FRAGRANT ROSE

Heart Therapy Part 2

2011-12-11T21:00:00.000+11:00

- Your heart desires and your body follows suit. The faith in your heart governs and navigates you through your choices.

- The believer is always optimist. He has a trust between himself and Allah and knows that the reward is in the hereafter and that which appears to be overbearing is not so, and Allah will not burden a soul more than it can bear.

- Beware of excessive anger because it leads you to the embarrassing position of apologising for your misdeeds.

- If you are given a duty you feel you are ill-equipped for then Allah will provide you the strength given that you are sincere!

- The place you are in now is the best possible outcome you could have been in.

- People follow others more on what they do than what they say.

- Allah knows the outcome before it arrives. Allah's knowledge is what determines the future. You cannot have chosen better than the outcome you are in. Do not second guess what Allah has provided for you.

- Destiny is based on knowledge of Allah and choices you make based on the opportunity Allah presents you with.

- To feel anger is not wrong, acting on anger is wrong.

- There is a house in Jannah for the one who excuses even if they have a right not to.

- It is forbidden to discipline your child in a state of anger.

- The strong person is not he who overcomes others with his strength, but rather it is him who controls himself in the face of anger.

- Judge a persons forbearance when he is angry and his trustworthiness when he is craving for something ~ Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud

- If you are happy where you are - reflect on it!

- Anger roots within ourselves. Our hearts and soul ignites the anger and Shaytaan then enters to push you to build that anger to an unacceptable level and act on it.

- Preoccupy yourself with your own faults and shortcomings and you will find the faults of others insignificant in comparison.

- If someone comes to you with the statements of others then know that he will go to others with your statements.

- Confront that which is wrong head on. Do not bury your head in the sand and expect it to go away. Combat and take the initiative to stop it.

- A person will utter ONE word without paying attention to it's tremendous effects and consequences and this will drag them down to the pits of hell-fire.

- The moment you judge someone and make a statement and think you are above them and that you are purer be sure that it will come back to you. Be careful about what you say about others. Do not take liberty with your tongue to talk about others.

- Allah has warned us that none of us are pure enough that we can say something about someone else and say that we do not have anything they can say about us. Allah has sheltered you and concealed your shortcomings so do not have the audacity to harm your family and loved ones by the repercussions of your slanderous behaviour.

- Always project a level of honesty and transparency.

- Always aim to be an icon in righteousness. Set an example in your mode of life to inspire others to come close to Allah.

- Do not teach your children hasad. Do not teach them to value your love for them based on what you do/give to others (materialistic). Do not teach them to value relationships based on what they can possess.

- Hasad (jealousy) is not appreciating what you have. Always appreciate the ni'amah of Allah.

- Reflect on the difficulties of others to find peace and happiness in your own situation. When you only look at people above you and not below you, you begin to forget your place in life.

- Find comfort in the fact that Allah is in charge of all your affairs.

- Do not make lying your first impulse of self defence.

- A hand that is giving is better than the hand that is taking.

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Pearls of Wisdom - Heart Therapy

2011-12-10T20:49:00.001+11:00

Alhamdulilah got an opportunity to attend the weekend course Heart Therapy by Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim run by Al Kauthar Institute. Today was day one and can't wait for tomorrow inshaAllah but in the mean time I thought I'd share the pearls of wisdom I jotted down from the course so far.

- As many steps as you take away from Allah SWT it is only ONE step back to Him. Allah is seeking you and is wanting you to return to Him. Do not let shaytaan deceive you into thinking you are too far gone and there is no way back, take ONE step towards Allah and He will take 10 towards you.

- Emaan is not attained by wishing for it, imaan is what is in your heart and actions that prove it's there. ~ Hasan Al Basri

- Allah holds you responsible even for your physical projection. So SMILE, it's charity!

- Change the little things in life that you are able to do & Allah will change the big things for you.

- Allah knows why people do what they do. Be accountable for your own self and do not judge others.

- One who wants to be successful in this life, needs to seek the akhirah (hereafter). Risq will come to you from sources you never thought of.

- Allah is NOT plan B!

- When you choose akhirah it does not mean you are rejecting the dunya. It's the choices that you make in achieving it that makes the difference.

- The basis of all disbelief is ingratitude.

- The biggest danger we face is not shaytaan, but the disobedience, choices and decisions that we make.

- Taqwa is that you obey Allah habitually so that no one can lead you away from remembering Him, and you are thankful to Allah so that you are never ungrateful and forgetful. And no one can lead you to disbelief. ~ Talq Ibn Habeeb

- Always have good hope in Allah.

- Allah has created balance. Do not attempt to do it on your own as it shows a disbelief in Qadr.

- Based on the decisions you choose to make today, Allah will protect your family in the future. So make sure they are the RIGHT choices!

Stay tuned, inshaAllah I will post Part 2 tomorrow :)

A Child’s Ten Commandments to Parents

2011-12-04T19:53:00.000+11:00

1. My hands are small; please don’t expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture, or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you.

2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely: don’t restrict me unnecessarily.

3. Housework will always be there. I’m only little such a short time—please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.

4. My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs; don’t nag me all day long. (You wouldn’t want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness.) Treat me as you would like to be treated.

5. I am a special gift from God; please treasure me as God intended you to do, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by, and disciplining me in a loving manner.

6. I need your encouragement, but not your praise, to grow. Please go easy on the criticism; remember you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.

7. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I’ll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires of me.

8. Please don’t do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn’t quite measure up to your expectations. I know it’s hard, but please don’t try to compare me with my brother or my sister.

9. Please don’t be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it’s a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special.

10. Please take me to Sunday school and church regularly (*substitute with going to the mosque and regular halaqas in our case), setting a good example for me to follow. I enjoy learning more about God.

By Dr. Kevin Leman

Ponder On...

2011-11-02T12:25:00.004+11:00

If you think being a Muslim is all about leaving your home, and spending hours away from your family and neglecting your duty towards them, to spread the message of Islam, have a look at what the Prophet (pbuh) used to do when he was home.

Volume 008, Book 073, Hadith Number 065.
Narated By Al-Aswad : I asked 'Aisha what did the Prophet use to do at home. She replied. "He used to keep himself busy serving his family and when it was time for the prayer, he would get up for prayer."

Balance is the key to everything. Tidy your own backyard before you peek into your neighbours. Teach and educate your spouse, your children and your family before you go and teach the rest.

"O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded." Quran 66:6

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The ameer (ruler) who governs the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of the members of his household and is responsible for them. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s house and children and is responsible for them. A slave is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible for it. Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7138; Muslim, 1829)

Patience and Compassion

2011-11-02T12:11:00.001+11:00

Our Beloved Prophet (pbuh) has been known to give importance to children from an early age and taking them under his wing and treating them as an equal to his other companions. Anas Ibn Malik (RA) was presented to serve the Prophet (pbuh) by his mother at an early age, and if we read on the manner of the Prophet (pbuh) in his dealings with Anas Ibn Malik (RA) we will learn a lot about how we as parents and care-givers should treat the ones under us.

Volume 008, Book 073, Hadith Number 064.
Narated By Anas : I served the Prophet for ten years, and he never said to me, "Uf" (a minor harsh word denoting impatience) and never blamed me by saying, "Why did you do so or why didn't you do so?"

This is a reminder for me more than anyone else. How many times have we become frustrated and impatient when our child doesn't carry out what we've asked them to do, even if it be something as simple as fetching something for us. How easy is it for us to lose our temper and show our frustration outwardly and reprimand them?

InshaAllah I hope that from now on I can learn to be more patient, forgiving and compassionate towards the young ones.

5-A Day Challenge WEEK 2

2011-09-19T11:25:00.000+10:00

Yay! for all who have survived week 1 of our challenge and inshaAllah benefited from it :)

Now it's time to move on to week 2 and a new set of tasks. What I intend on concentrating on for this week is:

- Surah Falaq (perfect pronunciation and memorisation)
- 3 names of Allah
- 3 letters of the Arabic Alphabet (thaa, jeem, haa)
- Dua before leaving the house
- Revising what we've learnt in week 1

Hope to hear from you all on how you have been going so far. Share your list of 5 too :)

May Allah help us in our endeavours and make it easy for us and our children to learn and practice our deen, Ameen.

5-A Day Challenge Week 1 Update 2

2011-09-15T13:05:00.002+10:00

Assalam Alaykum,

Alhamdulilah we've been going well so far, and dear daughter has pretty much finished learning the tasks at hand. To recap, the 5 we're concentrating on this week are:

- Dua before and after going to the toilet

- Surah Ikhlaas, she has memorised it already but I'm going to work on better pronunciation

- Dua before bedtime

- Arabic Alphabets (Alif, Baa and Taa)

- 3 names of Allah

Activities we've been doing to reinforce the learning:

- Reading the dua before and after using the restroom & before bedtime together - loudly!

- Listening to recitation of Surah Ikhlaas. I have the CD where you have a child repeating the ayah after the Sheikh's recitation.

- Writing the Arabic Alphabet. There are plenty of free resources available online where you can download printable worksheets that can be used to practice writing. Make sure they say each alphabet aloud whilst tracing it on the paper.

InshaAllah I think we're pretty much ready to move on to our next set of 5, Alhamdulilah.

Would love to hear updates from you :)

5-A Day Challenge: Week 1 Update 1

2011-09-13T14:56:00.004+10:00

Since we've only just started there isn't too much to share on the progress front, but we can surely share our techniques of implementation inshaAllah.

To recap, the 5 tasks I have chosen for this week are:

- Dua before and after going to the toile

- Surah Ikhlaas, she has memorised it already but I'm going to work on better pronunciation

- Dua before bedtime

- Arabic Alphabets (flash cards)

- 3 names of Allah

- We go over our list of 5 at intervals throughout the day. I ask her one at a time randomly. For example, she was helping me cook lunch for the baby and whilst she was watching me cook we sang the Arabic Alphabet song and revised the duas and Surah Ikhlaas.

- Pick a time of the day when you are both relaxed and free of distraction and try to do activities related to what you are teaching. Today we made some play-dough alphabet shapes. I am doing 3 alphabets at a time, so we've started with Alif, Baa and Taa.

Busy Bee Making Play dough Alphabets

- I intend on making an Allah's names tree chart or buying the chart from Muslim Stickers. Still haven't decided, but inshaAllah when I do, we will use it as a reward chart for learning the 99 names.

- Last night we also did a little 'show' together, where we went over everything one by one followed by a big round of applause ;) I might get her a toy microphone that she can use for her 'shows'.

So how have you been going? :)

A Playful Insight

2011-09-12T12:19:00.000+10:00

In a young child’s life play forms an important aspect of their emotional, moral and social development. It provides a platform for healthy cognitive development and various life lessons are learnt on the playground.

As parents we are constantly investing in our children looking for ways to change every aspect of parenthood into a learning experience with the intention of equipping them for success and connecting them to their Creator.

Imaginative play is crucial for a child. How often have we come across our child pretending to be a pirate at one instance, sailing in a ship on high seas in search of a hidden treasure and at the same time transform into being a keen builder where they put together this “ship” that will facilitate the expedition. The thought process is fragmented, sometimes difficult to decipher, but they proudly carry on putting together their story with ease and self-confidence.

Imaginative play becomes a thinking exercise where children learn to connect various aspects of role-play, anticipate and expect a reaction based on the same.

After returning from our recent trip to Makkah I have stumbled upon my 3 year old doing ‘tawaf’ around her make shift ka’ba – a cardboard box that we put together and painted to resemble the ka’ba. A huge procession of dolls follows suit chanting the verses “Labbaik Allah Labbaik…”

My 6 year old on the other hand often likes to be the ‘Imam of the Grand Mosque’ and lead in prayer her sister and toys (and anything/anyone else she can get her hands on!).

By witnessing these moments of sheer bliss I realized that children have the capacity to grasp and retain a lot more than we think. Our actions are constantly examined; memorized and mimicked in their hours of play and by watching them we get a true picture of our parenting.

By indulging in children’s world of wonders, we get an insight into their moral strengths and weaknesses. Is your child a fighter, a bully or a quitter? How do they react to failure? Through this we can help them develop their sense of justice, fairness, sharing and cooperation. By creating the right atmosphere we can work towards changing their weaknesses into their strengths and in the process raise a confident, selfless and emotionally aware child.

How does this benefit?

2011-09-12T12:14:00.000+10:00

A famous hadith a lot of us have come across says, “Teach your kids swimming, archery and horse-riding.”

Have you ever wondered what the wisdom behind this is? Are these skills going to benefit us as Muslims, or was it intended only on the basis of recreation? I decided to do some reading on this and here’s what I found:

Swimming

Health Benefits:

- Endurance

- Cardiovascular fitness

- Builds muscle strength

Spiritual Benefits:

- Can prove to be a form of meditation that can help you attain a feeling of well-being.

- Develops skills of sportsmanship, time-management, self-discipline, goal setting and increased sense of self-worth through participation in the sport.

- Alleviates stress

Archery

Health Benefits:

- Works upper body strength

- Improves balance

- Boosts hand-eye coordination

Spiritual Benefits:

- Develops focus, flexibility and attention skills

- Teaches the benefits of patience

- Encourages teamwork

- Improves self confidence by driving satisfaction from having won a personal mental battle – irrespective of the outcome

- Teaches responsibility and abiding by rules

Horse-Riding

Health Benefits:

- Stimulates muscles in the dorsal and abdominal regions

- Can prove beneficial for folks with diabetes, due to the glucose-metabolizing effects

- Improves posture and balance

- Improves muscle tone and flexibility

Spiritual Benefits:

- Improves self-confidence

- Learn to take risks responsibly

- Improves problem solving skills

- Encourages self-discipline

- Increases patience and focus

- Instills love and respect for other beings

All these activities put together (or even on their own) prove to be so much more than just physical health. What better way of training our children in qualities such as patience, self-discipline and goal setting than through sport?

Chinese Whispers

2011-09-12T12:10:00.000+10:00

I bet we’ve all done it before, unintentionally, absolutely unaware of the consequences of our actions. It’s something so trivial that you probably won’t even think about it twice, or even include it in your ‘wonder what happened?’ list down the track.

Have you ever been in a situation where you are happily having a conversation with a couple of friends, and just ‘suddenly’ one of them becomes awfully quiet & withdrawn which normally would not have been the case?

Most of the time, there can be numerous other reasons for this, but sometimes, it can be because of something we do.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has warned us of this 1400 years ago, and if only were we to pay heed to such advice, we could deter those awkward moments. He said:

“Two people should not converse privately with each other in the presence of a third.” Sahih Bukhari: Volume 8 hadith no. 303.

The reason for me raising this topic is first and foremost as a reminder for myself than anyone else. It so happened that I was at a gathering recently, where I didn’t know too many people and found myself mingling aimlessly through the crowd. I then started having a light conversation with an acquaintance and midway through our chatter she turned to someone beside her and said something to her. Now, normally I wouldn’t think much of this, but due to the situation I was in – already feeling ‘out of place’ and not knowing one too many people around, my mind automatically deciphered this meaningless gesture to mean something more than it probably was.

In hindsight I realize how silly it was of me to make such huge assumptions, but on the flip side I was in the shoes of someone who probably felt the same way because of me! SubhanAllah.

Not only should we be mindful of the people around us but also teach our children to do the same. Children have the tendency to walk up to you and whisper in your ear when you are having a conversation with someone, or furthermore do the same amongst their mates. Though seemingly harmless, Shaytaan plays his tricks to use this against us to cause rifts and give rise to suspicion which in turn leads to misunderstandings.

This was not from the manners of our Beloved Prophet (pbuh) and we too should strive to avoid such acts that will bring harm.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “I have been sent to perfect the best of manners.”

The 5-A Day Challenge WEEK 1

2011-09-12T11:28:00.001+10:00

Assalam Alaykum to all who are participating in the challenge this week :) It's never too late to join, so hop on if you haven't already.

InshaAllah this week I plan on doing the following 5 with my 3 year old:

- Dua before and after going to the toilet
- Surah Ikhlaas, she has memorised it already but I'm going to work on better pronunciation
- Dua before bedtime
- Arabic Alphabets (flash cards)
- 3 names of Allah

List your 5 (or whatever number you choose) and lets track our progress. As mentioned in my previous post, it can be less than 5, it can be over 2 weeks if 1 week isn't enough. Work it around your child's ability and task at hand.

Renew your intention, make it for the sake of Allah alone, and to gain His acceptance and pleasure and to raise a righteous child, InshaAllah!

Let the challenge begin! :)

The 5 A Day Challenge

2011-08-15T20:41:00.001+10:00

Whilst browsing the internet for some inspiration, I came across this post on a blog I frequent. (It's a really good resource for play based learning for kids and a lot of fun DIY projects! I would love to give them a go in the future when I have the time inshaAllah ;P)

Here's the link:

http://www.theimaginationtree.com/2011/04/5-day-books-week-1.html

Now what I want to do is add a Islamic perspective to this challenge. Some of the stuff she mentions in her post are:

They suggest choosing short picture books which feature strong rhythm and/ or repeated refrain so that the children can quickly memorise the words and join in with the story-telling. This empowers them to be able to "read" and re-tell stories from a young age, and also makes them very fluent in a range of text types and literature styles.

