Muslim Home school in America: August 2012

Alhamdulillah, my dearest friend, who took a class last term, wanted to share that Seekers Guidance Org now offers free online Islamic learning courses through a program they call "Knowledge Without Barriers."

Another free online courses only for sister, it is The Rahmah Foundation. Most of the past courses are free.

Here is the link to know what are courses from Seekers Guidance Org catalog offered this year, Islamic Courses.
And to register you can find in sign up.

For Academic Calendar Fall 2012 is following:

Registration Opens: Jul. 30th, 2012
Courses Begin: Aug. 27th, 2012
Registration Closes: Sep. 10th, 2012
Courses End (One-Term Courses): Nov. 19th, 2012
Courses End (Two-Term Courses): Mar. 4th, 2013

There will be free conference online about Ramadan on August 11th, 2012, to register please click Free Ramadan Conference Online

For uptodate information, you can find on Facebook: Seekers Guidance.

May Allah always increase our knowledge, aameen.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Ramadan oh Ramadan: Balancing dunya and akhirah

While he was fixing this laptop, the phone was ringing.

Me: "Hallo"
Man: "Assalamualaikum, can I talk to your son?"
Me: "Wa alaikum salam, okay."
Then I gave the phone to my boy. ...

When the phone was hang up, the girl asked.
Girl: "Who is he? Another customer?"
Boy: "Yes, a Moroccan Man wants me to fix his desktop."
Me: "Wow, Alhamdulillah, you did very good job, honey. Now people come and need your help to fix their computer. I want you to have fun whatever you are doing."
Boy: "ya, ibu. After this laptop is fixed, I am going to memorize my Qur'an."

May Allah always guide our children being successful in this dunya and akhirah. Aameen.

Have a blessed Ramadan, everyone....

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Allah created death and life that Allah might try you according to which of you is best in works. And Allah is the All-mighty, the All-forgiving.

(Quran surah al Mulk 67:2)

Free Future Online Education

Online classes have been around for years, with technology evolving to include multimedia features and interaction among students and faculty.
Alhamdulillah, there are so many free online courses available now for kids to learn from big universities.

In the future, the standard class will be a hybrid of in-person and online elements. There will be more digital university for students of the global one-world classroom. Imagine that in 50 years from now, there will more and more free online courses from universities. All you need is access to a computer and a reasonable Internet connection. You don’t even have to pay or you only have to pay at lower cost, such as Udacity recently announced plans to have students pay $80 to take exams at testing centers operated around the world by Pearson, a global education company.

“Online education is absolutely not a replacement for the high-quality education that a top university can give,” Andrew Ng (the co-founder of Coursera) says. He also said that the real value of a education isn’t just the content. The Content is increasingly available for free on the Web. The real value is the interactions with professors and other, equally bright students.

We knew that more kids love to play game online. Well, I think we should ask the kids to learn more than play online.

Here are some of the Free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC).

Coursera.org (Stanford Uni. and 16 other big Universities)
Udacity.com (Stanford Uni.)
edX.org (MIT and Hardvard Uni.)
Massive Open Online Courses - MIT
Massive Open Oonline Courses - Harvard or see the MOOC -MIT and Harvard
The Georgia Tech MOOC (knows as Change 11)
Udemy (from universities like Dartmouth, the University of Virginia and Northwestern offer free online courses)
Open Courses - Carnigie Melon Uni.
2tor It created master’s degree programs for a variety of schools.
Open Study: Ask Anything

Each company offers online materials broken into manageable chunks, with short video segments, interactive quizzes and other activities — as well as online forums where students answer one another’s questions. There are so many other free online courses out there available for you to learn.

Ramadan oh Ramadan: Fasting can heal any dieases.

Kid: "Ibu, why doesn't she fasting?"

Me: "I think it's because she is sick and she has to take the pill."

Kid: "I thought fasting will heals the sickness."

Me: "You are right, honey. I think she should try to fast if she is strong enough to do it. We know that fasting can heal the sickness and any diseases."

