I recently attended the Pakistan Young Leaders Conference 2010, held in the World famous Oxford University. This event aimed to bring together the brightest University students and alumni of British Pakistani origin in order to discuss and bring forward solutions to some of the problems faced in Pakistan today. The event was attended by Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who addressed the Oxford Union and answered questions on a number of burning issues that Muslims of Pakistan find highly contentious including the presence of blackwater mercenaries in Pakistan, US drone strikes in Pakistani territory, and the controversial new Accountability bill.The 2 day event culminated in the adoption and presentation of the best ideas in the final session, which was hosted by famous Pakistani journalist Talat Hussain and broadcast live to Pakistan on the Aaj TV network.

I participated in one of the committee sessions and found the discussion with young Pakistani students very interesting, and, I have to say, encouraging for the future. It seemed that the majority of Pakistani students currently studying in Britain have great concern for their country and sincerely want to do something to solve the country’s problems. Moreover, they are hard working and talented and possess a passion for Islam and a desire for true and comprehensive change within society. May Allah protect the Muslims of Pakistan and keep the country unified despite the great efforts of foreign powers who wish to destabilize it, and may Allah protect the Muslim youth of Pakistan and make them a force for good in Pakistan.

Aqib

On Saturday 16th January Islamic Impressions was invited to the first ever ILM day awards organised by Islam Channel. Understanding the significance of the occasion, we duly obliged by sending a senior delegation to this landmark event.

llm Day is a national competition organised by Islam Channel in recognition of the necessity to encourage talent amongst Muslim youth and to promote progression in their lives through education and other constructive interests. Its aim was to celebrate, nurture and empower exceptional young Muslim achievers, enabling them to inspire and serve as role models for other young people in their communities.

The visiting team consisting of Aqib (company director), Sheraz (co director), Muhammed (CFO) and Zain (Operations Manager) attended the gala awards ceremony in the Hilton Metropole on Edgware road where they were introduced to many young and talented Muslim achievers.

Company director Aqib commented “being a recognised community based organisation that helps promote education within the Muslim community, the Islamic impressions team have attended to show their full support for this great event”

Sheraz remarked “It’s very inspiring to see so many high achieving Muslim youth, it just goes to show with a little hard work and Tawakal in Allah anything is possible, I hope these brothers and sisters realise they now have a responsibility to encourage other young Muslims to follow in their footsteps.”

After maybe too much Lamb Korma- and definitely too much gajar halwa- the team left full of encouragement that contrary to stereotypical images in the media, we Muslims do have many shining examples from our youth who not only stand firm in their deen but also work to achieve good things in the dunya!

We actively encourage all Muslim youth to work hard and with sincerity to become shining beacons within their communities and to prove that Muslims can participate and become successful in the West, without having to compromise on their Islamic values.  

 From left: Brothers Zain, Aqib, Sheraz and Muhhammed arriving at the Ilm day Awards.

Aqib congratulating Zuhair Anwar on his A Level Ilm award

Sheraz congratulating Sami Mirza on his degree Ilm award.

Assalamu-alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu

Brothers & Sisters, today I am going to talk about going green. Just as I strongly believe that Muslims should be proud of their Deen and practise it with pride and without compromise, I also happen to believe that we should not remain with our heads buried in the Sand, unwilling to adapt to change or embrace modern technology and science.

One such area which is increasingly becoming a concern for the entire World is climate change. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to mankind, and will have many far reaching consequences, such as sea level rises and the loss of low lying regions, oxygen depletion in the atmosphere, temperature rises and more extreme and destructive weather patterns.

Brothers and Sisters, the greatest impact of climate change will not be felt as much by the wealthier populations of Britain, Europe and America, where this problem originated from; rather the poor of the Third World and the Islamic World have the most to lose. Like in the Maldives, where half a million Muslims could lose everything they possess including their land if things continue as they are. The Maldives is an Islamic country that could be completely submerged beneath the waves within a few decades because of climate change.

While I believe that the onus is on governments and big businesses to change (as they are the cause of the problem), on an individual level we can do a lot more. I propose that ‘every Good Muslim be an Eco Muslim’ and I advise you all to change your habits as much as possible in order to reduce your ‘carbon footprint’.

