Members of the mosque reported two men smashed in a window at Madrasae Islamia in the 6600 block of Bintliff Drive and then doused a room with gasoline before setting the fire.

Surveillance video shows men sneaking onto the property around 3:30 a.m. Saturday. The video shows them covering their faces, as if they know there are cameras.

Two to three minutes later, they are seen getting into into a white or silver four-door car driven by another person.

Carpets were burned and there was still evidence of the smoke and flames on Sunday.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. This is indeed very saddening to hear. Alhamdulillah, the news reports that the damage from the fire was limited and that someone was there to alert the fire department before it went out of control.

I believe any of our brothers and sisters who live or have lived in the Houston area can attest to just how special Madrasae Islamia is to the Houston Muslim community. Having lived in Houston myself for a few years, this masjid holds a special place in my heart. Besides being renowned as Houston's very own Hafiz factory (the graduates of which are recruited to lead tarawih prayers across the nation), it also holds historic significance being one of the older, more established masajid in the area. I still remember all the times we would purposely make the 20 minute drive to this masjid to hear Hafiz Iqbal's recitation. We ask that our readers remember them and the entire Muslim community in their duas.

On the concept of praise and criticism, from the section Al-'Aql wa al-Rahah (Rationality and Peace of Mind)

Al-Imam ibn Hazm writes:

Whoever believes he can totally avoid people's scorn and criticism is mad. Whoever examines matters carefully and disciplines himself to rely on the facts would enjoy people's criticizing him more than praising him. This is because if they praise him justly and he becomes aware of their praise, it might make him vainglorious, and this would devalue his virtues. If they praise him unjustly and he becomes aware of their praise, he would attain happiness from that which is false, and this would be a grave fault.

On the other hand, if people criticize him justly and he becomes aware of their criticism, it might help him to avoid that for which he is criticized; and this would be a great fortune, which only the faulty would forsake. If they criticize him unjustly and he becomes aware of their criticism and perseveres, he would become more virtuous by his perseverance and forbearance.

Here, ibn Hazm mentions the virtues of being criticized and the vices of being praised. Before mentioning this, he cautions the reader that it is impossible to completely avoid the criticism of others. Indeed, it is true that no matter what you do, no matter how noble and virtuous the act or effort, you are bound to be criticized by others for it. Therefore, it is fitting for the believer not to concern himself with pleasing the creation or avoiding its criticism, but to focus solely on earning the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Praise or criticism can each be classified into just and unjust praise or criticism, and al-Imam ibn Hazm treats each of the four cases separately. As for praise, whether just or unjust, its effects on an individual can be detrimental. And the worse of these two is unjust praise, because it gives the individual a false sense of virtue, pride, and happiness. It would cause him to believe that he is upright and noble when this is not at all the case; the end result would be that he only delves further in his error, having mistaken it for virtue. As for just praise, it does contain benefit (as will be seen later), but al-Imam rightly concludes that, if the individual becomes aware of it, this runs the risk of causing him to lose the value of whatever virtues rightly earned him that praise in the first place! The very worst case would be if this happened in one's 'ibadah, in which case the individual may fall into the minor shirk of riya' (may Allah protect myself and all others from falling into riya'. Amin!). I can't help but recall a joke related to us by Sh. Yaser Birjas about a man who was praying in the masjid while some bystanders were observing. They began to comment aloud about the beauty of his salah: how excellent his khushu' was, how perfectly still he stood, how moving his recitation was. Upon hearing these adulations, the man turned around (mid-prayer) and commented, “By the way, I'm fasting too.”

As for criticism, al-Imam opines that, whether just or unjust, the outcome of it is, insha'Allah, only good for the individual. If the criticism is just, then, after all, what more would the believer hope for than to be corrected by his fellow believer. As RasulAllah, sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is reported to have said, “The believer is a mirror for the believer.” When we receive just criticism, it will allow us, insha'Allah, only to improve in our character and deeds, so that we become aware of whatever error has rightly spurred such criticism and, insha'Allah, strive to remove it from our persona. If the criticism is unjust and undeserved, this is when many of us may get upset, however, al-Imam reminds us that this too is blessing. First of all, it is a confirmation for you that you are indeed upon good, that your enemies had to lie and slander against you in order to criticize you. And secondly, if we take this unjust criticism to be only a test from Allah, and we strive and persevere through that test, then it will only serve to increase us in virtue by means of our striving and perseverance. So either way, the effects will be good for the believer insha'Allah. One may think that this is the end of the benefits of unjust criticism, but even more than that awaits the believer insha'Allah.

