities. So far, we've had a picnic, a barbeque, and a sleepover. We still have much more intended for this semester and next, including horseback riding, tea parties, and plenty of reasons to dress up and go out, dress down and play around, hang out, learn, socialize, meet new people, and - as always - EAT! Remember that we are always open to new ideas and activities! See you at the next S&S activity! *Contact anam@umd.edu to be added to the S&S list serve.

Outreach: Relieving others' burdens, offering a helping hand to fallen comrades, working together to support each other in our eternal struggle to improve our character, growing closer to Allah, living and embodying Islam - that is the Outreach Committee. An example of the kind of initiatives you can be involved with as a co-leader of the Outreach Committee is the newly launched "Steeping Room." The Steeping Room represents the phenomenon of the third place -- a safe, unassuming environment where people can leave their judgments at the door and enjoy an open environment to foster growth and collaboration between people of all different kinds. It exists to attempt to

bring ALL Muslims on campus together to have meaningful conversation and see the reality that we are all one entity attempting to navigate the human project. *To join in this realization, and get involved in the Steeping Room and/or any of the countless other projects the Outreach Committee is currently pursuing insha Allah, please find me, Ali, or email me at ali.elashram@gmail.com

Brothers’ Sports & Social: Ever get tired of the same old routine after Jummah Prayer every Friday? Have no fear, Sports and Social is here! Twice a month we will blow your collective minds with the MOST EXHILARITING activities ever to see this MSA. Now I don’t want to ruin the surprise for you all, but just think of this as the tip of the iceberg, the appetizer to the feast, the trailer to the movie….okay okay I can go on for days, but just take this in stride and come out and have a good time with all your Muslim brothers on campus. CAIL: The Capital Area Islamic Library is up and running again. We’ve made some new renovations and there are a lot more books that will be joining our collection in the coming months. Everyone should make it a goal to check out a couple of books this year because it’s a real shame if we let all these treasures rot away. CAIL is the new chill spot so if you don’t stop by it’s really your loss. Come by during any of the library hours and we’ll help you find anything you need. Hit us up with recommendations for books as well. We have a new articles section that will blow your mind and some extra surprises that you'll have to see for yourself! May Allah grant us all knowledge that benefits.

Many of you, by now, have heard a good deal about the recent anti-Arab, anti-Muslim advertisement in The Diamondback. On October 19, 2011, The Diamondback printed a paid text advertisement entitled "You deserve a factual look at ... Muslim Arab Anti-Semitism" by an organization called FLAME. The ad was essentially a diatribe ridden with factual inaccuracies and a clear underlying motive -- to inflame public opinion about Muslims and Islam. Its marginalizing rhetoric is clearly inconsistent with our efforts to create a diverse, yet harmonious, community on campus. Perhaps the most important point to make regarding this issue centers around the discussion of “freedom of speech.” Many, including Muslims, would argue that this organization has a right to voice its opinion and that we should just let it be. However; this passive approach misses the mark on what the issue is actually about. I think that free speech is a good thing and is a vital prerequisite to a fruitful academic environment on campus. However, our movement is not challenging

PEACEFUL PROTEST FLAME’s right to have an opinion or right to voice it. We are challenging The Diamondback’s decision to publish the advertisement on the grounds that this ad is not a positive contributor to an intellectual debate. Here’s why: we define an intellectual debate to be one that encourages people to challenge thoughts and ideas. What this ad does is quite different. The FLAME ad objects to Muslims as a people -- not Islam as an idea. “Its one thing to blast an idea, albeit controversial, and a completely different thing to blast individuals or a community.” For example, if I think the economy sucks right now; I can and should criticize Obama’s economic policy. But I should not criticize and bash Obama as an individual. Such an approach is not conducive to an academic environment, creates hostility on campus and jeopardizes the well being of all students and faculty. Last week, we met with the president of Maryland Media Inc -- the company that owns The Diamondback -- along with their advertising manager and editor in chief. From this meeting we learned that the Diamondback’s advertising policy is entirely dis-

