Islamic Center of the

Assalamu alaikum (peace be upon you)

Welcome

Welcome to the Islamic Center of the South Plains in Lubbock, Texas.

This website is to communicate to you the news relating to our Muslim community of Lubbock, and some useful information on Islamic faith and culture.

Our community is composed of few hundreds of Muslim professionals and students from the US and other countries around the world.  It is the kind of nice, harmonious and active community you would like to live  with and raise your children within.

Our website will, insha'Allah, provide you with information about the schedule of worship , education and social activities at the Islamic Center of South Plains, and other activities of the community groups, such as the Muslim Students Association (MSA) at Texas Tech University. We hope that you will find our website instructive and helpful.  

 

A reflection on divine love

Hamza Yusuf

Many Muslims believe that the idea, "God loves everyone," is simply wrong and incongruous with Islamic teachings. Verses abound in the Qur'an decrying those God does not love: liars, hypocrites, oppressors, the arrogant, boastful braggarts, and those who love praise for that which they have not done, among others. Reading these verses, it is easy to begin to resent such people and to believe that God does not love everyone. However, if we look closely at these people, we see elements of ourselves in them. What is true of any man is true of all men; the only difference is in the degree to which it is true. Prophets and sanctified saints are the only exceptions to this universal truth. Jesus, peace be upon him, states, as recorded in al-Muwatta' of Imam Malik (d. 179/795): "Do not, like lords, look upon the faults of others. Rather, like servants, look after your own faults. In truth, humanity is comprised of only two types of people: the afflicted and the sound. So show mercy to the afflicted, and praise God for well-being." It is never the sinner that one should hate, but only the sin; for the essence of all humanity is a soul created in submission to its Creator. Whether that soul acknowledges this on a conscious level or not is a matter of grace, and this understanding enables us to look at others with compassion. All people, everywhere and throughout time, suffer great tribulation at various points in their lives. At this very moment, hearts are breaking and lives are being shattered, women abused, children violated, and people dying while their loved ones are crying. Also at this very moment, other hearts are rejoicing, babies are being born, mothers are nurturing, smiles are given freely, charity is being distributed, and lovers are uniting. The airport is one of the great metaphors of our time: sad, happy, and indifferent faces are all to be seen there, as people part with loved ones, greet their beloveds, or simply wait to pick up or let off people they barely know. Sad, happy, and indifferent are the states that sum up our collective body of souls. In the next life, however, there is only bliss or wretchedness, joy or sorrow-no indifference.

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How to Build Islamic Attitude, Knowledge and Skills?

Dr. Habib Siddiqui

Islamicity

Stanwood Cobb was a Harvard educated historian who lived and taught in Istanbul, Turkey nearly a century ago. In 1914 he published a book, based on his experiences in the Orient. In his book "Islamic Contribution to Civilization", he writes: "As I moved among the common people I was particularly struck with their serenity and calm at all times. Along the quai of the Bosphorus, for example, one had an opportunity to see the difference in temperament which set the Muslim trader apart from his competitors. While others were always on the watch for customers, shouting loudly and waving as they saw potential patronage, and often jumping out of their boats in order to induce trade, the Muslim sat in lordly calm, waiting in peace for whatever customer Allah willed to send him. Actually, this attitude was more persuasive to us than the hurry-scurry of the Greek and Armenian boatmen, whom we brushed aside in order to reach the boat of a Turk. This Muslim attitude of immense calm in the midst of the life of commerce was even more noticeable in the Istanbul bazaars. There many of the rug merchants sat in front of their bazaars in order to entice passers-by. But the Turkish rug dealers sat calmly on a platform in the rear of their bazaars, not deigning to move until you had found a rug you were interested in and asked them its price. It was the custom of the Turk to name a price about twenty-five per cent more than normal, and come down to normal in the course of that bargaining which then was an indispensable element of commercial life in the East. On the other hand, it was the custom of many other rug merchants to name to greenhorns a price three or four times greater than normal.

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How to attain Humility in Prayers

By Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

In an environment with increasing distractions how do we make our prayers more beneficial for our selves? Following is an excerpt from "Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship", a compilation of Imam Ghazali's works that can inspire us to develop humility and become closer to God through prayer. God, says in the Quran: 'And perform the Prayer in remembrance of Me.' [Ta Ha, 20:14] 'Do not be one of those who are neglectful.' [al-A'raf, 7:205] 'Do not approach the Prayer when you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying.' [al-Nisa', 4:43] Some say that 'intoxicated' means inebriated by many anxieties, while others say it means drunk on the love of this world According to Wahb, the meaning is obviously a caution against worldly attachment, since the words 'until you know what you are saying' explain the underlying reason. Many are those who pray without having drunk wine, yet do not know what they are saying in their Prayers! Prophet Muhammad said: 'If a man performs two cycles of Prayer without the distraction of any worldly thought, all his previous sins will be forgiven.' (al-Bukhari/Muslim) 'Prayer is nothing but submissiveness, humility, supplication, sighing and remorse, holding out your hands and saying: "O God! O God!" Otherwise it is fruitless.' (al-Tirmidi/al-Nasai) In the earlier scriptures, we find these words attributed to God, Glorified is He: 'I do not accept the Prayers of everyone who prays. I accept the Prayers of none but those who are humble before My Majesty, who are not arrogant towards My servants, and who feed the poor and hungry for My sake.'

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