So do not just transmit to heaven an empty Datagram (envelope) for a lifetime and expect that you have a good bank account waiting for you after you die. Subhanallah. This is something scares me tremendously walaahi. Jazakallah Khair walal, Nur.

Didi, for a moment there I thought I was being vague in expressing my views on the subject, however, looking at your comments I realized that perhaps I wasn't Well I don't know how you can deduce from what I said that ignorance is better than knowledge I did not deduce anything more than what you wrote, I merely questioned you on the alternative to what you seemingly disapproved. I have realised You have not understood the point Fabiana and I made in the above posts. Let's get this right, the sister clearly expressed her opinion about the subject which was that one can prepare (hint: not invalidating the notion of preparation/learning), however, things can get rather difficult because another individual's life is involved. That is true and I don't deny it because marriage and life in general is full of struggles and complexities. You, on the contrary, neither explicitly formulated your own views on the subject matter, nor stated your agreement with the sister's points. All you have managed to do, in my opinion, was to introduce a counter argument to my statement about the Qur'an and the Sunnah as a source of preparation. How, you might ask? Well, you began by stating that knowledge and the Qur'an/Sunnah do not promise one success (in your words, longevity) in marriage, then you went on and introduced two supporting scenarios of which one was a pious couple whose marriage was unsuccessful and another was a non-Muslim couple whose marriage turned out to be a success. Therefore, if anything, this argument was downplaying the role of piety in marital success than it was the importance of preparation. See, I'm not a mind reader, I can only work with what's written here, but hopefully that was inadvertent on your part The Notion was - You can prepare as much as you like - but once you entered the institution of marriage, the rules of engagement change. Though that's not exactly the notion you established, nonetheless, I absolutely agree with you on the last part. The rules of engagement do change because a whole set of specific rules of engagement pertaining to marital/family life have to be adopted and utilized (yaci, the core of my argument). But as far as I know, again, one does not innately possess the knowledge of these rules. Thus, in some form or another, they have to acquire it through learning (but of course, one can choose not to ). quote: One has to understand that nothing and nobody can guarantee anything on this earth even if it's worth an atom's weight, for that is a domain exclusive to our Creator and Him alone. Now that you have agreed nothing is guaranteed - lets examine your qualifications of the above statement.What that sentence was actually implying is that nothing is guaranteed except what Allah subhanahu wata'ala guarantees. So NO, I have not agreed to the idea that nothing is guaranteed. I agreed with you on this as a general rule but divorce or hard-times in marriage doesn't constitute unsuccessful life... So i don't know how you use as support for your argument First, what to you may seem like a 'general rule', to me plays a role in each and every aspect of my life (very specifically, in other words, it is the driving force of my life). Second, please try to understand my points in the context that I present them (context being Islamic). Third, divorce is not the issue here, but rather preparing for marriage. What I said was marriage adds to one's success in this dunya ( Islamically) because it's a form of ibaadah; and performing ibaadah means success to me. Though divorce is something that is highly discouraged in Islam, it doesn't necessarily mean that it constitutes failure in life for it's only one part of life; one that can actually at times carry kheyr--when for instance being in that marriage stands in your way of fulfilling your duties to Allah (swt). First you decided to omit the part where I said "The Quran and The Sunnah advice us to opt for the kheyr in all matters even divorce" I don't see you saying anything new that is not covered