cretionary. So long as the ad is not illegal, they publish what they want and reject what they don’t want with no clear standards. When we pressed them on this idea they told us their decisions are made on a “case by case basis.” Which made it clear to us that they aren’t making these decision based on right or wrong; that the reason they would print an anti-Muslim ad but not an anti-[insert minority group here] ad is simply because they can get away with the former but not the latter. The outcry and heat The Diamondback would get from printing an other anti-[minority group] ad, albeit equally condemnable, would not be worth the $500 they would make from it. So where does that leave us? In simple terms: we need to show The Diamondback, through appropriate demonstration, that allowing FLAME to take a jab at Muslims is not worth $500 either. And just as we would not tolerate the degradation of any other group, we will not tolerate FLAME on our campus. But our methods must themselves be peaceful and composed; embodying the true spirit of Islam. WRITTEN BY OSAMA ESHERA

Lifestyle N A H P R O T H IG N R E V O AN ―Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. The plane will be landing shortly, please fasten your seatbelts,‖ the pilot announced. After buckling his seatbelt, Ahmad resumed gazing out the airplane window into the gray and dreary sky. His thoughts returned to that fateful day… His sister had finally graduated from college and the family was going to celebrate at a local restaurant. He stayed home to study for his final exam the next day. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered picking up the phone in the study. ―Hello, is this Ahmed? Yes, this is the police calling. We’re very sorry to inform you, but your family was involved in a fatal accident. None of them survived…‖ That one phone call changed his life. Instead of studying for his finals, he began dwelling on the final moments with his beloved family. The next few days passed in a blur; the bodies were washed and shrouded; the Janazah took place; people from all over flew in for the service. His relatives from Europe came and arranged for him to come live with them. The plane ticket was bought, the few necessary parcels of his clothing were quickly stuffed into a suitcase, and he found himself boarding a plane, leaving everything that was familiar. “What did I do to deserve this calamity!” is what he wanted to scream to the world. Instead, he mourned in silence, not trusting the world to understand. Once the plane descended upon the runway, Ahmad made his way towards the exit. He barely registered the farewells being offered him by the flight attendants, and was rather relieved when he finally found himself alone in front of the airport. He leaned against the railing, watching the cars zoom by as he waited for his ride. He remembered receiving brochures from charity organizations asking for donations for orphans all over the world. He remembered reading that UNICEF had reported about the thousands of orphans in the Unites States and millions worldwide, with numbers only increasing in war-torn and disaster stricken countries. He now regretted tossing these appeals in the trash without a care, never once thinking he may join the ranks of these millions of orphans one day. With a plane flying above him, cars passing by in front of him, and an international high-tech airport behind him, he realized there was great wealth in these countries. He saw the Muslim communities all around him were growing to new unprecedented heights, but there were still not enough orphanages dedicated to caring for orphans and providing them with an Islamic upbringing. Alhamdulillah, he was blessed with caring relatives, but not everybody had the same opportunity. It was hard for him to grasp that he had no parents, but he now realized this is the reality millions have already been facing. He recalled a hadith his Imam was fond of: “The one who sponsors an orphan, whether he is related to him or not, he and I will be like these two in Paradise,” and Malik gestured with his index and middle fingers. (Muslim, 2983). SubhanAllah, not only would a believer get closer to attaining righteousness by giving wealth to orphans, but would also be reserved a close place beside the Prophet! A beep brought him out of his reverie. He glanced up to his young cousins excitedly waving at him with giant smiles on their faces. He smiled back, picked up his luggage, and took a step forward. May Allah (SWT) help all of the Muslim orphans across the world, and may He make us the recipients of His Pleasure by sponsoring His slaves in need. Ameen.

