#358 – SmilePrayLove.com

Posted by Beardo on Jan 17, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments

Visit the Website: Smile. Pray. Love.

So this post is dedicated towards a new Jannah Network website. I would really appreciate if each of you took the time out to visit this website and perhaps even comment with your feedback. I wrote the about page for it, so I’ll be using that as my blog post:

You don’t have to be in the company of others in order to find happiness or fulfillment. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after one’s own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.”

Sometimes, it’s necessary to take a step back from the fast-paced life. There is nothing within your seemingly-endless list of responsibilities that cannot wait for a couple minutes, in order to ease the tension in your mind.

Smile. Pray. Love. And those three qualities are exactly what we are trying to instill. Why carry a burden on your own shoulders when God created the ground for that purpose? In the midst of all the clutter and clatter, glitz and glamor, don’t forget to find your inner peace and solace.
SmilePrayLove.com is a part of the Jannah Network. Please support us by spreading the word to your friends and family.

http://www.smilepraylove.com

#357 – Sincerity & Donations

Posted by Beardo on Jan 16, 2012 in Blog | 2 comments

The Jannah Network has received many sincere efforts and donations, Alhamdulillah. These were donations of time, effort, talent, and finances. Alhamdulillah, we no longer accept public donations. But in the beginning year or two, we did accept a few.

I simply can never forget this story, and it’s something I personally am very grateful for, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah.

One year into starting the Jannah Network (when the Network was known as “RoadtoJannah.org”), there was a brother I met on a forum. We were making small talk, when he told me he just had a job interview and to make dua for him. So I generally told him that perhaps giving Sadaqah or even intending to give a part of his sign-in bonus might boost his chances. This brother was a computer science major from a very reputable university, so you can imagine how high his sign-in bonus and salary would be if he was accepted.

So in return, he asked me if I needed donations for RoadtoJannah. I told him yes, and our projects at that time called for around $150 for one year – not even close to what our budget is today per month. But he said, “Okay, I’ll give you guys my sign-in bonus, or a good chunk of it.” I was around 15 years old at this point, thinking $150 was a million bucks. Just out of my own insecurity at that time, I told him even $75 would do the job.

This was on Friday. On Monday, he got the job and let me know right away. He also told me the amount he would donate, which turned out to be a whopping $1,500. Subhanallah. It’s such an inspiring story to me, personally. Perhaps from the excitement and young age, I wasn’t able to comprehend the sacrifice, sincerity, and value this was at the time. But looking back and contemplating, it was something only a true man could do. He didn’t even know me. We only talked once or twice by that time, and he knew my age. Before I accepted the money, I told him that we usually don’t accept donations because it’s an Amanah (trust), and that he forgives me if I ever mismanage the money. He told me he has full trust in me and I can do whatever I please with it.

So I bought bucket loads of sweets and candy.

Kidding. I saved the money, and soon enough, Alhamdulillah, the Jannah Network was formed via the acquirement of IslamicBoard Forums,  the best investments the Jannah Network has ever made. And I do not hesitate in calling it the best investment, either. But it would be wrong to take the credit, because the money that enabled it was from that young man who offered his sign-in bonus. It was a sacrifice that he made that perhaps we can attribute a huge, perhaps even major, share of what the Network is today. May Allah Ta’ala reward him and bless him always.

And there were so many stories similar to this. When we sent out an email asking for donations, we received immediate support from a number of people. But today, we’ve closed off the donation income, keeping in mind that there are better places for donations to go. We suffice on business revenue, marketing, and advertising campaigns.

But the reason I’m mentioning this story is after an incident. We hired a manager for HalalPress.com (Blogging Network) recently. Masha-Allah, she has been a huge help, taking personal action and self-motivation to fulfill her duties, and beyond. Today, she told me she intended to purchase a booth at her local fundraiser, and asked me if she should represent HalalPress or the Jannah Network as a whole.

A long story short, she basically offered to pay the booth rent (which was a decent amount) and spend her personal time to market the site. I just thought how there are so many noble people in the world, masha-Allah. It’s a beautiful thought. And I thought I’d share the inspiration down to you guys.

Alhamdulillah for everything.

#356 – Community Leaders’ Dinner

Posted by Beardo on Jan 15, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments

Last night, there was a Community Leaders’ Dinner held by a moderately prominent non-profit, charity organization. It was both an honor and privilege to have represented the Jannah Network. Actually, it was a blessing that Jannah Network was invited at all.

I know this might have been rude, but I didn’t stay the entire time. I stayed maybe 10-15 minutes after I finished my dinner and quietly left the hall. And I’ll tell you why.

