IlmFeed Podcast EP 049
Fatima Barkatulla – Haifaa Younis – Return to Allah, Memorising Qur’an, Purification of the Heart
AI: Summary ©
The founder and Chairman of Jana, a school of women's medicine, emphasizes the importance of practicing religion and learning every day to become a successful person. They stress the need for effort and dedication to practice, rather than just memorization, and for regular practice and understanding of Islam's art. The success of spiritual development courses is emphasized, along with advice on staying steadfast and not giving too many concessions. The importance of lowering the gaze in order to have a natural face and practicing it for a better life is emphasized, along with advice on staying steadfast and not giving too many concessions.
AI: Summary ©
Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim Al hamdu lillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah. The brothers and sisters are Salam. Wa alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh. And welcome to infeed podcast. I just want to take a moment to thank you all for helping them feed go from strength to strength. I know we have listeners and viewers from all across the world. We have brothers and sisters in Malaysia, in Australia and Canada, in India, Pakistan, all also the United States. And I just want to acknowledge all of you and say thank you very much for helping us go from strength for strength. Today, I've got a wonderful guest all the way from the United States, Dr. heifer Yunus. She is an American Board
Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist of Iraqi heritage. She studied with scholars in the United States and graduated from the Maccha Institute of Islamic studies in Judah and also memorize the Quran Masha Allah at alHuda Quran memorization school in Judah as well. She is the founder and chairman of Jana Institute and currently teaches seminars and runs retreats, including seminars on the commentary of the Quran, and the practical relevance of the Quran in our everyday lives. So, Dr. Haifa salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato. Or, like your rocker to Well, so much for having me it's a pleasure to be here. hamdulillah How does it feel to be in London? It's always good. Is this
your first time? No. Oh, no. Okay, I actually lived in London, really? In the 90s. Okay, and I did part of my OBGYN gynecology training in London itself did a year at guys hospital. Wow. And then did my degree and then six months moved to Kent Maidstone beautiful place all green. And then the time came in to move to the states for family reasons. And then I moved then I kept coming back for visits and the last two years I think this is my fourth visit
to London. So beautiful to be British. Basically. You're you know, maybe you're an honorary British person and people always ask me where do you see yourself? You see yourself as Iraqi since this your heritage? Do you see yourself as American? Where do you live? Do you see yourself as British you live there? Do you see yourself as Arab Saudi lived in Jeddah? My always answer is I'm the servant of Allah, whatever part of the earth he put me on there hamdulillah an international citizen. Mashallah. So Dr. Haifa tell us like,
tell us a bit about your background. I'm so excited, really. Because when I read about, you know, some of the things that you've mashallah been able to go on and achieve. I just thought Subhanallah, it will be so inspiring for people to hear, you know, where did this all start? Where did what is your background in terms of your childhood and
grew up, as you said, I grew up in Baghdad, actually. So, and I grew up in a family, which education was the prime importance, and it didn't matter, you're a girl or a boy, it was, this is the main thing. And I remember very well, my mom, God bless her soul used to say, even if you don't want to work, even if you're not planning to work, just take it. And it's capital in us. And then I was second from the last in my families, and then all my older siblings, that's where they went. And
other than education also grew up in a family, I wouldn't say very religious, but it was very moral.
Which is really important these days, because it is what we are seeing these days is lack of morality, plus lack of practicing religion. So morality was extremely important. Focus on education. And then
I didn't feel because I'm a woman, I'm a different in that time. And my mom was very educated. And she worked. And she was also an amazing mother. So I grew up with that example, of a woman can be a mother educated, you can work but she always made her home house and children in number one priority. And I remember she was very social, very well known a lot of friends. But when the time for exams comes in that month, you know, it's when you're young. I always tell my friends these days, it's things you do way more than the things you say, that affects your children. And I remember this very well, since I was very young is that month of the year before the finals, mom
does not leave the house at all. And all her friends says, nope, the children has their exams they need me. And she did not teach us. I mean, we studied but it just her presence.
This. So it's really this was really important than I went to medical school.
Simply she wanted me to be a physician, and then I fall in love with it after the first year. Then things changed many things. Number one, she passed away and I was young. And then the all the wars that happened, and then almost panned out, I decided that we will leave the country so I left that's where I came to the to England lives this the 90 that's in the 90s. Yes. So came to England stayed for about a year and a half, as I told you in the beginning, trained OBGYN here. It was very interesting, actually, it really helped me in many ways, not only as a physician, but also as
a person who discovered that I love this Deen. And this is this is like a turning point. It was just before I moved to the to England during the war. And every time I say this now when I speak to people, and I say, How do you feel? If you have a friend who calls you only when she needs you?
How do you feel?
You feel taken advantage? Exactly. Right. She She only remembers me when she wants me. So this is how I felt because before the war, we were living in a very good life. I'm talking about good life, not very luxurious, but it's a good life. And we had everything, right as children Hamdulillah. But I don't think we felt it. And we were not very connected with him. You know, so when the war comes in, you know how it is when you are in need, you turn to Him, you start looking at your Salah and became perfect. And he started reading the Quran, you start thinking of doing this and this. So this was a time for me to reflect. It was like, so you only remember him when you need him. And then when
I moved to England also was a tough change. Because I came alone, left the family because of the all the issues. And then I that was another time was like see you're alone, now you need him. And from there. And then when I went to the States, things changed, because now back with my family, but then you start feeling that he's there for you. Whether you you turn to him or not, he's there. Absolutely. And then what he wants from me more than anything else, and he with a capital H is there when I don't need him. Because that's what I call the love relationship. When you love Allah subhanaw taala is you remember him not because you need him, because you love him. So this was I
will say this is the turning point. And the same time just before the war when my mom was got sick, and then she passed away. That's another turning point. But the bigger one was the was the war and everything we lived, when you don't know if you're gonna wake up in the morning alive, we all know we will die. But when it becomes very close reality, and you wake up and you see oh, this bomb is could come My house is next. So it's it's amazing. I am so grateful.
At the moment, it was very tough. But I'm so grateful because it's one of the things that shapes human being is when he or she goes through test and difficulty. And then you discover yourself also, you know that you are you have a lot of other potentials. You really love Allah, you really want to get close to him. So hamdulillah I'm so grateful to everything Allah He gave me. So these tests like you know, the one that you mentioned, they often are things that awaken us, don't they? I was just thinking that unlike a friend who might be less forgiving. Allah Subhana Allah, he's happy when we tend to. Right. So if you're out there feeling that you know, I've been neglectful, I haven't really
been fulfilling my role towards Allah my my you know, giving Allah His right or in worship, etc. Although we can never give Allah he's right in worship.
That should never be a cause for you to not turn to him, right?
Absolutely. I mean, the most hopeful Allah in the Quran that's what the scholar teaches us. It's a sort of Zoomer pull. Yeah, by Dr. Lena Astra for other unforeseen Latok Natoma Rahmatullah. And it's amazing. I mean, we can talk about desire for hours. But the beauty of it is the way he Subhana
talked, or or acknowledged those who are sinners, is the word Yeah, a baddie. My servant. It's a personal, right. He didn't say, yeah, you have NASA, you're living at Amazon or people are you who attain faith or you sinner. He says, Yeah, buddy. I was like, my prop, my personal, my private, you know? And then he described them, I Lilina as truffle Allah and fusi him, they have transgressed. What does transgression mean? You did what you did, right, and then immediately says Latok, not Alma Rahmatullah. Don't disappear. So absolutely anyone and this
Do I always tell everyone who asked me he's like, it doesn't matter what you did. Yeah, doesn't matter what you did, as long as you're alive. As long as there's a breath in you, as long as you turn to Him sincere, don't worry. Even Schick. I mean, people who didn't believe in Him, once they say La ilaha illa. What did the Roswaal is AutoSum totos al Islam, we are the mama cobbler. Islam remove everything before everything. So 100 rely on this is a beautiful, I always say this is a beautiful religion. I think we as Muslims, number one, and I will say even humanity, Slack, you have a really expensive piece of diamond. You know, it's like really worthy, but you don't know the value
of it. You look at it, and you think it's a crystal SubhanAllah.
