Al-Isra’ Diaries: Midnight Halaqa

Saturday July 2, 2011

It was close to midnight. While some campers retired to their beds, most of us congregated just outside the main lodge and waited for sr. Danyal to deliver her promised halaqa. I glanced at the faces around me, but all I could make were shadows painted at the flickering of flames. “They say that Islam is the fastest growing religion,” she began. I crouched down on a log beside the camp fire, prepared to pen her every word with meticulous detail. She then resumed after a brief silence: “I believe that if we really practice Islam, it would grow even faster.”

The  crowd was comprised of girls from every age and background. One 13-year-old leaned on Danyal, and beside her was another sister nearing 40 in age. It still amazes me how the bond of sisterhood is enough to dissolve our  differences…

She continued by relating an example from the Prophet’s seerah: “We have to become a khilafah in our own houses–our own families… The same way the Prophet (saw) spread Islam in 23-years. He began a single man with a divine message, and by the time he passed away, he had 140,000 sahabah (companions). 23 years… When he started with Khadijah, then Abu Bakr, then the poor and weak of Makkah, then in Medinah…”

Danyal emphasized how those that spearheaded this da’wah movement with Rasoolullah were the youth–the dedicated teenagers such as Abdullah ibn Umar and Ali ibn Abi Taleb, radhi Allahu ‘anhum. They overcame their desires and refused to stagger on the path of the deen. For Allah (swt) says in the Quran: “Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.” (Surat As-Saff, 4)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُم بُنْيَانٌ مَّرْصُوصٌ

“Your friend who you chose over your deen won’t help you. Your job whose laws and rules you chose over your own… Allah! Wallahi the moment you believe Allah is on your side, you have nothing to fear.”

Thauban reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “It is near that the nations will call one another against you just as the eaters call one another to their dishes.” Somebody asked: “Hal min qilla ya Rasoolullah?” – “Is this because we will be few in numbers that day?” He said: “No, but that day you will be numerous, but you will be like the foam of the sea, and Allah will take the fear of you away from your enemies and will place weakness into your hearts.” Somebody asked: “What is this weakness?” He said: “The love of the world and the dislike of death.” (Abu Dawud)

Every problem our Ummah faces finds its roots in our attachment to this dunya. We are easily deceived by the ephemerality of this world’s pleasures, all the while neglecting the eternal happiness that awaits us. And herein lie the benefits of righteous companionship…

• When we surround ourselves with people in constant remembrance of Allah, we follow their footsteps in righteousness.
• When we keep our eyes on the eternal akhira (hereafter), we value the company of those who share our visions and goals. “In this dunya,” sr. Danyal said, ”it’s always temporary happiness, because Allah has saved us for something better (i.e. Jannah).”
• Always mingle with the righteous. Because when you sit with the people of dunya, you become a drop in their ocean; but when you sit with the people of akhira, the dunya becomes a drop in your ocean, and you will forever live your life in obedience.

 

Al-Isra’ Diaries: “As If They Were A Solid, Cemented Structure…”

In three days, we were able to build a wall of sisterhood {كَأَنَّهُم بُنْيَانٌ مَّرْصُوصٌ}–each block as if it were a solid, cemented structure. Abrara asked us to contribute by naming the foundational elements of this wall: dua’a, giving your brother/sister seventy excuses, loving one another for the sake of Allah (thereby winning His shade), patience with one another, remembering Allah collectively, sisterhood, trust and support for one another. Abrara then asked, ”If this (the wall) was set up really strong, do you think a tornado can destroy it? What about Shaytan, do you think he can destroy it? … I don’t want to see it (the wall) go away, I don’t want us to lose it–I want to see it growing stronger and stronger, bi’ithnillah.”

In the words of Asiya, “One thing I hope is that it (the sisterhood) doesn’t stop when we leave. Like, imagine if Muslim sisters were like this all the time?”

The Prophet (saw) said: “Among Allaah’s servants are people who are neither prophets nor martyrs, but whom the prophets and martyrs will deem fortunate because of their high status with Allaah.” The companions asked, “O Messenger of Allaah! Inform us of who they are.” The Prophet (saw) told them that “they are people who loved each other for Allaah’s sake, even without being related to one another or being tied to one another by the exchange of wealth.”

