Saturday, April 26, 2008

When Hearts Change - Shadhili Teachings

Bismillah.

When Hearts Change - A new article posted at Sh. Nuh's request, in both Arabic and English.
(Click on Articles, and then on "When Hearts Change")

"The least loss incurred by the novice who opposes his Shaykh is his preoccupation with this lower world and turning away from the life to come. The novice becomes bent on amassing the stuff of this world in whatever way possible to the extent that he declares as an enemy whoever bars him from doing so, even if it is his Shaykh. And also among the reasons of the novice's ruin are his lack of remembrance of God, his lack of reciting the Qur'an, his lack of practising what he knows and his failure to observe his litanies and to stay awake at night as well as his lack of praying the congregational prayer in the mosque. The novice may even leave his Shaykh but persevere in observing the litanies that he had while in his company. However, these litanies are of little benefit. They might appear to the novice like mountains when in reality they are like atoms in the eyes of those for whom the states of the afterlife are unveiled?

So do, O my brother, understand this and you will be guided, and God will see to your guidance and praise be to Allah, the Lord of all Being." (excerpt)

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Sisters' Tajweed with Ustadha Saima Deen

AsSalamu'alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,

I got the following email and wanted to share it with other sisters in the GTA:

***

There is a new session for Sisters Only Tajweed classes starting this Saturday April 26 from 10:00 am – Noon at Lote Tree. Ustadha Saiema Din has structured this course into a 3 part series with Part 1 (7 weeks) beginning this weekend insha-allah. For those who know Ustadha Saiema can attest to her high quality of execution for her classes and expectation for dedicated and committed students.

I am compelled to convey a comment from our beloved Shaykh Zahid Ally who addressed a number of brothers in this years Suhba, namely “the women in Toronto do not realize the gem they have amongst them with the like of Sister Saima” and “they (women) should take advantage of all that she has to offer”.

Please see below for further details:

Tajweed Rules & Recitation:
Part 1 of 3 (7-week course)

Saturday Mornings, From 10 am – 12 pm
Starting April 26th, 2008
Ending June 7th, 2008
Classes are only open to Adult Sisters
Overview:

This weekly class is part one of a series of 3 detailed modules on the rules of tajweed. The first module will be divided into 2 parts specifically focusing on the rules. The second module will focus on the correct recitation of surat-ul Fatiha.

This course will include in-class assignments and homework. Students who would be interested in this course are those who can commit to the classes and the assignments given.

Textbooks:
Tajweed Rules of the Quran by Kareema Czerepinski - Part 1
Tajweed Rules of the Quran by Kareema Czerepinski - Part 2
Mushaf (copy of the Quran)
Students are responsible for their own textbooks.
They are available for purchase at Habib’s Bookstore
[20 Rexdale Blvd., Etobicoke, ON, M9W 5Z3, Tel: 416-743-6317]

Registration:
Please register by Wed. April 23rd online confirming your attendance at the following email address:
tajweedprogram@hotmail.com
Fee: The course fee is $50 for the entire 7- week course (textbooks not included).
Location:
Lote Tree Foundation

About the Teacher - Ustadha Saiema Din [briefly]:
Ustadha Saiema Din Syed was born in Toronto, Canada to parents of Pakistani origin. She attended, while doing her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, fiqh classes taught by Shaykh Talal Ahdab and attended the first Deen Intensive program in Toronto in 1997. She graduated in 1997 from the University of Toronto with an Honours degree in Psychology. She then left for Damascus to study Arabic and the Islamic Sciences along with her husband, Shaykh Zahir Bacchus. Over the course of six years, she studied the science of Tajweed, Shaf’i fiqh, Arabic grammar, ‘Aqeeda, and Methodology of Hadith. She studied under some of the distinguished scholars of Damascus attaining written permission to teach the Islamic sciences. After completing her studies, she returned back to the University of Toronto and completed the Bachelor of Education program, while teaching various halaqahs in the city. She is currently residing in Brampton with her family where she continues to teach the Islamic Sciences as well as being a full-time teacher in the public school board.

Lote Tree Foundation
2131 Williams Parkway, Unit 3, Brampton, ON
(Close to the Railroad tracks, facing Williams Pkwy)
Nearest Major Intersection: Airport Road & Williams Pkwy
For More information Email:
tajweedprogram@hotmail.com

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

And in Allah let the believers place all their trust!

Bismillah.

AsSalamu'alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu,

I pray you are all well. As some of you may remember from my
"Missings" Post , Salik and I lost most of our luggage coming home from hajj.

Alhamdullah, over three months later, it just got back to us!

Just before I got the call for the first bag having been found, I was mentioning it to a friend of mine and when she was saying how unfortunate it was, I told her it was indeed, but that what we had gained from hajj was far greater than anything we lost of material things. Just as I got off with her, the phone rang to tell me the first bag had been found, but that they could not locate the other one anywhere. This was late March.

Then last week I was speaking to a teacher of ours and when I told him the bag had come and that I would be happy if he prayed for the other bag to also be found, he said, "sister you still have hope?!" and I told him that I was an optimist to the end, just like my father, and so he said, "Insha'Allah!". And alhamdulillah, four days later I got a message that the other bag had been found!

I had been convinced that all of hajj Allah was teaching me non-attachment to material things. The day we put on our ihrams for hajj my camera broke. For all of the days at Mina, my MP3 Player had gone missing, two suitcases were lost enroute to New York from Jeddah, and the remaining two bags were lost between New York and Toronto. Alhamdulillah, the last few months have definately taught me something of this and shown me the reality of the things of this world.

Alhamdulillah. Shukran for your du'as.

Wassalam,
Salikah