BEING MERCIFUL

BEING MERCIFUL

 

 

 

The Prophet Muhammad (s) said: ""Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to people."(Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, #473.)

 

Reflections on the Icelandic Volcano-

-Reflections on the Icelandic Volcano- 

(Summary of an Arabic article by Shaykh Muhammad Salih)

 

 

All Praise is due Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may the peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.

From a small, remote island nation located in the North Atlantic Ocean, a small, sub-glacial volcano erupted, sending plumes of ash thousands of feet into the air. It drove the entire European continent into panic and caused the disruption of international flights around the world.

Airplanes discontinued flying, airports shut down, and air traffic was suspended.

In 2010,One-hundred thirteen European airports closed their airspaces in the face of international navigation. More than 63,000 flights were cancelled. The airline industry faced losses of up to $250 million per day. Over seven million travelers were stranded.  Airport lounges turned into dormitories, and passengers were provided with blankets and other necessities. In addition, importers and exporters were confronted with deficits.

Europe was nearly isolated from the world when it met the biggest disruption of air transportation in its history.

1.       So take warning, O people of vision (59:2):

One cloud of volcanic ash sent an entire continent into panic and fear and paralyzes air travel.  What would happen if several volcanoes erupted? Indeed, it is an event that calls upon us to think, reflect, and contemplate. It is not fit for such great happenings to surpass a Muslim without a deep, thoughtful pause that comes about from his/her faith in Allah, with full certainty, that whatever good happens in this universe is from the grace and mercy of Allah and whatever evil happens in it is with His knowledge.

ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ

"That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing." (Ya-Seen 36:38)

Allah has wisdom behind everything He wills and decrees.

لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ

"He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned." (Al-Anbiyaa 21:23)

2.       And We send not the signs except as a warning (17:59):

Volcanoes and the like are soldiers of Allah; He sends them upon whom He wishes of His servants, in the time He wishes, in the manner He wishes.  They are a warning, a trial, and a punishment.

وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَر

"And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity." (Al-Muddaththir 74:31)

Among the soldiers of Allah is the volcanic ash, composed of small particles of glass and pulverized rock. The ash poses great danger to aircraft engines and instruments and thus hinders planes' movement. Moreover, it may pose serious health hazards if inhaled.

To simply say that such incidents are "natural" occurrences due only to standard universal laws illustrates one's heedlessness of the Creator and the Controller of this universe. For who runs and manages this universe in such an orderly fashion and gives it power to strike its inhabitants?

هُوَ الَّذِي يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنشِئُ السَّحَابَ الثِّقَال * َوَيُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَن يَشَاءُ وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي اللَّهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ

"It is He who shows you lightening, [causing] fear and aspiration, and generates the heavy clouds. And the thunder exalts [Allah] with praise of Him – and the angels [as well] from fear of Him – and He sends thunderbolts and strikes therewith whom He wills while they dispute about Allah; and He is severe in assault." (Ar-Ra'd 13:12-13)

3.       And this is nothing else than a reminder to mankind (74:31).

The volcanic ash cloud is a sign among the signs of Allah. It was sent to His slaves as an admonition and reminder to the Believers, and a way to warn and frighten those who turned away from Him. The believing heart will take heed and turn to its Lord in repentance, while the oblivious heart that has forgotten its Lord will only worry about economic losses and the latest updates.

لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ

"They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless." (Al-'Araf 7:179)

It is from the hardness of the heart that one hears of such adversities and yet fails to detach themselves from sin and transgression and continues to follow their desires.