The Prophet (saw) went on to describe their great reward on the Day of Resurrection: “By Allaah, their faces will be luminous and they will be upon light. They will feel no fear when the people will be feeling fear, and they will feel no grief when the people will be grieving.” Then he (saw) read the verse: ”Behold! Verily on the friends of Allaah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve.”

These words call for a MAJOR Al-Isra’a Retreat reunion… Soon Insha’Allah.

Al-Isra’ Diaries: 10 Things You Missed… In Pictures

You weren’t a camper at the BB4Muslimas Al-Isra’a Retreat? Here are the TOP TEN THINGS you missed… In pictures.

10. The girls arrived at the nature center from where the buses were to leave. Despite the smoldering heat, we signed in, received our Al-Isra’a camper bags (pictured below) with a free shirt, miswaak, water bottle, hijab and hand sanitizer, and commenced with a few activities led by sr. Arayati. “What are we here to build?” was our slogan. “SISTERHOOD!” At that moment, all age, culture and background barriers dissolved as a sense of deep affinity began to sink in.

Moments later, we loaded the bus and headed towards what would be the BEST camping retreat ever.

9. Smores. A blazing fire. Roasted marshmallows. Halal-talk under the stars. The list of amazingness doesn’t stop here… In the darkness of the first night, the sisters climbed out of their usual reticence and shared their thoughts and reflections with full trust in one another. The experience  left something intangible in our hearts: trust, friendship and love for the Divine.

8. Arts and crafts are an integral part of every all-girls camp. That said, what would Al-Isra’a Retreat be without our share of markers and scissors and coloring crayons?! Saturday morning, each team took a turn in the main lodge where we built banners, strung some bracelets and sticker-ified our water bottles like overly-excited school girls.

Yup. Don’t hate.

Oh and see that photo on the bottom left corner? Each sister gave the banner a touch of her own brushstrokes to enhance the picture. It never occured to me that our campers were all Bismillah Masha’Allah artists at heart…

7. After dhuhr prayer, the campers slumped down tiringly onto the ground and waited for new instructions from their counselors . Instead, sr. Danyal stood up and gave a halaqa on the topic of righteous youth and the shade of Allah. “They say that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world,” she said. “I believe that if we really practiced Islam, it would grow even faster… The same way the Prophet (saw) spread Islam in 25 years. By the time he passed away, he had 140,000 sahabah when he started with one–Khadijah. Why? It was because he had dedicated youth…”

More on this halaqa is available here.

6. We all began camp thinking our diets would suffer with no refrigerator access… That we would resort to starting our own fires and hunting down our own wild turkeys (although for some, it did seem tempting). To our suprise, however, the food provided was amazing–gourmet cooking at its best! Alhamdulillah, all thanks is to Allah for blessing us with sr. Ericka Moses who, for three days, prepared our meals for us. Throngs of hungry campers would settle in the main lodge, drooling at the sight of tables laden with savory food: steaming hot spaghetti, fruit assortments, nutella spread (yup, who woulda thunk it?!), bagels, oatmeal, hand-picked strawberries, fresh salads, gyros, buttered biscuits, and much much more.

However, many of us are still wondering what roasted wild turkey would taste like… *Cough* Team Planeteers *Cough*.

5. So… You think you can climb? Competitions, canoe races and obstacle courses were the highlight of Saturday’s outdoor activities.

One sister noted: “The stories and memories we share with one another are just so Alhamdulillah, Subhan’Allah, Masha’Allah, like WOW!” She then turned to a nearby sister whom she often saw at school but hardly spoke to, and said: “She and I go to the same school and all. We say hi, bye, Assalamu Alaykum, but spending all the time together in a canoe… I never knew how much we have in common.”

