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S T WARNING: PLEASE respect and dispose of this newsletter properly AS IT CONTAINS THE NAME OF ALLAH “sometimes, all you need is a new perspective” ISSUE three term 1 2014 want to be featured in our next edition? Do you have Articles, opinions, poems, stories, artwork, QUESTIONS, advice or suggestions? email us at: [email protected] Q ALL Graphics by NurAisyah Rosman and Farhana Ismail R You are incredible. Full of energy, you obliterate the papers on your desk, completing one by one, tasks and tests. Full of love, you giggle, laugh, bro-fist- pump and cuddle those closest to you. Full of enthusiasm, you greet the things that make you happy with a smile from ear to ear. Full of fight, you wrestle with your sleepy conscience and droopy eyes to tackle school, day by day. Full of patience, you bale the trials and tribulations that befall you, knowing sometimes you’ll win and other times you’ll lose. Full of fear, you fall to your knees, tears welling up, your head cradled in your sweaty palms as you beg for His forgiveness and mercy. Full of strength, you put on your brave face and journey on towards the Ultimate Destination. Full of hope, you stumble and fall but pick yourself up and continue, knowing that Allah will reward you for the good of your deeds. Full of gratitude, you make sure your feet do not float off the ground in arrogance because you remember Who so perfectly fashioned them. Full of beauty, your heart beats with imaan. Full of knowledge, you rest your head at night while your mind processes all the new seeds of wisdom you have collected. Full of creativity, you seem to find a way to make the old become the new, the dark and dull become the bright and beautiful, the personal hardship become just another mountain to conquer. Full of character, you have a unique element of quirkiness and a sense of humour most people don’t understand. Full of confidence, you laugh at your own jokes anyway; even aſter you’re told it’s lame. Full of talent, you amaze even yourself sometimes when Allah grants you the ability to accomplish things so surprisingly well. You are incredible. Still full of energy, love, enthusiasm, fight, patience, fear, hope, strength, gratitude, beauty, knowledge, creativity, character, confidence and talent, you have the tools to make a difference. You have been blessed with a roof over your head, clean clothes on your back, three wholesome meals a day, an education and a circle of family and friends. Engulfed in comfort and ease, you have no excuse. Do something great. You have the capability to strengthen your relationship with Allah, enlighten others of the truth, enjoin good and forbid evil. Help those who are less fortunate, and stretch out your hands and guide those still submerged in darkness and misery. Stop doubting yourself. Dream, believe, plan and act. Make the most of every moment because every minute that passes is gone forever and never coming back. Don’t let your youth, health, wealth, time and life slip between your fingers. Hold on, hold on tightly and use them wisely. e importance of this message cannot be stressed enough, and for that reason, this issue of e Ilim Rant places special emphasis on the different elements of the hadith. “With every breath, you have an opportunity to turn your life around.” - Abdulbary Yahya By editor: Amira Ismail Take benefit of five before five: Your youth before your old age , your health before your sickness , your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied and your life before your death.

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Page 1: Ilim Rant issue 3

S TWARNING: PLEASE respect and dispose of this newsletter properly AS IT CONTAINS THE NAME OF ALLAH

“sometimes, all you need is a new perspective” ISSUE three term 1 2014

want to be featured in our next edition? Do you have Articles, opinions, poems, stories, artwork, QUESTIONS, advice or suggestions?

email us at:[email protected]

Q ALL Graphics by NurAisyah Rosman and Farhana Ismail R

You are incredible.Full of energy, you obliterate the papers on your desk, completing one by one, tasks and tests.Full of love, you giggle, laugh, bro-fist-pump and cuddle those closest to you.Full of enthusiasm, you greet the things that make you happy with a smile from ear to ear.Full of fight, you wrestle with your sleepy conscience and droopy eyes to tackle school, day by day.Full of patience, you battle the trials and tribulations that befall you, knowing sometimes you’ll win and other times you’ll lose.Full of fear, you fall to your knees, tears welling up, your head cradled in your sweaty palms as you beg for His forgiveness and mercy.Full of strength, you put on your brave face and journey on towards the Ultimate Destination. Full of hope, you stumble and fall but pick yourself up and continue, knowing that Allah will reward you for the good of your deeds.Full of gratitude, you make sure your feet do not float off the ground in arrogance because you remember Who

so perfectly fashioned them.Full of beauty, your heart beats with imaan.Full of knowledge, you rest your head at night while your mind processes all the new seeds of wisdom you have collected. Full of creativity, you seem to find a way to make the old become the new, the dark and dull become the bright and beautiful, the personal hardship become just another mountain to conquer.Full of character, you have a unique element of quirkiness and a sense of humour most people don’t understand.Full of confidence, you laugh at your own jokes anyway; even after you’re told it’s lame. Full of talent, you amaze even yourself sometimes when Allah grants you the ability to accomplish things so surprisingly well.You are incredible.Still full of energy, love, enthusiasm, fight, patience, fear, hope, strength, gratitude, beauty, knowledge, creativity, character, confidence and talent, you have the tools to make a difference. You have been blessed with a roof over your head, clean clothes on your back, three

wholesome meals a day, an education and a circle of family and friends. Engulfed in comfort and ease, you have no excuse. Do something great. You have the capability to strengthen your relationship with Allah, enlighten others of the truth, enjoin good and forbid evil. Help those who are less fortunate, and stretch out your hands and guide those still submerged in darkness and misery. Stop doubting yourself.Dream, believe, plan and act.Make the most of every moment because every minute that passes is gone forever and never coming back. Don’t let your youth, health, wealth, time and life slip between your fingers.Hold on, hold on tightly and use them wisely. The importance of this message cannot be stressed enough, and for that reason, this issue of The Ilim Rant places special emphasis on the different elements of the hadith. “With every breath, you have an opportunity to turn your life around.” - Abdulbary Yahya

