Today was day two of Kindergarten for my first born. After I sent her off this morning I couldn’t help but reminiscence about the past and how she has grown over the years. In the blink of an eye she has transformed from an infant to a confident little girl who is eager to learn new things and explore the world around her. She is ready to spread out her wings and fly away from the secure nest I had created for her. It’s hard to let go, harder for me than it is for her. She seems ready for it but I can’t believe that the time has come when she is not my baby anymore. She is an individual with changing needs and I as a parent need to accommodate for her and help her reach her full potential & even beyond. Soon she will learn to read and write and develop this whole new world with friends of her own. There will be much more on her mind than telly-tubbies and playdough and she will be faced with challenges big and small. The big wide world out there is waiting to engulf her and make her a part of the rat race and strip her of her innocence.
When I went to pick her up I was excited to see her again and couldn’t wait to bring her back home. Those few hours I spent away from her, all I could do was think about her. When I walked through the door to where she was, my eyes yearned to see her face again. There she was sitting patiently waiting for mummy to come get her. The minute she saw me her eyes lit up and she ran towards me and gave me the biggest hug ever and then proceeded to give me the wettest kiss ever! I was so overwhelmed, I just stood there and soaked it all in.
This is just the beginning, but to see my darling get past her first big milestone gives me immense happiness. I am ever grateful to Allah to have blessed me with two beautiful children and to have given me the opportunity to experience these many facets of parenthood. We are both embarked on a journey that is so unique and exhilarating. It’s one of those things that you would want to do over and over again and no matter how much you do it, it will not satisfy you and there is always going to be a lifelong yearning to relive these moments of sheer bliss.
All of us are now well aware of the Victorian Bush fires that have claimed so many lives and destroyed hundreds of homes and wiped out complete towns and communities. So many are mourning the loss of their loved ones and their life long possessions.
It's amazing to see how the community at large has gathered together to help those struck by this natural disaster and everyone is offering their support by all means possible and helping to make a difference and assisting the people in putting their lives back together.
I was browsing through one of the news websites and the title that caught my eye was how the Australian Jewish community was doing their bit in providing aid to the victims of the bush fires. What I cannot comprehend is, why can't we as Muslims also make an effort and do our bit.? Don't you think we should participate actively and get the word out that that we too as a minority care about the welfare of these people, and use it as a means of mass dawah? Why can't our masajids organise fundraisers and offer to be drop off points for donations or even offer refuge to the victims? Is it that hard to go out there and provide consolation to those grieving the loss of their loved ones?
We have always been portrayed by the media to be among those who are hermits and do not 'integrate' and mingle with the common man. Islam is a religion of peace and spreading the word of Allah and calling people to Islam should be of utmost importance to us. Making use of such opportunities can help us refute the allegations that have been made against us by the media.
Has it ever occured to you that there could have been Muslims among those who have lost their lives and homes? The Jewish community has records of all the Jews in the area and are doing their bit in locating them and making sure they are all safe. Do we have something similar in place? If there have been Muslims who have lost their lives, it is our duty to make sure they are buried accordingly and to offer prayers for them.
We need to wake up and stop being aloof to the happenings around us. Take an active part. Go out there and volunteer to offer your support. Make yourself known as a caring, kind and considerate MUSLIM. Do it for Allah's sake and for the sake of humanity.
I nicked this idea off sis Nicola's blog. Listed below are "100 Things". The ones in blue are the things I've tried and the rest are those I haven’t.
# 2, 4 -7, 12, 24, 26, 30, 32, 33, 48, 62, 64, 68 & 78 are the things I’d like to do some day, insha’Allah.
100 Things
1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumping
12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted/Sponsored a child 16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the EiffelTower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favourite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Qur’an 86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee 100. Read an entire book in one day
I won’t tag anyone in particular. Whoever wants to join in can do so. Just leave a comment once you’re done.