Kid: "ya, ibu. Fasting can make us healthy, insha Allah."

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Fasting is a completely natural healing therapy that has been used for thousands of years to treat and even cure many common diseases.

The Benefits of Fasting

teaches patience.
strengthens the body and cures some diseases.
comforts the stomach.
teaches us how to be merciful and compassionate with the poor.
teaches us to organize our eating and drinking habits
increases our good deeds.
heal a host of minor (and sometimes major) health disorders.
help you lose weight and keep it off.
cleanse your body of metabolic wastes and toxins.
improve your skin tone and health, making you look younger.
stimulate new cell growth, making you feel younger.
strengthen your immune system and natural defenses.
improve glandular health and hormonal balance.
increase mental clarity.
enhance your moods, enjoy a more positive outlook.
give you more energy and enthusiasm.
enhance your spiritual connection.

Those Who are Exempted From Fasting

The sick
The traveler
The elderly who physically unable fasting
The pregnant woman or a breast feeding mother who feels that she may cause harm to herself or her baby if she fasts
The woman during her menstrual period or post-natal bleeding

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become the pious." (2:183)

Let's teach our kids about the important of fasting.

Ramadan oh Ramadan: Teaching Children to Pray.

Question:
I really need help with my son, when I tell him it is time to pray. he gets angry and leaves the room. He is 11 I though he would get up and pray by himself. Please give me advices.

Answer:
Ramadan Karim, sister.

Have you try to pray in jamaah at home with the whole family (father, mother, and kids)? After praying jamaah, you can always have small halaqah. It's important to remind each other about why, when, and how to pray, the beautiful of our deen, the purpose of life, etc.
You can also try to read together about hadiths or story of al Qur'an, etc. Kids need to learn and understand more about Iman, Islam, and Ihsan. In this Ramadan, you should also try to pray in masjid together (For 11 years kid, he should not play around in masjid anymore).
If you teach them about the deen then it will be more easy teaching them about other things, insha Allah.

We should always teach our kids to love Allah, trust in Him, and to ask from Him all their needs. This positive attitude will help the kid build a lasting relationship with Allah.

O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is man and stones. (Al-Qur'an 66: 6)

From a young age, a kid should be encouraged to pray, recite the Qur’an, perform wudhu etc. Parents should not wait until they are almost baligh. It is much better to start at an age when kids are willing to imitate the parents and have an interest in praying and doing wudhu.

May Allah always give us more sabr and guide our children to practice our beautiful religion, aameen.

Ramadan oh Ramadan: Zakat, Sadaqah, and Charity

While I was eating this sweet during iftar, my kid asked me.

Kid: "Ibu, i saw a sister throwing the good foods in the garbage bag. Why?"
Me: "I don't know why, honey. She should bring it home instead of throwing to garbage."
Kid: "It's so sad now a day. I think it's right that some people said that, in Ramadan, Muslim are fasting during the day but they are having party/feast during the night. While other miskin/poor people have no food almost everyday. That's not what Ramadan is about."
Me (with my big hug to her): "You are right, my honey honey and sugar."
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How many favors of Allah we enjoy, we don’t admit or recognize until Allah takes them away from us? We probably enjoy air-conditioning and have a fridge in our house. There are people who refuse taking meat as charity because they don’t have a fridge to store it in. There are people who do have anything to eat and drink. There are people who don't have place to sleep.
Be grateful before Allah takes it all away from you.

“Truly, those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and perform salah and give zakah, they will have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
(Al-Qur’an, surah 2, ayah 277)

Please do not forget to give your sadaqah, Zakat, and other charity during this Ramadan.
May Allah accept all our ibadah. Aameen.

Here are useful links:

Ramadan oh Ramadan: The best among you are the best in characters.

Last night after Taraweeh, my boy came to me and gave this white kufi hat.

