MIRROR l The Anniversary issue - Issue #07

Muharram/Safar 1435 Issue #07: The Anniversary Issue

Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'alamin.

All Praise & Thanks be to Allah Lord of the worlds.

(Al-Quran, Al-Fatihah 1:2)

“ The believer is the mirror of his brother.

The believer is the brother of a believer: he protects him from ruin and guards his back.”

– Rasulullah s.a.w. (Narrated by Abu Hurairah r.a)

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Editor/Religious Consultant Ustaz Firdaus Ahmad firdaus@mirror-mag.com Religious Consultant Ustaz Achmed Fahdly achmed@mirror-mag.com

Creative Director Syaiful Sam'an syaiful@mirror-mag.com

Marketing Manager Muhammad Ayyub Bin Abdul Kadir ayyub@mirror-mag.com

Contributors Writers Fadhuli Taufek Nisa' Tuzzakirah Nur Khairunnisa

Art Direction

Assalamu'alaikum.

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'alamin. Allahumma Solli 'ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa 'ala alihi wa sohbihi ajma'in.

In the name of Allah, Most Beneficient, Most Merciful. All Praise and Thanks be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings upon Sayyidina Muhammad s.a.w, and his family and companions.

Alhamdulillah, we are one. We would like to thank everyone for the continuous support. May whatever that we have been sharing for the past year be of benefit to all our dear readers.

For the last year of publication, our issues were released during the significant months of the Islamic calendar, namely Muharram, Rabi'ul Awwal, Rajab/Sya'ban, Ramadhan, Syawwal and Dhul Hijjah. The intention was to take the opportunity to share with our readers the significance of those months.

Nafisah Abu Bakar

Collaborators The Poets' Coffee: Faiz Johari, Hazrul Fitri, Irfan, Nurnina Syazwani Ask Ustaz

Marketing Nasuha Darke Hasbullah Johari

Contact Us contact@mirror-mag.com

On The Cover: khat by bynzakrh follow @bynzakrh on instagram

Since a total of 6 issues were published last year, we have decided to make MIRROR a bi-monthly magazine for this second year of publication, insyaAllah. So now you know when to expect the launch of our latest issue. :) Alhamdulillah, we would like to thank the Ask Ustaz app team, for their collaboration with MIRROR. It has been great getting to know them. May Allah bless this collaboration, amin. Check out their segment starting from this issue onwards.

With the theme of Alhamdulillah and The believe in Allah (the first article of faith), may this issue give us some insights on how we could strengthen our Iman and improve ourselves in becoming grateful servants. Amin.

A new year, a new look. We hope you like the changes we've made to the design.

Jazakumullah khair.

Wassalam,

MIRROR

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contents 8 I Bear Witness 12 Alhamdulillah

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16 Learning How to Fly 18 Did You Know?

26 Islamic Chic 30 Arts 35 The Poets' Coffee

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37 Travelogue 40 Ask Ustaz

Muharram Safar Rabi’ul Awwal Rabi’ul Akhir Jamadil Awwal Jamadil Akhir Rajab Sya’ban Ramadhan Syawwal Dhul Qa'dah Dhul Hijjah

qualityjunkyard.com

The Month of Safar The literal meaning of Safar is ‘empty’, as during this month the houses in Makkah remained empty and deserted, for the ban for going to war in the month of Muharram had come to an end and in doing so, everyone proceeded towards the battlefield.

Scholars however also suggest that “Safar” means the colour yellow as when the names of the months were originally given it was the season of autumn and leaves of the surrounding trees had turned yellow.

During the Days of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah) the pre-Islamic Arabs believed Safar to be a snake which lived in the stomach of a human being and when hungry, bit the person. Other beliefs included the failure of marriage if Nikkah was performed during this month and the failure of business ventures.

Historical events during thie month of Safar: • Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) fell sick during the end of this month and left this dunya with the same sickness in the next month on the 12th of Rabiul-Awwal.

• The battle of Khaiber and the battle of Abwaa took place.

