Muzlem Entertainment Episode 1: Arrogance

Asalamu Alaikum!

Nobody likes arrogant people, which is why my friend and I made a video describing the most annoying types of this loathsome species. Now you can identify these people and avoid them at all costs! This was our first time, so please let us know how we did, what we can improve on and what we did right. Oh and please excuse the lens stain, it is a metaphor... at least until we get a new camera hehe...

Cartoon Muhammad Wants to Tell You Something

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There's only one week left to vote for your favorite Muslim websites at http://www.brasscrescent.org. Voting ends on November 7, 2011. Alhamdulillah, Cartoon Muhammad has been nominated for "Best New Blog." If you find this site beneficial, then please feel free to vote for it. But remember, in the end, this is all for the sake of Allah and then everyone's benefit.

A special thanks and JazakAllah Khair to

Basketball Blunders Part 2

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Read 'Basketball Blunders Part 1' here!

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Asalamu Alaikum!

Feels good to finally be done with this. Hope you all enjoy it! I know I put this out a day later than I said I would, but I have an excuse! Just to make sure I completely understood what brotherhood meant, I went to an MSA event and hung out with a bunch of my good ol' MSA brothers yesterday. Ok, it's not such a good excuse, but its something I haven't been able to do for such a long time, so it was pretty special.

At the MSA event,

How People Treated Me, A Muslim New Yorker, After 9/11

Everyone seems to remember where they were on September the 11th.  I remember my school bus stopped at a point where we could see the New York City skyline. The towers were missing and in its place was smoke that lasted for days. The bus driver mentioned that he heard that the people who did it were Palestinian and that they were dancing in celebration of the attacks. A girl in the next seat mentioned to her friend that she learned in school that Muslims believe they will go to heaven if they die as martyrs. I quickly corrected her, telling her that Muslims are not allowed to injure innocent civilians, even in war. I made dua to Allah, asking Him to please not make the people who did this Muslim. But subhanAllah (Glory be to God), Allah knows what is best for us and we are limited in our knowledge. 

 My brothers and I didn't go to school the next day, because my parents were worried about how people would treat Muslims. We didn't know what to expect. People never even heard of Islam before this and these attacks weren't the best introduction to a blank slate. 

When I finally came back to school, everyone treated me...

Basketball Blunders Part 1

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This is something I see often, so I thought I'd make a comic about it. How it usually goes is that a bunch of brothers come together to play sports and have fun. What ends up happening is that it becomes a battle of egos where few feel good by the time the game is over.

 There are a few characters that you consistently see in this situation. Most notably,

Ramadan Mubarak From Cartoon Muhammad! Plus Some Beneficial Ramadan Initiatives

Asalamu Alaikum everyone!

I'm really excited that Ramadan is finally here! The time of fasting, reading Quran, extra praying and more all for the sake of Allah. Since Ramadan is such a blessed time let's not waste it. Here are a few cool initiatives just for Ramadan. If you know of any others, let me know in the comments section and I'll add it to this list inshAllah.

• The Ramadan Tafseer Series by Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda- Everyday of this Ramadan, Muslimmatters.com will be putting up videos of Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda explaining a few ayahs of the Surah Yasin. InshAllah the the entire surah will be completed by the end of Ramadan.
  
• "Got Mulk?"- Similar to the above, this facebook page will put up videos of the explanation of one ayah of Suratul Mulk by instructors from the Foundation for Knowledge and Development everyday for this Ramadan. 
• Taraweeh Truffles by Muhammad Alshareef- Short and entertaining videos by Muhammad Alshareef giving us tips on how to make the most of this Ramadan.

In the comments section, tell us some of your Ramadan goals!

*Edit* additional resources:

Facebook Page Exclusive Comic #1: Summer, Time to Lower Your Gaze

Asalamu Alaikum All,

I'm doing this new cool thing just for the people who like the Cartoon Muhammad Facebook Page. From time to time I'll be putting up a comic that will only be on that page. CLICK THIS RIGHT HERE TO CHECK IT OUT. And be sure to like the page so you don't miss the next one!

Are You Ready For Ramadan?

