Qabeelah Bickering

[Amatullah]

Bismillah

walhamdulillah,

was Salaatu was Salaamu 'alaa Nabiyy al Mustafa.

Remind, for indeed the reminder profits the believers.

I was asked by a forum mod to address the recent 'bickering' that has literally taken over the qabeelah folders.

First of all, this is a reminder for my own weak self first and foremost. The bottom line is that we all love one another for the sake of Allah, and all of us have clean intentions for competition. Allah ta'ala commanded us to race for Jannah and it is known that the Companions radi Allahu anhum would compete for the sake of hereafter. AlMaghrib is special because of the dedication and activism of its students and we are known for our friendly competitions walhamdulillah.

However, we need to draw the line, and brothers and sisters, we're going to draw the line now inshaAllah.

Recently, the threads have been getting out of control. Brothers and sisters calling each other names, using harsh terms to talk to one another, and in general using language that should not be on the tongue of a Muslim. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:“al muslim man salimal muslimu min lisaanihi wa yaddihi', As for the Muslim, he is the one whom other Muslims are safe from his tongue and hand.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Allah ta'ala says about the believers:

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ

And those who turn away from Al-Laghw. (23:3) Laghw is defined as every word and action that is useless, without purpose, in vain and brings no khayr (good) to the doer.

Ask yourself before you post if what you are going to say will bring any khayr. Remember that our speech is being written, every last word...Ask yourself before you post if what you are going to say is pleasing to Allah.

These forums are a means for aspiring students to connect with one another, but recently it has become a battleground. A lot of the threads are based on this qabeelah vs that qabeelah, which is better, which qabeelah deserves X event and so forth. If we engage all day in back and forth bickering, what use is this to us? Does it bring us closer to Allah? to the sunnah? to the Qur'an? does it increase our emaan?

Shaykh Waleed said something that struck me in TB today. He was trying to quiet down the students and someone said "SHHHHHH!" and he said (aw kama qaal), "please do not say that! It is not polite. Do you think Faatimah As-Samarqandi (or any of the other scholars) would say SHHHH?"

SubhanAllah, a simple 'SHHHH'. What would they think if they saw our bickering threads today and how we speak too and address one another? It's awesome to compete with one another, but we should compete for the aakhirah. Who amongst us can say they finished reading the Qur'an since Ramadaan? When is the last time we memorized an ayah or a hadeeth?

What scares me is that people who are new to AlMaghrib or just visiting the forums see this and they get a tainted idea of what AlMaghrib is. New students may not "get" that it's a joke, so they take it seriously. A visitor drops by and thinks AlMaghrib students have no manners. Personally, I think these threads give AlMaghrib a bad image...Are these how the students of such an institute are to behave? The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam was sent to perfect good manners.

Furthermore, these threads have taken over the forums. Our constant bickering does not help us, rather it can cause our intentions to slip--from having sincerity to wanting to get X amount of students to beat Y qabeelah. Not only does it put our intentions in question, but we may also become boastful. Allah tests us with both good and evil, and it is not our right to attribute any of this to ourselves. Too many times we take " for the sake of Allah" as an excuse to trash talk. Allah ta'ala reminds us in surah Hujuraat to not give eachother offensive nicknames, or call someone by a name they do not like, and to not insult eachother. The best amongst us is not the one who has the highest amount of students, but it is the one who has taqwa.

These threads are soooo long, so active, so repititive, yet how many other beneficial threads are there? As aspiring students, we should engage in discussing things of benefit, inshaAllah it will count as dhikrullah for us.

Please remember that no one is accusing anyone here or pointing fingers, so do not take this personally. It is a reminder for myself first and foremost above anyone else. No one is saying that we cannot have our competitions, or joke with one another--by all means, go ahead! BUT please, let's be aware of what we are posting, keep a minimum on these threads and let's get back to the amazingly beneficial almaghrib forums.

