Showing posts with label Feb. 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feb. 2009. Show all posts

Thursday, February 26, 2009

I want to be a Muslim


Last night, as usually we went to masjid for Isha praying.
When we got there, there was a lady who was standing in the front of door. She was waiting for someone to open the door to get inside the masjid.
I never saw this lady before. I asked her name. Her name was Barbara.

When we got inside, it was time for Isha praying.
With my two daughters and the lady, who sat down on the chair, were getting ready for praying. The lady could not stood up because her back was so pain to stand.
I said to her you can sit down if you can not stand up.

When we finished praying, she started asking about me.
I also asked her about how did she know about Islam. I thought she knew about praying but she didn't know anything, yet. She just followed what we were doing.
She said that she had Muslim friend when she was young in Washington D.C.
She came to masjid because someone told her about this masjid.
Alhamdulillah, I was coming to the masjid last night and met her.
It's Allah's planning.

These are some of conversations from last night.

I asked: "Do you know how to pray?"
She said: "No."

I asked: "Do you know about the five pillar in Islam?"
She said: "No."

Then I explained to her about the five pillars of Islam one by one.
The five pillars of Islam are
  • Saying Kalimah Shahadah,
  • Praying Five time a day,
  • Fasting in month of Ramadan,
  • Zakah or Charity,
  • Pilgrim to Hajj in Makkah.


I asked: "Do you want to say sahadah with me to become Muslim?"
She said: "Yes, please help me how to say it."

Then I started saying the kalimah sahadah slowly and she followed what I said.
We tried to say it again for the second time, and then the third one.
And then She said again, too.
I explained the meaning about kalimah sahadah to her after that.

I said: "Alhamdulillah, now you are Muslim. May Allah save you from the hellfire. Ameen. You have to learn salah/praying after this. Insha Allah, we meet again in the masjid. I let her know about new class for new shahadah in the masjid, too."
She said; "Thank You, sister."

I also explained to her about the six pillars of Belief.
She has to believe in
  • Allah,
  • Prophets Allah - including prophet Yesus alayhi salam and our last Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasalam,
  • Book of Allah - Al Qur'an,
  • Angel of Allah,
  • Life after Death and Destiny,
  • and the Day of Jugement.


And then my husband came to see me, if she needed any help.
I knew that she will need alot of helps from us, as Muslim, to learn more about Islam such as:
  • how to pray,
  • how to read Al-Qur'an,
  • how to do fasting,
  • how to do wudhu and clean ourself,
  • how to control ourself from the temptation this dunya,
  • etc.

I gave her my telphone number.
I think that it was a blessing from Allah to me to help her.
She also got hidayah/guidance and blessing from Allah to become Muslim.
She was happy that she was Muslim before death is coming to her.

I told my kids that we don't know Allah's plan. We always have to do good deeds in everywhere and to everyone who need help.

May Allah bless all of us to help other to good deeds in this life. Ameen.


Useful link:

Saturday, February 21, 2009

College Scholarship For Muslim Student

This is some of the list scholarship information:
  • Fadel Educational Foundation, Inc.
    Fadel Education Foundation, Inc., is a non-profit educational foundation supporting education for Muslim U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The awards are distributed on a need/merit basis up to $2,000 a year for post-secondary education.
    Applications for 2008-9 are no longer available. Applications for 2009-10 will insha Allah be available in February 2009.

    If you want to be in the yahoogroup to get more information is in FEF yahoogroup

  • The Barakat Trust
    Established in 1987 for the study, promotion and understanding of Islamic Art History, Architecture and Archaeology, both the Barakat Trust (U.K.) and the Barakat Foundation (U.S.A.) are non-profit charitable organisations.


  • Journalism for Arab America students

  • The Arab America Institute: other scholarship for American students of Arab descent


  • King Faisal Foundation



  • The Students Islamic Trust
    The Students Islamic Trust is functioning in the field of educational development of the Muslims community in India. The main aim of the Trust is to extend helping hand to deserving students of the Muslims community through awarding scholarships and C & G programme.


  • Canadian Islamic Congress Scholarship
    The Canadian Islamic Congress is pioneering the country's first-ever endowment fund to support scholarships for fulltime Muslim students enrolled in Canadian post-secondary institutions, and who intend to major in journalism, social work, law, or political sciences.


