Material Girl Living in a Material World

❤ السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Why does society trust the government so easily? Trust the system? We believe our history books when they could easily be just as fabricated as our very lives. It could just be a method to gain mass control.You do know this happened in Japan before? The government created a false religion to control people. I'm beginning to make no sense as I'm stating facts I myself learned from my history books. I think I will just end up creating a large loop-hole, but just consider the thought and continue reading.

Why are so many disturbing things accepted in society? To spend millions of dollars on chemicals, plastic, and fabric that hold no purpose other than to create a facade. Think about it for a minute. How utterly disgusting, stupid, and irrational it is to plaster your face with cat piss and placenta (literally), to clothe your skin in cotton that cost 5cents to make, made by starving children in sweat shops, and to buy that fancy box of bolts that eats $100 worth of gas a day. Don't you ever wonder where's all that money going? Of course to the government, the masses, to the world leaders that are treating humanity like a Sims game because we're all controlled fools. They're going to keep doing it too because we let them.

Many of us will be laying on our death beds miserable because we accomplished nothing good for our souls. You see celebrities fall because they're miserable and many who reach out to God because the life of money gives you nothing but sorrow. Many people die in the pain of negativity, regret, grudges, and loss, because they didn't spend one moment living or cherishing the little things in life that count. The moments with your family, helping for the sake of making someone else happy, doing something to benefit someone over yourself. We live a life of selfish, shameless, confusion. Were too concerned about our breast size, or working those extra hours at work to afford top of line products, or seducing that cute boy. How about girls who sell their bodies to afford their face? Or the ones who commit suicide from a simple word? What about the girls that gain confidence by ruining other peoples lives? It makes no sense. It's so gut wrenching to know that the things that we buy cause such corruption in the world. What do we do about it? Sweep it all under this big rug of reality and continue conforming to this world of fabricated bliss. Same things apply to men- but women are targeted victims of mass consumerism.

All of the problems in the world, especially the one to do with mass consumption is one very dominate reason why Islam makes sense to me. This is why the Qur'an and the Hadith speaks so many truths and forbids us from music and makeup. This is why Allah suggests that we wear Hijab. It protects us from the disease of consumerism. It protects us from insanity. Allah knows best and if you question why something so simple as to plucking your eyebrows is considered haram just think about it for a minute. Think about all the things you try to justify because you're scared to stop following society, you're scared to stop following the standards of false beauty. When Allah says He loves beauty, what the heck is beauty? Do you really think Allah believes beauty is doing what a crooked society wants. He warned us about these very things! And Allah knows best so why do we doubt him?

I myself am really in no place to be preaching this but it's something I am so frustrated with. I struggle to break free from society, from conformity, and I just want to be a good Muslim, but society has me tied down. It's not easy. I'm writing and sharing this because I want to spread awareness and eventually follow my own understanding of the corruption.Change starts with awareness and I hope what I just shared will help someone else to see the reality.

Stop Hating on The West

❤ السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته 

I'm getting sick and tired of people blaming THE WEST, 'The Westerners', for all the problems in the world. Stop clumping us 'Westerners' together for all the problems in the world. It's people, damn it. Not based on what freaking part of the world they live in. Even if the 'West' (how is Europe even West? Isn't it central?) brought on industrialization you cannot blame it for the corruption. Blame it on those individuals and the people who helped promote it. By name. Not by race or living locations. Should we blame Japan for problems in Asia? (Japan was the first Asian country to industrialize, and many other Asian countries have problems with Japan). Blame it on the Government, and the industries. Last time I checked, and through education, it's these two things that cause most of the problems in the world. Whether they're 'Western' or 'Eastern', both sides take part in it all and people as a human race, civilization, do it all together. The media and Government has polluted the minds of people.

You see China and India changing rapidly trying to catch up the the 'modern times'. You see people all over the world from Mexico to Africa dressed in Nike and Addidas, loving Disney, living off of Coca Cola, because of the masses. You see some Asian girls/boys dying their hair blond, wearing circle lenses, false eye lashes, sticking tape in their eye lids, and even some getting surgeries to change their eye shape to look Caucasian. It's just not even the few Asian girls doing this, but people from all corners of the world alter their looks so much just to look perfect. You see skinny women plastered all over the magazines world wide, smothered in make-up, and girls getting bullied, others committing suicide because they're not 'perfect'. You see homosexuals popping up in every part of the world (and don't deny them in your country PLEASE! I am so tired of people saying 'Oh, Koreans aren't gay'). Look at the idiotic politics in the Middle East. The masses promote this! The masses, as a whole, world wide. Don't blame the West. Blame the people who cry and die for these things. Consumerism doesn't work one way. People have to buy into it for it to work. Blame society as a whole for being so ridiculously stupid and blind for not seeing the lies and deceit within the items they worship. No country or race is superior. It's stupid people who think that they are superior that cause problems.

One other thing I'd like to note on is the family structures or morals. The divorce rates, broken families, and 'illegitimate children' that are strictly 'Western'. Everything that goes on in the 'West' goes on everywhere else. The difference is people being open about it or not, people not keeping secrets. Cheating happens just as much as it does in China. Just as much as it happens in India, Japan, Mexico, etc. Prostitution, drinking, and partying happens in Holy Saudi Arabia just like it does in California. My family may not be religious or hold strong morals but they have taught me tolerance, independence, and respect. Thanks to my mom I have become a very intelligent, strong individual who was given the freedom to be who I wanted to be. My families openness has allowed my siblings and I to grow up in an environment where we have freedom, good or bad, I see it as a positive thing to allow your kids, at the right age, to find themselves as individuals. The most important thing about my family is that they never judge or trash talked any other human being. My mom has also always been hard working, she was a single mom for a very long time, raising my brother and I alone. Despite my broken family my brother and I have become successful, happy, hard working, young adults.My brother and I each had our own apartments at the age of 18. I take pride in independence when your family is not rich.