by that statement... Sorry, it wasn't my intention to do so, but the fact still remains. I can't emphasize how much more our deen covers about marriage/marital life/family life...from the detailed practical ettiquettes to the deep and emotional/psychological aspects and to more importantly, obligations. Unfortunately, time does not permit me to present in detail the little I know of everything our deen teaches about marriage, however, I'm hoping that Bro Nur will take the pleasure of doing that in his Marriage 101 Insha'Allah. have you pondered in this hadeeth, why the khuluq was regarded as separate to the deen? and let me remind you that When Aisha (RA) was describing the Prophet (SAW) she said " Kaana Khuluquhu Al Quraan " roughly translated His khuluq was the quran...I suggest you seek the meaning behind the separation... Alhamdulilah I have, and if I did not understand the distinction between the two, I would not have stated perfecting the khuluq as a path to fulfilling Allah's cubuudiya (the very purpose of our existence). However, though the two may be different, the khuluq should not be exclusive of the deen, but rather in accordance with the deen. This is emphasized when the Rasul (saw) describes to us his mission by saying what's translated as: "I have surely been sent, only, to complete the most excellent ways of akhlaaq" In other words, to help us undertake the journey of cubuudiya to Allah subhanahu watacala (under which marriage comes of course ) So when we are told to seek partners according to their deen and khuluq, it means you should seek a pious individual whose piety is manifested in their akhlaaq, ie with excellent akhlaaq. I whole heartedly disagree with what you implying here...Divorce or unhappy marriages are not entirely due to the fact that someone has befallen for their lower and earthly or carnal pleasures... I respect your stance walal, notice though, the self(or the nafs if you will) which is what I said, is very distinct from the desires it may be enslaved by or the adverse entities that bring about its destruction. If you reflect on the primary causes of marital conflicts (ie greed, jealousy, hatred, arrogance, anger, intolerance, transgression, oppression etc etc.), you will begin to realize that the vast majority, if not all, arise from the diseases of the qalb. Diseases that not only impact our marital lives, but other aspects of our lives as well. Alhamdulilah though, for Islam gives us specific remedies and instructs us clearly on how to eradicate these diseases and bring the self to a very peaceful/purified state. I guess, you really have to have a strong appreciation for the Islamic psychology of the self to understand the gist of my reasoning here. it happened at the times of the Prophet (SAW)...Sahaabahs divorced...wonderful warriors, pious in their every deed, have divorced. You really seem to be stuck on the idea of divorce bro. Surely, I don't deny its existence, after all, it's an option Allah made available to us. Nevertheless, it's an option abhored by Allah and one that should be sought only as a last resort, despite the fact that some Sahaabas (may Allah be pleased with them) resorted to it due to extinuating circumstances. Walaaleey let alone any other differences - labada isqabta way is nici karaan... Inkastoynan iskanicidu meel magaceed ahayn, walal, (like, honey, I just don't like you anymore, I think we should seek divorce ) kaba dhig iney dhacdo saa waa dareen Ilaahay nagu abuuray. Lakiin, taa iyo wixii la mid ah ba ii diidi maayaan inaan wuxuu Ilaahay i faray sidaan ugu aflixi lahaa falowgeeda galo. Sidaan hore usheegay walal, mar walba wuxuu Ilaahay kuu qorey umbaad heli ama ku sugaya, lakiin dadaalkuna wa wax lagu faray oo inaad dhaliilsho eynan ahayn Let me say this as in conclusion...before and after are quite different when it comes to marriages... and no matter how you prepare you will be in for surprise!... As I agreed with you before Du’a and Istikhaarah make a lot whole of difference…Again every Muslimah and Muslim should know their rights as well as their partners and when dealing with them they should always opt for the Kheyr. Alahamdulilah. Perhaps you should have stated this as your intro, it definitely would've set the tone right :cool:

