Volume 3 Issue 8

RamadaanShawwal 1434 August 2013

Visionary Youth Great Nation

Still Just a

Kid

Develop Your Character The Friend Your Precious Life Its All About Me
Rupees 50

MyVision Team
Shafiq ur Rahman, Executive Editor Asif Khurshid, Editor Raja Zia ul Haq, Senior Editor Abdul Jabbar Bilal, Advisor Mansoor Salim, Advisor Zofran Elahi, Advisor

Contact

Suite #33, 2nd Floor, Rose-1 Plaza, I-8 Markaz Islamabad-44000, Pakistan. www.myvision.pk editor@myvision.pk

Contribute Your Articles

MyVision is a magazine for young Muslims. If you are young, or if you would like to write for kids and teenagers, we welcome articles on topics that are generally related to authentic guidance from the Quran and Sunnah, Islamic heros and personalities, and how youth should live their lives righteously. If you or someone at your school is interested in contributing articles, we request that the content be relevant, thoughtprovoking, well-presented, and non-promotional.

Contributing Length Submitting Articles

Featured articles should be around 600-words. The maximum length for all other submissions is 300-words. Authors should carefully review their text before submitting the final version. Please provide references in the form of book names, web links, Quran or Hadith reference when quoting different sources. Please supply full contact details of the author; like name, school, address, phone, e-mail, etc. Articles should reach us by the 15th of every month for inclusion in subsequent months issue. Please e-mail your articles to: editor@myvision.pk Copyright 2013 MyVision Magazine. All rights reserved.

Dear Readers, Rahmatullah,

As-Salamu

Alaikum

wa

Ramadaan has passed but everyone can feel its fragrance. Ramadaan provides golden opportunities to Muslims to set their life according to the light of shariah. After Ramadaan we should set aside a moment to think about our deeds in Ramadaan, and ask ourselves the question, why did I fast? We should find only one answer and that is, I fasted from sunrise to sunset for Allaah alone, to seek His raza and to repent from my sins. Because the first ingredient necessary for the acceptance of any deed is ikhlas, that the act should be done for the sake of Allaah alone. As Allaah says in the Quran, Say, Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allaah, Lord of the worlds. [6:162] Then we should ask ourselves, what should I do after Ramadaan? This is because in Islam istiqamah, standing firm on the Straight Path, is a very important article. The Messenger ( )said, Say: I believe in Allaah, and then stand firm and be steadfast. [Sahih Muslim] Eid-ul-Fitr is the occasion when Muslims thank Allaah for His blessings. But the other important thing after Ramadaan is to complete six fasts of Shawwal. The Prophet ( )said, Whoever completes the fasts of Ramadhan then adds to them the fasts of six days in the month of Shawwal, it will carry the thawab of fasting for the whole year. [Sahih Muslim]

There are many Muslims who fast, pray at night, and give charity regularly in Ramadaan, but after that they are neglectful of their prayers and other good deeds, and sometimes they even abandon their obligations entirely. That is not the right way. Indeed istiqamah after Ramadaan is the greatest sign that one has gained actual benefit from this sacred month, it is a sign of greatest success. So please beware of laziness and the Satan who wants to lead us astray from the Straight Path. Remember, it is not allowed to leave the obligatory actions and good deeds and fall into forbidden actions after Ramadaan. Allaah says in the Quran, And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death). [15:99] Dont forget to send us your comments and feedback. Very truly yours, Asif Khurshid

From the Editor

www.personal-development.com/talha

By Talha Tashfeen Qayyum

Develop Your Character

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MyVision August 2013

Develop Your Character

he development of a sound character is a significant part of our lives and one which should be worked at continuously by a good Muslim. Sound character ensures improvement in the overall quality of life resulting in better productivity, be it your individual life, the contribution you make to your surroundings or the religious responsibilities that you are bound to shoulder as a good Muslim. Yahya ibn Said, a famous hadith narrator said, I have heard that by his good character a man can reach the degree of the one who stands in prayer at night and the one who is thirsty from fasting in the heat of the day. [Abu Dawood] Allaahs Messenger ( )as said, Verily Allaah does not look to your faces and your wealth but He looks to your heart and to your deeds. [Sahih Muslim] he following quote maps out how the development of character affects our lives and how it makes us a better person; Character transcends age, position, financial status, race, education, gender, and personality. It affects your decisions, words, attitudes, goals, relationships, and actions. It is only through building it that you can reach your full potential. Good character makes you a better human, leader, spouse, parent, employee, neighbor, and citizen. Technology advances, information expands, and the world changes but the essential qualities for producing effective individuals, families, and workplaces do not change. [Ray Nash] To summarize, we can conclude that if we do not develop our character, we are not conscious about what we do. When we are not conscious, we are not as efficient and effective as we should be. If we are not efficient and effective, we lose out on our productivity. And if we lose out on our productivity, we are not able to do justice to our personal lives, our work, our health, our families, our responsibilities, and most important of all, to our commitment towards Allaah, which is after all the purpose of our life.