By editor: Amira Ismail

“Take benefit of five before five: Your youth before your

old age,, your health before your sickness,, your wealth

before your poverty, your free time before you are

preoccupied, and your life before your death.”

Page 2: Ilim Rant issue 3

h“Your youth before your old age...”

In Islam, we are advised to take advantage of what little time we have. When we are young we take our youth and energy for granted. We feel as if we have all the time in the world. But tomorrow creeps up on us slowly and one of the first things we lose is our youth. As old age approaches, people find it harder to fulfill even their obligatory acts of worship. When it is impossible to bend our knees and put our head on the ground in submission, we want only to be able to go back and pray one extra prayer, fast one extra day the way we did when we were young and full of energy. As the youth of the next generation we must take advantage of our youth before old age strips it away. Our boundless energy should be used to help others, and to collect as

many rewards from Allah as possible.

Youth is a time when a person is the most energetic, when they lay out the foundations for their future, and when they plan out their life. So Rasulullah told us to take advantage of this time, before the time comes when you do not have that enthusiasm and when you no longer have the ability to act with such

passion. The enthusiasm and energy that you have been blessed with will never again be given to you after this age. A person should exercise this energy for the sake of Allah by procuring knowledge of Allah and worshipping Allah through acts that he might not be

able to do later on in life.

Rasulullah left us with extensive wisdom in his Sunnah such as when he told us: “Seven are the people that will be sheltered on the Day of Judgment, the day in which there is no shade except the shade of Allah (swt).” One of the seven people, the Prophet mentioned was a youth who grew up

in the worship of Allah (swt). A large part of this narration is the fact that the word youth was specifically used. The accepted reasoning behind the usage of “youth” is that there is emphasis on the young to excel as they have more drive at the time of their youth then after age

has withered them away.

What we can deduce from this imperative part of the five before five hadith is that our youth is our most important asset. From the moment of your birth the timer is ticking on your youth and it nears its end with every passing moment. What we must reflect on however is how we utilize our youth before it abandons us, instead of how we are supposed to utilize our youth before it abandons us. Whether or not we are pleasing Allah (swt) with how we take advantage of our youth. Taking advantage of our youth is essential in fulfilling your obligation as a young Muslim. May Allah swt assist us all in

making the most of it while we can.

By Louay Elmustapha

“our youth is our most

important asset.”[ [

Page 3: Ilim Rant issue 3

h h“Your health before your sickness...”

ثـنا عبد الله بن إدريس، ، قاال حد ثـنا أبو بكر بن أب شيبة، وعلي بن ممد الطنافسي حد عنـربيعة بن عثمان، عن ممد بن يي بن حبان، عن األعرج، عن أب هريـرة، قال قال رسول

الله ـ صلى اهلل عليه وسلم ـ ” المؤمن القوي خيـر وأحب إل الله من المؤمن الضعيف وف كل خيـر احرص على ما يـنـفعك واستعن بالله وال تـعجز فإن أصابك شىء فال تـقل لو أن فـعلت

ر الله وما شاء فـعل فإن ” لو ” تـفتح عمل الشيطان ” كذا وكذا . ولكن قل قد

Before we even start to talk about what this article is about, let me relate to you a quick hadith:

Translation:The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: ‘The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive for that which will benefit you, seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless. If anything befalls you, do not say, “if only I had done such and such,” rather say, “Allah has decreed and whatever he wills, He does”, for (saying) ‘if’ opens (the door) to the deeds of Satan.’You read it right; the strong believer is more beloved to Allah than the weak believer. Brothers and sisters, we need to be stronger in fitness, attitude, personality and faith, just to name a few. And the beautiful thing about this hadith is that is says “...do not feel helpless...” Brothers and sisters, how many times do we feel helpless before tests, after losses, after many other personal things in our lives? Brothers and sisters, we should be strong in our self-esteem and with ourselves. This hadith is not just about strength in the body. This is about strength in the heart.

Wassalamualaikum.

By Zakariya Isaaq

“we need to be stronger in fitness, attitude,

personality and faith”[ [

Healthy foods to fuel your brilliant brain! By Amira Ismail

I Your brain is around 85% water, so you need to make sure you drink up to prevent dehydration. A thirsty brain means loss of concentration and can

cause headaches.

I Go for wholegrains! Your brilliant brain (say masha Allah) needs a steady supply of energy to concentrate and focus through the strenuous school day. Wholegrains are low-GI, which means you’ll be mentally alert and prepared to stay not only awake but lively and

rearing-to-go during class.

