Finding the path..

Attaining knowledge

2010-10-21T12:02:00.000+01:00

The Caliph Haroon Rashid once sent a message to Imam Malik rahmatullahi alayh requesting him to visit the palace and impart lessons of Hadith. The great Imam wrote in reply that:

"A person must seek Ilm for Ilm does not seek anyone"

The Caliph understood the implication of this and thus he travelled to Masjid an Nabawi to hear the Dars of the renowned Imam.

Source: shaykh.org

A’ishah: Three Dates

2009-12-16T08:36:00.001Z

Aishah, the Blessed Prophet's wife, was a very hospitable person. She loved to entertain guests, and spend happy hours chatting to them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: “Glimpses From the Lives of the Sahaba and Tabi’een, ‘A’ishah, Mother of the Believers.” By Dr. M. Jilani. Taiba Publishers, 2003.
Courtesy of qisas.com

The Musaafir Returns

2009-12-12T22:36:00.002Z

After one year, four months and ten days I'm back. That's one heck of a hiatus.

I have no idea what inspired my return, but it's a return nonetheless. I guess I needed somewhere to collect my thoughts and find the path again. Although, I'm guessing after so long, nobody will even think place exists. In which case, I shall talk to myself and try to inspire myself with good.

And to begin, just an ayah I came across:

The one who exceeds the boundaries of Allah has indeed wronged himself. (65:1)

Through the eyes of another..

2008-08-02T14:39:00.002+01:00

I struggle to come to terms with the depth of my plight.
I wonder how I came from security to uncertainty.
But I do not complain, nor do I lament,
My greatest fault being, I neither repent.

I can acknowledge my faults.

I am now labeled 'homeless', though I have a roof over my head.
There are others around me, labeled the same; older and younger,
A kaleidoscope of race.
Day after day, I wake to my own desire,
Master of my day, my wanderings, my life.
Boy, does it hurt.

But I admit my own transgression.

Yeah, the 'free' bird sings of sorrow.
I was once the guardian of a treasure so rich,
Something I squandered, in life's glitzy casino.
My heart carried this treasure,
I was known as the 'safekeeper'.

This is the story of a guy I met recently during the course of my work. In essence, he is now homeless and admits to living in the disobedience of Allah. He was, in fact, a hafiz but squandered it. He believes his homelessness to have been a punishment because of this, and fully accepts it.

This poem remains incomplete.

What is rizq?

2008-06-12T23:58:00.002+01:00

Realisation that one's rizq is more than the pounds and dollars they get is when one will begin to understand this great blessing of Allah.

One's rizq not only comes in wealth, but it also comes in terms of health, ilm (knowledge) and amal (actions).

You may be making a lot of money, but if your deeni knowledge and actions are not increasing then you are becoming poor.

On the other hand, one asks for an increase an rizq and may feel despondent that they aren't earning a lot of money, if any, yet at the same time they may have been given the tawfeeq to pray their salaah and read more qur'an. So this in itself is a greater blessing from Allah.

But we need wealth to live so we ask Allah for an increase in rizq through our ilm and amal, health and wealth. Whislt having sabr (patience).

This is what has been on my mind of late.

Fire and Water..

2008-04-15T22:51:00.001+01:00

“Once the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam mentioned in a gathering, that a night would come upon him wherein he would require fire and water but he would not have it available.

A period of time elapsed before the actual night came about. As the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam came out of his house to fulfill his need, he saw a person standing with water and fire in the faint light of the night.

Upon closer inspection he sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam saw that it was none other than Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu.

When asked why he was waiting outside the Prophet’s house at this time of the night Abu Bakr replied:

‘O Messenger of Allah. Since the day you mentioned that a night is to dawn upon you without water and fire, I have been standing outside your house night after night with these things.

This was because I did not want you to undergo any difficulty due to being in need of these two essential items.’

It was this intense love of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam that enabled Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu to surpass all the other Sahabah in virtue and status.”

(Source: www.shaykh.org)

The Imaan of 'Umar..

2008-04-06T17:02:00.002+01:00

This narration amazes me every time I hear it. The fearlessness of 'Umar RA is captured in it. The time immediately after death is a believer's greatest fear as what happens then sets a precedent for your eternity. And for one to be strong, powerful and assertive at this point, is truly something worthy of awe.