Ways to Develop a Sound Character

In Accomplishing and Achieving Goals The improvement in character plays a crucial role in bringing your vision in life in line with your targets and goals. Its quite possible that your character and goals are out of sync. There might be a deficiency in some aspect of your character that comes in the way of achieving the goals you have set for yourself. Maybe you arent disciplined or confident enough to reach your goals. Hence, the need arises to identify the deficiency followed by action that moves forward in closing that gap. This would result in a productive transition and progression towards your goals. In Mental Development and Education Islam teaches us to obtain knowledge and spread it to others. The development of individual character will mean that your moral and ethical self will force you to firstly educate and develop your mind, body and soul and help others to do the same. Learning new things, obtaining general and specific knowledge and training your mind will be beneficial both to yourself as well as your surroundings. The better mental development and education we have, better are we at what we do and how we contribute. In Life Purpose and Contribution A person with strong character has an urge and desire to contribute to the world they live in, in a way that positively affects the lives of people. There are several ways of accomplishing this. It could be through educating people, helping the under privileged, helping the poor, helping the old and sick, helping raise a child, helping build mosques and centers of dawah and many more. Unless one works on the development of their character, these things do not really cross our minds. It is only when you want to improve your thinking and actions (which is developing character) that you would want to positively contribute to other peoples lives. In Spiritual Development Last but not the least; spiritual development is an aspect of life that more or less covers all other aspects/ disciplines of an individuals life. If we as an overall goal work towards our spiritual/religious development, it will automatically affect every step we take in life. Spiritual development will ensure that we live our lives according to the teachings of Islam and the guidance we have received from the Prophet Muhammad () which emphasizes our productivity as Muslims and human beings in each and every action we take in our day to day lives.

rophet ( )said, I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling even if he were in the right, a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking, and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his character good. [Abu Dawood]

Develop Your Character

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A Dialogue Between Non-Muslim and Muslim

By Xarian

A Dialogue Between Non-Muslim and Muslim

nce there lived two class fellows, one nonMuslim and the other Muslim, in a certain college. The Non-Muslim was very fond of acquiring information about Islam. One day both of them were sitting in a cafeteria. The Non-Muslim asked the Muslim if he can give an interview. He (Muslim) replied in affirmation. The non-Muslim inquired of the Muslim what his Deen is, and how he knows Allaah. The Muslim replied that his Deen is Islam, which is submission and obedience to the orders of Allaah and His Messenger ( )with love, hoping for His reward and

fearing His punishment. He knows Him by His signs and creation, like the day and night; the sun and the moon; the heaven and the earth; and all that is in and between them. He (the non-Muslim) again inquired where Allaah is and if He is with us (in essence). He (the Muslim) replied in a polite way that Allaah is above the heavens, above the Throne, and separated from His creation. Allaah is settled above His Mighty Throne, but He is with us by His knowledge, hearing, seeing and other attributes. As Allaah said to Musa and Haroon (), Fear not, verily! I am with you both, A Dialogue Between Non-Muslim and Muslim

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hearing and seeing. [20:46] He (the non-Muslim) further inquired how he worships Allaah and why Allaah sent messengers. He (the Muslim) replied that he worships Allaah according to the teachings of the Prophet (). He worships Him alone, ascribing no partners to Him. Allaah sent Messengers to call people to worship Him Alone, and to ascribe no partners to Him; so that mankind has no excuse of disobeying Allaah. He (the non-Muslim) continued to ask about the meaning of Islam and what the pillars of Islam were. He (the Muslim) replied that Islam meant submitting to Allaah sincerely and willingly. And that there are were five Pillars of Islam:

and evil acts. And as far as the pillars of Faith were concerned, they were six:

Belief in Allaah Belief in His Angels Belief in His Messenger() Belief in His Books Belief in The Last Day Belief in Divine pre-ordainments, and its good or bad consequences

He (non-Muslim) raises next question what belief in Allaah is and who the angels are. He (Muslim) replies him that the belief in Allaah is to believe that He is the Sole Creator, Sustainer, Provider and the One in Whose Hand is the disposal of all affairs. Everything stands in need of Him. But He stands in need of none. He is the Only One Who is worthy of being worshipped. He has the beautiful names and perfect attributes, and the angels are creatures of light. They are Allaahs obedient slaves, they do that which they are commanded and are incapable of disobedience. He (non-Muslim) raises next question what the meaning of belief in the book and the messenger. He (Muslim) replies him that It means that Allaah sent the Messenger like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus (peace be upon them), and Muhammad() etc., and set down the Books like the Torah, Zaboor (Psalms), Injeel (Bible), Quran etc, to call the people to worship Allaah alone, associating nothing with Him. He sent Prophet Muhammad () as the last of messengers and prophets and abrogated all the previous Books with the Quran. Therefore the worship should be done according to the Quran and the Sunnah of the prophet Muhammad().