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) describes the state of the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhe wa sallam) when he saw a cloud, "If the Prophet saw a cloud in the sky, he would walk to and fro in agitation, go out and come in, and the color of his face would change, and if it rained, he would feel relaxed."  When she inquired about his reaction, he replied, "I don't know (am afraid), it may be similar to what happened to some people referred to in the Holy Quran in the following Verse:

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًا مُّسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُوا هَٰذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمْطِرُنَا ۚ بَلْ هُوَ مَا اسْتَعْجَلْتُم بِهِ ۖ رِيحٌ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

'And when they saw it as a cloud approaching their valleys, they said, 'This is a cloud bringing us rain!'" Rather, it is that for which you were impatient: a wind, within it a painful punishment." (Al-Ahqaaf 46:24)

Similarly, during the solar eclipse he experienced (salallahu alayhe wa sallam), he came out in a restless state thinking the Hour had begun. This is indicative of the degree to which he feared the Hour and kept it in his mind.

What should our state be when we witness an ash cloud shooting up 10km into the air?

4.       They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might. (22:74)

What hit Europe and affected the entire world is a great indicator of the power and strength of Allah, glorified be His Majesty. His decree outstrips all other commands and His might leaves all other helpless.

Whatever Allah wills happens and whatever He does not will does not happen, and He is over all things competent.

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا

"It is Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them. [His] command descends among them so you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge." (At-Talaaq 65:12)

5.       Man is weak.

When man becomes arrogant, transgresses, claims perfection and self-sufficiency, Allah sends signs that remind man of his weakness and need of his Creator (the Exalted).

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ

"O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy." (Fatir 35:15)

It was a matter of minutes before security turned into fear and profit into deficit. Did the power, technology, money, research, and innovations of these "First World" countries benefit them in the face of one of the soldiers of Allah? They helplessly watched and gazed as the order of Allah moved before their very eyes.

أَمَّنْ هَٰذَا الَّذِي هُوَ جُندٌ لَّكُمْ يَنصُرُكُم مِّن دُونِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ ۚ إِنِ الْكَافِرُونَ إِلَّا فِي غُرُورٍ

"Or who is it that could be an army for you to aid you other than the Most Merciful? The disbelievers are not but in delusion." (Al-Mulk 67:20)

6.       There is no refuge from Allah except in Him (9:118).

No matter how influential or intelligent man is, there is no way out of such catastrophes except by turning to his Lord in sincere du'aa and worship. For this reason, we are commanded to rush to salah during solar and lunar eclipses. "They are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. When you see them stand up and pray." (Bukhari)

7.       A fire that reminds of a greater Fire.

The lava discharged from the volcano reached a temperature of 1,000°C (1,800°F) and melted about 10% of its icecap. This is the fire of this world which serves a as a reminder of the Fire of the Hereafter. The Prophet (salallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "This fire of yours which is lit by the sons of Adam is one seventieth part of the fire of Hell." (Muslim)

8.       And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow (31:34).

Conferences organized, meetings arranged, appointments set, reservations confirmed, hotels booked, and holidays planned; but no person knows what he will earn tomorrow. It was one eruption and many cancellations. Travelers were fighting over seats to get back home.

وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ

"And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much wealth, and no harm would have touched me." (Al-Araf 7:188)

9.       And whatever strikes you of disaster – it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much (42:30).

This is the way of Allah; He decrees calamities to scare His slaves. When sins, oppression, killings, and indecency multiply, so do volcanoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, droughts, diseases, wars, and losses of life and wealth.

ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

"Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]." (Ar-Rum 30:41)

And such misfortunes will not be the last for those who violate the laws of Allah, as He (the Exalted) says:

وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا تُصِيبُهُم بِمَا صَنَعُوا قَارِعَةٌ أَوْ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبًا مِّن دَارِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ وَعْدُ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ

"And those who disbelieve do not cease to be struck, for what they have done, by calamity – or it will descend near their home – until there comes the promise of Allah. Indeed, Allah does not fail in [His] promise." (Ar-Ra'd 13:31)

10.   An adversity for some and prosperity for others:

While airline businesses faced shortfall, transportation services by train, bus, and ferry were thriving as passengers looked for alternatives.  In addition, there was a high demand for hotel rooms.

All praise is due to the One who allocates provision to whom He wills! Some people suffer bitter losses and other people celebrate unexpected gains!

