Thursday, November 16, 2017

Nurturing Eeman in Children Chapter 3: (2/3)

The Basics of Parenting (part 2)

Gender roles

There is no superiority of one gender over the other. Superiority as a construct is actually measured in terms of righteousness and piety. Within this general framework, Allah has assigned specific roles for males and females in daily functioning. Each gender has been given specific qualities and traits to fulfil their respective roles.  This role differentiation is necessary for effective functioning of the family unit, since Allah has created systems with balance and order. The family is a system and it functions most efficiently when the laws of nature and the laws of Allah are implemented.


While this concept of traditional gender roles is also found in other world religious and cultural groups, the trend (or even norm) in many areas of the world is toward the elimination of such a distinct differentiation.  Muslims should be aware of this and cautious of the attempts being made to disrupt the traditional gender roles ordained by Allah.


The honourable role of motherhood

Motherhood is highly respected in Islam and is a means through which a woman may gain immense spiritual rewards.  Being a mother is the most valuable job in this worldly life, for she will raise the next generation and build a solid foundation for society. Her time will be spent in nurturing, instructing, and guiding — her primary duties as a mother. For this reason, she is given the honour and respect that she deserves.Allah has created this role specifically for women as part of His mercy. For this purpose, Allah has conferred upon women the unique qualities and characteristics necessary for effectual fulfilment of this role. Women tend to be more nurturing, compassionate, sensitive, and patient: all qualities needed to create a warm, loving, and peaceful atmosphere within the home.


Motherhood is a full-time career, entailing pregnancy, giving birth, breastfeeding, and many years of childrearing. These are sufficient responsibilities for one individual without adding the additional burden of having to provide for the family. It is part of Allah’s mercy that women are not required to work outside of the home to bring sustenance for their children.


Women and work
Building families must come first, as this is the main obligation for women. This notion should always be foremost in her mind. Having said that, being a mother does not necessarily preclude work outside of the home. There are some situations, however, where it may be necessary for a mother to work…..., the benefits must carefully be weighed against any harm that may arise.


There are several key guidelines that should be followed when making this decision:


  1. a woman must first obtain consent from her husband, primarily due to the fact that he may have a broader perspective on how her work may influence the family and its functioning;


  1. a woman must ensure that her home and children are properly taken care of and that there is no neglect in this aspect; her absence should not in any way cause harm to her family;


  1. care must be taken to choose employment that is appropriate and fits with the special nature of the woman in accordance with the norms of Islamic law;


  1. care must to taken to avoid jobs which may lead to transgression of the limits of Islam (such as excessive mixing of genders);


  1. she must adhere to the principles of Islam with regard to her clothing and demeanour.


The role of fatherhood

The husband  is responsible for their physical welfare and wellbeing, which also entails a measure of safety and security. Due to this responsibility, the father is the authority in the family and the leader of the family unit and is worthy of due respect and obedience.
In cooperation with the mother, the father also attends to the spiritual, psychological, and intellectual socialization of their children which means that he must be involved in the training and rearing of his children.
Children need interaction and time with their father just as they do with their mother. The Muslim father is an inspiring role model, teacher, friend, and a source of practical advice.
A review on the impact on fatherhood by the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development shows that a child with an involved father has better social skills by the time s/he reaches nursery, performs better academically, and is less likely to have behavioural problems in the future.  Once again, scientific research attests to the wisdom of Islamic teachings.

Nurturing one’s own eeman


The lessons that are acquired over the course of reading this book are not only applicable to children, but to those holding the book as well. This is, in reality, one of the purposes of this endeavour. A long standing tenet in the education field is that we tend to learn the most by teaching others. Parents need to explore other means to enhance their eeman, whether it be through seeking knowledge (essential), increasing worship, or contributing to the Muslim community. Doing this will make the task of nurturing eeman in children all that much easier.