Al-Imam ibn Hazm continues:

Moreover, he gains reward, because he receives some of the good deeds of those who criticize him unjustly. These deeds will count for him on the Day of Judgment, when he will be in most need to be saved; let it be by deeds of which he did not labor and by which he was not burdened. This is a great fortune, which only a fool would belittle.

If he is not aware of people's praise of him, then whether they talked about him or were silent makes no difference for him. But that is not the case with their criticism of him; for he will be rewarded either way: whether he becomes aware of their criticism or not.

So, beyond the virtue that one would gain from persevering through the trial of unjust criticism, the believer will also receive the good deeds of the one who has slandered him, and if the slanderer has no good deeds left to give, then his victim will be able to unload some of his bad deeds on him on the Day of Judgment, insha'Allah. It is reported in Sahih Muslim that RasulAllah, sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, asked his companions, “Do you know who the bankrupt is?” His Companions replied, “The bankrupt among us is one who has neither money with him nor any property.” The Prophet (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, “The real bankrupt of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with much of prayer, of fasting, and sadaqah, but he will find himself bankrupt on that Day as he will have exhausted the funds of virtues–because he reviled others, brought calumny against others, unlawfully devoured the wealth of others, shed the blood of others, and beat others; so his virtues would be credited to the account of those who suffered at his hand. If his good deeds fall short to clear the account, their sins would be entered in his account and he would be thrown in the Hellfire.”

There is a narration about al-Imam al-Hasan al-Basri, rahimahullah, who was told that a certain individual was speaking against him behind his back. The following day, al-Hasan al-Basri sent that individual a basket of fruit saying that he was recently informed that the individual had given him some of his good deeds, so he sent him this fruit as a token of his gratitude. Indeed, al-Imam ibn Hazm spoke rightly when he said that the believer will be in most need of these extra deeds on the Day of Judgment. And what better way to earn such deeds than without exerting any effort on our part?

Furthermore, as al-Imam explains, these good deeds will come to the victim of unjust criticism whether or not he becomes aware of the criticism, so he is benefited either way. But praise will only have an effect on an individual in the case that he becomes aware of the praise.

Al-Imam ibn Hazm continues:

If it were not for the saying of the Messenger (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) about praise: “This [the praise] is the worldly good tiding for the believer,” then it would have been incumbent upon the rational individual to desire to be criticized unjustly more than to be praised justly. But given this saying [of the Prophet (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)], it is clear that the good tiding is obtained from just deeds, not from unjust deeds.

So, walhamdulillah, there is indeed benefit in just praise, as RasulAllah, sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, who only speaks the truth, has informed us that praise is the glad tidings of this world for the believer. May Allah make us of those who give the just praise its haqq, treating it as an incentive for Jannah, and not allowing it to nullify our virtues. May Allah make us among those who only seek to earn His Pleasure, not seeking the praises of man nor seeking to avoid man's criticism at the cost of displeasing our Rabb.

It seems there are four candidates running for election. Besides the incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also running, there is the reformist, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the “hard-line” former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Mohsen Rezaei, and another reformist (and cleric) Mehdi Karroubi.

From what I have been reading, it seems that the only two relevant candidates are Ahmadinejad and Mousavi (i.e. the others supposedly don't stand a chance). As such, this will, alhamdulillah, allow me to write a very simplistic, black-and-white, fourth-grade-level analysis of the state of affairs, as I am now able to simply divide the sides into conservative versus reformist.

Ahmadinejad, the conservative, will most likely follow the same policies he held pre-election. Many Muslims here in the West seem to be quite fond of him, because, as we have seen, he is the only leader who has really had the guts to stand up to Israel and the West and speak frankly about issues concerning the Muslim world. However, I must remind everyone that with his belligerent behavior towards the Western powers also comes his belligerent behavior towards our Sunni brethren in Iraq via the funding of Shi'ah death squads. So please, brothers and sisters, do not view Mr. Ahmadinejad as the knight of the Muslim world. He has his own ideology, which is very different from our own, though it may intersect in some areas, and he is doing what he can to push it forward.