Testimony of Faith [There is no true God except Allaah and Muhammad( )is the Messenger of Allaah]. To perform Salah (prayer) To pay Zakah To observe fasting in Ramadaan To perform Hajj, if one can afford it

He (the non-Muslim) went on to inquire of him what Faith is, and how many branches doe Faith comprise of. He (the Muslim) replied that Faith meant to believe in the heart, to confess by the tongue and to act with the parts of the body. And as far as Faith is concerned, it comprised of over 70-branches. The uppermost of which was the testimony of Faith and lowest of which was the removal of harmful objects off the road. He (the non-Muslim) raised another question that whether Faith increases or decreases, and what the pillars of Faith were. He (the Muslim) replied that Faith increased by obedience to Allaah and good deeds while it decreased by sins

A Dialogue Between Non-Muslim and Muslim MyVision RamadaanShawwal 1434

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www.theidealmuslimah.com

By Nasmira Firdous

The Friend

o you have a Best Friend or someone who knows you best? A person whose company you enjoy the most. Someone you love spending time with. They are with you through thick and thin. They understand you better than your family. They lend you an ear when you are down and you share everything about your life with them. A person we are so close to, that we start depending on them for everything. When they are with us, life seems good, pain seems light. And without them

long my journey in this world, Ive had a few best friends too. No, not all of them are still with me. However short or long, it is through them that my Creator taught me the lessons of life, so, Alhumdulillah for their presence in my life. These were

everything feels incomplete. We believe that they are going to be with us forever, always by our side! But nothing lasts forever, does it? At some point they are pulled apart from us, for whatever reason that may be, and we are left feeling miserable like never before.

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The Friend

the people who meant everything to me. Everything! But soon, the time came for them to leave and they left; everyone had their own reasons for it. I would gather the broken pieces of me, hide my tears and start again. Every time promising myself that Ill never ever get close to anyone, but eventually I would end up in the same cycle. But, that was until I befriended Him. had known Him all my life. He had seen me when I smiled and had known the reason behind every frown of mine. He had seen me when I had a good laugh and would quietly watch over me when I cried a million tears complaining about my life. He was always there for me. He understood me and loved me; He was everything a best friend could be, I wonder how was it then that I never noticed Him? When He would gift me with something that I always wanted I had failed to thank Him and yet, I had the audacity to question Him and blame Him every time I lost something. Eventually at one point I recognized how important He was to me, Alhumdulillah. I understood He loved me and He always will. When I had finally realized His essence in my life, all I had to do was to recognize my fault and apologize to Him. Yes, He is the One. The Loving (AlWadud). The Guardian (Al-Muhaymin). The Protecting Friend (Al- Waliyy) He is Allaah. Allaahu Akbar! Allaah says in the Quran, Allaah is the Protecting Friend of those who have faith: from the depth of darkness He will lead them forth into light [2:257] ur entire life is spent longing for people of this dunya, who can never love us and understand us the way this Friend of ours can; not because someone is good or bad, but because they do not know us the way He knows us. They do not know and never will know every single detail of our life; but He does! He knows what we go through every second of our lives; thats why He understands us better than anyone ever can or ever will. He loves us like no one else in this world. If we were to put together the love everyone in this dunya has for us, we would still not be able to equate it to the love Allaah has for us. The Friend

I believe that the dunya has blinded us. Why else would we seek comfort from anyone other than Him, when we know the only place we can find comfort is with Allaah? Its weird how we can get so wrapped up in this life and the people around us that we begin to forget He exists. When something good happens to us, we have a reason to party but no time to send thanks to Him. Really, how hard can it be for us to say Alhumdulillah or pray two rakah nafil prayers? Yet when things go wrong and we are left alone we never think twice before questioning Him. We run behind people in hope of a better life in this world, even though, all we have to do is turn to Him with a sincere heart. he Prophet ( )related to us that Allaah says, I am as My servant thinks of Me. I am with him when he remembers Me. If he mentions Me within himself, I mention him within Myself. If he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in a better assembly. If he comes near to Me a hand span, I come near to him the distance of a cubit. If he comes near to Me the distance of a cubit, I come near to him the distance of two outspread arms. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running. [Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim] So, starting from today, lets work on our relationship with Him. ll of us who are blessed lets take out a few minutes every day to thank Allaah. All of us who feel we do not have anyone to share our pain with why not try sharing it with Him? He is always there to listen to us. All of us who are in need of help lets lift our hands up in dua and ask Him, He is more than happy when we turn to Him for help. And finally all those who feel all alone in this world and are in need of a friend befriend Allaah and youll never regret it, in-sha-Allaah.