Free PDF Link

Halaqa # 88



Safar 27, 1439

A Balanced Life

Year 4
Attendance:
  • 8 Sisters
  • 3 Junior Guests


Location: Headquarters
Agenda: (please note, we have included many links where you can read in detail more on each subject)

  • OPENING DUA
Sister Marwa read our opening  Dua.

O Allah, bless this Halaqa, allow us to gain, act upon and share beneficial knowledge.
Guide us, forgive our sins and grant us Jannah with our families and loved ones.
O my Lord increase me in knowledge*.  رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا   Ameen


  • QURAN RECITATION AND REFLECTION
We read Surah Fatihah aloud altogether, then sisters individually read aloud a few letters/words, ayahs (according to her ability and with the help and encouragement of her fellow sisters). We read Surah Yusuf from Ayah 64 to Ayah 69.  In sha Allah, this will be an ongoing part of our Halaqa and one day in sha Allah, we will have Khatam Quran and begin again.
Sister Cindy read an English Approximation (Sahih International) of the above verses.

We have chosen to use Tafsir Ibn Kathir.
Volume 5 Page 179-184 (From our library shelf)
Sister Lamiaa read:
“Ya’qub Orders His Children to enter Egypt from Different Gates”
You can view this tafsir online: Link
Sister Alia shared with the sisters an additional Tafsir.
link to tafsir (sorry it is only in Arabic)

  • QURAN RECITATION: TAJWEED/LEARN ARABIC
We listened to Sister Noura recite  Surah Al-Ma'un

The above link has both the recitation by Sheikh Husary and the individual word pronunciation (click on each word) for learning Arabic and the link below is useful for study as well.


Sisters who practice their reading in sha Allah will have an opportunity at the next Halaqa to have a sister listen to their recitation.
Tajweed rule

Sister Dania presented our Tajweed Rule.
Online video course: E-Learning Centre  (Relevant to today’s lesson starting from 7:25)
Summary Chart  Masha Allah, we have completed ¾ of this chart.

Alhamdulillah, Sister Noora has volunteered her time and expertise to teach sisters Arabic
and Tajweed. Please contact us to join our learning Arabic group if you would like to take
advantage of this generous offer.
  • GREAT WOMEN OF ISLAM WHO WERE GIVEN THE GOOD NEWS OF PARADISE
Sisters read Publisher’s Note  #5
Discussion: We listen to Sister Maryum’s opinion to only follow three books, then we discussed which direction to take and decided on the following:. To make the videos a priority over the book “Don’t Be Sad”. and to add the above book to our Halaqa.

Detailed information on this book: Dar-us-Salam Publications
  • A TEMPORARY GIFT
Sister Rim read the Introduction: pages 22 - 25
Discussion:  Was your marriage day “The best day of your life?”
  • PIC PICK
Sister Sara shared the following
  • NEXT HALAQA and News

In sha Allah, our next Halaqa will be on Thursday, December 7th at Sister Marwa’s.

In sha Allah, Friends and Family will be meeting next week.

  • DON’T BE SAD
Sisters read Today is all that you have   
Discussion:   
Image designer: Safina5
We have this book in our Library (it is currently borrowed, but you can submit a request to borrow, in sha Allah)
  • LEARN A DUA
Durning our Halaqa discussions, we covered the following two Duas.


الهم نعوذ بك أن نكون عبرة لأحدٍ من خلقك         
O Allah we ask you to protect us from being an exemplary lesson (of punishment or misguidance) to any of your creations.


عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُكْثِرُ أَنْ يَقُولَ
(يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ)
O Allah, the Turner of the hearts, keep my heart firm on your religion



  • NURTURING EEMAN IN CHILDREN
Sister’s Cindy and Marwa read a Summary of the second part of Chapter Three
Discussion: We tried to guess the 5 guidelines (mentioned in the book.), that should be followed when a mother contemplates working.
  • VIDEO  
We ran out of time for the video and decided next Halaqa to move the video up in priority in sha Allah.

  • CLOSING DUA
Sister Winnie and Lamiaa read our closing Dua.