As for the “reformist” side, represented by Mousavi, we must understand what is usually meant by reform, when used in the context of Iranian politics. Usually it refers to reforming the laws that are used to enforce their version of the shari'ah. While there are stark differences between the meaning of shari'ah between Ahl usSunnah and the Shi'ah, by and large, the laws applying to society are very similar, if not the same in some cases. So, while we do not agree with their version of the shari'ah, we certainly do not want to find ourselves supporting the secularization of Iran. Reform, also implies a softer, more cooperative foreign policy. In other words, by this ideology, Iran would no longer be viewed as the only 'Muslim' nation with some manhood. At the same time, however, this might (or might not) mean less support for Shi'ah militias in Iraq.

As for the Iranian Sunnis, it seems that their oppression was increased under Ahmadinejad's rule (from his predecessor, Khatami). In general, it seems that the perception is that the Sunnis (or any religious minority) will be less oppressed under a reformist president. As it stands, the Sunni adhan is banned in Iran, in much of Iran, Sunni Friday prayers are only available at the embassies of Sunni countries, and anyone who outspokenly calls to Ahl usSunnah is usually arrested and/or killed. I honestly don't expect any of this to change no matter who is elected. According to a much more rigorous analysis of the situation on IslamOnline.net, it seems that, by-and-large, Iranian Sunnis prefer a reform candidate (as it would hopefully mean somewhat less oppression for them).

However, and Allah ta'ala knows best, it seems that neither side will benefit the Ummah much by their policies. Perhaps the most important issue to note is that the final decision making power in Iran doesn't lie with the president, nor in any of the branches of elected government, but with the Supreme Leader (currently Ali Khamenei), who, much like the pope, occupies his position until death. Pardon my skepticism, but due to this, I really don't expect that Iranian elections can really have much of an effect on anything at all.

Of course, as Muslims, we don't pin our hopes on any individual or group, but only on Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, who is over all things powerful. May Allah alleviate the oppression of our brothers and sisters in Iran and everywhere, and may He recompense the oppressors with what they deserve. Truly He is al-Hasib (the Reckoner), al-Muntaqim (the Avenger), and Ahkam al-Hakimin (the Most Just of Judges)!

Bismillah, was-Salamu 'alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa barakatuh,

My dear brother, Ahmad,

It was absolutely refreshing and reassuring to have received a letter from you, and the brothers and sisters from all over. You have no idea what a letter from the outside world means when one is here. The whole psychological makeup of prison is such that it is designed to remove your individuality, instead turning you into nothing more than an identification number. Everyone wears the same color prison uniform, eats the same food, is subject to the same regulations, etc. So to receive a message marked with your actual name on it, written specifically for you — this is a reminder that you are an actual person with an actual life and actual family and friends. So, having [so many] letters slipped under my cell door reminded me of how fortunate I am to have received support from people who mostly know nothing about me except that I am their brother in faith, and [these] letters never leave my side.

One thing I would like to point out is in regards to how many brothers and sisters, when writing to a prisoner or any other Muslim in need, will start off the reminder with 'you already know this,' or 'I can't say much you don't already know.' In Surat al-Hashr, Allah says in one verse: {“O you who believe, fear Allah and let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow, and fear Allah…“}.

So, the same injunction was made twice in the same verse to fear Allah. Imam Ahmad pointed out that patience is mentioned in the Qur'an over ninety times. So, there are certain concepts that have to be drilled into our heads constantly for us to truly understand and internalize and apply them properly in our lives. Reflect, also, how you have been and will continue to recite Surat al-Fatiha at least seventeen times everyday for the rest of your life. Shaykh 'Uthaymin once pointed out that the Qur'an and the reminders it contains are such that every time you read some verse, you come away with a deeper meaning than the previous time you read that same verse! Now, in an environment such as this, the concepts of patience, tawakkul, etc. take on completely new meanings. So, every reminder boosts morale and strengthens resolve, and helps you look at the situation in the right light.