Boy: "Ibu, the old man, who prays beside me, gave this kufi hat to me."
Me: "Why? Did you ask him to have it? or Is it just a gift for you?"
Boy: "He said it's a gi ft. I don't know why he gave me a gift."
Me: "Did you said thank you to him?"
Boy: "of course, I did. I want you to wash it first so I can use it for praying, insha Allah."
Me: "But you can still use the old one."
Boy: " I want to use it so he can get the reward of my praying, too, insha Allah."
Me: "I think he likes you because you are good boy to him."

May Allah always guide us and give us more patience and have good manners.
Aameen ya Rabb al aameen.
=================

We were sitting with 'Abdullah bin 'Amr who was narrating to us (Hadith).
He said that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "The best among you are the best in character (having good manners)."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.61 Narrated by Masruq)

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Ramadan oh Ramadan: I am Fasting Today.

While my girl is helping me in the kitchen, she said to me that in Ramadan we have to be more patience.
Then I said to her: "yes, you are right, honey."

After a while, she is accidentally eating the sweet.

Girl: "Oh this is so good, ibu."
Me: "Are you fasting?"
Girl: "Oh, no I forget about it."
Me: "That's okay if you forget."
Girl: "So I still have my fasting."
Me:"Yes, you do still have your fasting if you forget."
Girl:"Yes, i am still fasting. Now I remember that Sheikh in masjid was talking about it in the class."
Me: "Honey, it's okay if you want to break your fast."

But she still wants to finish her fasting until sunset. Insha Allah.

May Allah accept our fasting in this Ramadan and doing it with sincerity. Aameen. ===================

And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appears to you.
Then complete your fast till the night comes.
[Quran 2:187].

Who is required to fast?
Fasting is obligatory upon the fulfillment of the following:

Islam: Fasting is not obligatory on a disbeliever.
Sanity: The insane is exempted.
Puberty: Children are exempted, but they should be trained.
Residency: Travelers are exempted.
Health: The sick who cannot endure fasting is exempted.

The kids should try their best to fast all Ramadan or a part of it, so that they get used to fasting.

Ramadan oh Ramadan: Missing My Dhuha Prayer

Kid: "Ibu, I don't feel good today.
Me: "Are you okay?"
Kid: "No."
Me: "What's wrong with you?"
Kid: "I don't feel good because I missed my Dhuha pray this morning. I knew that I could pray easily."
Me: "Alhamdulillah, you already had the intention to do praying Dhuha.
May Allah accept it. Aameen. Insha Allah, you won't miss again tomorrow. Okay, honey."

May Allah always guide our children to be good Muslim, aameen.

=====================

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
My Khalil (the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)) directed me to fast three days of each month, and to observe two Rak`ah Duha (optional prayer) at forenoon,
and to perform the Witr prayer before going to bed.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ramadan oh Ramadan: Praying standing up is better than sitting down.

When we finished the second 2-rakaats of Taraweeh pray, my kid said that she was so lazy and tired. I knew that she saw some of her age and older kids were busy playing.

Kid: "Ibu (mom), i am so lazy and tired."

Me: "Well, you can pray sit if you are tired."

Kid: "But I do not want to be embarrassed by the old grandma who is praying beside you, ibu (mom). She is always standing up during the Taraweeh and Witr pray. I think it doesn't take that long to finish the prayers until Witr."

Me (with big hug to her): "hehehe, you are right, honey. I feel the same thing, too. The old grandma can do it then we can do it, too. Beside of that, if you pray standing up, it's good for our body after eating our heavy meal in this iftar. It also keeps our blood moving and flowing. I think you have to drink some more water, again."

Alhamdulillah, the kids always learn and practice their religion with sabr (patience) and ikhlas (sincerity).
May Allah always help and guide our children to love and practice their religion, aameen.

==============

The hadith says narrated by al-Bukhaari (1050) from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: I had haemorrhoids, and I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about praying. He said: “Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; and if you cannot, then lying on your side.”

Also this hadith It was also narrated by al-Bukhaari, Abu Dawood and al-Nasaa’i, who added: “If you cannot, then lying on your back, and Allaah does not burden any soul beyond its scope.”

