MOTHER, MY HERO

My Mother…My Hero!!!

By Bint Salim

 

As I begin writing my heart becomes heavy with tears of that which I wish to express; gratitude, love, admiration, pride, respect, joy, appreciation, forgiveness, Dua and so much more. I tried putting my words into the context of poetry; but it just could not do justice to a remarkable woman; a gem, a rare personality, a priceless woman. My mother My HERO.

YOUR EYES : Gazed at me forgetting the pain of birth described to be, near death. Those same eyes wateched me grow, gazed at me with love and affection. Those eyes sacrificed sleep to bring me peace. It also told me when I was wrong. When I achieved , with pride and joy those same eyes would glow. Times came when I was in pain, your eyes softened to comfort me, yet tears would flow.THERE IS NO BETTER LOVE THAN THAT LOVE FROM A HERO.

YOUR EARS: Waited to hear my first giggle, attended to my every cry and plea, heard my first word. Those ears, would hear me out when I made no sense, or when I spoke nonsense. Those soft ears listen to me recite my duas and Quraan. Those ears till today put up with me, no matter where we go. THERES NO LOVE BETTER THAN THAT LOVE FROM A HERO.

YOUR VOICE AND LIPS: It sang the words of Allah Ta'ala to soothe my soul so I may sleep peacefully. It's the first voice I heard, when I was little. It uttered words of comfort to make me happy. Telling me stories and giving me advice. Teaching me my duas and Quraan. Scolding me when I was wrong. Explaining to me when I did not know what was going. Reminding me to read my salaah and waking me up for sehri. The voice that never lied, from her soft never did it fail to tell me ' I love you.'Constantly making dua for me. I started off my life with your kiss on my forehead, now I start and conclude my day with your kiss on my forehead. Never did your lips tell a lie, and when you would kiss my wound, its gentleness caused the pain to die. ' I love you my angel' you always told me. Those lips answered my every question, no matter how late it could be. No matter how naughty I could be, those lips always smiled upon me. Those soft lips expressed the voice that no mater what tone; it is always gentle, patient and mellow. THERES NO BETTER LOVE THAN THAT LOVE FROM A HERO.

YOUR HANDS: Held me with love when I was just few hours old, I held them when I needed help to walk and when I need your comfort and support. Those arms I rested in when I felt tired. Those tender hands cleaned my nose, fed me, changed my nappy and clothes. Those pure hands wiped my tears and hugs me to shield away my fears. Till today those hands express so much. Those hands brings me happiness when I am sad, it tickles me causing me laughter. It soothed me when I was ill, rubbing the burn away. Feeding me medication to take the misery away. Till today nothing but a loving touch did it show. THERES NO BETTER LOVE THAN THAT LOVE FROM A HERO.

YOUR HEART: Never fails to love her creator, The Protector of souls. Every action portrayed from your eyes, ears, voice and lips comes from deep within your heart. full of love and life it beats, worrying about each childs safety and success. Pure and soft, it holds so much love, to that there's no measure. Your heart is an absolute treasure. It's kindness, humbleness, love and piety is rare to find. A heart that from which the beat of Thikrul allah and durood of Rasoolullah constantly flows. THERE'S NO BETTER LOVE THAN THAT LOVE FROM A HERO.

MY DUA FOR MY MOTHER MY HERO:

OH MOST LOVING ALLAH,

Answer my dua for from my heart I cry this plea.

Let not lifes cold chill

To the skin of my mother spill.

Bring happiness of Duniya

And Aakhira into my mothers life,

And keep her the happiest wife!

For her: Make time stop to wait her presence.

Make clouds dance to the of her heart – You(Almighty Allah)

Make angels prance in her footsteps.

Make flowers smile in her radiance.

Make birds sings and jump for the season she brings.

Make rivers gently rush to softly kiss her feet.

For in the Duniya you have placed Jannah

beneath those fragile feet.

She walked a life of glass.

Time has to pass.

So in the Aakhira ,

Bestow her with that which you have promised.

Jannah and it's bounties on repeat.

Ameen Ya Rabbal Aalameen

5 Rules for Happiness

5 Rules for Happiness

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less

ARE YOU HAPPY ?(Motivational)

Are you happy?