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learning arabic 99 Names of Allah (the first 33)

“And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.� (Al-Quran, Al-A'raf 7:180)

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1. Ar-Rahman The All Beneficent

12. Al-Bari' The Rightful

23. Ar-Rafi' The Exalter

2. Ar-Rahim The Most Merciful

13. Al-Musawwir The Fashioner of Forms

24. Al-Mu'izz The Giver of Honour

3. Al-Malik The Ultimate King

14. Al-Ghaffur The Ever Forgiving

25. Al-Mu'dhill The Giver of Dishonour

4.Al-Quddus The Most Holy, The Most Pure

15. Al-Qahhar The All Compelling Subduer

26. As-Sami' The All Hearing

5. As-Salam The Peace and Blessing

16. Al-Wahhab The Bestower

27. Al-Basir The All Seeing

6. Al-Mu'min The Granter of Security

17. Ar-Razzaq The Ever Providing

28. Al-Hakam The Judge

7. Al-Muhaymin The Guardian

18. Al-Fattah The Opener

29. Al-`Adl The Utterly Just

8. Al-Aziz The Almighty

19. Al-'Alim The All Knowing

30. Al-Latif The Gentle

9. Al-Jabbar The Compeller

20. Al-Qabid The Restrainer

31. Al-Khabir The All Aware

10. Al-Mutakabbir The Tremendous

21. Al-Basit The Expander

32 Al-Halim The Forbearing

11. Al-Khaliq The Creator

22. Al-Khafid The Abaser

33. Al-'Azim The Magnificent 7

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I bear witness “Asy-hadu al-la ilaha illaLlah, wa asy-hadu anna Muhammadar Rasulullah.”

“Asy-hadu al-la ilaha illaLlah, wa asy-hadu anna Muhammadar Rasulullah.” (I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad SallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam is the messenger of Allah.)

That statement above is the syahadah. To be a Muslim, one has to testify to the above statement, without which one’s Islam is not valid.

No human being will be accepted into the heavens of Allah s.w.t without the syahadah. And the syahadah is the first of The Five Pillars of Islam.

For most of us, the first time we made our syahadah would be when we were very young, when we started praying, during the tasyahud.

Since then, have we ever asked ourselves, what is the meaning of that we mention?

Let us look again at the syahadah. It starts off with “I bear witness…”

So what is it that we Muslims claim to witness? When we say we witness there is no God but Allah, what do we witness? How do we answer when being asked such a question?

The witnessing of Allah is actually all around us. It is so close to us that most of us do not realise. It is actually the witnessing of His creations.

His signs. It is to see The Creator in the creations.

Let’s take for example, a flower. We can see how beautiful a flower is.

That is a sign of Allah. Allah is the Most Beautiful of all the beauty you

can see in this world. Another example closest to all of us: our mothers.

A mother is a sign of the mercy (Rahmah) of Allah. The most merciful of all mothers, Allah is even more merciful than that.

The second part of the syahadah is to witness that Muhammad (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) is the Messenger of Allah. The majority of Muslims have not seen Rasulullah (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). So just like witnessing Allah, to witness that Muhammad (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) is the messenger of Allah is to witness the signs.

Rasul (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “Al-ulama’ warithatul anbiya’”.

Which means, the scholars are the heirs of the prophets.

Thus, the scholars/saints hold the signs of Rasul (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). Just like how Allah’s signs are not compact into one creation, different scholars/saints hold the different characteristics of Rasul (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). Each of them represents partially how Rasul (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was. A combination of all of their characteristics is how we can see the noble attributes of Sayyidina Rasul (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam).

With a better understanding of the syahadah, let us strive to be true witnesses, and live this life to realise our syahadah. May Allah guide us to be true believers and may He make us be closer to Him, each and every single day of our lives. Amin.

Wallahu a’lam.

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PHRASES “Alhamdulillah, SubhanAllah, MashaAllah, InshaAllah, Astaghfirullah” Words Fadhuli Taufek Find Fadhulitaufek.wordpress.com

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We may have come across or even used these phrases before but do we understand their significance? Why do we even utter them in the first place when the situation is appropriate?

installation. With so much beauty already out there, one can’t help but to be in awe of it all and the Artist who created them.

Let’s look at the first phrase:

“SubhanAllah.”

If such things can be so complete or even be called perfect, what does that say about Allah?

“Alhamdulillah” (All praises and thanks be to Allah)

When we say “SubhanAllah”, we are glorifying Him by affirming that He is without flaw and that He is above His creations.

We have so much to be thankful for. Well, actually everything; from our very existence, our experiences both good and bad, what we have or lack to our surroundings. Everything is by His wisdom and power which we can never fully comprehend.

“MashaAllah” (Allah has willed it)

When someone asks us: “How are you today?”

