alive but not living

blessedmuslimah: subhanAllah
blessedmuslimah: i’m scared sis
bintabdurRahman: about..?
bintabdurRahman: la marriage
bintabdurRahman: and what comes after
bintabdurRahman: ?
blessedmuslimah: no…

Mercy like the rain…

It was narrated that in the days that Musa (Alahi salaam) wandered with Bani Israel in the desert an intense drought befell them. Together, they raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the blessed rain to come. Then, to the astonishment of Musa (Alahi salaam) and all those watching, the few scattered clouds that were in the sky vanished, the heat poured down, and the drought intensified.

It was revealed to Musa that there was a sinner amongst the tribe of Bani Israel whom had disobeyed Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) for more than forty years of his life. “Let him separate himself from the congregation,” Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) told Musa (Alahi salaam). “Only then shall I shower you all with rain.”

Musa (Alahi salaam) then called out to the throngs of humanity, “There is a person amongst us who has disobeyed Allah for forty years. Let him separate himself from the congregation and only then shall we be rescued from the drought.” That man, waited, looking left and right, hoping that someone else would step forward, but no one did. Sweat poured forth from his brow and he knew that he was the one.

The man knew that if he stayed amongst the congregation all would die of thirst and that if he stepped forward he would be humiliated for all eternity.

Leaders of the Rightous

Quite a large number of my friends, having gotten married a summer or two summers before, are now pregnant and expecting children. SubhanAllah, what an emmense responsibility! That’s a whole life under your care that you can either lead or mislead – and get rewarded or punished depending on what you tried to do. That’s a breathing, living, beautiful individual that WILL change your life.

Gone are the days where you think mainly of yourself. Or if you’re married, of your husband Gone are the days where you think mainly of what you will do with YOUR future.

What will you do with THEIR future? Your breathing, living, beautiful little person. SubhanAllah! If you want to discuss the point of human selflessness, talk about parenthood.

Would I be scared in that position?

people whom Allah loves

My mom told me this morning about a beautiful woman who had lived to be in her late 70’s, and passed away two days ago. Hanaa Hashim. A sign that Allah subhanaHu wata3ala loves a person is that He fills the creation with love for that person.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “When Allah loves a slave, He calls Jibreel (Gabriel) and says: ‘I love so-and-so; so love him.’ And then Jibreel loves him. Then Jibreel announces in the heavens saying: ‘Allah loves so-and-so; so love him’; then the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him; and then people on earth love him” (Al-Bukhari).

SubhanAllah, from the little my mom told me about this individual, I love her for the sake of Allah subhanaHu wata3ala. May Allah accept her deeds and forgive her sins… Ameen!

Hanaa lived in Saudi Arabia, and came from Syria when she was 21 after she got married. On her plane trip to Saudi Arabia, she was to meet a stranger, who would soon become her best friend. My mothers mom – tayta Dalal, Allah yarhamah.

When my grandmother passed away more than 20 years ago, the witnesses after she passed would mention the most beautiful smell coming from her body and a smile that was visible on her face, among other things. We pray and hope that the way she lived her life, and these signs upon her death are noteworthy of how her akhira is.

After my grandmother passed away, the two families stayed very close companions. Hanaa’s mother lived to be 102, and passed away three years ago. The last ten years of her life however were spent in caring for her mom. While her mom was still alive, she couldn’t move, and Hanaa cared for her every need – feeding her and cleaning her. SubhanAllah, when people at her age would normally need others to look after them, she was looking after her mom with such vigor! Even when she had children and grandchildren of her own.

Before my grandmother passed away from cancer, Hanaa would help her dear friend too. Taking care of her children and home, and her best friends needs. SubhanAllah.

Two days before she passed away, she dreamt of my taytah Dalal – dressed in beautiful clothing and adorned with makeup saying to her, “My dear Hanaa, isn’t it time for you to join me? I cannot wait longer, I miss you.” And she knew her time to leave this world was approaching.

Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqun. [Al-Zukhruf (43): 67]

“المرء على دين خليله فلينظر أحدكم من يخالل”

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 3alayhi wasallam) said: A person is on the deen of his friend, so be careful of who you befriend.

May Allah grant us rightous and amazing friends whom He loves, who will lead us towards rightousness and not away from it, and may Allah make us amazing and rightous friends so that we may lead our friends towards rightousness and not away from it. Ameen!

the (in)security of this world

One thing I realized today is that I need to start living my life solely with the security of how Allah subhanaHu wata3ala describes the reality of this world – as opposed to what people and society view security of this world to be.

They tell me that if I have a job and a retirement plan then I’ll be secure for the rest of my time here. But Allah tells me if I don’t have taqwa of Him and establish my prayers, then I will never be secure with anything.

