Surah Al Baqarah 21-29

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 


Last Wednesday I posted this post about the first part of Surah Al Baqarah. Like I said earlier, it is a very important surah and there are many subjects covered in it. 
I want to continue writing about Surah Al Baqarah in this post and tell you more about the second part of Surah Al Baqarah, ayaat 21 to 29.

Sahih Muslim - Faith & Adornment

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 


As a Muslim it is important to have knowledge about Islam, about the Quran and about Hadith. A while ago I was reading parts of Sahih Muslim and was reminded of some things that either I didn't know about at all or I forgot about in the previous year. So I was thinking that if I forgot about it, then someone else might also have forgotten about some of these, and you might need a bit of a reminder of some of the things mentioned in the Hadith.

Intriguing Ayah: Fussilat 41:46

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 


At the end of the year I always start looking back and think about what I did in the past year. Sometimes I even get worried whether I did good or not. What always helps me calm down and remember what is important is reading the Quran, and like that I run across the following ayah.

Video: Mufti Menk About Hijaab and Growing A Beard

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 


When I heard this lecture by Mufti Ismail Menk, I wanted to share it with you. It is quite an old one already, but the information and message lectured is, in my opinion, important. Besides, who wouldn't want to learn about Islam while watching or listening to lectures by Mufti Menk that include halal humour.

Quran in Depth: Al Baqarah 1-20

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 


"This is the Book, whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun." 
This is how Surah Al Baqarah opens. Al Baqarah can be translated as The Cow, which is merely a translation of the word Baqarah itself and does not cover the subject of the surah. 
The entire surah is all about guidance, it is an invitation to the Divine Guidance, to Allah (swt), addressed in particular to Jews. The first part, ayaat one to twenty is an introduction to the longest surah in the Quran.

Intriguing Ayah: An Nisa 4:104

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 


Surah An-Nisa, The Women, was one of the first surahs I read in my life. I remember this verse from the first time I read the Quran. It looked extremely hostile to me, saying to not be weak and not to slack in the pursuit of the enemy. As if someone were trying to tell the Muslims to kill all the disbelievers as fast and forceful as they were able to. 

New Week: Have You Ever Said No to Your Mother?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 


Today is the start of a new week yet again. 
Insha'Allah you will have a great day and a great week too. For me personally this week will be quite difficult, since it's the week that most people will celebrate Christmas. Now as a Muslim, most likely you don't celebrate Christmas and don't even have to think about it. 
For me though, as a convert, it's not that easy. If it was just me, I wouldn't think about it and just go on as I would any other week. But it isn't just me, because my family is Christian and celebrates Christmas and wants be to be there too. I don't know if you ever tried to say no to your mother, but just saying, it is extremely difficult.

Hadith Jibreel and the Five Pillars of Islam

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 


The first thing I learnt about Islam at my Christian high school was that there were the Five Pillars of Islam. In my years as a Muslim however, I have noticed that many people around me aren't (completely) familiar with the basic concept of the Five Pillars of Islam. Even some Muslims I have spoken to have forgotten part of what is the foundation of their religion. If you want to learn more about these Five Pillars or want to refresh your knowledge, please continue reading.

Muslimah Convert: Convert Must-haves

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

In February 2013 I converted to islam. I have been trying my best to life according to an islamic lifestyle ever since. Of course, as with everything in this life, there have been many struggles and difficulties. In this post I would like to talk about the things I found necessary to have in my life as a recent muslim convert. 

Intriguing Ayah: Luqman 31:16

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 


Every day I try to read some pages of the Quran and pretty much every day I come across one or more ayaat that speak to me very clearly. In my reading I came across this ayah that I found very inspiring and I couldn't help but share it with you. It is the 16th ayah in the surah Luqman. 

31:16 And Luqman said, "O my son! If it be equal to the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Verily, Allah is Subtle and Acquainted. 

This ayah explains that everything is known to Allah (swt) and that nothing can escape His knowledge. Even though you may not be able to see it, Allah (swt) knows it is there. Every good or bad act that you do, wherever and whenever, is known to Allah (swt). He is aware of everything, and at the Day of Judgement He will show you a full record of everything you have done in this world. 

I hope I inspired you to try to be a better version of yourself and I also hope that this little piece of Quranic text is able to guide you through today.

 
May peace, mercy and blessings from Allah be upon you

World of Jinn: Is it Okay to Read Horoscopes?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 


Last Sunday I saw a video on YouTube about the world of jinn, possession of the body, horoscopes and fortune tellers. It is a lecture from Bilal Philips. 
It's quite a long video but it really is interesting, because there are not that many people that can tell us about the world of jinn and anything related to it. 

Quran in Depth: Al An'am pt. 1

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The piece of Quran I would like to talk about today is a couple of ayaat from the surah Al An'am, The Cattle. When I thoroughly read this surah I found a couple of pieces that needed some further explanation. One of these parts is ayah 25 to 32. Before I start giving more information about those ayaat, I would like to give some background information about the entire surah first. 

Intriguing Ayah #4: 67:12

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I will share with you two ayaat from Surah 67 Al-Mulk or The Sovereignty.

New Week #4

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

When I was looking on Instagram last week I saw some pictures worth sharing. I hope you like the pictures and enjoy the coming week! :)

source: munaqqabah_noor 

Religion Invented To Make Money?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Last week I had a conversation about Islam with a friend of mine. He told me about something he talked about with someone he met at the train station. About how that someone thought religion was something invented for making money off of. 
When you think about it, in a way it does make sense. Why else is it possible that during the Middle Ages in Europe so many people were dying from poverty while the Church had all the money they could dream of. Money they used to build churches, to hold crusades, to maintain and support the wealth of their emissaries. 