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Cover Feature
schooling whatsoever.

By Jawwad Ahmed

Still Just

Kid
Jawad has been raised up in gentility. He has been to one of the top schools, and then to one of the top universities, and at twenty-three now, he has just landed himself a nice job. Usama is technically an orphan. Although now in his latter teens, hes not been to the Beaconhouses and the Froebels in fact, he has not had any formal

When Jawad was around ten years old, he happened to listen to a talk by a top religious scholar. He was inspired he wanted to change. But then, his family told him, You? Now? You are just a kid. When he was in his teens, the US invasion of Afghanistan took place. There was a renewed fervor for Jihad. But then, his friends told him, You? You are just a kid. There have been spasmodic attempts at a possible reawakening, but each time, the system tells him, You are just a kid. Today, he is convinced subconsciously that he is still just a kid. Usama hardly ever got told that he is a kid. He was involved in real hand-to-hand combat aged 13. By the time he is 18, Usama bin Zaid (RA) rides out to battle, in command of a force of the most-esteemed Sahabah, a general. Actually, there can never be a comparison between a companion of the Prophet ( )and the youth of today. But what I just want to emphasize is how the times have changed. How the youth of yesterday stood up and helped changed the world, and how the youth of today needs to stand up and be counted for. The example of Usama bin Zaid (RA) is not an exception. Neither is it restricted to a confined profession, or a period in history. Saad bin Abi Waqqass (RA) brother Umair (RA) fought, and was martyred, at Badr aged just 16. Imam Shafi was seven when he had the Quran memorized. No big deal, yes? He had the Muwatta of Imam Malik (only perhaps the Muwatta because Imam Shafi preceded the other major compilations

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Cover Feature

of ahadith) memorized by the time he was ten. He received permission to give fatwa when he was 15. Muhammad bin Qasim led the Arabs naval and artillery units included into the Subcontinent while he was 17. Imam Ibn Taimiyyah was barely 17 himself when he became an authorized mufti. These are just examples, heavy ones, yes, but it appears that this was the rule, and not the exception. Alas, have the times changed. Todays seven year-olds arent beyond children poems and nursery rhymes; our ten year-olds scholarships goes no further than Harry Potter; our thirteen year-olds are stuck with Hanna Montanas and Justin Biebers; the only authorizations our fifteen year-olds long for are those to go to parties; the only combat our sixteen year-olds see is in Warcraft and Call of Duty, and our seventeen year-olds Well, lets just not talk about what they are up to. So, what has gone wrong? I am just listing a few reasons I found from my personal experience; I am sure there would be others you can think of:

back seat.

Systemization/ Institutionalization
We all take the system for granted. We go to kindergarten, then to primary school, then to secondary In-fact, the odds are, that if you are reading this, you most definitely have been through the exact same cycle. I dont mean to say that the very idea of formal education/ schooling is wrong, just that there is something wrong with everyone being molded only with aspirations of personal success in their careers. I, for one, never even realized that doing something for the Deen was something I could actually do.

Love of Dunya
The Prophet( )said, By Allaah, it is not the poverty about which I fear in regard to you but I am afraid in your case that (the worldly) riches way be given to you as were given to those who had gone before you and you begin to vie with one another for them as they vied for them. And these may destroy you as these destroyed them. [Sahih Muslim] It seems that we have fallen into the trap the Prophet( )warned us about. As a result, our priorities have changed. Our motivation for learning is more and more focused on worldly matters admission into a top university, getting a good job, having a nice home in a nice place. Islam, and the Ummah, have taken a Cover Feature

Lack of Direction
Unfortunately, the problem is cyclic. It is not exactly a lack of direction though; rather it is moving in the wrong direction. Priorities pass on from generation to generation, and although individuals may want to stand up against the tide, the majority and hence the society suffers from the same illness the Quran relentlessly talks about, They said, Nay, but we found our fathers doing thus (what we do)?. [26:74]