^lol. Ma ila aragtey gabadh, ishii aragtaba Raula. Xitaa dadka salaami meyso oo ma oraneyso waan noolahey... @both of you and big salaams! @wuu uureystey, inaba caadi maha. In what planet do male species get impregnated toloow, LOL. MMA, xaajiyoow waxaa ii sawiran adoo kaligaa meel fadhiya oo gacmaha dhabanada ku haya oo guraya: tol-la'ayeey, tol-la'ayeey, afkeenii hooyo lun, Eebow sabr iyo imaan naga sii

Mabruuk to the brother and his family. Ilahey ha kuu barakeeyo. Xil weyn baa ku saarmayee kii siduu Ilaahey farey uga soo baxa Allah ha kaa dhigo walal

Yes, it is nearing us! And am I ever excited and preparing unlike ever before. Speaking of changes, perhaps the greatest change in my life occured post last ramadan. Thus, with sincere determination and immense consciousness, I intend to make this ramadan even more special and unique, Insha'Allah. I want to truly feel and experience every moment of it like never before, whilst being saturated in the shukr of Allah subhanahu wa tacala, bi idnnillah. It is indeed a time where windows of remarkable opportunities open up for us, and the raxma of Allah descends upon us. A chance to truly discover the inner self, to cleanse the soul from the filth its been accummulating all year long, and to increase spiritual strength and energy. To borrow the words of a shaikh who is so very dear to me, ramadan is about celebrating not eating to discover a joy and a pleasure not in the realm of the physical, but in the realm of the qalb, of the ruux or in the realm of the spiritual. So, bro's and sis's, let us take advantage of this amazing opportunity, liberate ourselves and discover the life and joy of the inner dimensions of ramdhan. Advance ramadan kareem to everyone! PS: I have often times dreamt of praying behind shaikh Sudais in masjidul xaram, but unfortunately, he's no longer the imam there. Ya Allah, how I wish they'd bring him back just for this ramadhan.

Originally posted by Lieutenant Xalane: I don't think the fall of ethiopia will ever help us in anyway. If they fall,what would stop the somali members of that region to be greedy and declare themselves as a state Subxanallah :eek: This doesn't even merit a response... what an incredibly preposterous and ignorant remark to make.

Aww, how sweet! And to be honest, my best time here was(is) when benefitting from your time spent here.

How astonishing to see a western politician with such views.

The knowledge or the quran and sunnah does not guarantee the longivity of the marriage And ignorance does my dear brother? :confused: One has to understand that nothing and nobody can guarantee anything on this earth even if it's worth an atom's weight, for that is a domain exclusive to our Creator and Him alone. Having said that, He guarantees me, as His slave, that if I wholeheartedly submit to His will and sincerely follow this manhaj that He has prescribed for me as a sign of His Mercy (which is completely inclusive and I should accept as a way of life literally), then I shall lead a successful life on this earth and the hereafter. In that light, marriage is a critical element of my success in this dunya and has thus been made a religious duty for me. I have also been commanded to seek excellence in all of my affairs as a believer. Thankfully, Allah did not neglect me and burden me to discover the ways on my own but instead gave me a clear methodology with respect to pursuing that excellence. As a result, I am expected to seek knowledge in any form and continuously improve my learning whilst perfecting my khuluq in order to fulfill the uluuhiya of Allah (swt). All in all, this blessed institution of marriage, as you would agree, demands seriousness as well as full consciousness of what it encompasses. It's not one that should be approached with trivialty in any mannner. Therefore, my initial response was simply pointing out the significance of preparing for this aspect of life and attaining all the tools necessary to make it successful (though you will not have all the answers, you will definitely be better equipped). However, thinking that the Qur'an and the sunnah only give us advice and inform us of rights alone is not the right understanding. neither does it guarantee that the other person will apply to the same level as you. Of course not! However, let me remind you that in the sunnah of our truly exemplary and beloved prophet (saw), we are given specific criteria when it comes to choosing a partner: the deen and the khuluq. Thus, when I am choosing a partner, I have to seek one who has the capacity to be my partner in faith and spirituality; one with whom I can build a successful Islamic family above all else. a pious couple (who are wonderful ppl standing alone) could be disastrous when you put them together! First of all, no matter how knowledgeable, pious, impious or evil we happen to be, whatever was meant to befall us will never miss us, and whatever was meant to miss us will never befall us! However, piety is what is inculcated in the heart and authenticated by deeds, walal. Piety and an inability to conquer ones own lower, earthly and carnal self simply cannot coincide, just doesn't make much sense. The pious couple may very well have minor reconcilable differences, but they should always be united by their strong faith in God and His reverence which supercedes everything else. Hence why I can't quite conceive the union of two righteous souls resulting in a 'disaster'. On the other hand a non muslim couple could stay together for 50 years or more. how would you explain? How do you explain an incredibly wealthy non-believer or an extremely compassionate and humane one for that matter? They too are the creation of Allah (swt) whose lives and sustenance are in His hands. They too have been blessed with rational faculties with which they can think and reflect, with which they can choose right from wrong (of course, inspired by the fitra of Allah swt). There's also those who are the people of the script, religious and uphold high moral and ethical values. Similar to us, their religious beliefs dictate their way of life. I 'm sure I don't have to illustrate the devestating consequences of drifting away from religion and towards secularism in these very societies we live in today. In essence, Islam is inclusive and should be taken just as that! That is my understanding, though it may very well be limited. I seek Allah's forgiveness If I've said anything incorrect. PS: Bro Nur, I apologize for going off on a tangent a bit, I strongly felt I had to address the brother's points in detail

