Don’t Be Sad By Dr. A’id al-Qarni

Covered from head to toe with only her eyes visible, the sight of a Muslim woman on a western city street rarely fails to provoke a strong reaction. Feelings of shock, horror, repulsion, pity or even fear are not uncommon. But have you ever wondered who it is behind the veil and what makes her tick? Ever wondered what her life is really like and whether her dreams, hopes and aspirations differ from yours? From My Sisters’ Lips offers a rare glimpse into the lives of a community of women, most of whom are converts to Islam, and invites you to share their joys, sorrows, convictions and faith.

When Na’ima B Robert abandoned her western lifestyle and embraced Islam six years ago, it was not a decision taken lightly. Yet soon after she took her first tentative steps towards covering, she felt empowered; no longer judged on physical appearances alone, no longer seeking the approval to feel beautiful – or using her looks to wield power over men – the experience effected her greatly. Before long she grew in confidence and courage. As she says, ‘Something just clicked. I thought, “Good, don’t look; don’t compare me with your latest squeeze, don’t try and guess my measurements – my body is my own business!”‘
From My Sisters’ Lips offers a glimpse into the lives of just some of the extraordinary women who, like herself, have chosen to live behind the veil. What emerges is a vivid and intimate portrait of a sisterhood; as they speak candidly and with conviction on a diverse range of subjects ranging from marriage to motherhood, stereotypes, submission and self-image, we hear the strong, proud voices of those who are seldom heard.

One of the blessings that Allah has given His servants is that of a convenient means of financial exchange, i.e. money. Money has since grown to become one of the most’ prized possessions of mankind, and like so many elements of the dunya, serves to test the obedience of Allah’s servants by challenging their system of priorities… Therefore, due to the fact that the Muslims of today are preoccupied with the seeking of money to an extent almost unparalleled in Islamic history, I felt the need to compile a short treatise explaining the manner in which Allah and His Messenger described how Muslims could increase their money. The focus of this book is upon encouraging Muslims to procure money through halal means, and to abstain from haram gains. Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi was born in Houston, TX, but completed his primary and secondary education in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, after which he was accepted as a student at the Islamic University of Madinah. After completing a diploma in Arabic, he graduated with a B.A. from the College of Hadith and Islamic Sciences. He is presently doing an M.A. in Islamic Theology (‘aqidah) from the College of Da’wah at the University. Of his published works are: Riyaa: Hidden Shirk; An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an; An Explanation of the Four Principles of Shirk;Du’a: The Weapon of the Believer; and others.

Translated by Abu Rumaysah “Know O beloved reader that it is most important to spend one’s time and energy in treating the heart, and hastening to correct and purify it from sickness and all sins. This is due to the heart occupying a great and lofty position in Islaam, for it is the place to which the Lord looks and the storehouse for tawheed, faith, and sincerity. Actions are distinguished, one from the other, with respect to their excellence in the Sight of Allah in accordance with the condition of the heart, not by their number or form, but rather due to the strength of the caller, his or her truthfulness, his or her sincerity and the extent to which he or she prefers Allah over himself or herself … Al-Haafidh ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee, may Allah have mercy upon him and provide us with his knowledge, said: “The heart has been singled out for this because it is the leader of the body, and through the purification of the leader the subjects become purified, and with his corruption they become corrupted. So if you, O servant of Allah, with to cure your heart then it is upon you to be truthful with regards to seeking refuge with Allah and putting your trust in Him, to pray a great deal of superogatory prayers, to perform the actions of obedience to Allah frequently, to pray the night prayer while the people are sleeping, and to treat your heart by making it continuously stick to the remembrances and by befriending only the righteous … and to frequently recite the Qur’an. And Allah will indeed allow all of this to be preserved by him.”