Yeah, and this is how we need to look at it in with the beauty in depth and discover way more than the shell. We all know. There's way more insight.
Definitely. So anyone who you know, who's who's feeling down who's feeling like they've done too many sins. Never ever, ever feel that ALLAH SubhanA danas door is closed. He's just waiting for you to turn back. And it's a beautiful, seeing that it's if human beings being asked more than once or twice or thrice, they get upset. Yeah, right. Somebody calls you come and pick me up and you say okay, sure. Second time was like, okay, third time any of you will say it was like there's nobody else. Right? We all do that. Even when the children do this. Allah subhanaw taala is the other way around. Subhana if you don't, or I don't, if we don't ask him. He gets upset. Subhana so absolutely
anyone far away never prayed, did whatever app so just turn to Him. Pure full. And he will be as again the Hadith teaches us if I come one step it will be walking if I am walking, he will be running. He just will just want the me and you to initiate it. Just don't emphasize your law. I really want to go back to
So Dr. For which which which area of America are you from? I live in St. Louis, Missouri. We call it the Midwest. Okay, so there's east west and there is Midwest, Chicago, which many people are very familiar with. We are about four hours drive south of Chicago, Midwest in the middle.
I'm not very familiar with America, except I used to live with some American students in Egypt. So they filled me in on all the right nuances. But inshallah I do hope to visit one time one day and a half to ensure insha Allah Yeah, the house already there. Yeah.
That's the beauty, isn't it? Exactly. Like sometimes when, when I'm giving a talk about sisterhood, or I will say to sisters, you know what, we are the only people I believe this, I can definitely say this, I could go anywhere on Earth. And if I can find the Muslim there, I have a home somewhere to stay food.
I have somebody who treat me like family. And I've actually experienced that, you know, wherever I've, I've traveled and
SubhanAllah. You know, it's like you said there's things that we take for granted. Yes, that we think are normal is sometimes when somebody embraces Islam, they say to you, do you know how amazing that is? You know, you didn't realize that something that you're you think is normal. But for us, it's amazing, you know? So I've often heard sisters say, you know, when they embrace Islam, that sisterhood was something that they never experienced until they became Muslim. Because they felt that they were always competing with other women. There was always this you know, comparison and competition and
and when all of that is stripped away and as women were allowed to just love each other for the sake of Allah to do things without needing anything in return. Exactly. I think that there's something so beautiful in that that we have you put it beautifully isn't to conditions. You do it for Allah and with no expectation from anyone. You will love it. You will feel peace and then everybody will benefit from it. It's beautiful. I agree with and brotherhood dogs, of course. I mean, it's both genders. Yeah, brothers with brothers sisters with sisters.
So tell us a little bit especially about your Quran memorization journey, because
Dr. I'll tell you that.
I used to memorize the grant while I began. I used to use other Goodstein. I was like, I'm sorry, I'm being very open here. I was memorizing the Quran. And I would say until I had my first child
becomes less mum. Yeah. And then, probably when I had my second child, you
You know, I kind of lost the momentum of so I managed to memorize quite a lot but
then I started focusing on them memorizing Quran. So alhamdulillah my two sons, half of Quran Tabata and two others who are learning
but at the back of my mind that have this thing, come on, you've got to get back on it. So come on, you're,
I think you're gonna be the one I think this is gonna get me back on. So there must be people out there listening and thinking, Well, I'm an adult now. You know, I think you memorize and as an adult, absolutely.
They might be thinking, Well, I'm past it, you know, there's no, there's no way I'm gonna memorize now, you know, I should have done it when I was younger. And what would you say to that such a person? Number one, what you shared with me? It's almost almost daily. I hear hear that. And I heard the same story yesterday, here in London. And absolutely wherever I go, this is what I will say.
memorization of the Quran is not related to age, or gender.
It's it needs one thing to start with. Number one, which is accurate is an ayah. In the Quran. I quoted a lot to myself and to the sisters. It's unsorted is
Allah subhanaw taala said, Men are Rodell after, or Salah HERSA. What will mean for Allah kanessa You mush Cora whomsoever want the hereafter was sha Allah HERSA the word sa weren't hard, say working hard law. You worked for it for the ACA. What will not mean? In the eye of course you're a believer. For like a kind of say you homeschool those who fulfill these three criteria they want worked hard, they are believer, this their effort will be rewarded, or Allah will be grateful for the reward. So what will they get? Allah knows. Now bring this in here. And I say this for dunya matters. And for Africa matters that alone Quran Quran journey need number one. You wanted?
You wanted? You wanted your children to memorize the Quran? Yeah, what did you do? Salah HERSA. And how much the Saudi was putting a seven and eight year old son let him sit down memorize one page. I seen it. Right? What what men believe in here? Metaphorically, you know, Allah, who will not let your effort goes vain. You're not alone will help you, you know, you will see the fruit of it. Well, I can't tell you how much Cora Allah who will make it easy. So bring it back to every woman or every Muslim in general. Number one I wanted. If I don't want something, it's not going to happen unless Allah subhanaw taala of course, has exceptions. I want to be I want it to be a physician. You want
it to memorize the Quran. So that's number one. Number two, is you have to work hard for it. If I don't know what you say in England, but we have a statement in the state says there is no free lunch.
In this country. That's what they always say, right? What's a free lunch meaning meaning to get something you work for it? The Quran needs, needs you. And one of the teachers said this to me, the more you give the Quran, the more the Quran will give you
and you believe Allah will not let you down. Unfortunately, this journey who's going to be stopping number one, and that journey? Right? What's your traffic light? Number one that I do? I'm straight on. Yeah, that's true. does not want you to memorize the Quran. So we'll bring all what you share.
obstacles, I will call it imaginary obstacles. Yeah, I'm old. Yeah. I'm a mother. I'm very busy. You know what I forget? The moment I memorize one page next day I didn't. And this keeps building up and you stop.
This is my answer. Age is not an issue. In our institute, Jenner Institute, the oldest student memorizing the Quran is 67 Allahu Akbar, this is her third Jews. This is my salah. Really. And this is a non Arab. A woman grandmother takes care of her husband and child and grandchild grandchildren, very active in the community. Teachers and study, study Tajweed you name it any class we start she's there.
So age is not an issue time. Which we all blame everything on time. No, this is how I will say we have time for everything. We have we spent woman we easily spend three, four hours in the kitchen if you want really to prepare a meal that you like and you
wanted to come out beautiful, right? children spend three four hours playing and doing all these things we spend hours with our friends. When it comes to the Quran is not there is no time. I don't look at the time that I'm spending in the Quran in a way that it will give me back. See now this man has a beautiful statement. You see it in every Quran memorization school. It says LOL, Bharat Kulu, buena, Masha be admin Kurama Rabina. If our hearts were purified, we'll never have enough of the words of Allah. So time, it needs time management. This is what I said to the sister yesterday SubhanAllah. And I say this to everyone who's listening to me look at yourself, you're a morning
person or evening person, where is your strength, you focus better in the morning or you focus better in the night. And number two, look at the time when you're free.
Is the morning very hard for you. Because every one is up and running around. Or it's the evening the other way around. You need to dedicate 30 to 45 minutes a day. Focus.