WRITTEN BY ARIF KABIR

PURPOSE: YOUR DRIVING FORCE Have you ever asked yourself why you’re a part of the MSA? This may seem strange, but it was only very recently that I asked myself that question. MSA, for the longest time, always felt like something that I should be doing by default. I had my “spiritual awakening” (for lack of a better term) halfway through high school, so being more concerned with practicing Islam, I naturally gravitated toward the only group of Muslims that was around me, the MSA. At the same time, my sister was finding Muslim companionship at a far larger and more established organization, the MSA at UMCP. I had traveled along the path she paved for herself for the majority of my life; the same schools and many of the same extracurricular activities. Thus, when college came around, it was no different, and I followed her down that path for about two years. But during this time, I was not acting with true urgency. I had continued down an existing path because it was safer than creating my own. Thus, my actions had become someone else’s because of my failure to understand their benefit. That is, until I began to comprehend the concept of “purpose”. It’s becoming increasingly evident to me that as we advance in life there is nothing more important than purpose. Purpose is our driving force; our reason for taking up a task and our motivation to complete it, in spite of the struggles we may face along the way. A common purpose in the minds of the earlier generations of Muslims built civilizations that served as a light when the rest of the world was in the Dark Ages, with new advancements in science, mathematics, and literature occurring every day. Purpose in the minds of our early Muslim leaders like Umar Ibn Abdulaziz (May Allah be pleased with him) created societies so just, that even the King of the Romans cried upon the hearing of his death, saying that “a righteous and just king has died today”. They knew their purpose in life: to serve their Creator through obedience to Him. This consequently served everyone around them. So with a campus of 40,000 of some of the most open minded people you will ever meet, what is your purpose? With a community suffering from poverty and crime, what is your purpose? With a society plagued with corruption, ignorance and apathy, what will you do to better the situation of those around you? Looking back on my first two years of MSA involvement, I can only feel regret. I see someone who was along for the ride but not willing to take control of the wheel. The amount you can do for those around you is not limited or defined by a position or title, but only by Allah’s command, passion and purpose. Imagine the good we can create for ourselves and those around us if we only remember this. There are a million reasons to join any organization, but I’ll ask you again, why are you a part of the MSA? May Allah shower His Mercy upon us, accept and magnify our efforts in this life and allow us to see mountains of good deeds when we are resurrected before Him. WRITTEN BY MUNEER ZUHURUDEEN

Feature

the Journey of a Lifetime WRITTEN BY ZOEYA SALEEM

Salimatu Jalloh Hajj or Umrah? Umrah,2011 What was your initiative to go? My father takes people to Hajj and Umrah every year, so in 2011 it was my turn to go. Multiple visits? Went for Umrah twice, Allahamdillah What was your biggest challenge My intentions, and making du'a for others.

Did you get the chance to visit Medina? How was it? Medina was beautiful, peaceful, and very cool (temperature wise), and the masjid was very beautiful, etched in gold. Everyone was very friendly and happy, and all there for one reason; it was moving Any tips for people who haven't gone? any insights? Make sure you know that you are going there for — something really important, and don't take it too lightly. Enjoy yourself in one of the most spiritual places on earth, for there is no place like it.

Do you plan on going again? Oui Oui What kind of expectations did you have before leaving? I expected to be more mature, and I was a little nervous, slightly pressured. Afterwards I felt a little refreshed. I had new goals, and I made personal changes (started to wear hijab). What was the most rewarding feeling? Getting through Umrah, one ummah (saying Salam to everyone no matter what they looked like), seeing the Ka’bah for the first time

Nimat Baig Hajj or Umrah? I went to Hajj last year, with my mother, brother, and cousin in 2010 What was your initiative to go? Honestly, I didn't have any intention to go to Hajj at the time, but when the opportunity presented itself I was more than willing to go Do you plan on going again? Since the flight back, I've been planning my next trip, so yes. What kind of expectations did you have before leaving? I expected to come back different. They say you know your Hajj has been accepted if you come back changed. Afterwards I felt reborn, like I had been given a second chance. I'm forever grateful for my second chance

Any tips for people who haven’t gone? Any insights? Tests come in ways you don't expect. Just remember to stay patient and go with an open heart and mind. Understand that Muslims all around the world don't have the same knowledge as you do and that they may do things you may not understand, but not to judge them. I pray Allah (SWT) blesses each and every single one of the Muslim ummah to make Hajj and that he accept it from us Insha'Allah.

What was the most rewarding feeling? Praying, since the reward was greatly multiplied. What was your biggest challenge if any? My biggest challenge was leaving. Being surrounded by Muslims was comforting and I didn't want to leave. Other than that, it would be the people pushing and shoving you in the crowds. I had to remember to stay patient and protect my mother.

Feature

Sheima Gimie Hajj or Umrah? Umrah in the summer of 2007 and 2009 What was your initiative to go? For the experience and reward. Who did you travel with? My family What was your biggest challenge Surviving the heat

Did you get the chance to visit Medina? How was it? Medina, yes. It was lovely. I wish I stayed longer in Medina. Any tips for people who haven't gone? any insights? Everyone should really try to go to Umrah at least once. It's really a great experience and can be life changing. Definitely worth it! Do you plan on going again?