The Night of Power (Lailatul Qadr)

The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Angels are descend from heaven to earth and become closer to believers. Laylatul Qadr is the night the Qur'an was revealed so we should read and learn more Al Qur'an. We also should spend this night in prayer, mention of name of Allah, worship, and ask forgiveness.

The prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wa salam said: "He observed prayer on Laylatul Qadr out of faith and seeks reward from Allah, all his previous sins would be forgiven." (Hadiths Muslim)

Laylatul Qadr begins immediately after the sun sets and ends at dawn, i.e. at the beginning of the time of the Morning Prayer Fajr. Let's get more close to Allah in the time of Laylatul Qadr.

If you want to read and learn al Qur'an about Laylatul Qadr, it is in Surah AL-Qadr

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT of LAYLATUL QADR?
Of course It is to get more blessings from Allah and ask forgiveness. Only for the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were blessed with a night of huge reward. The reason was to enable Muslims to equal the worship of any people who lived before us. In the past it is said that people lived very long lives of hundreds of years. Today, we live shorter lives. Allah gave us Laitatul Qadr to enable us to do as much worship as a man who lived even hundreds of years longer. If you only worshipped on Lailatul Qadr ten times, you would have equaled in those ten nights 833 years of worship.
WHEN IS LAYLATUL QADR?
Only Allah knows which night of Ramadan is the Night of Power. It's odd numbers after the 19th of Ramadan. In the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah greet and bless him) there is a great number of hadith which indicate probable time limits for finding this blessed night. In this night the number of Angels, who will descend to earth, will be greater than pebbles [on the whole planet]. We have to do our best.
What To DO?
Some that you can do:
- Do Itikaf
  We should try to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the masjid for Itikaf, at least one day.
- Read and learn Al Quran.
  Laylatul Qadr is the night the Qur'an was revealed so we should spend more reading Al Quran on that night. We will gain 700 hasanah or more by reciting each letter.
- Do more Zikr (the remembrance of Allah)
  - Subhanallah
  - Alhamdulillah
  - Allahu Akbar
  - Laa ilaha ilallah
  - La Hawla Wa La Quwwata Illa Billah
  - Asthaghfirullah
  - Sub-han'Allah hil Azeem wa bi-ham'dihi,
  - Subhāna-llāhi, wa-l-hamdu li-llāhi, wa lā ilāha illā-llāhu, wa-llāhu akbar. Wa lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-llāhi-l-aliyyi-l-azīm
  - Lā ilāha illā-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu lahu-l-mulku wa lahu-l-ḥamdu yuhyi wa yumītu wa huwa ḥayyu-llā yamūtu abadan abada, ḏū-l-jalāli wa-l-ikrām, biyadihi-l-khayr, wa huwa alā kulli Shay-in qadīr
- Make repentance, ask forgiveness, and dua for yourself
  "When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me."
  [Al Qur'an Surah Al Baqarah 2:186]
- Do more Nafl prayers
  Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger said: “Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven.”
  Bukhari and Muslim)
- Special Dua of Lailatul Qadr:
  "ALLAH HUMMA INNAKA A’FUVUN TOHIB BUL AFVA FA’AFU ANNI" (Tirmidhi)
  "O Allah! You are the Forgiver and You like forgiving so forgive me”
WHAT ARE THE SIGNs OF LAYLATUL QADR?
The signs are:
- This night possesses an extraordinary shine and brightness of its own.
- Taking into account local climate the weather in that night won’t be either cold or warm, i.e. the night temperature will be average for this climate, region and season.
- This night will be calm, clear and dry.
- Stars do not fall in that night.
- The next morning after this night the sun will be bright, brilliant and incarnadine (light-red). Its shine will be tender, not blinding just like the full moon in the clear night.