Why not use this to teach our children their deen? Repeatedly read to them stories from the Quran, short hadiths and introduce them to Arabic as a language.

She goes on to say:

after a term of switching the 5-a-day books each week, they had memorised a huge number of books and developed a real love for the pictures and characters within them.

How would you like to see the results of your efforts when your child has memorised verses from the Qur'an, daily duas, hadith and duas for dhikr?

studies show that children exposed to plenty of strong, rhythmic text/ song from a young age become more literate.

Bang! Right on. Are you thinking what I'm thinking B1? I think I am B2? It's Quran qirat time! ;) (sorry couldn't resist hehe)

So, now here's my proposal. Would you like to join me in the 5 a day challenge? We could pick short duas, hadith, ayahs from the Quran or even stories of Prophets, Sahabas, great Muslim men/women and read it to our children every-day for a week. And then report back with progress. Hopefully they would've memorised parts of it or better still most of it, inshaAllah. We can pick a theme each week, and depending on the topic allocate either 1 week or more for each set of 5 items.

So who's in? Drop in a line with comments, suggestions, ideas, tips and advice! Let's get the ball rolling ;)

Of all the Rights of Women, the Greatest is to be a Mother

2011-08-08T22:33:00.001+10:00

Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard... [Quran 4:34]

Historically men have taken upon the role of being providers of the home and leaders of their families, whilst the women are responsible for raising the children. Though some might look down upon these gender specific roles and raise doubts of non equality and oppression it is important to note that the role of a woman is by far the most honourable. She is the one who will be actively partaking the upbringing of the next generation of Muslims on true beliefs and sound morals. This differentiation of roles is essential for effective functioning of the family and All praise be to Allah (swt) who has created all systems with balance and order.

Motherhood is a means of gaining endless spiritual rewards. It is an opportunity for us to mould and guide the leaders of tomorrow, the pioneers of change who will interact with and bring forth good reform into the society at large. They will together strengthen the foundations of the community steering them towards success and enlightenment.

Being a mother brings with it the enormous responsibility of disciplining, instructing and guiding. For this reason we have been given the respect and honour that we rightly deserve.

It is reported that once a man went to the Prophet (pbuh) and asked: O Messenger of Allah who, of all people, is most entitled to my kindness and good company? The Prophet answered, Your mother. Then the man asked: Who comes next? The Prophet replied, Your mother. The man again asked: Who comes next? and again the Prophet (pbuh) answered, Your mother. The man asked one more time, Who comes next? And the Prophet replied: Your father. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Motherhood in itself is a full time career, employed by our Creator, equipped with His Guidance and Mercy where we embark on this miraculous journey, by His command, from conception through birth, breastfeeding and many more years of child-rearing.

Being bestowed with the bounty of motherhood is a part of the Mercy of Allah (swt). Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said, " Allah created, on the same day when He created the heavens and the earth, one hundred parts of mercy. Every part of mercy is analogous to the space between the heavens and the earth, and He out of His Mercy, endowed one part to the earth, and it is because of this that the mother shows affection to her child. [Muslim]

It is as a result of this Mercy that a woman exhibits the exceptional qualities of nurturing, compassion, sensitivity and patience which are all crucial for the efficient fulfilment of this role. These in turn lay the foundation for a warm, loving and peaceful home.

Kudos to all the mothers out there, who are sharing many moments of unconditional love, laughter and togetherness and building memories that they will cherish for the rest of their lives. It is truly a job where there is no dry moment, no bonuses or perks necessary to keep us grounded and definitely one with complete job satisfaction!

Learning to Teach from the Greatest Teacher

2011-08-08T21:09:00.001+10:00

Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error. [Quran 3:164]

Every good teacher knows how to reach out to his students, how to bring out from them their full potential. In this regard - as in all other regards - none was, or ever will be, better than the Messenger of Allah (swt).

In teaching others, he was gentle, and he exhorted others to be gentle as well. His gentleness wasn't restricted with the rich and the strong, but also the poor and weak; and he was especially gentle with children.

"Verily Allah is Rafeeq (Kind, merciful, gentle) , and He loves gentleness. And Allah gives for gentleness that which He does not give for harshness." Bukhari (6927) & Muslim (2593)

He possessed noble manners to which others were drawn, and wished that they could remain in his company all the time. He was always truthful and sincere.

So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. Quran 3:159

He did not overload his Companions with information; he did not force them to listen to lectures a few times a day or even once a day. The Prophet (pbuh) was afraid that his Companions would become bored with daily, lengthy lectures, so he would leave a sufficient gap between one lecture or sermon and the next. Such a gap allowed the companions to regain a sense of enthusiasm, so that they would yearn for another sermon, one that would give them the spiritual fuel they needed until the sermon that came after it.
He did not teach them about matters all at once, but in stages a little at a time.

And [it is] a Qur'an which We have separated [by intervals] that you might recite it to the people over a prolonged period. And We have sent it down progressively. Quran 17:106

He would be economical with his words, giving a sermon that was at once meaningful and brief.
His sermons were full of guidance and wisdom, such that they had the effect of increasing the Faith of the Companions.

"Verily, the prolongation of a man's prayer and the brevity of his sermon are signs of his understanding (fiqh)." Muslim 869

He encouraged the use of lawful entertainment as a means of diversion that rejuvenates the soul and provides a healthy break from serious affairs and hard work.
He prioritised his lessons, teaching his Companions in order of what was most important.
He repeated what he said three times, giving commands that were at once brief and easy to memorise and changing the pitch of his tone depending on the importance of what he was saying.
He used parables, analogies and metaphors which were palpable, easy to understand examples to make matters clear to his Companions.
He related stories of past Nations and captivated hearts with beautiful stories and imparting to them important lessons.
He exhorted his Companions to spread the knowledge he conveyed to them.
By far, the best method of teaching that the Prophet (pbuh) employed was that of being a good role model. Every religious teaching that the Prophet (pbuh) commanded others to follow, he followed it himself.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "Whoever takes a path seeking knowledge, then, because of that, Allah makes easy for him a path to Paradise." Muslim 2699

[Summarised by yours truly from various parts from the book "Muhammad, As if You Can See Him by A'id Al-Qarni]

Treat the Young Girl According to Her Age...

2011-08-08T20:06:00.001+10:00

According to an authentic narration:

<< It is narrated by A'ishah (RA) that Abu Bakr (RA) entered upon her whilst she was with two of her friends on the day of Mina. They were playing the tambourine and singing songs, whilst the Prophet (pbuh) was lying down with his face covered with his cloth. Abu Bakr rebuked them, so the Prophet (pbuh) uncovered his face and said: Let her be, O Abu Bakr, it's Eid. (Aishah added:) I have seen the Prophet (pbuh) screen me with his cloth, allowing me to see the Abyssinians play, and I was a young girl; so treat the young girl according to her age, as she is playful, spirited and youthful.>>
Muslim, Hadith no.892

Her words, "so treat the young girl according to her age" mean that young girls like to look and enjoy activities of leisure and entertainment, and hence, their husbands (or fathers) should take care of this desire of theirs and allow them to enjoy it until they are satisfied. [Sharh Muslim by An-Nawawi (6/490)]

This hadith shows how kind, merciful and indulgent the Prophet (pbuh) was with his wives in his social interactions with them.

This marvellous religion of Islam is characterised by its ease and leniency, as it caters to the needs of a human being, whatever his or her circumstances or situation. Despite the fact that the reason for our existence on this planet is to worship Allah, there is nothing wrong with having fun and being merry, as long as it does not go against the limits set by Islam.

Taken from the book: The Prophet Muhammad, The Best of All Husbands by Dr. Ghazi al-Shammari

'In Allah Let the Believers Put Their Trust'

2010-09-06T19:53:00.002+10:00

The Prophet (pbuh) advised a person who is touched by something from Satan to mention Allah and to recite His Name and seek refuge with Him from Satan, for that is more beneficial for him and more exasperating for Satan. The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Verily, when the slave curses Satan, he says, 'Verily, you are cursing one who is (already) cursed.' All such statements make Satan happy and he says "The son of Adam knows that I have defeated him by my power". And this lends support to him in his misguidance.

If calamity befalls you, refrain from saying "If only I had done such-and-such", as this implies in it that if the matter had been planned by you, then the outcome would have been other than what Allah has decreed; and the occurrence of something other than what has been decreed is impossible, so this speech includes untruth, ignorance and impossibility.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Verily, it opens up (the door to) the deeds of Satan". (Narrated by Muslim and Ibn Majah). Instead it is more befitting of a Muslim to say, "Qaddarallahu Wa Ma Shaá Fa'ala" which means, "Allah has ordained and as He willed, He has done."

This is because lamenting over what has been lost does not benefit the believer nor does it change what has already occurred, and the word 'if' doesn't solve his problem either. By wishing for something whose occurrence is not to be hoped for, is simply helplessness and Allah censures helplessness, because it opens the door to Satan. But He loves intelligence and resourcefulness, which is to undertake the means (of achieving one's aims) and this opens the doors to goodness, and after you do this, if something gets the better of you, you should say: "Hasbiyallahu Wa Ni'mal-Wakeel". [Narrated by Abu Dawud and Ahmad]

The Prophet (pbuh) sought refuge with Allah from helplessness and laziness, for they are the key to every evil - and anxiety, depression, cowardice, miserliness, the burdensome debt and the oppression of men result from them. And the sign of this is lauw (if), for the one who wishes that Allah's Qadar were different is among the most helpless of people and the most bankrupt. The root of all sins is weakness or helplessness, because the slave is unable to undertake the means of achieving obedience and the means which keep him far away from acts of disobedience, and that form a barrier between him and them.

If a slave delays performing righteous deeds or performed them imperfectly, it would be either due to inability on his part - and this is helplessness, or it would be that he was able to do it, but he did not want to do it - and this is laziness.And the result of these two characteristics is that he would miss every good thing and attain every evil.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "I seek refuge with you from "Al-Hamm" (anxiety) and "Al-Hazn" (sorrow)."
Anxiety and sorrow weaken the will and enfeeble the heart and form a barrier between the slave and striving to achieve what is beneficial for him. When something which is disliked afflicts the heart, the cause of it is either something which has already occurred, in which case, it results in sorrow, or else it is expected to occur in the future, in which case, it gives rise to anxiety - and both of them are from helplessness, because that which has already occurred cannot be dispelled by sorrow, but rather by acceptance, praise and thanks (to Allah), patience, perseverance and belief in Allah's Qadar. And that which is yet to happen cannot be repelled by anxiety for either there is a solution for it, in which case, he is able to do it, or there is no solution, in which case, he is unable to do it. And he should take on the garments of Tawheed and Tawakkul and display acceptance of Allah as his Lord.

Tawakkul (dependence on Allah) and Al-Hasb (declaring that Allah is Sufficient) without undertaking the measures which have been commanded is pure weakness and helplessness, even though there may be an element of Tawakkul in it. It is not fitting that the slave should let his tawakkul be in the form of helplessness, nor that he should claim that his helplessness was in fact tawakkul; instead he should make his tawakkul one of the necessary measures, without which one's aim will not be achieved.

Whatever situation a slave finds himself in, it is Allah who places him in it and it is thanks to Him and His Wisdom and He does not forbid the slave from any right which is his, rather He prevents it in order that he may implore Allah through the deeds which He loves and then He gives him. It is a means for the slave to return to Him and strengthen him through humility towards Him, to make him independent (of people) through his need for Allah, to restore him by submission before Allah, to raise him to the noblest position and to show him the Wisdom in His ability and the Mercy in His Might. Truly, His forbiddance is in fact giving and His Punishment is in fact discipline. When a person is prevented from something, it becomes a gift bestowed on him, while whoever busies himself with what was bestowed upon him, it becomes a prevention for him from the reward of the Hereafter.

Allah the Most High says:

"And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever put his trust in Allah, then he will suffice him." [Qurán 65:2-3]

"So fear Allah. And in Allah let the believers put their trust." [Qurán 5:11]

[Taken from: Provisions for the Hereafter, by Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah]

The Greatest Form of Dhikr

2010-09-04T09:43:00.001+10:00

The angels remember Allah (dhikr) and the bearers of the Throne glorify Him, may He be exalted. They glorify Allah constantly, without ceasing, either at night or during the day. Because they glorify Allah so much, they are indeed those who truly glorify Allah's praises, and they have the right to be proud of that.

الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَحْمَةً وَعِلْمًا فَاغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ الْجَحِيمِ

Those angels who bear the Throne of Allah and those who stand around it glorify their Rabb with His praises, believe in Him and implore forgiveness for the believers, saying: "Our Rabb! You embrace all things with your mercy and knowledge. Forgive those who repent and follow Your Way, and save them from the punishment of the blazing fire.(Qur'an 40:7)

They glorify Allah so much because Tasbeeh is the greatest form of dhikr.

Muslim narrated in his Saheeh that Abu Dharr said: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was asked what kind of dhikr is the best. He said: "That which Allah has chosen for His angels or His slaves:

سُبْحَانَ اللّهِ وَ بِحَمْدِهِ

(Subhaan Allaahi wa bi hamdihi)

Glory and praise be to Allah."

Muslim, 4/2093 hadith no. 2731.

(Taken from: The World of the Noble Angels, by Dr. Úmar S al-Ashqar - Islamic Creed Series book 2)

The Dispute of the Hosts on High

2010-09-04T09:27:00.001+10:00

The angels discuss amongst themselves matters of the revelation of their Lord which are not clear to them. In Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad, it is narrated from Ibn Ábbas that the Messenger (pbuh) said:

"Last night my Lord - may He be blessed and exalted - came to me in the most beautiful form - he (the narrator) said: I think he said in a dream - and He said: " O Muhammad, do you know what the hosts on high dispute about?" I said, "No". He put His hand on my back, between my shoulders, until I could feel its coolness on my chest, and I knew what was in the heavens and what was on earth.

Then He said, "O Muhammad, do you know what the hosts on high dispute about?" I said, "Yes, about expiations and actions that raise a person's status. The expiations are staying int he mosque after the prayer, walking on foot to join the congregational prayers and doing wudoo' properly at the time of hardship; and the actions that raise a persons's status are spreading salaam, feeding people, and praying at night when people are asleep."

He said, "You have spoken the truth, Whoever does that will live in goodness and die in peace, and he will be free from any sin, as pure as a newborn baby."

He said, "O Muhammad, when you pray, say, Allahumma inni as’aluka fi’lal khairat wa tarkal munkarat wa hubbal masakin wa an taghfarali wa tarhamani wa idha aradata fitnatan fi qaumi fatawafani ghaira maftunin wa as’aluka hubbaka wa hubba man yuhibbuka wa hubba ‘amalin yuqaribu ila hubbika

“O Allah! I ask You for the means to do good, to avoid evil, and to love the poor, and I beseech You to forgive me and have mercy on me. When You subject my people to a trial, cause me to die without being affected by it. O Allah! I ask Your love, the love of those who love You, and the love of all such actions that bring one closer to Your Love.”

- Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhi, 3/9, no.2580, 2581.

Remember Allah in times of ease, and Allah will remember you in times of distress

2010-09-04T08:58:00.003+10:00

Remember that with Allah are the keys of the unseen, and He, the Almighty, All-Merciful, is the One Who brings relief from worry and distress. So turn to Him and call upon Him, and always repeat this duá:

اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَ الْحَزَنِ ، وَ الْعَجْزِ وَ الْكَسَلِ ، وَ الْبُخْلِ وَ الْجُبْنِ ، وَ ضَلَعِ الدِّيْنِ وَ غَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

O' Allah, I seek refuge with You from distress and grief, and I seek refuge with you from incapacity and laziness, and I seek refuge with You from miserliness and cowardice, and I seek refuge in You from the burden of debt and from being over-powered by men.

Beware of despair and frustration, recite:

لا حول ولاقوة إلا بالله

There is no power and no strength except with Allah.

These great words are the secret of happiness and success. Recite them a great deal, chase away the specters of grief and distress with them, and recive the glad tidings that Allah will soon grant you happiness and a way out.

When anxiety rears its head, worries come along and a crisis overwhelms man, making him feel that there is no way out and he is helpless, he cries out:

لَآ إِلَهَ اِ لَّا اللهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ ، لَآ إِلَهَ إ لَّا اللهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ لَآ إِلَه ا لَّا اللهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ

There is no god but Allah, the Mighty, the Forbearing, there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the mighty throne, there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and the Lord of the throne of honor.

Then his worry is dispelled and he is relieved of distress.

Saddness, grief and worry are punishments for sins that you have committed, by falling short in your prayers, or backbiting about a Muslim, or taking the matter of Hijab lightly, or committing a haraam action. Turning to Allah requires a person to renew himself, reorganize his life, develop a better relationship with his Lord and do better deeds. It is the start of a new convenant that is summed up in the following duá:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَمَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ
O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You.