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www.theidealmuslimah.com

By Unaiza Faiz

ave you ever thought that as long as you dont miss your salah, youre in the clear? Perhaps you heard the athan but you wanted to finish up what you were doing. Have you ever said something like, the movie is almost over or I still have time? Or maybe you are at work or in a classroom and find it difficult to leave. Today I would like to talk to you about the importance of offering salah on time. Why our prayers must be on time and the reward we get if done so. I would hope to shed some light on the obedience we as Muslims are obliged towards Allaah. Let us first think about the athan. When we hear the athan we must stop talking, listen and repeat. We repeat everything except hayya alas salah (come to prayer), and hayya alal falah (come to success). What does Allaahu Akbar (Allaah is great) really mean? Allaah is greater than all things, plain and simple. Allaah is greater than the TV that you are watching, greater than your professor, your boss, your husband, wife and your children. As a Muslim we cannot let our life responsibilities take priority. Salah is the second most important pillar of Islam after the two declarations of faith (shahada).

Importance of Offering Salah On Time

something happened and we died before we can come home to pray. Wouldnt you be glad that you prayed before you left the house? That you died knowing you didnt miss your salah because you were racing for this dunya (life) instead of the akhirah (Afterlife). Allaah has made it easy for us when it comes to traveling as well. He has shortened our prayers in half if on a journey.

It was said in a hadith, Whenever the Prophet () started the journey before noon, he used to delay the Zuhr prayer till the time for the Asr prayer and then he would dismount and pray them together; and whenever the sun declined before he started the journey he used to offer the Zuhr prayer and then ride (for the journey). [Sahih al-Bukhari]

he Prophet ( )was asked, Which deed is the dearest to Allaah? He replied, To offer the prayers at their early stated fixed times. Then he was asked, What is the next (in goodness)? He replied, To be good and dutiful to your parents He was again asked, What is the next (in goodness)? He replied, To participate in Jihad in Allaahs cause. [Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim] If we are planning to leave our house, before we leave we must ask our self, when is the next prayer? Is it going to be in 20minutes? If so than shouldnt we wait, pray, then leave? What if God forbid

o even our Prophet( )made sure he checked the time before leaving his home. Our prayers should revolve around our lives. Not the other way around. Before we plan we should plan around our prayer times, e.g., when making schedules and meetings, etc. It only takes a few minutes to pray. We take longer to eat, shower, talk on the phone, etc. Are all those other things more important than taking time off for praying? When I say time off I mean it literally. When we sit in prayer we must train our self to forget all worldly matters and focus on Allaah, and Allaah only. Look at it as a type of meditation. You know people pay to take yoga classes or meditate and yet Allaah has made our prayers to be the best meditation there is. Standing before your Lord should be a moment of rest, relaxation, and a time to speak to Allaah about any and all things. A time to reflect and ask for forgiveness and to thank Allaah for his guidance.

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Importance of Offering Salah On Time

Reward

What is the reward we get for praying on time? Funny you ask! Because there are so many rewards you would be surprised how generous Allaah is. Every prayer has its own reward. In fact even the athan has it own reward.

meetings, interviews, everything. Why would it be any different when it comes to the God who created us! Allaah has promised us Paradise and His protection. There is nothing better than that.

Obedience

rophet( )said, If the people knew what is the reward of making the call (for the prayer) and (of being in) the first row (in the prayer), and if they found no other way to get this privilege except by casting lots, they would certainly cast lots for it. If they knew the reward of the noon prayer, they would race for it, and if they knew the reward of the morning (i.e. Fajr) and Isha prayers, they would present themselves for the prayer even if they had to crawl to reach there. [Sahih al-Bukhari] May Allaah help us in achieving these rewards. Each prayer erases sins, so if we kept on top of our prayers throughout the day and night we would go to bed sinless. Imagine not having a single sin Priceless! Prayer is the purpose of our lives, being punctual is required for our prayers as it is for school, work,

For all the mothers, daughter, fathers, and sons, how do you show your love to those you respect? Simply by listening to them. If my mother asked me for something, even if I do not like to do it, I know I must do it out of love and respect for her. Love; because I dont want to upset her, and respect; because she is my mother. Just the same as I would want my daughter to listen to me when I tell her to clean up her room, she will not want to but she will because one, she knows this would make me so happy and two, she knows that I am her mother and she must listen to me. This is the same mentality we should have towards Allaah. We do our prayers because He would be pleased with us and this is a Mercy from Allaah to us, and that He is Allaah and we fear His punishment. May Allaah help us in achieving the higher ranks in Paradise, and His happiness. Ameen.