Start, three Ayat a day review and keep going. You will not memorize it in a day. Not in a year. Adults average with other things in life. You're talking about five to seven years. People says five to seven years. I said people study eight years in the states eight years to become a physician. You didn't even did anything yet. They just give you the degree. Yeah. So you did not do your training yet. You didn't do your specialty. But people do it. When I'm on something, you will do it and you're wasting the effort. Yes. Now before all this Yeah. before, during and after talking to him as as your Allah I know I am not worthy of your book. Because it's his words. But you are generous.
Give it to me like you give it to everybody else. What do you think Allah will do will let you down? I have to say it now. Y'all Allah. So I know I am not worthy and you are generous and I I know you can help me. Give me the Quran in my heart, Dr. Amin and actually the trigger that made me start to do it. And again, I was doing my residency in the States. Doing my OBGYN gynecology is a friend of mine who passed away May Allah bless her soul very young.
And I saw her two days before I was with her 48 hours before she passed away. And I was just coming back from Umrah. She looked at me and says she was terminal.
She said to Allah subhanaw taala will give me life. There's two things I want to do. Just young kids
didn't say anything about the children.
Honestly, all her parents were still like nothing about the dunya says two things I want. I want a lot to give me life because I want to do two things still I didn't do and I said What is it? She says I want to go to his house. And I want to memorize the Quran. Two days later she died.
What do you think Allah will reward her? Because the Nina in Tanzania awesome. So Pat and I left after we I was there when she literally passed away and I said
what is my excuse? I'm still breathing.
And then you come in you and you said it's going to be too maybe I will not finish maybe I'll die and then I the iron swords and the SAT comes to over your head your face OBD Lee, you just fill up the moron and Kathy Rosa. So ever migrate for the sake of Allah. He will see a lot of hair on the earth is wide enough for him. But the second part is related to here are my Yeah, Hodgeman BT hemo had urine Allahu Allah Saudi, when you leave your home, for the sake of Allah migrating for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, and then what happens to my recall mode. And then he or she dies. Eduardo, Allah Allah, Allah will reward him as if he completed his journey. Here you go, start, have
their resolve, turn to Allah, you're lucky. Make me strong. Give it to me. I'm not worthy. Practically I will say the best is you if you join a school, or join a group with a teacher alone is possible. But you're more a good target for shaitan Yeah, but when you're a group like clockwork, look at your children because you were there. Right? You weren't there. You're their teacher or you're their mentor. They did it but by Allah grace. So this is what I told her sisters get a group hamdulillah these days with all the technology we have. You have it everywhere. You have online classes online teachers online, I'm sure in London, I'm not very familiar. Yeah, but I'm sure you
have classes for memorize. Yeah, we have an institute called the shot TV Institute in West London, I believe
We have in East London, I'm sure there are lots of places. It's an even online having a an online tutor once one of my children, you know, had a tutor online as well. And that really just having that accountability. And you know, that kind of thing. You know what? Sometimes? I'm sure you see this here, but we see it a lot in the States. You see people at 4am and 5am in the morning, doing what? non Muslims exercising? Yeah, right. They go to the gym at 5am. Right? Why? Because they want it. Yeah. And they love it. And they love that result. And this is for dunya nothing when we go to the grave, it's not going to give us anything back. So Pamela, can't we Muslims wake up at five or
four or in the evening, some of them goes in the evening, and just give this one hour? Yeah, not to my body, but to my soul. It's the words of him. And I can tell you what will happen once you start memorizing the Quran, the baraka, the blessings you see in your life, and I'm not saying you're going to be rich, necessarily, but the peace, the serenity, the strong connection, you will feel it's beyond, but we will be rich, we have like a richness in our heart. Exactly. I know that because I've tasted it.
And, you know, like my son when when I'm studying or when I'm preparing a talk. I'm like, What's that I, you know, and he'll, he'll just tell me straight up and I'm like, I wish you know, I had that, you know, well, he's got background. So
that's, that's a true story was one of my patients. And she was 78 great grandmother. So she came to me and she needed the surgery. First question, she asked me, When will I be able to leave the house? And in me, I was like, 78 Where do you want to go? Right? And and she said and I said where do you want to go? She said I go to the Quran school.
I had mashallah to bottle cola. So where are you? And she said, we are in Al Baqarah. I said, Mashallah. Because what I thought, she starts from the back. Yeah, so now we're almost done. And she says no, Dr. Yunus it's, we I mean, we started from Al Baqarah. And I was like, Mashallah. So I did the surgery, because was about two months later, the the surgery, and then in the hospital. And then she said, so when I can go to the school, I said, after two weeks, someone can take you and you can go, she come back six weeks for her visit, checkup visit? And I said, and I call her auntie, and I said, auntie, she said, Did you go I said, she said, Yeah, I went ahead. Where are you now? So it's
an earlier Imran.
78 Wow. Yeah. So I will absolutely say you know, the Hadith. It's an amateur with the ateneum humps of lumps. Take advantage of five before five. You know the Hadith? Yeah, one of them. Which actually most of them applies to the memorization of the Quran. That's true. Shabaab aka Kabbalah Youth use before you get old for all hackers publish all your free time before you get busy. Right?
So how Tocopilla
healthy before you get illness, and well, before he gets poverty, and the most important one, your life before you die. So may Allah give it to your ebme Today's drummer, just before Mahara turned to him, sincerely, there's a Saturday job by the time that Allah subhanaw taala respond to Anton says, Your Allah give it to me. Give me the result. Give me the humor. Yeah, I think all of us, you know, brothers and sisters who are listening, absolutely need to get back on it. So Pamela, and it's truly it's, it's actually never been easier in a way because, you know, sometimes when sisters say how can I seek knowledge? So I will say to them, well, so many means now, you know, like, even if, even if
you have very small children, and you can't get out of the house or whatever, exactly. We have online courses, there are different means. And sometimes you have to adjust yourself, depending on your circumstances. But I think the most important thing is to keep moving forward. You know, so I remember at certain times my son, we would go online, sometimes we would, he started the class in the mosque, and that was the best to be honest, you know, to go every day.
But depending on what was happening, we had to change the strategy, but keep moving forward. And this applies not only to the memorization of the Quran, yeah, Fatima definitely applies to the knowledge. Yeah, because these days and I'm specifically addressing the woman here and the Muslims at large. The main problem we have as Muslims now
Honestly, his lack of knowledge, we don't know Odine we don't know how to practice it the right way. If you ask a person in general Why do you pray this way? The answer usually usually is that's how my mom taught me. May Allah bless all the mothers or my father taught me right now. And sometimes the parents have been taught right but sometimes could be, they're not. But seeking the knowledge itself, the basics basics basics, so we know and I'm talking about the basic not only the external, the basics knowing a loss pantalla have this personal relationship. You know what so you can give it to your family you can give it to the people around you. We don't because we don't spend time
allocate time to learn this deen and um, this is one of the main reasons that's made me and Allah Santana used me to start Jana institute is to have a place where the woman not only learn but they need to know how beautiful is to learn and what it will do to your life and to your family and your relationship with Allah and devotion is that we all look for these days, live in peace, which is missing Subhanallah Lahaina set up your alarm make us live in peace is when you are connected with him. Part of the knowledge is his book, and also learning his Deen his religion, Islam. How do I practice it? How do I feel it? This is extremely important. I mean, if I, if anyone is hearing and
listening to me, I will say I would. If I go back, if Hola, hola, give me another lie, I will have started this much younger than I started on it. When I really started. And another thing which a lot of people these days especially,
it should not be either or. Either I'm gonna go and study Islamic studies or I'm going to be studying, we call it secular? Why? Why not? Both? Yeah. Why not to both? Definitely. One is on a faster pace. One is on a
slower paced or the same pace, but both. And if you look at our history, they were all both. They were successful people in dunya in life. Yeah. And they were successful in their relationship with Allah. I think this is one of the other main things we have to change. Yeah, is both this idea that you become a scholar, and then you basically don't have a job, you have the jobs, you know, you don't go into any other study, or you study other things and you become a professional. And you feel like then studies is not for me. That has to change. Yeah. Well, it has to change. But we have to say that we still need people who their specialty is this. We need to be because it takes time
doesn't it? And that's the only time somebody should be a specialist exactly like you need. For example, gynecologist, but also you need a family practice. But these those people who chose to have the path of learning the deen of Allah as a career, may Allah reward them, we all need them. But I My message is to the general people who they think is once they took the secular study, they don't have to study think else? No. Because what brings what the Islamic Studies learned? I don't call it Islamic studies only. What will what learning about Allah subhanaw taala and about the deen will bring to you as a person and brings to your family. What ever career you have, what ever, it will
not bring it down at all. And doable, possible journey. And then you don't want to take a PhD in Islamic studies you doesn't have to be you wanted to humbler but at least you know, the basics, what we call it for bowline things that's obligation, external and internal. And then we as the amount will be absolutely different. Pamela definitely an even if sisters, especially who are not, you know, in a particular profession, and they're at home, sometimes I'm being moms, and they're struggling so much with everyday life. And sometimes they're not spending any time either studying the dean, or attending any kind of halacha any kind of you know, like one of our teachers he always
used to say, so the salah when now you need some of the Salah him and sometimes when I meet young moms especially and they're actually like overwhelmed and you know, you can see that the Imam is being affected by maybe lack of sleep and you know, all the overwhelm, I think to myself so Pamela you know, all of us, we all need that big why inside us, you know, we need to know the big one.
