Prayers from the Quran

Cont’d from page 3

protect from falling in sin, on that day, has attained mercy from You. This is the greatest triumph.”

[46:15] “My Lord, direct me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. I have repented to You; I am a submitter.”

[59:10] “Our Lord, forgive us and our brethren who preceded us to the faith, and keep our hearts from harboring any hatred towards those who believed. Our Lord, You are Compassionate, Most Merciful.”

[60:4] “Our Lord, we trust in You, and submit to You; to You is the final destiny.

[60:5] “Our Lord, let us not be oppressed by those who disbelieved, and forgive us. You are the Almighty, Most Wise.”

[66:8.14] “Our Lord, perfect our light for us, and forgive us; You are Omnipotent.”

Our Lord, please answer our prayers. You are always near, responsive (14:40, 11:61).

* * *

2010 Annual Conference Report

[3:159] ….Once you make a decision, carry out your plan, and trust in GOD. GOD loves those who trust in Him.

[14:12] “Why should we not trust in GOD, when He has guided us in our paths? We will steadfastly persevere in the face of your persecution. In GOD all the trusters shall trust.”

This was the 25th annual conference of the United Submitters International—our silver anniversary. It was held in Tucson, Arizona, on July 30-August 1, 2010. Nearly 250 people, including the children, came to enjoy meeting and sharing with submitters from all over the world. At registration, every adult submitter was given a Quran, a much-appreciated gift.

The Friday khutba was delivered by brother Mike from Toronto. He gave a wonderful talk reminding us of the importance of trusting in God. He quoted verse 17:36, under the subtitle: Crucial Advice [17:36] You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them.

In truth, if we really were using our brains, we would be trusting in God. He related some of his recent Hajj experiences which truly demonstrated how trusting in God can make a difficult situation easy.

Abdullah welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming. Some people traveled great distances and God will reward them for their efforts.

Then first time attendees were asked to say a few words about how they came to the message. It was wonderful to see all the new faces. There were more than 25 newcomers from all over the world. They were all thrilled to be with their real family, and they all had stories of how they found true submission. Ultimately, we know that it’s God’s guidance and His mercy.

We were treated to three days of speeches from submitters old and new. There was a wide range of topics, all very well presented. The talks were entertaining and inspiring. There were ideas offered on how best to spread the message, and there were personal stories of triumph over adversity.

The meditation (zikr) Friday and Saturday evenings was beautiful as always. It’s wonderful to raise our voices in commemoration of God. It feels so energizing.

[15:98-9] You shall sing the praises of your Lord, and be with the prostrators. And worship your Lord, in order to attain certainty.

After the noon prayer and the photo session on Sunday, way more than 100 people went to Masjid Tucson for a pizza/Eegee’s party. It was a wonderful gathering that lasted several hours. Then it was time for people to head for home.

God willing, we will all have a submission-filled year, and be able to come together sometime next year, for another rejuvenating conference. All praise be to God, Lord of the universe.

Lydia and Nargis