By Abu Muhammad Yusuf

We are all searching for happiness. In achieving this happiness our attitude in life plays a crucial role.

After years of hard and dedicated service to his Company,  Ahmed was being appointed at an elegant reception  as the new Director. It was a small function where his wife Fatimah, a Home Executive,  and  some of the wives of the other persons in top management were also present.

In an adjacent room, Ann, the wife of the CEO of the Company, asked Ahmed's wife a very odd an usual question; "Does your husband make you happy?"

The husband, Ahmed, who at that moment was not at her side, but was sufficiently near to hear the question, paid attention to the conversation, sitting up slightly, feeling secure, even filling his chest lightly in pride and hope, knowing that his spouse was a role model Muslimah and would definitely not publically lower or degrade her husband, would answer affirmatively, since she had always been there for him during their marriage and generally in life. Nevertheless, to both his and the others' surprise, she replied simply;

"No, no he doesn't make me happy…"

The room became uncomfortably silent, as if everyone were listening to the spouse's response. There was a sudden coldness in the air. The husband was petrified. A frown appeared on his face. He couldn't believe what his wife was saying, especially at such an important occasion for him. To the amazement of her husband and of everyone!

Fatimah sat up firmly, moved her elegant black hijab in place, and explained in a modest but stern tone to the other wives who were present;

"No, he doesn't make me happy… I AM HAPPY. The fact that I am happy or not doesn't depend on him, but on me. Allah Ta'ala is Most Wise and has granted each of us intellect and discretion to reason, interpret and decide. Allah Ta'ala made me the person upon which my happiness depends. I make the choice to be happy in each situation and in each moment of my life. If my happiness were to depend on other people, on other things or circumstances on the face of this earth, I would be in serious trouble! Over my life I have learned a couple of things: I decide to be happy and the rest is a matter of 'experiences or circumstances;' like helping, and understanding, accepting, listening, consoling; and with my spouse, I have lived and practiced this many times. Honestly true happiness lies in being content"

Relieved and reassured, a smile was clearly noticed on Ahmed's face.

Moral:  Happiness will always be found in contentment, forgiveness and in loving yourself and others. To truly love is difficult, it is to forgive unconditionally, to live, to take the "experiences or circumstances" as they are, facing them together and being happy with conviction. There are those who say I cannot be happy  :

·       Because I am sick.

·       Because I have no money.

·       Because it's too cold.

·       Because they insulted me.

·       Because someone stopped loving me.

·       Because someone didn't appreciate me.

But what you don't know is that you can be happy even though you are sick, whether it is too hot, whether you have money or not, whether someone has insulted you, or someone didn't love you, or hasn't valued you.

The Noble Messenger of Allah Ta'ala is reported to have said: "The happiness of the son of Adam depends on his being content with what Allah has decreed for him…the misery of the son of Adam results from in his discontent with what Allah has decreed for him." (Hadith- Tarmidhi)

Being Happy is an attitude about life and each one of us must decide!

Being Happy, depends on you!

SIX FAST OF SHAWWAL

SIX FAST OF SHAWWAL

 

 

                       

Fasting Six Days of Shawwal After Ramadan: "Like Fasting The Entire Year"

The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said,

"Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days from Shawwal it is as if they fasted the entire year." [Hadith-Muslim]

NB. It is permitted to fast these six days separately throughout the month, or consecutively, after Eid al-Fitr. It is prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) and sinful to fast on Eid day itself.

THE COVER GIRL

THE COVER GIRL

 

Walking down the road, sporting the latest handbag , designer shoes and the trendiest figure hugging abayah….Wow is she turning heads around here! Is this our new cover girl?

 The Beloved Messenger of Allah( S.A.W ) said: There are two types of people who will be punished in hell and whom I've not seen:(the second type)Women will be dressed but appear to be naked, they will attract others to themselves, and they themselves will be  attracted to others. Their heads will appear like the humps of the camels, they will not enter Paradise and they will not smell its fragrance which can be smelt from such and such a distance.

