9, Ahmed Bukhatir Nasheed Videos

Personally I don't like music. I find it distracting. It messes with my head. I uncharacteristically start daydreaming and thinking strange unusual thoughts.

Having said that, I love vocal Nasheeds (songs) that carry a message, a good message. And what is better than a Nasheed with a good message and no music? One with a nice well-thought-out video to go with it, as I just discovered a few moments ago...

I walked into my house and found my 2-year-old niece Maryam sitting mesmerised in front of the computer. Stopping to see what she was up to, I found myself instantly drawn in, so much so that I just spent the last half-hour sitting with Maryam going through all six of Ahmed Bukhatir's videos one-by-one.

Very inspiring. Check the videos out for yourself:
http://www.bukhatir.org/

Oh yeah, and my eyes watered a little bit. :-)>

8, Fiqh Ad-Da'wah: Guiding to Allah By the Book

Title: Fiqh Ad-Da'wah: Guiding to Allah By the Book
Speaker: Muhammad Alshareef
Language: English
Running Time: 18 hours (18 CDs)
Producer: Eman Rush (AlMaghrib Institute)

Very practical and workable advice for those living in the West and involved in Da'wah and Islamic organisational work. An excellent mix of advice, maa sha Allah, based on Islamic sources, business/marketing studies and the speaker's own personal experiences.

It should be mentioned, to its credit, this series of lectures is not an A-to-Z of arguments and counter-arguments to be used in debates (although this is touched upon towards the end), rather it is a much more comprehensive set detailing the character of the Da'ee, the makeup of an appealing organisation, the psyche of those we are hoping to guide, negotiation/debating tips and tricks, and lots more besides, walhamdulillah.

If you were sincere...

So I am sitting in a Dars (lesson) and observe what I deem to be various flaws in the delivery of the speaker. After the Dars, walking home with a friend who happened to sit in as well, I point out to him my observations. Upon doing so, he turns to me and hits me with a peach of an advice (paraphrased): "If you were sincere, you would have told him, not me."

True, very true. Why make suggestions for improvement to one it does not concern? Bizarre! Anyway, lesson learnt and, God-willing, I will inform the one it concerns and not repeat the mistake again.

Questions to ask of a potential spouse

So I am having my regular weekend "stand outside the Masjid after Fajr and enjoy the cool morning air" chat with an older brother and the topic gets on to qualities to seek in a spouse. And so he advises the usual advice, you know, a person gets married for one of four things etc etc (not to belittle the advice in any way whatsoever but I won't repeat it here because I am very certain you have heard it many times before). We continue, he advises a little more, and then he hits me with these two gems, which I thought I would share with the wider world:

1. How would her relationship be with your family?
2. How is her relationship with the Qur'an?

Questions to consider; very practical and very important in my opinion. You may disagree?

Responding to a Questioner

Some advice for myself for better responding to a questioner:

1. Allow the questioner to fully complete their question;
2. If the question or purpose of the question is not too clear to you, play back the question to the questioner how you understood it and check with them that you have properly understood the question;
3. Think, understand and acknowledge the concerns underlying the questioner/question. Make the acknowledgement verbally, e.g. "I appreciate your concerns...";
4. Thank the questioner for putting forward the question;
5. Answer the question.

And Allah knows best and I do not know, and as with any advice, it is easier said than done.