  • The Rootbert Fund
    The Fund is a small, nearly all-volunteer scholarship fund based in New York City, which awards yearly grants and works to foster fellowship among grant recipients. Once a year, the Fund accepts applications for grants, which include essays, transcripts and recommendations.
    The scholarship is for the applicants who live in New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, or North Carolina.


  • Muslim Youth Leadership Award - for Minnesota students


  • S.I.S.T.E.R.S Scholarships
    This is for young Muslim women in the DC Metropolitan Area, S.I.S.T.E.R.S initiated this scholarship in 2007.


  • Texas Muslim Scholarship Fund
    This project's purpose is to create an endowment fund that would grant annual scholarships to students studying in Texas in under-represented public affairs fields such as Journalism and Law.


  • American Progress Internship Program



  • ISNA Internship Program



If you think that you know other information about scholarship, please share it with us.

May Allah give rewards to you. Ameen.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Free Homeschool Resources from Clickschooling

Here are the Resources:
ClickSchooling — Get free daily, web-based curriculum ideas that save you time and money. The reviews are sent in a daily email, Monday through Saturday, that are focused on a specific subject as follows:

Monday = Math
Tuesday = Science
Wednesday = Language Arts
Thursday = Social Sciences
Friday = Virtual Field Trip
Saturday = Electives: Music, Art, & Languages

The sites generally include excellent information delivered in a student-friendly, multi-media format, and often contain free interactive games as well as printable lessons and materials that can be tweaked to your needs and interests whether you are homeschooling or unschooling. Most of the sites are suitable for a wide age range.

This is an invaluable resource, and you can subscribe to ClickSchooling (via Yahoo Groups) and get the latest reviews for free. You can also search the content-rich archives.

Three Free EZines
  • Homefires ~ The Journal of Homeschooling
  • Universal Preschool
  • Carschooling



You can subscribe to Yahoogroup: ClickSchooling and start getting the latest reviews for free.

You can also search the content-rich ClickSchooling archives

Mathcounts Competition

The Mathcounts competition was on Saturday, February 14, 2009.
There were only two Muslim kids who participated this years.
Alhamdulillah, they were learning alot about Math on this competition.

The entertain event was teaching the kids about chemical, such as Natrium, Helium, Oxygen, Hydrogen, etc.

Next year, Insha Allah, we will joined again because the kids love to learn math.

To see the website and learn about the Mathcount weekly problems:
MATHCOUNTS

Educational Resources III - February 2009

Islamic Study



Arabic



Math



Language Art



Science




Social Study

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Educational Resources - II, February 2009

Islamic Study


Language Art


Math


Science



Social Study



Assesssment



Other: Resources Education for Kindergarten



Other: Game

The Important of Reading Al-Qur'an

Last week, My husband finished reading Al-Qur'an, so he asked all my kids to read together with him for the last 20 surah(chapters) of Al-Qur'an.
Insha Allah, my other two kids will finish reading Al-Qur'an soon again.

We also did finishing Al-Qur'an in masjid with other Muslim last month.

Alhamdulillah, the imam reminded us that it is very good to encourage Muslim to read Al-Qur'an everyday at least 10 to 15 minutes.
Insha Allah, all Muslim kids will read Al-Qur'an regularly everyday.

Al-Quran should be recite among our family members by understanding the meanings and implementing it in our daily life. Prophet Muhammad(sallalahu alayhi wasalam)said: "The best among you, are those who learnt the Quran and teach to the others".

We knew that the important of learning, memorizing, reading, and teaching Al-Qur'an in our life:


  • Al-Qur'an is the Book of Guidance in our life.

    "This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those concious of Allah." (Al-Qur'an 2:2)



  • Al-Qur'an is easy to understand and remember.

    "And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?" (Al-Qur'an 54:17)



  • Al Qur'an is the mother of Book.

    "And indeed it is, in the Mother of Book with Us, exalted and full of Wisdom."
    (Al-Qur'an 43:4)



  • Al Qur'an confirms previous revelation.