So, let's stop the nonsense. Benefit yourself and others, and remember we do not have this dunya to waste. It is not sufficient for us to remember death whenever there is a janaazah, but let's try and keep it a constant thought inshaAllah. We will soon be traveling to our graves, where we will be all alone, with only our deeds accompanying us. Most of us are in the prime of our life, let us use this time, before it leaves us for good.

InshaAllah in Jannah, when we are mutaqaabileen (ones facing each other), we can have some reminiscing going on

I ask Allah ta'ala to forgive me for any wrong that I have said, and to make us among those who compete for His sake Alone, and use their time to benefit themselves and others. Allahumma Ameen.

[Saima G]

JazakAllah khair - excellent reminder!!!

[bintamina]

BarakAllahu feeki ukhtee.

MashaAllah, a beneficial reminder indeed.

May Allah ta'ala allow us to use our time in a beneficial manner, be mindful of our words, and grant us hikmah, akhlaaq, and humility and allow us to race for His Pleasure in a way that is most befitting. Allahumma Ameen.

[Adib Contractor]

Possibly the most beneficial thread on this forum. Jazakillahu Khairan for taking the time to post it, may Allah make it an immense source of benefit to us all.

Firstly, I apologize for being involved in this way too much.

You're absolutely right. I am sorry to say that a "sunnah" of many Qabaa'il is to have this destructive competitiveness between them, many times even within a Qabeelah (between brothers and sisters, different regions of the city or state, etc.).

I've tried to tone it down and stop others from it as well, encouraging only positive rivalry and using the accomplishments of other Qabaa'il as sources of inspiration rather than points of contention. We must all strive to uphold the beautiful standard of positive, constructive competition, and save ourselves from falling into this bickering we see so much.

[Hala]

Originally Posted by Adib Contractor

Possibly the most beneficial thread on this forum.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Jazaakiallah khayr sr Amatullah for this awesome reminder and may you reap the rewards on the day of reckoning, ameen!!

[Abdullaah]

Originally Posted by Amatullah

Bismillah

walhamdulillah,

was Salaatu was Salaamu 'alaa Nabiyy al Mustafa.

Remind, for indeed the reminder profits the believers.

I was asked by a forum mod to address the recent 'bickering' that has literally taken over the qabeelah folders.

First of all, this is a reminder for my own weak self first and foremost. The bottom line is that we all love one another for the sake of Allah, and all of us have clean intentions for competition. Allah ta'ala commanded us to race for Jannah and it is known that the Companions radi Allahu anhum would compete for the sake of hereafter. AlMaghrib is special because of the dedication and activism of its students and we are known for our friendly competitions walhamdulillah.

However, we need to draw the line, and brothers and sisters, we're going to draw the line now inshaAllah.

Recently, the threads have been getting out of control. Brothers and sisters calling each other names, using harsh terms to talk to one another, and in general using language that should not be on the tongue of a Muslim. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:“al muslim man salimal muslimu min lisaanihi wa yaddihi', As for the Muslim, he is the one whom other Muslims are safe from his tongue and hand.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Allah ta'ala says about the believers:

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ

And those who turn away from Al-Laghw. (23:3) Laghw is defined as every word and action that is useless, without purpose, in vain and brings no khayr (good) to the doer.

Ask yourself before you post if what you are going to say will bring any khayr. Remember that our speech is being written, every last word...Ask yourself before you post if what you are going to say is pleasing to Allah.

These forums are a means for aspiring students to connect with one another, but recently it has become a battleground. A lot of the threads are based on this qabeelah vs that qabeelah, which is better, which qabeelah deserves X event and so forth. If we engage all day in back and forth bickering, what use is this to us? Does it bring us closer to Allah? to the sunnah? to the Qur'an? does it increase our emaan?

Shaykh Waleed said something that struck me in TB today. He was trying to quiet down the students and someone said "SHHHHHH!" and he said (aw kama qaal), "please do not say that! It is not polite. Do you think Faatimah As-Samarqandi (or any of the other scholars) would say SHHHH?"

SubhanAllah, a simple 'SHHHH'. What would they think if they saw our bickering threads today and how we speak too and address one another? It's awesome to compete with one another, but we should compete for the aakhirah. Who amongst us can say they finished reading the Qur'an since Ramadaan? When is the last time we memorized an ayah or a hadeeth?