I School got you feeling blue? Try munching on blueberries for a change! Studies show that they help protect the brain from oxidative stress, improve learning capacity and delay short term memory loss. They’re super tasty too so

you’ve really got no excuse.

I Replace those bite-sized chocolates and lollies with a handful of nuts and seeds instead. They are packed with vitamin E which is important for blood

circulation in the brain.

I For those who aren’t eating avocados on a regular basis, I’m sorry to put it bluntly but you are definitely missing out. It’s a great source of monounsatu-rated fat (the good fat that your body needs), promoting a healthy blood flow which equates to a healthy brain!

Sources: BBC GoodFood, WebMD.com

Page 4: Ilim Rant issue 3

h“your wealth before your poverty...”

Talk about ownership of extraterrestrial real estate has been around since the 80s but 34 years down the road it has become a “reality” as I found out on visiting some very dodgy looking websites. I was fortunately able to find something within my price range, prime real estate in the Sea of Tranquillity for just $37 and 50 cents, on the moon, 384 500 km away, thanks to the “Cyber Moonday Discount” of 20%.

Wealth is one of the greatest blessings from Allah (swt) yet it is also one of the most difficult of tests; Allah states in the Quran, “Your wealth and your children are only a trial (Fitnah). And Allah – With him is a great reward (Paradise)” [Surah Taghabun: 15]. Therefore, it is very important to spend our wealth with great care and show generosity to

the poor, the orphans and the needy. While making sure to thank Allah every opportunity we get and remembering the ultimate goal, the Gardens of Jannah. Allah (swt) states in the Quran that “Whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.” [Surah Baqarah: 272]

The truth is, extra terrestrial estate won’t ever really benefit you or me, unless the Earth is about to explode, aliens have invaded or space travel becomes something like Tiger Airways during our life time, we cannot leave Earth. In such cases a piece of paper entitling you to an acre of Lunar land will be liquefied as it has no real legal backing or authorisation by the government. Alas, it is yet another

money laundering scheme designed to rob us of our hard earned money.

We can only really take three things with us when we do actually leave this world including “knowledge, perpetual charity and the righteous child” as described by our beloved prophet, Muhammad, may peace be upon him. The key element being eternal charity, whose rewards will be reaped long after death. No amounts of Lunar land mass or spatial bodies will benefit you in this life or the hereafter, but your wealth spent in the way or the Almighty will. Be smart about where you put your money and never trust fraudulent looking websites with monstrous graphics.

How extraterrestrial real estate will benefit you! By Noor Khan

Page 5: Ilim Rant issue 3

h h“your free time before you are preoccupied...”

When we examine the hadith, on the surface it appears to tell us to take care of, and use most efficiently to worship Allah, our youth, health, wealth, free time and our life, before we become old, sick, poor, busy and die. However, at a deeper glance we realise one keyword that is vital to the hadith. That word is “before”. This word carries a deeper significance than it may seem because to say the word “before” implies that something is to happen in a time period prior to the other. That is health before sickness, life before death etc. These all refer to the passage of time. So in essence, what this hadith is telling us to do is to use our time most efficiently to worship Allah. But what is time? What is its significance?

Well time is a dimension, just like width, height and depth. Time is the fourth dimension. We use it to order events into the past, present and future. However, unlike the other three dimensions, we can only travel through time in one direction. In space, you can walk in one way then turn around and walk back, but that is not the case with time. If you move 24 hours forward in time, it is impossible to turn around and travel back. This is what makes time so valuable. The saying “time waits for no man,” comes to mind here. St Marher said it in 1225 and it stands true to this very day, 790 years later.

But what if time could ‘slow down’?

Frequently, we feel that time slows down or speeds up when we are bored or having fun, though this is all psychological. Time itself can slow down, and this is called time dilation. Imagine that moving through space is like moving north, while moving through time is like moving east. If you were to walk east for an hour at 5km/h, you would end up moving 5 km forward in time but 0 km forward in space. Now instead, imagine you walk 5 km/h north. You would end up walking 5 km forward in space but 0 km forward in time.

This all happens because time is relative, which means that everyone and everything experiences time differently, and that time is not constant for everything in the universe.

As we move faster through space, we move slower through time and vice versa. This was tested in the Hafele-Keating experiment. In October 1971, several atomic clocks were flown around

the world in jet planes. When the planes landed, the clocks were compared to a clock on the ground, and they were found to be approximately 273 nanoseconds behind. We experience this effect all around us each day when we move, but the differences in time that we experience whilst travelling at the speeds we do are so minute that they are negligible.

All of this, and we are barely scratching the surface on how complicated time is. Islamically, time is a very important aspect of our lives and we should not waste it. On the day of judgement, we will be asked on how we spent our time. In a hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) says “There are two of Allah’s favours that are forgotten by many people: health and free time.”(Bukhari) Consider that the average life expectancy in Australia is around 80 years. When that is compared to the age of the universe or even just the Earth it springs to mind the ayah “It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a

morning thereof.”[79:46]

The Buddha once said, “The problem is that you think you have time.” How will you use yours?

