mbmuslima
*The Health & Wellness Issue*
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By Sister Yasmin Essa 1. Choose stairs whenever possible (over elevators or escalators) 2. If you work a desk job or have a long day of classes, requiring you to sit for long periods of time, make an effort to get up and walk for a few minutes each hour. Alternatively, you can opt for standing or treadmill desks. 3. Hate long cardio sessions? No problem. Instead of one 30-minute cardio session, break it out to three 10-minute sessions.
In May 2011, we brought you the ‗Healthy Hearts‘ issue, focusing on Mental, Spiritual, and Physical well-being. Why then did I deem it necessary to also include a ‗Health & Wellness‘ issue in the 2011 editorial calendar? As Yvonne Maffei, founder and chef of My Halal Kitchen elegantly points out in ―A Food Revolution for Muslims‖ (page 12), you don‘t need to be a medical expert to notice the health concerns amongst Muslims. As Muslims, we should be the healthiest individuals on the earth. Our beloved Prophet (May the Peace and Blessings of Allah subhana ‘wa ta3la be upon him) told us that :
While there are many physical health, fitness , and nutritional tips that I would normally love to throw into this letter, I am going to focus on a very important, often overlooked way to stay healthy. So what is this simple tip that many of us (including myself) overlook? What is the tip that you opened this issue to reveal? Taking a break.
While today‘s digital world allows us to be more productive, get this done faster, and multitask more than ever, many of us have a really hard time taking a break. The reality? Allah suhana ‘wa ta3la did not create us to be these ‗superhuman‘, do-it-all individuals. Don‘t get me wrong—we should certainly always strive to do better. That‘s actually the beautiful thing about Islam. It doesn‘t ask us to be perfect. It just asks us to continuously rise up and elevate ourselves. By realizing our limits given to us by Allah subhana ’wa ta3la and giving ourselves the break needed to rejuvenate and do better. Keep a few things in mind while reading this issue of MBMuslima, inshaAllah:
JazakAllah khair, Enjoy the issue,
P.S. As always, your comments, criticism, and suggestions as an MBM reader are highly appreciated, encouraged, and valued. By the will of Allah SWT, let us all engage in a deep, collective search for truth, guided by the primary sources of Islam: the Qur‘an and Sunnah. As always, JazakAllah khair for being an MBM reader—the magazine would be nothing without you.
"O Lord of the people, remove this pain and cure it, You are the one who cures and there is no one besides You who can cure, grant such a cure that no illness remains.‖ As I am typing this, I am armed with an arsenal of tissue to fend against my frequent sneezes, a mug of hot tea, and a general sense of tiredness. I have the cold, and I‘ve got it pretty bad, meaning it will last for weeks and weeks and I will shuffle my way to work in the morning sniffling. While I feel weak, and would prefer to stay in bed and sleep the whole thing off, I am often reminded of two things during my moments of illness. First, a trifling, insignificant cold is a strong reminder that we need to take better care of our bodies, but also, illness is sometimes Allah‘s (SWT) way of tazkiyya, or purification, of our sins and bad deeds (also called expiation). Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, ―When Allah wants to be good to someone, He tries him with hardship.‖ Abu Hurairah also narrates that the Prophet (PBUH) said that ―For Doreen Salcher | Dreamstime.com (Image Credit)
every misfortune, illness, anxiety, grief, or hurt that afflicts a Muslim – even the hurt caused by the pricking of a thorn, Allah removes some of his sins.‖ Health and wellness does not only refer to fitness of the physical body, but also the mind and a vitality and wellbeing of the soul, the spirit. One can be afflicted with many kinds of pains: pain of the body, such as my cold or other far more serious, debilitating conditions, pain of the heart or soul, such as difficulties that relate to anxiety or worry about tribulations. Think of the various semantic terms dedicated to aspects of our body – the heart is known as a qalb and fu’ad, the brain is distinct from the mind, then there is our soul, and so on. When we consider our health, we consider the absolute miracle of a body and soul that Allah (SWT) the Creator, has bestowed upon us. As we benefit from the miracles of the heart, mind, and soul, we must remember to take care of all of these, not focusing so much on our body that we forget to cultivate our mind, and not immersing ourselves in solely intellectual endeavors that we neglect the sacred aspect of our very heart and soul.