What is a carbon footprint?

Your carbon footprint is the amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emitted as a result of your everyday activities. Every single person has a carbon footprint, and this measurement represents the impact that our activities on the environment in terms of climate change.

Why just CO2?

Although there are other pollutants causing problems in the atmosphere, CO2 is the main greenhouse gas and is produced when we burn fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal for energy. Therefore every time you drive a car, heat your house or turn on a light, you are generating CO2 and hence increasing your carbon footprint.

Why is your carbon footprint important?

Our carbon footprint is important because there is strong evidence that the greenhouse gases we produce are having an effect on the world’s climate.

What Islamic Impressions is doing to reduce its carbon footprint?

We believe that ‘a good Muslim is an Eco Muslim’ and should be conscious of his carbon footprint- Islamic Impressions aims to be Carbon Neutral by the end of 2011, and already you may have noticed some green aspects of our business such as our re-usable bags in our stores. This is being followed by many other measures which we will keep you posted about inshallah.

On a personal level I recently got rid of my gas guzzling cars (my Porsche 944 was a bit too extravagant anyway and my family 7-seater drank petrol like Water!). Instead I am trying to use public transport as much as possible.

My partner in Islamic Impressions, Sheraz, has also abandoned his old V8 executive car and has purchased a Hybrid electric powered vehicle instead.

Also, as a company we have gotten rid of our large delivery vans and are currently pursuing bio-fuel based vans.

What can you do to reduce your carbon footprint?

1- Turn off lights when they are not needed, and always use energy saver bulbs
2- Reuse carrier bags when you go shopping
3- Cars- AVOID if possible- use public transport as much as you can! Share cars (car pooling) for journeys and do not travel by car alone! Convert to greener fuels such as LPG or even electric power.
4- Slightly reduce your thermostat temperatures in your homes at Winter time
5- Unplug electronics when not in use; do not leave TVs, DVDs, games consoles etc. in ‘standby’ mode
6- Only travel abroad by plane when absolutely necessary! Spend vacations closer to home.

There are many ahadith which oblige taking care of the environment. Regarding water conservation, Abdullah ibn Ámru bin Al-Ás (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “That the messenger of Allah (pbuh) happened to pass by Sa’d as he was performing ablution. Whereupon he said: Sa’d what is this squandering? Sa’d said: Can there be any idea of squandering (israf) in ablution? Whereupon the Prophet) said: Yes, even if you are by the side of a flowing river.” (Ibn Majah)

I hope this blog was helpful, please feel free to post comments inshallah.

Until next time, take care.

Aqib

Assalamu-alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

Recently we all heard about the earthquake in Haiti that has lead to great loss of life. Our friends over at Muslim Hands have mobilised and are on their way to the region to assist in the relief efforts. Here is what they have to say on the issue:

Following the devastating earthquake which hit the Caribbean island of Haiti late Tuesday evening, Muslim Hands have two British NGO workers due to arrive on Friday 15th January on the ground in Port au Prince, south west of the worst affected area in the earthquake zone. Muslim Hands have launched an emergency appeal to tend to the victims and Mr Arslan Nusrat (senior projects manager) and Mr Irfan Akram (UK fundraising manager) will mobilise aid teams, report the situation from the zone, speak with survivors of the earthquake and provide an ‘on the ground’ perspective. They are available to comment on the situation for survivors, the struggles facing relief teams and the longer-term implications for the people of Haiti.

With few NGOs able to access the affected area, Mr Irfan Akram and Mr Arslan Nusrat are available for comment and interviews can be arranged via MH London office.

For more information, visit www.muslimhands.org

Aqib

Assalamu-alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu

2010 looks set to be an exciting year for Islamic Impressions. After the huge successes of 2009 and positive feedback from the Ummah, we have entered 2010 in a very upbeat mood indeed! Our customers have repeatedly insisted that we open new branches and expand into new communities, and we personally know of several dozen customers who regularly travel HUNDREDS of miles just to shop with us! With all this snow around Britain we feel it is our Muslim duty to bring our stores just a little bit closer… therefore we can reveal that THREE new Islamic Impressions Stores are planned for 2010 inshallah. The exact locations will be announced in April, so watch this space!