 

 

 

Ramadan is about 1 month away. Why mention it now you ask? Is it because I couldn't think of another topic? Well maybe, but it is never too early to prepare for Ramadan. As you know, Ramadan is blessed month that is completely unique from other months. You can just feel it. Everyone refrains from eating, Muslims are on their best behavior and the mosque is actually filled on days other than Friday (wow!). Why do people act so different during Ramadan? Well there are a number of reasons.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said,  “…Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month), shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time; and whoever performs an obligatory deed in (this month), shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Paradise . It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer’s sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Hell-Fire, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all.” Not a bad incentive right? Wasting an opportunity like this would be like not doing an easy extra credit assignment that would guarantee you an A on your exam. Man, I wish there was a college equivalent of Ramadan.
  Some people get a bit confused about Ramadan. They are extra good during Ramadan, even better than some practicing Muslims (which shows how much potential they have), but then stop practicing Islam almost completely as soon as the month ends. It's like someone does the extra credit, but doesn't take the required exams and projects and still expect to pass. We forget that in Islam, actions are based on intention. Wouldn't it be a shame if we did all these amazing deeds during Ramadan, but none of them counted because we knew from the start that we would go back to disobeying Allah as soon as Ramadan ends? 


So let's not think about how long these summer fasts will be and how early you'll have to wake up for suhoor, but think about the amazing potential for rewards Allah will grant us purely out of His mercy. 

In the comments section: What are the biggest mistakes people make during Ramadan? What new and interesting plans do you have planned for the upcoming Ramadan?

The Love of Halal Gyros

Asalamu Alaikum all! I'm a bit busy these days and want to be more consistent with this website, so I thought I'd share with you a comic I made for my friends back in high school. It's a bit random, has some inside jokes and you'll notice a lot of similarities to one of the previous comics, but I'm sure you'll forgive me.

I made this some time after a gyro cart (also known as chicken and rice carts or halal carts) appeared a few blocks away from my high school. If you live in New York City, you've probably heard of the 53rd and 6th halal cart. Well this was a local version of that, which can now be found all around the city. They serve lamb and chicken over a platter of brown rice or pita bread with salad on the side. But what really makes them a hit is

Reflections from North Shore LIJ Cancer Survivor's Day With Darryl Strawberry (Video)

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Islam

*Alhamdulillah= Praise be to Allah

*InshAllah= If Allah wills
*JazakAllah= May Allah reward you

Last week, Muhammad, my brother and I attended North Shore University Hospital’s and LIJ Medical Center’s Fifth Annual Cancer Survivors’ Day. We decided to go, because Alhamdulillah, my brother is a cancer survivor and successfully finished his chemotherapy about a month ago. 

The event was held in a huge tent in the Monter Cancer Center's parking lot. When we entered, there were round tables set up with lots of goodies, like cookies, iced tea and wine bottles (which turned out to be this nonalcoholic apple sparkle drink mmm mmm). The podium was set up in the middle of the tent, right next to the dance floor where a bunch of elderly survivors were having a little too much fun. 

We weren't really sure how the event would go and considered leaving, but decided to stay once the speeches started. Alhamdulillah, we made a good choice to stay. Before the famous baseball legend, Darryl Strawberry came up to speak,

MSA Drama (Part 2 of 2): The Solution

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Finally, finally, finally done with this one! Sorry for the delay.

I think forgiveness is something really undervalued. Whenever someone hurts us,
we often become so preoccupied with how we could get even with that person, or how we can get rid of that person from our lives, because we think that it will make us feel better. We don't realize that forgiveness is the best way to erase the feeling of hurt we have. When I listened to the explanation by Nouman Ali Khan of the 159th ayah (often translated as verse, but really means a sign) of Surah 'Ali 'Imran, I was so surprised of how much Islam stresses forgiveness and how practical the instructions Allah gave Muhammad (peace be upon him) are.

First Allah tells us to forgive those who wronged us, which is good, but then

MSA Drama (Part 1 of 2): What Would You Do?

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But back to the topic. A lot of times in life, people do things to us that seem unfair. In reality, sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't. What really matters is how we handled it. Do we handle it according to the teachings of Islam, or do we give in to emotion?

I chose to show this to you all, because Muhammad is really angry right now. Nothing is calming him down. So I need your help:

An Unbalanced Lifestyle

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Maaan, that was a tough day for Muhammad and I. I had to help him pay for the damage to the masjid and the medical bills for all of his injuries. He still hasn't paid me back!

But we did learn an unforgettable lesson from this:

Feed Your Body, But Don't Forget to Feed Your Soul! + Soul Food Videos!

I was trying to study yesterday, when Muhammad called me. I knew he'd get me into a long conversation so I ignored it. He left me a voice mail, then a text message and then 10 more text messages. I finally gave in and called him back. 

Me: Asalamu Alaikum. What's up?

Muhammad: Walaikum Asalam! I MET SHEIKH BOHOT ACHA!

Me: WHAT?! The world renowned Islamic scholar? You actually spoke to him?

