Life is all about choices. In fact, the ability to make choices is what makes us unique as human beings. Angels do not have choices; rather, they were created to always be in total obedience to God without error. Allah said: They do not disobey God in whatever He commands them. [Indeed], they do whatever they are commanded (Qur'an, 66:6).

But not all choices are equal. The most important choice that we face in this life is related to our existence, our purpose and the very reason we live. Without doubt, there is great wisdom in Allah creating us with "will" and the ability to make choices. He wants us to make the right choices regarding belief and righteous conduct. There is something special about choosing faith and choosing moral and just behavior when the options to do otherwise are available. Allah attaches great value on making right choices and not having them forced upon us. The most important choices that we confront in this life are: Do we believe in Allah? Do we believe in Him properly, that is, One and Unique? Do we acknowledge that we shall return to Him in the Hereafter? Do we acknowledge and accept the teachings of His Prophets and Messengers? And don't these beliefs have a role in human conduct? Allah said: Rather, say [to one and all]: The truth has come from your lord [in this Quran]. So whoever wills let him believe! And whoever wills let him disbelieve! (18:29).

Truly, Allah is the Truth. From Him everything came. He is the Ultimate Truth and we can only understand things by His truth. Our life will be meaningless if it did not relate to this highest truth. In fact, among His 99 names is "The Truth" (Al-Haqq).

All that exists was meant for something and has a purpose. So our choice now is do we want to embrace our purpose and live in peace and harmony with the great will of Allah, and prepare to meet Him in the best of conditions? Or do we devote our lives to fading and limited pleasures, and then, after our deaths, face indescribable difficulty and misery? Is it a good choice to live for something that was meant to serve us (money, wealth, recognition, etc)? The truth is: no choice makes sense except to live for the One to whom we owe everything. Allah said: Say [to them]: indeed, my prayer and my rites [of worship] and my life and my death are for God [alone]. Lord of [all] the worlds. No partner is there for Him. And to this I have been commanded. Moreover, I am the foremost of those who are Muslims, in willing submission to God [alone] (6:162-163).

When we look into ourselves, we see a combination of body and soul. Are we being fair and balanced with both of them? Is it a good choice to serve one without the other? Only through balance between these two can someone enjoy life now and in the Hereafter. The Prophet's response to those who committed themselves to extremes toward either side was: "But I do fast and break my fast [on other days] and I pray [in the night] and I sleep and I marry women and this is my path. Whoever chooses other than my path does not belong to me." (Hadith narrated by Imam  Bukhari).

We live with people around us. Such people are family, friends, neighbors, strangers, and even enemies. Our choice now is this: Are we up to the responsibility to live right with all these people around us? Is it a good choice to ask for rights and offer none? Is it a fair choice to run away from our responsibilities toward others but demand our needs? Our parents deserve from us mercy, humility, and respect. Allah said: And to [your] parents, [you shall be] good. Should either one of them, or both of them, reach old age in your care, then you shall not say to either of them [even so much as] 'fie'. Nor shall you rebuke them. Rather, say to both of them a gracious word, [in loving kindness]. Moreover, lower for them the wing of humility out of mercy, and say [in supplication for them]: My lord! Have mercy upon them both even as they have raised me up as a little one" (17:23-24). Our family members (especially spouses and children) deserve from us love and care. The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best among you are those best [in treatment] to their families." (Hadith narrated by Imam Tirmidhi). People we don't know deserve from us respect and to treat them like we want to be treated, namely with kindness and fairness. Allah said: God does not forbid you from [honorable relationships with] those who have not fought you over religion, nor expelled you from your dwellings that you relate kindly and equitably with them. Indeed, God loves those who are just (60:8).

Every day we have choices to make. Our choices define us and speak on our behalf. Sometimes we make wrong choices, but every morning we are given the chance to make new and correct choices. Allah said: Is it not time for those who truly believe that their hearts be humbled at the remembrance of God and at [the utterance of] truth that has been sent down! (57:16).