Last night while I lay in bed, finding it hard to fall asleep I was thinking about life after death and about our time in our graves. SubhanAllah the darkness and silence of the night reminded me of the atmosphere in our grave and it sent shivers down my spine. We are so engulfed in this dunya and everything it contains we fail to realise that death is lurking over us and we can be here one minute and gone the next. Are we prepared to face our Lord? Are we making enough dua to Allah swt to protect us from the torments of the grave?
It was narrated that Haani’ the freed slave of ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan said:
When ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affaan stood by a grave he would weep until his beard became wet. It was said to him, “You remember Paradise and Hell and you do not weep, but you weep because of this?” He said, “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The grave is the first of the stages of the Hereafter; whoever is saved from it, whatever comes afterwards will be easier for him, but if he is not saved from it, what comes afterwards will be worse for him.’” And the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I have never seen any scene but the grave is more frightening than it.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2308; Ibn Maajah, 4567; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1684).
The first thing that will happen after being lowered in our grave and when our loved ones depart is the questioning by the angels. This is explained in the following hadith:
It was narrated that al-Bara’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: We went out with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for the funeral of a man from among the Ansaar. We came to the grave and when (the deceased) was placed in the lahd, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat down and we sat around him, as if there were birds on our heads (i.e., quiet and still). In his hand he had a stick with which he was scratching the ground. Then he raised his head and said, “Seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the grave”, two or three times. Then he said, “When the believing slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with white faces like the sun, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. They bring with them shrouds from Paradise and perfumes from Paradise. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head, and he says, ‘O good soul, come forth to forgiveness from Allaah and His pleasure.’ Then it comes out easily like a drop of water from the the mouth of a waterskin. When he seizes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it and put it in that shroud with that perfume, and there comes from it a fragrance like the finest musk on the face of the earth. Then they ascend and they do not pass by any group of angels but they say, ‘Who is this good soul?’ and they say, ‘It is So and so the son of So and so, calling him by the best names by which he was known in this world, until they reach the lowest heaven. They ask for it to be opened to them and it is opened, and (the soul) is welcomed and accompanied to the next heaven by those who are closest to Allaah, until they reach the seventh heaven. Then Allaah says: ‘Record the book of My slave in ‘Illiyoon in the seventh heaven, and return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I will return them and from it I will bring them forth once again.’ So his soul is returned to his body and there come to him two angels who make him sit up and they say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He says, ‘Allaah.’ They say, ‘What is your religion?’ He says, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They say, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ He says, ‘He is the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’ They say, ‘What did you do?’ He says, ‘I read the Book of Allaah and I believed in it.’ Then a voice calls out from heaven, ‘My slave has spoken the truth, so prepare for him a bed from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a gate to Paradise.’ Then there comes to him some of its fragrance, and his grave is made wide, as far as he can see. Then there comes to him a man with a handsome face and handsome clothes, and a good fragrance, who says, ‘Receive the glad tidings that will bring you joy this day.’ He says, ‘Who are you? Your face is a face which brings glad tidings.’ He says, ‘I am your righteous deeds.’ He says, ‘O Lord, hasten the Hour so that I may return to my family and my wealth.’ But when the disbelieving slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with black faces, bringing sackcloth, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head, and he says, ‘O evil soul, come forth to the wrath of Allaah and His anger.’ Then his soul disperses inside his body, then comes out cutting the veins and nerves, like a skewer passing through wet wool. When he seizes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it and put it in that sackcloth, and there comes from it a stench like the foulest stench of a dead body on the face of the earth. Then they ascend and they do not pass by any group of angels but they say, ‘Who is this evil soul?’ and they say, ‘It is So and so the son of So and so, calling him by the worst names by which he was known in this world, until they reach the lowest heaven. They ask for it to be opened to them and it is not opened.” Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited (interpretation of the meaning):
“for them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle” [al-A’raaf 7:40]
He said: “Then Allaah says, ‘Record the book of My slave in Sijjeen in the lowest earth, and return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I will return them and from it I will bring them forth once again.’ So his soul is cast down.” Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever assigns partners to Allaah, it is as if he had fallen from the sky, and the birds had snatched him, or the wind had thrown him to a far off place” [al-Hajj 22:31]
He said: “Then his soul is returned to his body, and there come to him two angels who make him sit up and they say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He says, ‘Oh, oh, I don’t know.’ They say, ‘What is your religion?’ He says, ‘Oh, oh, I don’t know.’ Then a voice calls out from heaven, ‘Prepare for him a bed from Hell and clothe him from Hell, and open for him a gate to Hell.’ Then there comes to him some of its heat and hot winds, and his grave is constricted and compresses him until his ribs interlock. Then there comes to him a man with an ugly face and ugly clothes, and a foul stench, who says, ‘Receive the bad news, this is the day that you were promised.’ He says, ‘Who are you? Your face is a face which forebodes evil.’ He says, ‘I am your evil deeds.’ He says, ‘O Lord, do not let the Hour come, do not let the Hour come.’”