    "And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book [i.e., the Qur'an] in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scriptureand as a criterionover it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good. To Allah is you return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ."
    (Al-Qur'an 5:48)



  • Al-Qur'an is Pure and Holy.

    "A Messenger from Allah, reciting purified scriptures. Within which are correct writing [i.e., rulings and laws].
    (Al-Qur'an 98:2)



  • Al-Qur'an is the Book of Wisdom.

    "Alif, Laam, Ra. These are the verses of the wise Book."
    (Al-Qur'an 30:1-2)



  • Remembrance of Allah in the reading and listening of Al-Qur'an.

    "And when you recite Al-Qur'an, We put between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a concealed partition. And We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And when you mention His Oneness, they turn back in aversion."
    (Al-Qur'an 17:45-46)



  • Teach Al-Qur'an to others.

    "And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers."
    (Al-Qur'an 51:55)



    "[This is] a Book revealed to you, [O Muhammad] - so let there not be in your breast distress therefrom - that you may warn thereby and as a reminder to the believer."
    (Al-Qur'an 7:2)



  • Seek Allah's protection before reading Al-Qur'an.

    "So when you recite Al-Qut'an, [first] seek refugee in Allah from Saitan, the expelled [from His Mercy].
    (Al-Qur'an 16:98)



  • Al-Qur'an will intercede for us in the Day of Judgement.

    Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) said: "Study the Qur’an (regularly) for it will act as an intercessor and intercede for its readers on the Day of Judgement."
    (Sahih Muslim)



  • Al-Qur'an will raise our status in this life.

    Prophet Muhammed (sallalahu alayhi wasalam) said: "Allah will elevate some nations through this book (the Qur’an ) and degrade others with it." (Sahih Muslim)

    The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) also said: "The best among you are those who have learnt the Qur’an and teach to (others)."




  • There are rewards for each letter you recite from Al Qur'an.

    Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) said: "When somebody recites one letter from the Qur’an he will get one good deed in recompense and this one recompense will be equal to 10 good deeds. "I do not say that Alif Lam Meem is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter and Meem is a letter (i.e. it is equal to three letters)."
    (Al-Tirmidhi)




  • The reciters of the Qur’an will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels.

    Ayesha narrated that Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) said, "A person who recites the Qur’an and reads it fluently will be in the company of the obedient and noble angels, and he who reads the Qur’an haltingly and with difficulty will have a double recompense."
    (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)




  • The great honor in Paradise for the reader Al-Qur’an.

    The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) said: "A reader of the Qur’an will be called upon on the Day of Judgment: ‘Start reading the Qur’an and ascend the (high) stages of the Heaven, and recite slowly as you had been reciting in the world, as your abode will be where the last verse of your recitation will end."
    (Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi)




May Allah help us in learning, reading, memorizing, understanding, and teaching Al-Qur'an. Ameen.


Useful Links:


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Beautiful Masjid al Haram in Makkah

"Indeed, the first House of worship established for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah) - blessed and a guidance for the worlds.
In it are clear signs (such as) the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it (the masjid al-Haram) shall be safe. And due to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves (refuses) - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds."
(Al Qur'an surah Ali Imran 3:96-97)



Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Majaah (1406) from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "One prayer in my masjid is better than one thousand prayers elsewhere, except al-Masjid al-Haraam, and one prayer in al-Masjid al-Haraam is better than one hundred thousand prayers elsewhere."



I want to share the pictures of beautiful MAsjid al haram in Makkah.

My tear felt down when the first time I step inside the Masjid al Haram in 1982. I was saying Alhamdulillah manytime, when I was there. It's really blessing from Allah.
There was not alot of tall buildings surrounded. Now, It's very different and crowded.
When I saw from my room, I saw a goat that was looking for food, walking around the street.
Now, I don't think I can find goat around there anymore.
I also touched the black stone in the corner Ka'bah. Now, I don't think I can make it with the crowded people around Ka'bah.
Insha Allah, If Allah give us blessing to go there. We have to plan our financial and time to go for Hajj/Umrah. We need to make our niyyah from now.
May Allah answer and listen our doa. Ameen.

Insha Allah, we will hear stories from our friends who already went to Hajj or Umrah.








Educational Resources I - February 2009

Islamic Study



Science


Math



Geography