May Allah (SWT) bless us all with good health and well-being and guide us to cleanse and purify our hearts and souls, Ameen.
By Sister Tayyaba Syed,
The doctor was running late that day. Usually that is not a big deal for a regular appointment, but this was no regular appointment. I was in the hospital waiting to go in for surgery. I watched the minutes go by on the clock as I sat there on my bed, the same bed that was going to be rolled into the operatory room. That hour and a half I had to wait was pure torture. I was all alone worrying, praying, wondering what was going to happen to me. This was not like the two cesarean surgeries I had before when I delivered my children. That was different, because there was life coming out of me that I had carried for months in my womb.
―This time, I had no idea what was growing inside me.‖ I had developed some type of mass in my abdominal tissue that was causing me major pain and discomfort. The doctors were not able to tell me what it was, but they knew that it needed to be removed. So there I was thinking about my life while waiting for the surgeon to arrive. I was not scared about the procedure itself. It was more a grave concern about what this ―mass‖ could possibly be. So many thoughts ran through my mind. What I was most worried about was not myself but my two young children. Who would take care of them if something happened to me? Could anyone love them as much as I do? There is a du‘a that I often make when I drop my daughter off at school. I ask Allah (The Glorious and Most Exalted) to protect her and always be with her, since He is Permanent and I am not. Waiting there before my surgery, I felt the reality of that du‘a. We tend to take our lives for granted. We think we will always be around and will live a long fulfilling life. We do not appreciate the gift of our health, a true blessing from Allah. He gives you good health and can take it away
whenever He pleases. Things had been going great for me, and my health was the last thing I was worried about. It was Ramadan, and I was about to start a new job in a few days. My youngest was going to be starting school soon, and I was preparing for all these big changes. I did not know that there was an even bigger change coming my way. I was doing absolutely fine until I woke up one morning with this painful lump inside me. It really felt like it came out of nowhere. But that really goes to show the will of Allah. He says ―Be,‖ and it is. By the grace and mercy of Allah, the mass turned out to be benign. Waiting before the surgery was nothing compared to waiting the 3 days afterwards for the results from pathology. There was definitely a lot of prayer said and a lot of sleep lost in those days. Recovery has been good Alhumdullilah, not just physically but spiritually as well. This was a huge reminder for me to always be grateful to Allah for my health. That does not mean to just say thanks once in a while and go on with my life as I please. With good health we can function properly, be there for our families and communities, bow down fully to our Creator in sujood, and worship Him the way He is supposed be worshipped. Good health is our wealth. We must remember to thank Allah for our health while it is still good and not just when we are waiting to go in for surgery.
Tayyaba Syed is a writer, teacher, lecturer, wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. MBMuslima is a means for me to help people realize the beauty, love and spirituality that comes from enjoying the many wonderful relationships we are blessed with in our lives. www.tayyabasyed.blogspot.com Image Credit: Jaromir Sembdner | Dreamstime.com
By Sister Yvonne Maffei,
You don‘t have to be a medical expert to notice that among the Muslim community living in the United States, there is a prevalence of high sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, all of which can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and heart attacks, even in young individuals. There doesn‘t seem to be a lack of great home cooks or halal restaurants within the Muslim community. Many traditional recipes from immigrant Muslim home countries actually originate in healthy ingredients and cooking methods.
1. Not Enough Time to Prepare Healthy Meals Muslim families today are busier than ever. Many people are opting for convenience, packaged foods resonating their ethnic cuisine. These foods are often full of salt, sugar and preservatives.
2. Too Much (Cheap) Variety at the Grocery Store
Although I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, I am a home chef, wife, family member and friend who cooks for people I care about, which means I want them to eat what Allah (swt) ordained for us and what I know is inherently healthy for us, too.
