Ali Musaaa :)

I will be returning home to the wonderful land of Aus soon, In sha Allah. Please keep me in your duas. Insha'Allah it is a smooth trip home.

Wasalam, Is there a decent quality series with just english subtitles? I looked a while ago and the one I found with english subtitles didnt have a good picture quality. Perhaps I didnt look hard enough.

In this case you can make a rough estimate in your head then make the intention of trying to perform double (if possible) that amount, just to be sure. If you fall short of your intended goal and pass away, Allah will take your sincerity and intention to fulful your obligation (for His sake) into account.

Salam, What is your question related to specifically?

Currently reading (and will be attempting to read over the break): Arms and Influence - Thomas C. Schelling Man, the State, and War - Kenneth Waltz. Great Games, Local Rules: The Great New Power Contest in Central Asia - Alexander Cooley The New Old World - Perry Anderson Studies in Early Hadith Literature - Mustafa Azami

Regarding you concern about the consumption of pork, when asked, you can refer them to passages of the Bible which prohibits the consumption of pork (such include: Leviticus 11:7-8 and Isaiah 66:17), and say you wish to abide by these commandments God gave Moses and Aaron.

Salaamun Alaykum I'm sorry to hear of your situation. I (as well as many others) have gone similar experiences. The best thing you can do is remain on good terms with your parents, and slowly make Hijra (migration) to Allah and His Messenger [sawa]. You are under no obligation to share with them your feelings about this at this present time. Especially if you fear a negative reaction may follow. You can simply tell her that perhaps Islam is perceived to be a "male-dominated" religon due to the ill-treatment of women by some men. Sadly, this is a human problem, not something isolated in the Muslim community. You can respond by stating the status of women (e.g., that the Prophet said in a famous hadith that Paradise lies under the feet of mothers) that you have found in your research of Islam. I have not read it, but have heard from others that this is a nice book to consult on this matter: http://www.iranchamber.com/personalities/mmotahari/works/woman_rights_islam.pdf - it is by Ayatollah Mutahari. Keep on reading, here and there, and you will learn and grown with time, effort, and patience. As a side note, I'm certain you will find this fascinating and beneficial: There exists in our faith a notion called Taqiyyah whereby one can conceal their faith for the presevation of life, amongst other things. If you were to become a Muslim in the near future, it is perfectly fine if you keep it to yourself. Allah is aware of your struggle and effort and knows He is your goal and desire. He will make it easy for you, insha'Allah. If you acknowledge Allah and the Prophet [sawa], the next step is to act on that knowlegde and on whats deep in your heart. This is done by affirming God's Oneness and Muhammad's [sawa] truthfulness by saying the Shahadah and entering completely into Islam. You do not need anyone to be there to 'confirm' this. It is between you and your Lord. I understand perfectly if you feel you are not 'ready'. It is a strange state to be in and one I recall very well and was lingering in for far too long before I felt I could no longer sit on the sideline - so to speak - but I had no other choice but to plunge into the ocean of Islam. Under it's surface, I saw, and still do, see nothing by Light. It is no exaggeration that I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasnt for my decision to accept Islam, the Prophet [sawa] and his Family [as]. You will know when you are ready, your Lord will call and your heart will respond. At the end of the day, no one is better at discerning what is appropriate in your situation more than yourself. Be sincere in your supplications and prayers to God and always rely on Him. We are here to help as much as we can, insha'Allah. If you have anymore questions, please do not hesitate to ask, or inform us of your progress. Note: I am not sure why those lines are appearing in my text. I didnt put them there

Salaam, may God bless you. Welcome to ShiaChat. Your questions are not stupid. Please do not hesitate in asking any of your questions here. Insha'Allah the members here are polite and helpful. The following two videos may help. The individual speaking is Dr. Jonathan AC Brown, a Muslim convert and Western academic and scholar of Islam who specialises in the study of Hadith. Your questions are addressed in the above two videos. The first is very short, and the second is a nice introduction. Dr. Jonathan Brown has an excellent book Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World, which, if interested, I'd recommend getting a hold of. I am in a bit of a rush so I have not discussed your questions in any details but I hope the above two videos help. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to post them. Ma'asalama

Taken from Ahl al-Bayt Daily: Jesus the son of Mary [a] gave a sermon to the Children of Israel, so he said, "O Children of Israel! Do not eat until you are hungry. If you are hungry, then eat, but do not fill yourselves. If you fill yourselves, your necks will thicken, your sides will fatten, and your Lord will be forgotten." عنه، عن على بن حديد رفعه قال: قام عيسى بن مريم (ع) خطيبا في بنى إسرائيل فقال: يا بنى إسرائيل لا تأكلوا حتى تجوعوا، وإذا جعتم فكلوا ولا - تشبعوا، فانكم إذا شبعتم غلظت رقابكم، وسمنت جنوبكم، ونسيتم ربكم (4). (al-Mahasin)

وقال أبو حاتم بن خاموش الحنبلي: (من لم يكن حنبلياً فليس بمسلم) [3] The translation says: "Hanafi" but the Arabic has Abu Hatim as saying "Hanbali" Sunnism is pretty much the umbrella that every group who isn't Shi'i seeks the shelter of legitimacy under.

Salam guys, I'm in need of your duas. It's really really really important! I'll share the good news with you all if it goes ahead! And no, I'm not getting married

Salaam, You still have to pray. Just as a punishment for intentionally sinning in this manner, prayers for those 30 (I think it might be 40?) days aren't accepted. Not praying and leaving the prayer is still a sin in itself. The best thing to do is to vow to avoid going to places where alcohol is consumed and start praying again. Make regular dua and be sincere in your repentence. It is not appropriate to reveal your sins to others. Allah has covered our sins, don't expose what Allah has veiled from the people to protect your. P.S. As a note: if you want to keep this hidden from others, I'd recommend removing your picture on here. Not a good idea for this to be your first post accompanied by an actual picture of yourself (assuming it is).