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5 Lessons Learned from Counseling at MMYC Spring Conference 2008 – pt. 2 of 2

[#3 - The Power of a Youth Camp/Retreat]

When the Prophet (SAW) grew up in Mecca, he would escape to the Cave of Hira to get away from society for a moment and reflect on life. After Prophethood, this practice of temporarily leaving life continued every Ramadan when the Prophet (SAW) made I’tikaf in the masjid year after year.

My wife, a Michigan native, has been attending the conference as a kid since it began in 2001 and continues today serving as a counselor. She wrote on her blog about the conference.

“I decided to come back again as a counselor this year at the conference, and it’s safe to say, that MMYC magic is still alive and well. I don’t know what it is about the conference that just *works*. Maybe it’s the speakers. Maybe it’s the hype of no parents + spring break + hotels. Maybe it’s the yearning to seek knowledge. Or maye it’s that all throughout the conference I was surrounded by a new batch of Muslim youth, soaking in the MMYC experience, making friendships, and being revitalized.”

I have attended just a few camps and retreats in my life, but every single time they change your life in ways you can’t while living life “normally” with school, work, and home. This is especially so for youth camps and retreats.

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5 Lessons Learned from Counseling at MMYC Spring Conference 2008 – pt. 1 of 2

I recently attended the MMYC 2008 Spring Conference in Michigan this past weekend. The conference is a annual retreat for high schoolers, and I served as a counselor for a group of young brothers attending. The conference is a success every year, and this year it sold out around 300 seats to high schoolers spending a weekend away from school and life to come closer to Allah.

It was my wife who convinced me to apply to be a counselor, and alhumdulillah I am so happy that I got accepted and went, as the event changed my life. I learned a number of lessons from counseling at the conference, and feel they apply just as much to anyone else involved in Da’wah. Read more »

The Rope of Allah (SWT) in Madras, India – Br. Umair Haseeb

Today’s topic is about The Rope of Allah azawajjal, faith in Islam.

Moving to India was a challenge for me. Nothing seemed to go right. Everything seemed to be out of place. I thought moving to India would be a cultural experience and it was, it just wasn’t Indian culture. It seemed as if I landed in a Third World America. Every one seemed to emulating the west. This was fine, but what bothered me is that they emulated the wrong aspects of the west. It was extremism to the evil light of the west.

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Satish Babu accepts Islam

My 15-year-old cousin Umair who moved to Chennai (Madras), India last year called me up a week ago ecstatic. “Dude, I saw Yasir Qadhi! It was awesome. He gave the opening speech at the Peace Convention. It was amazing, everyone loved it. Dude!”

Whoa, slow down turbo! I got the rest of the info from him and it turns out there was a 10-day convention in Chennai called “Peace: Vision of Islam” featuring many western speakers like Yasir Qadhi, Tawfique Chawdry, Dr. Waleed Basyouni, Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Yusuf Estes, and of course, Dr. Zakir Naik. There were also speakers for Tamil, Urdu, and Malyalam sessions. Pretty sweet.

This video is a clip of Satish Babu, one of the audience members of the convention, accepting Islam during Read more »

Two “cute” boys and Dawah at Tim Horton’s

A sister on the AlMaghrib forums posted a story about an experience of hers during the last seminar in Windsor. From the sound of things, it seems as if the is actually talking about Waasiq, Saad, or Humza, my brother, cousin, and friend, respectively. That Saturday morning I took them to Tim Horton’s right before class and got them some hot chocolate.

If it really is about them, I’m guessing one of them was standing in line with me, while the other two trailed behind and were in front of this sister who wrote the following story… Read more »