Shaytaan's ambition is to mislead. When a muslimah makes a niyyah to wear the hijaab he jumps into action.

Plot 1: He tries to stop her. If he fails…

Plot 2:Misleads her in donning hijaab. She thinks she is covering,but chooses a figure hugging abayah or she lifts the jalabeeb instead of lowering….

So lets ask ourselves,are we really covered girls or do we want to be "cover girls?"

There is a parable of a flower and a pearl both striking in their beauty, lets ponder and take a lesson, which one do we want to be?

Suddenly, a tinge of distress appeared on the flower. "Nothing accounts for sorrow in your talk; so why are u depressed?" The pearl asked."Human beings deal with us carelessly; they slight us. They don't grow us for our sake but to get pleasure from our fragrance and beautiful appearance. They throw us on the street or in the garbage can after we are dispossessed of the most valuable properties; brilliance and fragrance"

The flower sighed. And then  the flower said to the pearl: "Speak to me about your life! How do you live? How do you feel it? You are buried in the bottom of the sea. "

The pearl answered: "Although I have none of your distinctive colours and sweet scents, humans think I am precious. They do the impossible to procure me. They go on long journeys, dive deep in the seas searching for me. You might be astounded to know that the further I lay, the more beautiful and brilliant I become. That's what upraises my value in their thought. I live in a thick shell isolated in the dark seas. However, I'm happy and proud to be in a safe zone far from wanton and mischievous hands and still the humans consider me highly valuable" Do you know what the flower and the pearl symbolize?

 Think ..Think..

You will find that The flower is the woman who shows her charms and the pearl is the veiled woman who conceals her beauties.

Ponder  about it!

"O Prophet(pbuh)! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their outer garments (jilbabs) close around themselves; that is better that they will be recognized and not annoyed. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.(Al Quran Al-Ahzab:59)

The Dirty Laundry…(motivational)

The Dirty Laundry…

By Abu Muhammad Yusuf

 

In life we often tend to be judgmental and very often look down upon others without exploring deeper as to why the person is behaving in such a way. The Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said "It is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All of a Muslim is sacred to another Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honour." (Hadith- Muslim)

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbour hanging the laundry outside. "That laundry is not very clean", she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap. "Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbour would hang her washing to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean laundry on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."

"The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows"

Lesson: If our windows are dirty so will we see others as dirty too. What we see in others is indeed a reflection of our inner-selves! So it is with life that what we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look. It is easy for us to discuss other people, their lives & things that really doesn't even concern us and we tend to forget - our windows may not be that clean after all! If we good we will see good…

The Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:
"A Muslim is a mirror to another Muslim"(Hadith_Abu Dawud)

EID MUBARAK

EID MUBARAK

 

SUNNAH ACTS & TIPS ON HOW TO SPEND THE JOYOUS DAY OF EID

SUNNAH ACTS & TIPS ON HOW TO SPEND THE JOYOUS DAY OF EID

SUNNAH ACTS ON THE DAY OF EID:

• Wake up early.
• Take a Ghusl (bath) before Eid Salaah
• Brush your teeth. [use Miswaak]
• Dress up, putting on best clothes available.
• Use itr [perfume]
• Eat something sweet before proceeding to the Eid Musallah e.g. Dates etc.
• Pay Zakaat-al-Fitr before Salaatul-Eid (on Eid-al-Fitr).
• Go to Eid Musallah (Eid Gah/prayer ground) early.
• Offer Salaah-al-Eid in congregation in an Eid Musallah[open place] except when whether is not permitting like rain, snow, etc.
• Use different roads en route to the Eid Musallah and back home.
• Recite the following Takbir on the way to Eid Musallah :
  
  

Allahu-Akbar, Allahu-Akbar. La ila-ha ill-lallah.Allahu-Akbar, Allahu-Akbar. Wa-lilahill hamd. (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. And all praises are for Allah)

TIPS ON HOW TO SPEND THE DAY OF EID:

• Keep in mind the pleasure of Allah and uphold Shari'ah at ALL times.
• Adorn yourself and your family modestly in the best of garments (not necessarily new).
• Should Eid be made at my mum or your mum or whoever/wherever? This requires Mashurah (mutual consultation). Mashurah is a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (Sallalaho alaihe wassallam).Try to compromise and accommodate each other.
• Avoid over eating and other festivities that have no benefit.
• Visit the poor, needy, orphans, elderly and sick.
• Maintain and strengthen family bonds- Rasulullah (S.A.W) is reported to have said, "Anyone who wishes to have his means of livelihood enlarged and a prolonged life, should treat his relatives with kindness."
• Don't forget the poor and needy Muslims in all parts of the world in your du'as and charity.
• Be punctual with our acts of worship on this joyous day.