Sometimes a plethora of choices is simply overwhelming to people, especially those who are used to simple, all natural foods in their home country. Many inexpensive food choices are offered cheaply in abundance, adding to the ease of purchasing these over higher quality foods.
So, what‘s the problem?
3. Food Labeling is Difficult to Decipher
There are at least 10 obstacles Muslim individuals and families face today that directly or indirectly affect healthy eating habits:
Packaged foods list ingredients in English that even natives can‘t understand, so it is difficult to decide not only if something is halal, but also if it is healthy. Foods that are certified halal are often seen as ‗perfect‘, so the actual ingredients are often ignored altogether. In doing so, one also ignores preservatives, added salt sugar and sometimes, MSG in products.
4. Removing Children From the Kitchen
Parents have the best of intentions for their children, and this often means expecting that their only real duty at home is to study. It gives young people, especially young girls the idea that cooking is learned later in life, when one is married and has a family. Unfortunately, this leaves a lot of young people lost when it comes to not just cooking, but making healthy food choices when doing so.
5. Added Sugar & White Flour We all love our sweets and our carbohydrates, but what we don‘t always realize is that when ‗traditional foods‘ are packaged and processed, they simply are not made without added preservatives. The addition of bleached and processed flour and sugar to products that are already naturally sweet renders many products as unhealthy and lacking any significant amount of nutrition.
6. Lack of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Our community events are often centered around food, which is something we all enjoy. More often than not, however, there is a lack of variety in fresh products, particularly fresh green vegetables in the form of salads. We tend to fill our plates with white rice, white pita bread and meat instead.
7. Socializing We love to socialize-and there‘s nothing wrong with that. It‘s part of being a community and bonding with our brothers and sisters. The problem is that we often sit for eating as opposed to walking and talking or having some sort of exercise as part of the socialization. This is particularly challenging for the sisters. Renowned British Chef Jamie Oliver has recently debuted his Food Revolution (http:// www.jamieoliver.com) for all of America, which is a great thing, but it doesn‘t focus even more narrowly on the Muslim population at large. I‘m proposing one for the Muslims. We need a food revolution to have a health revolution among us. Here are some of the ways I believe we can start, insha‘allah.
1. Check the Oils You Cook With. Be sure to incorporate some of these healthy oils into your diet. • Extra virgin olive oil (salads; sauté) • Extra virgin coconut oil (sauté) • Grape Seed (baking) • Butter (not margarine) for baking, in moderation
2. Check Your Cooking Methods • Lightly sauté vegetables or drizzle with olive oil after steaming • Keep frying to a minimum • Steam vegetables whenever possible • Eat fresh fruits and even make juices with them
3. Use Healthy Sweeteners, and Use Them Minimally • Pure honey (local is best) • Agave (cactus nectar) • Piloncillo (Mexican raw cane sugar cone) • Raw cane sugar • Pure maple syrup
4. Avoid the White Stuff
White flour, rice and sugar are mostly bleached, overprocessed and stripped of nutrients, coming to your table in the form of desserts and breads. Instead, try: • Brown rice • Black (wild grain) rice • Red rice • Wheat bread (including pita) • Whole grain bread • Multi-grain bread • Back bread (Lithuanian and Russian varieties) • Rye bread • Corn and wheat flour tortillas • Chappati and Naan made from wheat flour Also, incorporate beans into your diet and try all the different varieties out there: • Black beans • Red beans • Garbanzo (chickpeas) • Pinto (pink) • Navy beans • Fava beans • Fresh green beans • Peruvian beans (yellow)
5. Study the Hidden Meanings in Food Labels, Even if the Product is Halal-Certified This can be quite a challenge, but the internet is a wonderful resource for this type of investigation. Check out this site, to get started.
6. Pay Close Attention to Your Child’s Lunch Don‘t wait around for the school to serve your child healthy meals and snacks. Take the time to pack a healthy lunch and even get the kids involved in what they‘re taking to school. They‘ll be more likely to eat it all if they‘ve had a role in preparing it.