Importance of Offering Salah On Time

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www.productivemuslim.com

By Aseel Sammak

We all make mistakes in our lives and we all commit sins. We are all human and sometimes tend to lose the path for a while. What do we do when we realize we were wrong? How do we ensure that our repentance is sincere, consistent and successful? There are four main steps one must take to repent: Stop the sin. Regret deeply and truly for the sin you committed. Return to Allaah for forgiveness. Make a strong intention never to return to that same sin again.

A Sure Path to Forgiveness

Sincere Repentance

Here are only a few of the many examples where Allaah mentions in the Quran, His love for those who repent and promises to forgive with mercy and compassion. And seek forgiveness of Allaah. Indeed Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful. [73:20] And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself but then seeks forgiveness will find Allaah Forgiving and Merciful. [4:110] We must never think that Allaah will not forgive us. Repent with sincerity and remember that Allaah loves His servants and Allaah will accept your repentance.

Pinpoint the Source of Your Sin

There is also a fifth step. If the sin involved infringing on the rights of other people, then one must return the infringed rights back to the individual to whom they belong. However, many people find that their repentance begins strong, but then slowly they get weaker and fall back into committing the sin only a short while later. So, to ensure that we stay true to our repentance and keep our promises to Allaah, here are some tips that may help us:

Believe that Allaah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful

You hear many people say, Theres no point in stopping my sin because Ive wronged so much I dont deserve Gods forgiveness, Hell never forgive me. If you are one of those people then STOP RIGHT THERE! How can you think that way, when Allaah says in the Quran over and over again that He is All-Forgiving and Most Compassionate? How can you lose faith in Allaahs Mercy? He created you and He knows your weaknesses and your faults. Everyone in the world makes mistakes, what makes you the best is if you turn to Allaah and beg for forgiveness. Page 14

There are many types of sins. No matter how big or small a sin is, once we decide to give it up and want to successfully repent to Allaah, it is of utmost importance for us to locate the main source of this sin and keep away from it to the best of our ability. The source may be a friend, a certain place that you go to, your computer or your TV. If the sin is related to the computer or the TV or other such appliances, we should not eliminate them completely from our lives. Instead we should try to find a way that helps us use these resources for good rather than evil. It is always good to try and have people around you when using these resources so that you feel stronger and surround yourself with people who remind you to stay on the right path, for it is always easy to stray when alone and vulnerable. If you find that the source of the sin is a friend, then you should cut ties with this friend. It will not always be an easy task. However if it must be done, then do it for the sake of Allaah and He shall reward you immensely for it in-sha-Allaah. If the sin is more like missing prayers or not fasting in Ramadaan, we may try to pinpoint the reason we commit the sin. It may be that your mind is occupied with other things which are distracting you from the fundamental worship of Allaah. In this case we should try to eliminate these distractions from our lives or try Sincere Repentance

MyVision August 2013

to organise our time to sustain balanced lives which include our worship in our daily lives.

Rally Your Support Team

The people around you have a huge impact on the way you behave. At a time when you want to repent to Allaah and you sincerely feel bad about the sins that you have committed, you dont want to be alone. You may find that your family can be a huge support for you at times like this. They can remind you of what you are trying to do. They will listen to you and support you through all your struggles to give up your sin. Friends are also really important. I cannot stress enough how important it is to choose your friends wisely. Peer pressure is real. Even if you think that you are strong and you will not fall again, your friends can pressure you into returning to what you used to do. Your friends should be those who support you in whatever you do and better yet, they join you and work with you towards the goal of becoming a better person. They encourage you to attend lectures and workshops, and join you in volunteering for good causes. The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give Zakah and obey Allaah and His Messenger. [9:71] Most importantly, at times when youre feeling weak and fear that you may go back to sinning, your friends should be there to help you get back up, steadfast and strong. Allaahs Messenger ( )said, The example of a good companion (who sits with you) in comparison with a bad one, is like that of the musk seller and the blacksmiths bellows (or furnace); from the first you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell while the bellows would either burn your clothes or your house, or you get a bad nasty smell thereof. [Sahih al-Bukhari]

You could find good company by becoming a regular at your local mosque and socializing with the people you meet there. You can also attend public lectures to find like-minded friends. You are guaranteed to find practicing Muslims who are willing to be part of your support system. Even in your own home, be open with your family mother, father, siblings or spouse about the changes you want to make in your life and ask for their help!