And Allah tells us that Dhu an-Nun (Jonah) called out:

لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

None has the right to be worshipped but You, O' Allah, glorified and exalted be You. Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers. (Qurán 21:87)

Allah says in the Qurán:

فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ
So remember ' Me and I will remember you, and give thanks to Me and be not ungrateful. (Qurán 2:152)

Remember Allah in times of ease, and He will remember you in times of distress. What hit you could not have missed you, what missed you could not have hit you. Remember that victory comes with patience, relief comes with affliction and ease comes with hardship.

(Taken from: "You can be the happiest woman in the world" by Dr. Áid al-Qarni)

Rambling...

2010-02-03T16:14:00.005+11:00

It's pretty much a daily ritual in our house lately. After a tiring few hours in the morning of hurriedly finishing off my chores, I sit down for some quiet time but instead I'm flooded with a pile of books and plenty of chitter-chatter to drown the peace. Story time comes and goes and when I'm still yearning for that me time, I'm expected to turn all the recyclable junk, that has been painstakingly collected and looked after, into something splendid. Yes, you guess it right – it's craft time!

I automatically find myself hopping on to the computer and without thinking twice typing in to the google search bar for some 'inspiration'.... Heck, I just look for a quick fix I can get over and done with to keep those little fingers busy. Yes I do have my days when I'm enthusiastic and participate, but those are as rare as a blue moon, so we won't dwell on it too much.

While I was at the library this morning, browsing through the art and craft section while my 4 year old enjoyed her weekly story time session, it dawned upon me...and now it's official – google is stripping me of my imagination.

I had flashbacks of the time before I had my children. There I was sitting with a swollen belly yearning to hold the child in my arms and do all the wonderful things I had planned for us. Keeping them busy and stimulated and to make their childhood magical and exciting. Those day dreaming sessions of sitting down with her cuddling on the couch reading a story book and then creating masterpieces from scrap was something I was looking forward to. And now, here I am 4 years on, painting a completely different picture.

In the past, mums would sit down with their children and brainstorm about what they can create, and the process of deciding what to make in itself was a nurturing learning experience. I've realized that I am meant to savor and cherish these moments and make them last rather than treating them as chores that I want to tick off my list.

So this time forth, I would like to at least make an effort to change the way I do things, and put more 'life' into them. And yes me blaming google for something I am lacking is a bit far fetched, but I'll treat it as my consolation for now.

Quotes...

2010-01-15T21:12:00.002+11:00

Ataa al Khurasani said: "I don't advise you to mind your life's affairs because I know that you are covetous to do so, but I advise you to mind the affairs of the Hereafter. Take from this temporary home to the eternal one. Consider this life as something that you have left, I swear by Allah you will leave it. Consider death as something that you have tasted, I swear by Allah you will taste it. And consider the Hereafter as a home that you have visited, I swear by Allah you will be there."

Dhu'n-Noon al-Misri said: "The ailment of the body is in sickness and that of the heart is in sins. A delicious meal cannot benefit the body when the person is sick and likewise, the heart cannot taste the sweetness of worship if it is full of sins."

`Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "Whoever has the following six characteristics does all that is required to make him enter Paradise and avoid Hell: to know Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala and obey him, to know Satan and disobey him, to know the truth and follow it, to know the falsehood and avoid it, to know the life of this world and renounce it, and to know the Hereafter and seek it."

Ibrahim al-Ash`ath said: I heard al-Fudayl saying: "Man's fear of Allah is equal to his knowledge of Him, and his renunciation of the life of this world is equal to his desire of the Hereafter. Whoever acts according to what he knows, Allah will make him successful in what he doesn't know. And whoever is ill-tempered disgraces his honour, religion and generosity."

Want all your past sins forgiven?

2010-01-09T20:43:00.002+11:00

Recently I was listening to a lecture by Sheikh Kamal El Mekki (May Allah preserve Him) in which he spoke about how us Muslims tend to be very inconsistent with our Ibadah and always set high goals which we usually never complete. For example, fasting every Monday and Thursday, finishing the Qur'an once every month throughout the year, walking to the mosque for every salah etc. Yes, no doubt they're all good deeds, and should be done, but how many of us start off on such things in top gear and then burn out within a few weeks or even days? How many of us actually do this on a regular basis?

What we overlook is, apart from all these acts of worship, the Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wa sallam has taught us different forms of ibadah which we can do in our daily life, and won't take much time or effort but will weigh heavy on our scales on the Day of Judgement, insha Allah.

Sheikh Kamal El Mekki gave the example of the dua that we recite after finishing our meal. Did you know that a person who completes his meal and recites this dua with true ikhlaas (sincerity), will have all his past sins forgiven? How many times do we eat in a day? Imagine reciting this dua a minimum of 3 times a day, think of the rewards you will accumulate. It only takes a few seconds to recite, and yet can have such powerful results, insha Allah.

So from this day forward, why not try to incorporate this into our daily routine and make an effort to recite this dua after every meal, insha Allah.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا الطَّعَامَ وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ
"
All Praise belongs to Allah who granted this meal, (which I received) without my power or effort".

All previous sins are forgiven if this dua is recited after meals.(Mishkat, Kitabul-li-baas)

Hide the faults of others and Allah will hide yours

2010-01-08T11:14:00.003+11:00

'Abdullaah ibn 'Umar rad iallaahu 'anhu relates that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam mounted the pulpit and said in a loud voice: "O You who have accepted Islaam with your tongues, but in whose heart eemaan (faith) has not yet entered! Do not annoy the Muslims' nor revile them, nor seek out their faults. For whosoever seeks out the fault of his Muslim brother, Allaah will seek out his faults. He whose faults are sought out by Allaah, then Allaah will expose him, even if he is inside his house." Related by Muslim.

'Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit radiallaahu `anhu related that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "Whosoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and the believing women, Allaah will record for that person - equivalent to every believing man and believing woman -a good deed."
Hasan: Related by al-Haythamee in Majma'az-Zawaa'id (1/210) where he said: "The isnaad is jayyid."

Allah `azza wa jall says: “O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.” [Al-Hujurat 49:12]

Allah `azza wa jall ordered avoiding much of the suspicion because some of it is sin, and He followed this order with the prohibition of spying, pointing out that spying in most cases does not occur except due to bad assumptions.

The way of the Muslim – the general rule - is hiding others' faults and having a good opinion of others. This is why Allah `azza wa jall ordered believers to have a good opinion of people when they hear slanders of their Muslim brothers.

Allah `azza wa jall clarified the true position which every Muslim must understand. He said subhanahu wa ta`ala:

“Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves [i.e. one another] and say, 'This is an obvious falsehood'?” [An-Noor 24:12]” [Hisham Ismail As-Sini, Manhaj Ahl As-Sunnah wal Jama`ah fin Naqd wal Hukm `ala al Akhirin, Al Muntada, London, 1992, p. 21]

Dr. Mustafa as-Siba'i said, “Because having a good opinion and then regretting is better than having a bad opinion and then regretting.” [as-Sibai, Hakadha `allamatni al Hayat, al Maktab al Islami, Beirut, 1984, vol. 1, p. 42]

Taken from: www.islaam.com

Valuable Prophetic Advice

2010-01-06T18:07:00.003+11:00

Ibn Abbas may Allah be pleased with him and his father, reported:

I was riding behind the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam (on a beast) one day when he said to me, "O son, I am going to teach you some advice:

1. "Observe Allah, He guards you."
Obey his commands and avoid his prohibitions, He protects you in this world and in the world to come.

2. "Observe Allah, you will find Him ahead of you."
Observe the limits set by Allah and His Rights, He brings you to success and supports you.

3. "When you ask, ask Allah, and when you seek help, seek the help of Allah."
When you need a thing, ask Allah for it, and when you need help to accomplish any of your affairs, then seek the help of Allah, particularly in the things that only Allah can provide such as curing sickness, providing sustenance etc.

4. "And be certain that were the whole Ummah to collaborate to benefit you, they would never benefit you except in a thing which Allah has already foreordained for you, and if they were to collaborate to harm you, they would never harm you except in a thing which Allah has already foreordained against you."
This reflects deep faith in the Qada' and Qadar, it's good and evil consequences.

5. "The pens are lifted and the sheets have become dry."

6. "Recognize Allah at times of ease, He recognizes you at times of difficulty."
Fulfill the Rights of Allah and the rights of people at times of ease, He helps and relieves you at the time of your difficulties.

7. "And rest assured that whatever misses you, it would never befall you, and whatever befalls you, it would never miss you."
If Allah withholds a thing from you, it will never reach you. And if Allah grants you a thing, there is none to withhold it from you.

8. "And you should know that victory comes with endurance."
Victory against the enemy and the ego depends on perseverance and endurance. Patience is one of the greatest means to victory.

9. "And the relief comes through distress."
Distress that afflicts a believer, comes along with it's relief.

10. "And along with difficulty comes ease."

Source: Pg 40, Guidelines to Raising Children, Darussalam.

Stern Warning

2010-01-06T17:55:00.003+11:00

Backbiting is speaking slanderously about an absent person. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said:

"Do you know what is Gheebah?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "It is to attribute to your brother what he dislikes." He was asked: "What do you think if what I say about my brother is true?" He said: "If what you attribute to him is true, then you have backbitten him, and if it is not true, then you have lied about him."

What is Nameemah?

Nameemah is to circulate slanderous rumours between two persons to damage or sever the ties between them. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said:

"No Nammam will be admitted to Jannah".

Source: Pg: 22 Guidelines for Raising Children, Darussalam

Moderation is the Key

2009-12-31T11:12:00.008+11:00

The Prophet (salAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'aala) has not created a sickness, but that He (Subhanahu wa Ta'aala) has created a cure for it - except for old age. So drink the milk of cows, because they eat from all sorts of plants"
[Recorded by an-Nasa'i, al-Hakim and others. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, in as-Sahihah and Sahih ul-Jaami]

In another hadith, the Prophet (salAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Raise cows, because their milk is a cure (from disease) and their butter is a medication. Their meat, however, is (a cause of) illness"
[Recorded by Ibn us-Sunni, Abu Nu'aym and al-Hakim. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, in as-Sahihah]

I came across these ahadith a few days back and I decided to do some research to see whether what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told us so long ago, has been 'scientifically proven' by the medical professionals. Subhan Allah the wisdom and knowledge of our beloved Prophet (PBUH) was well ahead of that of the learned of our times.

I'd like to point out that the hadith doesn't necessarily say that red meat is haraam but instead reminds us to be cautious of our consumption of this type of meat. We all know the health benefits of red meat, especially now since it's been stressed on so much but what we tend to overlook is - moderation!

Excessive consumption of red meat can result in clogged arteries, boost blood pressure, and allow cancer cells to sneak past the bodies own self defense mechanism. Diets high in red meat are known to shorten life span & lead to diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, ulcers, pneumonia, influenza, liver disease, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and more.

Look after yourselves, follow a nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle and make the most of what you've been blessed with. Good health is a blessing from Allah, don't take it for granted.

Reflections...

2009-12-30T13:33:00.005+11:00

At one of the Al-Kauthar courses I recently attended the Sheikh mentioned that Allah has given us knowledge about the lives of the Prophets and Messengers of the past for a reason. We're not meant to just read it as a bedtime story to entertain ourselves but instead need to extract possible wisdoms and lessons from it. We need to use their life experiences to enhance our own. The more you read and ponder the more you will learn. Knowledge is a bottomless pit, you can never fill it to the brim.

We all know that Allah created mankind from clay. Ibn Katheer in his book (Stories of the Prophets) says:

"Allah choose clay which has the qualities of calmness, clemency, perseverance and growth."

The possible wisdom I extract from this piece of information is pretty apparent. Allah gave us freedom of will to the extent that we can refuse Allah's command. He grants us the freedom of denial, disobedience, and even disagreement with Him. His Kindgom will not diminish if the disbelievers do not believe in Him nor will it be extended if many people believe in Him. The disbelievers will lose and the believers will gain but Allah is above all of that. By choosing to reflect the qualities of clay in our demeanor we will be able to attain success both in worldly affairs and in matters concerning our deen.

Ibn Katheer also says:

"Allah created Iblis from fire which has the qualities of heedlessness, insignificance, haste and incineration. "

Iblis is arrogant, vain, disobedient and an outcast. He has been humiliated and disgraced and yet he is cunning and shows ingratitude. He is our eternal enemy. Man is hasty. When Allah blew the soul into Adam (AS) and he felt the pangs of hunger in his abdomen, he sprinted towards the fruits of paradise even before the soul had reached his legs. This is how we have been created. But that doesn't mean we do not have the will to persevere to change this within us. By succumbing to the whispering of Iblis we become nothing but reflections of him.

Everyone bears the consequences of their deeds. Allah knows the outcome of events before it happens but he does not force things to happen. He has granted free will to mankind and it's up to us whether we want to obey Allah and work towards attaining paradise or disobey Allah and become dwellers of the hellfire, like Shaitaan.

The choice is ours.

Answer to Your Supplication is Delayed for a Reason‏

2009-06-23T11:37:00.001+10:00

There is an interesting situation that confuses many: the believer who is affliced with a calamity, and who then invokes Allah constantly, yet sees no signs of an answer to his prayers. Then when he comes near to the point of hopelessness, the true worth of his heart is found out. If he is pleased with what Allah (swt) has decreed for him, without losing hope of Allah's Favor, then in most situations it is at this point that such a person's supplications are answered, answered because his test is over: his faith has shined through and the Devil has been defeated. So it is at the time of near hopelessness that the worth of man is judged. This meaning is alluded to in the saying of Allah:

"Or think that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger (pbuh) and those who believed along with him said:"When (will come) the Help of Allah?" Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!" (Qur'an 2:214)

After Ya'qub (as) lost his son, much time elapsed, yet he never lost hope of relief. Instead of relief, another of his sons was then taken away, and even then he did not lose hope of Allah's Favor and Mercy:

"So patience is most fitting (for me). It may be that Allah will bring them all (back) to me, Truly He! Only He is All-Knowing All Wise". (Qur'an 12:83)

And similar were the words and sentiments of Zakariyyah (as):

"And I have never been unblest in my invocation to You, O my Lord!" (Qur'an 19:4)

Never, therefore, should one feel that too much time has passed by without his supplication being answered. One should realize that, whenever one is tested with hardship, one's mettle and faith are being tested. To pass such a test, one muct drive away the whispers of the Devil and then turn for help to the Most-Merciful, the Most-Generous the Most-Wise.

- Gems and Jewels, by Abdul Malik Mujahid.

Dealing with 'Attention Seeking Behavior'

2009-06-17T13:01:00.003+10:00

Attention seeking behavior is often also about power. When your child engages in such kind of behavior, they are also implying that they, in that particular situation, have power in their hands, and there is little you can do about it.

Simply changing your reaction to such behavior can help nip it in the bud and also show them that you are in charge. Instead of giving them what they want, i.e. attention, minimising your reaction will get results.

Whenever possible, distract yourself and your child with another activity or simply walk away and let them deal with the consequences of their behavior.

In some situations, not intervening and letting the third party involved (in cases where they are in someone else's territory or comfort zone) deal with the situation themselves can work. Most of us often believe that we are always responsible for our childrens behavior and it is a reflection of our parenting. When your child is old enough to understand the consequences of his/her actions, it often doesn't require any intervention. The lesser attention you give, the easier it is to get them back on track.

For more tips go to http://parentingideas.com.au/

Profound Saying of Ibn Qayyim (r)

2009-06-02T11:39:00.003+10:00

Ibn Qayyim (r) said: "When the slave wakes up as the night encloses upon him and his only concern is Allah and how to please and obey Him, then Allah takes upon Him to fulfill all of his needs and remove from him all that causes him anxiety. Allah also makes his heart free to love Him only, his tongue free to remember Him only and his body free to serve Him only.

However, when a slave of Allah wakes up when the night encloses upon him and his main concern is the world, Allah will make him bear the burdens of it's anxiety, grief and hardships. Allah will entrust him to his own self and He will make his heart busy, stealing from it His love since it will be preoccupied with love for creation. Allah will keep his tongue from His remembrance because it will be engaged with His creation; his body will be kept from obedience since it will be enslaved by its desires and services. And he will toil like a beast of burden toils in the service of another. And all who turn away from the worship, obedience and love of Allah, will be put into trial with the worship, service and love for creation."

Allah (the Exalted) says:

"And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) fromt he remembrance of the Most Gracious (Allah) (i.e. this Qur'an and worship of Allah), we appoint for him Shaitan to be a Qarin (an intimate companion) to him. (Qur'an 43:36)

Ibn Qayyim continues to say: "Seek out your heart in three situations:
-When you are listening to the Qur'an
-When you are part of a gathering of remembrance
-When you are alone and away from the world and it's distractions.

If you cannot find your heart in these three situations, then ask Allah to bestow upon you a heart, for indeed you are bereft of one."

