Works of Abul Baraa Muhamad Amreeki

All praise is due to Allah and peace and blessing be upon His Messenger Muhammad Sallahu wa alayhi wa salam.

That which follows:

This some advice for my brothers and sisters who are seeking knowledge and the doors to traveling to seek it seems not to be opening up. A true story about my self and a small opportunity  I received from being patience.  

A small seeker of knowledge sent me an email asking about places for her to study at in Saudi. And I reminded her about about the importance of having a Mahram, and  strict Saudi is about this. I gave her some advice about getting married to some one from there or some one from where she lives so they can travel to seek knowledge together inshallah. 

Some people see things one way and do not want to see the benefits of the halal choices Allah gave us. 

I like to tell a personal story about my self, first I like to say, I am not a student of knowledge, neither am I an adviser neither am I a scholar. Just a small brother, trying to do big things like seeking knowledge.  First a reminder from our Lord, Allah the Most High  in His Book.

Allah states in His Noble Book:
إنمّا يََخشىَ اللهَ مِن عِبَادِهِ العُلَماءُ .
سورة فاطر: 28
“It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. “
And the saying of the Messenger of Allah sallahu wa alayhi wa sallam:
من يُرِدْ اللهُ بِهِ خَيرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ في الدَّين
“WHOEVER Allah wants good for, He gives him the understanding of the Deen [RELIGION of Islam]”
Narrated by Mu’awiyyah and collected by Muslim.
Allah states in His Noble Book:
:قالَ الله تعالى
ما كان لِبَشَرٍ أن يُؤتَيَهُ اللهُ الكِتابَ و الحُكمَ و النُبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلناسِ كُونُواْ عَبادًا لِّي من دُونِ الله وَلكن كُونُواْ رَبَّانِيِّنَ بِما كُنتُم تُعَلِّمُونَ الكِتابَ و بِما كُنتُم تَدرُسونَ.
سورة آل عمران: 79
“It is not (possible) for any human being to whom Allah has given the Book and Al-Hukma (the knowledge and understanding of the laws of religion, etc.) and Prophethood to say to the people: “Be my worshipers rather than Allah’s.” On the contrary (he would say): “Be you Rabbaniyun (knowledgeable men of religion who practice what they know and also preach others), because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it.”

So I like to speak about the trend seeker and a true seeker of knowledge and student of knowledge.   From my own personal view, the seeker of knowledge seeks the face of Allah. And he or she seeks knowledge to get close to Allah, where ever they may be! Yes where ever they maybe in US, in an Islamic Country , as a free man, or as a person incarcerated. From the Caribbean Island all the way to Saudi.

As I said before a sister asked me where can she study Arabic overseas. As a few months ago a new Muslims was asking me the same thing. The news came to me that the new Muslim no longer is Muslim. But he was hard trend seeker trying to go here and there to Learn Arabic when the basic of Islam he was not learning and now he left Islam.

The trend seeker, I had a close friend who wanted so much to go and learn Arabic. He was new to Islam also, some brothers advice him get married because it was something bothering him and he wanted a wife. So he did not take the advice and went to learn Arabic a few months a few words and few rules here and there. And same week he came back left practicing the deen for a woman he meet.

I like to tell my own personal story about leaving trends and being patience with seeking knowledge.

One day after a lesson in Arabic where I was living in the West, I was hungry for knowledge. And I could not find it as I wanted.  So I asked Allah for this, even if I have to give up something else from the dunya for it. That which I loved at the time was a sister I was married to.  So I left her, because she did not want this knowledge like I wanted it. So Allah open the door for the marriage to end on good terms and I did [Neither am I telling brothers or sisters to leave their spouse].

So I went back to my home town NY, and found a brother to this day we are good friends. He taught me what I need to know about Arabic, like Grammar as we say Nahu and the science of Sarf Verbs etc.

I did well with him and he never step outside the US to learn Arabic and he  is fluent to this day, and he always my reference when I need information. 

So one day he said he taught me all he can, and need to travel. Ahamdullah me being single I wanted to. But as a man loves it comes to him no matter where he at and what he wants [another better wife].  But I love this deen more. So at this time I wanted to travel to learn Arabic and I also wanted another wife, but my money was little to none. So a well to do sister who used to attend our lessons I asked her, if she was looking to get married. And she said to me ” No my family do not accept Black People”. Then another sister also found her way to me and wanted to marry me but her family did not accept black people.   But I still wanted to go and learn Arabic and I knew these nice sisters was a test.