Product Development

We like to have our finger on the pulse of the Muslim community, in order to respond to their product demands and provide them with innovative new products that fulfill their needs. In recent weeks we have introduced new ranges of jilbabs, Palestinian scarves and Islamic Decorative Pillars. We have a whole new range of products that is currently in manufacturing that will complement our existing range – there will be 2 phases of introduction of the new stock, February and July. Full details will be revealed nearer the time

Advertising

As you know, our aim is to provide Islamic Shopping with a ‘big brand’ touch to as many UK Muslims as possible, and we will continue to set the trend in Islamic Shopping and raise the bar even further! With this in mind we have arranged several exclusive advertising deals with leading Muslim media organizations. The aim is to sustain massive marketing campaigns that will coincide with events in our business as the year progresses. For those of you who have access to Sky channel 813, You can currently see our new Islam Channel Ad promoting ‘The Big Islamic Impressions Winter sale’. For those who do not, you can find the video here.

The following is a breakdown of our marketing events that are planned for the coming year- inshallah!

TV – we have a contract for the entire year with Islam channel and every month we will base our commercial on a different theme/campaign (you can view all our past commercials on our website) We also advertise on the Islam Channel website – please go on to their website to view our ad.

Radio – we also have a contract for the entire year with Unity FM 93.5. Again, every month we have a different theme/campaign. We also advertise on the Unity FM 93.5 website, and we sponsor various shows that are aired throughout the week.

Print Media – we have a contract as the main advertiser with the Asian World Newspaper that distributes 50,000 copies every month

Documentary – We are working on a documentary about how Islamic Impressions was formed and where it is headed

I hope in this blog I was able to share some of my vision with you for 2010, inshallah I promise to keep you all updated with new developments as and when they happen. Please do not forget to follow us on twitter, for real time notifications and accouncements, and as always remmeber me in your duas.

Until next time, please take care!

Aqib

Assalamu-alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu

I have pleasure to inform you that the Islamic impressions Big Winter sale is now on! You can find bargains of up to 50% off on a wide range of Islamic goods. For Sisters, selected jilbabs and abayas are 50% off. While brothers can find themselves jubbas and men’s urban wear at half-price. Selected items of home décor, books CDs and DVDs will also be on sale. So bag yourself a bargain with Islamic Impressions, instore or online… but hurry- only while stocks last!

Aqib

Assalamu-alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

On Saturday 5th December 2009, Muslim Hands will be holding a charity walk in Central London. Set in the beautiful Kensington Gardens, Muslim hands is inviting all brothers and sisters to wrap up warm, bring family & friends and help raise money for the needy in a 5 mile sponsored walk. Inshallah I will be there representing Islamic Impressions, only I have been challenged by my IT Team to complete the 5 miles while running! Alhamdulillah last year £33,000 was raised that was used to provide psychological support for hundreds of Palestinian children traumatized by war, I pray that we can beat this figure this year inshallah.

Aqib

Assalamu-alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu

Just wanted to tell you of a new service by MUSLIM HANDS called Great Charity Gifts. For each gift donated to the needy, Muslim Hands will send you a decorative card with a personalised certificate inside (either in the name you specify or blank if you prefer).

Gifts for the poor include: Gift of sight, Winter Blankets, Wheelchairs, Malaria Prevention, Water Well construction, and much much more. Prices range between £10 and £3000 and you can give as little or as much as you can afford in order to make a difference to those in need.

Aqib

When I see people leaving for Hajj, it makes me feel Wow has it really been a year already? All the memories from my Hajj in 2008 come flooding back; I remember being at Heathrow airport, changing into my Ihram and making dua to Allah (swt) to accept my worship to him and make my Hajj accepted so that I can come away from it as sinless as a new born baby.

I recall how exciting this journey was and how I could not rest due to excitement from the moment I left my house; I vividly remember being in the plane flying over our mikkat and making my intention, at this point I was just continuously thanking Allah SWT for the opportunity he had given me and for being able to take both my parents in my lifetime. I was continuously thinking of the great task ahead of me- how I was about to go to where our beloved prophet Muhammad PBUH was born and where he PBUH and the Sahaba struggled for Islam, and how I had to be patient with whatever befell me in any test.

