MBMuslima is redefining what a dollar can do for you. For just $1, you can help ERASE MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM. For $1, you can help improve someone’s perception of Islam and help get our voices heard in the media. Yup, sounds like a deal to me.

Here’s the deal. We are looking to raise $10,000 in order to distribute 3000 issues of MBMuslim all across the US in places where we know that it would inshaAllah make a difference.

Imagine a magazine about Muslims (actually written by Muslims) casually available for anyone on college campuses, public libraries, and doctor’s offices. Moreover, imagine prison inmates receiving personal issues with their name on it. That’s our dream. With your help and by the will of Allah SWT, we can achieve it. We know the economy is tough and that’s exactly why we are asking you for $1. All it takes is 10,000 people to cooperate.

Now, we realize there are other organizations that definitely, without a doubt are more important and more in need of your donations, such as Islamic Relief, and other awesome organizations. That’s exactly why we are asking for a small contribution.

May Allah SWT reward you and accept this from you as a means to elevate you on the day of judgment. JazakAllah khair.

The 22nd Issue of MBMuslima is now available! Alhamdulilah!

May 2011: The Healthy Hearts Issue

Focusing on YOUR health: Mentally | Physically | Spirtually

Read it now!

JazakAllah khair. Enjoy!

MBMuslima.com

Event covered by Hind Kasem

This article is from our April 2011, Environment Issue.

The auditorium of Miftaahul Uloom Academy (MUA), an Islamic school located in Union City,  New   Jersey, is filled with students proudly wearing their school sweaters. They are sitting in two lines, patiently waiting for Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, the author of the book Green Deen to arrive and speak about how Islam promotes caring for the environment. The organization that hosted the event was The Building Blocks of New Jersey (BBNJ), a non-profit organization that strives to encourage the betterment of the Muslim community by applying the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) and activism in the local community.

Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, an eloquent speaker, was able to grasp the attention of the audience, encouraging them to share their views on being “green” and their ideas and plans for saving the environment. Many of the MUA students recalled recycling as their main plan to live a green lifestyle. A teacher said that she recently had solar panels installed on the roof of her house. He asked if they would throw trash in their local mosque; almost the entire audience replied with a collective “No!” Abdul-Matin    responded by saying, “So then, why do you litter elsewhere, when the world is a mosque?”

Abdul-Matin told the story of his trip to Bear Mountain and the effect it had on him.  Compared to his neighborhood in Brooklyn, Bear Mountain was a lush, green oasis.  Until this trip, he had only known praying at home or at his local mosque, so when his father stopped to pray while on their hiking trip, he was taken aback. His father told him “the earth is a mosque” – you can pray anywhere when the time comes. That one sentence changed the way he viewed his     surroundings. With the growingly popular green movement at its peak, where better to look for guidance than our own religion Islam? As Muslims, we know there are many hadiths and ayahs in the Qur’an that show the importance of not doing things in excess (israaf). We are supposed to fill one third of our stomachs with air, one third with water, and one third with food. The Prophet (pbuh) once told a man that you should not waste water, even if you are at the bank of a flowing river.

The popular green triangle image has three main points: reduce, reuse, and recycle. It is constructed in a way that reducing your usage of things is most important, followed by reusing and recycling.  Many people don’t seem to acknowledge this and consume products in excess, thinking that because their aluminum foil is recycled or their laundry detergent is natural, they are going green and saving the world. Of course, every little step is important, and using recycled products is helpful, but by sticking to using only what you need, you can accomplish so much more.

In Abdul-Matin’s book Green Deen, he creatively distinguishes resources from Heaven and resources from Hell. Resources from Heaven are renewable resources, such as solar power and wind energy; resources from Hell are resources that are not renewable such as coal and oil. His reference creates an interesting question: shouldn’t we strive for heaven in this life in addition to the hereafter? With that being said, if an individual doesn’t want to protect his or her environment from a purely human level, I’d suggest referring back to the deen –the green deen, that is.

This came from the April 2011 issue of MBMuslima.

Pack Rat by Tayyaba Syed (This article came from the April 2011 issue of MBMuslima)

I do not consider myself a packrat. I am not one to necessarily save things that I do not use or need anymore. However, with busy schedules and crazy lifestyles, things gather up over time and get overlooked. My family and I are in the middle of a move and finding ridiculous amounts of things we have accumulated over the years.

Why do I have all these possessions? How will they benefit me later? I will not be able to take them with me to the grave. A white cloth: that will be the only physical belonging I will take with me. Other than that, all I will have are my few good deeds. That is a pretty scary thought. We are supposed to live our lives like travelers or strangers. In this way, we stay detached from this dunya which is a temporary abode for us. We get caught up in the illusion of this world and forget that the Hereafter is what is permanent.

In the midst of our move, I have been very particular as to how we dispose of our unused items. I prefer to take less with us to our new home and am not a big fan of clutter. But I cannot just dump everything in the trash and let it be someone else’s problem.

We are responsible for every little thing we use and not use. If I do not take care of it properly now, it will definitely become my problem later. I will have to answer for my choices and what I waste. Therefore, I am doing my best to donate most of our things. There are so many people out there who could make use of what we do not use or need. It is a reminder for us to be grateful for what we do have. We should always make du’aa’ that we are of those who have the opportunity to give to others.

There are also ways to reuse and recycle our household things. There are many electronic recycling centers in neighborhoods nearby. We conveniently have one down the street where all our old cell phones, cables, wires, VCRs (remember those?), and broken gadgets will go. That way, they will not be harming the environment sitting aimlessly in a landfill. Also, paper and plastic items are recyclable and do not need to go in the trash. Believe it or not, our recycling bin is fuller than our garbage can. We must be doing something right, I hope.