^Well sis, if we don't 'theoretically' learn how to prepare mentally, psychologically or even physically for certain transitions in our lives (of course, the Qur'an and the Sunnah being our sources), how then will we be able to face those future challenges practically, how will we restrain our nafs and cultivate its goodness when it wants to deviate and do wrong, how will we acquire those very noble and imperative characteristics if say, one does not inherently possess them? To answer your Q Nur, YES! I would gladly sign up for it not only if it was being offered in my neighborhood but anywhere that would be in my capacity to travel to. I do often have to travel for courses.

Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar: Meeshaa 'threesome' ka keenteen ayaan la yaabanahay, perhaps it has to do with living in Galbeedka. Walee waa yaab iyo amakaag! I wonder, have our hearts sunk down so low and our inner selves so diseased and polluted to the extent where seeing such filthy and corrupted comment as this: "The flip side of this story could be, the women are lesbians and he is gay. It’s possible, it could happen folks. Or perhaps he isn’t even gay; he is simply wants to be the third wheel in their love life (third world, lack of equipment may be). I really don’t know, am just thinking out loud." has almost become normal? Wal ciyaadu bilaah. Of the indicators of spiritual bankruptcy, I once heard, is when people become so heedless and neglectful of the spread of munkar and immorality. La xawala walaa quwata ilaa billah. And yet, we have the audacity to speak against and critique a man who is exercising his God given right; a matter that should be of no concern to us whatsoever. How Ironic. Aduunku xaguu u socdaa tolow.

Originally posted by Nur: The scope of this thread however, is the validity of naming the ummah other than Muslim. Anyone who coins a name for the Ummah other than Muslim is indeed helping in dividing the Ummah into splinters. Thank You shaikh Nur. This pretty much sums up my own stance on this over-exhausted topic of 'salafis vs fulaan'. It's quite tiresome, furthermore, I fail to see any benefits these types of arguments could possibly reap.

^Aw, those are nice! Perhaps the pic's should be numbered/named and put into a poll so that voting can be more organized and efficient. I'll just go ahead and give my vote to Baashi's Sunrise in Iceland. I don't know but it just captured my attention. I think it's because it draws me nearer to a special place and moment that seem so very familiar to me...Subhanallah, simply beautiful!

^Obviously, that's an extremely despicable and inhumane statement to make by any human being, and it's due to sheer jahiliya, but subhanallah don't wish naar for him. If anything, ask Allah to forgive him for that.