What scares me is that people who are new to AlMaghrib or just visiting the forums see this and they get a tainted idea of what AlMaghrib is. New students may not "get" that it's a joke, so they take it seriously. A visitor drops by and thinks AlMaghrib students have no manners. Personally, I think these threads give AlMaghrib a bad image...Are these how the students of such an institute are to behave? The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam was sent to perfect good manners.

Furthermore, these threads have taken over the forums. Our constant bickering does not help us, rather it can cause our intentions to slip--from having sincerity to wanting to get X amount of students to beat Y qabeelah. Not only does it put our intentions in question, but we may also become boastful. Allah tests us with both good and evil, and it is not our right to attribute any of this to ourselves. Too many times we take " for the sake of Allah" as an excuse to trash talk. Allah ta'ala reminds us in surah Hujuraat to not give eachother offensive nicknames, or call someone by a name they do not like, and to not insult eachother. The best amongst us is not the one who has the highest amount of students, but it is the one who has taqwa.

These threads are soooo long, so active, so repititive, yet how many other beneficial threads are there? As aspiring students, we should engage in discussing things of benefit, inshaAllah it will count as dhikrullah for us.

Please remember that no one is accusing anyone here or pointing fingers, so do not take this personally. It is a reminder for myself first and foremost above anyone else. No one is saying that we cannot have our competitions, or joke with one another--by all means, go ahead! BUT please, let's be aware of what we are posting, keep a minimum on these threads and let's get back to the amazingly beneficial almaghrib forums.

So, let's stop the nonsense. Benefit yourself and others, and remember we do not have this dunya to waste. It is not sufficient for us to remember death whenever there is a janaazah, but let's try and keep it a constant thought inshaAllah. We will soon be traveling to our graves, where we will be all alone, with only our deeds accompanying us. Most of us are in the prime of our life, let us use this time, before it leaves us for good.

InshaAllah in Jannah, when we are mutaqaabileen (ones facing each other), we can have some reminiscing going on

I ask Allah ta'ala to forgive me for any wrong that I have said, and to make us among those who compete for His sake Alone, and use their time to benefit themselves and others. Allahumma Ameen.

Ameen

Very well said.

totally agree.

[brother_bruce]

Salaam

JazakAllah khayr for the reminder.... being one of the culprits, I apologize if I've offended anyone. Alhamdulillah, I have been trying to tone down my rhetoric over teh past few months, and am looking to get out of the trash talking scene completely.


We should definitely focus on more constructive things.

[jannatulFirdaws]

Salaamu alykum

Jazakallahu kheyran,ukhtii wallahi great said. I must say you are one who reminds us and truelly reminding benifits only the believers. You just took my words out of my mouth couldn't be said better mahsa ALLAH.

[LImbers]

Same here.

What we can do is reposnd to threads that are not shady, that are benefical even more than ones that are of less beneift, such as this one

[Anti_Shaytan]

Originally Posted by Amatullah

These forums are a means for aspiring students to connect with one another, but recently it has become a battleground. A lot of the threads are based on this qabeelah vs that qabeelah, which is better, which qabeelah deserves X event and so forth. If we engage all day in back and forth bickering, what use is this to us? Does it bring us closer to Allah? to the sunnah? to the Qur'an? does it increase our emaan?

I think it's a bit harsh to call it "bickering". Correct me if I'm wrong, but one of the reasons the polls, and qabeelah competitions were created was so that we can encourage each other, and push our fellow qabaa'il a bit harder. One way is by (healthy) trash talk. The only problem I see is that this is the ONLY method we use, and that's where I agree we need to cut down. And Allah knows best, but we can't judge why someone is doing such. Everyone's reason could be different, and for some, it may even be bringing them closer to Allah (swt).

The post was much needed and beneficial, ESPECIALLY TO ME, jak for posting.

Originally Posted by brother_bruce

and am looking to get out of the trash talking scene completely.

I lol'd at that one...I don't know why.