The greatest asset in here is the ability to remember Allah no matter what condition or situation I am in. When I was handcuffed and couldn't use my hands to pray, when I was in solitary confinement and had no contact with human or book, when shackled by my hands and feet during the hour-long rides back and forth between court and prison hunched over in the dark, stuffy prison van, etc. — when all sources of material comfort have been taken away, it is then when you realize exactly how essential dhikr is to your sanity and survival. People here place so much reliance on the skills of their lawyers, the mercy of the judge, etc., but looking around at them all, I laugh at how easy it is for me to call upon the One who controls every atom in the universe compared with how hard it is for an inmate to get what he wants from those on the outside that he places so much reliance on, who are not always placing him on their list of priorities. Ibn al-Qayyim's 'al-Wabil as-Sayyib' contains great parables and expositions on the virtues of dhikr. But the reason I mention how helpul the act of dhikr has been here is to encourage you all on the outside to realize its true value and take proper advantage of it now, and not just if you happen to go to prison, because if you remember Allah in times of ease, He will help you in times of hardship, guaranteed! It's the easiest act of worship!

I spend my time reading whatever I can get my hands on. Every Tuesday, the library cart is supposed to get some books to my unit, but they are extremely inefficient here when it comes to such services, and the cart has only been around once in the past few months. I picked up and completed a 700-page biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer (the so-called “father of the atomic bomb”) called 'American Prometheus.' It was quite a revealing story of how the man who essentially handed America the nuclear bombs by which she sought to bring the Soviet Union to its knees was blacklisted by the FBI and excommunicated the minute he voiced his opposition to the thirst of zealots in the administration to build even deadlier weapons. I also just completed a history of the Colombian cocaine trade that had its peak in the '80s, and last night completed a book about the topic of celibacy as debated in the Vatican. There are also old issues of National Geographic Magazine floating around between inmates here, so I try to read those whenever one comes my way. I think they are popular around here because they contain more pictures than words :) . I had a copy of Yusuf Ali's translation of the Qur'an for a while, but I had lent it to an inmate interested in Islam who was released on bail before he could return it to me. So, I've been relying on the Qur'an I have memorized when it comes to recitation.

Despite the fact that this is a maximum security facility and the restrictions are at times cumbersome, I really do not have much I can complain about. I have a place to sleep, three meals a day, and I can pray whenever I want in peace. I can think of millions of people around the world who cannot claim the same luxuries. On top of that, one sometimes needs a place like this to achieve clarity of mind. So, as the cliché goes, this has been a blessing in disguise in that I've been able to benefit from various aspects of incarceration that would ordinarily seem undesirable. I can only think of the countless imprisoned Muslims in the jails of tyrants around the globe and hope that if it is not Allah's Decree to free them in the near future, that they taste the sweetness that Allah has placed them in prison to taste… May Allah free our sisters sooner than all…

I would like to end this letter by reminding all who read it to realize what you have been blessed with before it is taken from you: the warm hug of a loved one, the company of righteous people, the ability to see the sun and moon, a breath of fresh air, praying in a mosque, hearing the Qur'an recited, reading a good book of your choosing, taking a shower with clean water whenever you feel like, even something as simple as being able to open a door and walk out of a room! If there is one lesson that everybody can learn in here – be they Muslim or kafir – that is to take the initiative to appreciate the value of the luxuries you are blessed with before they are taken from under your nose. We hear this in every khutbah but one unfortunately cannot truly appreciate this advice until all these delights of life are out of reach, in actuality. (I highly suggest Cummings' 'The Enormous Room' in this regard, if you can find a copy, where he describes, in candid detail, life in a French prison camp stripped of all the material possessions that were once within easy grasp.) Indeed, prison only makes the Muslim stronger…

Was-Salamu 'alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh,

Your brother in the green jumpsuit,
Tariq Mehanna

See Also: Tariq Mehanna: 'Catch all' uses of 'al-Qaeda' and the Sudbury thought criminal

Just a few days ago, I was online checking my e-mail, when I received some incredibly upsetting news. A friend of mine from Boston, Br. Tariq Mehanna (Tariq misspelled as Tarek), had just been arrested by the FBI. At first, I was reluctant to write-up anything about this, so as not to expose the brother's privacy, however, since the media has already made his case and name public, the least we should do is publicly defend and support him.