The Buddha once said,

“The problem is that you think you

have time.”[ [

The concept of time By Yusuf Ades

Page 6: Ilim Rant issue 3

h“and your life before your death.”

TIME: (noun) a limited period or interval, as between two successive events.

In our busy high school lives we are always short on time and we often leave tasks undone because we simply ‘do not have time.’ It is true that our time is valuable; it is a limited resource and we can really never have enough of it. Yet more often than not, we find ourselves not using time efficiently. We forget to realise that every second that passes, is a second we will never get back; once it has passed, it has gone forever. Now to put this all into context: you see, time is described as being a limited inter-val between two successive events, what could these events be- have you ever thought them to be life and death? We will be made to account for every second that we have spent in this world. InShaAllah we will have more to account for than the hours we spend instragramming, tumblring and just doing nothing (don’t deny it). Use your time wisely; remember that during every second, it is the longest time we have spent in this world so far and the shortest amount we have left.

A timely reminder by ALISHA rAWAL

gaming by mystiqueHey Dudes and Dudettes, On this release we will be taking a look at Dota 2, League of Legends, and games on x-box 360

and PS3.

Starting off with Dota 2, Dota 2 is similar to League Of Legends but on a whole other level. Games last up to an average of 1 hour. The thing that separates Dota 2 from LoL is the fact that there are so many factors to consider in Dota 2. In order to win lane you must be able to control the side shop, warding is essential, and teamwork is the utmost important factor in Dota 2. Plus there is a very minute amount of toxic players in Dota 2 which you will be able to enjoy in nearly every game in Dota 2. Most of Dota 2 players are friendly and when you start the game there will be many who will help you along the way. Dota 2 is far more complex than LoL where no items are categorized so you have to find which item you are best suited to. There are of course builds where you can choose from but making your own build is far better, if you know how the items work with your champion. In Dota 2 if you make one mistake, yes just one, you can basically throw the game if the enemy team picks it up and uses it against you. In LoL, small mistakes don’t matter, whereas in Dota 2 they do. In Dota 2, team fights can last for just 2-4 seconds, so your reaction speed, and your ability to activate items and abilities is crucial. League of Legends is far simpler than Dota 2, but that doesn’t take the enjoyment out of LoL. Lol and Dota 2 is basically the same idea, push lane, win team fights, destroy turrets and destroy nexus win game. LoL games last an average of 40 minutes, there is no side shop, but warding and teamwork is still essential to a degree. In LoL, if you get fed, it’s very easy

for you to go in take out the whole team and win game. It is very, very simple compared to Dota 2. League of Legends is able to kick off those skills you need and with them you can go up divisions fairly easy. If you’re able to take those skills to another level than you can easily detect ganks and determine when to engage and disengage, which is very crucial in League of Legends.

Moving onto games on Platforms X-Box and PlayStation: • Kingdom Hearts III: Kingdom Hearts III is the third game in the beloved RPG series and features a mature Sora who sets forth on an adventure with Mickey, Donald and Goofy through new and legendary Disney worlds.

• Final Fantasy XV: Final Fantasy XV (formerly Final Fantasy Versus) is the story of a young king sworn to defend the last crystal in the world from the “hectic order” outside of his kingdom. It’s a fight between ancient and modern technology, and the struggle of one king to protect the old ways. That’s all from us for this release, Good Luck and Have Fun Gaming.

Page 7: Ilim Rant issue 3

h othe bibliophile**A person who collects or has a great

love of books.

“Love, the deadliest of all deadly things: it kills you both when you have it and when you don’t.”

“I love you. Remember. They cannot take it.” ― Lauren Oliver, Delirium

Delirium is a dystopian novel, written by Lauren Oliver about a young girl named Lena Haloway who lives in a society where love is seen as a disease. The American government has classified love as a disease known as amor deliria nervosa, and it is mandatory for every citizen upon turning 18 to receive the surgical cure to eradicate love from a person’s system. Lena has looked forward to her procedure for years, believing that love is a horrible disease and must be destroyed from mankind’s system. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, predictable and happy. But with only ninety-five days left until Lena’s procedure, she does the unthinkable; she falls in love. Delirium focuses on love in the realm of family and friendship, how relationships break without love, and how

friendships will change without it.

review by zehra sert

Delirium by lauren oliver enjoy your life by Dr. Muhammad `Abd Al-Rahman Al-`Arifi

Publisher: DarussalamIt is unfortunately common for many of us to seek advice that we find rather difficult to follow.Let me backtrack a little. When we are faced with a dilemma, we tend to seek advice, which as you may be able to guess now, is either inapplicable in our particular circumstance, or

just beyond our capabilities. And it doesn’t just depend on who we ask, but it seems that it

also depends on what we read.

Well, rejoice! Dr. Muhammad `Abd Al-Rahman Al-`Arifi’s Enjoy Your Life compiles almost a hundred short and easy-to-read chapters, each containing just one tip. Consequently, you don’t need to read the whole book to benefit from it; you can read whichever chapter that applies to your

situation in any order.