For the expiation of sins, said at the conclusion of a sitting or gathering. To listen to this dua click here

196 - "How perfect You are O Allah, and I praise You. I bear witness
that None has the right to be worshipped except You. I seek Your
forgiveness and turn to You in repentance."

سُبْحـانَكَ اللّهُـمَّ وَبِحَمدِك، أَشْهَـدُ أَنْ لا إِلهَ إِلاّ أَنْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتوبُ إِلَـيْك

Subhânaka l-lâhumma wa bi-hamdika. Ash-hadu an lâ ilâha illâ
anta, astaghfiruka wa atûbu ilayka.



If any of this information was good and true, know that it comes from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.  If there are mistakes we ask for Allah’s Forgiveness and Mercy.


Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Nurturing Eeman in Children Chapter 3: (1/3)

The Basics of Parenting (part 1)

The importance of the marital relationship

A strong marriage leads to a properly functioning family and, in turn, a solid foundation for society. Marriage is so important in Islam that the Prophet (saws) said:
«Whoever marries has completed half of his faith. So let him have fear of Allah in the remaining half.»


Marriage is thus a form of worship and an opportunity to enhance one’s subservience to Allah. The couple should focus on growing together in obedience and love of Allah, and should seek Islamic knowledge for the goal of developing eeman and fear of Allah in their hearts. Their lives and life decisions should be based upon the teachings of the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws), and their children should be nurtured in such a rich environment.

Considerations in Marriage

Prior to marriage, one must carefully select a mate, giving priority to the eeman or faith of the person and not his or her social status, wealth, nationality, beauty, and so on. One should also enter the marriage with a commitment to the relationship and to following the guidance of Allah in all matters and decisions. Marriage is a relationship in which there should be mutual love, affection and compassion between the spouses, and in which the husband is protective, caring and generous toward his wife, and the wife is obedient and respectful toward her husband.


The happiness of the other partner should always be placed above one’s own will or desires.


Through these efforts, the couple will find repose and harmony in each other’s company. Marriage is a blessing, but it can also be a test from Allah, the Exalted, the Almighty. When problems arise, the couple should discuss possible solutions in an appropriate manner. Each must place his or her trust in Allah, seek to achieve the best in His way, and rely upon Allah’s guidance and judgment in all affairs.


Marriage and Parenting


In relation to parenting, the couple must work on strengthening their marriage for sake of their children. It is important to understand that the husband and wife present models of married life to their children, as well as models of parenting. This modelling has a major influence upon the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of a developing child. Children, in fact, learn more by observing others than by what they are told. Marital conflict should be avoided in front of the children, and models should instead be provided of dialogue, compromise, and patience. Consultation, fairness, reasonableness, and equanimity are essential ingredients for a harmonious family unit.



Thursday, November 2, 2017

Halaqa # 87

Safar 13, 1439
Growing
from our Past


Year 4
Attendance:
  • 12 Sisters
  • 5 Junior Sisters
  • 6 Junior Guests


Location: Headquarters
Agenda: (please note, we have included many links where you can read in detail more on each subject)


  • OPENING DUA
Sister Marwa read our opening  Dua.


O Allah, bless this Halaqa, allow us to gain, act upon and share beneficial knowledge.
Guide us, forgive our sins and grant us Jannah with our families and loved ones.
O my Lord increase me in knowledge*.  رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا   Ameen


  • QURAN RECITATION: TAJWEED/LEARN ARABIC
We listened to the Surah Quraish


The above link has both the recitation by Sheikh Husary and the individual word pronunciation (click on each word) for learning Arabic.




Sisters who practice their reading in sha Allah will have an opportunity at the next Halaqa to have a sister listen to their recitation.

Note: Using a notebook

Tajweed isn't like other topics you listen and internalize and reflect on etc. There are specific and certain rules, and it helps to have a spot for your notes to review, go back to. It is proven that writing notes yourself versus getting a printed handout for example solidifies information more and faster. Note-taking in general increases benefit extraction from Halaqa and is a good step in general to take when seeking knowledge.  An option as well is to review the material post Halaqa using the website.
Tajweed rule


Sister Dania presented our Tajweed Rule.