Regarding Br. Tariq himself, I have known him to be one of the most gracious, kind, caring, thoughtful, and respectable people I have ever known. For the two years that I knew him in Boston, I have seen him go above and beyond what most others would do to help others in need. Those who know him personally know exactly what I am talking about. I am sure any of his peers, Muslim or non-Muslim, would testify to his excellent character, masha'Allah. Furthermore, Tariq was very involved in the Muslim community, masha'Allah; I remember many times that he would be giving halaqaat (Islamic lectures) in the local masjid on an Islamic text he was studying. And he helped many many other Muslims in the community come to the straight path, walhamdulillaah, where those brothers were previously not very into the deen. I'd also like to emphasize that he does not and never has supported nor been involved with terrorism, in any way whatsoever. As such, I am completely perplexed as to why the FBI would be scrutinizing such an upright individual in the first place.

According to the details from the Boston Globe, Tariq was arrested for allegedly lying to the FBI in December 2006 regarding the whereabouts and activities of Daniel Maldonado. For now, he is being held without bail (pending a hearing to decide whether or not he should be held without bail). The FBI claims that it recorded phone calls and that it had an informant who secretly recorded conversations with Tariq that, they claim, show that he was lying to them about Daniel.

Before I go any further, I would like to remind all of our readers that these are only accusations against Br. Tariq. At the moment, we don't know Tariq's side of the story, nor do we know how much of what the FBI is claiming is false and how much is true. That being so, we should assume that he is innocent unless proven otherwise. The principle of innocent until proven guilty is a foundation of this country's legal system and values, that I hope and pray that we as a nation will fully return to after so many well-documented individual abuses given the fledgling status of habeas corpus in America these days.

Let’s take a step back and consider the implications of this incident: we have another American citizen with no previous criminal record of any kind, being held without bail (for now) in his own country, arrested TWO years after the alleged incident and while on his way to a prestigious position that should have been new positive chapter in his and his family’s life.

No mention was made of any other wrongdoing since the alleged incident in 2006, and they didn't arrest him then, so arresting him now does not make any sense. Such a tactic serves only to smear Muslims, and brings pain and suffering to him, his family, and his future. Such tactics by the authorities work directly against the integration of the Muslim community into this society, serving only to create a hostile environment that leaves Muslims fearful, marginalized, and unable to trust the authorities.

Once again, I remind all of our readers that, under the laws of this country, Tariq is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. I can honestly say that I can think of very few individuals that I know personally who can match this brother's character and efforts for the deen. It would be extremely saddening if we were to lose such a brother. I ask everyone to please make du'a for Tariq's expedient release and that Allah protects him and makes his innocence known. May Allah protect Br. Tariq from those who wish him ill, make his innocence known, and grant him an extremely speedy release and safe return to his family and life. Aameen.

See Also: Tariq Mehanna: 'Catch all' uses of 'al-Qaeda' and the Sudbury thought criminal

UPDATE:

If anyone is in the Boston area, please try your best to attend Tariq's court hearing to show your support. His hearing has been moved to Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008, at 2:30 pm.

http://www.cageprisoners.com/campaigns.php?id=825

Court Hearing for Tarek Mehanna
Show Your Support – Attend the Hearing

Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Time: 2:30 pm

Location:
John Joseph Moakley US Federal Courthouse
1 Courthouse Way
Boston
Massachusetts 02210
(617) 748 9152

On the Tuesday night (2/26/08), ABC aired its primetime series entitled What Would You Do? (video below sleeve), in which a controversial scenario is staged with hidden cameras to see how the public would react to such a situation. Last Tuesday's episode included a scenario in a popular bakery with one actor playing a female Muslim customer wearing hijab and another playing a bigoted store clerk who refused to serve her based on her being Muslim and insulted her with all kinds of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab discriminatory remarks.

