Pemenang Summer Writing Contest 2008

Alhamdulillah, Para juri telah memberi nilai dan keputusan telah diambil bahwa pemenang Summer Writing Contest 2008 adalah:

• Level 1
  
  • I : Peserta #1.4 - Rida NurAsiah Jamila Himawan (7 yrs), TX
    
  • II : Peserta # 1.1 - Hilyatushalihah Audah (7 yrs), CT
    
  
  
  
• Level 2
  
  • I : Peserta #2.5 - Aisyah Mulyono (11 yrs), MA
    
  • II : Peserta #2.2 - Yasmin Amira Hanan (10 yrs), IL
    
  
  
  
• Level 3
  
  • I : Peserta #3.6 - Abraham Abdullah Samyono (13 yrs), VA
    
  • II : Peserta #3.4 - Annisa Hadi (16 yrs), CA
    
  
  

Selamat kepada pemenang dan terima kasih kepada semua partisipasi yang telah mengikuti "Summer Writing Contest 2008."

Team DKA juga mengucapkan banyak terima kasih kepada para juri yang memberikan waktunya dalam penilaian contest dan kepada orang tua peserta contest yang telah membantu untuk anak-anaknya menulis dan berkarya.

Semoga kegiatan ini menambah ilmu dan iman kepada anak-anak Muslim Indonesia di US.

Being A Good Muslim By # 1.5

      Being a good Muslim in Islam is very important. As a matter of fact, a good Muslim is one who seeks knowledge. Knowledge is the good base of faith for a good Muslim. In fact, we should put some of the Knowledge we learn in our daily life.

      That’s why knowledge is important. It is also part of being a good Muslim. Here is an example, you don’t go to school just for fun, your parents send you there because they want you to get smarter which means get more Knowledge every day and be a good muslim.

      We all know that there are many ways to be a good Muslim, like being a good brother or sister in Islam or even a good friend, but the most important thing is to believe in Allah (swt) and that there is no god but him alone. Many people in Islam were role models for being a good Muslim to us.

      Such as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions and also Abu Bakar. Abu Bakar was a good friend of the prophet. He was one who was willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of Allah and the serve of his messenger saw; his blood, his wealth, his sweat, and his tears.

      Whenever the prophet saw something that needed to be corrected, he would do it in public for the education of others. This shows that the Abu Bakar and the Prophet is a good role model for us. There are many hadiths from the Quran telling about a good Muslim.

      On the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said: Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Part of someone's being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him." There are many benefits for being a Muslim. Like it might help you in this life and in the Day of Judgment it might insallah help you win Jannah.

Being A Good Muslim By # 2.5

To Stand Out


      My name is #2.5. I was born 11 years ago in Raleigh, NC. Now I am going to the public middle school in my town, Stow, Massachussets. My family have been in this town for four years. I have some good friends here, like Olivia, Janice, and Megean. They are all very nice, and let me come over to their houses. I let them come over to my house every now and then.

      Being a muslim alone, is not always easy. Sometimes it means you have to stand out. For example, as a muslim girl, I need to cover my head with a hijab. And If I am in the public, like in my school, I often get some questions or comments like: " Why are you wearing that?" or "What does your hair look like?"or sometimes bizzare, crazy comments like, " You look like a nun!" For the last comment said, I just react calmly and never make a big deal about it.

      Or sometimes my friends in the school ask, " Aren't you hot?" in the late spring and early summer days, while they wear short sleeved shirts, tank tops, skirts and shorts, which of course not follow the muslim dress code, we have to follow. Which for boys, the cloth should cover from belly button to knees, and for girls, the whole body is to be covered except hands and face.

      Another way to stand out is when ramadhan comes. What I do when I fast is to ask the teacher if I can stay in a classroom, library room, art room , or any other room unoccupied so I can read or even help the teacher during lunch break. But sometimes, I go to the lunchroom to talk with my friends. When I am in the lunchroom, every now and then, someone perks up to question, " Don't you want to eat?" I can't reply in any other way except," No, I cannot. I'm fasting." Fortunately, they stop asking me after that.

      When I stand out, I might have some problems. To face these situations, I should stand up for myself, and have the courage to do what I have to do. It will be easier when I know more about my religion, like why I should wearing hijab, why I should doing fasting, and etc. So I have good reason to do all strange things that may be my friends thinking about what I am doing. And the highest reason is so Allah will be pleased with me, and put me in His Heaven .

      Wearing my hijab doesn't mean I cannot do anything. Of course I can do anything that are positive, even doing sport! I play soccer, with my hijab. I can juggle (although I'm not very good at it) and dribble the ball, and make goals. I made a goal for our team on the last game during the spring season. Everybody was happy when I made it, especially me! And the more exciting news is that our team just lost once from seven games we had!

      So don't be afraid to stand out when you know you are right because you just want to practice your religion. May Allah always guide us and make stronger our faith.

Being A Good Muslim By # 2.4

Ramdan with Qur’an

      I was in kindergarten when it was the first time I fasted, but I didn’t fast the whole month. I only fasted 20 days. I fasted the whole month of Ramadan for the first time when I was in 3rd grade. Now in 4th grade I did something else new.

      That month of Ramadan, when I was in 4th grade, I did fast the whole Ramadan, Alhamdulillah. I also did pray Tarawih, but not all 20 raka’at. I only prayed eight. It was this month, for the very first time, I finished reading the whole Qur’an in one month. I finished the whole Qur’an before, but in one month, this was my very first time.