They tell me if I eat a good and healthy meal each day and excerise, then my health will be secure for the rest of my life. But Allah tells me if I don’t feed my soul just as I feed my body, then I will never acheive health.

Everything seems twisted. Everything. We’re securing our positions in this life, but we’re forgetting our positions in the Hereafter… people vie away from being losers in this life – but who will be the real loser? SubhanAllah!

They start living by society’s rules and terms of security – they’ve made it their religion, their deen to live by!

Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah. None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who are the losers. [Al-A'raaf (7): 99].

The thing is… even though some people have that mindset (feeling secure or attaining security with other than Allah) more than others, living and growing up in this society, its hard not to have even a little of it in our thoughts.

May Allah forgive us and take that mindset far away from our minds and hearts, we can only find security with You ya Allah – if you do not secure our position and have Mercy on us in this life and the next, who is it that will? None but You ya Allah. Forgive us indeed You Love to Forgive!

And when they regretted and saw that they had gone astray, they (repented and) said: “If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall certainly be of the losers.” [Al-A'raf (7): 149]

hardships.

O Allah! I complain to You of my weakness, my scarcity of resources and my humiliation before the people. O Most Merciful of those who are merciful. O Lord of the weak and my Lord too. To whom have you entrusted me? To a distant person who receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy to whom you have granted authority over my affair? So long as You are not angry with me, I do not care. Your favour is of more abundance to me. I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right, lest Your anger or your displeasure descend upon me. I desire your pleasure and satisfaction until you are pleased. There is no power and no might except by You.-The Prophet Muhammad salaAllahu 3alayhi wasallam after requesting assistance at Ta’if

It was many years ago when I first heard that Allah tests those whom He loves. I’ve come to realize that it’s an amazing sign of His Mercy to give those tests to the believers. How else would a servant of His achieve strength in their deen and closeness to Him?

In the Light of Guidance course, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi taught us that a Mu’min has his Imaan deeply rooted and because of those deep roots, is not easily wavered by trials and tribulations. But in order to become that strong, what does a believer have to do?

How can one get stronger physically if they’re not pushing their limits and trying to build that muscle? How can a believer’s Iman become as strong as a deeply rooted tree if he’s not first tested with trials, small at first, and maybe growing in scale afterwards?

A believer has to fight their nafs in order to get there… It doesn’t come suddenly, one day out of the blue, and then they are able to withstand the most difficult of tests.

SubhanAllah, I’ve found that the more you try to protect yourself (from yourself and the fitan around you) and the harder you strive to get closer to Allah subhanaHu wata3ala, the more tests Allah puts in your path, every single day. If we pass these tests, we have the potential of soaring as Muslimeen, and becoming what we are able to become because of our deen. May Allah grant us a high status and honor us through Islam. Ameen!

Say: “O ‘Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Az-Zumar (39): 53]

Driving @ Fajr

Coming back from a qiyaam, all I thought of was getting home to my warm bed. Until I saw the sunrise – and then all I thought of was the suspended beauty and serenity I was witnessing.

*deep breath*

Wow. Allahu Akbar!

How refreshing it felt – blessed to open a new day with my deen still intact – wa lillahil Hamd!

 By  the Dawn.…

There is indeed in them (the above oaths) sufficient proofs for men of understanding (and that, they should avoid all kinds of sins and disbeliefs, etc.)!

Wal-Fajr. By the Dawn. Indeed, by the Dawn – enough of a miracle that it is used as a proof in the Qur’an of Allah’s Magnificence. Each day witnesses this rising, and I can literally count (to my dismay) how many times I have actually witnessed it rising myself.

Each day there is an opportunity for a new chance – to be led on the straight path, or to be led astray. That choice we make for ourselves, with each rising of the sun. And we ask Allah to lead us to the straight path, and protect us from being led astray.

Have you ever driven at 7 o’clock on a Saturday morning? The cars moving past even seem to be hushed, not wanting to interrupt the witness of the sun slowly making its ascent as the day begins.

Silenced Sunny Serenity.

The Mercy of Allah.

Ahhh the joy of being Muslim.

Qiyaam

Sahl Bin Sa’d, Jaabir Bin ‘Abdillaah, and ‘Alee Bin Abee Taalib all reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:

“Jibreel came to me and said, ‘O Muhammad, live as long as you wish –- you will surely die; love whoever you wish –- you will surely depart from him; and do as you wish –- you will surely be judged according to it. And know that a believer’s honour lies in his Qiyaam at night, and his dignity is in being (financially) independent from other people.’”

[Recorded by at-Tabaraanee (in ‘al-Awsat’), al-Bayhaqee, and others. Verified to be Hasan by al-Albaanee in ‘as-Saheehah’, 831.]