Why, why am I doing this and without that, without that continuous connection and the Quran, the message of the Quran continuously telling us, you are going to be tested, this is how you're going to overcome the test, keep talking to Allah keep connecting to the, without that message, somebody giving you that message, you know, either in the Halacha or in the class or in with good company.
I think it's so easy for Shavon to come and you know, like really affect people's in mind and I'll tell you how I will address this and this is goes specifically for the sisters or for the brothers who are overwhelmed.
Unfortunate, unfortunately, the more Allah gives us, life should be easier, but it is not. Its power law. I mean, on the other technology we have, everything is under our hand and our feet we can do, but we are we still have no time. And majority of people we call it the rat race. Everybody is running. Yeah. And now what everyone is talking about specially for the woman you need time for yourself, time for yourself, which is absolutely necessary. The best time for ourselves is one
Salah
it's as as one of my teachers used to teach us it's a compulsory Halawa with Allah, it's an obligation, obligatory free, private time with Allah. So for the sisters are very overwhelmed and I can't see this. I mean, if you're a working woman, eight to five, and this is eight to five or nine to five plus the time go back and forth. And then you have to come home then you have three to three children, then your husband responsibility, then the house and living in the West, we don't have a lot of the help that maybe in other countries are there. I will say the following a couple of things is when you will learn and the Learn. Example, five minutes or clip at 10 minutes, short podcast
10 minutes listening to the eye or your favorite reciter it will bring you gradually will gives you this calmness and you don't feel overwhelmed because Allah is helping you. You're trying to do this, and it will the spirituality inside you, calms you down. Like we say, well, you in secular advices we say you know, make sure you exercise, it really makes you feel good, which through Medically speaking, but also this 510 2030 minutes, connection with Allah subhanaw taala, studying, listening, learning for him. This will give you amazing results on a daily personal level. And as we always say if you kept keep putting a drop on a drop on a drop on a drop or what happened, consistency, and
Doha. I think this is one of the weapons that we Muslims don't use it very frequently turned to him and says you're Allah and to sit down, Minka said I'm Haney we sit down. You are the peace, source of peace. Make me live in peace. Everything that should feel so overwhelmed, it will become much easier. But definitely learning this concepts. Practice them on a small scale. And when I have time, I'll do more When the time gets tight, I'll get less but constant. It's not gonna hire and show her. I wanted to ask you also. So how long did it take you to memorize the Quran? I did it alone. Okay, after the incidents I shared with you. Yeah, so by nature, I'm a poet, I am a morning person. Okay,
so I used to deal with daily at federal, before I go to work. And we in the States, we start too early, like, seven 715. In the morning, you're out of your house. So I do it before that. In the beginning, of course it took like the one hour or the 45 minutes you have, you may be able to do maximum half a page. So you read and repeat and recite and repeat and recite and repeat in this. Then as we drive to work, I have my my favorite recital and the car. Then as I am praying my obligatory and optional prayers I reviewed. So this took about seven years, exactly seven years I was able to finish it, but it was not tear down. Meaning I cannot say I'm happy about I carry the
book of Allah yet. Meaning like what you said, Where is this idea? I'll give it to you right away. Yeah, not yet. It takes time. So then when I moved to Saudi where he lived, and Allah subhanaw taala This is His grace because he knew I wanted it. Right. And I really didn't know how to do this. And Allah Subhana Allah sent me some of the teachers and most almost everyone who taught me they will have a lot of the Quran taught to me Islamic Studies. And they quoted the ayat like what you just said, Yeah, any thing you ask them, the idea comes in. So then one of my friends, teacher and then my
And then she says, You know what, just enroll yourself in the school. It's much better. And she used to say it Allah, humanity Jamar, the Hand of Allah is with the group. So when you're sitting in that class, you will see you're not the only one, you will see much older people than you are much busier people. And you'll see much younger people who can be doing everything else the youth does, which is in the class, and it will work. So when I went there, I enrolled in the school.
First year, full time, four days a week, three hours a day. And then as we moved on, by the fourth year, it was once a week, for two hours where we review in the week almost all the Quran.
But it is just a person, it's so did you say it's a daily in the first year was a daily, daily, four days a week. And then the second year, it says it was three days a week, and then two days a week and the last year you finished. And then when you finish, you get a test in the whole Quran. Once, once you pass it, then you can say to yourself, yes, I am happier. I haven't. But that journey doesn't stop. Because if you don't review it, again, you will forget. But it becomes much easier, much, much easier. And Allah will make it easy to humble. It's beautiful. If you speak to the non Muslims about it. Yeah, they, because I have a couple of friends who are non Muslims in the States.
And when I said freely, how can you guys do that? And I was like, how many songs you memorize?
It's true. Our heads are full of the songs. So can you tell us a little bit I know that you've been giving classes about the Surah Maryam in particular and some other topics as well. But I wondered like in your mind, like, could you share with us some of the key lessons or key points that you'd like to highlight for sisters especially
from Surah Maryam Yeah, Subhan Allah I loved preparing for Surratt Maria number one, the only chapter in the Quran or Surah that is named after a woman
is a source Maria. Yeah, and for any non Muslim viewers. Maryam is Mary, you know the mother of Jesus Christ. pcsp and so number one is the whole chapter name is after a woman right? Number two, the only one mentioned by name No. So the there's other woman mentioned in the Quran, but there's no name emeralds for around embroidered cloth and right no on mimosa, I had all these mother of Moses peace be upon him, the wife of Noah, the wife of loot, but she was binding. Now interesting. And I said this to the we had a beautiful turnout at hunger last weekend. And I said to the woman I'll ask to everybody, how do you want to be remembered after you pass away? We all will pass away one day,
right? How do you want to be remembered? The mother off the famous whatever? How did Allah remembered her? Or I will say wanted her to be remembered. That's better word of saying, right? How did he describe her in the aura weather in Meriam itself in detail in action. And Mary chapter, or when he mentioned her name and other chapters in net to Hareem. In Colombia.
Us on it Florida.
