Better to Give

A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking a walk with a Professor, who was commonly called the student's friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.
As they went along,they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field close by,and who had nearly finished his day's work.
The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them."
"My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him."
The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.
While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again.
He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.
His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to the heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand,would save from perishing.
The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. "Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: "It's more blessed to give than to receive."

God's Truth and Media's Lies

http://tahiraalguyanee.blogspot.com/2006/06/media-full-of-lies-edited-version.html

I remember when the Danish cartoon incident happened, I was a mixture of sadness, anger, and frustration. (I never saw the cartoons, only heard about them). It would spark me up so bad that I would refuse to talk about it even with my own friends. Not many official Muslims statements were given out against it from the Islamic countries, although there were protests and rallies against it, I believe. In some of these rallies we did ourselves more harm than good. But putting that aside, this incident gave Muslims (especially those living in non-Muslim countries) to bring up the topic of Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), to teach other people what he really is, and what his teachings are. In offices, schools, universities, buses, donut shops, online chats, etc., everywhere, this topic would actually be brought up by non-Muslims for Muslims to answer. Many people became curious and many people came to appreciate the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) and many were welcomed into the fold of Islam because of this :)
Now when these arrests are happening and we can clearly see media and government biases against Muslims, we need to have patience and remember that Allah works in wonderous ways. Our job is to take this oppurtunity and turn it into something good to remember. Take this oppurtunity to tell people about Islam, to educate them, to show them what injustices are being done, to speak up against injustice, and to eliminate stereotypes. Who knows, by doing this we may help another person enter the fold of Islam. It is a lot harder than getting angry, throwing things around, and blaming, and it may take years for it to be of any effect, but effective it WILL BE, Inshallah. Its hard to smile when innocent people are being locked up and tortured. Despite that, I want to look back at this in the future and smile. Smile and remember their attempt to defame the Muslims, but infact in reality speeding up the process of 'potential Muslims' to become Muslims and accept Islam as the religion of truth. Allah works in wonderous ways.

I say we pick up our books and read more about Islam as much as we can, and get ready for worse times to come.

"And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided."
[Quran, 3:103].