Out of the half dozen speakers, only one spoke English fluently. It’s hard to follow along with a presentation if you’re not even close to using correct word usage. I’m not expecting any fluency, but simply an understandable presentation. In addition, it was a little disorganized. There was an overcrowd of at least 25-50 people, causing a shortage of chairs. Because they had not expected that additional 25-50 people, the banquet lines were also double the length.

But those were all minor issues compared to the fact that they had only presented their organization. Usually, most of these appreciation dinners are geared towards motivating the crowds to continue their support by lectures of some sort – not an hour long, but 15-30 minutes. Instead, they went on full blast with their organization’s accomplishments. This is also necessary, but there is a limit to it all.

But I don’t want to be too critical, as a humble guest. I did appreciate their gesture of including us in their guest list. May Allah Ta’ala reward them. I just feel like there is a necessity to bring back professionalism.

And more than critiquing them, this is a lesson for myself. As I’m working with the Jannah Network, insha-Allah, I will keep all this in mind and heart.

#355 – Cussing

Posted by Beardo on Jan 14, 2012 in Blog | 4 comments

Some people compliment excessively, which after a while, begins to sound fake. I find the most sincere compliments to be indirect and unintended.

For example, I was talking to a friend, when all of a sudden he said, “It’s so f***** cold here.” And he quickly looked at me and apologized, saying, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to cuss. I try not to cuss in front of you. I don’t know why.” But I had to ask why anyway, just because this tends to be the case very often. I don’t want people to be uncomfortable or abnormal around me, although I do appreciate that gesture.

He said, “Because you don’t seem like the person that would cuss up a storm, or even cusses at all. I just feel wrong cussing around you.”

And those words, they flattered me. Alhamdulillah.

I remember in 5th grade, I was accused of shouting the F-word in the playground. This memory still sticks with me because it was so unfair, so untrue. I received an after-school detention – all for something I did not do. I did not shout the F-word on the playground. I do not cuss. When I came back to the classroom crying over my unfair trial and sentence, I told my friends that I was sentenced to a one-hour detention. Nobody believed I cussed, and my friend even said, “You don’t cuss! I cuss. But you never cuss!”

But I took the detention. I wish I was a bit stronger, back then and even now. I could have stood up for myself. But anyway, even though I do not want to cry over spilled milk, I’m having a hard time forgiving Mrs. Elsasser, who was the “mean teacher” in my head, who would not listen to my side of the story and insisted that it was me, even though she wasn’t even there to witness it.

But anyway, so when my friend told me yesterday about me not cussing, it gave me a sense of pride. Living in a world where even my college professors curse like sailors, I prefer to use soft, compromising words. I suppose I do have something to be proud of after all, Alhamdulillah. And I can only hope and pray that I’m able to be even more soft, yet firm, in my words as time progresses, insha-Allah.

So that’s my little memoir for today.

#354 – Servant Thievery

Posted by Beardo on Jan 13, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments

Below is an article I wrote for MuslimYouthMusings.com. Please check it out!

(Link: http://www.muslimyouthmusings.com/servant-thievery/  )

She was dragged mercilessly to the balcony, clutching her black plastic trash bag close to her side as if her life depended on it. The dusty, mosquito-infested balcony was perhaps two feet wide, five feet long. She stared aimlessly into the crowded and polluted city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, a woman in her early twenties. The balcony door was slammed shut and locked. Tears rolled down her face as she tightened her scarf insecurely, her hands shaking. The little ones banged the balcony door, taunting and jeering.

***

Earlier that day, she was expecting to depart to her home village, from where she was hired a few months before. As she was escorted to a rickety rickshaw, my aunt noticed her bag was unusually heavy, things inside of it clanking together. Frankly, servant girls barely have enough clothes to last them two or three days, so based on that suspicion, my aunt demanded to check her plastic trash bag. After much resistance from the poor woman’s end, it was discovered that she had stolen a number of household items. The loot consisted of a few plastic toys, red onions, cilantros, and a few other items. Upon estimation, it amounted to perhaps two or three American dollars.

News spread throughout the entire building that a servant had committed thievery. For a country so corrupted, the reaction to petty theft was rather ironic. Everyone began to give their input on the punishment. The girl was cornered in the servants’ headquarters, an unfurnished, barren rock-floored room. Finally, my aunt arrived with a pair of scissors. The girl gasped, her tears and sweat fusing down her face. I was utterly confused, unsure as to what could be done with those scissors.

The servant dropped to her knees, pleading and begging for her dear life. Her scarf was loosened as her long hair tumbled towards the ground. They were intending to cut her hair. I still could not follow along with this foreign form of punishment.