She was chased to or cannot win alkalinity. She was a woman who was on it. Someone who is in a state always in a state of foreshadows and submission to Allah. And these are the two things and in Mary the chapter Mary third, or the fourth point is she was a woman went through a lot of difficulty. A lot of stress. None of us, none of us whatever you're going through, went through what she did. What a lot put her through. A woman known to be chaste woman. Non to be from that family. always praying and always worshipping using in the masjid living in the masjid. Exactly, exactly. I suddenly are pregnant.
Who will believe you?
Right? And at that point, you see the human nature of her. And when the labor pain came, and this is in chapter me, what did she say? Yeah, let me Tocopilla or come to an SEM and see Yeah, I wish I was dead. Before this, and no one will remember me. You know when you are under a lot of stress, Major.
You know, when you see there is no way out. It's coming. This is how she if you feel her, this is how she is
However, because of what she did before, in the good times, turning to Allah subhanaw taala attached to him in the time of difficulty, extreme difficulty a lot of course this is Mary, but this applies to you and me. made something happens that will give her peace and even happiness fair immediately next I affair right away. Nada Hammond Tatia called her from under her scholar says this could be Angel Jibreel this could be probably Sade, Nisa, lotta haffi Don't be afraid. What at Aczone? Don't be sad. Can you imagine? What are what was she going through? labor pain, by itself is enough asked me. Right? And ask any mother who delivered the stress and the fear and the anxiety you go through,
let alone the sequence of what comes out. Almost every woman should be very happy having a baby being a mother, not her. Because this is going to be
she knows it's going to be the the source of stress and difficulty. She was a human being a woman tested. But how did she react to the test the usual reactions, this fear, fear and sadness, but because of what she did before, and this reminds me of another Hadith of Ross Wallace Otto Sinha is what you do in your good time will come to you in your difficult time. That's why I have to have a relationship with Allah. Stable, not when I need him. Remember when we started the stable relationship with Allah subhanaw taala it will pay back not only that moment, but when I am in a moment of need. It's true. And then the fifth thing, which this is something we all ask a lot to
give us. And I always say this as you gave it to me, he gave Give it to me her certainty and your theme and the Promise of Allah Ajab Wikidata Khesari under you, Allah put under you as a baby, newborn baby with no father, but Allah described him as Surya which is either a small river or an honorable thing. She had this yachting she carried him don't speak he will speak carrying a baby. Now these days for us if one plus one does not if it doesn't work is like why I prepared I did. That's what you learn from her. I mean, there's so many but you learned from her is her certainty as a woman. And it's amazing also that for us as a non as Muslims living in a non Muslim, I think we
all have to spread this message that part of core of our belief is believing in Mary B's peace be upon her and how we look up to her was beautiful. Subhanallah it's amazing to Pamela Subhanallah I think that's one of the things that we have to bear in mind isn't it that when we're in times of ease, prepare ourselves by developing our character you know making yourself stronger and making yourself and then when those difficult times come it's almost as if the true you is revealed. And the true you can never be it's a bit like you know, they say when you don't have much money if you don't give charity then when you do become rich you probably won't run off right it's not going to
happen because you never develop that habit of and also because charity is kind of proportional Isn't it like when you have a little bit of money and you give a pound
that seems like a lot to you if you if you're not well off but then when you're wealthy will you be willing to give you know 1000 pounds
if you never got used to it and you know you want so I will add to this folder May Allah reward you is the hadith of Rasul Allah so to start off it Allah hit Dara in a life of a hot Jarocho coefficient.
And if I translate literally is no hola at time of ease, he will know you he was capital H and the time of difficulty problem. That's basically how it is. So when everything is going smooth, everything going in what I like I'm not under stress, I'm not under anxiety, nothing, then if my relationship with Allah is very strong, and I give him his due right Subhana when I come under stress under need, under anxiety under any of the life difficulty, what will make it easy, this is the meaning he will know you meaning is or he will make me feel good although everything around me is not. And you say how can you take it so easy? How come you're not stressed out? She has I don't
know Hamdulillah? Who made her feel this? Yeah. Or he will make things easy. He will fold it down and becomes much easier. So this is one of the things that say the Meriam in her
difficult
Moments of the tests her time spent with Allah before because if you look at Ali Imran when say the Maria was mentioned she saved as a career always find her praying, praying. Yeah. So that relationship when things was easy with things was good. She had the relationship with Allah, it paid her back. So this is one of the things I'll share it with everybody who's listening to us, may Allah reward you all. And sisters and brother is take the advantage. When things are good, you have time of health, everything is easy. Don't waste the time use it for Allah then when things change, and you want Him He will make it much easier for you. It's an amazing lesson also from source Maria
definitely doesn't want isn't one of the meanings of carnitine or Canada that you pray in the night as well. One of the guests that are serum It is insane. Their bodies to pray a lot. I see no Brahim was also one of the ones in the Quran. As a as a man was also this described in Abraham mechanic on button on eternally ly. So anything in prayer standing and quiet, everyone is asleep. Yeah. So in other words, you're remembering Allah, you know, he will remember time of ease. And definitely so Pamela, you know, I've seen this example in my own father. Since he was a teenager, he has been doing it tick off every Ramadan. Sometimes people will fall in our house and complain, where's your
dad? Why?
Why is he gone for 10 days, you know, because my dad is a Mufti and, you know, a lot of work in the community. And sometimes, you know, they would get angry. Yeah, what kind of work is there? So you leave for 10 days, you know, obviously, an ignorant person would say that, but because what why witnessed is, throughout his youth, doesn't matter what's happening at home, he had devoted that this is to Allah for Allah.
And now that he's a lot older, he still does it. But some, some years, he may not be able to, because of health or whatever. And I just, you know, with thinking about that, and I was thinking, Subhan Allah, there's a hadith in which the Prophet salallahu alayhi salam expressed to us that if you do something and it becomes your habit, right, then when the time comes, when you can't do it, and absolutely right, you still get the reward for it, because the only thing stopping you is that thing that you know, that illness or something that came from Allah. So it made me think Subhanallah what are the things that I'm doing regularly, you know, that later on in life, can continue to give
me a shot. So I think all of us need to examine, examine our lives and think, you know, what are those regular things? Because when we really want to do something we do do it? Isn't? Isn't that the case of analysts?
That another topic that I've seen, that you really like to focus on is the topic of test Skia? Yes, please, can you introduce our listeners and viewers to the concept of test skier? And
what do you feel? People and our times, especially in the West, I would say, or Muslims in general, need to hear most about the topic of Tesco. Tesco if you're a translator, because maybe some people are not familiar with the term itself is purification. Yeah. And some scholars will call it the purification of the heart. Some scholars will say purification of the soul. The whole idea and if I want to put it in a very simple terms, every human being Look at the baby. When the mother delivered the baby, that baby, Allah created him and Futura fitrah is the natural instinct. The natural instinct not only we know Allah, we know there is a Creator. But we know right from wrong. We know
this is not right. We don't know why it is right. We don't know why it is not right. But we know it doesn't feel good. Doesn't sound good. Then we start living in life and what happens, which is also the hadith of rasa de salatu salam, Polamalu, Nula, diallyl, Futura, every newborn will be born on the natural instinct meaning knows only one Creator, then his parents makes him Christian because Jews
then for us, born as Muslims, so we know this, but then life impact where do we live? And that includes external you know, some people like this food that other food, but internally, life will start shaping and changing us and the crystal I call the heart the crystal vase, that crystal vase shining beauty Allah created Aloha Nora, somehow it will or what happens as we live, it becomes foggy, Elva dirty, more dirty, more dirty, and sometimes becomes black. What is this dirt, anger, jealousy, lying, loving this life, attachment, compassion
Mission, I want to be the best. I'm going to crush them, the business, all these backbiting. And since exactly all this is since comes in, yeah, what this purification? Does, it's a process. Basically simple, that crystal that became with with time,
dirty, if you wanna use this word foggy, you're cleaning it, polishing polishing it, and then it comes back to the original crystal, that the focus is, I am here, as a Khalifa of Allah subhanaw taala. I am here as stewards on this earth. We all are talking about it these days. How?