11.   Remembering the countless blessings of Allah upon us:

Observing exhausted travelers sleeping on uncomfortable chairs, impatiently waiting days and nights, should lead us to acknowledge the great and innumerable blessings Allah has bestowed on us. The blessings of security, peaceful nights, and tranquil days ought to fill our hearts with the praise of Allah and our tongues with thankfulness to Allah.

Moreover, this particular incident reveals to us our reliance on airplanes and the blessing of arriving at far distances in a short span of time.

12.   Remembering the Last Day:

The likes of such a phenomenon should remind us of a much terrible one yet to occur: the earthquake of the Hour. Sunlight was blocked by the ash cloud, and something similar will happen on the Last Day:

إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ

"When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness]" (At-Takwir 81:1)

Just as airplanes were deserted and neglected, on the Last Day:

وَإِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَت

"And when full-term she-camels are neglected" (At-Takwir 81:4)

Allah mentions she-camels in the Quran because they were prized wealth to the Arabs just as airplanes are valued to us today.

The ash cloud that travelled thousands of feet into the air serves as a reminder to a cloud of smoke Allah will send prior to the Last Day:

فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ يَغْشَى النَّاسَ ۖ هَٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

"Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke. Covering the people, this is a painful torment." (Ad-Dukhan 44:10-11)

We ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala to have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and through these signs, guide those who have gone astray to the Straight Path. Indeed, Allah is Subtle and Acquainted.

Attitude leads to Altitude!!!

Attitude leads to Altitude!!!

 

Ayoob was the kind of person who would always amaze you. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Ayoob was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day Ayoob was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Ayoob and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Ayoob replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, ' Ayoob, Allah has given you two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," Ayoob said. "Life is all about choices Allah has given us. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: Allah has given you an option how you live your life!"

I reflected on what Ayoob said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life before reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Ayoob did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Alhamdulillah [all praise is to Allah], Ayoob was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local hospital's trauma centre.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Ayoob was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Ayoob about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "Alhamdulillah , Allah is so Great and so Merciful" and then he added "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Ayoob replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that Allah had given me two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live. By the Will and Acceptence of Allah I choose to live and Allah accepted my dua[prayer]"

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Ayoob continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.'

"I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Ayoob. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them. 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Ayoob lived thanks to Allah who made available skilled doctors at this critical moment and also because of his amazing attitude that Allah had given him. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

 

Attitude, after all, is so important! We may not be feeling happy or at ease at the moment, however we can still show a smile on our face or share a few friendly words and kind gestures. Often times, it is simply our attitudes that can influence someone or inspire someone to seek Islam. It is so paramount to live in obedience to Allah, but it is not just the service to others and the code we follow that we must keep in check, it is also the attitude we carry along with all of our actions. It only takes a second to affect a person in a bad or good way, and this may very well depend not on your actions or deeds, but simply upon the attitude you have at that second. If you carry a frown walking into a house where there are guests, they may feel un-welcomed. The frown may only last a few moments, but that will be long enough to leave a bad impression on some hearts.

 

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Allah Most High says: "Nor can goodness and evil be equal. You shall resort to the best possible response. Thus, the one who used to be your enemy, may become your best friend." (Quran-41:34)

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The Messenger of Allah Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said: "Almighty Allah says, 'I treat my slave (man) according to his expectations from Me, and I am with him when he remembers me" [Hadith]  

 

A good positive Attitude in this world will raise you to a high Altitude in Jannah( Paradise)!!!

 

 

What a perfect match!

 What a perfect match!

 

What a perfectly matched couple….This marriage was indeed prepared in Jannah(heaven)….Its like a page from a fairytale…These were just some of the comments made after Yusuf and Fatima's nikaah (wedding) ceremony.

A few years later and two Masha-Allah beautiful kids in their spacious home, "the sea was no longer so clam"…Like many other marriages, Yusuf and Fatima's marriage seemed to be experiencing some turmoil. Both were sincere and not a night passed when they would go to bed without making peace and amends.

Fatima comes to her husband Yusuf with a proposal: "I read in a magazine, a while ago, about how we can strengthen our marriage." She smilingly and lovingly offered.

