IlmFest 2011 Houston Pt 3

Right after Isha was prayed Shaykh Yasir Qadhi took the stage to talk about a very interesting topic that relates to all the Muslims in the western world: Islamophobia

He said, "When someone says something bad about your reputation, doesn't it hurt? Now that Allah and  the Prophet (SAW) are more important than your reputation. If you feel bad that someone slandered them, you should thank Allah for giving you Iman."



"Surah Al-Sharh" is one of the Surahs that helps combat with Islamophobia. In your free time, you should really touch on the meaning of this surah

4 Advices given from this Surah

1. Anger and Frustration should be put away

2. Allah is blessing you constantly, you just aren't seeing them

3. It's a never ending process, you have a lot to do as a Muslim.

4. Never lose track of your true goal. The "Happiness of Allah"

"You need to have a good relationship with Allah. If you don't have it, then nothing will benefit you. If you have that relationship, do something with it."

-Yasir Qadhi

The night ended with the keynote speaker who was Shaykh Waleed Basyouni. His speech was titled: Houston, we have a problem: Success in Crisis.

We all have problems: 10 ways to overcome them

1. Whenever you see any challenge. Have "Trust in Allah" and never ever give up hope. 

2. Solutions always come with calamities and hardship

"The Sun comes up at the Darkest time of the Night."

3. Always think, "What's the Wisdom behind this?" "What are the lessons I could learn from this calamity?"

"Black Diamond and Charcoal come from the same place. Diamond is put under pressure and with excessive heat to make it what it is today."

4. We should not let the problem occupy our mind, body and soul. We should be led by Faith, Trust and Aspiration.

5. Don't let your problem defeat you on the inside.

6. When you have a problem, go to the roots of it and solve it. You can't solve it from the top.

7. Watch your words. Language is the thoughts of the tongue.

8. Be an optimistic person.

9. Dua, "The Weapon of a Believer" is very strong against your problems

"Our eyes need to be washed out with tears sometimes so we can see life in a clear view."

10. Consult people about your problem. Don't complain to them. 

"With every disease, there's a cure. With every problem, there's a solution. Except Death."

"As long as Allah is helping you, who can overcome you? If Allah is on your side, who cares about the other side."

"If you are going through difficulties, don't forget the blessings you got. Don't make the only time you think of your blessings when you lose them."

-Waleed Basyouni