Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Where would you live? |
|---|
| Arsalan |
| 08/27/01 at 23:22:19 |
| [slm] If you had the choice to live anywhere in the world, where would you live? And why? Assume that income is not an issue. Be as specific as you can :) |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| bhaloo |
| 08/27/01 at 23:29:21 |
| slm I almost have to say "Like duh, Saudi Arabia". ;) As for the why, from fiqh-us-sunnah: Fiqh 2.70a Three most excellent mosques Jabir reports that the Messenger of Allah said: "Prayer in the inviolable mosque [in Makkah] is like 100,000 prayers [elsewhere]. And prayers in my mosque [in Medinah] is like one thousand prayers [elsewhere]. And a prayer in Bait al-Maqdis [in Jerusalem] is like five hundred prayers [elsewhere]. This is related by alBaihaqi, and as-Sayuti says it is hasan. Ahmad records that the Messenger of Allah said: "Offering salah in my mosque is better than one thousand prayers elsewhere, save for those offered in the inviolable mosque. And salah in the inviolable mosque is better than salah in my mosque by one hundred prayers." The Prophet said: "One should not undertake a journey, save to three mosques: the inviolable mosque [in Makkah], my mosque here [in Medinah], and Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem]." This is related by the group. ;---------- Not to mention the ability and convenience of performing umrah and hajj, and it would be great to learn the Arabic language there, insha'Allah. |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| Merimda |
| 08/28/01 at 00:12:16 |
| Salam, This is a very tough question for me. I know where I don't want to live. For a while when I was younger I wanted to live in Mecca or Madina when I grew up to be safe from Al Masih Al Dajjal. I was so afraid of him that every night, I remember, before I went to bed I would close the curtains fearing that his face would appear at my window. Anyway, as I grew up and my fear subsided somewhat, I unfortunately no longer have a strong desire to live there because of the many disheartning tales I have been told from people who have visited or used to live there. It's quite sad huh? Maybe when I go for Hajj or Umra one day and see it for myself I will change my mind. For a while I wanted to live in Egypt but my last visit turned me off of the idea. I know of many places I would love to visit but not many I would want to dwell in. At the moment I'm quite content where I am right now. salam, meri |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| jannah |
| 08/28/01 at 01:14:32 |
| wlm, bhaloo u know what's interesting is that some of classical scholars said that it was better for ppl not to live in the holy cities because it kept the longing and love for them, to live there everything becomes so ordinary.. do u know there are ppl just down the street from the haram shareef that would rather pray in their hotels then walk down etc... |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| Shahida |
| 08/28/01 at 05:29:39 |
| Salaam alaikum all... Here goes my first venture out of the Bebzi stand... Hands down, the Holy City of Al Quds would win my vote!!! Jannah spoke about longing, well for me, it is a longing that cannot be quenched if I am NOT there... Also, InshaAllah, I hope to be able to help the Palestinian Brothers and Sisters, who are suffering under such hateful oppression. What better way than to offer up my luxury and devote my life to trying to help them...(I will be a doctor in a few years time, inshaAllah) Disregarding the decrepid few "Muslims" that every society unfortunately has, I have not found another community quite so committed to Islam, as I have found in Palestine. (what better influence for me and my *future* kids, inshaAllah)...they know the true meaning of sacifice, and steadfastness, and Jihaad. So Al Quds is number 1 in my books, after that comes the Gaza Strip, then any town in Palestine... Of course we all wanna live in Makka or Medina...but I think we should try and make the biggest possible difference wherever we can... Salaam Shahida |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| Ziggy |
| 08/28/01 at 15:05:35 |
| salaamz. well...sis shahida's already mentioned it! i would love to live in Palestine...i'd pray in the Masjid al Aqsa everyday...and if...correction..*when* i get hassled by the kuffar..it'll be like a jihad for me...and i could even die there...as a martyr...i'm dreaming... :) hmm...jannah...interesting point...but i'd still love to live in madinah or makkah...its way better than livin in the UK anyhow... :) anyways..ma'assalamah zakira :-) |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| jannah |
| 08/28/01 at 17:14:31 |
| This is from anonymous: I thought I'd add it here instead of making a new thread: Assalamualaikum, I just wanted to know if you could go to any 3 countries in the world which ones would they be and why. Assalamualaikum |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| AbdulBasir |
| 08/28/01 at 18:52:04 |