Inaa Lilah wa Inaa Ileyhi Raajicuun. I remember first seeing this on City TV and somehow, she struck me as Ethiopian but I still felt horrible about her death. In any case, I pray that Allah (swt) has mercy on her soul and forgives all of her sins. And I also pray that Allah has mercy on her family and loved ones, ax I can't begin to fathom what they must be going through

This poem has very deep, captivating and remarkable sections that almost instantly induce tears when you hear it because hearing the praisal of our beloved prophet (saw) is always incredibly soothing for the soul that possesses his love and the love of our Creator. Of course, it also contains the very popular section commonly used in nasheeds such as Mawlaya. However, and this is a big however, the qasida also has a huge downside which leads to a grave danger if one is not cautious. It has sections that goes against the very concept for which our beloved Rasul (saw) fought and strived to protect for so long: Tawheed. In other words this Qasidah does unfortunately have line(s) which suggest blatant shirk. Among the ways the prophet (saw) sought to protect tawheed of Allah (swt) was forbidding Muslims from excessively praising him when he said, "Do not excessively praise me like the christians praise jesus, rather I am the slave and messenger of Allah" (Bukhari). Therefore, when Muslims don't fully learn and comprehend the concept of tawassul, tabarruk, or intercession, it becomes very easy for them to fall into innovation which might lead to shirk--the most evil concept known to mankind. May Allah protect us all from anything that leads to it. Therefore, I would suggest for anyone (and many scholars agree) to just avoid it completely. Another thing is, I have my reservations about the whole story behind the origin of this qasidah. Seems like there's a lot of constructed myths associated with this poem. For instance, in some parts of the world where it is very popular such as Al-Maghrib, ppl regard it so highly that they make their children memorize it like the Qur'an and they believe that if you recite it however # of times, it will increase your provisions or protect you from evil and most of all, they believe it has great healing powers...pure innovation wal ciyaadu billah. PS: To see shaykh Hamza for whom I had great respect and love propagate this type of poem just left me speechless. I mean, I still love him and thank him for everything I've learned from him, he truly was a great inspiration in my own spiritual journey of nearness to Allah (swt), I just pray that Allah guides us all and forgives our sins.

^To be quite honest, I was very surprised and utterly relieved when I found out about this party's existence. I abhore Somali politics, thus I'm rarely up-to-date with what's happening back home. But if this group truly stands in the name of Allah and strives to work in His cause with strength and resolution in their convictions and sincerity, then I pray Allah swt guides them to haqq and helps them with their cause. Subhanallah, this is the first time any sense of hope has entered my heart for our country in a long time

Nice poem Masha'allah.

Its not your wishes nor the wishes of the people of the book, anyone who commits a sin, evil, crime, will be punished" This is precisely what we're witnessing today! However, I'm not certain that many of us understand the fact that what is happening to us today is merely the ramification of our own actions and mistakes as a nation. We ( as well as those who preceded us) have collectively deviated from the righteous path that Allah swt has written for us by committing sins against others and against our own selves. And now, when we face in punishment (from variety of angles) what we have earned (mind you, insignificant compared to the punishment of the hereafter), we are shocked, frustrated, overwhelmed by feelings of anger, fear, and victimization. But why? So long as we continue to obscure ourselves from the truth and rush off to lay the blame on others, we will keep draining off all of our potential good energy of which we are in desperate need, and this will only lead us downhill by leaving us with nothing but violent energy. Truly, the source of all power, victory and justice is none other than Allah swt, and unless we pick up the pace as a nation, return to Him in forgiveness, and preserve His mighty laws on this earth, we will never see victory nor justice on our side. PS: M.M , that was a truly poignant poem! Ameen yaa Rabbal caalameen.