Checklist-Ramadhaan

Checklist:

Ramadhan's Last Ten Nights and Days

 

 

 

In this blessed month of Ramadan, we have now come to the grand finale – the last ten days of Ramadan that are even more blessed than the rest of Ramadan. In it is a night that Qur'an tells us is better than 1000 months (yes, months – not days).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month which Allah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived." (Narrated by An-Nasaa'i, 2106; Ahmad, 8769. classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih At-Targheeb, 999.)

So, in preparation for the grand finale, here is a checklist of some of the things that we can all do to make the remaining days of Ramadan work to our advantage:

 

1) Get in High Gear for the Next few Nights and Days

Time is of the essence. Every moment counts. Whatever you need to do for the next ten days to make the most in `Ibadah, good deeds, reciting Qur'an, dhikr, making du`aa', etc., rewards are going to be multiplied. No one knew about the importance of these days more than the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). According to Ahmad and Muslim: he would strive hard in worship during the last ten nights of Ramadan as he did not do at other times.

If we lose this opportunity, we get our next opportunity next year – assuming we are still around and are in good health and shape to make use of it. Even if we are – we have the past years' sins on our shoulders and life's normal trials and tribulations to face the coming year. So, there is no better time to ask Allah to make all that easier than NOW.

 

2) Get a Copy of the Qur'an and Recite as Often as You Can

A few lines on this post can't even come close to explaining the benefits and virtues of Qur'an. It is proven in the authentic Sunnah that the Qur'an will intercede for those who read it at night, as Ahmad (6626) narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"Fasting and the Qur'an will intercede for a person on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say, 'O Lord, I deprived him of his food and his desires during the day, so let me intercede for him.' And the Qur'an will say: 'I deprived him of his sleep at night so let me intercede for him.' Then they will intercede." (Narrated by Ahmad; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami`, no. 3882.)

As is stated in the hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:"Whosoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will receive a Hasanah (good deed) from it (i.e. his recitation), and the Hasanah (good deed) is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif-laam-meem is (considered as) a letter (in reward), rather Alif is one letter, laam is one letter, and meem is one letter." (Reported by At-Tirmidhi, Ad-Darami)

The Messenger of Allah ! Blessings and Peace be upon him' said:"The best of you is he who learns the Quran and teaches it." (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

 

3) Get your Sins Forgiven

First the bad news – In Musnad Ahmad it is narrated that Thawbaan said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"A man is deprived of provision (Rizq) because of the sins that he commits." (Narrated by Ibn Majah, 4022, classed as hasan by Al-Albani in Sahih Ibn Majah).

And now for the good news –

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in Prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins."

 

4) What to Say on Laylat Al-Qadr

One of the best du`aa's that can be recited on Laylat Al-Qadr is that which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). It was narrated by At-Tirmidhi, who classed it as sahih, that 'A'ishah said: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, If I know which night is Laylat Al-Qadr, what should I say?" He said: "Say: Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibb al-'afwa fa`fu 'anni (O Allah, You are All-Forgiving and You love forgiveness so forgive me)."

 

5) Get in the Class of the Pious People

Allah has described the pious as follows (interpretation of the meaning):

(They used to sleep but little by night (invoking their Lord (Allah) and praying, with fear and hope). (Adh-Dhariyat 51:17)

(And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allah) for forgiveness,) (Adh-Dhariyat 51:18)

Allah's Messenger(saw) said:" There is in Paradise an Apartment, the exterior of which can be seen from the interior, and the interior of which can be seen from the exterior. Such apartments have been prepared for those who are Polite in their talk, Provide Food to the Needy, Fast frequently and observe the TAHAJJUD PRAYERS when people are sleep." (Mishkhat Al-Masabih ; Hadith No. 1232)

 

6) Finally…

Think of all that you need to ask Allah for and ask Him now. If you haven't before, this is the time to connect with Him and feel closer to Him. And when you do during these last ten nights and days of this Ramadan, you would want to do this again and again – even after the month is over.

