Islamic Education

Salams

This week saw the Muslim Girls Comprehensive scholl in Bradford make the headlines (http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=8690) for being top of the list in 'adding value'.

However, the reality is that for some Islamic schools (Darul Ulooms) they are increasingly put under pressure by authorities and critics in the UK, with the threat of being closed down if they fail to deliver. One such school is Imam Muhammad Zakariya for girls in Dundee (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3662839.stm). What we have to ask ourselves is what have we done to help these Islamic Schools? Not a lot would in most cases be the answer.

If a child was given £1 to spend for the week, we would be called stingy/ tight. Yet even if we were to donate just this 1 pound every week and 200 people were to do this, that would raise £200 a week, which would be a lot for the school and inshallah could be made excellent use of. What an amazig investment this would be, and imagine what it could reap for you in the hereafter!! Subhanallah.

The fact however remains that we as an ummah are so tight-fisted and materialistic that never mind digging into our pockets, we will not even remember to make duah for the troubled schools or make Shukr (be grateful) to Allah for how well the good ones are doing.

Remember this much, today we pay little attention to these schools, but tomorrow inshallah we will be parents and if we wish to send our children to Islamic schools we shouldnt expect to be able to send them to one, for what did we ever do today to set one up and help maintain the existing ones??

Click on icon below to hear a talk on this subject.


Please remember these schools and myself in your Duahs.
Wasalams
Ahmed

The Story of an African King and His Friend

A story is told about a King in Africa who had a close friend that he grew up with. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) by remarking, "This is good, Almighty knows best"

One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the King fired it and his thumb was blown off.Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good! Almighty knows best."

To which the King replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and ordered his soldiers to put his friend into jail.About a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured the King and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.
As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the King was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. So after untying the King, they chased him out of the villageWhen the King reached his Palace, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend.

"You were right" the King said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. " I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this.""No," his friend replied, "this is good ... Almighty knows best""What do you mean, 'this is good'! How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"

The King's friend replied: "Remember that the Almighty knows best and if I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you(on this hunting trip)." " He knows what is before them And what is behind them:
And to Allah go back
All questions (for decision)"
Qur'an:Surah Al Hajj 22:76

Do Not Judge Things or Events by its Immediate Outcome!


Almighty, the Most High, is the All-Knowledgable, the All-Knower... He chooses to show us things... but sometimes... we are not shown the wisdom behind somethings. When we are confronted by circumstances that are not very pleasing.... we are quick to say: "This is not good..." but... is it really? We might not know the purpose behind it. It might turn to be a good thing.... thus.. .when we are faced with any situation... do not be too quick to judge... always remember.... this life is a test... the good and the bad.... and there is nothing that happens for no reason... our brains are just not gifted enough to understand these reasons yet. Sometimes ........ things happen to us for a reason.