The Seven Foundations

2009-06-02T10:36:00.002+10:00

The life of a Muslim must stand on seven foundations:

1. Adherence to Allah's Book

2. Following the way of Allah's Messenger (pbuh)

3. Eating that which is lawful

4. Refraining from harming others

5. Staying away from sins

6. Repenting frequently &

7. Fulfilling the rights of others.

The Most Difficult Deeds

2009-06-01T12:07:00.001+10:00

Ali (ra) said: "Amongs deeds, there are four that are most difficult to adorn oneself with:

1. Forgiveness when angry

2. Generosity in hard times

3. Chastity when alone &

4. Speaking the truth to the one that fears it. "

Death - Are You Prepared?

2009-06-01T11:28:00.002+10:00

Hasan (ra) said, "No day passes without the Angel of Death looking upon people's faces, studying them five times, and those he finds engaged in merriment or committing sins, he exclaims dissapprovingly: "Poor, pitiable slave who is heedless of what is intended for him (death). Do as you please, for indeed I have for you a wink (of the eye) by which I will cut off your aorta."

The Many Guises of Backbiting

2009-05-29T16:04:00.006+10:00

Ibn Taimiyyah (r) said that there are those from the people that backbite or listen to backbiting, and they do so to please the company they keep, with the awareness that the victim is likely to be innocent of some of the things that are uttered about him. Often such offenders feel that if they were to attempt to end such conversation in a gathering, their presence might become unwelcome or burdensome.

There are many methods and guises that are employed when one mentions another in a negative way.

- Under the pretense of being informative. one could say that it is not one's habit to mention others, except for the sake of relating another's condition to someone.

- Or one could state that by Allah, indeed so and so is one to be pitied thereby showing superiority over one who is to be rejected.

- Another method might be to say that so and so is a good person, however he has such and such qualities, thereby justifying himself in revealing another's faults.

- One could also simply state that we should forget so and so, and make supplication for their forgiveness as well as our own, intending only to belittle the one that was mentioned.

- There are those who backbite to raise their own status. When they hear of someone's error, they employ words like, "Had I not prayed for so and so last night in my prayer, the news of their sin would not have reached my ears."

- When a person states of another that he lacks understanding in a matter, the implication is personal superiority for the one that mentions the other's shortcoming.

- There are those that couple jealousy with backbiting - the act of being critical or belittling to those that are praised in the company of others.

- Some people also backbite for the sake of humour, playfullness and lightheartedness. A person finds a certain amount of satisfaction from being appreciated for his story-telling abilities; speaking ill of some one in a humorous fashion adds flavour to a tale.

- Some engage in backbiting by showing surprise and amazement at another's actions: "How is it that someone could do such a thing?" Yet others mention people and their actions with the pretense of sympathy for their actions or misfortunes. In reality, the one who backbites actually finds contentment and satisfaction at the mention of others and their misdeeds.

- Another form is relating someone's misfortune to their enemies, so that they too may find pleasure in putting them down.

In reality all these tactics are designed to try to deceive Allah and to please the creation, and in reality, the many that follow these methods only serve to deceive themselves.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A man might speak a word without thinking about its implications, but because of it, he will plunge into the Hellfire further than the distance between the east and west." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6477) and Sahîh Muslim (2988)]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever can guarantee to me what is between his two lips and what is between his two legs, I can guarantee for him Paradise." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6474)]

Al-Hasan al-Basrî said: "Backbiting has three manifestations, all of which are discussed in Allah’s Book. They are: backbiting, tale-telling, and slander. As for backbiting, it is to say about your brother something that is true about him. Tale-telling is to say something that you have heard about him. Slander is to say about him what is not true."

Allah says: "O you who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would abhor that. And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful." [Sûrah al-Hujurât: 12]

Allah says: "O you who believe! Let not some men among you deride others who may be better than they (are), nor let women (deride) women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Evil is a bad name after faith." [Sûrah al-Hujurât: 11]

Allah says: "Woe to every sneering defamer." [Sûrah Humazah: 1]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "One of the greatest of the major sins is to stretch out one’s tongue without right against the honor of a Muslim." [Sunan Abî Dâwûd (4877)]

Backbiting pertains to a disease of the heart. May Allah save us from this most evil of actions and protect us from it's temptations. Ameen!

Page 51; Gems and Jewels, compiled by Abdul Malik Mujahid, Darussalam.

Sound Advice

2009-05-29T16:02:00.011+10:00

Advice of Jundub (ra)

- I advise you to fear Allah.

- I advise you to adhere to the Qur'an - for it is light in the darkest of nights and it is guidance during the day.

- Apply it, but if a trial such as poverty comes to you, give precedence to your religion over wealth.

- If the trial worsens, continue to put your religion before your wealth and your soul, for indeed the only one who is destroyed is the one whose religion is destroyed. The one who is poor is the one who has lost his religion.

- Know that there is no poverty after Paradise and there is no riches after the Hellfire.

**************

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (ra) said: "I advise you with five:

- None of you should hope except from His Lord and none of you should fear except his sin.

- None should be shy (when faced with a question) to reply humbly with "I do not know."

- And none should hesitate to acquaint themselves with the matter that they are ignorant about

- One should know that the patience to Iman is like the head to a body; if the head is cut off, the body perishes as well.

- Whoever desires richness without having wealth and abundance and without having a large clan, then let him turn from the depravity of sin to the honor of serving Allah."

*******************

Fudail bin 'Iyad said: "If you are not able to fast or pray, then know that you are shackled and confined by your sins." Allah (the Exalted) says:

"Yes! Whosoever earns evil and his sin has surrounded him, they are dwellers of the Fire (i.e. Hell); they will dwell therein forever." (Qur'an 2:81)

Ibn Mubarak said: "I saw that sins cause hearts to die, that base actions lead to their addiction, that avoiding sins is life for the heart, and that it is better for your soul for you to disobey it."

*******************

Hasan Basri advised some of his students admonishing them about avoiding the state of being proud. He said:

1. Do not deceive yourself into becoming too proud because you are in a good or righteous environment, for there is no place that is better than Paradise, and our father, Adam (as), experienced there what is known to all.

2. Do not become proud merely because you worship often, for consider what happened to Iblis (satan) after he spent a great deal of time worshipping.

3. Do not think yourself great because you have met with righteous people, for there is no man more righteous than the Prophet (pbuh), yet the disbelievers and hypocrites did not benefit by simply knowing him.

******************

Luqman (as) said: "If you are in prayer, take care of your heart; if you are eating, take care of your throat, if you are in another man's house, take care of your eyes; if you are among people, take care of your tongue. Remember two matters and forget two matters: Remember Allah & death; forget any good that you have done to another and any evil that was done to you by another."

The Slander Incident

2009-05-29T15:21:00.003+10:00

All of us are aware of the slander incident that took place during the time of the Prophet [pbuh] involving his wife, Aishah (ra). While I was reading about this a few days back, four main point stood out to me:

1. The manner in which the Prophet [pbuh] handled the situation. He did not succumb to heresay but instead sought Allah's help and said to her, "If you are innocent, Allah will acquit you, otherwise, you have to beg for His forgiveness and pardon."

2. Aishah (ra)'s response to these words, "Should I tell you I am innocent, and Allah knows that I am surely innocent, you will not believe me; and if I were to admit something of which, Allah knows, I am innocent, you will believe me; so there is nothing for me and you except the words of the father of Prophet Yusuf: "So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is Allah (alone) Whose Help can be sought against that which you assert" [Qur'an 12:18]

3. The revelation of Allah coming down at the decisive moment acquitting Aishah (ra) of all the slanderous talk fabricated in this concern. "Verily! Those who brought forth the slander (against Aishah (ra) - the wife of the Prophet [pbuh] are a group among you." [24:11]

4. The principal elements involved in the slander affair, Mistah bin Athatha, Hassan bin Thabit and Hamnah bint Jahsh, were flogged with eighty stripes. As for the man who took the principal part, ‘Abdullah bin Ubai, he was not flogged, either because the corporal punishment commutes the chastisement in store for him in the Hereafter, and he does not deserve this merit, or for the same public interest for which he was not killed previously. He, moreover, became the butt of reproach and humiliation amongst his people after his real intentions had been unequivocally exposed to all the public. [Sahih Al-Bukhari 1/364,2/696-698; Za'd Al-Ma'ad 2/113-115; Ibn Hisham 2/297-307]

Almost a month later, the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] and ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab were engaged in the following talk: "Don’t you see ‘Umar if I had had him (Abdullah bin Ubai) killed, a large number of dignitaries would have furiously hastened to fight for him. Now, on the contrary, if I ask them to kill him, they will do so out of their own free will." ‘Umar replied "I swear by Allâh that the Prophet’s judgement is much more sound than mine." [Ibn Hisham 2/293]

Subhan Allah! The Prophet [pbuh] truly was a blessing from Allah (swt) to mankind. There is no problem in our life that we are faced with, except that there are examples from the Sunnah on how we are meant to respond to it.

Always Forgive Your Enemies, Nothing Annoys Them More

2009-05-29T14:26:00.004+10:00

I've often come across this saying and always wondered what it truly meant. It's not easy to forget and forgive some one who has wronged you. It's human nature to feel anger towards some one who has caused you harm, either physically or emotionally or both.

We've been sent unto this Earth as a test from Allah (swt). Our every breath and every action should be done for the sake of Allah (swt) and to please Him. We have been created for the purpose of being a sincere slave to Him alone, and to worship Him in a manner best known to us. Everything else that follows is just a mere means of 'existence' to help us pass through this phase of our lives, yearning for a better life in the hereafter. Allah (swt) sent down the Prophet (pbuh) as a example for us to follow. The Prophet (pbuh) taught us how to implement the teachings of Islam and make it our way of life.

If you read about the life of the Prophet and how he handled different situations he was put in, there is so much we can learn. I'd like to share with you one of the many incidents that have touched my heart and have left a profound impact on my mind.

"In Shawwal, ten years after receiving his mission from his Lord, the Prophet [pbuh] set out towards At-Ta’if, about 60 kilometres from Makkah, in the company of his freed slave Zaid bin Haritha inviting people to Islam. But contrary to his expectations, the general atmosphere was terribly hostile. He approached the family of ‘Umair, who were reckoned amongst the nobility of the town. But, to his disappointment, all of them turned deaf ear to his message and used abusive language as regards the noble cause he had been striving for. Three brothers from the chieftains of Thaqeef —‘Abd Yaleel, Mas‘ud and Habeeb — sons of ‘Amr bin ‘Umair Ath-Thaqafy met the Prophet [pbuh], who invited them to embrace Islam and worship Allâh, but they impudently jeered at him and refused his invitation. "He is tearing the cloths of Al-Ka‘bah; is it true that Allâh has sent you as a Messenger?" said one of them. "Has not Allâh found someone else to entrust him with His Message?" said the second. "I swear by Allâh that I will never have any contact with you. If you are really the Messenger of Allâh, then you are too serious to retort back; and if you are belying Allâh, then I feel it is imperative not to speak to." said the third. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh], finding that they were hopeless cases, stood up and left them saying: "Should you indulge in these practices of yours, never divulge them to me."

For ten days he stayed there delivering his message to several people, one after another, but all to no purpose. Stirred up to hasten the departure of the unwelcome visitor, the people hooted him through the alley-ways, pelted him with stones and obliged him to flee from the city pursued by a relentless rabble. Blood flowed down both his legs; and Zaid, endeavouring to shield him, was wounded in the head. The mob did not desist until they had chased him two or three miles across the sandy plains to the foot of the surrounding hills. There, wearied and exhausted, he took refuge in one of the numerous orchards, and rested against the wall of a vineyard. At a time when the whole world seemed to have turned against him, Muhammad [pbuh] turned to his Lord and betook himself to prayer and the following touching words are still preserved as those through which his oppressed soul gave vent to its distress. He was weary and wounded but confident of the help of his Lord:

"O Allâh! To You alone I make complaint of my helplessness, the paucity of my resources and my insignificance before mankind. You are the most Merciful of the mercifuls. You are the Lord of the helpless and the weak, O Lord of mine! Into whose hands would You abandon me: into the hands of an unsympathetic distant relative who would sullenly frown at me, or to the enemy who has been given control over my affairs? But if Your wrath does not fall on me, there is nothing for me to worry about."

"I seek protection in the light of Your Countenance, which illuminates the heavens and dispels darkness, and which controls all affairs in this world as well as in the Hereafter. May it never be that I should incur Your wrath, or that You should be wrathful to me. And there is no power nor resource, but Yours alone."

Seeing him in this helpless situation, Rabi‘a’s two sons, wealthy Makkans, were moved on grounds of kinship and compassion, and sent to him one of their Christian servants with a tray of grapes. The Prophet [pbuh] accepted the fruit with pious invocation: "In the Name of the Allâh." The Christian servant ‘Addas was greatly impressed by these words and said: "These are words which people in this land do not generally use." The Prophet [pbuh] inquired of him whence he came and what religion he professed. ‘Addas replied: "I am a Christian by faith and come from Nineveh." The Prophet [pbuh] then said: "You belong to the city of the righteous Jonah, son of Matta." ‘Addas asked him anxiously if he knew anything about Jonah. The Prophet [pbuh] significantly remarked: "He is my brother. He was a Prophet and so am I." Thereupon ‘Addas paid homage to Muhammad [pbuh] and kissed his hands. His masters admonished him at this act but he replied: "None on the earth is better than he is. He has revealed to me a truth which only a Prophet can do." They again reprimanded him and said: "We forewarn you against the consequences of abandoning the faith of your forefathers. The religion which you profess is far better than the one you feel inclined to."

Heart-broken and depressed, Muhammad [pbuh] set out on the way back to Makkah. When he reached Qarn Al-Manazil, Allâh, the Almighty sent him Gabriel together with the angel of mountains. The latter asked the Prophet [pbuh] for permission to bury Makkah between Al–Akhshabain —Abu Qubais and Qu‘ayqa‘an mountains. Full narration of this event was given by ‘Aishah [R] (the Prophet’s spouse). She said: "I asked the Prophet [pbuh] if he had ever experienced a worse day than Uhud. He answered that he had suffered a lot from those people (the idolaters) but the most painful was on the day of ‘Aqabah. I went seeking support from Ibn ‘Abd Yalil bin ‘Abd Kalal, but he spurned me. I set out wearied and grieved heedless of anything around me until I suddenly realized I was in Qarn Ath-Tha‘alib, called Qarn Al-Manazil. There, I looked up and saw a cloud casting its shade on me, and Gabriel addressing me: Allâh has heard your people’s words and sent you the angel of mountains to your aid. The latter called and gave me his greetings and asked for my permission to bury Makkah between Al-Akhshabain, the two mountains flanking Makkah. I said in reply that I would rather have someone from their loins who will worship Allâh, the All–Mighty with no associate." A concise meaningful answer fully indicative of the Prophet’s matchless character and the fathomless magnanimous manners. [Bukhari 1/458; Muslim 2/109]

(Taken from Ar Raheequl Makhtum; The Sealed Nectar, Biography of the Prophet [pbuh])

Subhan Allah! How many of us can say that if put in a similar situation we will exhibit the same amount of patience and trust in Allah (swt)? How many of us, despite being abused so much can make sincere dua to Allah (swt) to bless the offsprings of the wrong doers and bless them with the guidance of Islam?

There is so much we can learn and so much more we need to do to be the type of Muslims our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wanted us to be.

Have patience and trust Allah (swt) alone, and He will surely set your affairs in order. Forgive your enemies, for they know not, and a greater reward is in store for you in the hereafter, which is better for you than the rewards in this life.

Thought Processing…

2009-03-12T15:18:00.004+11:00

Last night after much contemplation I decided to do what I usually wouldn’t. Many a times opportunities such as these have arisen in the past but I never mustered the courage to actually be a part of it all. But this time I told myself that things will be different and unless I let myself experience it I won’t be able to say whether it was a good or bad idea. It might sound like what I did was some mammoth task and when I do reveal what it was it might seem trivial to some of you but the fact that I haven’t been the type of person who is known to do something like this, makes it a big deal – at least for me!

I attended a ladies only dinner organized by the members of a forum I frequent and even though I spoke regularly with many of the lovely girls in cyber space, it was the first time I actually ‘met’ them in person. It was a great event and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I was always nervous about going to such gatherings because there’s always the slight fear of whether you will ‘click’ as easily in real life as you do online. And let’s face it we tend to come out of our shells much quicker and easier when we’re sitting in the comfort of our home as opposed to having a face to face conversation with someone.

I think given the circumstances, I did pretty well - if I should say so myself! I even surprised myself a few times by cracking a few jokes (which actually made people laugh!) and also by initiating conversations, something I rarely do at a first meeting with someone. People who’ve known me for a while would find this absurd, because I can be quite a chatter-box but when it comes to treading on unfamiliar territory, I do have my initial reservations.