Muhammad: Well not really. I just went to an MSA event he was speaking at. I was too shy to talk to him.

Me: Uhhhh did you call me just to tell me that?

Muhammad: No, not just that. He answered a question. 

Me: Ohh so he answered your question?

Muhammad: Not really. It was someone else's question. I couldn't think of anything to ask. 

Me: Muhammad! Why does this matter? I'm trying to study!

Muhammad: Listen, it's really good. So this guy went up to the mic and said that he was researching Islam for a while. They had a discussion that went something like this:

The Face Veil Ban: Who Are The Niqabis?

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As you may have heard, a law in France has been put into effect, which bans face veils such as the niqab or burqa. Many people have stated that this is simply a move by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to improve his public image and to win over votes. This seems more likely than the common argument that the law is in defense of women's rights, which the niqab and burqa apparently violate. 


While I can understand why someone who has never met a niqabi (a person who wears the niqab) may be misled into believing this, especially with the way Muslims are portrayed in the media, I know from my personal experience that such an idea is completely untrue. When I used to volunteer at an Islamic summer program,

Interactive Cartoon Muhammad! Share Your Answers to the Questions Below!

So I was watching the video below and questions the guy asked really made think and reflect. I can tell I wasn't the only one with this reaction. I just jokingly asked my friend one of the questions and some random person who was walking by answered with complete seriousness. I thought it would be interesting to hear what everyone else's answers would be.

So here are the questions:

1. Why are you here? (Basically, what are you doing now (or nowadays) and why?)
2. What motivates you more, love or fear? Why?
3. Do you believe in government? Do you believe they tell the truth? Do they have your best interest at heart?
4. What does freedom mean to you?
5. What makes you happy in life?
6. What is the meaning of life?

Leave your answers in the comment section and check out the video too.

Catch Your Tongue: A Response to MuslimMatters Comments on New York Times Article About Sheikh Yasir Qadhi

There once was a man who was born and raised in the United States, but left to pursue an education in Islam in the Middle East. After that he dedicated many more years to further his education in Islam at one of the United State's most eminent universities. Not only that, but he has constantly been helping to improve the condition of American-Muslims communities. This is the story of Sheikh Bohot Acha, who is shown above. 

Now what would you say if random person comes out and questions Sheikh Bohot Acha in a rude and condescending matter? You may say something like, "What a jerk!" or "Who does he think he is?!" What ever you may say, we would all agree that acting in such a way, even if the issues brought up are valid, is plain annoying and not consistent with the manners taught to us by our religion. 

That's why I was very surprised to see this behavior at Muslim Matters in the comments section of a post about a New York Times article on Yasir Qadhi. Now we all know how comments sections are on most websites (a hotbed of internet trolling), but this is going on a Muslim website and is about Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, a very intelligent brother who has done so much for our community. What was even more annoying was that these comments were:

Salah: You Get What You Put Into It + Video On How To Improve The Quality of Your Prayers

I remember a few years ago, I was praying at the masjid. Of course, someone's cellphone went off during the prayer playing some music. It's funny how it has almost become a sunnah (prophetic tradition) to say, "please turn off your cell phones" before prayer, yet there is ALWAYS one person who forgets. After the prayer, a brother said to the entire congregation:

Whatever You Do, Just Ihsan It Up!

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Last week, Muhammad and I were chilling as usual. It was 8 pm and Muhammad was playing videos. I remembered that he had an exam the next day so I asked him:

Me: Hey Muhammad, shouldn't you be studying for the exam?
Muhammad: Yeaaa, this professor is easy. I'll start studying at 9 pm.
Me: Umm you sure?
Muhammad: Yea, don't worry bro.

A few days ago I asked Muhammad about his exam:

A Muslim Response to the Japan Earthquakes + Video On Japanese Muslims

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Muhammad and I were watching the news the other day, just to kill time. The very devastating earthquake that hit Japan was constantly being shown. Thousands of lives have been lost, cars are floating in water like pebbles and nuclear reactors unstable, this truly is a difficult test for the Japanese people. Muhammad couldn't ignore it any longer and said to me:

+2 to Congressman Keith Ellison For Defending Muslims Again: This Time On Real Time With Bill Maher

Sorry for the lack of color. I have an exam on Monday =[. Please make dua for me!

There are times when I completely agree with Bill Maher, but usually when he speaks about Islam, it makes me want to bang my head on my computer. Alhamdulillah, this time a real Muslim was there to correct him. Congressman Keith Ellison made a great point that people like Osama bin Laden and others who call for violence justify their actions by citing political reasons, while those who refute them cite religion reasons. (See video after the break)

Cartoon Muhammad Is Going BALD To Help Fight Childhood Cancer!