And here also medicine comes in SubhanAllah. When you have a wound, and the wound is infected, any kind of what is the first thing you do? You clean the wound, and then you remove anything in your surroundings that will make the wound infected again, and then you bring things that will help heal the wound. That's Saskia. That's purification. You bring back the heart is wounded. Jealousy, backbiting, hate, no belief in Allah, all these things, right? And then I'm going to gradually remove it, remove it, remove the harm, remove the horse and clean it and basically literally, I tell the sisters all the time, like you're bringing, you're cleaning a dish, you're washing a dish, the
dish is your heart and you're washing it. And if the dish is dirty, you're gonna keep washing. Right? So here you go. And by the way, purification of the heart task here is one of the three messages that Allah Subhana Allah sent the Prophet alayhi salatu salam Mohammed for us.
The first thing is watered Bacara Robina wobei fie him rosulip been home? Actually him i attic, where you Alamo mill Kitab will hikma well you
know, so this was the dua of
him exactly. Oh Allah send to them the people in Makkah or his progeny. Yes. A Rasul FROM AMONGST THEM messenger from amongst them exactly. We'll teach them side by side recite the verses of your verses to them. Lay him i chicken I Attica and then while you're Ali Mohammed Al Kitab. You they teach teach them a book, where they come up with a common wisdom.
Exactly why salt law lays a key and purifying pure this isn't the first job of Satan Abraham. If you flip this, this is four times in the Quran. If you look at the second part second time in Surah Al Baqarah. The sequence changed Robin Alba theme Rasulullah min unfussy him a clue Allah him i Attica and then I use a key him where I live Mohammed Kitab al hikma once you are a Muslim, once you know, then test here becomes and some scholars tells you it's for blind, it's an individual obligation and every person. So in a nutshell, how do I do number one is like memorizing the Quran. It's a process. So gonna happen in a day, Allah I always tell this to ISIL Allah escapable of everything, but it's a
process I wanted. I'll take the measures will remove the viruses. Right? And keep the cleaning. Number one in the process. You need to know what is my problem? My problem is anger. And when I get angry, I disobey your law. I say things I hurt people. What is my problem? Jealousy? Why does she have it? I don't have it. She doesn't deserve it. My, my problem is, I speak and when I speak, I hurt people, backbiting lying, putting people down bullying, all these number one, identify by identifying yourself. Then take one by one
simple company. As you said,
if the softball around me if my friends, I know when I go out with them is going to end up in backbiting I need to remove that's a virus. Definitely. If I know if I am going to be doing certain things and if it doesn't work perfectly, I'm gonna get upset. I need to move away from these things. I know if I for example,
if I'll be with this, if I go to her house, I'm going to feel ill inside me. She has a bigger house than mine. She has four bedrooms are three that I need to cut down from this social interaction
So number one is identify what is your problem and what's causing it. So aim knowledge, learn, learn, and the more I learn about Allah subhanaw taala. The more I learn about my shortcomings, then
number two is Mujahidin as we call it and this is the biggest struggle say say and the process is very easy for things less and one thing is more
very easy and this is a and put it beautifully. The formulas which we absolutely don't do
what do you think?
Best doc? Yeah, less sleep.
less food, yeah. And less interaction with people
and more
the liquor exactly mashallah to Article more dhikr of Allah. The cornerstone is this one. And there is a saying, attributed to Roswell resort was at the close of oratory, remembering remembrance of Allah is the cleaning agent of the heart. Remember the crystal? Yeah, like we put soap.
Dish spray, it's thicker and thicker. Any form of remembering Allah reading Quran, memorizing, asking Allah for forgiveness.
I'm doing morning and evening as car saying Subhanallah reflecting on the nature, and you say your Allah Hi, Mama, what is beauty is this, who are you? You know, that's a vicar. And this process continues, it's not one day or two. And you will see yourself gradually changing, much more calmer, much more appreciative of what Allah gave you less complaining. Which is the problem of these days. Yeah, less less and less complaining, less attached to the material things, if you have it Al Hamdulillah if you don't have it, and hamdulillah and then the more you get there, then you start getting so close to Allah subhanaw taala. The Quran makes you cry, standing inside the night, all
these so it's a process Hamdu lillahi rabbil aalameen What is really beautiful, is anytime and every time I teach this wherever and I teach it all over, I'm not only in the States, in people really, these days, that's what they are missing.
It's like, wow,
this is what I need to do. I need to figure out that me continuously living in these viruses around me and feeding the viruses, it is making me sicker and sicker spiritually.
Yeah. Because isn't, wouldn't you say? That there's this narrative that, you know, just accept yourself the way you are, you know, there's this, there's this idea nowadays, that people are not encouraged to kind of be self reflective, self critical, you do have to be set to a certain level, you have to, you know, analyze yourself. And before you could improve, you have to find out what's wrong, right. And sometimes in the culture around us, we're encouraged to just embrace our flaws, you know, just, that's just the way you are, that's just your personality. And, and also, I think there's an undue emphasis, or there's a lack of recognition that the people around you and how they
think
affects you. Like, of course, like for example, I go to university and you know, you do mix with different types of people, it's not that you should completely cut off from them. But you need that place where you can go where you can recharge, you know, absolutely, if you don't have that court of friends, or Allama, or, you know, scholars or pious people, people who when you're in their presence, your mind goes up, they remind you about the hereafter. Yeah, yes, you will become so immersed in this dunya and the concerns that the people around you have become your concerns. So that for example, competing to have an extension on the house and you know, invest in this and that
and then that becomes your obsession. Absolutely. They're obsessed with status,
with belongings and things and holidays that you will become obsessed with that I will if you allow me to. Islam tells me to accept who I am. Yeah, but we take that off the fire when I use the wrong way. Meaning Yeah, Allah subhanaw taala teaches me to accept the way He created me. Yeah, right. Strategy teaches us or solace or to us when we look at ourselves in the mirror. Allama Kumar has sent a holiday for her son Hello. Yeah, Allah, the way you perfected and beautified me, beautify my inner image or my manners. That means it doesn't matter how I look. It doesn't matter what people think of me. This is who I am. Yeah, right. For the things that
You can't change, right? So the four things you can change you accepted. Yeah, right. Now, originally, I was not born.
Angry to the point. I'm throwing everything around to me. Yeah, right. I was born with anger. Each one of us, by the way, have anger. And anger is when it is tamed and used in the right way. It's a good thing. Right, exactly. But where do I need to? I wouldn't say change, but I need to tame and put control in when it goes channel it the right way. Channel. I love this word. channel but in the right way. Yeah. And team it? Yes. Get don't give it too much. Right. So you, you get upset. You do have the feeling? Yes. But then how I respond is when Allah subhanaw taala wants me to respond in his way. And that's what for example, Teskey teaches me because I'm going to learn about him and a
Salah to a sinner. Has he ever been angry? Yes.
But two questions. What made him angry? And how he and how did he respond? What made him angry? You became angry for the sake of Allah. Exactly. When the boundaries of Allah, Allah was
overriding over it. Yeah. And how did he respond?
Kwinana Rafi Waje we use? We know what from the change in his fierce Hamdulillah. So that's what Teskey teaches us not completely you will you completely destroy completely regenerated or reborn? No, it's what you have Allah gave you.