7. Plant a Garden…with Your Family If you don‘t have a yard, plant veggies and herbs in an outside apartment balcony. No balcony? Check your local Park District for community gardens. For a small fee you can rent out a plot around the size of 20‘ x 20‘, which is more than enough space for vegetables that will keep you going all summer and enough to preserve in
Now is the time to plant something, anything. If you don‘t have a yard, plant veggies and herbs in an outside apartment balcony. No balcony? Check your local Park District for community gardens. For a small fee you can rent out a plot around the size of 20‘ x 20‘, which is more than enough space for vegetables that will keep you going all summer and enough to preserve in the winter, insha‘allah. The kids will learn a lot by doing this, as well.
8. Drink More Water Water not only hydrates the human body, it also flushes out toxins and waste. Drinking more water also allows us to feel less hungry or crave foods that are part of an unhealthy diet.
9. Exercise More A ten-minute walk around the block can do a person good in many ways. Make it a daily habit, rain or shine and insha‘allah, your body will thank you.
10. Give Variety to Your Cooking Get excited about trying new things and incorporating a variety of healthy recipes into your diet. Our Facebook Fan Page (http://www.facebook.com/myhalalkitchen) is a fun place to join in on cooking and food discussion. See what I‘m talking about on Twitter (http:// www.twitter.com/myhalalkitchen). By using cheap oils to deep fry and smother our food and then add packaged desserts and sweets to the table we‘re creating a recipe for a health disaster. Instead, we need to explore cooking with beneficial oils and become educated about the negative effects of excess salt, bleached and processed flour and sugar, high fructose corn syrup and other unhealthy additives and preservatives in our food. We need to go beyond whether or not our food doesn‘t have the forbidden pork and alcohol. Many packaged goods and spices are chock full of synthetic products, which in essence seem to be a great halal alternative, but aren‘t necessarily natural and healthy.
Yvonne Maffei is a food writer, recipe developer and the publisher of MyHalalKitchen.com, a halal food blog that offers recipes, tips and halal cooking techniques to readers. Image Credit: My Halal Kitchen (myhalalkitchen.com)
Connect with Yvonne Maffei from My Halal Kitchen: Discover: www.myhalalkitchen.com Like: www.facebook.com/myhalalkichen Tweet: @myhalalkitchen
, "What does your ideal picture of a healthy husband look like? Is he lean, fit, calm, patient, approachable, thoughtful? What kind of girl do you think would and should deserve your ideal kind of husband? Forget for a minute that you're married and think instead of winning your husband over from scratch. Maybe it's the way you talk, or carry yourself around him. Pick 3 things you can improve about your habits that will bring you closer to a healthy marriage and husband. Transform your marriage by taking the first step with yourself."
By: Jennifer Fawsy,
One subject that often goes over looked is the issue of chastity. I know that this may sound cliché, but being chaste is extremely important. It is very common for people to have casual sexual encounters these days, and of course, unplanned pregnancies may arise. Often enough, the man either does not want contact with the ensuing child, or the woman decides that it is better for her to be independent, and raise their child alone. Perhaps the father will send his monthly child support payments, or maybe he won‘t. Now, the mother will have to support herself and the newborn possibly on a single income, and this is where things get even tougher for her. The USDA estimates that the cost of a rearing a child is anywhere from $118,000.00 and higher depending on how many incomes are involved. These figures vary from country to country, and of course it factors in raising the child to the age of 18 years old, but for many, that is still a great deal of money! If the mother happens to be a teen, she will have to rely on some assistance from her mother and father to help financially. Depending on how old she is, it could affect her education. She may have to drop out of school, postpone college, or not attend college at all. We all know the importance of a proper education. It will help to secure decent employment to support yourself and perhaps others. ―If a young woman has a child early and is trying to raise that baby on one income and also pay for college, it can be very difficult.‖