4. To a Muslim in the wilderness, a handy dua’a is more than sacred. Each camper was gifted with one of these beautiful dua’a booklets (courtsey of Building Blocks and the volunteers!) to accompany us to our beds, dining tables, sport competitions, canoeing trips, etc. For Allah says in surat al-Ahzab: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا} – “O you who believe, remember Allah in much remembrance, and glorify Him in the morning and evening…”

3. When halal-chilling and engaging in hardcore competition weren’t enough, the sisters treated their eyes to the most magnificent natural scenery: a deck overlooking the lake, where ruffles of water formed with the wind’s gentle push; green plants of all shapes and forms furnishing the ground; a sunset nestled gently over the horizon, painting the sky with hues of pink, purple and gold; stars, stars, stars and even more stars. It’s as one sister put it during our midnight Qiyaam: ”The more we bond, the more beautiful Allah makes the sky for us.”

Allah states in surat al-Mu’minoon: {فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ} - ”Glory be to Allah, the best of Creators.”

2. Upon our return, we were met by parents, siblings and friends that had missed in our absence (or so they had us assume). The campers exchanged e-mails and phone numbers, engaged in some last minute halal-chilling and had one final lunch before returning home.

1. Images, memories and the exchange of words from that weekend will all fade with the passing of time. Yet the one thing that will forever linger is the bond of sisterhood woven between us for the sake of Allah. This bond will keep us together during rough times; it will call us to forgiveness, self-sacrifice and mercy between one another, and the benefits continue even further.

On the Day of Resurrection, when mankind stands before Allah, the sun will be drawn a mile from our faces. On that day, some faces will be darkened, devoid of all light and beauty; hearts will reach the throats and the limbs will be buried in sweat–all except for the believers. Allah will say to them: “أَيْنَ الْمُتَحَابُّونَ لِجَلَالِي؟ الْيَوْمَ أُظِلُّهُمْ فِي ظِلِّي يَوْمَ لَا ظِلَّ إِلَّا ظِلِّي” meaning, “Where are those who loved each other for the sake of My glory? Today I shall shade them with My shade, on a day when there is no shade but Mine.”

And for that, we are eternally grateful… Walhamdulillah.

Al-Isra’ Diaries: A Sister’s Reflections…

July 4th, 2011

**We received this message in an e-mail from one of the Building Blocks sisters, Toni Slimi.

Assalamu Alaykum All,

I wanted to share some reactions about the sister’s camp from an outsider as I wasn’t a camper or involved in the camp in any way.  However, I did visit the camp for a couple of hours on Saturday night and picked up a camper from the sister’s picnic on Sunday afternoon.
As I was driving to the camp on Saturday, I fully expected to see at least a few sister’s that weren’t having a good time or were ready to go home because I had worked at a camp previously and usually at the end of the first full day is the day that camper’s are tired and worn out.  Alhamdulillah, this was absolutely NOT the case at the sister’s camp.  Every single sister was excited, happy, and busy with activities.  You could honestly feel the sisterhood!  Every sister that I talked to, whether I knew them before or not, was saying how awesome the camp was, how much fun they were having and how they wished they could stay for much longer!
On Sunday, when I picked up a camper from the park, I talked to a few more campers about their experiences and every single person said they wished that it was longer, that they felt such a connection with all the sister’s there, etc., etc.  Not one person had any sort of complaint and everyone was already excited for next year.
To the organizers: one sister was thanking me at the picnic for organizing and I wanted to pass it along.  She was saying that it was so well organized, so well run and was done right in all the right ways.  MashaAllah.  A few sister’s thanked me for having this event and I told them that I wasn’t involved in it in any way, but that I would pass along their words.  May Allah reward you all for planning and executing such a fabulous event that inspired so many sisters.
Jazakallahu khair sister’s youth for all you do throughout the year and for amazing event!!
Sr Toni Slimi

BB4Muslimas Annual Meeting

Building Blocks for Muslimas cordially invites you to join our team!

We recognize that dedicated youth are instrumental to the prosperity of our Ummah. Therefore we would like you to join us at our upcoming meeting, where we hope to recruit individuals for positions in our youth group–youth that will initiate community projects, lead the Muslims into goodness, strive to uplift the Ummah’s condition and be involved in the decision-making process of our BB4Muslimas youth team.