OF COURSE I wish I was there now! What kind of expectations did you have before leaving? I wasn't sure what to expect. I was young so Umrah was just another Islamic term to me. What was the most rewarding feeling? Seeing the Kaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;bah for the first time is the most breathtaking experience. It's like you're in a dream.

Meher Kachwala Hajj or Umrah? I went to Umrah when I was around 10 years old in 2001 What was your initiative to go? To praise and glorify Allah (SWT), and a secondary goal was to engage in self-improvement through this journey. Do you plan on going again? Insha'Allah, I would be the luckiest person to be able to go again, and also to Hajj this time. It would absolutely be a dream come true to be able to go again in the future. What kind of expectations did you have before leaving? Ever since returning, I have felt even closer to my religion and have developed a greater sense of Islam and what it means to be a Muslim. I feel motivation to do better deeds and to give back for the sake of Allah (SWT). I have a yearning to constantly become a better person for His sake. It was the most rewarding experience in many senses. Did you get the chance to visit Medina? How was it? Medina is undoubtedly the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The amount of devotion found in one place was incredible and I'll never forget the amazing sight of seeing so many people in the same place, gathered in the name of Allah (SWT). Any tips for people who havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t gone? any insights? Don't be hesitant to go on Umrah while you are young, you are never too young to develop and express your devotion for Allah (SWT).

WHAT CONSTITUTES ‘CIVIL DIALOGUE’?

Into meadows of eternity.

Spirituality ALL IT TAKES FROM US IS A LITTLE BIT OF TRUST We can all admit that a lot of things in life require sacrifice: school, friends, family. Sometimes it may seem as if sacrifice is all that you’re living for. At times, kindness maybe difficult to show. Generosity may even seem plain suicidal. But, alhamdulilah, at the end of the day, Allah (SWT) has offered us a way out, a way of retaining our sanity: Himself. All it takes from us is a little bit of trust. Allah says, ―And he provides him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily for all things has Allah appointed his due proportion (65:3).‖ A year ago, Allah seemed to be speaking directly to me in that ayah. Like many other first-generation American Muslims, I believed that all I ever wanted to be in life was a doctor. Naturally, the first step towards making that happen was to volunteer at a hospital. And I did. For a month. Then, I slowly stopped showing up to my early morning Sunday shifts altogether as I realized medicine wasn’t a career for me. I quietly made the excuse that college applications were taking over my life. Unfortunately, I chose not to make the sacrifice of sticking to my ―promised‖ one-hundred hours. So I broke my volunteer commitment without a word and forgot about volunteering for a while. As soon as I got settled as a freshman, I remembered my old commitment as a volunteer, and I knew the best thing to do was to finish the contracted term. This time, I decided I wasn’t going to do it for myself; I had already decided against medicine. At that time, I could really relate to Prophet Musa. After Prophet Musa realized his mistake of killing one of Pharaoh's soldiers, he quickly repented saying, ―...Surely I have done harm to myself, so, You should protect me (18:18).‖ As soon as he put his trust in Allah, he was eventually warned of Pharaoh’s intentions and quickly escaped. He traveled until he found a well, a group of men watering their flock and two women waiting behind them. Amazingly, instead of choosing to sit back after a long and frantic journey, he helps these women for the sake of Allah. Sure enough, he lands a job with Prophet Shuayb. And decides to stick to the agreed length of service. So, like Prophet Musa I decided to amend my mistake of leaving the hospital and finish my volunteer commitment for the sake of Allah. I reapplied, got a call, and was asked to interview. Me: ―Again? Okay.‖ And here I am, a year later, with a paid job alhamdulilah that I ―...never could [have] imagine[d]...(65:3).‖ Subhanallah.