      Everyday, during that month of Ramdan, I wake up early to do Suhur. Then when Fajr came, I prayed. After that I go to school. When school starts, I read Qur’an during the times like, when I’m done with work and has nothing to do and I have to wait for my friends. Also before we pray Dhuhur. I pray Dhuhur together with the whole school because I got to an Islamic school.

      At home, that month, the teachers barely give us any homework to do so I just read the Qur’an. I read 20 pages or one Juz everyday. Sometimes I read more and sometimes less. Sometimes I go to the Masjid to pray Tarawih and after that I read Qur’an. It’s pretty hard to do that because my friends go to that Masjid too. So sometimes I get carried away and play with them and start to forget to read Qur’an. Also sometimes, I do remember, but I was just lazy.

      Then hours, days, weeks past and Ramdan was about to end. I still had a lot of more pages to read. Then it was the 29th day of Ramdan and I still had 50-something more pages to go. I started to think that I couldn’t do it. I mean 50-something pages in one day, that’s a lot. Still, I hoped that tomorrow isn’t Eid because Ramdan can have 29 or 30 days. Then the next morning I found out that it was still Ramdan. I was so happy that I just might finish. That day I tried to read as much as possible. Then the day started to end. Then I reached Surah An-Naas. Then I read the last verse. I felt extremely happy that I finished. I just couldn’t believe it. At the beginning of the month I started at Surah Al-Fatihah and now I’m done.

      When Eid came I felt so happy that I succeeded to fast the whole Ramdan, and not only that, I also finished reading the whole Qur’an. I just got surprised. Everyday I read and read and read. Finally at the end I was done reading. I just have nothing else to say, but Alhamdulillah. I got nothing else to do, but to thank Allah (SWT) for me to finish reading the whole, entire Qur’an.

Being A Good Muslim By # 3.7

Chat Room:- What Should I Write About?

Characters:
Person 1:- #3.7
Person 2:- #3.7

Person 1: What should I write about?
Person 2: I don’t know!!!
Person 1: It’s supposed to be about growing up Muslim in America.
Person 2: Oh wow! That’s hard to think about.
Person 1: Ya I know.
Person 2: Why not write about dealing with friends?
Person 1: Nah…Noting special about it. I go to an Islamic school. How hard can that be?
Person 2: Oh, ya. I remember. What about Qur’an?
Person 1: Once upon a time, I read Qur’an at night… The end!!!
Person 2: Oh I see. How many pages do you read at night anyway?
Person 1: 2 pages. Sometimes more if I want.
Person 2: Noting special there. What about fasting.
Person 1: I don’t think there is anything special about fasting. You just not eat or drink from dawn until dusk. And you have to control yourself or the fasting will not get you anything.
Person 2: Well that’s something.
Person 1: What?
Person 2: Controlling yourself in Ramadhan and other months as well.
Person 1: Oh. Maybe that might work but still, I don’t think I can make it into a page.
Person 2: Really. This conversation is filling up a page.
Person 1: What?! You are typing up this conversation?
Person 2: Ya!
Person 1: Oh. Ok. I’ll write about fasting…I guess.
Person 2: That’s the spirit!!
Person 1: Wow…how’d you do that smiley face.
Person 2: You just press this : and this ).
Person 1: Oh, ok. That’s sort of neat.
Person 2: So, are you going to write?
Person 1: Nah. Anymore ideas?
Person 2: Hijab?
Person 1: No. I wore it since I was little so it’s not something I did in America.
Person 2: Come on. You have to write about something.
Person 1: Ya. So give me ideas.
Person 2: Music?
Person 1: Huh? What about music?
Person 2: I don’t know. You can talk about avoiding songs with bad contents.
Person 1: Haha. Weird idea. What bad contents. Like bad words?
Person 2: Ya. What about movies and shows with bad contents?
Person 1: I don’t think sane people will want to watch nude people. So disgusting!!!
Person 2: Never mind. Come on I’m out of ideas.
Person 1: OH OH. What about eating halal foods?
Person 2: Ok. That can work.
Person 1: So should I write about eating choosing foods carefully?
Person 2: Ya that’s good.
Person 1: The thing is my mom chooses my food, not me.
Person 2: Oh. What about the foods that your friends give you?
Person 1: My mom tells me what’s haram and halal so I just avoid foods from my friends that my parents said is haram.
Person 2: Keep on going.
Person 1: And then I tell my friends what is haram. Even though they don’t listen sometimes, I just tell them. Also I don’t let them touch me if they eat something haram until they wash their hands. Of course I don’t tell them that, I just tell myself to not let them touch me.
Person 2: Oh. I see.
Person 1: See. There is nothing for me to write about.
Person 2: Well, little bits add up and now I collected some info on what you do.
Person 1: Oh that’s nice. But that’s still not enough.
Person 2: Well just keep on going. Write about anything else you want about even if it’s not in order, just write and let your ideas flow. I’ll stay online to read your idea.
Person 1: Ok.
Person 2: Well, so, start.
Person 1: Ok. Here’s what I came up with:

For me, being a Muslim in America has been nothing but blah. There’s never any challenge…at all!!! No one ever asked me about being a Muslim or anything other than my parents checking my answer. It’s so boring, yet Alhamdulillah it’s easy.