We use this phrase when something good has happened. For example, we received an award, did well in school or even just receiving a compliment. It serves both as an acknowledgement as well as a reminder to be humble despite our abilities, our achievements and good fortune for none of that would not have been possible without the permission of Allah by the mercy, the kindness and the love that He has for us.

Regardless of how we’re actually feeling, we can start by saying: “Alhamdulillah” then followed by our answer.

InshaAllah (If Allah wills it)

All praises and thanks be to Allah for giving us good health or for an ailmen that has afflicted us. Either way, we’re still thankful for a multitude of reasons. Though we can’t possibly count all of our blessings, we can most certainly try.

Nothing is for certain in this world except that everything that lives will eventually face death. We could have clear skies and sunny weather one minute and it could suddenly rain in another. We could have made plans for a certain day but at the last minute had to cancel them.

Everything that happens is by the will of Alllah but we have no way of knowing what exactly what He has decided for us. When we use the phrase "InshaAllah" instead of an outright "yes" or "no", we're actually resigning ourselves to His will. We could have every intention of doing something but we're aware that it's ultimately not our call to decide the outcome.

What we can do however, is to have faith that whatever occurs is ultimately for our benefit and it is that which we are thankful for.

If Allah grants good health then “Alhamdulillah”, if not then we can be thankful that we’re still alive,our family and friends are healthy and the list goes on.

I’m just giving an example on how to use this phrase. It’s not just limited to health but can also be used in many other ways.

Just remember: “Alhamdulillah” isn’t just to be thankful to Allah but also serves as a reminder for us to always do so, especially when misfortune befalls us.

“SubhanAllah” (Glory be to Allah) To help explain this, let’s think of an artpiece and the artist who created it. When see a painting or a sculpture, we might be able to appreciate it’s beauty, the intricate details and the meticulousity put into it but in the end, it is still just a product of the artist. The artist is held in higher regard for being able to create that artpiece and because it cannot produce the artist.

The sky is His canvas, the earth is his clay and the ocean is the

Astaghfirullah (Allah forgive me) This is meant to be for us seeking for forgiveness from Allah on the individual level. When see someone doing something that we think is wrong, we say "Astaghfirullah" not because of what that person is doing but for assumption that we have of him or her without finding out the facts first. The phrase is neither meant for condemning someone nor does it give us the right to have a "holier than thou" attitude.

Search deep within ourselves, look at our own shortcomings and transgressions only then can we say "Astaghfirullah" and really mean it.

InshaAllah with a better understanding of these phrases we can have that consistent awareness of Allah by using them appropriately as they serve as reminders of our connection to Him. 11

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“Is, then, He Who creates comparable to any that cannot create?

Will you not, then, take heed? For should you try to count Allah’s blessings, you could never compute them…”

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Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah thumma alhamdulillah. It is such a simple word to the tongue, yet behind it is a chamber of endless meanings and secrets. Easy to be said, but difficult to be genuinely felt.

Words Nisa’ Tuzzakirah Find Nzakrh.blogspot.sg

In literal arabic, “alhamdu” brings about two meanings.

“Al-madh” which means praise, and “as-syukr” which means thankfulness. Saying “alhamdulillah” isn’t a simple thanks to Allah, but in fact it means “praise and thanks be to Allah”, and in these two things is a difference.

When thanking someone for lending you a pen, you are not necessarily praising him for doing so. And such is that when you are praising someone for being beautiful or handsome, it does not mean that you are thanking them for their physical beauty. However, in saying Alhamdulillah, praise and gratefulness becomes one word.

Gratitude is to acknowledge the bounty and mercy given by Allah; it is also to praise the One who has done one many favors. If only a few favors are worthy of a great deal of gratitude, how would the case be when favors are abundant? People are either grateful or ungrateful.

And in the Quran, there are indeed many reminders for us about gratitude and thankfulness.

1. We can never count Allah’s blessings: Be ever grateful to Allah for everything that you possess including your wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities and life.Allah says: “Is, then, He Who creates comparable to any that cannot create? Will you not, then, take heed? For should you try to count Allah’s blessings, you could never compute them…” (An-Nahl 16:17-19) 14

2. Shaytan’s primary mission is to make human beings ungrateful: From the very beginning of the human being’s creation, the issue of gratefulness and thankfulness to Allah has been debated.