Stay Connected

The last and final point stresses on how important it is for you to stay connected with Islam and the Muslim Ummah. It is very uplifting for the soul when you are surrounded by Muslims seeking knowledge together and worshipping together. Make an effort to visit the mosque regularly and attend Islamic lectures and workshops. Keeping yourself busy with useful Islamic events and surrounded with the Islamic community takes your mind off the worldly things, which may trigger your urge to commit the sin once more. Staying connected also helps your connection to Allaah. Reading the Quran regularly and performing your prayers on time, including the sunnah prayers, keeps the connection lines between yourself and Allaah strong. Once you feel that Islam encompasses all parts of your life and that you are truly close to Allaah, it will be hard for Shaytaan to drag you back to your old sins. However, always remember to continuously keep asking Allaah for guidance and protection. Keep asking for His forgiveness as He is the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. No matter what sins you have committed, there is always a way to repent and start afresh. Always have faith in Allaah, fear His wrath and love Him for His mercy. Surround yourself with as much support and motivation as you possibly can and keep your intentions clear. May Allaah support us all on our journey through the right path, ameen.

Sincere Repentance

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www.personal-development.com/talha

By Talha Tashfeen Qayyum

Excessive Usage of Internet is a Waste of Time and a Waste of

In recent times, I have been thinking quite a lot about the negative effects the Internet has had on our dayto-day lives in general, not to mention the wonderful advantages and positives that we have out of the same. Of course everything has its pros and cons and there are good things and bad things about each and everything that exists in the world. However, it is of paramount importance that things are dealt with in a balanced manner. Wherever the balance is lost in a situation, it always ends up being more harmful then beneficial. Similar is the case of the Internet. The Internet helps us in our daily lives. It more importantly plays a major role and hugely facilitates in our educational and informational endeavors, so much so that we almost cannot think of existing without it. However, with all the great positives associated with this form of advanced technology, there are certain negatives associated that can have disastrous consequences on one's personal life. The question is, don't we all know this? Is it something new and something that we have not heard or read about? The biggest setback is that this is no more a Page 16

Precious Life

Your

teen-related problem. It has now penetrated the lives of people of all ages. Would you believe that even people with grand-kids are addicted to the virtual world? Don't they care about their precious time? Should they not be indulging in things that matter and actually make a difference to their families and the next step after that to be making a difference to the world they live in? Should they not be fighting for a cause that would count towards their good deeds that would save them and all of us from Hellfire? Unfortunately, this is not happening. In order to refresh our minds, remind ourselves of the consequences of the excessive use of the Internet; let us go through some major points that we should keep in mind.

Lazy and Non-Social

One of the most common negatives of excessive Internet use is the fact that we become lazy and totally non-social. Everyone is just stuck and glued to their chairs, comfortable sofas and cozy beds playing absolutely nonsense games for hours and hours, not knowing what is going on around them to an extent Your Precious Life

MyVision August 2013

where they are totally cut off from their surroundings and the environment they are living in. They become lazy, sometimes so much that they even struggle to even leave and attend to the call of nature. Such is the effect of the misuse of this so called luxury. Please keep in mind that I am only blaming the excessive usage of Internet and not that it should be totally avoided. Everything should be done in moderation.

people who cannot face the difficulties in life and try to run away from their problems and find ways of abandoning their lives. They should rather leave these pathetic time wasters and stand up and see life eyeto-eye and defeat the obstacles.

Useless Activity is Prohibited in Islam

Neglect of the Essentials of Life

People start neglecting their families, their jobs, their responsibilities, their friends, and most importantly themselves and their health. Their families are upset as they almost do not see their beloved family member the whole day just for the fact that they are busy playing some dumb useless game. They spend hours and hours in front of the screen scoring points and winning awards that have nothing to do with real life. They are sitting there all day long watching filthy movies and video clips piling up their sins to an extent that there is no going back. Addiction to the Internet and to the virtual world significantly effects your near and dear ones, causing total disbelief and confusion. No one is stopping you from playing games or watching videos, even I do the same. Just do not overdo it. Think with your mind and see to it that there is a limit to everything.

If all of the above is not enough for you to start acting, think about it in religious terms. Islam does not allows or promotes behavior that has no constructive or productive aspect about it. Yes, it is fine to be not so constructive sometimes and just to take a break from the hectic and busy life that we all live. The only issue here is of being addicted and such an addiction becomes a useless activity after a short while. A useless activity is one which has no benefit for you in any regard. Neither does it help you in your life here nor does it help you in the life Hereafter. Overdoing things always takes you away from all the good and takes you towards more of the negative.

How to Overcome this Addiction?

