Category Archive

I believe I’ve mentioned before that there is a very polite Jehovah’s Witness who rides AbuS and my bus.  While I am totally not up for proselytizing or being proselytize to, AbuS has been more than happy to chat with her about the Bible. 

AbuS rode the bus home with her yesterday and someone the subject of my conversion came up.  AbuS talked about how the character of the beloved Prophet Muhammad (saws) was a large part of what drew me to Islam.

I’ve attempted to give her a copy of the Qur’an in the past, which she has always refused.  I’ve found that a little off putting, since we’ve accepted free bibles and watchtower magazines from her.  But now, a small breakthrough.

She has agreed to possibly reading a biography of the Prophet (saws)!  Alhamdulilah!  I plan on giving her Tariq Ramadan’s In the Footsteps of the Prophet and Submission, Faith and Beauty.

She is very much into the book of Revelations and the end times.  Are there any good books out there on the end times in Islam?  It’s never been something I have concerned myself much with, as I figure it will happen when it happens and what I really need to worry about is preparing for my own death.  However, she consistently sees signs of the end of times in the news.  I know I’ve mentioned a few of the signs from the hadith to her, but maybe a good book on the matter will also open her heart.

Please make dua to Allah (swt) open her heart to Islam through the beauty of our beloved Prophet Muhammad’s (saws) character.

• This is in no way a review of any sort, just my thoughts. A review would actually require concentration, and with little sleep, I have none.
• Alhamdulilah it was 90 minutes.  I wish it had been longer.
• On the other hand, that meant I was up past 11:00 p.m.  And I’m here at work with 5 hours of sleep.  And I don’t do good on anything less than 8.  Ur.
• loved the muslim version of ring around the rosy: Ring around the kaaba/follow the sahaaba/sajda, sajda/we all bow down.
• MashaAllah those brothers were rocking some awesome beards and thobes
• Ditto mashaAllah rocking those tasbih.
• Didya hear Imam Zaid? I’m pretty sure it was him introducing the event in Chicago.
• I was speculating from the beginning that the masjid was related to Uthman dan Fodio in some way. I was right.  I found an interview with Br. Hamza done last year after watching the movie that mentions it, but can’t find it now.  Dur.
• Now I have an urge to go dig up my african history books from my freshman year of college and reaquaint myself with muslim west africa. 
• Also, need to introduce AbuS to Uthman dan Fodio (ra), cuz he needs to know some kick butt sufis.
• The way Br. Hamza talked about the Prophet (saws) is exactly how I feel about him.  You read more, you change for the better and your love for him increases.
• The dawah Br. Hamza was doing in the prison was awesome.
• Can’t say I’m a fan of gender mixing crowds at hip hop concerts.
• Overall, I thought the movie presented muslims in a very positive light.

From Imam Suhaib Webb:

Asalamu alaykum,

Converting is no easy issue. After the takibirs, hugs, gifts and love, one still has to go home to a large non-Muslim family base. 100 lb. dogs, homies smoking blunts, holidays, clubs, x lovers, old friends, expectations of other Muslims, marriage, financial issues and a host of issues tower over the new convert.

My idea is simple, wont take much of your time and, inshallah, if we’re sincere, can help serve our communities. What I need is your questions. My plan is to collect your questions, sit with 3-4, still unknown convert scholars fresh form overseas, research, answer and write a book providing answers that, inshallah, will support, build and encourage the new convert.

Answers will be cross checked by other towering scholars in the Muslim world, published and, inshallah, serve you. This is the first in a series of books which we plan to write that will offer functionality to our communities.

Future titles include: single parent mothers/fathers, sexuality, mothers, fathers, family,teens, high school, college, young professionals, retires [baby boomer Muslims], the arts, drugs and civic duty. Imagine a collection of fatwa written by local qualified muftis covering these topics!

Now the dice are in your hand.  So start asking!

If one feels his/her questions are too personal, or too long to post on line, please email me here suhaibdwebb@gmail.com. All names will be changed for publication in order to insure privacy.

Suhaib

Of course, I contributed the ubiquitous what to do at christmas question, but I can think of a ton more.  Going to start compiling a list inshaAllah.  Very very excited about this project

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So there’s this jehovah’s witness lady who rides my bus.  She’s quite nice, and I used to sit next to her often.  However, our schedules have changed and we don’t take the same bus anymore.

As an ardent JW, she would try to share her faith with me every time we saw each other.  I nod, smile, take the occasional magazine, and in time, I pointed her towards the husband.  The husband actually enjoys talking with proselytizers.   Unfortunately, he has a knack for scaring them away.  When the mormons came knocking, he was happy to talk, but when he asked if they had the signs of faith in Mark 16:17-18, ie they’d be able to drink poison, they left rather quickly.

The JW lady set him up to talk with several different “brothers,” all of whom got frustrated with my husband questions about scriptural discrepancies and stopped returning his emails and refused to meet with him.  For a group of people who profess to be serious students of the bible, they weren’t very good at answering questions about the scripture.  The last brother actually told my husband to just read the message and stop concentrating on the text itself.  The husband countered that if the text is flawed, how could anyone believe the message?

Last year, we had the JW lady and some of her friends over to our apartment.  Their goal was to do some witnessing.  My goal was to do some reverse dawah.  I cleaned everything from top to bottom, and prepared fresh fruit and dessert.  She couldn’t stop thanking me for being so kind to them, that normally people were very terse when they came around.  I explained that our Prophet (saws) made hospitality a matter of faith:

Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let them treat their guest generously. (Bukhari, Muslim, others)

And that it was my duty to make them feel comfortable.  Then they got into the discussion with my husband re: the bible.  No headway was made.  After awhile, the JW’s friends started to look uncomfortable, so they prepared to leave.  As they were about to head out the door, I pulled a few qurans off the shelf and offered them.  They refused.  I was floored.  Here was had given them the opportunity to preach their faith to us, offered them the hospitality of our home, and they refused a gift in kind?  After that, I began to politely decline the offers of magazines and discussions on the bus.  If you’re going to witness, at least be open to witnessing in kind.

My husband still sees the JW lady on the bus on occasion.  This morning, he called me up as I walked to work, and was very excited.  He’d been having an email discussion with the JW lady recently, and this morning on the bus, she gave him a list of questions for him to answer about islam.  Alhamdulilah, her first interest in the religion, aside from a few passing questions about the end of times.

Make dua for Allah (swt) to open her heart and to guide our hands as we answer these questions.

National Geographic has produced an excellent documentary on Hajj called Inside Mecca, just one of the many islam themed videos available for free online.

This video provides an insider’s view of the hajj and can be especially insightful for non muslims. It’s an excellent little dawah piece, easily accessable and easy to understand.