VP Training and HR- October 2009

I begin in the name of Allah (swt) the most merciful the beneficent.
The training and HR committee this month were focussed on the preparation and deliverance of the Team FOSIS away weekend. The camp was hosted by FOSIS for the first time. The intention of the camp was for all of team FOSIS to gather and increase brotherhood and sisterhood through various events and activities and all personnel were encouraged to attend to help bring together the large collective teams across the country. However attendance was low to the event and this was followed up through a report complied by br Abdul Rahman which stated some of the strengths and weaknesses of the event. This report is available on request inshAllah. I would like to take the opportunity to say JazakAllah khairn to br Abdul Rahman (who had also recently taken up his post of head of campaigns) so was very busy and also jazakAllah khairn to all those who contributed towards the camp may Allah (swt) bless your efforts and grant you success in everything you do inshAllah.

In this month we also were involved in the ISOC 101 which took place in Dundee the event had a very good turnout alhumdulillah and required some of us to present on various topics at hand in order to provide some advice and pointers to ISOCs to make their organisations even more successful.

Some members on the training and HR team have dealt with some unforeseen circumstances which has largely impacted the committees work and goals. This includes myself in which I have been unwell and due to this it has impacted my contributions towards the committee InshAllah I hope to rectify this in the near future duas please!

Other members have continued to contribute consistently these include br Adham who is working upon developing the Governance project and is in consultation with various executive members in relation to this. Sr Sabeen has been working on the database for volunteers (a continuation of the database put together last year). She has also formulated the banners and working thoroughly on the recruitment drive mashAllah. Finally, Asif has been developing an internal IT project for FOSIS in conjunction with br Obadah and has been getting interns to fill positions for this project to develop further. So jazakAllah khairn all of you may Allah (swt) shower His (swt) infinite mercy and blessings upon you.

Wasalam
Your sister in Islam
Abida Malik
Below is an article which covers the Dhul-Hijjah may it be of use and interest to you.

What to do if your NOT going for Hajj?

The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are the most beloved to Allah.

The Prophet testified to that. He said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." (Bukhaari)

WHAT ACTIVITIES IN THESE 10 DAYS WILL BRING THE REWARD OF JANNAH?

Obviously, Hajj is one of the best deeds that one can do during these ten days. However for those of us who were not invited to His House this year, there are still many, good deeds that one can do and earn the Pleasure of Allah.

Some of these are:

1) Fast all nine days and especially fast the Day of Arafah

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Anyone who fasts for one day for Allah's pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years." (Bukhari, Muslim)

The Prophet (PBUH) used to fast on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah and he said: "Fasting the Day of Arafah (ninth Dhul-hijjah) is an expiation for (all the sins of) the previous year and an expiation for (all the sins of) the coming year." (Muslim)

2) Do a LOT of Dhikr and Takbeer

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "There are no days on which good deeds are greater or more beloved to Allah than on these ten days", so recite much Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah), Takbeer (saying Allahu akbar) and Tahmeed (saying al-hamdu Lillaah)." (Ahmad -Saheeh)

Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrah used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them. (Bukhaari)

Takbeer at this time is a Sunnah. So recite it in the masjid, in your home, on the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allah.

Revive the Sunnah that have been virtually forgotten and earn great rewards for doing so.

The Prophet said: "Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward." (Tirmidhi- a hasan hadeeth)

Men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.

3) Stand in Night Prayers: (Tahajud, Qiyam al Layl)

Remember the virtues of spending the night in prayer, and its sweetness in Ramadan?

Why not revive this beautiful act of worship during these nights as well?

Remember, how in the last third of every night, Allah Almighty calls out to us, His servants:Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him? (Bukhaari, Muslim)

Why do we miss this golden opportunity? So, seize the chance NOW and expose yourself to His Divine Generosity and Mercy, ask Him to forgive you and guide you and set things aright. He will surely listen.

4) Make Sincere Repentance.

One of the most important action during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin right away because we do not know when we will die and thus become unable to repent, and also because one evil deed leads to another.

But what does repentance mean?

It means that you come back to Allah and give up all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes.... that you regret whatever you did in the past, giving it up immediately and be determined never ever, to return to it, and resolve to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing whatever Allah loves.

"But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful." [Al-Qasas 28:67]

5) Come back to the Quraan

It is time now to dust off your copy of the Quraan and return to its refuge. Make it a daily habit, using these 10 days the beginning of a strong and beautiful relationship with it. Read it with meaning, reflect on it, understand it, and then implement it in your daily life.Remember that reading one letter of the Quraan earns you ten rewards.

In this way, reading Surat Al-Fatihah, which doesn't take more than two minutes, will give you more than one thousand rewards!

This is on ordinary days, so what about these magnificent days! Certainly the reward will be far greater, Insha Allah.

6) Increase ALL the types of good deeds.

If we are unable to go to Hajj this year, we should occupy ourselves in the worship of Allah; pray extra prayers (Nafilah) recite the Quraan. Make Dhikr of Allah, send Salaams on the Prophet, make dua, give charity, honor our parents, uphold ties of kinship, enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and add other good deeds and acts of worship during these days.

"So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it; And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it."

[Al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]

7) Get the reward of Hajj wherever you are:

You may be unable to do Hajj this year, and you may feel sad. However, you can get the reward of it right where you are.The Prophet said: "Whoever prays Fajr Prayer in congregation, and then sits and remembers Allah until the sun rises, then (after a while) prays two rakas, he will gain a reward equal to that of making perfect Hajj and Umrah." [He repeated the word "perfect" thrice.] (At-Tirmidhi)

8. Slaughter an animal and distribute the meat.

Ibn Umar said: The Prophet lived in Madeenah for 10 years and every year he slaughtered an animal." (Ahmad-Saheeh by al-Albaani)

9) Attend Eid prayers

But remember that Eid prayer is a form of worship and we should avoid unislamic behavior (especially) in dress and in etiquette during these times.

10) Thank Allah.

One of the best forms of worshipping Allah Subhaanahu wa Taala is to thank Him, deeply, sincerely and continuously.

Alhamdulillah, there is much to be gained in these coming days. Hasten to do good deeds and striving hard in worship .

"And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (death)."

[Al-Hijr 15:99]