Getting together with like minded and similar aged people makes such a huge difference to the usual monotone life us moms tend to lead. We are so engrossed in our children and the whole job of making sure everything is running smoothly we let ourselves take a back seat. My brain is in dire need of some stimulation! Sitting down at that table last night and enjoying a warm meal without any interruptions felt amazing. It’s funny how we take so many things for granted but when we become parents we learn to be ever grateful for those little things that didn’t really matter in the past.

I sometimes miss the days when I led a carefree life, not thinking about anything or anyone else but myself. Every stage of our life we go through leaves us yearning for what we’ve left behind but what I’ve learnt is that instead of cribbing over what we don’t have it’s best to close that chapter on a happy note and move on and try to find contentment in what we have in this point in time. Yes being single was fun, but having a soul mate & being able to experience motherhood is a blessing from above and I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

This outing for me was like a breath of fresh air. Going away for those couple of hours and indulging in something I truly missed was sheer bliss. At one point I just sat there looking around the room and watched everyone indulge in conversation and the whole atmosphere felt so light and rejuvenating. When I got back home last night, I had renewed energy and the ‘oh! so boring’ routine didn’t seem so boring anymore. I was able to look at things in a different light and appreciate what I’ve been blessed with. Sometimes it so happens that you get engulfed by what you do day in and out it begins to feel burdensome. Little time-outs such as these help you refresh your mind & makes things seem so much better than before!

I thank Allah for everything he has bestowed upon me and ask Him for forgiveness for whining about the things that I should be grateful for. I thank Him alone for giving me this opportunity to re-assess my thoughts and helping me in bringing back the happiness and fulfillment I found in the little things I achieve everyday.

Toddler Rules of Possession

2009-02-18T12:12:00.003+11:00

1. If I like it, it's mine.

2. If it's in my hand, it's mine.

3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.

4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.

5. If it's mine, it must NEVER appear to be yours in anyway.

6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.

7. If it looks just like mine, it is mine.

8. If I saw it first, it's mine.

9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically
becomes mine.

10. If it's broken, it's yours. 

(This was posted on the board in my child's kindergarten)

My Baby is Growing up!

2009-02-12T15:37:00.003+11:00

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.

The Victorian Bush Fires

2009-02-12T14:56:00.004+11:00

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.

Tag Post: 100 Things

2009-02-09T14:36:00.004+11:00

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 Eiffel Tower 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.

The Destroyer of Delights

2009-02-04T15:43:00.006+11:00

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).”

Taken from: www.islamqa.com

Beloved Nabi - May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him

2009-02-02T14:53:00.007+11:00

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)

Beat the Heat

2009-01-28T15:48:00.004+11:00

Melbourne is experiencing it's hottest days in 100 years and all that is on my mind right now is the heat. SubhanAllah, I'm very bad at coping in hot weather, which is kind of surprising given that I spent most of my childhood in Saudi Arabia. I guess the laid back lifestyle there makes it easier to get by.

It has been forecasted to be over 40 degrees for four consecutive days with today being our first. Alhamdulilah, I'm glad I can stay home in this sweltering heat but my heart goes out to those who have to actually get out of their homes and go to work. We've had a relatively easy start to summer, but looks like now it's making up for the mild days that went by. Alhamdulilah, atleast we got to go out and do some summer activities, and I'm hoping after this scorcher of a week we have some respite and I can venture out again with the kids and get a breath of fresh air, inshaAllah.

So before I start whinging all over again about how hot it is, maybe it's a good idea to list the good things about summer to lift up my spirits.

More daylight, which means more time to stay outdoors
Lots of reasons to dig into a bowl of ice-cream (low fat perhaps)
On days when you feel fat you can resort to some yummy smoothies. Add whatever you like - strawberries, blueberries, yoghurt, store bought vanilla custard (Yep, Try it!), mangoes and any other seasonal fruit you can get your hands on.
Going to the beach and feeling the sand under my feet and splashing around in the water
Scrumptious BBQs
Family picnics and day trips, my favourite!
Shopping

Before I sign off I'd like to share this hadith that springs to my mind everytime the heat starts getting to me.

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "In very hot weather delay the Zuhr prayer till it becomes (a bit) cooler because the severity of heat is from the raging of Hell-fire. The Hell-fire of Hell complained to its Lord saying: O Lord! My parts are eating (destroying) one another. So Allah allowed it to take two breaths, one in the winter and the other in the summer. The breath in the summer is at the time when you feel the severest heat and the breath in the winter is at the time when you feel the severest cold." (Sahih Bukhari).

So what is the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about summer?

Never say Never

2009-01-21T11:09:00.002+11:00

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. - Michael Jordan

As a school aged child I was often encouraged by my dear mother to strive hard and achieve my goals. No matter how tough a situation might seem, stubborn persistence and faith in Allah and in myself would get me through and the sweetness of success was well worth the effort. We had a motto – “Never say never. You can and you will” and when ever I would stumble and needed motivation I’d repeat it in my head until it made me confident and gave me renewed energy to complete the task at hand.

Now being a mother myself, I realise the impact this has had in my life and I am ever thankful to my mom for guiding me through and being the strong pillar of support at times when I needed her most. I must admit though that after having children I’ve let myself take a back seat and have put off many times what I want to do with my life but now I realise that if I want my children to succeed I need to show them how and the only way I can do that is by chasing my dreams and succeeding myself. Only then will I be able to arm them with the ammunition they require to excel in both this life and the next.

There are some simple rules I follow to help my children believe in themselves and stop them from being a quitter. I feel that this form of encouragement and support from the parents and caregivers should be practiced from a young impressionable age. Every task they embark upon should be taken as a challenge and they must endeavour to be successful. There are surely going to be times when they might fail, but ceaseless efforts will eventually make them a winner. As the saying goes,” A winner never quits and a quitter never wins.” Embedding in them the qualities of a winner and giving them the power to hold on despite the most adverse circumstances will help them easily overcome their obstacles and obtain desired results.

This holds true in matters both concerning this life and the next. Our ultimate goal is Jannah, and to attain the highest level of Jannah we need to put ourselves to the test and strive to be the best of Allah’s slaves. By incorporating qualities of a true winner such as optimism, determination, confidence, patience and above all faith in Allah (swt) we can be assured that we will be where we want to be, InshaAllah.

Life will often present to us situations that will throw us off track and make us feel like we cannot go on but at the end of the day what matters most is not what happens to us but how we react to it. Accepting change as a challenge will help lift our spirits and make life smooth sailing. There will be times when will be required to pick ourselves up, dust off and get back in the race and those who manage to achieve this are the true achievers.

I too have some goals I want to achieve and after procrastinating for the past few years I’ve realised that if I want something badly, I cannot expect it to come to my doorstep. I need to strive towards it and I know deep down that I do have the capabilities of accomplishing my goals. It’s only a matter of believing in my self and letting go of my comfort zone and stepping out in the open and tackling my fears head on.

This is a reminder for me more than anything else to go back to being a fighter. I can, I will and I have to…

75 Ways to Encourage Children

Charity sees the Need not the Cause

2009-01-20T12:47:00.005+11:00

At these trying times when our fellow Muslims in impoverished nations around the world are in dire need of our help, here are some ahadith and verses from the Qur’an that will encourage us and help us hasten towards generously giving in Allah’s cause.

Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:

'The likeness of those who spend their money for Allah's sake is as the likeness of a grain (of corn), it grows seven ears, every single ear has a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies (increases the reward) for whom He wills, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures needs, All Knower' (2: 261).

'Who is he that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan which Allah will double unto his credit and multiply it many times?' (2: 245).

Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari: The Prophet said,

"On every Muslim there is enjoined (a compulsory) Sadaqa (alms)." They (the people) said, "If one has nothing?' He said, "He should work with his hands so that he may benefit himself and give in charity." They said, "If he cannot work or does not work?" He said, "Then he should help the oppressed unhappy person (by word or action or both)." They said, "If he does not do it?" He said, "Then he should enjoin what is good (or said what is reasonable).' They said, "If he does not do that''' He said, "Then he should refrain from doing evil, for that will be considered for Him as a Sadaqa (charity)."

(Bukhari - Volume 8, Book 73, Number 5)

Charity is a means of gaining barakah in your wealth. The prophet (pbuh) stated, 'The Charity does not lessen one's money'. It can also lessen or take away sufferings and calamities that a person is experiencing. The prophet (pbuh) said, 'Cure your sick people with Sadaqa (i.e. charity)!' It can also serve as a means of reaping continuous rewards long after you’re gone. Abu Huraira (ra) reported Allah's Messenger (pbuh) as saying: When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased). (Bukhari)

It is more befitting of a Muslim to give in charity from his best possessions and that which he loves most.

'By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give (freely as a charity) from that which you love; and whatever you spend Allah knows it well.' (3: 92).

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "If somebody gives in charity something equal to a date from his honestly earned money then Allah will take it in His Right (Hand) and bring it up for its owner as anyone of you brings up a baby horse, till it becomes like a mountain." Abu Huraira said: The Prophet. said, "Nothing ascends to Allah except good." (Bukhari)

Narrated 'Ali: While we were in a funeral procession in Baqi Al-Gharqad, Allah's Apostle came and sat down, and we sat around him. He had a small stick in his hand and he bent his head and started scraping the ground with it. He then said, "There is none among you, and no created soul but has his place written for him either in Paradise or in the Hell-Fire, and also has his happy or miserable fate (in the Hereafter) written for him." A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we depend upon what is written for us and give up doing (good) deeds? For whoever among us is destined to be fortunate (in the Hereafter), will join the fortunate peoples and whoever among us is destined to be miserable will do such deeds as are characteristic of the people who are destined to misery." The Prophet said, "Those who are destined to be happy (in the Hereafter) will find it easy and pleasant to do the deeds characteristic of those destined to happiness, while those who are to be among the miserable (in the Hereafter), will find it easy to do the deeds characteristic of those destined to misery." Then he recited: 'As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and believes in the Best reward from Allah, We will make smooth for him the path of ease. But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self sufficient, and gives the lie to the Best reward from Allah we will make smooth for him the path for evil.' (92.5-10) (Bukhari)

Gaza Ambulance Aid
Human Appeal Intl - Gaza Appeal
Gaza Survey

Our Children in Gaza

2009-01-20T11:25:00.003+11:00

About a year back when I was attending the annual Islamic conference here in Melbourne, I had a very emotionally draining experience which has left a huge impact on my life. It has made me more grateful to Allah for my blessings and I realised the extent of pain and suffering others go through when they lose someone close to their heart, a part of their soul – their child.

It all happened when hubby was minding my daughter, who was just over 2 years old back then, while I attended one of the lectures. When it ended and I returned to hubby he looked extremely worried and I walked up to him to ask him what’s wrong. What he told me made my heart sink and I was engulfed with a feeling of fear and despair. He said he couldn’t find my daughter!

Here I was standing amidst a huge crowd of people frantically running from one corner to the other trying to spot my little girl. I was angry at myself for letting this happen and my heart was pounding fast in my chest. I hurriedly ran up to the volunteers and asked them for their help. Soon enough there was a team of people looking for her and I started making du’a to Allah to keep my child safe and protect her. Her beautiful innocent face flashed before my eyes and I didn’t want to think of how it would feel if I lost her forever and didn’t see her again. Those moments from when she went missing to the time she was found were heart wrenching. When they finally found her and brought her to me I was overcome with relief and tears streamed down my face while I embraced her. I thanked Allah over and over for reuniting us. Alhamdulilah, the time I was away from my child was short lived and I didn’t have to deal with the pain for long.

But what about our dear sisters & brothers suffering in Gaza? What happened with me cannot even compare to what they are going through. The pictures floating around on the internet speak about a gruesome truth. These people are losing their children and their loved ones and seeing them die before their eyes. There is nothing they can do to protect them and save them. Can you imagine how they must feel? What have these innocent children done to deserve this? Everyday they live in fear, traumatized and scarred – physically, mentally and emotionally, for the rest of their lives.

The question is - what are we trying to achieve? The widespread injustice and death of civilians just goes to show how immature and inhumane people can be. We need to grow up! War is not the answer. Killing innocent civilians under the pretext of trying to settle your disputes is not the solution.

Make du'a for our children in Gaza. Donate generously for the sake of Allah, so they can get the aid they require. Sponsor a child & make a difference in their life.

O Allah, the fate of our people in Gaza is in your hands. O Allah, You are aware of our affairs and to You we return. To You we raise our misery, sorrows and complaints. Ya Rabb! Put an end to the injustice of the oppressors and bestow Your Mercy upon all Muslims, Ameen.

Seeking Allah's Pleasure

2009-01-13T15:36:00.001+11:00

5 things we can do to gain Allah’s pleasure:

Be grateful

“And He is not pleased with ingratitude in His servants; and if you are grateful, He is pleased with this in you.” [Sûrah al-Zumar: 7]

Always speak the truth

Allah will say: This is the day when their truth shall benefit the truthful ones; they shall have gardens beneath which rivers flow to abide therein for ever: Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Allah; this is the mighty achievement.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 119]

Be good to our parents

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah’s being pleased is in the parent’s pleasure, and His displeasure is in the parent’s displeasure.” – 1899 Sunan al-Tirmidhî

Be pleased with Allah’s decree

“Whoever is pleased, He will be pleased with him; and whoever is displeased, His displeasure will be upon him.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî (2396)]

Have firm Faith (Eeman) and strive to be obedient to Allah (swt). Work alone is not sufficient to earn Allah’s pleasure. Work needs to be accompanied by true belief and faith in Allah.

A soul that is firm on faith will be addressed by the following words in the hereafter: “Return to your Lord, well-pleased (with him), well-pleasing (to Him)” [Sûrah al-Fajr: 28]

Allah says: “Their reward with their Lord is gardens of perpetuity beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein for ever; Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him; that is for those who fear their Lord.” [Sûrah al-Bayyinah: 8].

Always be mindful of your intentions and never judge an individual based upon their acts of obedience or disobedience to Allah (swt). We should not make judgements in matters of the unseen and only Allah alone has knowledge of everything and He is the best judge. All we can do is hope for the person whom we see performing good deeds and obeying Allah that Allah is pleased with him & fear for the person whom we see committing evil deeds and acts disobedience that he is earning Allah’s displeasure.

A person may do what appears to the people to be good, but he may face an evil end. In this case Allah is not pleased with him. Another person may do what appears to the people to be evil, but he may face a good end. Then Allah will be pleased with him.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “By Him besides whom there is no god, one of you will act like the people of Paradise until between him and Paradise there remains but the distance of a cubit, when what is written overtakes him and he begins to act like the denizens of Hell and thus enters Hell. And another amongst will act in the way of the denizens of Hell, until there remains between him and Hell a distance of a cubit, then what is written overtakes him and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.” Sahîh al-Bukhârî (3208) and Sahîh Muslim (2643)

We seek refuge from Allah from His wrath and ask Him to guide us and make us among those who please Him and are close to Him, Ameen.

[The matter in this article has been taken from www.islamtoday.com]

ACTION - GAZA

2009-01-09T23:05:00.005+11:00

Please take some time out to read this article posted on one of the most influential Islamic blogs ever.

Don't forget to sign the petition launched by CAIR to collect one million signatures.

Canine Pets

2009-01-08T15:16:00.005+11:00

Please tell me I'm not alone on this one! I dislike dogs. And my reason isn't just religious but also personal. I am not too comfortable with having a dog sniff me or come close to me. They make me nervous and the stories I hear about dogs mauling their owners, children and even strangers makes me want to run miles away in the opposite direction.

Living in a western country where dogs are a common household pet, it's difficult to not come across one when you step out of your house. They're everywhere! I've seen myself do numerous things when I spot a dog, and most of the stuff makes me laugh out loud or sometimes drown in embarassment when I think about it after I'm safely back home. To name a few - trace my steps back to where I began if I see a dog walking towards me; climbing on to children's playground equipment if I see a dog in the area; wait till the neighbour puts the dog on leash or locks them up inside their house before I step outside; do a quick 'dog-check' everytime I leave the house to make sure no dogs (or any other pets for that matter) are wandering around etc. (Ok, so now you're probably thinking I'm crazy and need to get my self checked out.)

I've noticed that some dog owners are somehow aware of Muslims and their phobia with dogs, which is good in a way. Because everytime they see a hijabi around they make sure their dog is at a fairly safe distance & it also saves me from looking like a complete fool by trying different techniques to avoid them.

We've had some rather embarassing moments with our neighbours who recently moved into the house opposite ours. They have an overly enthusiastic dog, to say the least, and he loves jumping on to everyone. DD1 has had a few screaming episodes when he has approached her and not to mention our body language a few times has made it clear to them that we are not the type who are going to go all mushy over their pets friendly nature.

Dogs are considered impure in Islam. There are certain rulings on what a Muslim should do when his clothing or utensils in which he eats comes in contact with a dog. It is not permitted to keep a dog unless it is for a purpose, like hunting or guarding property or other uses that are not contrary to the Sharee’ah, and even then there are many conditions that should be met. The Prophet (pbuh) said:

"Whoever keeps a dog, except a dog for herding, hunting or farming, his reward will decrease by one qiraat every day." (Reported by Muslim, 2948).