And finally, when you are in a state of Prayers and worship, please open your heart for others as well and please do remember your brothers and sisters who are in great difficulty all around the world in your prayers. Remember what the Prophet said:

"The supplication that gets the quickest answer is the one made by one Muslim for another in his absence." (Reported by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi)

 

May Allah make it easy for us to benefit from the last ten nights and days of Ramadan

The Tea Set and the Rose -motivational story

The Tea Set and the Rose

A motivational story about sharing and caring during Eid

Ramadan was coming to an end soon and there were just a few days before Eid. I had to do some last minute Eid shopping. I was around in a store. I saw a cashier hand this little boy his money back saying :"I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this toy tea set."

Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: ''Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?''

The old lady replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this tea set, my dear.''

Then his granny asked him to stay there for 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly.

The little boy was still holding the tea set in his hand. Finally, I walked towards him and I asked him who he wished to give this tea set to.

"It's the tea set that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Eid. She was so sure that angels would bring it to her."

I replied to him that may be Allah will send it to her after all, and not to worry.

But he replied to me sadly. "No, the angels can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the tea set to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there."

His eyes were so sad while saying this. "My sister has gone to be with Allah. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see Allah very soon too, so I thought that she could take the tea set with her to give it to my sister.''

My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said: "I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall."

"I love my mommy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister "

Then he looked again at the tea set with sad eyes and very quietly I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy.

"What if we checked again, just in case you do have enough money?''

"OK" he said "I hope that I have enough."

I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for tea set and even some spare money.

The little boy said: "Jazakallah(Thank you Allah) for giving me enough money!"

Then he looked at me and added "I asked yesterday before I slept for Allah to make sure I have enough money to buy this tea set so that mommy can give it to my sister. Allah heard me!''

"I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask Allah for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the tea set and a white rose.''

"My mommy loves white roses."

A few minutes later, his granny came again and I left with my basket.

I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. Only Allah knows what went through my mind.

Then I remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, which mentioned of a wealthy drunk man in a sporty car, who caused a fatal accident seriously injuring young mother and her little daughter.

The little girl died right on the scene of the accident and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-assisting machine, because the young mum would not be able to recover from the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young mother had passed away and the funeral would be held early this morning.

I couldn't stop myself and I felt it my duty to go to the home where the body of the young woman was laying just before they were going to take it away for prayer and burial. Some ladies whom I recognized from our weekly Taalim Halqa were praying for the young lady.

She was there; wrapped in a white shroud, a beautiful white rose by her side and the same young boy I met earlier with the tea set against his chest.

I went close to the boy and then smiled at him and passed my hand over his head as I recalled the saying of the Messenger of Allah(peace be upon him): "Whoever caresses the head of an orphan (in affection), solely for the sake of Allah, a good deed will be written to his account for every hair over which he passed his hand, and whoever treated an orphan (boy or girl) with goodness and kindness, he and I will be close to each-other in Heaven as these two fingers"

I left the place, my eyes flowing with tears, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that this little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all these precious persons away from him.

Tomorrow was Eid. Recalling the saying of the Messenger of Allah(peace be upon him): "Whoever supports an orphan from among his own or any other family, he will be as close to me in Heaven as these fingers are close to each other."  I quickly hurried to the store to purchase a beautiful gift for the young orphaned prince who thought me a great lesson of sharing and caring.

Every Eid since then I have made it my duty to honour this orphaned boy.

Moral: Eid is a time to share and care…let us not forget the poor,orphans and needy on this blessed day.

NEW SHOES!!!-Motivational Story for Kids

NEW SHOES!!!