The art of interacting with different personalities has always seemed more complex and — if we’re being honest with ourselves — rather intimidating. Al-Arifi simplifies this tangled web, and uses countless

examples to unravel it. He uses the best of examples: from the Quran; Rasulullah’s life; and of course, stories from the sahabah and our early predecessors. In addition to that, the author of over twenty published work quotes many other stories from his own experiences in da`wah and

contemporary issues that we are familiar with.

A must-read for all, Enjoy Your Life is available in most bookshops at a decent price.

Review by Aishah Chao

Page 8: Ilim Rant issue 3

teacher exposed!mr. nadeem

the

inside

story

What role do you play in the school? /can you tell us what your current role in the school is?I am a drama teacher. I think drama classes were newly introduced in the school and they’ve been running in the school for the past two years but at the moment, they’re only for the year 7 and 8 students. And what we try to do is teach them self-confidence and help them come out of their shells and it really helps, a lot of my students participated

in the previous comedy festival if you can remember.

What is the best thing about your job here at Ilim College?Well for one, I don’t have to work as hard that’s the best thing about it. And secondly, people respect you and that’s the biggest plus. Now, if you go anywhere else, it would be a new environment with all sorts of people there but we know everyone here – I’ve been working here for the past

seven years. It’s kind of a close community for me.

If you could change one thing here at Ilim College, what would it be?I would implement a “No screaming” policy on both the students and the teachers. I feel that it affects their emo-tional, social learning – Big time. And that’s why we’ve got four counsellors in this school and we’re still short on people doing this mentoring, coaching and counselling work. It will definitely help if teacher’s take this responsi-bility of mentoring the students as well instead of just the

four of us.

How important ARE the roles of counsellors in this school exactly?I think it’s a more important role than the principal in the

school. We are in touch with the kids all the time, 24/7 – we have to keep an eye out for and look after all of them, we’re not talking about just one class or one grade here – I myself have to take care of grade 4 all the way to year 12. So we’re talking about eight year levels and I take care of all the

boys.

Do the rest of them get cool offices like you do? No... no I think mine is the best (maybe because I’m the

best).

If you had one wish that would definitely be granted, what would you ask for? Well I wish had never left my country, so that was one wish that I lost a lot of precious gifts from Allah (swt) during these 24 years away from my homeland, so I wish... I wish that Pakistan wouldn’t be in such turmoil so I could have stayed in my country, close to my people. And there’s a lot

of other things obviously, but that’s the major one..

So people consider you to be one of the funnier person-alities around Ilim College right? What lead to be such a funny guy or comedian? Were you always like this? This is a VERY good question actually. I hide my grief and sadness behind those smiles. To stay away from your home-land, your family, that’s enough to throw you into a well honestly, a well of grief. I feel that I replace that in my mind with the laughter and happiness so I can at least forget that for a while, and that’s why you’ll always find me laughing, giggling and making jokes; I don’t like it when people get so serious – but that’s sometimes why I get told off.

For the third edition of our interview section we went and spoke to Mr Nadeem who as many of you will know is an amazingly funny person at our school. When he isn’t in the mosque trying to control the unruly kids he has an office in

the primary block where he has counselling sessions for the male students. Mr Nadeem is also a big part of the annual Ilim Comedy festival which raises money for charity and makes us laugh our socks off. We wanted to take this opportunity to

thank Mr Nadeem for being such an inspiring role model for the rest of us.

“I took it yesterday (selfie) at Hard Rock

climbing center. I think I look pretty cool

in this photo...(lol)You may use this in you next Ilim Rant

edition.regards,

Nadeem”

Page 9: Ilim Rant issue 3

What’s your dream holiday destination?Thailand! I went last year with my wife and I LOVED it, it was beautiful. And I love Thai food; especially because they

use a lot of seafood.

How would you describe yourself as a teenager?I was into sports just like you guys are – I was a soccer freak as well. I played for a club almost until I left my coun-try and if you can believe it I was the best player in my team. I played forward so I was always the TOP SCORER of my team. I played cricket too but not for major clubs, just

local ones.

Role models for you?I have quite a few of them, so look, we all have Prophet Muhammad (saw) as a role model but other than him, since as we grow older we get inspired by a lot of people and want to be like them, I’d say... Ms Aynur is another of my role models, definitely. I admire the way she speaks, she’s so eloquent and she has a very good influence on the staff- she’s helpful and kind and as a leader, she has a very good

personality.

Childhood nickname:I did have one but I’m not going to tell you it’s pretty

embarrassing.

If you could only eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?let’s see... I would eat anything with prawn. Yeah... I really

like prawn.

What’s your favourite cricket team?I would have to say... Sri Lanka. I go for them, although I’ve really got nothing to do with them. Pakistan is in-

volved in too much corruption so I just stopped supporting them. I used to be sooo crazy about them you know, I’d stay up all night and watch all their games, test matches – sitting five days in front of the TV and whatnot, but I’m over it. There’s all these briberies, scandals and fighting –

but the Sri Lankans are pretty good.