"Each of us will write a list of the things that we find a bit annoying with the other person. Then, we can talk about how we can fix them together and make our lives happier together."

The husband agreed. So each of them went to a separate room in the house and thought of the things that annoyed them about the other. They thought about this question for the rest of the day and wrote down what they came up with.

The next morning, at the breakfast table, they decided that they would go over their lists.

"I'll start," offered Fatima. She took out her list. It had many items on it. Enough to fill 3 pages, in fact. As she started reading the list of the little annoyances, she noticed that tears were starting to appear in Yusuf's eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Nothing" Yusuf replied, "keep reading your list."

Fatima continued to read and tears flowed now more profusely from Yusuf's eyes and began to wet his beard. Fatima somewhat nervous read all three pages to her husband. She neatly placed her list on the table and folded her hands over the top of it.

"Now, you read your list and then we'll talk about the things on both of our lists." She said happily.

Quietly Yusuf stated, "I don't have anything on my list. I think that you are perfect the way that you are. I don't want you to change anything for me. You are lovely and wonderful and I wouldn't want to try and change anything about you."

The wife, touched by his honesty and the depth of his love for her and his acceptance of her, turned her head and wept.

Lesson: This is not to say that you must overlook every fault in your partner. If a marriage partner is abusive, or is an alcoholic or drug addict, or is unfaithful, or something of that nature then yes of course there must be changes.

But when it comes to the little things, remember that we are all imperfect beings, struggling to worship our Creator Allah as best we can, pursue our dreams in a Islamic way, raise our families, put food on the table, and balance all of the above fairly. We all have faults. We all make mistakes.

If you go looking for faults in your partner you will find plenty and that is for sure! You will find many mistakes, bad habits, and imperfections.

But you know what? If you look honestly in the mirror you will see the same things in yourself.

If you focus on your partner's imperfections you will never be happy. You will always be dissatisfied, wanting more, feeling deprived, feeling frustrated. And you will end up making your partner miserable, and pushing your marriage into misery.

Instead, look for what is good in your partner. See his/her beauty, good habits, loving or kind gestures, relationship with the Creator Allah, hidden potential, and Islamic aspirations. If you look for beauty you will find it. Nurture that beauty by appreciating it, and it will grow. The love between you will deepen like a strong river, becoming more and more powerful over time. And those little things that used to bother you so much will seem not very important at all.

Allah, Most High, has given us innumerable favours and He has declared:  "And if you were to count Allah's favors, you would not be able to number them; most surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."(Holy Qur'an 16:18).

Allah is pleased with those who are thankful to Him. He increases His favours which become the means of comfort and respect in your marital home. If one fails to offer gratitude and reconcile our "petty" differences, then such an attitude surely amounts to disregard for the so many favours Allah has blessed us with.

Therefore Allah says:  "If you give thanks, I will give you more: but if you are thankless, lo! my punishment is severe." (Holy Qur'an 14:7).

THE MERCY OF ALLAH

THE MERCY OF ALLAH



"Among those who came before you was a man who killed 99 people. He then asked to be guided to the most prolific worshipper from the inhabitants of the earth, and he was directed to a monk. He went to him and told him that he had killed 99 people, and he asked whether it was possible for him to repent. The monk said, 'No.' The man killed him, thus making him the 100th victim. He then asked to be directed to the most knowledgeable of the Earth's inhabitants, and he was guided to a scholar. He went to him and told him that he had killed 100 people, and he asked whether it was possible for him to repent. The scholar said, 'Yes, and who will stand between you and repentance. Go to such and such land, for in it dwell a people who worship Allah, so go and worship Allah with them. And do not return to your land, for it is indeed a land of evil.' He left, and when he reached the halfway point of his journey, he died. The angels of Mercy and the angels of Punishment disputed with one another [in regard to his case]. The angels of Mercy said, 'He came to us repentant, advancing with his heart towards Allah.' The angels of Punishment said, 'Indeed, he never performed any good deeds.' Then an angel came in the form of a human being, and both groups of angels asked him to be the judge between them. He said, 'Measure the distance between the two lands. Whichever land he is closer to is the land that he is closer to [in terms of being of its people]. They then measured the distance and found that he was closer to the land that he was heading towards, and so it was the angels of Mercy who then took his soul."