When you die, the angels Munkar and Nakeel come and ask you questions before opening up your graves to heaven or hell. The first question they ask is "Marrubbuka?" (Who is your Lord?)..

After the death of 'Umar RA, 'Uthmaan RA saw him in a dream and asked him, "What did the angels say to you?"

'Umar RA replied, "They asked me, 'Marrubbuka?' and I turned to them and said 'Marrubbuka?', who is YOUR Lord?"

That was the imaan of 'Umar RA.

The Modesty Of Fatima..

2008-03-31T19:30:00.001+01:00

“During the time of burial it is common practice to place a sheet over the Kafan (the burial shroud). As the Kafan is tied closely to the body the sheet helps conceal the contours of the body. However, sometimes the shape of the body can still be seen, even with a sheet placed on top.

When Fatima radiallahu anha became acutely ill and feared that she may soon pass away she asked Asma bint Umais radiallahu anha to suggest a method of burial through which modesty would be conserved the most.

Asma radiallahu anha said that in Habasah, the practice was to cover the body in the Kafan, then to place date palm branches over the Kafan, and then to drape a sheet over the branches.

She thus advised Fatima radiallahu anha to adopt this approach for she felt that through this method the body shape would be totally concealed and covered. Thus Fatima radiallahu anha requested those around her to adopt this strategy at her burial.

From this episode we learn how much modesty the Sahaabiyaat had and how much emphasis they placed on the observance of hijaab.”

(Source: www.shaykh.org)

Concrete Dreams..

2008-03-25T21:45:00.003Z

I’ve just come to realise that it’s all just a mirage,
Everything I aspire for isn’t real.
That’s it, it’s just not real.
Don’t you ever wonder why everything you hope for just doesn’t work out?
Get the great job, the wonderful wife, the awesome car.
It probably won’t happen.

I’m not saying you don’t ever get what you hope for or aspire to be.
Say you do get it, it isn’t everything you thought it would be, is it?
How long does the joy last?
Not every long, eh?
That’s my point.
All that glistens is not gold.
All that you see is not real.
It’s fake.
Ephemeral.
Fleeting.
An illusion.

Listen.
Come closer.
Dream.
That’s an imperative.
Dreams can be real.
Dream of Gardens beneath which rivers flow.
Rivers of sweet honey and pure milk,
The like of which you have never tasted.
A place where sleep will not overcome you, nor grief.
Food will not be an issue, whatever your heart desires is yours.
No tears, no sadness and most importantly.. no death.
Eternal bliss.
Serenity.
Insert any other nice words you can think of here >>
What can be more real than eternity?
Sweeter than honey?
Whatever you want, whenever you want.
This, mon ami, is a concrete dream.

Two Jannahs..

2008-03-10T21:37:00.003Z

During the time of ‘Umar RA, there was a boy who used to frequent the masjid and used to return home at times to visit his father.

One day, as he went to visit his father, he came across a girl who, in due course, tempted him into her house. His nafs gave in and he approached the house with the intention of commiting zina. As he was about to enter the house, a verse of the Qur’an came to mind and he collapsed.

By the time he came round it was the early hours of the morning and he went to his father’s house. His father asked him what verse it was that caused him to faint. Before he could recite it again, once more he fell to the ground, never to get up again.

When ‘Umar RA found out about the boy’s story, he recited a verse from Surah Ar-Rahman stating he would receive two jannahs for dying in the fear of Allah.

(٤٥) وَلِمَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ جَنَّتَانِ
(45) But for him who feareth the standing before his Lord there are two gardens.

A voice came from the grave, “Ya ‘Umar, you speak of this reward being due to me and I’m telling you that verily I have that reward now.”

(Taken from a bayaan by Shaykh Sulayman Mulla, March 7th 2008, London)

Ooops..

2008-02-24T22:34:00.000Z

Oh yeah, I have a blog, completely slipped my mind..

Mujahadah an Nafs...