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4753; Ahmad, 18063. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1676.
Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika min al-kasali wa’l-haram wa’l-maghram wa’l-ma’tham. Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika min ‘adhaab al-naar wa fitnat il-naar, wa fitnat il-qabri, wa ‘adhaab il-qabri, wa sharri fitnat il-ghina wa sharri fitnat il-faqair wa min sharri fitnat il-maseeh il-Dajjaal. Allaahumma ighsil khataayaaya bi ma’ al-thalji wa’l-baradi wa naqqi qalbi min al-khataaya kama yunaqqa al-thawb al-abyad min al-danas, wa baa’id bayni wa bayna khataayaaya kama baa’adta bayna al-mashriqi wa’l-maghrib.
O Allah! I seek refuge with You from laziness and old age, and from debts and sins; from the torment of the Fire and from the tribulation of the Fire, and from the tribulation of the grave and the torment of the grave, and from the evil of the tribulation of wealth, and from the evil of the tribulation of poverty, and from the evil of the tribulation of the Dajjaal (Antichrist). O Allah! Wash away my sins with the water of snow and hail, and cleanse my heart from sin as a white garment is cleansed from filth, and put a great distance between me and my sins, as great as the distance You have made between the East and the West).”
On Friday I was delighted to be able to attend a couple of lectures by our beloved Sheikh Tawfique Chowdhury (May Allah preserve him, Ameen.) I am so glad I went, it was very uplifting and I learnt so much. Alhamdulilah!
He mentioned a hadith I hadn't come across earlier and it made me feel so proud to be a Muslim and to have a Prophet as dear as Muhammad (pbuh). There truly is so much we can learn from his way of life . His character was one of complete himility and based on sincere trust and submission to Allah (swt). He was a model of kindness and humbleness. I'd love to share this hadith with you all:
On the day of Khaibar, about twenty women accompanied the army. The Prophet (pbuh) found a young girl walking among the ranks so he called to her because she was too young to be by herself. He took her behind him on his camel. The companions said that when he wanted to rest, he got off the camel first, brought the camel down, then he took the young girl’s hand and helped her to the ground. When the battle was over and the Muslims won, the Prophet (pbuh) was dividing the booty while his eyes were searching for the girl. He found her and asked her to approach. When she came, he got a necklace from the booty and gave it to her insisting to put it round her neck himself. That girl, after she grew up, used to say, "By Allah, the necklace has never left my neck from that day and I asked that it be buried with me so that if I meet the Prophet on the Day of Judgment I will come to him with the necklace around my neck and I will tell him, 'Here is the necklace, O Prophet of Allah, remember the necklace!'"
Here are some verses from the Noble Qur'an that speak about the Prophet (pbuh)'s exemplary character:
Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad pbuh) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much. (33:21)
And verily, you (O Muhammad pbuh) are on an exalted standard of character. (68:4)
That this is verily the word of an honoured Messenger [i.e. Jibrael (Gabriel) or Muhammad SAW which he has brought from Allah].(69:40)
1. If I like it, it's mine.