The reaction of the public was disturbing to say the least, but unfortunately, not surprising. According to ABC News, the majority of bystanders witnessed the incident yet chose not to get involved, largely due to approval of the clerk's actions. A minority did speak up… some in defense of the Muslim customer (expressing their disgust to the clerk and threatening to boycott the bakery). While others, unfortunately, actually spoke up in support of the bigoted clerk's actions. The ABC News article states:

Even though people seemed to have strong opinions on either side, more than half of the bystanders did or said absolutely nothing. This is a familiar reaction for many Muslims such as Javed, [a Muslim-American woman]. “I was shocked because when these things happen to me in real life … I never see what happens after I walk out of that store,” she said. “I would try to justify … that they probably didn't hear it … when I watched it, I realized, no, they hear it and they see it and they're okay with it.”

The broadcast seems to point out that, while there are some good hearted Americans out there who did stand up for the rights of the Muslim customer, the majority of the public are still quite indoctrinated with Islamophobia. So much so that they are OK with a store refusing to serve a customer based on religion albeit illegal according to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to ABC News, one customer said afterwards, “I really think that a person who owns his own business should be able to say who they sell to.”

Perhaps this isn't the most accurate sampling of the American people, as this experiment occurred in Waco, Texas, where one might expect to find perhaps a bit more racism and Islamophobia, but in any case, the outcome paints quite a depressing picture. So, to all the Islamophobes out there reading this… guess what, ABC News just proved your existence, so stop living in denial! Accept that Islamophobia DOES exist and it is destroying the moral fibers of the very society we live in!

I urge all our Muslim readers to write to ABC News and thank them for running this special on Islamophobia. You can comment on the website of the article, or better yet, write to ABC News directly thanking them for this service.

Also, our MM staff writer, Sr. Ruth, has written on her chron.com blog about her perspective on this special, so be sure to check that out as well.

Alhamdulillaah, we just finished the first day of a truly amazing event: The Texas Dawah Convention. Today consisted of a day-long carnival (lasting till 10 pm) right inside Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center. SubhanAllah, this was one of the most awesome Islamic events I have ever been to!

I have to be honest, beforehand, I was a bit skeptical as to what the carnival would be able to offer, especially being an indoor carnival… but my skepticism was not justified in the least. As advertised, the carnival consisted of 27 games and rides for both children and adults. Also included was a bazaar and many halal food vendors from around Houston. Among the attractions were a live petting zoo (with lambs, goats, and other animals the kids loved), a few huge “high-speed” rides (both of which involved spinning the participants at extremely fast speeds), rock climbing, the classic mechanical bull, amongst many other attractions.

Unfortunately, I was not able to ride any of these rides, as I was personally manning the “bouncing balls” game (you know, that thing with all these hundreds of balls inside where little kids jump around and swim in, etc). Alhamdulillaah, the experience was amazing, despite not being able to ride any adult rides myself.

What truly amazed me more than anything else was that THIS carnival brought together Muslims from all over, not only Houston, but the entire nation (as I have so far met brothers here from Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia, and California) to celebrate Eid as one Ummah. It was truly a blessing seeing all the Muslims coming together and celebrating this joyous occasion in a halal and EXTREMELY FUN way. Often times, we hear Muslims complaining that as a Muslims, they can't do “fun” things anymore (like, in their mind, listening to music, going to the movies … since so many movies contain faahishah these days)… well, ALHAMDULILLAAHI RABB IL'AALAMEEN, TDC has proved this notion to be COMPLETELY wrong… as experienced today, Muslim can have TONS of halal and tayyib fun, and benefit each other as the Ummah in the process.

Now, to go to sleep in eager anticipation of the awesome set of lectures that awaits me on Day 2 of TDC.

As the last 10 nights of Ramadhan are now upon us, I wanted to share a short and simple yet extremely powerful lecture given by Br. Jalal ibn Sa'eed. This lecture is a brief tafseer of Surat At-Takaathur and is only about 10 minutes long; subhanAllah, it goes straight to the heart and hits the nail on the head. May Allah protect us from getting caught up in this dunya, especially during this blessed month, and allow us always to remember the true purpose of our creation.

There is an interesting section of 'Zad al-Ma'ad' (2/33) where Ibn al-Qayyim talks about sawm al-wisal, which is that the Prophet would sometimes fast an entire 24-hour day without breaking his fast. When asked by the Companions why he had forbidden them from doing so while he himself would practice it, he replied: “I am not like anyone of you. During the night, my Lord provides me with food and drink.”