The ruling on touching a dog (taken from www.islamqa.com)

If you touch it when it is not wet, then your hand does not become impure, but if you touch it when it is wet, this means that the hand becomes impure, according to the opinion of many scholars, and the hand must be washed seven times, one of which should be with earth.

With regard to vessels, if a dog has licked a vessel (i.e., drunk from it), then the vessel must be washed seven times, one of which should be with earth, as was proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere, in the hadeeth narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a dog licks the vessel of any one of you, let him wash it seven times, one of which should be with earth.” It is better if the washing with earth be the first washing. And Allaah knows best.

Dua: The Essence of Worship

2009-01-07T12:22:00.004+11:00

With the recent happenings in Gaza receiving widespread condemnation from people all around the world, it’s time for us to wake up & pray for those who are being oppressed. As an Ummah we need to reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters and the best we can do is make dua for them. Below are some duat I’ve compiled from various reliable sources. Please take some time out after every prayer and if possible try to offer voluntary prayers at night and make dua. May Allah accept our supplications and ease the sufferings of those who are experiencing hardship, Ameen.

Remember, when you make dua for someone, it also benefits you. So make dua for your fellow muslim brothers and sisters with firm faith in Allah swt and hope for it to be answered.

The prophet (SAW) said: ‘There is no believing servant who supplicates for his brother in his absence where the angels do not say, ‘the same be for you” [Muslim]

اللهم أصلح أمة محمد اللهم فرج عن أمة محمد أللهم ارحم أمة محمد
'Allahumma aslih Ummata Muhammad. Allahumma farrij 'an Ummati Muhammad. Allahumma Rham Ummata Muhammad [sallAllahu alayhi wasalam]
O Allah! Improve (help) the state of the Ummah of Muhammad. O Allah! Grant ease to the Ummah of Muhammad. O Allah! Have mercy on the Ummah of Muhammad.
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْلَنَا وَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنتَ وَ اَصْلِحْهُمْ وَ اَصْلِحْذَاتْ بَيْنِهِمْ وَ اَلِّفْ بَيْنَ قُلُوْبِهِمْ وَ اجْعَلْ فِىْ قُلُوْبِهِمُ الاِيْمَانَ وَ الْحِكْمَةَ وَ انْصُرْهِمْ عَلى عَدُوِّكَ وَ عَدُوِّهِمْ
Allahumma aghfir lana, wa lil mu'miniia, wal-mu'minaati, wa aslih-hum, wa salih dhati bayynihim, wa allif baina quluubihim, waj'al fi quluubi-himul imaana wal hikmata, wa-nsurhum 'ala' 'aduw-wika wa 'aduwwihim
O Allah! Forgive us, and the believing men and women, and remove their faults, and cause peace and love among their hearts, and infuse into their hearts a firm faith and wisdom, and let them be victorious over Your enemies and their enemies.
رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Rabbana afrigh alayina sabran wa thabbit aqdamana wansurna ala alqaumil-kafiriin
Our Lord! Pour out constancy on us and make our steps firm: Help us against those that reject faith. [surah al-Baqarah; 2: 250]
رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنْتَ مَوْلاَنَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Rabbana la tu·akhidhna in nasina aw akhtaana, rabbana wala tahmil alaiyna isran kama hamaltahu ala alladhina min qablina, rabbana wala tuhammilna ma la þaqata lana bihi wa'fu anna waghfir lana warhamna anta maulana fa'nsurna ala alqaumil-kafiriin
Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith. [surah al-Baqarah; 2: 286]
اللَّهُمَّ مُنْزِلَ الْكِتَابِ، سَرِيعَ الْحِسَابِ، اهْزِمِ الاَحْزَابَ، اللَّهُمَّ مْهُمْ وَ زَلْزِلْهُمْ
Allahumma munzilal kitabi, warii'al-hisaabi, ihzimil-ahzaaba. Allahumma ihzimhum wa zalzilhum
O Allah! Revealer of the book, Swift to account, defeat the groups (of those who reject faith). O Allah! defeat them and shake them. [Muslim; 3:1362]
رَبَّنَا لاَ تَجْعَلْنَا فِتْنَةً لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ
Rabbana la tajal-na fitnatan-lil qawmi-dhalimeen

Our Lord! make us not a trial for those who practise oppression
[surah Yunus; 10: 85]

Collingwood Children's Farm

2009-01-05T12:20:00.002+11:00

Much to hubby’s disappointment I managed to fit in a visit to the children’s farm. Hubby isn’t much of an animal person & isn’t very fond of places that allow them to roam free. But I’m glad that he let DD1 experience the farm atmosphere even though it wasn’t his cup of tea.

We wanted to be there during the cow milking session and alhamdulilah made it in time. DD1 stood in line patiently waiting for her turn to milk the cow but when it was time she changed her mind and decided she wanted to groom the cow instead. So I took the opportunity to have a go myself and for the first time ever, milked a cow! I was proud of myself as I walked out the farm that day. I had experienced something I never thought I’d do and even enjoyed doing the same.

Other than that there were the usual farm animals - goats, pigs, sheep, lamb, hens, horses, peacocks, geese & guinea pigs. DD1 was disappointed there were no rabbits as she was looking forward to cuddling one. But she sure did enjoy chasing the hen around.

Here are some pictures.

Peacock checking out the peahen ;)

DD1 chasing the hen

Melbourne Aquarium

2009-01-05T10:35:00.004+11:00

We kick started our holiday by taking the kids to the aquarium. It’s funny that I’ve been to the aquarium in Sydney and Auckland before Melbourne, even though this is where I live. I guess being tourists, you know that you’re not going to be there forever and tend to tick off as many places of interest as you can before you depart.

I’ve had people tell me earlier it’s not ‘great’ but I think it was pretty interesting and was quite impressed. I enjoyed watching the penguins the best and for me that was the highlight. We also made it in time for the shark feeding session, and DD1 and hubby seemed to enjoy that the most. DD2 slept peacefully through most of it.

They’ve got heaps of exhibits with different species of animal from the underwater world. I think we spent a good 2-3 hours there.

A picture speaks more than a thousand words, so I’m going to stop blabbing & start posting some photos.

Melbourne Aquarium

Melbourne skyline around the aquarium

The majestic King penguins

The cheeky Gentoo penguins

We were there during the penguin feeding session and it was hillarious to see them all diving in for a bite when the keeper threw the fish into the water. And the gentoo penguins do live up to their reputation of being 'cheeky'. I tried taking a few shots of them swimming in the water (that was on the other side of the exhibit) but unfortunately our ancient camera didn't quite capture the moment. In fact, I couldn't take many photos inside the aquarium as the lighting wasn't adequate and the thick glass in the exhibits made it harder to use flash and these were the only ones I managed to capture.

Time flies when you're having fun

2009-01-05T10:08:00.004+11:00

The title sums it all up for me. If you've noticed I was on a short break from blogging and even surfing the internet for the past couple of weeks or so (which is quite unusual for me).

Alhamdulilah, beloved hubby had time off work so we made the most of him being home and decided to go places and do some sight seeing around Melbourne. I've been here for almost five years now, but haven't really ventured out and this was a great opportunity to just go out and have fun.

We did heaps of things, and the kids enjoyed themselves too. I'm sure DD1 is going to feel bored at home now after the eventful weeks we've had. But inshaAllah not long to go for her to start kindy so she can be occupied again. As for me and DD2 I guess it's back to reality! Alhamdulilah.

I do intend sharing some of my experiences and photos with my readers, inshaAllah. Please bear with me and I will get around to doing that soon.

If it makes you feel better, I did think about my blog and have a few topics in mind I want to write about, so hopefully the coming days will have some new posts for you to browse through.

Till then, take care and be good. :)

Wassalaam Alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatuhu.

A Hug a Day Keep the Blues Away

2008-12-19T12:09:00.003+11:00

We need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 hugs a day for maintenance & 12 hugs a day for growth. - Virginia Satir, Family Therapist.

When was the last time you exchanged a hug with someone? Do you remember the feeling of immense love and contentment you feel when you’re hugged? Does it make you feel special and wanted?

There is a difference between ‘social hugging’; where you paste an artificial smile on your face and exchange some quick hugs and pecks on the cheek, and therapeutic hugging. Therapeutic hugging is meant to be healing. Reaching out and touching someone and holding them tight is simply a natural way of saying you care. When you’re embraced, you feel all your worries melt away and you want live the moment and take it all in. The warmth radiating from the embrace engulfing you is enough to reinforce the positive energy around you and lift you up.

From the time a foetus is in its mother’s womb he is exposed to the healing powers of ‘touch’. Our skin being a ‘sensory’ organ, responds to tender loving care. The amniotic fluid forms a secure abode for the child when he is growing inside the womb and provides constant stimulation to every inch of its tiny body, forming the origin of the yearning for touch for the rest of our lives. As a newborn, a baby recognises its parents initially by touch.

As our children grow up, we tend to start taking them for granted and expect them to just ‘know’ that we care. But what we don’t realise is that even as adults we often crave for some physical touch and expression of love. So kids aren’t any different, and at an age where they are still learning right from wrong and discovering new things everyday they need the reassurance and security of unconditional love. It can also boost their self esteem.

A hug is a great gift – it’s inexpensive, one size fits all, and it's easy to exchange. Sometimes it's better to put love into hugs than to put it into words. So take this as a reminder and try to be more generous with your hugs!

The Forgotten Nutrient

2008-12-16T11:56:00.004+11:00

Water forms an essential part of our diet and is the second most important component required for survival after air. But we tend to neglect our water intake and most of us do not drink enough water (myself included). Not drinking enough water can cause more harm than we can imagine and the first step to maintaining good health is to drink enough water and incorporate exercise in our daily routine.

The amount of water we need depends on various factors such as our weight, amount of exercise, lifestyle and where we live.

The Hydration Calculator can give you a good estimate of how much water you require depending on individual needs.

Here are some tips I try to follow everyday to make sure I drink enough water:

Keep a glass of water next to you. Have a glass of water at every transitional point of the day: when you first get up, just before leaving the house, when you sit down to work, etc.
Drink before you get thirsty. People who drink to satisfy thirst replace only about half of what they need.
Carry a bottle of water when you go out. This will stop you from spending money on buying beverages or other drinks when all you need is water to re-hydrate.
Thirst masquerades as hunger. So when you get hunger pangs between meals, it’s often a request by your body for water rather than food.

Good health is indeed a favour that we take for granted. We should express gratitude to Allah for bestowing us with sound health. Allah has entrusted us with our bodies for a predestined period of time. He will hold us accountable for how we looked after and utilised our bodies and good health.

Abdullah bin Abbas (ra) reports that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “There are two bounties of Allah wherein most people are deceived, health and free time”.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mounted the pulpit, then wept and said, "Ask Allah for forgiveness and health, for after being granted certainty, one is given nothing better than health."(Tirmidhi).

Smile - It's Charity

2008-12-11T12:06:00.005+11:00

Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.

On my last trip to the grocery store, when I was left with both kids in the trolley and no hubby to assist me (which sounds like a recipe for disaster) – surprisingly it turned out to be the most pleasant shopping experience I’ve had in a while. Why? You ask. Well, to begin with, everyone who passed by smiled at me & wished me a good day. One lady walked up to me and held my hand and told me “Darling, you look beautiful today!” This, coming from a complete stranger! I was surprised to hear this, but it did make my day. Just those few gestures of kindness and empathy they exhibited made me feel so much better.

Many times we go about life, doing our business and we forget the simple things that can brighten up our day and make everything so much more worthwhile. When I’m all stressed and buried neck deep in housework all I need is a smile from my little ones to lighten things up and help me get through my daily chores.

According to Psychologist Robert Zajonc: "There is now compelling evidence that smiling causes people to feel happy. Requiring people to smile, no matter how they really feel at first, results in increased positive feelings; frowning conversely decreases positive feelings."

From this experience I’ve learnt that smiling and showing compassion to people around you can have a positive impact on their lives. So smile away, and make someone’s day!

And I cannot go by without mentioning this hadith that springs to my mind:

Abu Dharr (ra) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “There is no person who does not have the obligation of (doing) charity every day that the sun rises.”

Whereupon he was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, from where would we get something to give in charity (so often)?” To which he (pbuh) replied, “Indeed the gates to goodness are many: glorifying God, praising Him, magnifying Him, saying ‘There is no god but Allah,’ enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong, removing (any source of) harm from the road, making the deaf hear (and understand), guiding the blind, showing the seeker his need, striving as far as your two legs could carry you and with deep concern to give succor to him who asks, carrying with the strength of your arms (the burdens of) the weak. All these are (acts of) charity.” And he added, “And your smiling in the face of your brother is charity, your removing of stones, thorns, and bones from people’s paths is charity, and your guiding a man gone astray in the world is charity for you.”

Hadith for Thought

2008-12-04T15:44:00.003+11:00

Treatment of Women in Islam

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah 's Apostle said, "Treat women nicely, for a women is created from a rib, and the most curved portion of the rib is its upper portion, so, if you should try to straighten it, it will break, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked. So treat women nicely." Volume 4, Book 55, Number 548. - Sahih Bukhari

Narrated AbuHurayrah:
Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: A believing man should not hate a believing woman; if he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another. Book 8, Number 3469 - Sahih Muslim

Narrated Mu'awiyah al-Qushayri:
I went to the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) and asked him: "What do you say (command) about our wives?" He replied: "Give them food what you have for yourself, and clothe them by which you clothe yourself, and do not beat them, and do not revile them." Book 11, Number 2139 - Abu Dawud

"The best of you is one who is best towards his family and I am best towards the family". - At Tirmidhi

"None but a noble man treats women in an honourable manner. And none but an ignoble treats women disgracefully". - At-Tirmidhi

Lemonade from Lemons

2008-11-28T12:34:00.002+11:00

We all would agree that sometimes when things don’t go as planned we tend to get disappointed and harp on negative thoughts in our mind. This makes us spiral out of control and might lead to immense frustration and emotional distress. I’ve come across various situations in the past when something didn’t quite turn out as I expected it to and I found myself being dragged down by my feelings and couldn’t really get a hold of myself. Life moves on, and I’ve realized that it’s no use fretting over something that didn’t happen. After all, Allah is the best of planners, and He alone knows what is good for us and what is not.

Here’s a simple exercise we can follow to help us spot the silver lining:

Avoid entering a situation ‘looking’ for the negative, because when you seek the negative, you often find it more than not. Stop negative thoughts in their tracks. If you give attention to negative thoughts, they will get stronger and stronger. What seems like a small matter in the beginning may become monstrous at the end.

What you should do is break the vicious cycle by shifting your focus to something positive. Sometimes, the positive may not be easy to see right off the bat, but if you look deep enough it is there. You can then reinforce this positive attention until you completely defeat the negative thoughts.

If something is bothering you, find the main cause of the problem and learn to deal with it with positive thoughts and self-encouragement. Nothing is too big a task to accomplish. Once you’ve overcome your fears, the sense of achievement you feel is much greater and worthwhile than the sense of regret and remorse you would feel if you gave in and let yourself be pulled down into negative vibrations.

Patience is half of Imân

2008-11-28T12:03:00.000+11:00

Imân is in two halves: half is patience ( sabr) and half is gratitude ( shukr). Therefore Allâh has mentioned patience and gratitude alongside one another:

“Verily in this are signs for all who constantly persevere and give thanks” (Ibrâhîm 14:5; Luqmân 31:31; Sabâ’ 34:19; ash-Shurâ 42:33).

The reasons why one half of îmân is patience and the other half is gratitude are as follows:

1. îmân is a term which covers words, deeds and intentions, all of which are based on one of two things, action or abstinence. Action refers to performing a deed in accordance with the instructions of Allâh, which is the reality of gratitude. Abstinence, as in refraining from wrong action, requires patience. The whole of religion is embodied in these two things: carrying out that which Allâh has commanded, and refraining from that which Allâh has prohibited.

2. îmân is based on two pillars, yaqîn (conviction) and patience, which are referred to in the following ayah:

“And We appointed, from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith in Our Signs” (as-Sajdah 32:34).

It is through faith that we know the reality of Allâh’s commands and prohibitions, or reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited. A person can never come to believe in Allâh’s commands and prohibitions, and in reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited, and in reward and punishment, except through faith, and that is truly from Allâh. And we can never carry out Allâh’s instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited except through patience. Therefore patience is half of îmân, and the other half is gratitude.

3. Man has two powers, the power of doing and the power of abstaining, which control all his behaviour. So a person will do what he likes and abstain from what he dislikes. The whole of religion is doing or abstaining, carrying out the instructions of Allâh or abstaining from that which He has prohibited, neither of which can be accomplished without patience.

4. The whole of religion is hope and fear, and the true believer is the one who is both hopeful and fearful. Allâh said:

“…They used to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before Us” (al-Anbiyâ’ 21:90).