My parents taught me how to pray when I was three. I remember asking my guy cousin why he didn’t wear hijab while he prayed, he answered, “I don’t know?” Anyway, they kept on encouraging me to pray even before I was seven. I wouldn’t pray Fajr on time but I was reminded after I woke up. But when I was seven, they pushed a little harder. They let me sleep through some Fajr, but they tried to wake me up. When I was ten, they said they would pinch me if I don’t pray (they don’t believe in hitting), but they didn’t have to, Alhamdulillah. Also, since I go to an Islamic school praying Dhuhr was never hard.

When I was little I used to always spit out my food so fasting was not that hard. There is an exception though, sahur. My mom used to wake me up 1 ½ before Fajr so I could finish and sometimes I still didn’t finish.

I think they started teaching about fasting when I was five. They would let me fast half a day if I get weak. I guess that’s not a really good idea because I would just eat from Asr until Maghrib doesn’t really feel like fasting.

When I was seven and eight, sometimes when I get hungry, I’ll confess, I would take one or two pieces of cereal and say, “Ya Allah. I’m still a child. Forgive me for doing this but I just am too hungry and weak to continue. Bismillah,” or something similar and then I would eat it and just continue the day.

I started fasting the whole Ramadhan when I was nine, I think, didn’t miss taraweeh when I was ten, finished the whole Qur’an in Ramadhan when I was eleven, and did Sunnah fasting in Shawwal when I was eleven or twelve But the method my parents used to get me to do it was a chart. If the chart was good, there was money ready. This encouraged me to fast. But when I was ten, I told my parents that now I’m not going to fast, or pray taraweeh, or read Qur’an for money, I have to do it for Allah only.

And I’m used to people eating in front of me when I’m fasting because I have two younger brother and sometimes my youngest sister who don’t really notice, so I got used to it and I don’t care anymore.

My mother put the hijab on me when I was so little I can’t remember. She never forced me. All she did was put it on me and let me do whatever I wanted with it on my head. The reason I didn’t take it off was because she wore one too and you know how little kids just love to copy their parents. So wearing a hijab was shaped into me and I wore hijab full time when I was seven. I never had to go through the problem of, “I’ll wear it when I’m 16 or so” which a lot of girls had to go through.

So? What do you think?
Person 2: It’s ok. So why not just send that in.
Person 1: You know what? I’ll just send this whole conversation in. It’s so neat.
Person 2: Ok.

Being A Good Muslim By # 1.4

Me Fasting

      I started to fast when I was in kindergarten or 5 years old. I felt really great because I just started to do a new pillar of Islam.

      When I was in kindergarten at the year 2006, I fasted 10 days. The first time I fasted, I felt really hungry but yet really happy. During school, my teacher didn’t let me fast because she said that I would get hungry and get sick. My mom told me to fast and bring food in case I get hungry. So from that day until the last day of Ramadan I fasted and brought food to school. I tried to fast the whole month, but I couldn’t do it so in total I fasted 10 days.

      After a year past, I went to 1st grade. When I was in 1st grade I fasted 19 days. Even though I didn’t fast the whole month, I did fast nine more days then last year. I felt a little bit happier because I fasted more. Again, the teacher still told me to bring food in case I get hungry.

      This year I promised my mom that I’d try to fast the whole month of Ramadan. If I don’t do it, I’ll still try my best to fast. Including waking up early for Suhur. That’s mostly why I don’t fast.

      Weather or not I fast this whole Ramadan, InshaAllah, Allah (SWT) will reward me for fasting. Also, I’m going to do whatever it takes to try and fast the whole Ramadan for the first time.

Being A Good Muslim By # 3.6

      To me being a good Muslim does not only mean doing the five pillars of Islam, like prayer five times a day, but also doing other things.

      One of these things for example can be taking care of our environment. Allah gave us the earth to live on that we should take care. Something that we should do to take care of the earth is that we should not litter or pollute it. Another thing is that we should pay attention to issues that would have an impact on the world. An issue like that could be global warming. One way to reduce global warming is to walk, to ride bikes or a bus to get to places. We should not throw away our trash or household waste on the ground or into the body of water. Instead we should clean up and throw away the trash with care. Taking care of the earth is one of our tasks as stating in the Quran.

      Another thing that we should do to be good Muslims is to have a good attitude. If we acted misbehaving in front of non-Muslims, then they would start to think bad things about our religion. Muslims should be good examples for them. That way you will convey the good things about Islam to them.

      When a Muslim brother or sister has trouble, then we should try to help him or her out. Then, that way we would be able to get a closer relationship as brothers or sisters. Even, you do not need to ask them if they are in need. “The believers, in their mutual friendship, mercy and affection, are like one body; if any part of it complains, the rest of the body will also stay awake in pain.”(Bukhari and Muslim)

      The most important thing is that we should respect and obey our parents, being nice to them, not back-talking to them, and even saying “ah” to them is prohibited in our religion. We could go to the Jannah or Jahannam depends on our deeds to our parents. There is a story about a young man who was dying, but he could not die. This man prayed five times a day and looked like a good Muslim. Prophet Muhammad (saw) was told that he was not nice to his mom. Prophet asked his mom to forgive him, but she refused. Then, Prophet ordered to burn him live. Before people did, his mom forgave him. Then, he could die.

      Sometimes we can join or create groups to do thing that would help people. For example we can make a group to feed homeless people by giving free lunch for them. We can also even try raising money to donate to shelters. The poverty is a decease that we should cure, because the poverty can lead poor people to hate Allah, then they will disobey Allah and not believe in Him.

      Therefore, to me being good Muslims is not only doing five pillars of Islam, but also enjoining what is good even small thing, and forbidding what is evil.