| [slm] As much as I have loved being in Makkah, Madinah and Jerusalem, I wouldn't say I'd live there...As painful as the longing to return to these places is, to live there, with easy access and familiarity, would remove that very longing... That longing keeps the heart alive and it preserves its ability to [i]feel[/i]. It can be better to experience the pain of separation from something you love because it urges your heart to grow and persevere through the ups and downs of life and to live up to the ideals of the beloved in hopes of one day being reunified. I cannot imagine what life would be like if the distant longing to return to Makkah was removed from the heart. To lose that yearning, one might not know if his or her heart actually feels anymore. The barometer wouldn't be working and it would be just guesswork. On the other hand, if one walks out his or her front door on a clear sunny day and the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze painfully reminds one of the weather in Madinah, it is an indication that the heart is working, and more importantly, longing for the most noble goals. If the birds that chirp in the background as you head out to work in the morning make you sad because it reminds you of the birds that flock around al-Haram just before Fajr, then the barometer is telling you something. And that can be a good tiding in the midst of our despair at being separated from the place, though we may not perceive it at that moment. Why deprive the heart of that barometer? Anyways, just to add something else, (I realize I am taking the fun out of this :) ) but this question really cannot be answered unless you have an accurate frame of reference for the decision. Otherwise you will just idealize that place without really knowing the realities of living there. "Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need." If the home you have provides you with an environment conducive to strengthening imaan, then that is all you need. For that reason alone, if I did have the choice, and comparing the places where I have been (my only frames of reference), I would definitely stay where I'm at in the US and visit Makkah and Madina as much as the Saudis let me. :) [slm]:) |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| Merimda |
| 08/29/01 at 01:28:23 |
| Salam, Well said Br. AbdulBasir.. Personally I would love to visit al-Quds but not live there. I admire all those who desire to live there and envy your devotion (in a good way). *sigh* Yes, I believe I'm a coward.. I often dream and wonder what I would be like if I lived in another time and place.. like Madina in the Prophet's (pbuh) time or in the reign of Abu Bakr(ra) and Umar(ra)...or in the time of Salah Al Din. Anyway my mind is drifting right now so I'll stop with my incoherent babbling. |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| Anonymous |
| 08/28/01 at 20:39:55 |
| Assalamu alkum Merimda Ive always wanted to go to Egypt and I was wandering why your last visit put you off? |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| Merimda |
| 08/29/01 at 02:13:33 |
| salam, Egypt is still a great place to visit and I would encourage anyone who has the money and time to go. But for me I found it was not a place I would want to live. My last visit was in 1997 and I stayed in Madinat Nasr in Cairo for three months. It was a very pleasant, lively and modern place. However what bothered me when I was there was not the climate or living standards it was the people and their attitude towards life. Many had this "American Wannabe" attitude that I found absolutely grating. I'm sure this attitude is not unique to Egypt. In the section of Cairo I was in you'd find young ppl buying american flags and hanging them on their cars or blasting american music and mumblimg the words not even knowing what they were singing. I even found a few cars with the playboy symbol. Some teens still had Micheal Jackson posters on the walls of their rooms and asked me if I knew any Micheal Jackson songs, since I was raised in the west and all. Almost every man in Egypt smokes, it's sickening. Many people I came across were very ignorant of their faith. Many don't pray, the meaning of hijab has been reduced to a funky neck choking handkerchief covering half the head, cheating is prevelant. Furthermore, whereas most guys here Muslim or non Muslim have certain degree of respect for hijabi sisters I found that not to be the case in Egypt. It is not unusual for guys to be gawking at you up and down and making comments. I once had this guy say to me "How would you like to sit on my lap, (Arusa) doll." I cannot speak for all of Egypt. This is only my personal experience in the area I was staying in and other areas in Cairo. Egypt is constantly changing so it may be very different now. Living in Egypt is just not for me but others on the contrary might feel very comfortable. Even though it has its shortcomings it has many good things and I would still visit. I especially want to visit in Ramadan; I hear the atmosphere in Egypt is amazing during Ramadan time. salam, merimda |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| hazratsheikh |
| 08/29/01 at 08:02:08 |
| [wlm] Yes, every Muslims would like to stay in Makkah or Madinah. But it is easily said than done. For to stay in Makkah or Madinah invites a great deal of responsibility on oneself. First and foremost is to respect the sanctity of the Two Harams. No doubt the reward of praying there is many fold. But what about sanctity and the responsibilies it carry? It requires a great deal of Taqwa to suppress the temptation of Nafs and Shaitaan. One can find all sort of evil entertainment there; from Video to Satellite TV program airing all those which are prohobited. In fact one feel ashamed and disgusted on seeing those thing which should not have been there at all in the first place. It is therefore far more better to stay in places other than these two holy places and longed for those places. Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas RA moved to Taif instead of staying in Makkah so as to preserve its sanctity. |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| M |