Ibn al-Qayyim mentions that there are two interpretations to what the Prophet meant when he said this. The first is that he is literally provided with food and drink, and the second is that he is being nourished spiritually by Allah. The stronger of the two interpretations is the second, because if the Prophet was being provided with actual food and drink, he would no longer be fasting at all, let alone continuously.

He then proceeded with a beautiful exposition of how it is that the servant can be nourished by Allah without eating or drinking anything. Although Ibn al-Qayyim wrote this in regards to the Prophet's continuous fasting, it is something that can actually apply to any fasting person, such as ourselves:

“…and those who have even the slightest bit of experience and longing know how little the body needs much physical nourishment when it is instead provided with the nourishment of the heart and soul, let alone when it comes to the one who is joyous, happy, and victorious because he has reached the One he has sought out, and whose eye is cooled by his Beloved, and feels blessed with His closeness, and is pleased with Him and the bounties and gifts of his Beloved.

And His protection showers him at all times, and his Beloved is constantly tending to his affairs, being as Generous as can be with complete Love towards him – is this not the greatest nourishment for the one who loves his Lord? So, how would it be when love of the Beloved – than Whom nothing is more exalted, and nothing is greater in might, and nothing is greater in beauty, and nothing is more complete, and nothing is greater in kindness – when love of Him fills the heart, and love of him takes over all regions of his heart and limbs, and love of Him is as firmly established as can be?

And this is his condition with the One he loves…

So, is such a person not nourished night and day by his Beloved?”

Rather than writing a long article, I had wanted to pose a question to our readers. One of the major obstacles that Muslims living the West face, particularly those of us who must work amongst non-Muslims, is having to be “professional,” according to the Western concept of the word, without compromising our practice of the Sunnah. Allow me to be a bit less vague. If a brother would like to follow the sunnah with regards to his beard, he would not touch it, or at least leave it at fist-length. Without delving into the particular fiqhi rulings of whether or not the beard is fard, and if so, how long it must be, etc etc, we can safely say that it is considered highly recommended across the board to leave the beard either completely or at fist-length. Sisters, on the other hand, are required to cover, and, to my knowledge, the ulama agree that the minimum requirement for hijab includes a long outer-garment to be worn over her normal clothing (termed as jilbab) in addition to covering the hair. Again, I don't wish to get into the fiqhi details of exactly what constitutes jilbab, or whether or not niqab is fard; rather, I am aiming at the obstacles faced when trying to meet requirements of hijab in the workplace.

Furthermore, there are gender interaction issues. Handshaking between non-mahram men and women does not constitute appropriate Islamic behavior. Indeed, even free-mixing of genders, as is so commonplace in the professional world, is not deemed as appropriate. However, for a Muslim who is working, and attempting to earn his rizq, some of these situations seem simply unavoidable.

So my question to the readers is as follows: What obstacles are faced in attempting to observe the sunnah, in the sense I mentioned above, in the professional world, while still maintaining proper “professionalism”? I will start off the discussion by answering my own question, and inshaAllah, brothers and sisters can share their responses.

I currently work in an engineering product center for an oilfield services company. Alhamdulillah, so far I have not faced any problems with keeping a fist-length beard; of course, I do my best to make sure it is well-groomed each day. However, to be honest, I do feel as though observing this sunnah does create obstacles in terms of professional development. Alhamdulillah, I have no intention whatsoever of leaving this sunnah, and observance of the sunnah gets a much higher priority for me than “climbing the corporate ladder.” Although no one has told me anything yet, I am fairly certain that some of the upper-management may raise a mental eyebrow, so to speak. Mixed gender interactions are also minimized, alhamdulillah, because for some reason, our female colleagues do not seem to be very attracted to the oil and gas industry :) . However, the occasional situation does, and almost certainly will again, present itself where a female extends her hand for a shake. How to best deal with this situation and maintain “professionalism” seems quite tricky to me.

I can write more, but inshaAllah, let's hear from some of our readers. I am quite certain some issues, such as the beard, would pose a greater problem in a different profession, such as the medical profession. Likewise with hijab/jilbab for our sisters. And I know mixed gender interactions can also be a greater problem depending on the field.

Anyways, bismillah, comment away…