The Prophet (SAAS) used to pray:

“O Allâh, I have surrendered my soul to You, and turned my face to You. My (own) affair I commit to Allâh and I seek Your protection, in hope of You and in fear of You” (al-Bukhârî).

So the believer is the one who is both hopeful and fearful, but hope and fear can only be based on the foundation of patience: fear should make the believer patient, and his hope should lead to gratitude.

5. Any action done by man is either beneficial or harmful to him in this world and the next, or else it is beneficial to him in the world and harmful to him in the other. The best course for man is to do that which is beneficial to him in the Hereafter, and abstain from that which is harmful to him in the Hereafter. This is the reality of îmân: to do what is good for him, and that is gratitude; and to abstain from that which harms him, and that is patience.

6. Man is always is a situation where he has to carry out an instruction of Allâh, or avoid something which Allâh has prohibited, or accept something that Allâh has decreed. In all cases, he has to face the situation with patience and gratitude. Carrying out Allâh’s instructions is gratitude, and abstaining from prohibited things and being content with the decree of Allâh constitutes patience.

7. Man is constantly being pulled in two opposing directions: should he respond to the lure of this world of desires and pleasures, or should he answer the call of Allâh and the hereafter, with the eternal Paradise that Allâh has prepared for His friend ( walî)? Going against the call of whims and desires is patience, and responding to the call of Allâh and the Hereafter is gratitude.

8. Religion is based on two principles: determination and perseverance (patience), which are referred to in the du‘â of the Prophet (SAAS):

“O Allâh, I ask You for perseverance in all my affairs, and I ask You for the determination to stay on the straight and narrow path.”

9. Religion is based on truth (haqq) and patience, which is referred to in the âyah:

“…and they (join together) in the mutual teaching of truth, and of patience and constancy” (al-‘Asr 103:3).

Man is required to work according to the truth, both by himself and others, which is the reality of gratitude, but he cannot do that without patience, therefore patience is half of îmân. And Allâh knows best.

Taken from: Patience and Gratitude. By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. An abridgement of his original work entitled, “Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat by Taha Publications.

Reviving a Sunnah: Visiting the Sick

2008-11-21T12:17:00.007+11:00

Visiting the sick does not involve only those whom you know, rather it is prescribed for those whom you know and those whom you do not know. This was stated by al-Nawawi in Sharh Muslim.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “There are five duties that the Muslim owes to his brother Muslim,” one of which is visiting the sick.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Free the captives, feed the hungry and pay a visit to the sick."

This hadeeth indicates that it is obligatory, and may be understood as meaning that it is a communal obligation, like feeding the hungry and freeing the captives.

Benefits of visiting the sick

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “When the Muslim visits his (sick) Muslim brother, he is harvesting the fruits of Paradise until he returns.” (Sahih Muslim: 2568).

The Messenger of Allaah (pbuh) said: “Whoever visits a sick person or visits a brother in Islam, a caller cries out to him: ‘May you be happy, may your walking be blessed, and may you occupy a dignified position in Paradise’.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Imam Ahmad narrated that Jaabir (ra) said: The Messenger of Allaah (pbuh) said: “Whoever visits a sick person is plunging into mercy until he sits down, and when he sits down he is submerged in it.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2504.

Al-Tirmidhi narrated that ‘Ali (ra) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (pbuh) say: “There is no Muslim who visits a (sick) Muslim early in the morning but seventy thousand angels send blessings upon him until evening comes, and if he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels send blessings upon him until morning comes, and he will have a garden in Paradise.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Making dua for the sick person

Du’aa’ should be made for the sick person in the manner narrated in the Sunnah: “La ba’s, tuhoor in sha Allaah (No worry, it is a purification, if Allah wills).” (Al-Bukhaari).

Du’aa’ for healing should be said three times. The Prophet (pbuh) visited Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas and said: “O Allaah, heal Sa’d,” three times. (Al-Bukhaari & Muslim).

The Prophet (pbuh) used to place his right hand on the sick person and say: “Adhhib al-ba’s Rabb an-naas, wa’shfi anta al-Shaafi, laa shifaa’a illa shifaa’uka shifaa’an laa yughaadir saqaman (Take away the pain, O Lord of mankind, and grant healing, for You are the Healer, and there is no healing but Your healing that leaves no trace of sickness).” (Sahih Muslim)

It was narrated by Ahmad and Abu Dawood that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever visits a sick person who is not yet dying, and says seven times in his presence: ‘As’alu Allaaha rabb al-‘arsh il-‘azeem an yashfiyaka (I ask Allaah, Lord of the mighty Throne, to heal you), Allaah will heal him of that sickness.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Taken from www.islamqa.com

Consumerism

2008-11-13T12:44:00.003+11:00

According to wikipedia:

Consumerism is the equation of personal happiness with the purchase of material possessions and consumption.

The question arises – does owning more material things actually make you happy? Or is it one of the many tactics of the companies at large to make their millions at the expense of our over indulgence and splurging?

With pre-christmas sales around the corner, we’re bombarded from all sides to part with our hard earned money in exchange for something we may or may not need, but have surely been convinced that it’s something we cannot live without. This consumer culture that has been paved out over the past few decades has seen a rapid increase in money being pumped into the economy by the truckloads. With the present economical crisis, most countries are suffering even more due to the decrease in consumerism and the government is doing all it can to encourage the masses to get involved and keep them adrift during this economical storm.

Parental indulgence of this volume affects children and leads to childhood misery. Many sociologists believe that buying more for kids can cause unhappiness. Children who are heavily involved in a consumer culture are more depressed and anxious than other children. The advertising industry is increasingly targeting young children in order to create at an early age a demand for consumer products. The obsession with possessions affects the mental health of some children.

It is our duty as responsible parents to be cautious and alert and we need to draw the line when it’s necessary and protect ourselves & our children. There’s nothing wrong with the occasional splurge but what we should be vary of is being overcome by constant consumeristic cravings. Some of us tend to develop strong materialistic values than others and it needn’t necessarily be linked to money per se but more to the striving for it.

Reviving a Sunnah - Reciting Surah Kahf on Friday

2008-11-07T16:59:00.006+11:00

Reciting Surah Kahf on Friday

Alhamdulilah it's Friday. Friday is an important day for us believers.

O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday ( the Day of assembly), hasten earnestly to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off business ( and traffic): that is best for you if ye but knew!" Surah Al-Jumuah
Abu Hurairah (ra) reports that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "The most important day that ever dawned is Friday. It was on this day that Adam (peace be upon him) was created and on this day he was admitted to paradise and it was on Friday when he was expelled from there (and was appointed vicegerent of Allah ) and it is on this day that the Doom shall occur." Sahih Muslim

There are several Hadith that emphasize on the importance of reciting Surah Kahf on Fridays. It may be read during the night or the day of Jumu’ah. The night of Jumu’ah starts from sunset on Thursday, and the day of Jumu’ah ends at sunset. Therefore the time for reading this surah extends from sunset on Thursday to sunset on Friday.

From Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, who said: Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on the night of Jumu’ah, will have a light that will stretch between him and the Ancient House (the Ka’bah). Narrated by al-Daarimi, 3407. This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6471
Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah, will have a light that will shine from him from one Friday to the next. (Narrated by al-Haakim, 2/399; al-Bayhaqi, 3/249. Ibn Hajar said in Takhreej al-Adhkaar that this is a hasan hadeeth, and he said, this is the strongest report that has been narrated concerning reading Soorat al-Kahf. See: Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/198. It was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6470)
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah, a light will shine for him from beneath his feet to the clouds of the sky, which will shine for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be forgiven (his sins) between the two Fridays.’ Al-Mundhiri said, this was narrated by Abu Bakr ibn Mardawayh in his Tafseer, with an isnaad with which there was nothing wrong. (al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/298)

source: islam-qa.com

Youngest Memorizer of the Holy Qur'an

2008-11-05T11:38:00.003+11:00

Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, with Tabarak Akmal Al-Labboudi, world’s youngest memorizer of the Holy Qur’an, in Jeddah on Monday. Al-Labboudi is only five years old. Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Hanafi, Chairman of the Qur’an Memorization Charitable Society in Jeddah, is seen on the left. Prince Khaled congratulated the boy for his distinctive achievement and wished him success in his life. He encouraged him to continue his interest in the Qur’an.
- SPA

Maasha'Allah! This article appeared in Saudi Gazzette a while back. May Allah bestow His Mercy on this little boy and his family and keep them steadfast. May He reward them with nothing less than jannatul-firdous. May the little boy grow up to be a true mu'min and may he put to practice the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah. Ameen!

I know a lot of parents would love for their children to be hafidh of the Qur'an. There are numerous articles floating around on the internet with tips and techniques for memorizing the Qur'an. The one I find very inspirational and motivating is the e-book compiled by Sheikh Muhammad Al-Shareef. It's called "How to Memorize Qur'an at Age 7" You can download it here.

A few days after the death of the Prophet (pbuh) some men came to his wife Aisha bint Abu Bakr(ra) and inquired about Muhammad (pbuh). They put questions to his wife concerning his character and other aspects of his life, and she replied have you ever read the Qur'an? The men replied in the affirmative, then she replied: "Muhammad (pbuh) was the living embodiment of the Qur'an." What a description of the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) from one who was most privy to his private character and morals.

May Allah assist us in our endeavours and put the Qur'an in our hearts, minds and souls.

To My Cherished Mother

2008-10-28T12:21:00.011+11:00

In the darkness of the night, when everything is so calm and serene, I lie in bed wide awake thinking of the past – when life was different and I was secure in my little nest, loved and nurtured by my beloved mom. Life moves on, and so do you and you have to soon leave your secure dwelling and face the world. It’s my turn now to make my nest and raise off-springs but the yearning to be in my mother’s arms and feel the warmth of her gentle hug while her arms wrap around me, still remains. Those happy times when I’d lie on her lap and forget all my worries and let go of all my fears are missed immensely and I crave to have just one more chance to be able to do all that again and make the moment last forever!

I miss you mom! Your smile brightens any moment and your soft loving words put joy and peace in my heart. You have touched my life in precious ways and the values you’ve taught over the years has enriched my life in more ways than I can count. They remain etched in my soul, and are helping me be the same to my children.

I remember the times when only your touch would soothe my disappointments and make me feel calm. Only you understood my tears and you knew what I wanted without me having to say it to you. You gave me strength and confidence and inspired me to achieve my goals. You believed in me and never let me give up.

I used to think that people didn’t need their moms so much after they grew up but I was so wrong. I’ve realized that it’s now that I need you more than ever. Every decision I make I wish you were here to give me your advice, I know you are always looking out for my best interest. And every time something happens that I know you’d enjoy I wish you were here to share it with me. Our relationship is so special to me and I’m thankful to Allah for blessing me with the best mother anyone could ask for.

It saddens me to see that my children are growing up so far away from you and are being deprived of your loving company. Every day that passes by I crave to be by your side and share these happy moments with you. I wish you were here by our side, so we could all bask in the warmth of your radiant affection and nourish our souls with the wisdom you impart.

Mom I love you, I love you so very much. I appreciate how loving you are, how giving you’ve always been and that even though I’m not always good at showing it, I love you dearly and I miss you heaps.

I pray to Allah (SWT) to grant my parents bodily and spiritual health and strength. Keep away from them every hardship and do not allow anyone to harm them or hurt their feelings. Make me an obedient child and enable me to treat them kindly. Take away all grief from their minds and hearts. Fill their lives with peace and contentment. Ya Rab! cover us with your forgiveness and save us from the torments of the blazing fire. Set our affairs in order and enable us to be Your humble slaves. Make our hearts firm upon the religion and may we die as believers. Ya Rab! grant us Jannatul-firdous. AMEEN.

Tag Post: Be Money Smart

2008-10-27T12:50:00.004+11:00

With the present condition of our economy and the worst still to come it's time we tightened our belts and looked into cutting costs and saving money.

Listed below are a few tips I try to implement while I'm out and about. Would love to hear more from my blog readers.

Grocery:

Look for generic or store brands.
Plain shapes of pasta (spaghetti and macaroni) cost less than pasta in fancy shapes
Frozen vegetables in larger bags cost less per serving than vegetables in small packages.
In-Season produce is less expensive. Buy fruits and vegetables from your green grocer, it’s often fresher and cheaper than supermarkets.
Buy only as much fresh produce as you’ll use within a week.
Eat before going for grocery shopping. This will limit impulse buying.
Shop on Fridays – it’s been proven to be the cheapest day of the week for everyday items.
Go to the store with a list. You can save up to 40% on your grocery bill.

General:

Need versus want – always ask yourself “Do I really need it?” and nine times out of ten the answer is usually no.
Avoid take-away food, but if you do have to eat out go to a food court and take your drinks. Avoid dine-in as they usually cost more.
Buy items only when on sale. Never pay retail. Stock up during end of summer/winter sales, stock take sales and boxing day sales.
Whenever possible, buy items in bulk and when on special.
Fill the family car up with petrol on Wednesdays, the cheapest day to buy petrol.

Energy Saving Tips:

Turn the tap off when you can – don’t use running water to wash you’re hands, clean your teeth, wash vegetables, etc.
Take shorter showers – no longer than 5 minutes.
Always run appliances (washing machines, dishwashers etc) with full loads and try to do fewer cycles per week.
8-10% of total electricity used in your home is due to appliances left on standby. Some appliances use 25% of their normal power in standby mode.
Unplug chargers when not in use.
Run appliances such as washing machine, dishwasher etc at night when the electricity is on off peak.
Fridges and freezers need space at the top, back and sides to shed excess heat. For appliances with exposed rear coils, vacuum or wipe off dust. Ensure door seals are kept clean and seal well. Locate fridges and freezers in cool spots, away from direct sun and other heat sources such as stoves. The recommended operating temperature for a fridge is 3 to 5°C. Below this it costs more to run and can frost up. For freezers, the recommended range is -15 to -18°C. Regularly remove any frost build-up.
Turn off lights in any room not being used.
Leaving your computer switched on all day eats up a lot of electricity. Schedule a time for internet surfing and try to turn on the computer only when needed.
Re-use water from baby bath for flushing or washing toilets.

In no particular order I tag: UmmIbrahim, UmmTravis & Shama.

Lying Distorts Reality

2008-10-26T21:52:00.007+11:00

A few days back there were reports about a Muslim student held at gunpoint at a University in Illinois, USA. You can read the article here.

When I first read this, I was very impressed at the sisters courage and her response when asked "Who is going to protect you now?". To me, this incident highlighted the trials our dear brothers and sisters in the west have to face and helped me reflect on my relationship with my Lord and made me wonder whether I would give the same response if I was faced with such a situation.

But just as this was giving all of us an Emaan boost, we came to know that this was a hoax and the sister had made false claims.

"A week after the incident roiled the small college, Elmhurst Police Chief Steve Neubauer said officers had cited Safia Z. Jilani, 19, of Oak Brook, on a single count of filing a false police report. Filing a false police report is a Class 4 felony, punishable by one to three years in prison." Click here to read the full article.

It truly is sad to see our dear sister making this mistake. Wallahu 'Alam as to what her intention was, but it draws unnecessary attention towards Muslims, not that we haven't got enough already. We as muslims should be setting an example and portraying the best of character so others can learn from us and embrace our deen by watching us practice it in the best possible manner. These times are fragile, and we need to be cautious of our every action as we are being watched and the mischief makers are always pouncing at the first opportunity to defame us.

Lying is prohibited in Islam. It was narrated that 'Abd-Allah ibn Mas'ood said: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "Truthfullness is righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A person will continue to tell the truth until he is written with Allah as one who tells the truth. Lying is evildoing, and evildoing leads to Hell. A person will keep on telling lies until he is written as a liar."(Al-Bukhari 5743; Muslim 2607)

Punishments for Lying:

1. Hypocrisy in the Heart

"So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allah) which they had promised Him and because they used to tell lies." Surah At-Tawbah verse 77

2. Guidance to evildoing and to the Fire

3. His testimony will be rejected

4. Blackening of the face in this world and in the Hereafter

And on the Day of Resurrection you will see those who lied against Allah (i.e. attributed to Him sons, partners, etc.) their faces will be black. Is there not in Hell an abode for the arrogant ones? Surah Az-Zumar verse 60

5. The liar will have the flesh of his cheeks torn to the back of his head

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 468; Narrated Samura bin Jundab: Whenever the Prophet finished the (morning) prayer, he would face us and ask, "Who amongst you had a dream last night?" So if anyone had seen a dream he would narrate it. The Prophet would say: "Ma sha'a-llah" (An Arabic maxim meaning literally, 'What Allah wished,' and it indicates a good omen.) One day, he asked us whether anyone of us had seen a dream. We replied in the negative. The Prophet said, "But I had seen (a dream) last night that two men came to me, caught hold of my hands, and took me to the Sacred Land (Jerusalem). There, I saw a person sitting and another standing with an iron hook in his hand pushing it inside the mouth of the former till it reached the jaw-bone, and then tore off one side of his cheek, and then did the same with the other side; in the mean-time the first side of his cheek became normal again and then he repeated the same operation again...