What gives you the greatest pride in your life?Being a teacher, truly. Being a teacher, being around you guys and when I see the results out of it. Whenever I see one of you achieving something, (turns to Abdulaziz un-expectedly) I’m talking about you especially, when I heard you got that Melbourne University scholarship two years ago, that’s when I feel really good and really proud and also when my drama kids went on stage and performed in the comedy festival last year - I don’t know if many people noticed but they were really nervous, they had never thought that they would perform in front of all those

people but alhamdulillah they did well and made me proud.

Any advice that you would like to give our readers?We need more professionals in our community. We need our youth to be doctors, engineers, professors, teachers, and counsellors- all those professionals to lead our community into 2014 and onwards. We need them to study hard, that’s all really. Please don’t waste your time... especially in year 8 and 9 and 10, you waste all your time now and suddenly you wake up and you’re in year 11 and

it’ll be too late.

BY FURKAN ERBASI, ADIB ZULKEFLI AND

ABDULAZIZ MUME

Did you know? by armaan khan

K Snails can sleep for 3 years without eatingK A man once robbed a bank for $1, then sat down and waited for police to arrest him so he could receive healthcare in prisonK Odontophobia is the fear of teeth.K The most money ever paid for a cow in an auction was $1.3 million.K In ancient Rome, it was considered a sign of leadership to be born with a crooked nose.K If you lined up all the slinkies in the world it would wrap around the world 126 times.K The average person falls asleep in 7 minutes

Page 10: Ilim Rant issue 3

bthe

straight

PATH

Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:“Du’aa’s and ta’awwudhaat (seeking refuge with Allah) are like a weapon, and a weapon is only as good as the person who is using it; it is not merely the matter of how sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect and free of faults, and the arm of the person using it is strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then he can lay waste the enemy. But if any of these three features is lacking, then the effect will be lacking accordingly.” [Al-Daa’ wa’l-Dawaa’, p. 35]From this wonderful quote of Al Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on his soul), it is clear that there are etiquettes and rulings that must be fulfilled in the dua’a. There are also things that prevent the dua’a’ from being answered by Allah (SWT) – these things must be removed from the person making the dua’a’. Once all of the conditions are fulfilled, then and only then, shall the dua’a’ be answered by Allah the Almighty.The most important condition to have when making dua’a is sincerity. Allah has commanded us to be sincere when making dua’a’, as He (SWT) has said (which means):“So, call you (O Muhammad and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allah’s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship).” [Ghaafir 40:14]Sincerity in dua’a’ means possessing the firm belief that the One upon who you

are calling, Allah, may He be glorified and exalted – is the only One who is able to meet your needs. It also means avoiding any kind of showing off in your dua’a’.Sins are one of the main reasons why the Dua’a is rejected, so the person who is making dua’a’ should hasten in repentance and seek forgiveness before he makes dua’a’. Allah tells us that Nooh (PBUH) said:“I said (to them): ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, and give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.’” [Nooh 71:10-12]Make dua’a at times of ease, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Remember Allah during times of ease and He will remember you during times of hardship.” [Narrated by Imam Ahmad]Seek to draw closer to Allah by calling upon Him by His most beautiful Names and sublime attributes at the beginning of the dua’a’ or at the end. Allah says (which means): “And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them” [al-A’raaf 7:180].Things which may prevent dua’a’ from being answeredThis occurs when the dua’a’ itself involves something inappropriate, or involves bad manners towards Allah (SWT), or is inappropriate (i.e. asking Allah for something which it is not permitted to ask, e.g. when a man asks to live forever in this world and so on). Abu Hurairah (RA) said, the Messenger

of Allah (PBUH) said, “A person’s Dua’a will continue to be answered so long as he does not pray for something sinful or for the breaking of family ties.” [Narrated by Muslim]Consuming haraam wealth is one of the major reasons why Du’aa’s are not answered. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “O people, Allah is good and only accepts that which is good. Allah commanded the pious to follow the same commandments as He gave to the messengers. He says (interpretation of the meaning):Then he mentioned a man who has travelled on a long journey and is disheveled and covered with dust; he stretches forth his hands to the heaven, (saying) “O Lord, O Lord”, but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, all his nourishment is haraam, so how can his dua’a’ be accepted? [Narrated by Muslim]Another important point is to realize that the response to the dua’a’ may take different forms:1. Allah will respond and fulfill the desire of the person who made the dua’a’. 2. He will ward off some evil from him because of the dua’a’.3. He will save it for him on the Day of Resurrection, on the day when he will be most in need of it. Allah knows best.

Written by: the Islamic Enrichment Committee (IEC)Text adapted from www.A2youth.com

The voice of hidayah: why is allah not answering our supplications?

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Nūh عليه السالم was born about 1000 years or more after the death of Adam عليه السالم , he was the first Messenger sent by Allah to the people, he was sent by Allah to his people when they started worshipping idols and false gods, falling into the depths of ignorance and Kufr (disbelief). He called his people to worship Allah alone, without anyone else, calling them to Belief

in Allah in the morning, at night, in public and in private. However, his people continuously disbelieved in him, tormented his followers, and taught the next generation to disbelieve in him. Nuh عليه السالم gradually gave up hope, then Allah revealed to him that no more of his people will believe in him. He was ordered to construct an Ark, and to take all the Muslims and two pairs of every kind (meaning animals and birds of all sorts) aboard. Then came Allah’s Command, and the sky started pouring rain, and the ground burst forth with springs of water, drowning everyone that wasn’t on the Ark. Allah then Commanded the rain and the springs to stop, and the Ark landed on Mount Judi, and the Muslims started life

anew, worshipping Allah alone.