WRITTEN BY ZEYNEP KARAKAS

THE TRUE LIFE OF THE SOUL (PART 1) Someone might think of the topic of love lightly - thinking it is not a primary concern - while it is one of the most important human needs. We humans are made of two things: dust (body) and soul. The body wants food, drink, clothing, and rest. However, the soul wants mainly two things - to love and to feel loved. Our souls are what make us humans and not machines. This soul has a lot of secrets that we can search for and learn about. Allah says in the Quran, ―… and they ask you –Oh Muhammad- concerning the spirit; Say: the spirit: it is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you have (mankind) have been given only a little (Surah17, verse 85).‖ The real relationships between people are built consciously or unconsciously on love. This love might be sincere (true) love, fake love, love that has a fragile basis, etc. The Prophet (peace be upon him) once stated, :" A person will be with the ones whom he loves ." Examine your life and see whom you love the most, and you will be with them in the next life. There are many reasons we love someone. It might be because of what the other person has (money, beauty, generosity, etc). If two people share something they both love, it will be a reason for them to love each other. Gratefulness is one of great reasons of love, if not the greatest. Someone will care about pleasing and serving what he loves the most. If someone cares just about himself , he will try to please it and try to bring joy to his self in every possible way. However, he will never find satisfaction. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ―If the son of Adam has a valley of Gold then he will wish to have another one.‖ Someone will never find himself pleased with what he has if he strives to serve only himself and run after the pleasures of this life. Trying hard to always please and serve others is another mistake. A famous Arabic saying teaches, ―Pleasing people is a goal that will never be reached.‖ What some people like is different from what others do. People might ask us sometimes to do evil that will bring harm to us. People are forgetful. They might forget what we did for them for years in just a few days. So, let us go back to our purpose in life, which is pleasing and serving Allah, the most merciful. Allah will not ask you for anything that has evil in it. As stated in one Hadith Qudsi, Allah Himself will come closer to those who do things for His sake. Allah will never forget anything you did for his sake. He rewards the disbelievers for the good things they did in this life, so how can He forget the believers? Wait for more next month Inshallah. Every good I wrote is from Allah, and everything bad is from myself and shaytaan. WRITTEN BY MOHAMMED SHAIKH

SACRIFICE—THE BIG PICTURE Celebration. Parties. Family and friends. These are some of the first words that come to mind when we hear, ―Eid.‖ For the young, it’s a day off from school, as we grow older it can become an excuse from an exam, or perhaps the exam is an excuse from Eid (haha). For all, it is a time for festivity. However, if we stop to think what Eid Al-Adha or the ―Festival of Sacrifice‖ comes from, we remember Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) and his son, and their story of sacrifice. Sacrifice. What does this mean exactly? According to dictionary.com it is, sacrifice—the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something having a higher or more pressing claim. We all know the tradition of this Eid is to distribute whatever meat the family has sacrificed following in Prophet Ibrahim’s footsteps. However, how many of us stop to really think about what sacrifice means to us personally? I came across a story in the newspaper the other day that, for myself put the story of Ibrahim (a.s.) in a different light. Two brothers were in the hospital and they ―embraced before going into surgery for a liver transplant.‖ Before the surgery, both were aware of the possible implications this could have for the healthy brother—but the prospect of saving his dying brother’s life was more pressing at the time. A few days later, their father came to Chad, the brother receiving the transplant to tell him, ―I have some bad news. Ryan’s gone but we still serve a good God.‖ His father’s simple statement, ―but we still serve a good God,‖ stood out to me especially. He had just witnessed his own child die, but was still steadfast in faith acknowledging God’s mercy in saving the other brother. We should look to this statement and reflect on it ourselves. How many times have we after sacrificing held a tinge of bitterness towards having to give up something that was dear to us? A brother sacrificed his very life to save his ailing brother, knowing the risks involved. A father sacrificed one son for another, still holding onto God. Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) and Ismail (a.s.)’s Iman was so strong, both were ready to do the unimaginable, solely to please Allah. We should take these lessons from others to reflect on what it really means to sacrifice in the name of Allah. Although it doesn’t have to be a liver or your child, lets extrapolate this lesson a bit. Even something as small as giving up a small amount of time it takes to pray our prayers on time, rather than waiting until the TV show is finished, sacrificing a few minutes of sleep to pray Fajr, not sharing that oh -so-juicy piece of gossip; all count towards pleasing Allah (swt). Let’s take this Eid, in-between the festivities, to grow as Muslims and strive to be the best we can be. "It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him." (Qur'an 22:37) WRITTEN BY ANONYMOUS