      Norfolk, July 20’08

Being A Good Muslim By # 2.3

      Have you ever heard of a practicing muslim? Or that practicing is one way to become good? Yup, you got it. A good muslim practices Islam daily. Trying to be good at a paticular skill requires practice and so is being a good muslim.

      As a good muslim, I have to do two important things: have imaan (belief) and do five things which are known as the Five Pillars of Islam. These are all important in Islam. Without them, a person can't be a muslim.

      As a good muslim, I have to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His prophets, the Day of Ressuruction, and the Divine Decree. All of these constitute imaan. Then, I have to do the Five Pillars of Islam which means I have to believe in the Declaration of Faith, pray five times each day, give Zakat, fast in the month of Ramadan, and once in my lifetime (if I am able to do so) go on a pilgrimage to the House of Allah.

      The Declaration of Faith states that I must believe that there is nobody worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Then, I must pray five times each day. Sometimes I feel tired or lazy to pray ,but after awhile, I remember that Shaytan is making me lazy. I also remember that I must be thankful. At first Allah, ordered Prophet Muhammad and the Muslims to pray fifty times each day, but out of His mercy, Allah reduced it to five. Next, I have to give Zakat (which means I have to give 2.5% of my savings) and fast in the month of Ramadan. By giving Zakat, I feel thankful to Allah for the money He has given to me. By fasting a whole month, I feel thankful to Allah for the food he has given to me. Lastly, I have to go on a pilgrimage to the House of Allah. By doing it, I will go back home with a clean Book of Deeds.

      I know that as a good muslim, I don't only need to be good to Allah, but also to people. I can't be bad to my parents, family, neighbors, friends, etc. I have to be nice even to my enemies.

      Trying to be a good muslim is hard. But by practicing Islam daily, it becomes easier. All it takes is practice. Generally, being a good muslim is following the Quran and Sunnah. As a good muslim, I have to keep my duty to Allah all my life. This life is only a test. Tests usually end and so will this life. We'll all meet Allah to get our "grades." That's why I try being a good muslim.

Being A Good Muslim By # 3.5

      Being unique is great! Especially if your uniqueness is you being a Muslim in America. It's not always that easy though. But as long as you have great faith in Allah, this journey will fly by smoothly. You can go through the hardest of times and obstacles, as long as you believe in Allah and know there's a clear purpose of life.

      In America, the kids are out of control. There are 11 year olds doing drugs to 12 year olds getting drunk! But as Muslims we have to control and stop ourselves from doing such terrible things. Yes, I'm aware this isn't easy. All you have to do is remember the consequences on present time, and year after. Sadly some people don't have this faith and their lives end up becoming miserable. If you want to avoid this, always remember Allah, the great and merciful, is always by your side.

      Another thing that is one of the biggest challenges of being a Muslim in America is the girls who wear a veil. I wear a veil in America and in my public school, I've faced some challenges of doing so, but I got through them with ease. People treat you differently and stare at you as if you're some sort of freak show. All I do is smile warmly back. Because I know the
people who stop and stare just don't have proper guidance and view veiled woman as weirdos.
But I see it as a way of marking my religion and as a beautiful way of showing you love Allah.

      Last but most definitely not least is making a sacrifice for Allah. An example is that as a Muslim we have to eat only halal foods. But of course, it's hard to here because most of the main restaurants/fast food joints don't provide halal foods. This is hard for me but I know Allah will reward me later on because I exclude myself from eating haram foods.

      Being a good Muslim Insha Allah will always be easy, as long as you put Allah number one before anything else.

Being A Good Muslim By # 1.3

I’m a good Muslim


      You have to obey your parent. because I stayed in my mom’s tummy for 9 month. And she felt really pain when I was born. My mom teaches me not to say bad words when I was little. Because Muslims are not suppose to say bad word starting from when your little. If you want to be a Muslim you have to prey 5 times every day. And you have to care about other people. If you pray the first thing to do is make wudu and this is how we make wudu wash your hands right hand first then left hand next and then clean your nose next is your mouth next is your face next is your arm up to elbow next is your hair next ear right then your left ear and then your feet and that is how you make. This is a other thing about how to be a Muslim read Qur’an a Qur’an is a book of Allah. The other thing about how to be a good Muslim you always have to be good if your good you go to paradise but if your bad you go to hellfire.

      Respect the elderly and show good example for the young one. Respect our teacher even though, they are not Muslim. Two of my friends are Christian, their name are Santiago and Bryan. Even though, they are Christian we always play nice and respect each other. As a Muslim, I care about other people some people are poor, they don’t have anything to eat. I’d like to give them my money, give people some of my food and also give them some of my clothes or shoes if they need.

      In summer, I have summer camp I learn how to read Qur’an, study about Islam and play with my Muslim friend.
I’m proud to be a Muslim kid in North America.