After refusing to bow to Adam, Satan said: “Then I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from the righthand side and from the left-hand side, and You (Allah) shall not find most of them thankful” (Al-Araf 7:17) 3. The opposite of Shukr (gratitude) is Kufr (disbelief): In many places in the Quran, Allah compares the terms shukr and kufr. “Then remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject Me”(Al-Baqarah 2:152) Iman (faith) implies shukr or gratefulness as opposed to kufr or ungratefulness. A kuffar (disbeliever) is ungrateful to the Being Who has given him everything, whereas a Believer is one who is ever thankful for all that Allah has given him.

4. We thank Allah for our own benefit: If you are ungrateful, Allah is unaffected. If you become grateful, then you have taken the first step towards becoming a true Believer. Allah reminds us: “And whoever is grateful, he is only grateful for the benefit of his own self” (Luqman 31:12) 5. True worship means sincere thankfulness to Allah: Allah explained in the Quran that the only people who truly worship Him

are those who give gratitude to Him, so those who are not among the people of gratitude are not among the people of Ibadah (worship and obedience) “… and be grateful to Allâh, if it is Him you worship” (AlBaqarah 2:172)

In this verse, Allah tells us that if a slave is grateful, He has promised that He will increase the blessings that have already been given to them. But if the slave denies the blessings that they have been given, the punishment from his Lord is severe.

6. Shukr leads to Allah’s pleasure: Allah has told us that His pleasure may be attained through gratitude. “…If you are grateful, He is pleased with you…”(Az-Zumar 39:7)

There are many stories from the past, of people who were punished for their ungratefulness. Fir’aun was made king, but in his ungratefulness he claimed to be God and was swallowed whole by the sea; Qarun was a man of wealth, but because he was not thankful, he was swallowed whole by the ground. There are also stories of people being rewarded

by Him to great extends due to their gratitude.

7. Gratitude is a purpose of our creation: “It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection: that you may give thanks (to Allah)” (An-Nahl, 16:78) 8. Allah’s Mercy is for all, but most people will remain ungrateful: He shows and gives mercy to all, even those who continue to be ungrateful and rebellious towards Him: “Indeed Allah is the possessor of bounty for all people but most people do not give thanks.”

(Al-Baqarah 2: 243) 9. Shukr leads to abundance in Allah’s favours: If you appreciate Allah’s favors, He has promised increased mercy for you. Allah’s reward for your gratitude is unlimited and unconditional. “And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe’.” (Ibrahim:7)

How then do we express our gratitude? We can thank Allah for the warm bed by getting up for Fajr prayers. We can thank Him for the money in our wallets by giving to charity. We can thank Him for the great food we eat by feeding others. We can start by setting the bar high for ourselves in doing good deeds and make our intentions of doing them only to show gratitude to Allah. We can start by being better servants to Him and doing what He has commanded us to do (in patience and forbearance) and staying away from what He has forbidden.May Allah make us amongst those who are always thankful in every situation.

For waking up today, breathing, reading, smiling- Alhamdulillah.

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Learning how to fly You’re now at the bottom of an endless pit.

Words Nisa’ Tuzzakirah Find Nzakrh.blogspot.sg

You don't know what wrong step you took, how you ended up in this hole. You started to panic- what if you never get out of this hole? Your lips wavered, your eyes filled with tears right up to the brim. But somehow, in your blurred vision, you caught the sight of a ladder from a distance.

This is your chance to get out.

“Alhamdulillah..” You're smiling now, thankful. Happy that there's a way out of this, despite your lack of faith at the start. But instead of climbing out, you sat back down on the ground. ** So often in our daily lives, we stay in the same pit for too long. You made a wrong move, another chance come by, you're grateful- but you go back to the same position. You sit right back down. And the same thing repeats, and repeats.. and repeats. Before you know it, it has now become a vicious cycle.

from anxiety or distress; whereas thankfulness would have led you up the ladder and out of the pit.

People also say that chances don't come rolling twice.

Being thankful is not only about seeing the good in bad situations, it is also about making the best out of any situation. When given a chance to work things out, grasp it. When given another shot at making things better, give it your very best. When given a ladder- climb out of that pit.

Thankfulness can be expressed in many forms. “Alhamdulillah” is more than just a word to your lips, it is the step you take after that. It's in how you show how thankful you are. After all, what are words without actions?

You can say you appreciate one's gift a million times but if he finds the gift in the dustbin the next day, it wont really matter what you said before.