Nuh عليه السالم preached to his people for 950 years, here we can see that time won’t make people believe and that even though these people had such a long time to believe in Allah, they still didn’t, so, we should do righteous deeds before our time in this Earth is up, we do not have 950 years, which is why we must make use of our limited time.

The Story of Nuh عليه السالم

by hafsah chao

By Syukri Joffri

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department spotlight: english departmentby alisha rawal and zehra sert

Let’s face it, English is a confusing language. There is no egg in eggplant nor is there any pine or apple in pineapple. We sometimes take English for granted, but if we examine paradoxes we find that quicksand takes you down slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Papua New Guinea nor is it a pig. If you are as confused as I am while reading this, imagine the life of our brilliant English teachers who have willingly chosen to teach this mystifying language. We present to

you the tales of our valiant English teachers; Mr Hassan Mansour, Mr Abdul Rahman Ryan and Mr Andrew Tucinovich:

1. What is the role of the English department?Mr Abdul Rahman Ryan: To teach English!

2. What is the funniest moment that has occurred during one of your classes or meetings?Mr Abdul Rahman Ryan: A few years back I was coaching Y 9 girls’ soccer at a non-Islamic school. They were sitting and I was explaining the tackle. I stretched out my leg and there was this loud, tearing sound! Everyone just stared, open mouthed at each other, for what seemed like 20 minutes. In reality, it was more like 5 seconds. They burst out laughing, while I clumsily groped and then, found the hole, located at the seam (where my behind is!) While I’m holding my backside and trying to only face the girls, they were all racing behind me to get a look and kill themselves laughing! They laughed for years afterwards. The tracksuit pants went in the bin.

Mr Hassan Mansour: Many years ago (during my first week of teaching at a different school) I was teaching an English class and the students were presenting an oral on a current affair. I was sitting amongst the rest of the students when the principal storms in and begins to yell at me in front of the entire class for being out of school uniform. Little did he know he was yelling at his newly employed English teacher.

3.What is the silliest mistake you have seen a student make?Mr Hassan Mansour: Hmmm... I’m finding it hard to narrow it down to the silliest mistake. Possibly the time when a student attempted to plagiarise the lyrics of a very famous Beatles song and tried to pass it off as his own poem. He even tried to convince me that it was his work even after I played the song to him.

Mr Andrew Tucinovich:That Albert Einstein was the first man on the moon!

4.What is the most common mistake made by students?Mr Hassan Mansour: I see it everyday... Avoiding/being

afraid to ask for teacher’s help. :(

Mr Andrew Turcinovich: Not knowing how to (really) listen. It is an art/skill that not many possess.

5. What is the longest word you know?Mr Hassan Mansour: (Laugh) I don’t know! I’m not a chemistry teacher! Probably Machiavellianism (political/psychological theory).

Mr Andrew Turcinovich: ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ - Mary Poppins. :)

6. What is the biggest plot twist you have ever read?Mr Hassan Mansour: There are heaps of great novels with plot twists. The biggest? Umm... 1984 (Orwell), The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night Time (Haddon) and The Book Thief (Zusak)- just to name a few.

Mr Andrew Turcinovich:The DaVinci Code.

7. If you could be any character from a book or film, who would you be and why?Mr Abdul Rahman Ryan: Robert Jordan, the protagonist in Hemingway’s ‘For Whom

“I stretched out my leg and there was this

loud, tearing sound!”[ [

Page 13: Ilim Rant issue 3

The Bell Tolls,’ is a courageous resistance fighter during the Spanish Civil War behind enemy lines. For pure escapism, I’m not sure anything beats Frank Abignale, the elusive, charming protagonist from ‘Catch Me if You Can,’ also immortalized in film, played by Leonardo Di Caprio.

Mr Hassan Mansour: Astroboy - Imagine flying around with your jet boots and having free reign destroying robots and saving humanity - how cool! Atticus Finch - Every male wants to be Attitcus: Intelligent, charismatic, empathetic, and modest.

Mr Andrew Turcinovich:Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird). He is my hero. I admire his qualities & integrity. I aspire to be like him when I grow up.

8. When was the last time a film or book made you cry? Why and what film/book was it?Mr Abdul Rahman Ryan: They do frequently and for that reason, I can’t even remember the last time.

Mr Hassan Mansour: Well, there was that scene in The Pursuit of Happiness. I had a lump in my throat - no tears though, us teachers don’t usually cry.

Mr Andrew Turcinovich: Cinema Paradiso (Italian movie).

9. What is the weirdest thing you have caught a student reading?Mr Abdul Rahman Ryan: If only I caught a student reading!!

Mr Hassan Mansour: A book about stray supermarket trolleys.

10. What are some books or authors you recommend?

Mr Abdul Rahman Ryan: You must remember: Bronte, Greene, Orwell, are the best English authors; otherwise, the Americans: Cormac McCarthy, Hemingway, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Once you’ve read them, come and see me. Easy to read and scary: Stephen King.