Motivational Story for Kids

ABOUT GIVING SECRETLY DURING RAMADHAN & EID

Umaymah and her brother, Muhammad Yusuf, were excited about the upcoming days. It was Ramadhan and thereafter Eid, a time to learn appreciation for the things they had, and to think of others who didn't have as much.

They had both been saving their money all year long. Umaymah , sat on her bed and dumped out her money from her money box. Coins ran all over the blanket. "This is a lot of money. Ammi says we are supposed to help someone. She wants us to think about how much we have and then think of someone who doesn't have very much, and do something nice for them," Umaymah said, gathering the money into a pile. "Dump out your money box, Muhammad Yusuf," she told her brother.
The coins came spilling out of his box onto the bed. "Wow! We can do a lot for someone with all this money," Muhammad Yusuf said, smiling. "This is such a special time of year. I'm glad we can help others."
"But we have to do it secretly, Muhammad Yusuf, remember. We have to pick someone and do something very nice without them knowing it is from us. Who should we pick?" Umaymah asked.
"Let's pick our neighbours, Fatima, and Ebrahim. I noticed that they had holes in their shoes," Muhammad Yusuf said.
"That's a good idea. We could buy some new shoes for them. They aren't as blessed as we are. We have a lot of shoes, don't we?" Umaymah asked with appreciation.
"I have three pairs. You have more. Let's buy some new shoes for them this Eid," Muhammad Yusuf said, smiling.
Muhammad Yusuf and Umaymah found their Ammi. She was busy cooking. She saw her children come into the kitchen. "I'm going to make some pizzas for tonight," she said, knowing her family loved to eat that during Ramadan .
"Abba is at the mosque, in prayer. When he comes home, after the sun sets, we'll have some time to sit together. In the meantime, you two look like you've got something on your minds."
"We want to help the poor. Muhammad Yusuf and I have been saving our money all year long and we want to help Fatima and Ebrahim, our neighbors," Umaymah began.
Muhammad Yusuf , with excitement, interrupted, "We want to buy them some shoes."
Ammi smiled at her beautiful children. She was so proud of them.
"Aren't you hungry, Ammi" Muhammad Yusuf asked. He knew she had not had anything to eat or drink since dawn that morning due to Ramadan fasting.
"I'm a little bit, but that is good for me. Don't worry about me. When you're older, you will understand more and be able to fast too," she explained Muhammad Yusuf who was only four years old "Would you like me to take you to the store to buy the shoes?" she asked.
"Would you, Ammi? Is that all right?" Umaymah begged.
"Why of course. Let's go," she said.
They drove to the shoe store and went inside. Umaymah  picked out a pair of shoes for Fatima.. Muhammad Yusuf  picked out a pair for Ebrahim. They were both so proud that they'd saved their money so they could do this to help. Later, they went home and wrapped the shoe boxes in plain brown paper. They waited anxiously for night to come. It would be dark and they could deliver their gifts.
The sun began to drop behind the horizon. A little while later, Abba came home. He and Ammi had some haleem[soup], then the pies and samoosas. Ammi called to her children, "Muhammad Yusuf  and Ummaymah. Come and have some pizzas, and some fresh dates." The children came running into the kitchen. Ammi cut them a big piece.
They gobbled it down quickly as they were anxious to do their good deed. "Slow down, children," Abba urged, laughing.
It was soon dark outside. Ammi had the children go and get the boxes they'd wrapped so carefully. They put their jackets on and walked quietly over to Fatima and Ebrahim's house. Ammi whispered, "All right, children. We must be very quiet and very fast. Muhammad Yusuf , you knock on the door and then run over here, to this bush, where Ummaymah  and I will be hiding. We'll watch as they come and find their gifts."
Ummaymah  and Muhammad Yusuf giggled with delight. Ummaymah and Ammi hid, and Muhammad Yusuf  tiptoed up to the door. He put both of the boxes down on the porch, and knocked hard. Then he ran, and ran, and ran, as fast as he could, to where Ummaymah and Ammi were. "Shhh," Ammi whispered. "Someone opened the door."
They watched as Fatima and Ebrahim' came out onto the porch. "Look! There are presents for us. Someone left them here," Ebrahim cried out with excitement. He and Fatima looked around. It was very dark and they couldn't see anyone. They picked up the boxes and took them inside. They left the front door open as they opened their boxes. Ammi, Ummaymah  and Muhammad Yusuf noticed the tears of joy trickling down their innocent cheeks.
After a minute or two, waiting to make sure they wouldn't be seen, Ammi, Ummaymah  and Muhammad Yusuf , snuck quietly back to their house. Muhammad Yusuf  started laughing. "Abba!Abba! We did it! We snuck up and left the presents!"
Ummaymah added, "They didn't see us, Abba. They don't know it was us." She was laughing too.
Abba and Ammi stood back and looked at their children. They were so proud of them. They knew their children knew the real meaning of giving and of sacrifice. The next morning, as Ammi, Abba, Ummaymah  and Muhammad Yusuf  went outside their house, they saw Fatima and Ebrahim' outside playing. They were both wearing their brand new shoes. Nobody said a thing. Ummaymah  and Muhammad Yusuf  just smiled, because it is one of the best Ramadan and Eid for them.
"Seven who Allah will grant shade in His shade on the day when there is no shade except His shade... and a man who gave something in charity secretly such that his left hand did not know what his right hand had given..." Muslim & Bukhari
Moral: We should think of others that are less fortunate than ourselves on this beautiful day of  Eid. Not everyone has such a wonderful day. It is a day of celebration, but take a moment to stop and think of those who are less fortunate than ourselves by following the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
What good habits we will inculcate in our kids is really a true investment!