This type of scenario is a reality for some women. Unfortunately, it is also these types of scenarios that lead to poverty for the mother as well as her dependent. There are ways for a woman to avoid these kinds of things from happening to her. She should wait until she is married to have sex. This is not only to preserve her dignity, reputation, and body-it is also part of Islam. Allah knows all things, and he sets forth rules for us to follow not to cause us hardship, but for the opposite, He wants to protect us from undue obstacles in our lives. Despite what you may see on TV and in the movies, sex is not something that is supposed to be shared with everyone. It was never meant to be devalued. Sexuality is sacred. It is the most intimate bond that a husband and wife can share. So many tragedies arise from abusing sex such as STD‘s, emotional problems, and unwanted pregnancies. The media (and yes, I do fault the media for many things) knows that sex sells. They are not concerned about your sexual liberation, or if you get sick-they only want revenue! I was driving in my car one morning and I was listening to the radio as I normally do on my way to work when the host decided to discuss teen pregnancy. She was explaining that she has taken her daughter in for a doctor‘s visit when the doctor asked her daughter if she was sexually active. Her daughter explained that she was still a virgin and that premarital sex was actually against her Christian values. The
host went on to say that the doctor offered her daughter birth control pills and condoms to have ―safer‖ sex and to avoid getting pregnant. The host then confronted the doctor about pushing these items on her child. To put the icing on the cake, the doctor told the concerned mom that her daughter was only saying these things because she was in the room! As the segment went on, the host made a very good point, and I quote, ―Sex may feel good in the moment, but if he leaves you, or if you find out that you have HIV, who will be there for you? The doctor? I don‘t think so. I will, your Mom.‖ Another reason that we should keep ourselves chaste is because of self respect. If we do not respect ourselves, then who will? We are not disposable items to be used and then thrown away. If you have made some mistakes in the past, seek forgiveness and repent to Allah. He is the Merciful and Forgiving. He can give you strength and help you to stay on the straight path. You do not need to follow everything that society does. You can stay pure! Surround yourself with people who share your same values and keep your eyes on Allah. Image Credit: Joy Prescott | Dreamstime.com
By Brother Haroon Yahya,
It is the way that people suppress their consciences that prevents most of them genuinely turning to Allah and that keeps them from abiding by the moral values commanded by Him. ―My heart is pure, so Allah will forgive me.‖ We often hear such words from those around us. This highly distorted logic that in fact consists of an excuse made up by people themselves is used in order to suppress the voice of the conscience. What does this ―purity of heart‖ actually mean? According to Qur‘anic moral values, is ―not doing anyone any harm‖ sufficient justification for ignoring the responsibilities revealed to us by Allah?
We are informed in the Qur'an that Allah considers people's hearts, as He reveals in "But only he [will prosper] who brings to Allah a sound heart." (Surat ash-Shu‘ara, 89) The Qur'anic concept of a "sound heart" is not the pureness of heart that some people understand it to be, for the Qur'an defines a sound heart as turning to and submitting fully to Allah. People with sound hearts, in the Qur'anic sense, have faith in Allah, observe the limits and prohibitions that He has established, and submit to Him fully. In the Islamic sense, there is no other form of a sound heart, for the Qur'an defines a person with a sound heart as someone who constantly brings Allah to mind and feels at peace with His remembrance. The following verse makes this quite clear: “Those who believe and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah. Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace. “ (Surat Ar-Rad, 13:28) In another verse, Allah describes believers as those "whose hearts quake at the mention of Allah" (Surat Al-Hajj, 35).
A very important characteristic of believers is sensitivity of the heart that enables them to derive pleasure from the Qur'an's morality and to feel a great pleasure and peace in obeying Allah. Allah describes this sensitivity as "Allah's guidance": “Allah has sent down the Supreme Discourse, a Book consistent in its frequent repetitions. The skins of those who fear their Lord tremble at it, and then their skins and hearts yield softly to the remembrance of Allah. That is Allah's guidance, by which He guides whoever He wills.” (Surat Az-Zumar, 23) Consequently, a truly sound heart in the Islamic context means a heart that is purified from all forms of impurity that draw one away from Allah. Such people stay away from worldly greed, selfishness, fears, and insecurity. As a result, they do not become attached to any person or thing other than Allah or feel a type of love for them that is independent of Allah.