Being A Good Muslim by # 1.2

Proud to be a Muslim

      My name is #1.2. I’m in 2nd grade endeavor elementary. I’m the only Muslim in my class, all the rest are either Christian or Jewish. Now it’s Summer vacation, next year I’ll go to 3rd Grade, I’m also moving to another school called Discovery. I’m 8 years old, I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I live with my brother, my sister, Mom and Dad. We are Muslims we worship the God named Allah.
There are 5 pillars of Islam, 1. Shahadah 2. Salah [prayer] 3. Sawm [fasting] 4. Zakah [charity] 5. Hajj [pilgrimage]
Shahadah is what people say when they want to become A Muslim. Salah or prayer is when you pray. We have to pray 5 times a day. T he first step is Wudu first we have to wash our hands 3 times, next we wash our mouth and nose 3 times, then we wash our face 3 times, next we wash our arms 3 times right arm first, then we wash our hair and ear 1 time, next we wash our feet 3 times right foot first. After that we go to pray. Fasting is what we do to thank Allah for all the food He has given us. We eat and drink at dawn and do not eat or drink anymore until sunset. Zakah is when you give stuff to the poor people. Zakah is not charity charity is you do not have to donate stuff to the poor people but Zakah you have to donate stuff to the poor people unless you do not have enough money. Hajj is when you try to go to Makkah and do the pilgrimage. You do not have to do it every year, at least 1 time in every Muslim’s life. Christians have a bible Muslims have the Qu’ran I have to read the whole Qur’an to get a reward from Allah so far I’m in the 13th surah, it has114 surah in the Quran.

      Being a good Muslim I have to show good examples to the younger people like my brother and sister, For example if I read a book my brother or sister will read a book.
Show respect to the elderly, For example you have to help elderly people, like help them
carry their stuff , so their body does not hurt like backaches.
You have to do good things to enter Jannah some of the good things you can do, like
Picking up litter, clean up around the house, and ask permission. If you do bad things
Allah will not reward that person who did that bad thing. When the Day of Judgment comes Allah will put us on a scale to weigh our bad deeds and good deeds. If we have more good deeds than bad deeds the person will enter Jannah. If we have more bad deeds than good deeds the person will go to Hellfire.

      We have to be thankful for our parents because they were the ones who brought us to this world. They did not leave us there they took care of us since we were babies all the way until we become an adult. So we have to obey and respect them. I’m working on to be a good Muslim and I’m proud to be a Muslim in America.

Being A Good Muslim By # 2.2

I Love to be a Moslem Child!

      My name is # 2.2. I am ten years old. In Indonesia I used to be enrolled in the Islamic school namely SDIT Thariq Bin Ziyad. My teachers always said “Be a good Moslem!” My school had very strict rules. It asked all students to practice the Islamic way of life since they step into the schoolyard. Practicing sholat, saying salam, wearing hijab for girls and memorizing surah from Al Qur’an are sort of everyday assignments.

      Now I live in the Uncle Sam land accompanying my father who studying in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We live in a small apartment. In our apartment, we always do shalat together and read Al Qur’an after Maghrib. Previously, I thought it will be hard to be a Moslem in United States. I was wrong. I found a lot of Moslem live peacefully here. There was a moment that very impressed me. It happened in Ramadhan. It was hard to fast here. Most people do not care about that. I always asked by my classmates why I could not eat. I just answered it is a rule I have to obey as a Moslem. I was lucky they did not ask why not all the Moslem fast because I cannot answer that question.

      There is a big mosque near to my apartment. I remembered when it was Eid Mubarack. All the Moslems went to mosque to celebrate it. After praying, we play, eat, and collect money from all parents. Last year, my friend got $30.95 and I got $20.98. My mother used the money to buy my clothes. I kept the rest of it. This year maybe the last Eid Mubarack I can celebrate in America.

      My school is totally different now. My parent enrolled me and my brother in Martin Luther King JR. Elementary School. Well, sure, it is a Christian school. The name was chosen to honor Mr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who devoted his life for black American. Though it is a Christian school, I enjoy my study there. My parents always say to me “Do not worry to say I am a Moslem”. They asked me to always remind the teachers that I am a Moslem who was prohibited to eat pork, gelatin and any kind of non Islamic food. Luckily, there are a lot of Moslem students there. So that, the school always provide foods and drinks the Moslem students can eat.

      I see some of our Moslem women neighbors do not wear hijab at all. I ever asked my father why they do not wear hijab. My father answered with a very long explanation. The only thing I remember is hijab is a must for Moslem women. Once I told my mother that I want to wear hijab like I was in Indonesia. My mother said that kind of clothe is unfamiliar in my school and I am not yet in the age to wear hijab. Though my mother wears hijab, she looks worry when it comes to me. I do not know why. Perhaps, I am too young to understand. Well, it is fine by now. But I promise I will wear hijab when I return to Indonesia.

      My family lives in the family housing operated by the University of Illinois. We neighbor with some Moslem families from Pakistan, Turkey and Middle-East. Beside that, we have fourteen Moslem families from Indonesia. In this summer the Indonesian Moslem community arranges a Summer Program for Kids. The program was arranged by the mothers. The program is definitely different from that in school. We learn how to memorize surah from Al Qur’an, read Al Qur’an correctly, learn story about our prophets and other useful activities such as gardening, cooking, knitting and practicing sports. One that I liked very much is when we played a soccer game. My father led us as a referee. All kids looked happy playing soccer. At the end of the program there will be a closing ceremony. It will be so fun. All kids will perform their ability. I was appointed to be Master of Ceremony together with my close friend Zahra. I will also perform as the reader of surah Al-‘Alaq. I think it will be very great event. I cannot wait until it.

      I see that the good thing here is the non Moslem still being good to the Moslem or other religion. Now, I will not be afraid to pronounce “I am a Moslem!” I have been spending almost a year living in America. I have some beautiful memories living as a Moslem here. However, I really missed my Moslem friends in Indonesia. Though, there are a lot of funs here, for me, it is better in Indonesia. I believe Allah will hear my wish.

Being A Good Muslim By # 3.4

Good Muslim

      It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and I had finished doing all my chores for the day. I was sitting in my room when I decided it was a wonderful day to read. I reached over for my book when all of the sudden...

