In the name of Allah the most Gracious the most Merciful.
I have recently started growing a beard in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet(P.B.U.H) Many friends and family members have reacted differently to it. Some keep questioning my intention. Some keep telling me to get rid of it. I am writing this to explain myself and also help encourage any other brothers who want to keep the beard and follow the Sunnah.
BACKGROUND
I moved to Kenya when I was 5 years old. I attended a christian missionary nursery school. I went to a Christian Primary school but was taught Islamic Religious Education as subject. In Primary school the Islamic Religious education teacher taught me a lot about Islam. I attended a madrasa where I was only told how to read the Qur'an in Arabic, but not a lot about Islam.
I then Went to high school, this time to a STRICT boys only Catholic school. I continued learning about Islam bits and pieces from everywhere. When I got to year 10, I became really attached to Islam, started praying regularly without my parents forcing me, started learning and researching a lot about Islam, I even started teaching my fellow Muslims at school about Islam. I think what got me learning about Islam was that although the school emphasized a lot on Religion, I simply did not like theirs and preferred mine over it. Also Dr. Zakir naik became really famous during this time and its what got me really really attached to Islam. What I liked about Dr.Naik was his simple logical reasoning fro example in one of his videos he said "....rather than not reading the Quran at all because you don't have wudhu, it is better for you to read it without wudhu...." and hence I started reading the Quran. Dr.Naik also said in one of his videos we should read the translations of the Quran and hence I did.
THE START OF JAHILIYA
I then went to a mixed MUSLIM school for my A-Levels and this is where the real Journey to the Beard sort of begins. In my first year i was still a bit religious and got involved in Dawah activities with some rate of success in Dawah.
But in my second year instead of being more attached to Islam since I had muslims around me , I slowly by slowly drifted away from Islam, outwardly i would appear as religious young boy. Slowly by slowly partly because of the company i found in this school I drifted away. I started dating, started partying, clubbing, drugs, lying, cheating, deceiving, you name it and I did it. My prayers started becoming irregular to the point soon after my A-levels I abandoned the 5 daily prayers completely.
THE PERIOD OF JAHILIYA
For the next 2-3 years, the partying continued, the drugs continued. Several times I came extremely close to committing Zina, but Alhamdullilah I never actually did it. Several times I came so close drinking alcohol, but Alhamdullilah I never drank. I did however smoke Marijuana and tried a few other drugs here and there. It all comes down to when being brought up we were taught Alcohol was Haram but drugs we never talked about them and hence it was imprinted in me never to try Alcohol. I knew drugs were Haram but I continued with them. The kind of friends I had were not to bad a few Muslims not practicing and a few non-Muslims.
It is sort of a Taboo in muslim families to talk about Zina, Drugs and other problems that muslim youth face. We need to start being more open and guide our children for if we dont guide them, then society will.
I have not mentioned anything about Islam in the previous two paragraphs, simply because for this 2-3 years it was virtually non-existent for me.
BACK TO THE STRAIGHT PATH
As I was in my 3rd year in college, my family decided to open a restaurant. One of the biggest in my city and I got really involved in it. I worked extremely hard to get it open and even harder once it was open. because I became so involved in the restaurant, I lost time. I lost the idle time I had for doing all the wrong things. When you work at a restaurant you are busiest when everyone else is free, hence I lost touch with my friends. The hangouts became less, I could not party on Saturdays because I was too tired.
Then the month of Ramadhan arrived. Wallahi this is a month that is full of blessing. It is a month that cleans your heart and touches your soul. It is a month that if you are even a bit sincere with Allah you will be guided. It was in the month of Ramadhan that I started praying again, I kept all my fasts. I started reading the Qur'an again.
After Ramadhan my prayers were regular but not 5 times a day. Fajr was never there. Slowly by slowly I got back to Islam again. It did not happen overnight. It took time and small efforts led to bigger ones. Stopping to listening to music was a big factor in getting back. Do your research on the origin of music and how the people of Prophet Adam (a.s) were deceived by the shaitaan with musical instruments and you will realise that music and musical instruments are the whispers of the shaitaan.
THE INTENTION FOR THE BEARD
I started praying 5 times a day, reading the Quran often both in Arabic and english. I then stunbled upon a youtube channel. This is a channel that takes my Imaan to a whole new level. This youtube channel led me to other such channels. And this channels and the videos they post have a very big role in bringing me back. But it was this particular video that led me to decide that I will grow my beard.
The first youtube channel that I stumbled upon was:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMercifulServant
There are other several such channels on youtube. The videos they post help alot. They keep my imaan recharged!
I highly commend the brothers for the effort they are making and may Allah give you the best in this world and in the Hereafter as well.
CONCLUSION
As of now I ask my brothers and sisters in Islam to make dua for me that Allah s.w keeps me on the straight path, and helps me to leave the bad habits and addictions that i developed during Jahiliya. I have left the drugs all together but there is this one bad habit that is worse than any drug I can take, May Allah s.w make me steadfast and help me to get rid of this.
I thank Allah s.w for guiding me to the right path and my parents for instilling Islam on me at a young age. They had a different method of teaching Islam, I did not like it, but had it been that they did not make the effort they made to teach me the Religion, I may have enjoyed sometime in this Dunya but my Akhira would have been doomed.
I pray to Allah s.w to keep us all on the straight path and give us the best in this world and in the here after.
I will right an article InshaAllah on how to deal with others reaction on the beard.