Mr Hassan Mansour: If you haven’t read The Great Gatsby, To Kill A Mockingbird, Lord Of The Flies, Catcher In The Rye, Crime and Punishment, Grapes of Wrath or any other literary classics, stop what you’re doing, run to the library and borrow a copy now!

Mr Andrew Turcinovich:Roald Dahl & John Steinbeck.

11. What do you recommend for students to do to improve their English?Mr Abdul Rahman Ryan: Read, read, read...

Mr Hassan Mansour: Read everything and anything, practice your writing and be super nice to your English teacher. :) Mr Andrew Turcinovich: Find a good teacher that inspires and teaches you to value words.

That’s all folks, make sure you thank your gallant knights for taking on this life threatening task of trying to teach a bunch of teenagers the difference between your and you’re, they’re, there and theirs. English teachers undergo a strict and time

consuming course in one of the most dangerous institutes of education: University, to learn the art of this perplexing language. So be grateful young grasshoppers for you have been given the gift of brave English teachers and a wonderful department.

“A book

about stray supermarket

trolleys.”[ [

WFemale students and teachers:• “Take your prayers more seriously.”• “Don’t be negatively influenced by those around you. Just be yourself”.• “Remind yourself to re-evaluate your priorities. Stop chasing after what this temporary world and work for the aakhirah”.• “Don’t be selfish”.• “Make the most of the present and appreciate the moment”.• “Don’t wear that much eye-liner”.• “Stop being so judgemental and narrow-minded”.• “Don’t play games too much”. • “If it is terms of myself in school, it would be to work harder than I did, but if it’s university, then it would be to respect and

be grateful to my parents more”. –Female teacher • “Don’t stress too much about school. There’s much more out there than just school, and you’ll realise you stressed out for

nothing.” -Female teacher

Male students and teachers:• “You must read more, and become a gymnast”.• “Work harder, where I do not let the Dunya distract me”.• “Learn my deen at a much younger age”.• “Ittaqillah, fear Allah. That is the only advice I would give myself”. –Male teacher• “Work earlier, and save money quicker”. –Male teacher• “I would tell myself to not do the bad things I did in my jaahiliyyah days”.• I would tell myself to get my priorities correct. Because I realised that sometimes, I cared too much for my friends, and sacrificed too much for them, even when I could have done something that my parents would want me to do. • “Do not waste time like I did in my early secondary school life”.• “Make your own choices in life”.• “When you see the last carton of yoghurt in the fridge from early 2006... Don’t eat it... bad things will happen...”

advice to your younger selfWe approached teachers and students with this question- “If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what

would it be?” These were the responses:

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The burning`questions`

by izzah zulkefli

Theme Park25%

Mansion25%

Life 50%

Heck, no33%

Yes67%

Hardly 58%Always

23%

Don't Know19%

Yes60%

No40%

I'm tired11%

I'm hungry33%

I want to go home28%

I don’t get it 28%

Fruits 73%

Vegetables14%

Neither13%

Every minute84%

Not often 16%

IF YOU HAD A LOT OF MONEY, YOU WOULD BUY A...

DO YOU EXERCISE MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK?

DO YOU GET SICK OFTEN?

HOW DO YOU PROCRASTINATE?

IS HOMEWORK A WASTE OF TIME?

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN TROUBLE FOR SAYING

SOMETHING DUMB?

WHAT DO YOU SAY MOST OFTEN AT SCHOOL?

WHAT DO YOU PREFER?

HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU CHECK THE CLOCK DURING

CLASS?

Computer 38%

Eat 15%

Television12%

Other35%

Yes73%

No 27%

Page 15: Ilim Rant issue 3

zthe ilim

funny

bone

Page 16: Ilim Rant issue 3

QoverheardRreal people. real situations. all, overheard.

ACROSS3. Arabic word for ‘light’4. Son of Maryam6. Father of our Prophet7. The Most sacred house of Allah9. The final Destination for every believer10. The Last of the five Holy Scriptures11. Pilgrimage to the Holy land12. The Lord of the Worlds15. The Gatekeeper of Jannah16. The 10th month of the Islamic calendar18. The Breaking of Fast19. The Greatest of All Mankind

DOWN1. City where our Prophet was born2. The Month in which the Quran was revealed5. Testimonial of Faith8. The Opening Of the Qur’an13. Our Prophet’s Uncle who died at Uhud14. Son of Prophet Ya’qub17. A Mini Pilgrimage20. The Arabic Word For ‘Way of Life’

Crossword by iskandar zulfikar and syukri joffri

complete the

crossword to win a prize!

1. complete the crossword

2. take a photo and email us,

or cut it out and give it to a

member of the team

3. the winner will be

randomly picked and their

prize will be hand delivered

to them! wow!

K “MR. BOYS!” - Teacher K “You look like a bit of yogurt.” - StudentK “I don’t want to be Goku, I want to be Sakura!” -Primary school boy K “Obviously you look like an aquatic animal.” - Student K “And then we come, drop by drop.” - Teacher K “I will explain life on this unit circle.” - Teacher