It is of course important and excellent for someone to be known in the community for ―being good and having a pure heart.‖ However, basing oneself on the importance in society of ―having a pure heart‖ and then saying, ―I do no harm to anyone, and even help them on occasion, when necessary,‖ does not mean that one is fully living by the moral values of the Qur‘an. In addition, thinking in that way is nothing more than self-deception. An act or an attitude that is accepted as a good deed by a society remote from the Qur‘anic morality, although it is not based upon the Qur'an's values, may not be worthy in Allah's sight. The main criterion that renders a deed good and worthy in His sight is the degree of its conformity with Allah‘s good pleasure. The following verses are quite explanatory:
―Do you make the giving of water to the pilgrims and looking after the Masjid al-Haram the same as having iman in Allah and the Last Day and doing jihad in the Way of Allah? They are not equal in the sight of Allah. Allah does not guide wrongdoing people.” (Surat At-Tawba, 19) “It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, those with true devoutness are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travelers and beggars and to set slaves free, and who establish prayer and pay alms; those who honor their contracts when they make them, and are steadfast in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people who are true. They are the people who guard against evil. (Surat Al-Baqara, 177) Allah’s Approval and Fear of Him Are The Bases of Qur’anic Moral Values People may be known as ―good‖ by giving food to animals they see in the street or getting along well with their neighbors. And this is of course good behavior. But the way to avoid eternal suffering in Hell, the way to attain the approval and mercy of Allah, lies not in being known as ―a good person,‖ but in being a true believer in the manner described by Allah in the Qur‘an. As stated at the outset, there can be no question of someone who fails to fully submit to our Almighty Lord and to abide by the requirements of Islamic moral values having ―purity
of heart.‖ Those who live by the logic of ―my heart is pure, so there is no need for me to completely adhere to the requirements of religious moral values‖ and who persist in that way of thinking may imagine that they thus deceive other people, but they are in fact only deceiving themselves. Saying such a thing is the mistaken mentality of someone who avoids fully adhering to the moral requirements of the Qur‘an and who seeks to portray a mistaken lifestyle as being a Muslim one. Such insincere attitudes can never be acceptable. Because Allah is He Who knows what lies concealed in people‘s hearts. We are told in one verse from the Qur‘an that,‖ … Allah knows what your hearts contain‖. (Surah Al ‗Imran, 119) Living by Qur‘anic moral values bestows freedom from worldly values and all forms of dependence felt towards other people. A believer with such moral values seeks the approval of Allah, not that of other people. He fears Allah alone and knows that all things are under His control. Fear leads him to scrupulously adhere to the bounds set by Allah and silences all excuses proffered by worldly desires. The awed respect felt for Allah and the sincere efforts made to attain His approval are the basis of Qur‘anic moral values. Almighty Allah has revealed this as follows: “Who is better: someone who founds his building on fear of Allah and His good pleasure, or someone who founds his building on the brink of a crumbling precipice so that it collapses with him into the Fire of Hell? Allah does not love wrongdoers. (Surat At-Tawba, 109)”
Mikhail Shifrin | Dreamstime.com (Image Credit)
Interview with Sister Mariam Al-Kalby, founder of createmaktoob.com Interview by Sister Yasmin Essa Image Credit: Mariam Al-Kalby
1. What is Maktoob? Maktoob is a writing haven for Muslims. Created in 2011, and based in the United States, it is a community effort focusing on uncovering the hidden literary talents of Muslims. We collect poetry, essays, short stories, and any other type of literature. We are here to expand the Muslim name with different themes and genres. It is a place designed specifically for Muslim writers to submit their literary work. InshAllah we have the intention of collecting people's masterpieces and publishing them into a book; proceed will go to underprivileged areas in our Muslim Ummah. This is not just about the writing…it is also about the community effort. It is the Ummah creating Maktoob itself. It cannot be built, nor stand on its own without the support of the Muslims. Maktoob is every Muslim out there, whether a writer or a supporter... Maktoob is every Muslim's business. As a Muslim, I have always been interested in submitting my own writing but I never found anywhere out there that had the same qua l ity as a no n-Musl i m o rga ni za tion. There is a void in our Muslim identity when it comes to writing. Instead of seeing non-Muslims writing about us, let us do it ourselves! We have our own talents; let’s use them to benefit our own community! We have the capabilities of doing quality work… we have doctors, engineers, and lawyers…now it’s time to uncover our literary capabilities. Instead of donating your money, you are donating your words. 