2008-01-06T22:04:00.000Z

A few words of wisdom gained from my Shaykh last night regarding tasawuf (Spirituality) and tazkiyah (Spiritual cleansing):

Mujahida of the nafs (striving to control it) is not refusing yourself a cold drink on a summer’s day or sleeping on the floor when you have a bed available to you. Instead, mujahida is, for example when you force yourself to look down when a non-mahram is passing by, someone you shouldn’t be looking at.

Restraining your nafs from doing all the permissible things will eventually cause it to rebel against you in such a way that it overcomes you and forces you into haraam. Therefore treat you nafs like a child and force it when necessary but also reward it with the halal things that it enjoys.

On another note, we must be careful with overindulging in halal. This meaning that we should not go round looking for things that are halal and pleasurable to our nafs and then just keep doing it. The result of this will be that our nafs will eventually get bored of all these halal activities that it has overindulged in and then its only desire will be to experience haraam pleasure as that is all that will be left! Therefore we should ensure that we engage in maximum 75% of the halal things that we enjoy and in that way we will have at least a 25% barrier between us and haraam.

May Allah allow us to act upon these beautiful teachings and becoming perfect muslims. Ameen.

Be Allah’s, He Will Be Yours...

2008-01-03T23:01:00.000Z

Once the Prophet Musa (aliyhe asslaam) was tending to his sheep when he started to feel very sleepy. He tried vey much to stay awake, because he feared that if he fell asleep the wolves may harm his sheep. However, he could not control himself and he fell asleep. As soon as he awoke he very worriedly looked around to see what had become of his sheep. To his amazement he seen that the wolves themselves were guarding his sheep. Very astonished, he asked Allah as to what was happening. Allah sent reveleation to him,

"O Musa! You behave in the manner which I desire, so I am repaying you by dealing with you in the manner"

Honouring the Name...

2007-12-20T22:43:00.000Z

“The great Shaykh and Muhadith Bishr e Haifi rahmatullahi alayh was a great sinner in the initial phase of his life. He had a profound love for alcohol and he would regularly meet with friends and drink the night away.

After one night of heavy drinking Bishr e Haifi was stumbling home drunk when he noticed a piece of paper lying in the gutter. He picked it up and noticed that written on the paper was the name of Allah ta’ala.

Bishr e Haifi took the paper home, cleaned it, placed it in a beautiful cloth and then put it with utmost respect on a shelf in his house. He then went to sleep.

That night Bishr e Haifi dreamt that someone was saying to him:

"O Bishr! You have honoured My name. Thus I will make you honourable in this world and the hereafter"

And it was after this that the drunkard Bishr e Hafi changed and became the great Shaykh Bishr e Haifi rahmatullahi alayh.”

Ask for help...

2007-11-07T22:22:00.000Z

Words of my Shaykh:

“List your sins before Allah, accept your guilt before Him and say that from tomorrow I will not do the same. Supplicate to Allah by saying:

‘O Allah, this is your Fadhl that I was able to repent and it is only through your Fadhl that I will be able to stay steadfast on this so help me and keep me steadfast’

Then exert effort, for Allah helps the one who exerts effort. If not today, then tomorrow, sooner or later you will progress.”

Medication..

2007-10-25T21:16:00.000+01:00

Harr dard ka dawa hai saleh alaa Muhammad

Every pain's medication is salah upon Muhammad (Peace be upon him)

Keep on sinning but on five conditions..

2007-10-20T15:30:00.000+01:00

Once a man came to Ibrahim ibn Adham and said, “I have such a love for sinning that I cannot stop”. Ibrahim soon realised that the man was indeed so deep in sinning that it would be difficult for him to give them up. So he said to him, “Fine, you may continue sinning but you must fulfil five conditions as you sin”. The man took this as good news and then asked what the conditions were.

“First, when you sin, make sure you don’t eat any food given by Allah”

“How can I do that? All food is provided by Allah!”

“Well then how can you disobey Allah and yet eat his food?!”

“Okay, okay, what’s the next condition?”

“Secondly, when you sin, don’t do it on the land of Allah, do it on your own land.”

“That’s impossible; all land is owned by Allah!”

“So you expect to disobey Allah on his own land and continue eating his food?”

“Okay, what’s the next condition?”

“Third, when you commit a sin, go do it where Allah cannot see you”

“That too is impossible! Allah sees everything!”