So one day broke looking for a job, so I can travel. I seen the US Army in a Muslim Area where I live looking to recruit Muslims who knows Arabic or have a desire to learn. Believe this recruiter was at a  job agency and he seen me coming. He had a big speech for me, he seen my thoub and was happy he said ” I know you are Muslim, and I see you with something in your hand looks like Arabic, and you in here so this mean you looking for a job” so I said ” yes” he said the US Army has a program where you can make 60 thousand dollars a year, a six month special program that can train you in six months Arabic fluent but the conditions is you have to work as a translator for the government for 3 years and when you finish you receive a translating job in the UN.
That offer was very  as shaytan make falsehood look good.

So I said to him I am a person who been in and out of jail and run in with the police as a teenager. He said ” US government clean all that up for you”. As the US government brakes its own rules for its own corrupt and evil actions.
As I said Shaytan make the falsehood sound good, As Allah the Most High said in Quran:

” Shaitan (Satan) made fair-seeming to them that which they used to do.
(  سورة الأنعام  , Al-Anaam, Chapter #6, Verse #43)”

So this person was like a sales man trying to sell me something I did not need. So I had to used his same tactics so he can understand.
I asked him this ” If you seen a fine woman, and she was the finest and sexiest woman but she had HIV or Aids would you get with her? ” he said ” HELL NO!” so  I said ” this is how you offer is to me , I never will aid US in killing Muslims”. So he said with a smile okay.

That was a nice offer as Shaytan makes it seems well.  But Allah says in Quran :

 O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqan [(a criterion to judge between right and wrong), or (Makhraj, i.e. a way for you to get out from every difficulty)], and will expiate for you your sins, and forgive you; and Allah is the Owner of the Great Bounty.
(  سورة الأنفال  , Al-Anfal, Chapter #8, Verse #29)

So one day a brother I know who lived in Saudi was studying for his PHD in Shariah, let us know that a group of people in Saudi collect Zakat money for dawah and pay for students from the West to study in Egypt for free in one of the private institutes. Mashallah that was my chance and patience. And believe it or not I was happy. And even found a job for a few weeks and save extra money to travel with.  I mention about the sister I asked about marriage, she said no because I was black.

So a day before I left to go study in Egypt that sister came back, the one who said she could not marry me because I was black. Came and asked was the offer open, because she accept and she was beautiful sister from Bangladesh. I said to her in a nice way No Thank you Allah gave me something better .  Because I knew that was another test. And to this day I never regret those choices.

Mashallah I travel to Egypt twice and lived there between two years. I had benefit from many teachers for Arabic and friends and even one shaykh by living in his village with his students.

The reason I said this because if Allah does not open for you to study in Islamic Universities I find many of the youths are on this trend and if the Universality in Saudi do not accept them. Their seeking of knowledge stops. No that is a sign you are not sincere and you not being accepted can be a test if you really about seeking knowledge or you just into the trends.  And seeking knowledge will not be easy, not at all, even my trips living in Egypt I have been tested by:

•  rip off
•  food poison about six times
•  knife fight
•  health problems 
• as my peers in America pursuing their careers and college and money, I was not able to
•  arguments with the native people there
•  money and job offers
•  tested by other Western Muslims who were into sins and trends following their desires claiming to be Daee and Students of knowledge in their home town falling into major sins
•  Had to give away over $2000 of books lost in the airport due to the weight
• tested by family members/in laws
• family members become ill and dies
• tested by lost of wealth
• tested by the land, like heat, filth of cities, pollution 
• racism 
• tested by  Hizbiya of associates because you do not blind follow their shaykh[like from those who blind followed their mashykah and other than him , those who are upset if you are not with their clique. Or do not study in their camp or with their mashaykh.]

 But that did not stop me, and it keeps me keep seek knowledge where ever I may be! As Allah the Most High says:

 but whoever submits his face (himself) to Allah (i.e. follows Allah’s Religion of Islamic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin then his reward is with his Lord (Allah), on such shall be no Fear, nor shall they grieve. [See Tafsir Ibn Kathir ]. 
(  سورة البقرة  , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #112)

So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can; surah Tagabin 16

 Now I am older and little bit more wiser I am learning how to give up that which do not benefit a student of knowledge. Like killing time and wasting time with others who socialize and do not seek knowledge and follow trends.

by Abul Baraa Muhammad Amreeki