It was then explained to me that her hair was a means of beauty. For a servant girl, that was the only ticket to marriage as she had no wealth or lineage. Observing her tear-stricken face, her thin and weak knees shaking, I squirmed and looked away. I heard my mother whisper a plea on behalf of the girl. Perhaps my aunt did not want to create a scene in front of us, visitors from halfway across the world. Perhaps the girl had learned her lesson. Whatever the reason, my aunt eventually dropped the scissors and called the girl’s family to immediately pick her up.

Suddenly, all of my challenges and tribulations seemed minuscule in comparison. It was a reality check; a reminder to not only be grateful for all of my materialistic possessions, but for the intangible traits of honor and dignity as well; a reason to express modesty and humbleness at all times. Who is it to say that I could not have been in her shoes? It was only through necessity and desperation that she had committed this misdeed, if her actions can even be called that.

It was sad for me to witness this incident, especially since I have always only heard of the people of Bangladesh being associated with their impeccable hospitality and fish curry. I then realized that much of this behavior was in fact reflective of a larger global phenomenon of our perpetually developing world, where there has arisen an inevitable imbalance on the scale of social structure both domestically and internationally. This disparity has caused various forms of racism and discrimination to emerge and erupt on many fronts, including class, skin color, culture, and tradition. This dissonance has trickled down to the local and everyday level in many places, including Bangladesh, and has unfortunately led many people to fall sway to blatant racism and discrimination.

The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) once said, “A white (person) has no superiority over a black (person) nor a black (person) has any superiority over a white (person) except by piety and good action” (Tirmidhi). Perhaps it’s time for all of us, especially for those of us who have been deafened and blinded by our own egotistical lifestyles for too long, to actively speak out and work against acts of discrimination everywhere, blatant or otherwise.

***

Upon returning home, the stacks of school books and endless work documents were just as I had left them, untouched. However, with this fresh perspective in mind, the tasks appeared smaller. I pushed in my chair, opened the first task at hand, and said, “Alhamdulillah.”

What went through her mind as she was then marched to the balcony, what became of her thereafter, I still cannot help but wonder. Nonetheless, I pray that she has found solace and honor wherever she may reside.

Source: http://www.muslimyouthmusings.com/servant-thievery/

#353 – All I Want is a Purple Jacket

Posted by Beardo on Jan 12, 2012 in Blog | 2 comments

Not true. I do not own anything pink, purple, orange, red, or yellow. I prefer darker, sober colors.

But this story is about a girl I met at the Masjid. We had a nice conversation, actually.

Calm down. She’s 3 years old.

Her father warned me that once she starts talking, she does not stop. I did not take heed. But to be honest, I was quite interested in our conversation. I asked her what kind of candy she liked, and at the end of it all, we actually had a lot in common!

“I told my dad I wanted a jacket. It was purple and it was nice so I asked him to buy it for me. But he said no because he said I have a lot. But I don’t have a lot. I only have one. I don’t know why he didn’t buy it for me. I told him I only have one but he said I have a lot.” And she continued on and on about her major life problem.

But it just had me thinking. It’s no fault of hers – and I guess not her parents either. But imagine, a 3-year-old girl complaining about not having enough. Sure, maybe she only did have one. But it’s that lack of contentment which worries me, something which seemed to be seeded in her at such a young age. Or perhaps it’s a girl thing, I do not know.

I’m just not familiar with this whole concept of “shopping.” I’d like to say nobody from my household is a “shopper.” When my friends ask me to go to the mall with them, I just wonder WHY. I have clothes at home – clothes which may be years old and worn many-a times, but still in new condition.

#352 – Compare & Contrast Students

Posted by Beardo on Jan 11, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments

I have two students. The older one comes at 3pm, the younger one comes at 3:30pm. The older one tends to miss at least once a week (and I only have two sessions per week with each of them). He calls me an hour  beforehand (at most) to let me know if he will be there or not. I find this to be a little disrespectful to my own schedule, as this is a voluntary position. At one point, I was tempted to tell him that we should simply continue when he is able to commit consistently, or he won’t be able to grasp in the way he should.

Yet, I kept quiet. Instead, I forced myself to observe patience. As a teacher, I’ll do my part and simply seek eternal reward – which is the main reason behind it all.

However, I can see the obvious difference between him and the younger student. The younger student called me today, five minutes before his session started, to tell me that he will be five minutes late. I appreciated this act so much – that thoughtfulness and consideration. And, to be honest, it makes me even more inclined to teach him. And dare I say, it’s also evident in his progress as well. He excels at a much higher rate, even though I know he doesn’t study as much. The older one went as far as to make flash cards. Whereas they say it takes longer for older people to grasp or memorize, I feel like there’s external components as well, the invisible blessing.

Just an interesting observation.