Forgiveness:Its Something Extra Special!!!

Forgiveness:

Its Something Extra Special!!!

 

 

 

"So fear Allah and adjust all matters of difference among you.'' (Quran-8:1)

 

The Messenger of Allah Muhammad [Peace be upon him] is reported to have said:

" If one gives charity it does not diminish his wealth; if one forgives others, Allah bestows more honour on him; and if one humbles himself for Allah's sake, Allah exalts him higher." (Hadith-Muslim)

 

Some Handy Tips!!!

 

• Make dua[pray]- For only Allah can reconcile hearts and differences
• Forgive- He who forgives is forgiven and Allah will elevate his status!
• Act- SMS[text],call, email etc or even better personally approach the person/s and ask them forgiveness.
• Remove Hatred-Don't hold any hatred in your heart-hatred is the cancer of the heart and soul- It Destroys the Hater and Not the hated!
• It's a process-Remember, forgiveness is a process that takes time and patience to complete. You must be ready. Realize that forgiveness is for you - not for anyone else
• Not Condoning- Realize that forgiving does not mean you are condoning the actions of the offender or what they did to you. It does mean that you will blame less and find a way to think differently about what happened to you.
• Refocus-Refocus on the positives in your life. A life well lived is the best revenge. People who find a way to see love, beauty and kindness around them are better able to forgive and get past their grievances.
• There is no such thing as an unforgivable act. So don't let your fear of what you did, or rage about what was done to you, dissuade you from either seeking or granting forgiveness.
• Stay balanced. The number of apologies you seek should be proportional to the number you are willing to offer, because the doing of each nurtures the capacity for the other.
• Know that you are never alone. Allah is always with you!
• Allow love to triumph over logic. There will always be a good reason to keep doing what you are doing or to withhold your forgiveness from someone else. But real issue is whether or not you love them enough to go beyond that logic.
• Keep it simple. Apologize for, or forgive, one thing at a time. There is always more to the story, but this is not the moment to explore it.
• Remember that forgiveness is not always the end of the process, but the beginning of a new level of relationship which may continue to be shaped into something very special
• Celebrate the moment of forgiveness by thanking Allah for giving you the opportunity to remove this burden off your shoulders. Give Sadaqah[charity] as it pleases Allah and removes Allah's anger.

The Prize Giving

The Prize Giving

By Abdur Rahmaan Umar

"What! Are they crazy?" shouted Fatima, banging the knife on chopping board hard enough to scatter carrots in every direction and send the cat racing for the back door.

"What do they think? How can they possibly..." she sighed deeply, and raised the knife for another assault on the chopping board.