This is a call for right choices. Now is the time for it. Look for the truth, learn it, act on it, and live under its reflection. O Allah, You are the Truth, Your Word is the Truth, Your promise is the Truth, guide us to the Truth by Your mercy and grant our hearts peace; for nothing would bring tranquility to our hearts but the Truth. Ameen.

Sh. Kifah Mustapha

Our local law enforcement officers, many of whom are members of the Arab American Police Association (AAPA), have volunteered much of their time to ensure the ease and flow of the Mosque Foundation's major events such as the two Eid Prayers, the all night Lailat al Qadr prayers, special programs and events, and local conventions. 

On Friday, March 7, 2008, the Mosque Foundation hosted a special dinner to recognize and honor around 25 local Arab American police officers of the AAPA, stemming from the southwest suburbs to the city of Chicago.  Br. Dahoud Shalabi, a longtime Mosque Foundation member and volunteer, and who currently holds a seat on the MF Board of Directors, organized and hosted the event.  Sh. Jamal Said and President of the Mosque Foundation, Dr. Zaher Sahloul, delivered inspiring words of encouragement and appreciation for the officers.  "The one who makes the path of another easier, such as what these police officers do on a daily basis, it's as if he is making a path of ease for all mankind," Sh. Jamal said as he presented a check in the amount of $1,500 and a plaque to their organization on behalf of the Mosque Foundation.  This is the first event of its kind, but will not be the last.

Surely everyone remembers the outcry over the Danish cartoons mocking our beloved Prophet (PBUH).  On Saturday, March 8, 2008, the Mosque Foundation Monthly Arabic Program addressed this issue.  The distinguished speakers included Dr. Abdel Azim Elsiddig, Dr. Mohammad Natour, and Sh. Jamal Said.  In the three sessions, each speaker related different stories describing Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) perfect character, including his love for his Companions (R), their love for him (PBUH), and the different challenges that the Muslim community has faced since its establishment.  The speakers pointed out that the best way for our Ummah to combat prejudices and stereotypes aimed against our community is to revive the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by adhering to his instructions, individually adopting a special sunnah of his and teaching our children his life story and tradition (PBUH). The speakers noted that doing these aforementioned things would be the most efficient way to express our love for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

A large audience of men and women attended this heartwarming program, and were given the opportunity to voice their concerns and their love for our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during the question and answer segment.

Islamic jurisprudence concerning financial issues in the West is a relatively new frontier in the United States, and widely misunderstood by the general population.  On Monday, March 17, 2008, the Mosque Foundation was honored to present Professor Abdel Sattar Abu Ghuddah, a prominent scholar in Islamic jurisprudence specialized in financial issues, president of Barakah Investment Group, and a member of the Islamic Fiqh Council in Jeddah, as he visited the Chicago area, sponsored by Zayyan Financial Group.

An audience of 150 men and women gathered to listen to Professor Abu Ghuddah speak about the many nuances of financing according to Islamic Law.  Many misconceptions were dispelled as Professor Abu Ghuddah answered the audience's questions and offered suggestions and solutions to common financial matters the community faces.

The Mosque Foundation always strives to bring the issues of the community to the forefront by providing services, enhancing knowledge, and addressing specific needs.

One of the worst self-inflicted wounds a person can make is harboring the feeling of despair, that is, to lose all hope for improvement, redemption, or forgiveness. Human beings cannot live without hope. It is fundamental to our humanity, one of the graces that God has placed within us as part of our creation. To lose hope, then, is to discard a great favor of God. In fact, it is an unwise act of ingratitude.

It's important to remember that human beings make mistakes. Perfection is not an obligation, though we should try to do the best we can. But when a person does sin or err, he or she must not make the problem worse by feeling that they are doomed and without a way out. Often the loss of hope for forgiveness is worse than the sin or error itself. And then we are trapped, by our own chains, in an unnecessary cycle that can ruin us. To keep ourselves away from these kinds of traps, let's recall one of the most gracious attributes of God Himself: Forgiveness, and the Arabic words that describe it.