They're a many good things about my 'Western' culture that I am extremely proud of! Where else in the world would you see so many different communities living in harmony? Where else in the world would you see a comedy T.V show about Muslims being aired when Muslims are the minority? Where else in the world would you have the IIFA awards taking place? Where else in the world would you see so many people having rights in their beliefs? It's in the 'West'. If you have a problem with it, look at your own country and cultural issues before you blame another. If you did, you'd never have anything bad to say.

The world would be a better place if ethnocentrism didn't freakin' exsist.There's a difference between being proud of your country and thinking your country is superior.

Reminder: Tau'bah

Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
Qur'an, 39: 53

❤ السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته 

Masha'allah today for Jummah Fahad was asked to be the imam and do the kutbah. It was his first time ever. I am really proud and happy for him to have this blessing. I always told him that his personality and charismatic characteristics could be used strongly in Islam. He now seen what I meant and hopes to insha'allah in the future to gain the position as an imam.

Today I want to share with you all what Fahad chose and put together for his kutbah topic. He chose Tau'bah. I myself learned some things I didn't know and found this a beautiful subject to share. Repentance and forgiveness from Allah. Allah knows what's in our hearts and perhaps some of you don't know that our bad deeds can and will be forgiven. We should all be reminded of Allah's mercy and how blessed we are.

It is nature of mankind to be forgetful and to commit sins. However, Allah has given us the ability to rectify ourselves by turning to Him and begging for His forgiveness. Our mountains of evil are nothing before the vast ocean of Allah's mercy.

Abu Dhar RadiyaAllahu 'anhu reports that Rasulullah Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam in a Hadith Qudsi (a hadith in which the Blessed Prophet quotes Allah) said: "Indeed Allah the Almighty and Majestic says:
"O My slave! Verily, as long as you worship Me and have hope in Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done; O My Slave! If you meet Me with an earthful of sins, but do not associate any partner with Me, I would grant you a forgiveness as great as the whole world."

Committing sins may make you sorrowful, depressed and deeply disappointed with yourself. But if you turn to Allah with a sincere heart and beseech Him for mercy, He will certainly forgive you. There is no other door to knock at when looking to solve our issues. None can forgive sins except Him. He calls us to the abode of peace (Paradise); He is the Almighty who hides our faults and He alone can replace our bad deeds with good ones.

The door of repentance is always open. When something is a necessity Allah provides it in abundance like air and water. Since we are always sinful and negligent of Allah, Satan and ourselves are always inciting us towards evil. Tau'bah is provided in abundance so we can turn back to Allah.

Allah has created a solution to every sickness even if it may be the poison of a snake. Satan and sins are major sicknesses and the cure for them is in tau'bah and istighfar, crying in front of Allah with regret in the heart.

Whenever our tau'bah break we should make tau'bah again. Some people despair and think they are sinner and will go to Hellfire. Tau'bah is so powerful that it can take a person from the lowest levels of Hellfire and raise him to the highest levels of Paradise.

Allah (SWT), the Lord of Mercy, puts mercy in the hearts of every mother in the world by which they love and care for their children. We make mistakes but Allah overlooks our faults. Our worship and good deeds are not perfect but Allah accepts them and multiplies the reward.

Do not fall into minor sins. Minor sins lead to major sins the way a spark can start a fire and burn down a house. Even a minor sin makes a true believer restless as if a mountain is above their head and is about to fall and crush them.

Make a U-turn in life, wash off your dirty slate - eliminate the bad deeds and protect the good ones.

Method of Making Tau`bah:
1. To immediately abstain from the sin.
2. To regret and wish one had never indulged in the sin.
3. To resolve to never commit the sin again.

"And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah ? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know."
Qur'an, 3: 135

After making sincere tau`bah be confident in the acceptance of your tau`bah. Allah (SWT) is all-Merciful and all-Forgiving. He is always ready to accept the repentance of his sinful slaves. Allah says in Surah Al-e-Imran:

After repenting, one should try to live according to live according to the will Allah, the Qu`ran and Sunnah. This will bring the utmost peace and tranquility into one's life.

Benefits of Tau'bah

The Qu'ran describes the story of Prophet Nuh,

"And said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers. And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers. What is [the matter] with you that you do not attribute to Allah [due] grandeur"
Qur'an, 71: 10-13

One who makes Tau'bah re-establishes his relationship with the Creator of the heavens and earth.

Purify Environment in Home

Make an effort to remove any bad literature, TV, pictures and movies from your home. Bad literature only incites toward immodesty and troubles and complications in this world and the Hereafter.

Final Note - After heavy rainfall, Hisham Ibn Hasan was walking behind Al-Alaa' Ibn Ziyaad through the sloppy muddy streets of their village. He noticed Ibn Ziyaad avoiding all the puddles, until someone bumped him and his sandal slipped in the puddle. Forced by the momentum, Ibn Ziyaad had to carry through to the other end of the unforgiving mire. After they had reached their destination, Ibn Ziyad turned to Hisham and said, "Just like we avoided all those puddles on our way to our destination, Muslims should avoid the disobedience of Allah and throughout their journey to the Hereafter. And just as you saw the momentum of falling into the puddle, such as the similitude of sin; when somoene falls into it, it carries him deeper and deeper.

May Allah protect our Deen and Dunya and grant us piety and patience.