Friday July 8th, 3:30pm
The Building Blocks
2001 Central Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418

We hope to see you there, Insha’Allah! And bring your friends, too. Jazakum Allahu Khayr.

Kickin’ it at Sports Day!

Plainly speaking, summer in the Twin Cities would be nothing without our Building Blocks annual Sports Day… The fun and games are all happening on Saturday, July 16th.

Brothers, it’s time to get those soccer cleats out of storage and unleash your skills for a chance to compete in all sorts of sporting tournaments. Sisters, you’ll have even more fun: we’ve got soccer AND volleyball lined up for you, Insha’Allah! Check out the flier below for more information.

 

It should be noted that there is NO ON-SITE REGISTRATION. Yup. Visit the Building Blocks website to register online while tickets are available. This is an event you can’t miss…

Slammin’ Jammin’ Sisters Social!

Assalamu Alaykum Girls,

The time has come for our SECOND annual sisters social – accept this time, we hope to gather a much larger crowd or attendees Insha’Allah.

We’re crafting this event in the most halal-ified fashion. Muslima poets will take the center stage as they unleash their stable of “it’ll-make-you-say-Masha’Allah” rhyming skills. Meanwhile, pizza and drinks will be served, so be sure to arrive with an empty stomach. =) Look below for further information.

WHO: Girls of all ages

WHAT: Sisters social

WHEN: Friday, June 17thth from 3-5pm

WHERE: Masjid Al-Huda (2534 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN)

WHY: ‘Cause sometimes, a little laughter and fun is nice…

Join us for an exciting slammin’ jammin’ event – tinged with halal doses of humor, love and much-needed eman-boosting reminders. We hope to see you then and there Insha’Allah.

Al-Isra Camp

As you all know, Building Blocks will be hosting its
first-ever sisters’ summer camp this year
InshaAllah!

Alhamdulillah many of you have already told us that you can’t wait,
well wait no more….

**Registration is now OPEN!!!**

Join us for 3 days of entertaining and iman-raising activities
amidst breathtaking scenery.

Immerse yourself in Allah’s wondrous creation as you connect
with your sisters in Islam
for hours of recreation and education!

Space is limited and will fill up fast so
Reserve your spot today!

Just visit us at TheBuildingBlocks.org to register.
or follow the link below.

We hope to see you around the campfire inshaAllah!

Alhamdulillah, we have some exciting news to share with all of you!

(Drum roll please…)

This summer, Building Blocks for Muslimas is organizing its first-ever weekend sisters’ summer camp!

Mark your calendars for the weekend of July 1-3 and plan to join us in the activity-packed, eman-boosting, sisterhood-building event of the summer inshaAllah.

Do you want to get in on all the action of planning this weekend camp? We’re looking for some excited and dedicated sisters to help make this camp a success. That means YOU!

If you want to volunteer please complete this quick survey and join our team:

Please pass this message on to any other sisters who you think would be interested in helping, and stay tuned for more details on how you can register for the Building Blocks Sisters’ Summer Camp.

JazakAllah khair!

¡¡¡Swimming~Swimming~Swimming!!!

Calling all Minnesota Muslimas: Didn’t think spring would ever make it’s pleasant appearance? Alhamdulillah, warmth and sunlight have finally arrived, and so has a wonderful swimming opportunity!

Fridley Community Education organized a FEMALE-ONLY open swim for this ongoing spring season. Refer to the information below if you and your family/friends are interested.

Who: All females
When: Tuesdays 6-8 p.m., from May 10-31
Where: Fridley Middle School Pool
Address: 6100 Moore Lake Drive West, Minneapolis, MN 55432
Price: $3/person or $9/family

While these open swimming events are NOT organized by Building Blocks, we encourage you to grab your “halal” swimming garb with some friends and attend!

Please note that female-only SWIMMING LESSONS are available separately during the spring for those who are interested. Please contact Fridley Community Education (763-502-5140) for registration and payment options.

Barak’Allahu Feekum,
Was-Salamu Alaykum.

- BB4Muslimas Youth Team