Sunday, February 19, 2012

Islam is like water


Bismillah...


I think Islam is like water. Everyone in the world needs it. There are sources of it all around the earth. It's a little different everywhere you go. It's natural.


Some people have polluted their water supply to the point that it causes them harm, but they drink it anyway. Some people have no water at all. These people I want to help. I will do what I can to provide them with clean water to drink.


Some people are so obsessed with making water "pure" that they distill it to the point that all of the natural minerals are gone and it has no flavor. They insist that this how water is supposed to be, but in reality, water is never naturally like this.


Others want to import their water from overseas. They insist that this water is the best water and they force it on their children, when in reality that water is no better than others. In fact, the local water may even be cleaner.


Some think it doesn't matter what we drink, that we should just relax and drink from the tap like everybody else, when in reality that water has chemicals that we should be smart enough to avoid.


My advice? Don't be too strict or too loose, but take moderate approach. Don't limit yourself to only a certain kind of water, but be open to new sources, and don't obsess over its purity, but definitely put it through a filter. Most of all, remember that water is a blessing from the Divine, so be thankful that you have it and share it with those who need it.






(PS- Click the photo)

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Who is a Muslim?

When most people picture a Muslim, they don't picture somebody who looks like me. I mean, let's be honest. If I asked you what does a Muslim look like, there's a good chance that your first thoughts would be: tan skin, long beard, frowning face, funny hat. While that might be the popular image of a Muslim, it's far from accurate. In reality, Muslims come in all colors shapes and sizes. A Muslim is just someone who believes in and practices Islam, someone who does their best every day to live the way God wants them to live. That's it. Anyone can be a Muslim. You don't have to be Arab or Pakistani or have a name like Ahmed or Hamza. Muslims are from all over. We come from places like Malaysia and Ecuador and Ireland and America. We have names like Priya and Lisa and Minkailu and Peter. Some of us are raised in Muslim families, and some of us embrace Islam later in life. Yet even with such diversity, all Muslims around the world are part of one Ummah, or community, and we see each other as brothers and sisters in Islam. There are over a billion Muslims on earth, but if any two meet each other, they will exchange the same greeting: assalaamu 'alaikum (peace be upon you). Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, with new people becoming Muslim daily, and I can attest to this, as I get messages every week from people telling me that they're falling in love with Islam and that they want to become Muslim. So why are so many people looking to embrace Islam as a way of life? Well, you'll just have to continue following this series to find out. Thanks for reading, and until next time, peace be upon you. Assalaamu 'alaikum.