When we came out of the airport there was an additional 10 hour wait… and I assure you no Deluxe 5-Star hajj package or Western passport can fast track you through! Waiting is part and parcel of Hajj and it requires pure sabar (patience); what gave me patience was realizing that this is a part of my journey to Allah’s house, and that with hardship Allah only increases the reward.

I think when we talk about patience and complain about the way others behave, we should remember some facts. One must realise that approximately 3 million people if not more are congregating in the same place at the same time, the largest human gathering on Earth… so it is inevitable that there will be a lot of pushing, waiting and thus grumpy people! They like you are tired from the long walks and the endless delays in the heat – so my advice is to show empathy and forgive each other– if at any point you feel you might lose your cool just remind yourself why you are there in the first place.

For those of you who have been doing their Hajj shopping at our stores, I’m sure our sales staff would have told the brothers how important Vaseline is but separate to this drink plenty of Zam Zam, and when you need an energy boost there are some fantastic Ice cream booths around the Harem area that make fresh biscuit cones. Additionally, make effort to meet and greet people I met Muslims from all over the world people that where carrying their children consistently as they where disabled and others that had lost their children in tragic ways – I met Muslims that were doing Hajj for their parents and Muslims doing hajj in wheelchairs – All this makes you feel grateful for what Allah has given to us… Subhanallah, it’s so easy to forget.

Make sure you enter tawaf at the point of the greenlight, don’t move against the flow and especially don’t kill yourself trying to kiss the Hajr e Aswad, and Brothers, don’t make excuses not to do the Halak (shave your head at the end ) so you can keep your cool hair style! I am amazed that even men going bald feel reluctant to do this, but it is a important Sunnah and an amazing experience to end the Hajj with – just make sure they use a fresh blade.

One amazing High which is unbeatable is when you look around you and see 3 million Muslims in the largest congregation in the world at one time praying to Allah and that’s when you realise the strength of 1 Ummah.

One disappointment I can inform you of is the presence of Starbucks and McDonalds in the Zam Zam towers or KFC directly opposite the Harram. Let me be clear about my contention: why could the Muslims not do this themselves, at least the revenue would benefit Muslims. Also, I must admit I was disappointed by the Islamic gifts and clothing that was available, but having said that I was really impressed with their range of precious Tasbee’s!

If you are on your way to Hajj this year then have a safe journey and may Allah accept your Hajj Mabrur; and if you’ve not been, please don’t delay, make your efforts and then leave it in Allah SWT’s hands as He sees all and hears all!

“And proclaim that the people shall observe the Hajj. They will come to you walking or riding on various exhausted (means of transportation). They will come from the farthest locations.” [TMQ 22:27.8]

Alhamdulillah, just one year ago I had the privilege of accompanying my dear beloved parents to the hajj, and in so doing I not only fulfilled the fard on my neck but also a sense of responsibility I had towards my parents that I felt ever since I started practicing Islam.

For me there are two amazing events every year that really motivate me as a Muslim- Ramadhan, and the Hajj. The site of over 3 million Muslims congregating in Mecca to begin the journey of a lifetime is truly amazing. For the hujaj, those 5 days become the most unforgettable days of their lives. For first-timers, we finally get to see the places that the Prophet Muhammad SAW and the Sahaba once lived and carried the da’wah in; the overpowering sight of the Ka’aba for the first time is very emotional, and there is a renewal of our relationship with our creator. The physical hardship of the rituals are made easy by enjoying meals and light hearted moments with new friends from all over the world, and seeking refuge in ibadah during the early hours.

When we see people of all colours, nationalities and madhhabs, united as brothers and sisters with one common goal, it brings a tear to the eye and makes me wonder when the Muslim Ummah will attain true and lasting unity as one unified Ummah, in the political sense and not just the religious one. With Unity comes strength, for Abu Musa (May Allah bepleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “The relationship of the believer with another believer is like (the bricks of) a building, each strengthens the other.” He (SAW) illustrated this by interlacing the fingers of both his hands.

May Allah SWT bless this Ummah and accept the pilgrimage of the hujaj as hajj mabrur, and May he (SWT) bring about the true and lasting Unity that this Ummah so desperately needs- ameen!