People say that every day is another chance.

Being thankful is making the best out of every chance given, and not let it go to waste. And if every day is another chance, being thankful means making the best out of every single moment living as a Muslim, by worshiping Him.

How many times have you went to bed wishing that you were more productive that day, or that you could have done certain things or fix a friendship that has gone down the hill? Yet when given a ladder the next morning, most of us just sigh in relief; mistaking it for thankfulness, and continue to ignore the very ladder- another chance.

If this is how all of us live our lives, one day when you slip into a hole, you might just not need a ladder to climb back up. You will not need to be offered chances by chances, because thankfulness has been woven close to your heart and ungratefulness has left your shoulders, it is no longer holding you still in your sitting position.

Relief is merely a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release

You have learnt how to fly.

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did you know?

Being grateful to Allah

"And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah , you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful.” (Surah Ibrahim 14:34) As Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala clearly mention in the above ayah, we will never be able to count His blessings. We are not aware of some of the favours bestowed upon us, how then, can we even count them?

Here’s sharing with you some of the blessings that some of us may have overlooked because we tend to take them for granted.

(based on the article from http://www.habibihalaqas.org) 18

1. Iman & Islam If we have Iman and Islam, we have everything. The blessing of having been guided to Islam is definitely to be grateful for. We are chosen

by Allah to be on this path. Doesn’t that make us feel special?

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2. The Gift Of Life As long as we are alive, we have the chance to make amendments; we can seek forgiveness and change our ways in order to be saved from the hellfire.

Life is a gift in a sense that it allows us to erase our evil deeds through repentance.

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3. Health When we get sick, everything ceases to matter, and all we want at that moment is to feel better. Without good health everything else becomes secondary.

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4. Family (blood ties) Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala chose our families for us. He has also put mercy between people sharing blood ties. The comfort and love a family gives you is priceless.

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5. Having sustenance Sometimes, we forget that it is not our jobs that give us sustenance.

Allah made mention in the Quran, Surah Hud verse 6, “And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register.�

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food The Pumpkin

Anas b. Malik reported that a person invited Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to a meal. I also went along with him. He brought soup containing pumpkin. Allah's 'messenger (may peace be upon him) ate that pumpkin with relish. He (Anas) said: When I saw that I began to place it before him, and did not eat it (myself). Anas said: It was since then that pumpkin was always my favourite (food).

Sahih Muslim Book 023, Hadith Number 5068.

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health Stay Home

With regard to his concern for the good health of the citizens, Sayyidina 'Umar radhiAllahu 'anhu used to forbid anyone who had a stomach disease to mix with the people, so as to prevent the spread of disease.

He would advise the sick to stay at home until they got better. And it is narrated that he passed by a woman who had leprosy when she was on her way to the Ka'bah. He said to her: "O' Female slave of Allah, why don't you stay in your home and not harm the people?" So she stayed at home. Later on a man passed by her and said, "The one who told you (not to go out) has died, so go out." She said, "By Allah, I will not obey him whilst he is alive and disobey him when he is dead."

Al-Khaleefah al-Farooq, p.124 quoting from ar-Riyad an-Nadrah.

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Islamic Chic

Hidden Beauty A Tutorial

by Nur Khairunnisa follow @Uhnisa on instagram

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You will need: 1 safety pin 2 pins

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Fold the shawl to 1/3. Ensure that 1 side of

2

Secure it with the safety pin or a brooch.

the length is longer than the other.

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Take the longer length of the shawl and

3

Take the longer length of the shawl and

bring it over to your head.

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Create folds at the top.

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Pin both sides of the shawl.

bring it over to your head.

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islamic chic: MEn Shoes & Socks

One of the blessings that we often take for granted is the blessing of a pair of abled feet. Our feet enable us to walk, jog, run, but most importantly they allow us to stand and perform our prayers. Alhamdulillah.

Thus, we should take good care of our feet. One of the ways to do so, is to get a pair of proper fitting shoes. Here’s a simple guide on getting the best from your pair of shoes.

- When shopping for shoes, do it at the end of the day.

That is when the feet is at their largest.

- Allow space in the toe box for swelling and ventilation.

- Keep shoes pristine.

Besides being taken good care of, our feet should look good as well. The closest friend of shoes is of course a pair of socks. The common question is, what socks to go with the shoes?

Socks should complement or contrast, never clash. When in doubt, always match socks with pants, not shoes (see the image on the following page).