“You disobey Allah on his land, eat his food and do it front of him?!”

The man began to realise his position but continued to ask the other conditions.

“The fourth this is that when the angel of death comes to take your soul, tell him to wait a minute so that you can make tawba.”

“What? The angel of death waits for nobody. He neither comes a second early nor late!”

Reality began kicking in and Ibrahim carried on.

“Lastly, when you are being thrown into jahannam, make sure you grab onto something to save yourself.”

“In jahannam there will be nothing to hold on” and the man realised his fate. Thereafter he made such sincere repentance that he went to become one of the most pious people of his time.

Isn't it funny..

2007-10-14T20:49:00.000+01:00

Isn't it funny how we make great efforts to lower our gaze in the street yet we look with big wide eyes when looking at non-mahram men and women in TV and magazines?

It may not with a gaze of lust but it's a sin nonetheless. And the greatest sins are those which we do not realise are sins. Because then we do not repent.

May Allah guide us all.

Ameen.

Itikaaf..

2007-10-01T12:14:00.000+01:00

It is reported from Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu) that Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said:“Whosoever performs an I’tikaaf of ten days in Ramadaan will receive the reward of two Hajj and two Umrah.” (Shu’abul Iemaan)

Ibn Abbas (radhiyallahu anhu) relates that the Messenger of Allah Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, "The person performing Itikaaf remains free from sins and he is indeed given the same reward as those who do good deeds (in spite of not having done these deeds). (Ibn Majah)

Me, myself and my nafs..

2007-09-21T23:41:00.000+01:00

So ramadhan is here and I was wondering why it is I still do wrong or think wrong when shaytaan is all locked up. And obviously it came down to my nafs who isn’t a good lad. And this should be enough to worry anyone. The fact that this doing wrong is ingrained within us and we cannot just blame the devil anymore.

Anyway, so I’ve decided to try measures by which to discipline my nafs. So when iftar came, I had my two dates and water and refused to eat all the nice food that was all over the table. Then my mum handed me a plate of food and I ate from that. The whole point being that I didn’t want to jump into the food and waste all that control we had over our nafs during the fast.

It’s not a huge control over my nafs but inshaAllah over time I can learn to control it better but I think it’s a good start. It reminds me of the story of one of our pious predecessors who used to admonish himself when he felt thirst. He used to be preoccupied in his ibadah and then naturally one would get thirsty and at this point he would tell his nafs off. He would take a sip of water and say “there you go, you’re not getting anymore”. MashaAllah what strength and self-control they had developed.

So yeah, that’s something I thought I’d share with anyone who may stumble upon this.

Deceptive piety..

2007-09-10T22:47:00.000+01:00

Ramadhan dawns upon us and I think about these words of my Shaykh,

“We begin to practice a few good deeds and then begin to think to ourselves that we are pious. The reality however is that we continue to be involved in many major sins. Shaytaan encourages us to remain in this deception of piety and does not allow us to even think about our sins and weaknesses.”

The main thing I must make myself realise is that I can accumulate lots of good deeds during this blessed month but a simple act such as backbiting someone will make it ALL go down the drain in a matter of seconds.

So as I address myself, I share with you also, the fact that we need to be careful not to sin at all in this month, and other months, because it will mean all these forms of worship we build up will simply evaporate.

One of the biggest forms of worship I intend to carry out is to do whatever my mother says and straight away. Obviously we should do this all the time but in Ramadhan we get preoccupied with our other ‘ibadah and we do get easily annoyed, what with the hunger and all. But remember that helping anyone is in itself a great reward.

By the way, this isn’t just for anyone reading this, it is for myself first and foremost. I am so easily deceived by this supposed ‘piety’ which leads to arrogance and forgetting the reality of my failings.

A simple, yet beautiful lesson..

2007-08-24T22:55:00.000+01:00

Whenever the Prophet’s (pbuh) followers reaped their first harvest, they brought early, fresh fruits to him. Then he would distribute them among those who sat around him.

One morning, a poor man brought one fruit from his small farm and gave it to the Prophet..

The Prophet (pbuh) accepted the gift, tasted it and then went on eating it alone while the companions watched.

One of those present meekly said,
“O Prophet of Allah, have you overlooked the right of those who watch while you eat?”