[al-Bukhaari: 3470 ; Muslim: 2766]

A Way out of Distress

A Way out of Distress

Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said,
  

"If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah),   Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety,   and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.''

  [Hadith-Abu Dawud]. 
  

A Blind Boy

A Blind Boy

 

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet.
He held up a sign which said: ''I am blind, please help.''
There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by...
He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat.
He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words.
He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up....
A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.
That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.
The boy recognized his footsteps and asked,
'Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?

The man said, 'I only wrote the truth.
I said what you said but in a different way.
'What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it."

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?

Of course both signs told people the boy was blind.
But the first sign simply said the boy was blind.
The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind.
Should we be surprised that the second sign was much more effective?

Moral of the Story:

Be thankful for what Allah has given you. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively in an attempt to help humanity.

It is so beautiful to see a person smiling,
And even more beautiful is... knowing that Allah has used you as a means!

Honesty is the only policy...

Honesty is the only policy…

 

 

 

Several years ago a Sheik recounted what happened to him after he had moved to London. He often took the bus from his home to the downtown area. Some weeks after he arrived, he had the occasion to ride the same bus. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a twenty pence ('tuppence') too much change.  As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, you better give the twenty pence back. It would be wrong to keep it. Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, its only tuppence. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway the bus company already gets too much fare; they will never miss it." Just than the verse of the Qur'an flashed through his mind like a lightning… "O you who believe!  Fear Allah and be with those who are truthful." (Qur'an-9:119).   When his stop came, the Sheik paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the twenty pence back to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change". The driver with a smile, replied," Aren't you the new Imam in this area? I have been thinking lately about accepting Islam and going to worship at your Mosque. I just wanted to see what you would do, if I gave you too much change." When the Sheik stepped off the bus, his knees became weak and soft, he had to grab the nearest light pole and held on for support, and looked up to the heavens and cried, "Oh Allah, I almost sold You and Islam for twenty pence!"

 

In the pathway to wisdom, Honesty is the first step! The final Messenger of Allah is reported to have said: "When something weighs on your conscience, give it up." [Hadith-Tirmidhi]

 

Kindness & Compassion are Keys to Paradise

Kindness & Compassion are Keys to Paradise

 
Aisha [Allah be pleased]the Blessed Prophets wife, was a very hospitable person. She loved to entertain guests, and spend happy hours chatting to them.

Once a woman came to visit Aishah[RA], bringing her two daughters with her. Aishah received her, smiling and welcoming and very soon the two women were deep in conversation. However, Aishah was faced with a certain difficulty..

At that time, things were very hard in Madina. Often the people went hungry, and in the Prophets house (pbuh), no fire was made for days and food was scarce, even dates were short in supply.

Aishah decided to search the house thoroughly in order to find something to offer her guest. The room in which she had welcomed her guest was so small that when Aishah stood up, her head almost touched the ceiling. It did not take Aishah very long to search it, and she quickly realized that she did not have much to offer. Eventually she managed to find three dates. Aishah gave them to her guest who looked at her gratefully.

The woman gave one date to each of her daughters. They were very hungry and had not eaten for several days. The mother kept one date for herself, but she did not eat it and held it in her hand as she talked to Aishah.

After the two little girls had gobbled up their dates, they began to eye the last one that was held in their mothers hand. Their mother saw them out of the corner of her eye and smiled. She divided the last date into two pieces and gave half to each of the girls.

Aishah was very moved by the great love and self-sacrifice shown by this mother, and as soon as the Blessed Prophet came home, she told him what had happened.

Indeed, the Prophet (pbuh) said. The woman has entered Paradise because of the love and kindness she showed to her little daughters. Allah will show her mercy because she showed mercy to them.