In Al Qur'an, surah Al-Qadr (97: The Night of Power)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ {1}

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ {2}

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ {3}

تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ {4}

سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ {5}

In The Name Of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
(1) Surely We revealed it on the grand night.
(2) And what will make you comprehend what the grand night
(3) The grand night is better than a thousand months.
(4) The angels and Jibreel descend in it by the permission of their Lord for every affair,
(5) Peace! it is till the break of the morning.

In Hadiths: Lailatul Qadr in the Last Seven Nights of Ramadan

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (Radi Allah Anhu) : Some men amongst the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) were shown in their dreams that the night of Qadr was in the last seven nights of Ramadan. Allah's Messenger (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) said, "It seems that all your dreams agree that (the Night of Qadr) is in the last seven nights, and whoever wants to search for it should search in the last seven nights of Ramadan." [Sahih Bukhari : Volume 3, Book 32 "Taraweeh", Number 232]
Narrated Abu Salama (Radi Allah Anhu) : I asked Abu Sa'id (Radi Allah Anhu) about the Night of Qadr and he said, "We practised Itikaf in the middle third month of Ramadan with Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam). In the morning of the 20th of Ramazan, the Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) came to and addressed us and said, " I was informed of the date of the Night of Qadr but I was caused to forget it, or I forget, so search it in the last ten nights of month of Ramadan." [Sahih Bukhari : Volume 3, Book 32 "Taraweeh", Number 233]

In Hadiths: Lailatul Qadr in the Odd Nights of Last Ten Nights of Ramadan

Narrated 'Ibn Abbas (Radi Allah Anha): The Allah's Messenger (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) said: "Look for the Night of Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan on the night when nine or seven or five nights remain out of the last ten nights of the Ramadan." [Sahih Bukhari : Volume 3, Book 32 "Taraweeh", Number 238]
Narrated 'Ibn Abbas (Radi Allah Anha) in this quotation: Allah's Messenger (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) said: "The Night of Qadr is in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan either on the first nine or in the last (remaining) seven nights of Ramadan." [Sahih Bukhari : Volume 3, Book 32 "Taraweeh", Number 239]
Narrated 'Aisha (Radi Allah Anhu) : With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, Allah's Messenger (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) used to tighten his waist-belt (i.e. hard work) and used to offer Salat (Prayer) all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the Salat (prayers). [Sahih Bukhari : Volume 3, Book 32 "Taraweeh", Number 241]
'A'isha (Radi Allah Anhu) Allah's Messenger (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) as saying: "Look for (and in the words of Waki, seek) Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan." [Sahih Muslim : Book 6 "Kitab Al-Sawm", Number 2632]
Zirr b. Habaish (Radi Allah Anhu) reported Ubayy b. Ka'b (Radi Allah Anhu) took oath (without making any exception, i. e. without saying Innsha Allah) that it was the twenty-seventh night. I said to him: Abu Mundhir, on what ground do you say that? Thereupon he said: By the indication or by the sign which the Messenger of Allah (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) gave us, and that is that on that day (the sun) would rise without having any ray in it. [Sahih Muslim : Book 6 "Kitab Al-Sawm", Number 2633]
Zirr b. Hubaish (Radi Allah Anhu) reported that Ubayy b. Ka'b (Radi Allah Anhu) said about Lailat-ul-Qadr: By Allah, I know well about it. Shu'ba said: To the best of my knowledge it was the twenty-seventh night for which the Messenger of Allah (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) commanded us to stand for prayer. Shu'ba doubted these words: That it was the night for which the Messenger of Allah (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) commanded us to stand for prayer. And (he further) said: This was narrated to me by a friend of mine from him (the Holy Prophet). [Sahih Muslim : Book 6 "Kitab Al-Sawm", Number 2634]
Abu Huraira (Radi Allah Anhu) reported: We were talking about Lailat-ul-Qadr in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) and he said: "He who amongst you remembers (the night) when the moon arose and it was like a piece of plate (at the fag end of the month in a state of waning)." [Sahih Muslim : Book 6 "Kitab Al-Sawm", Number 2635]

May Allah always accept all our ibadah. Aameen.