The Prophet (pbuh) smiled and waited till the man who had brought the fruit had gone. Then he said,
“I tasted the fruit and it was not yet ripe. Had I allowed you to have some of it, someone would have definitely shown his distaste, thus disappointing the poor man who brought this gift. Rather than make him feel bitter, I accepted the bitterness.”

(Source: http://www.qisas.com/)

Sleeping Beauties..

2007-08-20T16:24:00.000+01:00

Now they’re taking your women..

What you gonna do about it?

Aafia Siddiqui was born in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 2, 1972. She was one of three children of Mohammad Siddiqui, a doctor trained in England, and Ismet. She is a mother of three.

Raised in America, Aafia has a degree in Biology from the world famous MIT as well as a PhD in Neuro-Science.

Aafia was then accused of being the top Al Qaeda expert in BioChemical weapons. She was also accused of exploiting the diamond trade in Africa in order to fund Al Qaeda.

Her Professor says of her, “There is no way Aafia could create any kind of chemical weapon with the knowledge that she had”.

In Karachi airport, where she had been going to visit her uncle, she and her three children were surrounded by members of several intelligence agencies and taken into custody.

A week later, US and Pakistan authorities issued a statement saying they’ve arrested Aafia Siddiqui.

Two weeks later, US and Pakistan authorities issued statements that they have no idea where she or her children are.

A motorcyclist appeared at her mother’s house and told her mother that if she kicks up a fuss about the disappearance of Aafia, she will never see her grandchildren again.

To this day, Aafia has not been seen nor heard from.

We are the sleeping beauties. We have the beautiful gift of Islam within us but we do not care for our brothers and sisters around the world and even in our own backyard. So that beauty lies dormant; asleep.

Now they are taking our women.. how long before we wake up?

Let's just make sure it is before they come knocking on our doors, because by then it will be too late. And then we will be asking the question, "Why does nobody help us?"

More about Aafia:

http://www.cageprisoners.com/prisoners.php?id=1367

How to help:

http://www.cageprisoners.com/page.php?id=3

Shame..

2007-08-15T11:52:00.000+01:00

Got back from umrah two days ago alhumdulilah and here I am.

And all me hair's gone!

I could probably talk about a million and one things but that would take too long and I’m far too lazy.

But one thing sticks in my mind and that’s when I went to give salaam to the Prophet (Peace be upon him). You know, you go there and you know more or less what to expect as I’ve been there before. But as I approached his blessed grave, it hit me. I realised where I was coming to and into whose presence. It was then that an overwhelming feeling of shame came over me and I broke down into tears.

I realised how unworthy I was of being in the presence of the greatest of creation. All of my sins came to the forefront of my mind and I realised how much I had let him down. I remembered the long nights he used to pray into the night for his ummah and the way in which I had repaid him.

People ask if it’s the same every time you go to Makkah or Madina, and the answer is simply no. For me it forces me to look at all my deeds and to realise just how little I’ve done and its insignificance.

After that episode, I just sat down in Masjid Nabawi and pondered what to do next.

Now I want to go back.

Meeting my Beloved..

2007-07-28T16:30:00.000+01:00

Alhumdulilah I’ve been given the opportunity to go on umrah and shall be leaving tomorrow morning for two weeks inshaAllah.

First to madina to see the Beloved of Allah for a week and then to Makka for umrah for a week inshaAllah.

So I’ll be leaving you for two weeks, fee amanillah (In the hands of Allah)

By the way, the pic is of a card my nephew made me:

It says, “Hope you have a nice journey. Pray for us and ask to keep us safe. I hope your going to be safe aswell.”

Inside it says, “To Uncle, can you please buy me something (NOT CLOTHES)”

On the back it says, “Please come back.”

Sweet, eh.

I would wash his Feet..

2007-07-26T11:59:00.000+01:00

Our respected Shaykh Saleem Dhorat commented upon the reaction of Heracilus in the following manner:

“Heraclius was the emperor of the Byzantine empire during the era of our Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam. He was also a scholar of the Tawraat. When the letter of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam reached him he enquired about the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam to find out whether he sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, was really a prophet. Everything he asked proved that he was in reality the final prophet. The evidence was so strong that Heraclius exclaimed that:

‘If I could reach him, I would wash his feet (out of respect).’