Matching socks and shoes will make you appear to have shorter legs.

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The

Box

Introducing the MIRROR Box. The box made it's debut appearance on the 30th of November, during CPR Festival at Madrasah Aljunied.

The concept? Because a Muslim is a MIRROR to another.

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scripted Ever since our collaboration with The Poets' Coffee, we found ourselves starting to have interest and passion for poetry. Here's MIRROR's take on poetry. Bismillah.

The scripts have been written The ending has been revealed We walk on this earth as how it was meant to be But don’t get me wrong dear brothers, And sisters We do have a choice For there’s a moment in our lives when His hidayah hit us straight in the face That’s when we realize, “Am I on the right path or on some shaky surface?"

We always thought that this is our lives That we can do whatever as we please Wake up!

What really is ours?

Nothing is!

Did we create ourselves and then exist?

Where is ours?

Really nothing is!

All of it that we have Be it happy, sad or sorrow It is from Allah that we borrow So how dare we?

We say this life is ours After the wasted minutes and hours Spent on satisfying our nafs That never knew the meaning of satisfaction Kept on commiting transgression So let us make the change brothers and sisters If not today then in how many more years?

For tomorrow the sun may rise But for us it might be a scary surprise Let us raise our hands and ask from Him Guidance on the straight path always and wake up from this dream Oh Allah forgive us Our parents and loved ones Of all our sins, big and small Intentionally or because of our downfall If not to You we turn to, what else can we do?

Hear us out oh Allah For You are All-Hearing All Forgiving Send the perfect peace and blessings to Your beloved Rasul sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam Also to his family, companions and loved ones And all praises to You and only You oh Allah Lord of the worlds

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Find fb.com/thepoetscoffee

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Alhamdulillah, Allah knows Allah knows For all the times you curved a smile And tears of joy that feels worthwhile Look up and smile because Allah knows In the face of hardship And you feel despair In mind you should keep Allah listens and He is certainly there As you swing through sadness or feeling depressed And calmness seem unseen He will come knocking with the blessed Say Alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen.

You go through hardships, challenges and obstacles In mind and heart you should keep which there is no doubt Indeed, Allah knows and Allah listens.

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travelogue

By Irfan Follow @feeamanillah on instagram

I searched for love and peace. I found Islam, and I found a curious traveller in myself through it.

With Allah’s will, I seem to thrive in solitude and the observance of strangers, and in no better place could I find solace and wisdom through it other than in mosques. Every mosque has its own serenity and tranquility to it. At least, just at least a congregational prayer with humility and sincerity of the heart, being submissive, with understanding and purpose; only Allah (Glorified and Exalted Be He) understands the wonders He brings with it, filling me each day. Hence this is my journey to each and every mosques there is in Singapore InsyaAllah. May Allah (Glorified and Exalted Be He) guide me in this lonesome yet purposeful journey with my ever-faithful Vespa.

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Khadijah Mosque Dear Allah as I looked above Just what is it that they define as love Will she have the patience of Asiyah Or a heart filled with bashfulness, or haya’ O Allah, may You fill her with purity of Maryam And let me be her protector from every little harm Clad her with Aisyah’s sincerity Let this heart fall upon these values, these varying beauty But we humans seek qualities what we ourselves don’t give Hence I tell this soul to seek in her, equal to how it lives Make us strangers and wayfarers of this earth Brought together to seek Jannah, made by the One we serve Dear Allah as I looked above Just what is it that they define as love.

On Monday, the 12th of Rab’ al-Awwal, ‘Aisha radiallahu anha narrates, “Laying in my lap gazing at the skies, his last words were, ‘O Allah (unite me) in the highest companionship.’”

(Hadith Bukhari) Sometimes I wish I could live in a mosque A foot on the lush carpets and all worries are lost You know He listens and you know He’s there A vibe much stronger, much stronger than anywhere Problems get simpler, visions get clearer Tranquility with You, can anything be any dearer I noticed similarity in the observance of strangers Sharing the same purpose, with varying melancholy that lingers And for me, You took people away To make me realise only You stays In darkness I see light In sadness there is joy and will to fight Ya Allah don’t shower me with flowing pleasures But give me the patience and wisdom through these escalating pressures Tears fell for what I lost and what You allowed me to gain As I leave those lush carpets hoping to be back again.

“And He found you lost, and guided (you).”