Mother’s Day

Mother's Day

 

 

To such a magnanimous lady in every way

Her pleasure is a visa for you in Jannah(heaven) to stay

 

Celebrating her not only once a year

A mother is so precious and dear.

 

Take lesson and to Allah sincerely pray

That Mother's Day should be celebrated EveryDay!

 

The Prophet Muhammad [Allah's peace and blessings be upon him] said:

"Jannah[Heaven] lies under the feet of your mother" (Hadith-Ahmad, Nasai).

 

"Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and do good to parents. If any one of them or both of them reach old age, do not say to them: uff (a word or expression of anger or contempt) and do not scold them, and address them with respectful words" [Quran-17:23]

 

 

Although honouring and respecting one's parents is incumbent upon Muslims, care should be taken that it is not done in an unislamic way. Our dear and beloved Mother is to precious to be honoured Only Once a Year on Mother's Day. Particular care should be taken to honour this great lady Every Day!

 

 

Honoring Mother's in Islam

 

The ties of kinship are very important in Islam, with emphasis given to the relationship between children and parents. Children are required to respect and obey their parents unless doing so involves a sin. Furthermore, adult children must continue to honour, respect and show gratitude to their elderly parents, and are expected to care for and support them. In the event the parent has passed away, children should make dua(pray) for them, give charity on their behalf(e.g. sponsoring a well etc) , perform Haj and Umrah on their behalf and treat their friends in a kind manner.

 

High Status of Mother in Islam

 

In Islam, a mother has especially high status. She is to be given greater respect and honour than the father due to the difficulty of pregnancy, childbirth, nursing and child rearing. This is supported by many ahadith:

 

Ø      Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated :"A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is most deserving of my good company?' He said, 'Your mother.' He asked, 'Then who?' He said, 'Your mother.' He asked, 'Then who?' He said, 'Your mother.' He asked, 'Then who?' He said, 'Then your father.'" (al-Bukhaari and Muslim).

 

Ø      Abu Usaid Saidi said: We were once sitting with Rasulullah when a man from the tribe of Salmah came and said to him: O Messenger of Allah! do my parents have rights over me even after they have died? And Rasulullah said: Yes. You must pray to Allah to bless them with His Forgiveness and Mercy, fulfill the promises they made to anyone, and respect their relations and their friends (Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah).

 

Ø      Abdullah ibn Amr related that the Messenger of Allah[pbuh] said: The major sins are to believe that Allah has partners, to disobey one's parents, to commit murder, and to bear false witness (Bukhari, Muslim)

 

 

Ø       It is narrated by Asma bint Abu Bakr that during the treaty of Hudaibiyah, her mother, who was then pagan, came to see her from Makkah. Asma informed the Messenger of Allah of her arrival and also that she needed help. He said: Be good to your mother (Bukhari, Muslim).

 

Islamic Perspective on Mother's Day

 

Islamic Scholars are unanimous that celebrating Mother's Day does not have it basis or origins in Islam. In fact it has its origins in Non- Muslim culture and today it is being promoted mainly due to commercial purposes. Therefore mother's should be loved, respected, obeyed and appreciated every day, with no need to single out special days to honour them. Muslims already observe three established holidays (eids) in Islam: Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and the weekly Jumu'ah eid. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned Muslims not to add or remove anything from their religion, saying: "If somebody tries to introduce into this faith of ours (Islam) something which is not a part of it, it is to be rejected and that person is condemned." (al-Bukhaari and Muslim)Therefore, Muslims should be satisfied with their faith and avoid the traditions and holidays of non-Muslims, including Mother's Day and Father's Day. While the intention of honoring parents is good, Muslims should be honoring their parents each and every day, and not limiting that level of respect and affection to a single day each year.

 

We thus can conclude that Islam has emphasized on respecting and honouring mothers, as is evident from the Quran and Hadith. We are not only required to honour mothers during their life time, rather after their demise as well.