(Source: www.shaykh.org)

A Grand Day Out..

2007-07-23T20:32:00.000+01:00

Well, today being the first day of the school holidays, I decided to take my nephews to a museum. Why a museum, you ask. I have no idea! Well the initial thought was so that it would be informative as well as interesting, rather than wittering a day away doing something random.

I took my three nephews, aged 5, 8 and 10 to the museum and as I was leaving I saw that my mum was actually preparing a feast for them, which I had to lug along in a backpack. And to top it all off, I was taking the three of them on the subway. Yep, clever ol’ me.

But alhumdulilah it was ok except for the fact that kids are always complaining.

“I’m hungry”

“I’m tired”

“What is that?”

You get the drift.

I actually printed off some worksheets for them to complete and I got told off later and was told that it was supposed to be fun and not to have given the kids worksheets. I was actually called a teacher (of all the insults!).

By the way, that's the dinosaur we came across as we entered the museum.

Whisper of Peace..

2007-07-22T21:46:00.000+01:00

A poem I wrote a few months ago and inspired by the three words in the title. I just had those three words in front of me and decided to write an interpretation/rambling upon them.

A Whisper of Peace

The roaring gun,
The angry words,
The setting sun,
The fleeing birds.

Each day drags along,
With each day fades hope,
I sing my song,
Of life, a slippery slope.

I look about me,
Looking for some solace,
But all I can see
Is hatred and malice.

But I raise my hands to the sky,
Bend down on my knees,
And from above comes a reply,
A whisper of peace.

~Musaafir
Early 2007

Trying to set an example..

2007-07-21T21:35:00.001+01:00

Well today I was home in the evening and so was my nephew and I told him if he wanted to stay at home with me then he definitely wasn’t gonna watch telly and he’d have to read (this was my way of making him go with his mum). So yeah, he decided he wanted to stay at home with me and read! By the way, he’s only 8 years old.

So I got him reading Qur’an out loud whilst I just messed on the computer and sorted my emails. Then I remembered something I heard from Shaykh Riyad ul Haq last week.

During Ramadhan, the one who brought the Qur’an used to read it in its entirety to the one it was brought to. Thereafter, the one who received it, would recite it back in its entirety to the one who brought it. So one would read and the other would listen attentively and vice versa. Because the blessing of the Qur’an is not only in its reading but also in listening to it attentively. If you hadn’t realised already, these two were the Angel Jibra’il (alayhissalaam) who brought the Qur’an and the Prophet (Peace be upon him), the one whom it was brought to.

Continuing on with this evening, I decided that I would sit and read with my nephew. So I got him to read a page and I listened, then I read and he listened and we carried on.

The reasons I tell you this are many. First of all, consider how often you get to hear someone read Qur’an to you and how often you get to read to them. Secondly, we had two different versions of the Qur’an, that is the page sizes and lengths were different. This meant that he had to listen and follow very carefully to see when it would be his turn to read; I had to do the same.

The last reason and most important is the fact that we have to lead by example. It’s very easy for me to send him to another room and tell him to read whilst I just do whatever elsewhere. Now I’ve been considering the effect of this. Do I ever really expect him to feel motivated if I just tell him and I don’t set myself as an example?

I’ve not been a good example to my nephews and I’ve realised this. Yes, I tell them to do this and that but I’m not there with them doing it and showing them how.

We must remember that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) didn’t tell us what to do, he showed us in every aspect of his life.

May Allah help me, you and the entire ummah act as proper role models for our children.
Ameen.

What’s your speciality?

2007-07-20T22:23:00.000+01:00

These words I gathered on a visit to Bolton last week. He was talking about what we should look for within ourselves and others.

Well the title makes it more or less obvious that we’re looking at what our specialities are. Everyone has one and it’s about discovering what these are and utilising them in a manner which will be beneficial to others.