(Ad-Duhaa 93:8)

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facebook: fb.com/askustaz website: ask-ustaz.com

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Ask Ustaz is a Mobile App that allows Muslim and Non-Muslim to submit their questions pertaining to Islam.

In this segment, we feature some of the common, as well as interesting questions received from the app.

Download the app today and start submitting your questions.

1. Assalamualaikum. Is lucky draw permissible in Islam? It’s almost similar to playing 4D I believe. When I say similar, I mean both are actually games of chance. Please advice.

Wa alaikum salam, lucky draw is only permissible if the prize given is solely from the sponsor and there are no contribution from the participants at all. It is merely a gift from the sponsor to them using the element of chance.

For example if the employer of a company wanted to give one of his workers a gift. He then drew lots to see whose name will appear for the entitlement for the prize given. In this case, the workers do not contribute anything for the prize itself. This type of lucky draw is permissible as the prize is given here in a form of a gift.

But on the other hand, if the prize given is taken from the amount collected from the workers, it falls under gambling which is haram.

Another example will be buying a coupon of a specific amount for the purpose of entry in a draw for a car. This is not permissible as it is also considered as gambling. This is the same as the case of playing 4D. Participants pay a certain amount of money for the purpose to win the prize.

As for the evidences of the prohibition of gambling, Allah most high said in the quran: “O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al Ansaab, and Al Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork.

So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.

Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?” [al-Maa'idah 5:90-95] Wallahu a'lam Answered by: Ustaz Anwar Hussain

2. My question is, if we die and were to go to heaven, could we meet our ex husband in dunya?

I had a very close relationship, like brother and sister after my ex husband and I divorced 12 years ago. He got married after that, but divorced his second wife before he passed away in 2009. (He wanted to marry me again back then before he married his second wife but our situation was complicated as he pronounced "talaq" three times) For me I didn't marry since our divorce. His death was a shock to me and it took me a year to stop crying. I realized after his death that I still love him and wish that he'd be my husband in the hereafter. Life goes on but I cannot forget him at times.

I wish that I could meet him in the afterlife. Is that wrong?

And would I be his wife again theoretically if we are meant for heaven?

If there is a possibility that in the hereafter we would meet again as husband and wife, I don't want to marry again in this world. I have rejected 4 marriage proposals as my heart is not into it. If I do get married again with another man, then when I die, who will be my partner or husband in the hereafter?

Narrated by Huzaifah (may Allah be pleased with him), he said to his wife: If you wish to be my wife in Paradise, do not get married after me; a women will be in paradise with her last husband in the world.

Any woman who got remarried (after husband passed), she belongs to her last married husband.

No one in Paradise will live without a partner as narrated by Imam Muslim in one Hadith that says: “There’s no single person in Paradise.”

So far I have not met with a statement that says a divorced wife could not be together with her ex-husband (in the world) in Paradise. In fact, Allah s.w.t even gives an opportunity for the people of Paradise to ask whatever they want, as Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Quran: “They will have whatever they have wish for, with their Lord. That is the 41

reward for the people who keeps doing (refining) his good deeds.”

“We are your allies in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. And therein, you will have whatever your souls desire, and whatever you request for”

by Allah. And what we have to do is as mentioned above that is to repent and start seeking knowledge. We pray that may Allah make it easy upon you. Amen. Wallahu a'lam.

Answered by: Ustaz Anwar Hussain

“They will have whatever they wish for therein, and with Us, there will is more (rewards that goes beyond your thoughts)” Based on the above narrations and quotes, nothing is wrong for a person to ask for what he/she wants after being in Paradise, including requesting to choose their own soul mates; other than those woman which is already someone's wife.

Answered by: Ustaz Saufi Muhammad Noor

3. In my life I have never prayed Jumaah. When I went to umrah, I didn't know how to read for Jumaah prayer. Is it sinful if I don't recite but just follow the congregation in performing the prayers?

First of all, it is compulsory upon us to repent to Allah for not performing the Jumaat prayers. Secondly, we have to seek Islamic knowledge especially pertaining to the rulings of purification and prayers so that they will be valid. These type of knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim to seek. Failing to seek compulsory knowledge is a sin by itself. Imitating others in acts of worship without prior knowledge makes it void and unaccepted.

If there is no repentance and no effort to learn the laws, then worship of such nature is not accepted by Allah.