During this process of getting rid of clutter, I am trying to organize all our belongings and making sure everything has a place to be put or stored in our new home. If not, then it needs to go to someone who does need it and has a place for it. For example, our kids have outgrown most of their toys and clothes, so many of our family friends will use them as hand-me-downs. Some things still have the tags on them and never even used! Another thing I am taking into account is if we have used something in the last year or not. If not, do we really need it or can someone else make better use out of it than us?

We come into this world with nothing and will leave the same way. Instead of piling up materialistic things, we should be collecting good deeds on top of good deeds. Taking care of the environment is a good start. Learn to reuse and recycle your things and give your things away.
Live your life like a traveler and start packing light now.

Image Credit: Dreamstime.com | Dmitry Grushin

This came from the April 2011 issue of MBMuslima.

Avenida Enekuri Greetings is named after the small side street I lived on in Spain, which was also alive with fresh orange juice and salsa music in the evenings. I spent a great deal of time in self-inquiry while living in that apartment, and through getting to know myself learned to better get to know others. While there my terrific friends in Egypt and in the US showered me with mail, always sending small gifts and photographs to keep me smiling. Most important to me were the cards I received, which helped remind me of how precious it is to make sure we let those we love know how important they are to us.

Once I returned to the States, I started the company for several reasons in addition to my need for a creative outlet. First, I believe that pursuing more creative endeavors is something that the modern Muslim community has compromised in many ways, and is thus extremely important to be revived. Second, Islamic greeting cards (even during Ramadan and Eid) are extremely difficult to find, and being able to provide such cards readily available in better-than-store bought quality I believe is a great way for me to contribute to the community. Third, and most importantly, cards are an excellent way to live in the sunnah by spreading love and brotherly/sisterly support, motivating friends toward dhikr, and keeping familial ties.

Each of my designs in inspired by someone I know or somewhere I’ve been, and when I sell a card I am always excited to share with the customer my motivations and memories behind a particular design.

Products
-All occasion greeting cards (pre-made and custom)

-Specific occasion cards such as birthday, Eid and Ramadan, or condolence (pre-made and custom)

-Wedding, graduation, mehndi, and other event invitations (pre-made and custom)

My cards are 99% customizable, and I always welcome custom orders and inquiries no matter how small or large the order!

Website

www.enekuri.etsy.com

Facebook

www.facebook.com/enekuri

Email

salenalorinelee@gmail.com

The 21st Issue of MBMuslima is now available! Alhamdulilah!

This issue is dedicated to my 4th grade pearl, my sister Meriam Essa who has an innocent but impressive passion for the environment, as evident by her Environmental club activism. She is the one who truly taught me to take care of this Dunya. Please keep her as well as all those like her in your most precious dua.

April 2011

Stewards of the Earth:The Environment Issue

Here’s a sneak peak:

“Why do I have all these possessions? How will they benefit me later? I will not be able to take them with me to the grave. A white cloth:  that will be the only physical  belonging I will take with me. Other than that, all I will have are my few good deeds. That is a pretty scary thought.”

“How many of us have our own gardens in which we plant fruit trees? Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gave great importance to trees of any size, shape or species from the time it is a seedling to a full grown tree. It is said that whoever plants a tree will receive blessings throughout its lifetime. For every time it bears fruits, you will receive blessings and if any creatures eat from the tree again you receive blessings. Planting a tree is also beneficial to you even after you die.  So, plant a seedling and protect it so it may grow, and conserve it so it may exist for a long time.”

“As Chief Seattle is often remembered as saying, “This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to earth. All things are connected.” Our relationship with the natural world is so intimate and so interdependent that we scarcely realize how much we depend on in order to live and prosper and continue our legacy as humankind.”

Want more? Get more. Read it now!

JazakAllah khair. Enjoy!

MBMuslima.com

I need YOUR perspective inshaAllah!

I will be speaking on a panel on the topic of Women in Islam as part of an Islamic Awareness Week. That being said, the audience will primarily be non-Muslims. In a desire to capture perspectives of Muslim men and women globally, I am asking YOU to fill out a short survey, so that I can share your insights inshaAllah. You can fill it out here: http://bit.ly/MuslimSurvey

p.s. Jummuh Mubarak. Don’t forget to read Surah al-Kahf!

p.s.s. Please don’t be a procrastinator and say ‘I’ll do it later”. The event is on Monday, so only responses from today will be included inshaAllah.

May Allah purify and rectify our hearts. Ameen.

JazakAllah khair.

Sister Yasmin Essa

MBMuslima Magazine

Alhamdulilah, the wait is over and we are bringing you the 20th Issue of MBMuslima!

Check it out now!

JazakAllah khairan,

MBMuslima.com

The 19th Issue of MBMuslima is now available! Alhamdulilah!

February 2011 The Thikr Issue

Read it now!

Contents

Editor’s Letter…  3

Welcoming Nur Suliman!… 4

Keeping Dhikr…  5

A Fashion Show with Heart… 6

Positive Outlook… 7

Egypt Revolution 2011… 8

Experiences of a New English Muslim… 10

Save Your Money; Don’t Buy Stock… 12

Al Muthil… 13

Psychology at IOU… 14

Islaamic Visions… 15

5 Ways to develop Thikr… 16

Apple & Acorn Squash Soup… 17

Quran Challenge… 18

Boost Your Marriage… 19

10 Causes that Result in Allah’s Love for His Slave 19

Chow down Chickpea Chowda 20

Nail Polish & Skin Tones 21

For our French Readers 22

JazakAllah khair. Enjoy!

MBMuslima.com