InshAllah on March 20th, Cartoon Muhammad will be going bald! Muhammad will have his head shaved in an event by the St. Baldrick's Foundation. He's doing it to show solidarity with children who lose their hair during chemotherapy and to help raise awareness of childhood cancers. For the record, St. Baldrick's Foundation is not a religious organization, it's just cleverly named.

Alhamdulillah, Allah has allowed some people to become ill so that it may be a test for them. We know from our religion that there are many benefits that Allah has placed in illness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Yes, no Muslim is afflicted with harm because of sickness or some other inconvenience, but that Allah will remove his sins for him as a tree sheds its leaves"(Bukhari). We also know that every illness has a cure. The Prophet said, "There is a remedy for every malady, and when the remedy is applied to the disease it is cured with the permission of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious"(Bukhari).

But remember, that Allah does not want us to just sit around and wait for Him to cure us. We are supposed to make an effort to change our condition. Allah says, “Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” (Quran 13:11). There were many diseases in the past which used to kill people, but now are easily cured with some medication, because some people made the effort to research, finance are raise awareness for a cure.

So please DONATE HERE 

If everyone who visits this site donates at least $5 ,we can raise a good amount of money for a great cause! May Allah reward you =D

Oh and please ignore the picture of that random guy...

Day 1 of Peter King's Congressional Hearing on "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response": Still a Bad Idea and a Waste of Time

You can probably guess from the above comic that I'm not so crazy about Peter King's congressional hearing on "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response." Basically, Peter King is arguing that Al Qaeda is seeking to convince Muslim Americans to commit acts of terrorism in the United States and that the Muslim community needs to do more to combat such radicalization. 

First of all, these hearing wont accomplish anything. As Fareed Zakaria said, these hearings are not going to help the FBI, since it is already doing whatever needs to be done to find and capture terrorists. It's not like FBI officials are taking notes at these hearings and learning something new. These hearings will only further inflame the preexisting fears that people have about Islam and Muslims.

The second issue that I have with these hearings is that it is associating the radicalization of Muslim individuals

Be Good To Your Mother

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"We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; in pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth" (46:15).

"Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘My Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood' "(17:23-24).
(Quran Ayahs taken from Sound Vision)

"Today, I Am a Muslim Too" Rally: America at Its Finest

Rabbi Marc Schneier, Imam Shamsi Ali and Muhammad on stage. Muhammad spoke about what it is like to be an American Muslim cartoon character. (Picture from globalgrind.com)

So yesterday, Muhammad and I attended the "Today, I Am a Muslim Too" rally at Times Square, New York. The rally was in protest of Congressman Peter King's hearing titled "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response." The organizers and participants of this rally felt that this hearing will single out and further alienate the Muslim community, which is already participating with law enforcement to prevent terrorism in the United States. 

 It was raining pretty badly, so we were afraid no one would show up. After I finally found parking (took like half an hour!), we walked to where the rally was taking place. To our surprise, the area was packed! According to some reports there were 300 participants, while others stated there were almost a thousand. Celebrities like Russel Simons, Jim Jones and Adrian Grenier were in attendance as well. 

We Have a Lot More In Common Than You Think

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After publishing the last post, I saw a lot of people making the video below their status. The background of the situation was that ICNA relief held a fundraising dinner to raise money for women's shelters and to help relieve homelessness and hunger in the US. What a nice thing to do right? Unfortunately, instead of praising such efforts, hundreds of people came to protest the event. The protests were filled with hateful and offensive language against Muslims. (see video after the break)

Muslim Hate Got You Down? It's Ok. Superheroes Go Through the Same Thing

I was watching this video about Sohail Mohammed a few days ago. MashAllah he's done quite a bit for the community. He's an immigration lawyer that was appointed as a judge to the New Jersey Superior Court by governor Chris Christie. Not only that, he arranged job fairs at his local mosque that encourage Muslims to find employment in the FBI and other police forces. Oh and that's not all, he has given lectures on Muslim culture and Islam to the FBI. It would be tough to find a better citizen than that right? But no, Mr. Mohammed

Arab Dictators: Give Up the Controller!

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Asalamu Alaikum All! 

Well this is my first comic. Hope you enjoy it!

I drew this one in response to the revolutions going on all over the Middle East. It is truly remarkable how people from all kinds of ethnic and religious backgrounds can come together to support a common cause. 

What is more remarkable is how these dictators just wont just step down. They have become so addicted to power and so out of touch with their people that they just cant imagine that they are