2. What inspired you to start this initiative? I was searching for places that were interested in Muslims submitting their written works. I would clock in so many hours looking for something but end up with poorly established websites and unprofessional content that did not encourage me to submit anything. If I found anything, they were pages of a website that were expired or it led me to random pages with popup ads dancing around the site. However, I did find some places asking for submissions (such as MBMuslima!) But it was obvious that the Muslim community had a void when it came
to the literary world. I was very disheartened to find that there was a limited amount of places for Muslims to submit their work to. InshAllah this void will be replaced with something great and beneficial to the community. 3. What kind of writers do you have? What kind are you looking for? Since we launched Maktoob in late june, I am just beginning to promote it. Alhumdulah as of now, I have young Muslim female writers from all over the world. InshAllah I would like it to expand to every corner and every single place that exists. I would love to have Muslim male writers and the Ummah from all nations inshAllah to participate. We are definitely looking for quality work-not cliched rhyme poems but of literary quality submissions. 4. What goals do you have for Maktoob? There are so many things that can be done ia for Maktoob. Maktoob is not just a place for Muslim writers to submit quality work but for every Muslim to partake in creating Maktoob. We hope to publish different genres of literature by Muslims, to be able to give back to the Muslim community who are need, to hold different events, classes, videos, contests, workshops, etc etc! It's truly exciting and if there is khair (good) in it, Allah (SWT) will make it successful and success is from him only. InshAllah Maktoob is a place for all Muslims: it's just finding what role would work for each person. You can be the writer, the promoter, the sponsor, the donator...there is a role for everyone. 5. Many readers will recognize your name from articles you've written for MBMuslima. Even so, tell us a little about yourself inshaAllah. I am a Muslim who would like to participate and give back to the Ummah. I have a B.A. In English Education and Creative Writing from Cal State Long Beach.
Allahu la ilaha illa huwa alhayyu alqayyoomu la takhuthuhu sinatun wala nawmun lahu ma fee alssamawati wama fee alardi man tha allathee yashfaAAu AAindahu illa biithnihi yaAAlamu ma bayna aydeehim wama khalfahum wala yuheetoona bishayin min AAilmihi illa bima shaa wasiAAa kursiyyuhu alssamawati waalarda wala yaooduhu hifthuhuma wahuwa alAAaliyyu alAAatheemu Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. (Quran 2:255) Translation: http://www.quran.com/2 Transliteration: http://iknowledge.islamicnature.com/quran/surah/2/lang/englishtran/
InshaAllah Simply translated from Arabic to English, InshaAllah means „God willing‟. This is a very commonly used phrase, as Muslims believe God has power over everything. MashaAllah Simply translated from Arabic to English , MashaAllah means 'Whatever Allah (God) wills'. Often, it is used as an expression of delight or achievement. JazakAllah khairan Simply translated from Arabic to English, jazakAllah khairun means „May Allah reward you for the good”. This is commonly used to thank someone or to acknowledge someone‟s effort. SubhanAllah In Arabic, SubhanAllah means „Glorious is Allah”. This is used when praising God. It is also commonly used as a exclamation like “Wow!”. Masjid The Masjid is simply the Arabic word for Mosque. Many Muslims refer to the Mosque as a Masjid. Masjids are primarily used for Salah (Prayer) Jummah prayer The Friday prayer services that Muslims attend weekly. SWT: Subhana wa’ta3la Arabic Praise used after the name of Allah meaning „glorious and exalted is He” Hijab Headscarf prescribed to Muslim women for modesty purposes Shahadah Declaration of Islamic faith. Assalamu Alaykum May peace be unto you.