Look at Khalid bin Al-Waleed (Radiallahuanhu), a great companion of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) who led the muslims to so many magnificent victories. Khalid bin Al-Waleed was one of the greatest generals in history, and one of the greatest heroes of Islam. Besides him, Genghis Khan was the only other general to remain undefeated in his entire military life. A measure of Khalid's genius is that he was the only person to inflict a (temporary) defeat on the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

Now there was another Sahabi (Companion of the Prophet) who had never picked up a sword in his life nor partook in any battle. But in the battle of Uhud when the muslims were running away after losing their strategic position, he stood there reciting poetry, encouraging them back into battle.

Later, when the Prophet (Peace be upon him) heard of this, he asked this Aahabi to ascend the mimbar (pulpit) and recite his poetry. He replied, “Me and speak on your mimbar, O Prophet of Allah? I could never do that.”

He (Peace be upon him) replied, “O so and so, it is Allah who wants to hear the poetry you recited!”

So let us take these two very different people and learn a lesson from the contributions they made to Islam and society. Now it is time for us to find our own specialities and to put them to use in a positive manner.

I’m still looking for mine but I’m thinking at the moment it may be through my writing.

One last thing which is perhaps most important, NEVER write anyone off as useless. Like I said, everyone has their own speciality and you shouldn’t insult people but help them find their talents and nurture them so that they can benefit everyone.

A Child’s Lament: Geronimo Bay

2007-07-20T16:15:00.000+01:00

This poem was inspired by Shaker Aamer, a brother held in Guantanamo Bay without charge.

Remember him in your prayers.

A Child’s Lament: Geronimo Bay

Where is daddy?
When is he coming home?
Can I at least see him?
Or speak on the phone?

Where is Geronimo Bay?
Is there a beach there?
Can he play in the sand?
And go to the fair?

When mummy cries at night,
I try to make her feel better,
“Daddy’s only gone to the beach”
I say to her, ‘til I found the letter.

It was under her pillow,
The address in a stranger’s hand,
It looked crumpled and well read,
The postmark of an alien land.

Tears flow down my cheeks,
Childhood comes to a sudden end,
My father is a prisoner,
It was all make-pretend.

Why did they take him?
Did he do something bad?
Did he kill somebody?
Or make someone sad?

So Geronimo Bay isn’t a beach?
Oh, it’s Guan-ta-na-mo,
My friend said it’s for the worst people,
It’s where terrorists go.

“Mummy, is dad a terrorist?”
She then breaks down again.
Falls to the floor weeping,
In uncontrollable pain.

“Your father’s a good man”
She says, her eyes betraying no lie,
“Then why is he there?” I ask,
“Why left there to die?”

Immediately the tears cease,
A deeper sadness clouds her face.
“It’s because us brothers and sisters are weak,
We’ve become a disgrace”

“We’re in love with this world, little one,
We cannot see beyond our own lives,
It is only for ourselves,
That each one of us strives”

I sit and ponder to myself,
What it was I learnt at madressah,
Didn’t maulana always say,
That we are all one big ummah?

If that is actually true,
Then why is daddy in jail still?
Why doesn’t someone say or do something?
If our brothers and sisters don’t, then who will?

Hang your heads in shame, dear muslims,
And ponder upon The Day,
When this girl is brought in front of you,
And Allah asks “What to you did she say?”

What will we answer?
How will we get out of it?
You think anyone will want to hear of us?
Especially our Beloved Prophet?

~Musaafir
6th July 2007

If you want to begin to help, visit www.cageprisoners.com

Your other option is to simply click elsewhere and get on with your lives.

Intro..

2007-07-19T22:14:00.000+01:00

Assalamualaykum Warahamatulahe Wabarakatu and welcome.

I’m going to keep it simple.

This blog is about me and what I come across in my daily life, just like most blogs.

I’m not here to preach, mainly because I am not worthy.

But what I will do is share with you what I learn. When I do this, I first and foremost address myself and use the reminder for myself. I just feel it useful if I share it with you too.

The reason I created this blog is for me to post things that I need to remember and that I think are of significance to me. These may interest you and be of benefit to you, but you’re the best judge of that.

I think that’s all I will say for now. Anything else of importance will probably pop up in future posts.

Lastly, I thought I’d let you know that I’ve left comments unlocked for anybody to make and you don’t have to register because I myself sometimes want to leave comments in certain places but can’t be bothered to register. So yeah, feel free to say whatever you like.

Take care of yourselves.