Ghafur and Ghaffar are two names of Allah that speak of His abundant forgiveness. The words are derived from the Arabic root that means to cover someone, as with a cloth or armor, that protects against filth or injury. The scholar Imam al-Ghazali says that the essence of forgiveness is concealing, which refers to three aspects of people:  (1) Concealing the physical inner-parts of the body with the "beauty of its exterior"; (2) concealing one's blameworthy thoughts and ignoble feelings that one has in his or her heart; and (3) concealing one's sins by forgiving them. Only Allah has the perfect and complete ability to forgive the sins of His creation. No one or nothing has the authority, power, or capacity to cause one's sins to be forgiven, pardoned, or otherwise released. This is the sole province of the Maker of the Heavens and the earth.

Men and women have the capacity to forgive, but only to a degree that matches our natures. But when we do forgive others, we open ourselves up to receiving Divine Forgiveness, which is perfect and an enormous blessing. For this reason are people strongly advised to have forgiving hearts, for the Prophet said that whoever conceals the shortcomings of a believer, Allah, the Exalted, shall conceal his shortcomings on the Day of Resurrection. Imam al-Ghazali says, "Every one is bound to have perfection and imperfection, ugliness and beauty. So whoever overlooks the ugly and mentions the beautiful is one who shares in this attribute."

Allah's forgiveness is mentioned repeatedly in the Quran so that no one ever despairs of turning his or her life around. And those who when they commit an act of lewdness or wrong themselves, they remember God and seek forgiveness for their sins. And who forgives sins except God? (Quran, 3:135). Say: O My servants who commit excesses against themselves, do not despond of God's mercy. Indeed, God forgives all sins. Surely, it is He who is the All-Forgiving, the Mercy-Giving (Quran, 39:53). One of the most important acts of devotion is seeking Allah's forgiveness. Every day, one must repeatedly seek forgiveness by saying, for example, astighfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah). This was the practice of righteous people whose records of sin were nearly spotless.

In Islam, hope is associated with faith, while despair is associated with disbelief. According to the Quran, "None despairs of God's mercy except people who disbelieve" (12:87). What's implied here is the loss of hope for God's compassion, mercy, and forgiveness as a quality of those who willingly (or unwittingly) decline God's graces to the point of denial. The need to keep hope is one of the foundational teachings of the Quran. The teaching is meant to engender hope as a daily state of mind. All of this is by permission and amazing mercy of our Maker.

Ibrahim Abu-Sharif

Dr. Ihsan Bagby, Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky, was the guest speaker for the Mosque Foundation's Monthly English Program on Saturday, March 22, 2008.  Dr. Bagby, an African-American who converted to Islam in 1969, has done extensive research on Islam and the African-American experience, historically to present time.

Dr. Bagby stated that Muslims living in America today should not feel intimidated by people portraying Islam as "new" or "foreign" in the United States, when in fact, Muslims have been here since the first American colonies were formed.  An estimated 10% of the African slaves brought to America were Muslim, mainly from the Senegal-Gambia region.  That's close to one million Muslims in the United States before 1900! 

Between the 1920's to the 1960's, there were two large groups of African-American Muslims: one group who followed the orthodox Islam, and another group who mixed other elements with Islam.  These groups maintained a separatist existence, separated from each other and from American society.  Early African-American Muslims felt alienated from white America, and Islam gave them an alternative to uplift them from the overt racism in America at that time.

From the 1980's, larger numbers of immigrant Muslims were trying to establish their mosques and communities internally, but were also, to a large degree, separated from American society. 

This is the first time in history that such a large number of Muslims, both indigenous and immigrants, are living under a non-Muslim rule, and both groups are starting to come to the realization that they need to be united.

May Allah reward Dr. Bagby for his fascinating presentation, and we look forward to his book "African American Muslim Movements and Experiences: The Struggle between Race, Religion and Nationality," to be published soon.