      "Annisa!" My mom exclaimed as she barged into my room, "Your cousin Fitri finished memorizing Juz Am'mah!"

      My first reaction was, "Oh my gosh that's amazing!" But then I remembered I was over five years older then her.

      "How much of the Qur'an have you memorized?" My mom asked, teasing me.

      I held up my fingers and counted in my head, "13," I said abashed. Mom laughed a sympathetic chuckle and said, "That's ok, I know you try," before she turned and left my room.

      I remember seeing Fitri a few times in Indonesia. I liked her because she was such a cute and friendly little kid. It shocked me to think that a few years later she would have memorized a whole juz! Then I thought to myself, "What did I do in those years? Did I ever do anything that makes a good Muslim like Fitri did?" Sure I wore a veil and prayed five times a day, but compared to my little cousin, that was nothing! I know my parents would consider me a good person, but I don't know if they would consider me a good Muslim.

      Realizing how bad of a Muslim I am, I went to the bookshelf and picked up A Thematic Commentary of the Qur'an. My parents had bought me that book a while ago and even though I don't read it as often as they liked, I read it every now and then. Perhaps reading this would make me feel like a better Muslim.

      I opened to the page where I had left my book mark; it was at the surrah Al Asr.
"By the flight of time, Man is at a total loss." I shuddered, "What a terrible way to start a surrah!" I thought to myself.
I couldn't help feeling that this surrah was written specially for me. Despite my uneasiness, I read the last next. "Expect for those who have faith and do good works; who exhort each other to uphold the truth and to perseverance." I like this ayat better.

      Following the surrah was an explanation of it. From all the paragraphs I read, one sentence stood out. "The renowned scholar, Al-Shafa'i, was reported to have said, 'If this was the only surah to have been revealed, it would have been sufficient.'"

      I smiled to myself. I haven't memorized a Juz from the Qur'an like little Fitri, but I will work hard to achieve it. But if the essence of the Qur'an is to believe in Allah, do good deeds and encourage others to do the same, then I will work even harder to do so.

Being A Good Muslim By # 3.3

A Cold July

      “Bye, Mom,” I called out as I stepped into the warm July air. “I’m going to meet Jane at the park in a few minutes.” Pausing slightly to fix my hijab in front of the car mirror, I continued walking down the block in the direction of the park. As I walked under the hot sun, I started to think about my friendship with Jane. In middle school, we were the very best of friends despite our differences in beliefs, me being Muslim and her Christian. Regardless, together we would do everything and anything … at least, as long as it didn’t go against Allah and His Messenger’s commands. And since we were only little preteens and in middle school, there wasn’t much we could do that would go against it.

      But everything began to slowly fall apart since middle school ended a month ago and high school was in our near future. My differences with Jane became apparent as she began doing things this summer that I wouldn’t dream of doing, like sneaking out at night to watch a movie or going out with guys. I often felt left out because I, as a Muslim, wasn’t allowed to do those things. But I knew the consequences of disobeying Allah SWT if I took part in Jane’s plans. As much as I wanted to, I certainly wasn’t going to test His patience by doing unpleasant things with my American-raised friend.

      “Husna!” someone called out. I looked around to see who had shouted my name. I was so into my thoughts that I hadn’t realized I had arrived at the park already and Jane was calling for me. I smiled as I walked up to her sitting at the park bench. She smiled at me coldly.

      “Did you ask your parents about going to my party this weekend?” she demanded. I sighed because I knew that my answer would sadden her.

      “I‘m not sure,” I replied.

      “Oh, come on! You never do anything with me anymore! At least come to my party. It’ll be fun! There’ll be music and dancing and guys and everything! It’ll be a blast!” Somehow, she wasn’t convincing me in the slightest.

      When would she realize that I don’t do those kinds of thing? She couldn’t see how important my religion and faith was to me. I was, or at least trying to be, a good Muslim and wouldn’t let anything try to weaken my Iman. Sadly, that’s a very hard thing to accomplish do here in America where committing the worst of sins is okay and sometimes even encouraged.

      “No,“ I replied firmly. I knew that eventually, I would stand alone by myself in my quest to be the best Muslim I could be. But I was certain that if I continued to obey Allah’s commands, despite the hardships I would face by doing so, I would never be truly alone because Allah would always be with me. In my heart.

Being A Good Muslim By # 3.2

      What does it means when parents told their child to be a good Muslim? Just pray Salaah and read the Qur'an? Yes, those are good things to start with, but it needs a lot more than those two things to be a good Muslim.

      From my whole life experience in the Islamic community, most people around me pray all five prayers, read the Qur'an and frequent Masjid. However, there are always a few people who are really looked up to as being a good Muslim with the most Islamic characteristic. Why would that be, when everyone does exactly the same?

      These are the things I see.

      Being a good Muslim means that we, as Muslims, follow the rulings of Islam and all five of the Pillars of the religion. The Salaah, one of the five Pillars, is one of the first things that will be taken into account on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever neglects Salaah is committing an act of kufr, as it will be the factor that distinguishes between a Muslim and a kaafir.

      Another Pillar of Islam is, in the Month of Ramadhan, a good Muslim proudly fast and encouraged others to do so. It is also in this holy month a Muslim give Zakah.

      Other than those, other things that distinguishes a good Muslim from the average is the amount of their knowledge, and how strong is their will to strive to learn more about Islam, and what they do with the knowledge they have.