JazakAllah for reading.
I have recently started growing a beard in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet(P.B.U.H) Many friends and family members have reacted differently to it. Some keep questioning my intention. Some keep telling me to get rid of it. I am writing this to explain myself and also help encourage any other brothers who want to keep the beard and follow the Sunnah.
BACKGROUND
I moved to Kenya when I was 5 years old. I attended a christian missionary nursery school. I went to a Christian Primary school but was taught Islamic Religious Education as subject. In Primary school the Islamic Religious education teacher taught me a lot about Islam. I attended a madrasa where I was only told how to read the Qur'an in Arabic, but not a lot about Islam.
I then Went to high school, this time to a STRICT boys only Catholic school. I continued learning about Islam bits and pieces from everywhere. When I got to year 10, I became really attached to Islam, started praying regularly without my parents forcing me, started learning and researching a lot about Islam, I even started teaching my fellow Muslims at school about Islam. I think what got me learning about Islam was that although the school emphasized a lot on Religion, I simply did not like theirs and preferred mine over it. Also Dr. Zakir naik became really famous during this time and its what got me really really attached to Islam. What I liked about Dr.Naik was his simple logical reasoning fro example in one of his videos he said "....rather than not reading the Quran at all because you don't have wudhu, it is better for you to read it without wudhu...." and hence I started reading the Quran. Dr.Naik also said in one of his videos we should read the translations of the Quran and hence I did.
THE START OF JAHILIYA
I then went to a mixed MUSLIM school for my A-Levels and this is where the real Journey to the Beard sort of begins. In my first year i was still a bit religious and got involved in Dawah activities with some rate of success in Dawah.
But in my second year instead of being more attached to Islam since I had muslims around me , I slowly by slowly drifted away from Islam, outwardly i would appear as religious young boy. Slowly by slowly partly because of the company i found in this school I drifted away. I started dating, started partying, clubbing, drugs, lying, cheating, deceiving, you name it and I did it. My prayers started becoming irregular to the point soon after my A-levels I abandoned the 5 daily prayers completely.
THE PERIOD OF JAHILIYA
For the next 2-3 years, the partying continued, the drugs continued. Several times I came extremely close to committing Zina, but Alhamdullilah I never actually did it. Several times I came so close drinking alcohol, but Alhamdullilah I never drank. I did however smoke Marijuana and tried a few other drugs here and there. It all comes down to when being brought up we were taught Alcohol was Haram but drugs we never talked about them and hence it was imprinted in me never to try Alcohol. I knew drugs were Haram but I continued with them. The kind of friends I had were not to bad a few Muslims not practicing and a few non-Muslims.
It is sort of a Taboo in muslim families to talk about Zina, Drugs and other problems that muslim youth face. We need to start being more open and guide our children for if we dont guide them, then society will.
I have not mentioned anything about Islam in the previous two paragraphs, simply because for this 2-3 years it was virtually non-existent for me.
BACK TO THE STRAIGHT PATH
As I was in my 3rd year in college, my family decided to open a restaurant. One of the biggest in my city and I got really involved in it. I worked extremely hard to get it open and even harder once it was open. because I became so involved in the restaurant, I lost time. I lost the idle time I had for doing all the wrong things. When you work at a restaurant you are busiest when everyone else is free, hence I lost touch with my friends. The hangouts became less, I could not party on Saturdays because I was too tired.
Then the month of Ramadhan arrived. Wallahi this is a month that is full of blessing. It is a month that cleans your heart and touches your soul. It is a month that if you are even a bit sincere with Allah you will be guided. It was in the month of Ramadhan that I started praying again, I kept all my fasts. I started reading the Qur'an again.
After Ramadhan my prayers were regular but not 5 times a day. Fajr was never there. Slowly by slowly I got back to Islam again. It did not happen overnight. It took time and small efforts led to bigger ones. Stopping to listening to music was a big factor in getting back. Do your research on the origin of music and how the people of Prophet Adam (a.s) were deceived by the shaitaan with musical instruments and you will realise that music and musical instruments are the whispers of the shaitaan.
THE INTENTION FOR THE BEARD
I started praying 5 times a day, reading the Quran often both in Arabic and english. I then stunbled upon a youtube channel. This is a channel that takes my Imaan to a whole new level. This youtube channel led me to other such channels. And this channels and the videos they post have a very big role in bringing me back. But it was this particular video that led me to decide that I will grow my beard.
The first youtube channel that I stumbled upon was:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMercifulServant
There are other several such channels on youtube. The videos they post help alot. They keep my imaan recharged!
I highly commend the brothers for the effort they are making and may Allah give you the best in this world and in the Hereafter as well.
CONCLUSION
As of now I ask my brothers and sisters in Islam to make dua for me that Allah s.w keeps me on the straight path, and helps me to leave the bad habits and addictions that i developed during Jahiliya. I have left the drugs all together but there is this one bad habit that is worse than any drug I can take, May Allah s.w make me steadfast and help me to get rid of this.
I thank Allah s.w for guiding me to the right path and my parents for instilling Islam on me at a young age. They had a different method of teaching Islam, I did not like it, but had it been that they did not make the effort they made to teach me the Religion, I may have enjoyed sometime in this Dunya but my Akhira would have been doomed.
I pray to Allah s.w to keep us all on the straight path and give us the best in this world and in the here after.
I will right an article InshaAllah on how to deal with others reaction on the beard.
JazakAllah for reading.
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