Asalamu Alaykum, Although language barrier might very well be one of the reasons why such excellent topics are neglegted, I believe the greatest reason is due to the lack of real consciousness of Allah swt that seems to be so rampant nowadays in our society. Subhannalah, introduce topics like gender issues, politics, fictitious love stories iyo waxaan loo joogin and, lo and behold, you have no space to breathe; you start lecturing about the deen and the very reason for which we exist, all of sudden ppl start to disappear or show minimal interest if any at all. This section of SOL has been the least popular ( ) section for as long I can remember, that sure is a sad reflection of our level of consciousness. You know, kolka hore waa qofka qalbiigisu inuu u hogaansanyahay Ilaahey, deedna wuxuu doontaa wixii kheyrku ugu jiro ee uu ilaahey uga farxin lahaa, yacni, then will the action follow. Marka, Ilaahey walaal ha na soo hanuuniyo gidigeenba. Hadaan ku soo noqdo qoraalkan qiimaha leh walal, siduu personally ii taabtey kuuma faahfaahin karo waayo waa xasuusin aad kuu xanuujineysa oo dib markaad ficiladada aad ugu noqoto aad dareymeyso, subhannalah, am I doing anything right at all?. Si kastaba u dadaal hadana banu adam umbaad tahay, daciif ah oo nafsadiisa hooseysa ka taag weyntahey badanaa, maxaan marka sheeganeynaa. Mararka qaarkood markaan khalad aan u jeedo aan galo amaba aan dhibyareysto because of some shaytanic justification ayaan idhaa, bal hadda qof weyn uu ilaahey caqli iyo wax garashoba siiyey ayaad tahayee sideed naftaada uga adkaan weydey. Yacni, it takes just a small amount of hawaa for this dunya to enter that qalb you might've been working to purify and protect, and God knows how much of a tremendous impact it leaves. And then I start feeling quite upset and disappointed in myself, but I guess that in itself is a gift that I have Allah to thank for. Islam is just truly beautiful! This is the part that makes me very emotional: We wrong ourselves constantly, we commit sins day in day out, we fall off the path that our exalted creator had prescribed for us continuously, and yet His mercy is countless. Though He needs nothing from us at all, He gives us ample opportunities to rectify our positions, He loves us for returning to him and repenting from our mistakes and He rewards us for being mindful of what is in essence our own best interest. Yet, we rarely give Him His due gratitude. Subxanallah. Ya sheikh Nur, I pray that Allah swt rewards you for your amazing da'wa and forgives your own sins and that of your loved ones. I will definitely read this piece for my mother Insha'Allah, I know she'd love it. Rabanaa dhalamnaa anfusanaa wa in lam taghfirlanaa wa tarxamnaa lanakuunana minal khaasiriin.

Seems like an incredibly beneficial read. I'll definitely bookmark it and read it soon Insha'Allah. May Allah bless you for sharing sister Haseena

As if gabadhu object meel kuu yaala oo hadiyad loo bixiyo iney tahay :rolleyes: AU: Hadaad la dhacdey sheekha ood ka faa'ideysatey, adoo duco qalbiga (ku fiican haduu yahey) ka soo go'dey ugu duceeya ayaa isaga faaido weyn u ah.

Ikhsa Caleyk dheh. How utterly disgusting. It is nothing but purely shaytanic! It just literally astounds me how some women could stoop so low as to 'iswalaaq' like this in front of people (mostly males) and not see how much they're degrading themselves. Like, even if they have no regard for their religion whatsoever, wax damiir la yiraa baa jira. And forget about the dayuusiin of men who cheer for and join such fitnah. Ya Allah Hadee.

^kharaar! ^ KKKK You used to make my heart do flip flops. I had a big fondness of "Abraar" but that was before I knew inaad gabar tahay. L0L. I still have terrible crush on you though. Missed you the few months you weren't posting. Good to see you back. *MUUAAHHHHH*! LoooL...ala muxuu magacan wax dhigey...show haduunan this Brown dude of a Faarax i fashili lahayn( :mad: ), arji duulaya baa ii iman lahaa Still though, I can live with the crush. Missed you too dear, thanks! Originally posted by Brown: i have stopped secret admiring Abraar nineteen coodhcodhkii At Last! Saa, dhaaxaan islahaa maskiinku bacaad cidla ah buu qaniinsanyahaye yaa u caqli celiya However, on the bloodnimo issue, maxaad noo hafreysaa, you know pretty damn well that we are too much of a noble peoples to consider anyone shisheeye...very unbecoming of us indeed

^^inadeer, miyaanan wali kuu sheegin inaan horta nonsecret admirer-kaaga ahay, yep, wixii la qariyo qurun baa ku jira and just to make it real, here's one big muaaah for you