      Most of the good Muslims in the community that I go to have a vast knowledge of Islam, however, they are striving to learn more. Despite of their high status in the Islamic community, they still make friends and gather with other Muslim whose knowledge is average. Whilst mingle, they share their knowledge and teach their Muslim brothers many aspects of Islam based on Islamic guidance.

      Moreover, according to the people whom I regarded as good Muslims, there are nine things that we should do to be a good Muslim and exceptionally good in the eyes of Allah. They are:

1) Having patience. Muslims took Prophet Muhammad as their Leader and role model, and since there are lots of stories pointing to the Prophet being extremely patience, that is what we should strive to achieve.

2) Purity of intention in action. When people do something, they always have an intention, whether it's good or bad. As a Muslim, our actions are recorded based on our intentions, and that's why our intentions should be pure at all times.

3) Acting upon what you know. This means that whether you know little or a lot about Islamic rules, you should take what you know and use it as your guide.

4) Always aware that Allah is watching, which means that even if there's nobody around, you shouldn't do anything bad because Allah is always watching you.

5) Make the best use of time. Knowledgeable Muslims know that every second, minutes and hours they pass in a day cannot be replaced, so that they should spend their youth and their old age very wisely and not spend it for useless or haraam things.

6) Precision and focus. When you are learning, be sure to know what you want so that you could focus on it and memorize it properly.

7) Always study. Knowledge is highly valued in Islam, and that's why we should always be searching for knowledge whenever we have time.

8) Choosing companions. Companions are people who are closer to you than friends, and that's why they affect you very much. Being careful in choosing the righteous and pious companions will positively affect you and your characteristic.

9) Good manners. As a Muslim, we must have manners and respect for everybody, even to those who are younger than you. This is one of the first things that is taught to kids when they're little.

      In addition to that, concerning communities, a good Muslim always care for all it's members and contribute as much as he can to the Community, and be friendly with the members and care for them.

      Lastly, to be a good Muslim, we should always be steadfast in our religion, never off and on. We should always be thankful to Allah, because He is the one who supplies us for whatever we might need, and that we must help our brothers and sisters in need.

      Knowing all of these, I realize, it is not easy to be a good Muslim. I am still far away from being good. But, at least, every day, I am taking one step closer to be a good Muslim. Inshaa Allah.

~salaams~

Being A Good Muslim By # 3.1

      Most people think being a good Muslim is all about accepting that Allah is God and Muhammad is his prophet. Well, that’s not all.

      Being a good Muslim involves praying 5 times a day, have good manners, fast, control our tongues and private parts, and respect the elders. The 5 times of prayer are in the morning, noon, afternoon, evening, and night. If we don’t pray there are consequences. The prophet (SAW) had a vision, “I saw tonight two angels, they came to me and took me to a sacred land until we approached a man lying on his back, and a man standing over his head with a rock in his hands. He throws the rock to hit the man’s head with it, while his head becomes scattered. The rock rolls away and the man go to retrieve it. Meanwhile, the head of the man lying on his back collects and returns back to normal. And so on until the day of resurrection.” So the Prophet (SAW) said “You have worried me tonight…so tell me about what I have just seen.” “What you saw tonight, the man whose skull was being demolished, is a man whom Allah has taught the Qur’an…but slept on it at night and did not use it during the day.”

      Being a good Muslim means having good manner especially to our parents. Allah SWT says (what means): "And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you are dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them reach old age in your life, never say 'uff’ (an expression of displeasure), nor shout at them but address them in terms of honor. And humble yourself to them out of mercy and say, 'My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small.'" [Qur’an, 17:23,24].

      It also requires you to maintain good relations with relatives if you were good Muslim. Allah SWT says (what means): ''Worship Allah and associate none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the needy, the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess.”

      Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful. “[Qur’an, 4:36]. We have to control our tongue and private parts. The Prophet said, "Whoever guarantees me (the chastity of) what is between his legs (i.e. his private parts), and what is between his jaws (i.e., his tongue), I guarantee him Paradise."

      Another important factor that many of us need to change is "bad company". A good companion would discourage you and stop you from doing bad. A bad companion would, however, encourage you and, in many cases, make you do wrong and that is one of the reasons why we are suffering from the negative "Peer Pressure" problem.

      Abu Musa reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The similitude of good company and that of bad company is that of the owner of musk and of the one (iron-smith) blowing bellows, and the owner of musk would either offer you free of charge or you would buy it from him or you would smell its pleasant odor, and so far as one who blows the bellows is concerned, he would either burn your clothes or you shall have to smell its repugnant smell.”

      Being a good Muslim, we have to fast 30 days on Ramadan, which Muslim called the holy month. Allah (SWT) says (what means), "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become God-fearing." (The Qur’an, 2:183).

      A question remains, are we good Muslims?***

Being A Good Muslim By # 2.1

      Do you know why people always tell you to be a good Muslim? It’s because if you die you’re going to be asked three important questions. If you get all of them right, you go to Jannah, but if you get them wrong, you go to hell fire.

      The question is, one, who is your God? The second question is, who is your prophet? And the third question, what is your religion?

      Well, to answer all of the questions you have to be a good Muslim. I know you think that being a good Muslim is easy. All you have to do is just pray five times a day and worship Allah (SWT).

      I can tell you that being a good Muslim is not only about praying five times a day and worshipping Allah (SWT), it is about your characteristics and how you act. Like when you pray five times a day, and you worship Allah (SWT) very well, but your characteristics, and how you act is bad, then you are not being a good Muslim. But if you do all that very well, and your characteristics and behavior are well, then you are a good Muslim.