Muslimah Convert: What is Religion to me?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful


Religion is a fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons. It is the practice of certain religious beliefs, a ritual observance of faith. To worship or be obedient to a supernatural power or powers that have control of human destiny. 
Many religions come with their own customs, histories and symbols. Religion explains the meaning of life and the origin of life. 

Video #4: Ego and Fame

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I would like to share a video I saw on YouTube about a talk Mufti Menk did this month in his Sri Lanka Tour of 2014. It's a very interesting talk about arrogance and pride which I personally learned a lot from. I hope you like the video and learn something new from watching this video.

Honey Bee

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I would like to share a quote with you that was quite inspiring to me. I hope you like it!

May peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.

New Week #3

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I share with you this picture to show the different views of people. I'm sure you have seen it before because it is quite a well known picture. I hope you liked the picture and will enjoy your week.

source: http://notmytribe.com/tag/war-on-islam

May peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.

New Week #2

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I would like to share this picture called the periodic table of islam. I hope you think it is an interesting picture. For more information you can visit the source of the image.

source: http://www.iqraonline.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Periodic-Table-of-Islam-Small.jpg

May peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.

Ramadan Kareem

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

I wish you all the very best in the month of Ramadan! :)

bron: http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/223/f/2/Ramadan_Kareem_Greeting_Card_by_vanessaglendagarcia.jpg

May peace, mercy and blessings from Allah be upon you

Muslimah Convert: My Convert Story

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

My name is Zouhayra, I am 20 years old and I am proud to say I am a Muslimah. I converted (or some people prefer the word reverted) to Islam in February of 2013 after struggling with my mood and my feelings because I missed something in life. Now it’s obvious to me that I missed the presence of Allah (swt). 

Video #3: Beyond Burkas and Bombers

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I would like to share a documentary I found on YouTube with you about Muslims in the United States. Unfortunately, I can not post the video directly onto this website, so I will link the video below. I hope you will like the video and learn something new about American Muslims and how Muslims are treated in the United States from watching this video.

Worst Way to Break Your Fast

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

I want to share this short video with you of Mufti Menk talking about breaking your fast. Since the month of Ramadan is coming soon, it might be a good time to think about how you are breaking your fast normally and if you want to change some of your habits of fasting during Ramadan. 

Intriguing Ayah #3: 45:14

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I will share with you two ayaat from Surah 45 Al-Jathiyah or The Crouching.

New Week #1

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I want to share with you some pictures I found on the internet to show some of the questions I have asked myself many, many times in a very nice way. 

Translate Quran: Surah The Opening

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious

Earlier I wrote about the importance of Surah al-Fatihah, or The Opening, and now I will try to show the meaning of this surah by translating it word by word. 

Video #2: Make Me a Muslim

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I will share a video abuot people converting to islam in the United Kingdom. It's a series made by the BBC. I hope you enjoy the video and perhaps learn something new while watching it.

Intriguing Ayah #2: 6:3

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I will share with you an ayah from Surah 6 Al-An'aam or The Cattle.

Video #1: Misconceptions About Islam

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful


Today I will share a video about the misconceptions about islam by Mufti Ismael ibn Musa Menk. I hope you enjoy this video and learn something new while watching it.
"Knowledge is an ocean without coast"

Quran In Depth: Surah The Opening

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Surah Al-Fatihah, or The Opening in English, is the first surah of the Quran. It is also the surah that is always used during prayers. It is usually the first surah people will read and memorise. For Muslims, surah al-Fatihah is very important. The importance can be explained by a hadith.

Intriguing Ayah #1: 5:55

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today I will share some ayaat from Surah 5 Al-Ma'ida or The Table Spread.

Ramadan Goals 2014

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

In a few weeks the month of Ramadan will start. It's a very important month for Muslims in general but for me it will be my second Ramadan ever. Last year I didn't fast for the entire month because of personal reasons but this year I intent to fast as many days as I can. 

Some things that are seen as very important during Ramadan are fasting of course, being with family, praying, reading Quran and charity. 

Quran In Depth: Surah The Women

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

One of my first most-liked pieces of the Quran covers one of the most controversial lines (ayaat) of the Quran. I am talking about Surah 4, an-Nisa', The Women in English. The line I am talking about is 4:89.
I think most people that have read some of the Quran or something about islam are familiar with this ayah or the concept of this ayah. I shall later on talk more specifically about this ayah, but first I will tell you some more about the entire piece I will talk about today.
The section I am  going to discuss today is Surah an-Nisa', The Women, ayaat 77 to 90. Below I will quote some of my favorite sentences out of this part of the Quran.

Muslimah Convert

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

My name is Zouhayra. My name has not always been Zouhayra. Two years ago, in March of 2012, I started my search for religion. In November that same year it became clear to be that I wanted, or rather needed, to convert to islam. In February of the year 2013, on a Thursday, I converted in the company of some of my friends in a living room of one of my friends. Ever since my conversion I have been learning more and more about religion and islam in particular.
Now I am starting this blog, to inform others about my search for religion and also about the beauty of islam. Even though the majority of the media coverage is negative, people convert to islam in larger numbers when you compare conversion to other religions. For me, this is a way to tell people my side of the story, conversion to a religion that is loathed in the western society by many but seen as a beautiful path to peace by some.
God willing I will write about convert struggles, share with you my findings of islam, reveal the beauties of the Quran, give more information about religion in general and answer questions I asked myself when I was still uninformed about islam.

If you have any questions upon reading this or anything I will post, feel free to email me at muslimah.convert.zk@gmail.com or leave a comment on my site and I will respond to you as soon as I can God willing. You can also email me when you encounter problems or want to know more about me or my conversion to islam.

May peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.