And by the way, this include the good characters we have. Because sometimes we don't know. Like, you're very patient. And you never thought you were very patient. Alhamdulillah use it for Allah. So it is basically self, you know, the self development courses, everyone talks about these days, right? It's a spiritual development. I will call it spiritual identification of who you are. And then the good ones, keep it cultivate make more, and the not very good one, tame it, and channel it to what pleases us punk dad? And would you say that, I mean, I feel like lowering the gaze. I feel like that's one of the very key
key tools that we all need to adopt in order to have this gear because, you know, sometimes you meet people. And nowadays, a lot of parents are very worried about the young people, you know, on Instagram and these things and constantly seeing other people's belongings lives, beauty, you know, this kind of thing. And even us, so when watching the news or watching television, or I mean, like, for example, when my sons are watching television, I will say to them, remind them to lower the gates, you know, it doesn't stop just because it's not a real person in front of you, right?
Because all of these things have an effect, aren't they? So and sometimes we don't realize they've had an effect until it's too late. We've become desensitized to looking at her arm or looking at things that even if it's not how, you know, I read this concept of lowering the gaze from material things generally, not necessarily from haram, you know? Yes, true. Now, lower the gaze with with a lot of people may find this new information, it's actually an obligation. It is not an extra is a little more meaning media tell the believing men, men and the believing woman, lower your gaze. Lower your gaze and this is a long discussion. What do we do when you are in the workforce and when
we are with a non Muslims but let's start with the Muslim community. Both by the way, men and woman lowering the gaze actually, it's an eye on the Quran will give you the inner clearness of the heart, pure rasa, the instinct that when you look at people you will know them. The more you lower your gaze, you're not seeing the opposite Allah will give you the basura the inner sight in a sight that you see things as they are, you'll see that running after this life at one point I'm leaving, there's no point. I this person looks very nice, but in reality, they are not. You'll see it. So absolutely. I mean, one of them is lower the gaze but I think the key interest here is remembering
Allah subhanaw taala constantly. Constantly this Dicker stuff, it'll last panela that you don't Allah Subhan Allah very recently, last pantalla blessed me to visit his his sacred house and a friend of mine. We were in the journey from Jeddah to Makkah and her driver
for the journeys about an hour.
One hour, simple driver never stopped sending solid on the Roswaal
Just last one out.
And then in between you don't want we all get tired. And you just say stuff a little louder. Hold on. And I was like y'all law. This is a simple man who Allah knows, maybe doesn't have I don't know, but I'm assuming not too much education, for sure. Not much duniya. But, and there is no reason for him to do that other than this is where he is. You know, some of the taxi drivers I've met, then some of the most intelligent people
have amazing discussions with them. Yeah, but
this one is a spiritual. I was like, surprised. I even know, I used every time I see my friend. I said, Okay, what is the driver?
But you know, it's so easy for all of us. We're sitting on a train every day, we're sitting in the car in the traffic jam.
One of my teachers he was used to say, how can you just stand there silently, like on a train? How can you just stand there silently? When you've got something, you've got something that you can do to be increasing your deeds constantly, right? You're sitting on the train, you're standing, you're waiting in a line? Just say, Allah subhanaw Handys Han Allah La vie. There's so many things you can keep your tongue moist with the zikr of Allah with basil reason. I think it's a habit, isn't it? You just have to become mindful and develop. Yes. Yeah. Does that kilkerran for that reminder?
Are there any books that you would recommend either in English or even in Arabic, because, you know, some of our viewers and listeners may also be studying, etc, that you'd recommend for Ischia?
In Arabic, there's plenty. Yeah. It depends on where are you in your reading? Level? Meaning you mentioned I've been okay. I'm
not
sorry. My daughter just had a kid. Maybe not the beginning. Yeah. I love that. I love the book. Yes, beautiful. But it's deeper, as I said, a beginner in the middle or your advanced, okay, let's say beginner, beginner, there's a beautiful book, which actually now I use it. Mostly in our courses that we offer, a Jana Institute is called a skier to NuForce Kumar, Kurata howl mo surf, and it's translated, translated as purification of the soul. It's a small area, right? It's a small book like this, this walk, test here purification, you don't read it as a bedtime story. Read it with your heart and read it that you want to change. And you may need to read it more and more and more. Yeah,
preferably you study purification of the heart with a teacher. It isn't all Islamic Studies. Actually. It's you don't become spiritual by reading books. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. You don't become a doctor by reading books, medical books, you need training the teacher in the process to go through it. But I will say the first thing any Muslim man or a woman wants in the journey to get close to Allah, because that's what the purification will get you close to Allah start with his book. Start with his book is not only word toward not word to word only. But what does this mean for me in this time and age, and this is what I mainly do these days when we have our courses about the Quran,
because I do now two courses. We do it on site online, in St. Louis, and it's online open to everyone
to and we do it on weekend, and since it is gay, any directed mainly towards the woman so we pick up a time where all the family are still sleeping, it's a weekend. So we do Saturday, central USA, time eight to nine. And this course we call it learn love a live the Quran. And the purification or tusky is on Sunday, seven to eight the test skier course has been running since 2003.
So panela people come and go, people come and go sometimes the book we do it again, and sometimes new things. The whole idea is once you start with the book of Allah, and you learn what the word what the Surah, Amin Kulu, Allahu Ahad, Koolau will be Arabic for like the simple ones. Once you learned the meanings of the word. The next question needs to come to you and me. What does it mean to me as a person, a Muslim living in this day and age I live in London, I live in the States, whatever Allah puts me on this earth, how will I live it? Because the Quran came to every one of us in every time Koolau to be ready for lack of the time of Roswaal risotto Salam had a meaning for
them. They live for me, if Allah and this is another journey, so if I spend 1015 minutes every day learning few words from the Quran thinking thinking about them, and again, taking it to graduate
If step by step, Allah will open the doors, but for knowledge to things and for purification of the heart, start with the book of Allah. Always, that's the beginning. And then I will definitely recommend the easiest book in Arabic to read is actually it's called Mater Solomon hudgell. Cassadine is to even Kodama and Makdessi. It which is the summary of the summary of a hair alone within a mammal has it. But it's, it's absolutely beautifully written. The hadith are all with all the time read with all the sources of it easily. But again, it's not an easy book to read without a with a teacher, I highly recommend the process of Teskey, especially for the beginner, take it to
the teacher and ask Allah to make it easy, as we all said. I mean, yeah, I mean, I just remember even just being in a, in the presence of certain teachers, you learn from their adab you learn from the mindset just, you absorb so much
apart from what they're saying with their words. So definitely, actually, one thing you said about the teachers is what I learned when I studied overseas, I studied with a woman only. Okay, which was my first time. Really, absolutely. Because in the West, you study with men. Yeah, right.
But when you study with woman, as a woman, yeah. And you will have this ability to spend time with them, sometimes on a private Yes, space. And I can tell you and this is actually one of the reasons that I asked Allah Subhana Allah and Hamdulillah He responded to we started Jenner Institute because we wanted women to be able to teach woman and woman who have studied and give this to the to the woman,
regular woman or the woman who are wanting to take it as their, their career, you know, to specialize in this because everyone who taught me was their career HDS in Islamic Studies, PhD in Quran and Sunnah Subhan Allah. So take that part, especially here, I've seen it in London, mashallah tomato Cola, and we need to cultivate this more and more. Definitely. And I think I had many female teachers in Egypt.
And they were just so amazing. Just learning from them. I learned about modesty from them, I learned about how to conduct yourself how to
just so many things, you know, Mashallah. And also change the mindset? Yeah.
For the younger generation, you know, that woman, like now, it's very normal, that you go and see a female physician, you don't even think some actually prefer this is what we need to do for teachers is to bring back if you want to use the word scholarship, yeah, that woman.