It is mentioned by Sheikh Ibn Ruslan, the author of the famous book in fiqh – Safwatu Zubad when he mentioned about the importance of seeking knowledge: "All those who performed acts of worship without knowledge, his deeds will be void and not be accepted."

4. Can someone whom have just consumed beer perform the prayer when he is no longer drunk?

A friend told me that an Ustaz actually forbade him from praying. He may only do so after 40 days and he has to perform the ghusl. I hope Ustaz could give an explanation on this so that many more out there who are confused with this issue could benefit. Best Regards. Thank You. As an introduction, our advice to them is to have taqwa of Allah s.w.t and do taubah (repent) in the sincerest and truest form of repentance.

Drinking alcoholic beverages is a big sin. It is considered as the mother of all bad deeds. Whoever does so, is in great lost both in dunya and in the hereafter, nauzubillah.

There is a hadith which mentions that one’s prayer will not be accepted

by Allah s.w.t for 40 days. As recorded by Abdullah Amru bin Al-aas r.a, Rasulullah s.a.w said, which means: “Allah will not accept solah (prayer) for 40 days for a man from my ummah who drinks.”

Hadith riwayah Annasai.

Explanation: It is not meant in the intepretation of this hadith that it is haram for the one who drinks to pray. It is in fact wajib upon him to pray. However, there would not be any reward in him doing so, based on the apparent meaning of the hadith. This serves as a punishment upon the one who drinks and at the same time it is a big sin. Imam Nawawi said in his book Sharah Sahih Muslim juz 14 page 227: “The meaning of the hadith in which his prayer is not accepted by Allah for 40 days is that there is no reward that he will gain. Although his prayer is sah and the fard (obligation) has been perform. And qada’ is not obligatory upon him.

This is because Allah only accepts acts of worship which are based on knowledge. Imitating others in worship will not make it valid as it does not fulfil the other conditions for its validity.

In summary, solah (prayer) is wajib upon him and it is also wajib for him to make taubah from drinking.

If we have repented and in the process of seeking knowledge, then only our shortcomings in acts of worship like prayers and others are forgiven

Wallahu ’alam.

Answered by: Ustaz Anwar Hussain

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musollah Places of Interest

Listing courtesy of IslamicEvents.sg

Downtown East

1 Pasir Ris Close, Spore 519599

Location Behind Boon Tat Seafood at Asli Village.

Details Separate rooms for male and female.

Take wudhu' at the nearby toilet.

Jurong Bird Park

2 Jurong Hill Singapore 628925

Location A small room behind reception counter at entrance.

Refer to staff for directions as the room can only be entered with a pass code.

Details Qiblah and prayer mats available.

Ablution to be taken at nearby toilets.

Marina Bay Sands Convention Center 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956

Location Dedicated convention room on Level 3 of the convention floor.

Ask the staff to show you where. Clear signage available. ** Not open for public.

Details Slippers available but you have to do your wudhu' at the nearby toilet.

Best done at the handicap toilet (sink and tap available). Sejadah available but no telekung.

Siloso Beach, Sentosa (Beach station)

Location Basement 1 Carpark yellow zone area (next to lot 198) near the escalator. Get off at beach station if coming from the train. Opposite the information counter there is escalator going to basement 1. Turn right and the prayer rooms are there for gents and ladies.

Details If you are walking on foot look out for Coffee Bean as the said carpark is located beneath it. There are directional signs to the musollah.

Ablution can be taken at a nearby water point just to the right of the musollah. Opens from 9am-9pm. Help yourself to the lights and the fans switches

Universal Studio Singapore (Resort World Sentosa) 39 Artillery Avenue, Sentosa Singapore 099958

Location Musollah found in between Revenge of the Mummy and Battlestar Galactica Human(red).

Details The room is small but it's air-conditioned. Place making wudu' is available inside and prayer mats are already provided.

Singapore Zoo

80 Mandai Lake Road Spore 729826

Location A spacious room at the Loading/Unloading Bay. Beside the Trams parking area near the entrance.

(Please ask permission as the musollah is for staff only) Details Telekongs available. Ablution place is at the back of the room.

Please ask the Muslim Tram drivers for actual directions.

Beach Station, Siloso Beach(Near the Luge)

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Listing courtesy of IslamicEvents.sg

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Past issues

MIR ROR BECAUSE A MUSLIM IS A MIRROR TO ANOTHER. RABI’UL AWWAL 1434 ISSUE #02

THE LAST PROPHET

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