| 08/29/01 at 10:38:12 |
| We're looking at 3 places right now to live - So. Cal (or no. cal - so I guess that's 4), Chicago or Detroit. I don't think I would leave the states to live for any serious amount of time - maybe a year here or there to practice at a hospital abroad. We would theoretically also consider Canada, but it would be a boarder town since I can't practice in Canada - maybe detroit/Windsor. We know the system in US/Canada, and I think I would be terribly distraught to go to a "Muslim" country and find Muslims who don't give a rip - at least here you know that in order to practice your faith you actually have to work at it, so the people that do think it's an important thing to do. There is a hadith that said that travelling is a bit of hell, and I think people forget about the difficulties involved in going to a place unfamiliar to them and expecting to approach it with the attitudes/habits they would at home. At some point I'd like to travel, but to live, I'd stay in the US. It's one of the better places for a Muslim to live. :) |
| there's cows in them barns |
|---|
| bhaloo |
| 08/29/01 at 11:46:04 |
| slm I reckon I'm going to disagree with the cow-town people on this. Sure, abscence makes the heart grow fonder, and its true that if you have something you don't truly appreciate it until its taken away. Let me put forth the following question, in which environment do you think you could REALLY develop in terms of Islamic knowledge? In an environment where people are declared scholars having learned about this deen for only 4 or 5 years or amongst people that have spent a lifetime and are the scholars of these scholars? Would you rather be in an environment surrounded by the fine brothers and sisters we have here or in an environment surrounded by manny, moe, and jack? |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| Arsalan |
| 08/29/01 at 11:54:08 |
| [slm] [quote]Many had this "American Wannabe" attitude that I found absolutely grating.[/quote][quote]you'd find young ppl buying american flags and hanging them on their cars or blasting american music and mumblimg the words not even knowing what they were singing.[/quote][quote] I even found a few cars with the playboy symbol.[/quote][quote]Almost every man in Egypt smokes, it's sickening. [/quote][quote]Many people I came across were very ignorant of their faith. [/quote][quote]cheating is prevelant.[/quote][quote]It is not unusual for guys to be gawking at you up and down and making comments.[/quote]Gee! Sounds a lot like Pakistan (Karachi)! |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| jannah |
| 08/29/01 at 13:21:51 |
| wlm, bhaloo true you can be in a place where there are real scholars so i would really recommend going overseas if you wanted to learn. but to actually live in a place, you have to work, go shopping, attend islamic events, raise your family..you have to look at quality of islamic life as well.... now most middle eastern countries are pretty oppressive towards islam currently. those scholars you talk about are being jailed and exiled from country to country.. think just qaradawi or even bilal phillips...and most other countries with muslim majorities.. ie pakistan/india are so into culture i don't think they even recognize what is islam any more. but they do have one thing we don't: an islamic atmosphere. for some ppl this is exactly what they need, for others they start to take islam for granted.. so in summary probably the best place to live is wherever you can be a good muslim and a place that has the islamic atmosphere to keep pushing you to be a better muslim. as for the best places for muslims to live in the US (where there is alot of islamic activity) I would venture to say those would be: Maryland/DC/VA, Chicagoland, SoCal, NYC/LI only as a college student, TX maybe.. and of course.. Albanyia!!! :) |
| Re: Where would you live? |
|---|
| bhaloo |
| 08/29/01 at 15:41:50 |
| slm [quote]but they do have one thing we don't: an islamic atmosphere. for some ppl this is exactly what they need, for others they start to take islam for granted.. [/quote] It would be nice to have that out here. In a way this Madina community here on the net is that islamic atmosphere. [quote] as for the best places for muslims to live in the US (where there is alot of islamic activity) I would venture to say those would be: Maryland/DC/VA, Chicagoland, SoCal, NYC/LI only as a college student, TX maybe.. and of course.. Albanyia!!! :) [/quote] I would definitely remove SoCal from that list. Although there maybe a lot of Muslims out here (according to statistics, its hard to tell visually) there aren't community things planned, and there definitely aren't any classes, or famous speakers (occasionally someone famous delivers the khutbah). I think things might be better in northern California. |
Individual posts do not necessarily reflect the views of Jannah.org, Islam, or all Muslims. All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the poster and may not be used without consent of the author.The rest © Jannah.Org |