Alhamdulillah, Sister Noora has volunteered her time and expertise to teach sisters Arabic and Tajweed. Please contact us to join our learning Arabic group if you would like to take advantage of this generous offer.


  • QURAN RECITATION AND REFLECTION 

Note: We have an ongoing survey to accept feedback for our Halaqa’s.
One idea we received was to recite Surah Fatiha after our opening dua.
We discussed this with the sisters present and have decided to move the Quran Recitation and Reflection
to follow the Opening Dua directly, followed by our Tajweed lesson.
 

We read Surah Fatihah aloud altogether, then sisters individually read aloud a few letters/words, ayahs (according to her ability and with the help and encouragement of her fellow sisters). We read Surah Yusuf from Ayah 53 to Ayah 63.  In sha Allah, this will be an ongoing part of our Halaqa and one day in sha Allah, we will have Khatam Quran and begin again.
We read an English Approximation (Sahih International) of the above verses.


We have chosen to use Tafsir Ibn Kathir.
Volume 5 Page 179-184 (From our library shelf)
We only had enough time to read:
“Yusuf’s Rank with the King of Egypt”
“Yusuf’s reign in Egypt (last part)
“Yusuf’s brothers travel to Egypt”
You can view this tafsir online: Link


  • WOMEN AROUND THE MESSENGER
After reading a summary of Aminah bint Wahb, the sisters present discussed the material presented, in which there were several details provided without references, proofs or evidence. Therefore, it was decided that it was best to suspend following the book, and choose a new book to follow instead.
  • A TEMPORARY GIFT
Sisters Walaa and Rim read the Introduction: pages 18-22


  • NEXT HALAQA and News


In sha Allah, our next Halaqa will be on Thursday, November 16th.


Alhamduililah, during our Halaqas we have developed new friendships, but the time for socializing is very limited. Therefore we have started a new Group called Friends and Family.  In sha Allah, we will be meeting in the off weeks of the Halaqa for a mall walk and chat. We are staying in touch via WhatsApp and announce the day, time and location a few days ahead. Please send us a message if you would like to be added to this informal group.


In sha Allah, our sister Mona will be having a booth at this event with her Sister.
November 11th, Syeda Khadiijah Centre 7150 Edwards Blvd Mississauga


  • DON’T BE SAD
Sisters read The past is gone forever
Discussion:
  • This reading ties into Asmaa Hussein’s book.  She has taken the past and used it as a stepping stone to the present and to growing as a person. This reading states, “The past is non-existent.”  Do you agree with that statement?
We have this book in our Library (it is currently borrowed, but you can submit a request to borrow, in sha Allah)


  • NURTURING EEMAN IN CHILDREN
  • The importance of the marital relationship
  • Considerations in Marriage
  • Marriage and Parenting
Discussion:
The happiness of the other partner should always be placed above one’s own will or desires.


  • Dua al Ghayb
Sister May, led a dua for sister M.
  • VIDEO  

Stories of the Prophets - Prophet Adam
Sheikh  Abdul Nasir Jangda 8:01
  • CLOSING DUA
Sisters Siham and Cindy read our closing Dua.


For the expiation of sins, said at the conclusion of a sitting or gathering. To listen to this dua click here


196 - "How perfect You are O Allah, and I praise You. I bear witness
that None has the right to be worshipped except You. I seek Your
forgiveness and turn to You in repentance."


سُبْحـانَكَ اللّهُـمَّ وَبِحَمدِك، أَشْهَـدُ أَنْ لا إِلهَ إِلاّ أَنْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتوبُ إِلَـيْك


Subhânaka l-lâhumma wa bi-hamdika. Ash-hadu an lâ ilâha illâ
anta, astaghfiruka wa atûbu ilayka.




If any of this information was good and true, know that it comes from Allah subhanahu

wa ta’ala.  If there are mistakes we ask for Allah’s Forgiveness and Mercy.