 

May Allah Ta'ala grant us all the tawfeeq to fulfill the rights of our mothers and be recipients of their dua's not once a year but EVERY DAY!, Amin.

VIRTUES OF HAJ

Virtues of Hajj 

 

 

 

"And pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah,upon everyone who is able to undertake the journey to it"–[ 3:96 Quran]

 Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah Muhammad [Peace be upon him] said,: 

"Whoever performs the Hajj and commits no lustful act during it nor disobeys Allah (in any other way) shall return from it as pure and sinless as he was at the time of his birth." Bukhari & Muslim 

"From one Umra to another (i.e. the two Umras) become an atonement for the sins committed during the period intervening between them and the reward on Hajj-e-Mabroor (i.e. pure and untainted Haj) is paradise itself and nothing less." Bukhari & Muslim 

"Those who make the pilgrimage for the Hajj or Umra are the guests of Allah. The petitions[duas] they make will be granted and if they seek deliverance from sins, their sins will be forgiven." Ibn-Maja 

 

It is related by Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah Muhammad [Peace be upon him] said,: 

 "Any one who God has given enough to perform the Haj, and he also has a conveyance which can take him to the House of God. If he still fails to do so then it does not matter whether he dies a Jew or Christian, and it is so because God has said: Pilgrimage to the House (of Allah) is a duty men owe to God – those who can afford the journey." Tirmizi 

 

DEATH may occur at any time, so if HAJ is compulsory on you ……PERFORM IT!...DONT DELAY!

SLOW DOWN!!!

Slow down !

By:Abdur Rahman Umar

"Can you believe this!" lamented Yusuf as he looked sadly at his leg covered from foot to knee in a thick white plaster cast leaving his plaster stained toes exposed.

"This is soo frustrating!" he continued, addressing his exposed toes who had now become his captive audience, "Just when everything was going perfectly. Now this! Like I needed it in my life?"

Ridwaan stood idly by, adding little to the lament being addressed to the toes. He fidgeted wearily with his cell phone paying little attention to the monologue until Yusuf turned to him and asked:

"Did you hear what I said? I really didn't need this in my life. Not at any time, and definitely, definitely not now. I mean..."

"What's so special about now?" enquired Ridwaan not bothering to look up from his cell phone.

Yusuf ignored his question, shifted painfully in his chair and struggled to get his leg into a comfortable position. He stared at some of the graffiti on his plaster cast "Mojo was here!" "Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector" "On the other hand, you have different fingers" and some other writings that became a bit smudgy with the first attempt at taking a shower.

"I mean how does someone rupture an Achilles tendon playing tennis? It must be a one in a million thing, and I am the one! So now I sit – six weeks with this thing on my leg. Six weeks! and at a time when the business is going so well. Just when we got the Department of Education tender for printing. There's so much to do .... preparation, layout, design. Yo! It was going crazy at work."

Ridwaan stopped fidgeting with his cell phone long enough to exclaim, "So what's the hassle. You get a nice break and fully paid on top of it!"

"You don't understand, do you!" said Yusuf, glaring at him. An uncomfortable frown crossed his forehead, "You don't know what it means. I really didn't even have enough time to eat let alone take a six week break. We were working 12 hours a day to get that tender out. So what happens now?"

"I know exactly what it means," replied Ridwaan, "It means you were moving too fast so Allah put down a speed breaker"

"What!" he exclaimed, "What you mean...speed breaker?"

"You see, sometimes when we rush through life and we forget the important things then Allah puts down a speed bump so we can slow down and reflect. Maybe a little sickness or a small problem. Just to ponder on what we're doing and what we should be doing. And that's it! You were chasing like a madman so you got hit with a speed bump."

He paused allowing his words to sink in then continued, "You know most of us get so caught up in life then we forget about Allah, our salaah becomes just a ritual and the family ...well, they even forget who we are. I bet your kids call you Uncle by now?"

"Hey, it's not that bad," said Yusuf struggling to find a comfortable position for his plastered leg, "But I hear what you saying. Things were getting a bit out of hand. I missed my daughter's sports, dropped a couple of salaahs on the way and jip, Allah knows what else I gave up for this tender...."