      So what are the requirements to be a good Muslim?

      All you have to do is pray five times a day, worship Allah (SWT), have good characteristics, do not act bad to other people, especially your Muslim brothers and sisters, be really nice, do good deeds, read the Holy Quran every single day, even if you finished reading it, read it again and try to memorize it. I heard that if you make wudhu a lot of times and if you read the Holy Qur’an often, when you die, your grave would not be dark. Something will be shining so you can see.

      And, to be a good Muslim, never do bad deeds. At least try not to. If you do and you realized that you did it, say Astaghfirullaahalazhiimi, then stand up to pray two Rakaahs, then seeks Allah’s forgiveness, accept that Allah will forgive you, respect your elders, especially your parents, and if you hurt somebody say sorry.

      Also, to be a good Muslim, we must follow the two pillars of Islam. They are five pillars of Islam and six pillars of Eeman. The five pillars of Islam states: shahadah that states: There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Then, perform prayers, pay zakat, fast in Ramadhan, and to make the Pilgrimage to the Ka’bah if you are able to do so. The six pillars of Eeman states: Believe in Allah (SWT), His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last day, and to believe I divine destiny, both the good and evil thereof.

      That’s not all. Even if you have done all of those, remember, you must not eat pork because it is not Halal. Muslims must only eat Halal and good (thayibah) food, which is not easy for us who live in America.

      Do you know why it is not Halal? Because Allah said so in the Qur’an. There are some stuff that is called Haram (not Halal and not thayib), and some stuff that is called Halal.

      Haram food is served in most of public restaurant in America. They are Haram because they don’t say “Bismillahirrahmaannirahiim” when they slaughter the animal. The Halal stuff is mostly seafood unless they are fried in pork’s skin oil. Do you know why they are Halal? It is because we don’t have to slaughter them.

      So, if you don’t know how to be a good Muslim and you want to become one, just follow what I typed, and do all the stuff.***

Being A Good Muslim By # 1.1

      Being a good Muslim is hard but also fun. It’s fun because I get to learn Arabic by reading the Quran. I get to spend time with my Ummi by learning the praying words. I can also spend time with my Abi by memorizing the Quran. I just love being a Muslim because we get to wear beautiful hijabs. And also being a good Muslim shows kindness and loving to other people.

      If I want to be a good Muslim I will follow my Idol which is Hajar the Prophet Ibrahim’s wife because she searched water all over land for her baby and that shows loving and kindness from mothers. My other idol is Khadijah the Prophet Muhammad’s wife because she always supported her husband. She reminded him that he is Rasulullah (S) and Allah will always be there to guide him.

      By being a good Muslim I should pray 5 times a day, read the Quran, fast during the month of Ramadhan, care for my family and friends, and give money to the poor. By being a good Muslim Allah will always guide me, protect me, and love me. And maybe someday I’ll go to Heaven.

Writing Contest Summer 2008

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,


Untuk kegiatan summer tahun ini, Team DKA IMSA Sisters mengadakan kegiatan buat anak-anak semasa liburan yaitu Writing Contest 2008, yang bertema "Being A Good Muslim."

Berikut informasi yang dibutuhkan:
=========================


Writing Contest Summer 2008
Sub Dep Kesejahteraan Anak Imsis
June - August 2008

Tujuan :

• Mengembangkan ketrampilan anak dalam menulis.
  
• Mengekpresikan diri dan perasaannya sebagai seorang muslim/muslimah.
  

Tema Tulisan : "Being A Good Muslim"

Waktu :

• Registrasi : 25 Juni - 10 July 2008
  
• Penerimaan naskah : 1 July - 5 August 2008
  
• Penilaian : 10 Agustus - 19 Agustus 2008
  
• Pengumuman Pemenang : 20 Agustus, 2008 (Insha Allah)
  

Usia Peserta :

• Level 1: Usia 7 - 9 tahun
  
• Level 2: Usia 10-12 tahun
  
• Level 3: 13 tahun keatas
  

Hadiah :

• Setiap level ada 2 pemenang (juara 1 dan 2) hadiahnya uang dan sertifikat.
  
• Semua anak-anak yang berpartisipasi akan mendapat sertifikat juga.
  

Syarat Penulisan dan Cara Pengiriman:

• 1. Hasil karya tulisan oleh ananda sendiri.
  
• 2. Belum pernah di publish.
  
• 3. Dituliskan dalam bahasa yang sopan dan baik, bisa dalam bahasa Indonesia maupun bahasa Inggris.
  
• 4. Minimal tulisan:
  
  • Level 1 = 1/2 - 1 halaman (100-250 kata)
    
  • Level 2 = 1 - 1 1/2 halaman ( 250-375 kata)
    
  • Level 3 = 1 1/2 - 2 halaman ( 375-500 kata)
    
  
  
• 5. Keputusan jury tidak bisa diganggu gugat.
  
• 6. Untuk Registrasi bisa dikirim email ke anakimsis@yahoo.com dan sebut nama lengkap, usia, alamat rumah (untuk pengiriman setifikat), sekolah, nama orang tua.
  
• 7. Naskah dikirimkan sebagai attachment ke anakimsis@yahoo.com
  

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Selamat Menulis dan Berkarya.

Note:
Tulisan bisa berupa pengalaman sehari-hari dari anak dan keluarga, anak di sekolah/lingkungan bermain, perasaan anak dan harapan-harapannya sebagai seorang muslim/ah dll.