There are certain ways that we can rid ourselves of any sort of addiction and similarly excessive usage of the Internet. One can help him/herself and get out of this addictive trap by doing the following: Instead of going about an activity blindly, one can set a time period to enjoy and do certain tasks so that it is done in moderation. Try to do something constructive that has benefit to you and the surrounding world. Make sure that you have physical activities scheduled and you spend a significant time period outdoors so that you also take care of your health. Make sure that you do not neglect your family and responsibilities and you are fulfilling all important criteria of your lives. Keep some time separate to take care of your health and mental well being. Taking the above into serious consideration, I believe we should really start taking our lives more seriously and should really start thinking with our brains rather than listen to our impulse and give in to our shallow and destructive desires. I know it is easier said than done but once an honest and serious effort is put in, I am sure we will be able to achieve what we strive for and eventually succeed in our objective and motive.

Deterioration of Health

Sometimes, there is no time left to even give thought to your deteriorating health. One is so negligent and so immersed that they have no idea what they are doing to their precious health. They are sitting all day long with absolutely no exercise. They are putting constant strain on their eyes and teenagers are wearing eye glasses with ridiculously weak eyes and most importantly, it is effecting their brains in an extremely negative way. Reuter reports, A South Korean man who played computer games for 50-hours almost non-stop died of heart failure minutes after finishing his mammoth session in an Internet caf. Here is a real example of how people can totally forget everything as this person didn't care what was happening to him in real life because he was immersed with the online game he was playing.

It is a Form of Escapism for Weak People

The addiction to the Internet, virtual games and social networking web-sites day and night is a form of escapism from the realities of life. They are weak Your Precious Life

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It's All About Me

By Mansoor Salim

Me
If we consider Time Magazine to be the mainstream media, then it is official. We are living in the Me, Me, Me generation [May 20, 2013 issue]. A generation that is obsessed with oneself. How one looks, how one dresses, what one has, and even what one thinks. We want to tell everyone what we think. The problem is, with everyone trying to tell everyone else what they think, what are their opinions on the latest folly of a politician, the latest indictment of a corrupt official, etc., is there anyone who is listening? In an era of mass availability of a plethora of tools and gadgets that send messages to the top of mountains, and into the depth of the seas, the messages traverse the world so quickly that they are drowning in their own echo.

I t 's All About

My Sweet Tweet
Innocent and irrelevant Tweets. Whatever happened to think twice before speaking. Pehlay baat to toolo phir bolo. Whatever that comes to your mind, just Tweet it. Then run after it to delete it. Too late, your zillion and one followers have already re-Tweeted your (in)famous quote. And if mere impulsive words were not enough to destroy your world, you can now Tweet your embarrassing moments in full color using Vine. Want to bring upon a revolution? How about crowdsourcing it? You can now cause a stampede with just a Tweet, but who cares if you brother is the one who gets trampled in the process. I am the Imam. Doesnt matter if I do not know my Fateha from my Tasleem.

Discussion Bored
News discussion boards. Opinion makers. They have the hand on the pulse of the public. What is popular, what is not. Seems only secular is popular, maybe because they rhyme better. Islam? We dont want to discuss religion please. Unless you have something blasphemous to say. Of course we are not responsible for the opinion expressed in the posts, they are the responsibility of the user posting. Everyone is open to post? Mind you, no intelligent posts please. We have moderators who will filter them out for the benefit our of readers, we dont want to stress the combined IQs of our readership.

But My Facebook Page has 10,000 Likes!

Ah Facebook, and our infatuation with it. Most people think they are hanging a picture in their living room when they are posting on Facebook. Doesnt matter if it shows my mom without a head-covering, or my cute newborn with equally cute buttocks. Has anyone heard of the evil eye? It is real and Prophet Muhammad( )confirmed it. And what of putting it on a service that was started for a multitude of haram purposes? A service that marvels in targeting objectionable ads to an audience it knows better than their parents. And we all know what that means. Okay, so now you are fed up with Facebook and want to close your account. What! I cannot close the account? And even if you can find that well-hidden link to close it, Facebook wont delete your data. Ever! So if you embarrassed yourself once in front of the whole world, it is now preserved to embarrass your greatgrandchildren as well. Phittay moo!

Me

Me

Meow
Me

Me Me

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MyVision August 2013

Its All About Me

Poetry Corner

By Mahjabin Nisar

Height of humanity Epitome of eligibility But still full of humility My Holy Prophet() Life full of simplicity Welfare without publicity Islam only Islam his priority My Holy Prophet() Spotless his life, spotless his name The beloved of Allaah got fame, fame Adjectives fail superlatives feel shy For my Holy Prophet() No one can negate none can deny His patience, his caliber, oh my, my May peace be showered from the sky On my Holy Prophet() Your followers are full of apology Could not grasp your holy theology May Allaah refine our psychology Oh my Holy Prophet()
Poetry Corner MyVision RamadaanShawwal 1434 Page 19

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