Yusuf fell silent pondering on his situation, a thin smile broke on his lips and his face lit up with this new found understanding, "So this wasn't all bad then. Actually...."

"It was for you own good," Ridwaan completed the sentence for him, "Too often we forget the real things in life...our Allah, our Deen, our families and those so called little things we tend to forget."

"Yup," chorused Yusuf, "I remember a clever guy telling me once, pay attention to the little things in life, for one day you may find out they were actually the big things. Really can't believe Allah's mercy and kindness upon us. It is, as they say, more than that of a mother. He cares for us and even what I thought was a horrible misfortune was actually an act of kindness from Him."

Allah says:"…and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know." (Surah Baqarah: 216)

A calamity that makes you turn to Allah is better for you than a blessing which makes you forget the remembrance of Allah.

             

Losing a Loved One

Losing a Loved One

 

 

 

Death should be a daily reminder for us all. We do not know if today will be our last day in this world. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) said, "Every soul shall taste death." Everyone's time of death is written and only Allah (swt) alone knows when we will take our last breath.

Losing a close family member through death brings feelings of emptiness that no words can convey. In Islam, the official mourning period is three days, but the memories of the deceased will last forever. Knowing that Allah (swt) has the power to relieve our grief and suffering brings relief during this difficult test of our faith. Death is a test for the believer, as the pain and suffering brings one closer to Allah (swt).

Often, we forget about the families the deceased left behind—the ones who continue to live with the pain long after the final condolence bouquet has been delivered. Experiencing the death of a family member is traumatic enough, but to endure inappropriate behavior from other Muslims only prolongs the distress and further isolates the bereaved.  Muslims are people of peace; this should be demonstrated through peaceful actions.

Here are five ways to help the families of the deceased and to earn the reward and pleasure of Allah (swt):

1. Pray for the deceased and their family. When receiving news of death, recite: "To Allah (swt) we belong and to Him we shall return!" Pray for the deceased, asking Allah to grant them the highest level of Paradise. Pray that their grave is filled with noor (light) and the fragrance of Jannah (paradise), and to show them their place in Jannah. Pray they are resting peacefully in their graves, and that Allah eases the pain and suffering of the loved ones left behind.
2. Visit the relatives of the deceased. Contrary to un-Islamic cultural and superstitious beliefs, speaking or associating with the relatives of the deceased will not unleash a death curse on you or your family. Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]visited the families and friends of the deceased.
3. Express kindness in your words. Refrain from making inappropriate comments such as: "Thankfully, s/he was not married," or "Was it your fault?" or "How will you survive without your child/sibling/spouse/parent?" Remember, there will be many people who die single, or married, or with children; in youth and in old age; in sickness, in health, in accidents and even by murder. The kindest Muslims are those who ease the pain and suffering of others, as the reward for such actions comes from Allah. Blaming others for causing the death of a loved one will not bring the deceased back to life. Only Allah knows why it was his/her time of death; blaming others will only cause guilt and anxiety.
4. Provide help and take action. Simple acts such as providing assistance or bringing food, or inviting them to your home, will be much appreciated as the family members often neglect themselves while grieving. Be among those Muslims who are caring and kind to others, especially during times of sadness. Often, the families of the deceased are embarrassed to ask for help, or just want to talk; offer your help.
5. Be sensitive and humble. Now is the not the time to suggest a marriage partner, gossip, or talk about your own happiness. Even making remarks such as, "It is time for you to move on," or "At least you are so thin despite your loss," or "How much did you score from the inheritance?" is simply rude. It is also disrespectful to dress up as if you are celebrating a holiday while visiting the homes of the grieving families. One cannot imagine what the suffering individual is feeling, so just being there to show your support is better than saying something you will regret.

As with everything we do in this world, we should always strive to seek the reward of Allah (swt), so remember to always show kindness, especially towards those affected by the death, as it is a pain too deep for one to bear alone.