"Don't they realise we have so much work to do? I mean who schedules a prize giving for the night before Eid."

"But ma...that's what Moulana(Sheikh)  said today. That there definitely is a prize giving," whispered Ahmed, cowering behind a chair in case another barrage of carrots was launched.

"Which Moulana? And why don't they think!" she continued, pausing just long enough to heave another heavy sigh, "We have so much to do the night before Eid. Get the kids clothes ready, prepare the plates, layer the biryani...and...this year Eid is by us, so everyone from ninety nine kilometres around will be here. So is Moulana going to come layer the Biryani?"

"I think I must phone him. Now! He must cancel this madness," she moaned, "Prize giving before Eid! My foot!"

"And who must be there? Must we all come?"

Ahmed lifted head just a little above the chair and said "Ja, ma. He said it's for everybody. No one should be left out."

"Well I'll explain to him," said Fatima, reaching for the cordless phone, "then maybe he'll understand why some people...some people...like me just can't be there. We have work, you know?"

Fatima began banging the numbers into the phone which let out loud beep with every painful prod.

"Gee, Moulana Yusuf!" she began, "What's this about a prize giving the night before Eid? Whose crazy idea was this? Do you people know what the night of Eid is? We have so much to do?"

Without waiting for answers she continued, "I thought being a Muslim school you would think about us poor mothers who have to do EVERYTHING. I mean who decided that the school should have a prize giving the night before Eid? So whose grand idea was it?"

She sighed deeply and wiped the moisture collecting in her eye.

Moulana to advantage of the brief pause to squeeze in a word, "Sorry sister, but it wasn't my idea."

"Then who's grand idea was this! Who decided this?" she shouted. The phone nearly slipping out of her hand.

"Allah's idea," came the almost inaudible reply.

"Moulana! If I didn't have roza (fast)  in my mouth I would have said such things that would have made your head spin in two directions. What has Allah got to do with the school timetable?" cried Fatima, her big frame collapsing into the nearest kitchen chair, accompanied by more deep sighs and a few moans.

"Sister, please listen to me," said, Moulana taking advantage of the few second of silence, "There is a prize giving and it was at the request of Allah Ta'ala."

Fatima straightened up in the chair and began to say something but Moulana continued, "As part of  a lengthy Hadith in a book called Targheeb narrated by Ibn Abbas Radiallahu anhuma, the Noble Messenger Sallahu alaihi wasalam said that the night of Eidul Fitr is called Laylatul Jaa'izah – the night of prize giving. And in another Hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah Radiallahu anhu, Rasulallah Salallahu Alaihi wasalam mentioned that on the last night of Ramadaan Allah Ta'ala forgives the believers. The Companions Radiallahu Anhum enquired if that last night was Laylatul Qadr, and the Messenger replied "No, but it is only right that a servant should be given his reward on having completed his service."

"So I explained to the children that just as they want to be honoured at the school prize giving and they work hard the whole year so they could get an award – Allah Ta'ala also rewards those servants of His who excelled during the months of Ramadaan and they are honoured with special awards for the Aghirah."

Fatima's faced flushed a bright pink and she let out a soft moan, "I didn't know that"

"The the night before Eid," continued Moulana Yusuf, "is a very important night and we should at least spend part of it in the worship of Allah. Despite all the other work we have, we should not lose the blessing of this night, because this is a such a night that who so ever remains awake on this night in the worship of his Lord, Allah, his heart will not die on the day when hearts will die?"

"What does that mean?" enquired Fatima now curious about this special night.

"On the day of Judgement when hearts will nearly die out of fear, this person will be free of such fear and anguish. Also, that person who remembers Allah is like a living person and the one who doesn't is like a dead person. So to emphasise – this is a very important night that we often forget because we are too busy preparing for the next day or have already started celebrating Eid."

Fatima stared at the pink slippers on her feet, "I'm sorry I shouted at you Moulana, but we just have so much pressure with Eid coming, there is so much to do. But I will have to make some time for Ibadat on this special night. But why didn't Ahmed tell me this."

Ahmed now stood boldly away from the kitchen chair, "Because, Ma.....you didn't give me chance to explain."