.....'You have made me ramble all the night. Tell me all about that I have seen.' They said, 'Yes. As for the one whose cheek you saw being torn away, he was a liar and he used to tell lies, and the people would report those lies on his authority till they spread all over the world. So, he will be punished like that till the Day of Resurrection.

May Allah protect us from the whispers of Shaytaan and all evil doings that anger Him, and may we be among those who are righteous and seek His pleasure, Ameen.

'Selatur - Rahim'

2008-10-19T11:23:00.011+11:00

In this day and age where people are engulfed by the world around them and are immersed in the rat race of survival there seems to be a decline in basic qualities that defined the core of human values in the past. Earlier, family and friends were the most important components of a persons’ life and everything else followed suit. But now there seems to be a change in priority and people have less or even no time for their family and friends. With internet and e-mail everything has become so impersonal and mechanical. Tasks can be ‘outsourced’ or done in a few minutes with the click of a button. There is no feeling attached to it whatsoever. Being in touch and maintaining ties of kinship are looked upon as chores.

In Islam, maintaining ties of kinship and being on good terms with your family, neighbours and friends is of utmost importance. One can maintain ties of kinship (selatur-rahim) by:

Making dua for them
Visiting them
Helping them when they need help
Having good feelings for them in your heart
Forgiving their shortcomings and seeking forgiveness from them for when you have wronged them.
Reminding them of their duties towards their Lord in kind words
Exchanging gifts and seeking ways to make them happy.
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Exchange gifts, as that will lead to increasing your love to one another.” (Al-Bukhaari)
The Prophet (pbuh) enjoined responding in kind to favours, as he said in a narration: “Whoever does you a favour, respond in kind, and if you cannot find the means of doing so, then keep praying for him until you think that you have responded in kind.” (Abu Daawood)

What the Noble Qur’an & Hadith have to say:

And those who break the Covenant of Allah, after its ratification, and sever that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e. they sever the bond of kinship and are not good to their relatives), and work mischief in the land, on them is the curse (i.e. they will be far away from Allah's Mercy); And for them is the unhappy (evil) home (i.e. Hell). Surah Ar-Rad, verse 25

The Prophet is closer to the believers than their ownselves, and his wives are their (believers') mothers (as regards respect and marriage). And blood relations among each other have closer personal ties in the Decree of Allah (regarding inheritance) than (the brotherhood of) the believers and the Muhajirun (emigrants from Makkah, etc.), except that you do kindness to those brothers (when the Prophet SAW joined them in brotherhood ties). This has been written in the (Allah's Book of Divine) Decrees (AlLauh AlMahfuz)." Surah Al-Ahzab verse 6

That is (the Paradise) whereof Allah gives glad tidings to His slaves who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "No reward do I ask of you for this except to be kind to me for my kinship with you." And whoever earns a good righteous deed, We shall give him an increase of good in respect thereof. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (the deeds of those who are obedient to Him). Surah Ash-Shura verse 2
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Al-Wasil (one who maintains good relations with his kin) is not the one who recompenses the good done to him by his relatives, but Al-Wasil is the one who keeps good relations with those relatives who have severed the bond of kinship with him." (Reported by Al-Bukhari.)

Sahih Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 73, Number 16:- Narrated Abu Huraira -The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Allah created the creations, and when He finished from His creations, Ar-Rahm i.e., womb said, "(O Allah) at this place I seek refuge with You from all those who sever me (i.e. sever the ties of Kith and kin). Allah said, 'Yes, won't you be pleased that I will keep good relations with the one who will keep good relations with you, and I will sever the relation with the one who will sever the relations with you.' It said, 'Yes, O my Lord.' Allah said, ‘Then that is for you’.”Allah's Apostle added. "Read (in the Qur'an) if you wish, the Statement of Allah: 'Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land and sever your ties of kinship?' (47.22)
Sahih Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 73, Number 14:- I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Who ever is pleased that he be granted more wealth and that his lease of life be pro longed, then he should keep good relations with his Kith and kin."
Sahih Muslim: Book 032, Number 6198:- 'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (pbuh) as saying: The tie of kinship is suspended to the Throne and says: He who unites me Allah would unite him and he who severed me Allah would sever him.

Sahih Muslim: Book 032, Number 6217:- This hadith has been narrated on the authority of A'mash with the same chain of transmitters (and the words are):" Don't sever relations of kinship, don't bear enmity against one another, don't bear aversion against one another and don't feel envy against the other and live as fellow-brothers as Allah has commanded you.”

An Eventful Weekend

2008-10-12T15:51:00.008+11:00

This weekend has been pretty eventful. I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend and hoping to enjoy spring before summer sets in & it gets too hot to venture out. But looks like Allah had something different in store for us!

On Saturday we had a family BBQ at my in-laws place. I was planning to take a few pictures to post up here but as usual I forgot to take my camera. Khair, insha'Allah next time. The weather here is now getting warmer and there will surely be many more BBQ's to come.
While I was praying my Maghrib salah I heard a *bang* followed by the sound of shattering glass. When I was done I enquired as to what it could have been and my mother-in-law said it sounded like it came from the neighbours house. Not making much of it, we all settled down on the patio to dig into our scrumptious meal. It was already dark and we had the porch lights on. From the corner of my eye I could see some movement in the backyard and it looked like I saw someone peeking through the branches of the trees. I was startled and told everyone about it. Father-in-law, hubby and hubby's brother-in-law went into the backyard with a torch in one had and a cricket bat in another, in search of intruders. They didn't find anyone nor did they see anything suspicious so they returned and we all finished up our meal. Not to mention we were all pretty alert and jumped at the slightest noise - thanks to me!

Hubby's sister wasn't convinced and as we had heard the noise before we wanted to be a hundred percent sure that nothing was wrong. They looked around and checked all windows to see if there had been any tampering. My second born was sleeping soundly in one of the rooms inside. Later when she woke, hubby casually moved the curtains to check the window - half expecting not to find anything but to his surprise the glass had been shattered! When I saw it I felt numb all over and couldn't stop thinking of the worst possible scenario, especially as I had let my baby sleep there without checking the window first!

After inspecting and checking the backyard again they concluded that it might've been the kids next door who accidently kicked a ball at the window and shattered it. Hubby reckons the person I saw in the backyard must've been one of the kids trying to retrieve the ball...

Wallahu Alam (Allah knows best) as to what exactly happened. It sure is freaky!

I am still recovering from yesterday's incident when something else happened this morning! I was sterlizing baby milk bottles on the stove when my sister phoned from overseas. As it has been a while since we spoke, I was on the phone for a long time and completely forgot about the saucepan. Later the smoke alarm went off and I rushed downstairs with hubby. The whole area was filled with smoke and when I walked into the kitchen white fumes were pouring out of the saucepan! The bottles had completely melted leaving behind only a black goey mess. We hurriedly opened all windows and doors to ventilate the home and asked my first born to remain upstairs. We tried our best not to inhale the fumes (as they could be dangerous) but couldn't help but inhale some of it. We decided it would be a good idea to leave the house for a while until the fumes dispersed and hence put the kids in the car and drove off to my in-laws place. I'm still here at the moment. Both the kids are asleep.

I phoned nurse on call and the poisons information line just to be safe. Alhamdulilah they said that it wasn't harmful and that ventilating was the best thing to do. Ahamdulilah we're all fine and nothing major happened!

Note to self - keep an alarm for next time while sterlizing bottles, and avoid going upstairs without turning off the stove!

الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِين
All Praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Alamin.

Childhood Wonders

2008-10-09T16:05:00.006+11:00

This month my first born turns three. Time flies and it’s hard to believe that my little one is growing up so quick. Seems like yesterday when she was a little baby, sleeping soundly in my arms and now she’s a bundle of energy and is always on the go. It’s amazing to see the amount of energy children can have. They can go on and on and on…

Childhood is so magical full of innocence, fun and curiosity. As a parent, I enjoy and savour every stage of my children’s lives and make the most of every minute I spend with them because I know it’s short lived and soon they will be on their way to becoming responsible adults. We will no longer have lazy Sunday mornings where we can sleep in and cuddle in bed, nor will we sit down with a bowl of popcorn in front of the television watching “Curious George”.

It’s fun to indulge in their little world of imagination as it also helps us re-discover ourselves. We see the world through their eyes and find immense happiness and excitement in little things that we would usually ignore. It seems insignificant, but this becomes a wonderful moment that you can share together and cherish for the rest of your life. Parents nowadays need to chill a little and allow kids to be kids. If you allow your child to lead, they’ll direct you to where you need to go.

My little girl is growing up and I can see her change in front of my eyes. Soon she’ll be a young lady and will be busy with her life. Spending time with mom will probably be last on her list and I know I will yearn to be with her, cuddle her, tickle her and listen to her hearty laughter.

Darn! Kids grow up so quick. I am going to make an even better effort to live every moment to the fullest & celebrate every little achievement. Who knows, it might be gone before you know it and no matter what you do, it ain’t going to come back!

Tag Post - When in the Masjid

2008-10-09T14:59:00.006+11:00

Jazaak Allah Khayrun sis UmmIbrahim for tagging me.

This Ramadan I didn't get the opportunity to go to the mosque often as I have young kids, Alhamdulilah. It gets difficult for me to concentrate and for others too when I take them to the mosque. So I prefer praying at home, when they're in bed. I really envy the parents who have children who are so well behaved at the mosque and pray that inshaAllah when my children are old enough they're the same and aren't among those who run around and cause havoc!

Here's what I have to say -

Firstly, it is among the etiquettes of going to the masjid to avoid everything that has an offensive smell like garlic, onion or smoking. Unfortunately, everytime during taraweh prayer you'd have someone burp and let out an offensive smell from what they have eaten during their iftaar. I know it's not easy to avoid such foods (especially if you're indian ;)) but it doesn't take much time to brush your teeth (or even better - use miswak) and change your clothes and apply some 'atar before you leave for the masjid, inshaAllah.

Sahih Bukhari - Volume 1, Book 12, Number 814:
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: The Prophet said, "Whoever eats garlic or onion should keep away from our mosque or should remain in his house." (Jabir bin 'Abdullah, in another narration said, "Once a big pot containing cooked vegetables was brought. On finding unpleasant smell coming from it, the Prophet asked, 'What is in it?' He was told all the names of the vegetables that were in it. The Prophet ordered that it should be brought near to some of his companions who were with him. When the Prophet saw it he disliked to eat it and said, 'Eat. (I don't eat) for I converse with those whom you don't converse with (i.e. the angels)."

Secondly, people who'd enter late after the salah has started would hasten to join the rakah and run to stand next to a praying person in the jamah. The Prophet (pbuh) forbade running in such a situation. It is very disturbing when someone does this, especially when you're the unlucky person they decide to stand next to. They aren't even ready to begin their salah and their movements are a huge distraction.

Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (pbuh) said: "If the prayer started, then do not join it running, and join it walking and quiet, and pray whatever you caught up with, and make up for what you missed."

Thirdly, many of us have forgotten the sunnah of praying two rakah before sitting down when you enter the masjid. I see very few people do this nowdays.

Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (pbuh) said: "When one of you enters the Masjid, he should pray two Rak'ah before sitting down."

Lastly, I have seen a lot of people get irritated when people bring young children to the mosque. I know it's not very easy to concentrate in your salah when you have children running around and making noise. I had a bad experience myself a few Ramadan's back when I took my first born to the masjid. I guess it will suffice to say that I was told off by the Imam over the microphone in front of EVERYONE to mind my daughter and not disturb everyone in their salah :( I was heartbroken and didn't go to the masjid after that for a long time. I am yet to pray in Jamah again...

Personally I feel people should be a bit more forgiving in such circumstances. If we do not take our children to the mosque how do you expect them to learn the adab of being in a mosque? The Prophet (pbuh) used to have his grand-children in the mosque and even shortened his prayer if he heard a child crying. It is very important to raise our children with a strong attachment and love for their religion, and community, and thus it is important for them to have a strong and positive attachment to the mosque from a young age, especially in non-Muslim environments.

In regards to them being a distraction during salah, you could always have someone who is not praying (eg. having their menses) to mind the children and keep them away from the prayer area. Even taking art supplies such as paper, textas etc to keep them occupied would be a good idea.

I've seen a lot of people go off at a child when they misbehave in the mosque. It is important to remember that children are innocent and sinless. Thus, we cannot reprimand them harshly: this may make them dislike mosques and maybe even their religion, na aouzobillah. Rather, we should treat them with gentleness and mercy, though being firm when needed.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Those who do not have mercy for our young and respect for our elders is not of us." [Tirmidhi]

Long Silence...

2008-10-05T17:07:00.004+11:00

Assalam Alaykum wrwb,

I know I haven't posted in a while and am long overdue for a new post. Ramadan kept us all busy and I had to juggle between looking after my angels and worship and it took up all the time.

InshaAllah I will try to update my blog more often now.

It's sad to see another Ramadan pass by. May Allah accept all our Ibadah and may we live to see many more Ramadans, Ameen.

As much as I wanted to make this a general blog, a lot of people have asked me to 'personalise' it a bit. So insha'Allah I will work on that now ;)

Just so I get an idea of how many readers I have (if any!) I'd appreciate if you could leave a brief comment on this post...

Wassalaam Alaykum wrwb.

Dhikr - the greatest obligation & a perpetual Divine order

2008-09-15T12:46:00.003+10:00

With the last 10 days of Ramadan approaching us, it is a good time to remind everyone to increase their dhikr of Allah and make it a means of reaping plentiful rewards.

Dhikr of Allah is the most praiseworthy work to earn Allah's pleasure, the most effective weapon to overcome the enemy, and the most deserving of deeds in reward.

Mu`adh ibn Jabal said that the Prophet said: "The People of Paradise will not regret except one thing alone: the hour that passed them by and in which they made no remembrance of Allah." Narrated by Bayhaqi in Shu`ab al-iman (1:392 #512-513).

"And be not you as those who forgot Allah and therefore He caused them to forget their own souls. Such are the losers." [Surah Hashr; verse 19]

"Then woe unto those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah. Such are in plain error." [Surah Zumar; verse 22]

"O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance; and glorify Him morning and evening." [Surah al-Ahzab; 41-42]

"I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him." [Hadith Qudsi]

"Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "There are two statements that are light for the tongue to remember, heavy in the Scales and are dear to the Merciful: SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allah hil-Adhim [Glory be to Allah and His is the praise, (and) Allah, the Greatest is free from imperfection)]." [Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Samura ibn Jundab reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "The dearest phrases to Allah are four: Subhan Allah, al-Hamdulillah, Wa la ilaha ill-Allah, and Allah-o-Akbar. There is no harm in beginning them in any order you choose while remembering Allah.'' [Muslim]

Abu Malik al-Ash'ari (RA) reported: the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Wudu' is half of Salat, and the expression: Subhan'Allah (Glory be to Allah)' fills the Balance, and the expression: Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah)' fills the space between the heavens and the earth." [Muslim]

Abu Mas'ud reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "If anyone recites the last two verses of Surat al-Baqarah, they will suffice for him,'' [Bukhari and Muslim] That is, these two verses will bring him a reward equivalent to that of a night prayer, and will safeguard him from any hurt during that night.

The Messenger (Muhammad SAW) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. They say, "We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers" - and they say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)."

Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. "Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us Forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Maula (Patron, Supporter and Protector, etc.) and give us victory over the disbelieving people.

Abu Sa'id reported that the Prophet (pbuh) asked, "Can anyone of you recite a third of the Qur'an during the night?" The Companions considered this rather difficult and they said, "Who among us can do so, O Prophet of Allah?" Thereupon the Prophet (pbuh) said, "(Say :) He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begets not, nor is he begotten; and there is none like unto Him.'' (The reference here is to recitation of Surah 112 (Surah Ikhlas) of the Qur'an, which the Prophet (pbuh) described as equivalent to reciting one-third of the Qur'an. [Bukhari, Muslim].

"Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "He who recites after every prayer: Subhan'Allah (Glory be to Allah) thirty-three times; Alhamdu lillah (praise be to Allah) thirty-three times; Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest) thirty-three times; and completes the hundred with: La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai'in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent), will have all his sins pardoned even if they may be as large as the foam on the surface of the sea." [Muslim]

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever says, 'La llaha illa-Allahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadir' a hundred times during a day will have a reward equivalent to the reward for freeing ten slaves. Besides, a hundred good deeds will be recorded for him and a hundred bad deeds of his will be wiped off, and it will be a safeguard for him from Satan that day until evening, and no one will be better in deeds than such a person except he who does more than that.'' [Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi].

"Sa'ad bin abi Waqqas (RA) reported: the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to seek (Allah's) protection after prayers in these words: "Allahumma inni a`udhu bika minal-jubni wal-bukhl, wa a'udhu bika min an uradda ila ardhalil-`umur, wa a`udhu bika min fitnatid-dunya, wa a`udhu bika min fitnatil-qabr (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from cowardice, miserliness and from being sent back to a feeble age; and, seek refuge with You from the trials of this life and those of the grave)." [Bukhari]