When you look at careers you want to take or knowledge you want to learn. One of them it needs to be Islamic Studies, because you will teach simple small circle is your house, definitely, which means that the beginning or you can extend and then change the mindset of the woman can be definitely if you like, you can be a physician, a lawyer, a teacher, any other career. This also, and this will give you not only dunya reward, but also will give you a reward. Definitely does that compare and so,
Dr. Haifa, I just wanted to ask you for some last advice that you'd like to give our viewers and listeners about staying steadfast in our times, what advice would you would you give us
staying steadfast, number one possible. Number two is not easy.
However, because you want to stay steadfast, for the sake of Allah, He will make it easy. Two or three. This order of steadfastness was given to us while the salt was at the end of solitude, first stop him come out when you
stay on the right path steadfast as you were ordered. So this is how I always look at things number one general, meaning that's what he wants from me. If he wants something from me, that means it's possible. Yes.
Number three, don't fool yourself. It's not easy, but it's possible in general. Now, how do I do that? It's the same process of Ischia. I will say number one is company in these days, and not company only individual. What is the biggest company we have these days?
Our phone, our phone Subhanallah what does that constant companion is feeding you your heart, your steadfastness, your relationship with Allah. Because when people asked me is the phone haram I was like, why? Huh?
depends how you are using it. So, look at your surroundings, it choices. Life is all about choices panela every step, when you are in front of a choice which we do with daily, one question only, you need to ask and then take the decision which one is more pleasing to Allah? Or which one is pleasing to Allah? And the answer should not even give you a blink of an eye. Do it a lot of the time, it will be externally on the expense of losing material things in the beginning only but steadfast believe in it. Constant Doha constant supplication turning to Allah Subhana Allah Allah mine yes I request about your Allah I ask you to stay steadfast, not allowing any language right? Language. So
this is my TED Talk, talk to him. Your Hola, I'm weak, you're not I can do it your ally you are the strong, do it.
When you fall, and we all do get up like a child, look at your child, when the child is 1516 months. What is the norm? They are learning how to walk? How many times they will fall? What do you tell them as a mother? Get up we all fall.
Just Just get yourself together? You know what? We all did that and then we That's exactly how it is. And if you look at everyone around us, we're all sinners. Cool. Look, no adult hotbar or Hyrule Hopper in a toe bone all the children of Adam are sinners, the bones the best among them, those who turn back to him repent. So you look at it, you can ask Allah to keep you strong. Choose your company, your time, do extras as much as you can.
Winter fast more. Right? Summer fast, less, but fat, Summer, long day, do more liquor. Because you're not sleeping that much. You know what I'm saying? Choose the things and and gradually and gradually and it is not difficult. I mean, I have seen in England examples of youth. It's really made me happy Subhan Allah ever said, Do you know what Allah subhanaw taala is, is beautifully merciful? Because he shows you these examples. You'll see sad examples. There's also good examples. Yeah, friends on what you focus, that's how it is I look at Saba, and he would Subhanallah who will answer me if he's not exactly like her. And I think it's really important for us in our times, you
know, often we can get very used to hearing about what's bad, and what's negative about, you know, being a Muslim in our times. But actually, if we are to become really mindful, and really, like, pay attention to what's going on around us. We're very blessed. Subhanallah the other day, I went to the library to work and
they have a prayer room in the library, you know, in my area, which would was never there before. They just developed a prayer room. They call it a multifaith room, but it's only Muslims who are using it. And it's, it's just beautiful, the facilities are there.
You know, when you look around you people, especially in London, I think, you know, people are so used to seeing Muslims now.
One thing that keeps coming up, people sometimes say, you know, when they hear about things, negative things that are happening in the media and maybe Islamophobia, that kind of thing, they say, you know, you Muslims in the West, you should
go back, go back move would not even go back because we were born here, yeah. Like go to a country, place where And subhanAllah sometimes, you know, think about that. And I think one of the things that we have to realize is if you live in a country where it's harder to do something, it's harder to worship Allah it's harder to lower your gaze because there's images being bombarded that you you know of people and things
and you obey Allah in that difficult situation, you're going to be rewarded more. So I think you know, this idea that we should run away from a situation that is not feasible for everyone Yeah, right. To do and also maybe not desirable as well.
I think you know, we need to get out of that mindset. The difficulty gives us more reward the this difficulty also contains within it so many opportunities for that were for connection that don't exist in some idyllic perfect place that we imagine exists. This is how our how I will look at it you and how I look at it
is a statement I heard long time ago. If your heart was connected to Allah, doesn't matter which land of his you live.
If the heart is connected to Allah, it doesn't matter which law
and have his, his let his you live on number one number two you you you said that to beautifully. Not everyone can do that. Yeah, right? I cannot. It's just not feasible for many people. Number three, if I can, number one can I practice my Islam in the West these days and I live in the United States of America and you live in England, can I? And I am a professional and I work and I studied and I did my residency. The hospital I work now is an absolutely Christian hospital. Is it feasible? The answer is yes. Yes. Has my Deen being challenged? The answer is no.
When will I seriously think of Hydra is when I can't practice it. When a Rasul Allah saw to a sinner he moved not from a non Muslim to a Muslim he moved from a Muslim from a from Makkah Mecca to Medina, why a blessed place? So my because a lot of what I need to do living in the Western world, and actually even in the world these days is me. Work on me on my connection with Allah. Stay away from haram. A lot of people don't look or think what haram impact can have on my daily life. Stay away from things I don't have to. I don't have to watch haram. And I always say this to the sisters, did somebody put a gun on your head and say, watch this TVC? By the way, if they did you watch it?
Because that's what Islam teaches. But in general, a lot of what makes us weaker,
weaker is us likely to exactly self inflicted, we like it we enjoy it. Did they prevent our children from going to colleges and institutes and learn? The answer is no. Did they prevent us from us woman wearing our hijab? If the answer is yes, then yes, I am moving. You know what I am co creating other spaces where I can do exactly any. I as a woman who lived a good amount of years in the Western world. Sometimes I feel I'm even stronger in the in living in the non Muslim world, simply because I can isolate myself easier. And I can practice my name. I travel a lot as you probably know, I don't recall any airport in the world, let alone in the States. And we got a whole continent that there
was no prayer. Exactly. And you call it interface meditation, I don't care what they call it is I go in and I see Tobler direction. Yeah, I see.
And people know. So I think this is how I will say I think this is number one is an individual individual decision. Yeah, some people living in the West is better for them. Some people living not in the West is better for them, for their family, for their children. So you cannot there's no one size fits all there.
Yeah, but the thing that I'm trying to highlight is that there are opportunities around us that we might not be able to get somewhere else, you know, opportunities for our people who are seeking the truth, the message of Islam has never come to them. And we have the opportunity to reach them in a way that you know, in certain places, like I lived in Egypt, I would say I could see myself having a very limited role in Egypt, you know, in terms of our because mashallah everyone is it's you that there are people who first of all people who are from that land, you know, native speakers of that language, etc.
Already there, right? Whereas here, we are the native speakers, you know, Allah Subhana Allah, Allah says, that he he, for every nation, he sent them a messenger from amongst themselves with their language. So sometimes, you know, I think Why did Allah place us here, you know, I did not choose to be born here.
Somehow the Allah made the situation conspire for us to be here. So instead of rejecting it, why don't we look for the opportunities that might be there for reward that might not be elsewhere?
Absolutely, absolutely. was the best Dawa the best Dawa and I say this to everyone because some people will say, Well, I don't have knowledge. Yeah. How can I be a DI is you in your manners, your exam, your enter example, your interaction with people, you will have to talk to them about test gear purification, I am Yeah, but you act in it. Yeah. We are role models or models and then unless pantalla will use you Inshallah, inshallah. So does ACULA hearing that Yeah. I really appreciate you coming and I hope to keep in contact with you and and