Terrible Times

These are terrible times. Terrible times indeed.
And who knows, it may get even worse.

Ya Allah, we seek refuge in you.
Take care of our daughters, lest they be raped and tortured to death.
Take care of our sons, lest they be arrested and branded terrorists.

Ya Allah, make this planet a better place to live in, and help us live in peace.

I Grieve

I Grieve

By: Yasmin Mogahed

I lifted my head

Once more

Only to see

The sun had set,

The trees had slept,

And they’d all gone home

I grieve.

The sky that was clear

is now covered with fog.

My path, I no longer see.

Why try…when it’s all so gray?

I grieve.

Today I grieve

For what’s been lost.

My forgotten people,

still on their knees

before a snow god in spring

I grieve.

They’ve forgotten that prayer

And to whom they should call.

The Essence replaced

by mundane ritual,

empty symbols.

Their hearts… so tired,

jaded and worn

I grieve.

We are a people

defeated…but not conquered.

And somehow

I feel my blood return.

I will stand.

I will try.

And from beyond my grief,

I will see…

There are a people you can’t enslave.

A loyalty…you can’t buy.

For a land may be occupied…

but never a soul.

From beyond my tears

I’ll understand…

Today my people weep.

But tomorrow…Death will die,

as their tears give birth to a land

where…“on them shall be no fear

nor shall they grieve” (2:262).

Love

Whom do you love the most in the world?

Your mother? father? siblings?

Your husband/wife? Your kids?

A friend? A relative? A neighbour?

A football player? A film star?

No matter whom you love the most, know the fact that the one who loves you the most is Allah, your Creator. He is the only One who loves you all the time. Others, human beings as they are, get caught up in their own affairs and tend to forget you, even if for a few seconds. But Allah never forgets. He never stops watching over you, and caring for you. He never stops loving you.

Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Qur'an:

Translation from Sahih International

"And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah . But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah . And if only they who have wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment."

So this Eid ul adha, learn to love Allah the most, as true believers do. You can love your parents, your spouse, your kids, but love Allah a bit more than you love them all, because He gave you life in the first place. Praise Him, as He gave you your family and friends. Love Him every moment of your existence, and you will see how easy it is to follow His commands. Love Him dearly, and He will ensure a place for you in His paradise. 

Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar

Laa ilaaha illallahu Allahu Akbar

Allahu Akbar wa lillahil Hamd...

The "god" particle: how apt a name!

Are you one of those people tormented by the "evidences" science put forth to establish that there is no entity called god and that it is all nonsense promoted by religion to exert control over human beings? Or those who believe in God very much but plagued by the doubt: why does God let these people carry on so? Well, here's why.

Remember, it was Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution that science put up as their primary and central argument against the existence of God. But what they do not realise is that Darwin's theory only refutes the story of creation and not the Creator (this is not to suggest that the story of creation is false; I only meant that Darwin says so). According to this theory man was not created by God but rather, evolved from apes. That raises the question, so who created apes? Well, they evolved from something else which evolved from something else and so on, till we arrive at the unicellular organism with which science claims that life began on earth. Supposing this was true, only supposing, then who created this unicellular organism? Oh, it wasn't created at all, it was formed as a result of some biochemical reactions of water. But then who created water?  Water is a combination of two elements and was formed from some reaction or other that took place on the surface of the Earth or in the atmosphere or inside the Earth, blah blah blah. Even if this was true (obviously, it isn't), who created the Earth? Well, that's a good question because there is a ready-made answer for it: The Earth and in fact the entire universe was formed due to an explosion or more correctly, an expansion, termed the Big Bang. The universe was once a hot, dense substance which underwent rapid expansion and then cooling down, formed galaxies and stars and planets and satellites. Thank you, that serves my purpose. Who created this hot, dense mass? There has to be someone who created it, if you use logic. And so, what makes it so difficult to accept that someone as God?

But you are forgetting the most recent developments that confirmed an early theory and detected what may  be the Higgs boson or Higgs particle or what is commonly known as the "god" particle (the very name! but I'll come to that in a moment). A prominent scientist suggested it, another wrote a book on it and two teams at CERN separately confirmed the discovery of a hitherto unknown particle that very well could be the Higgs particle (they are not yet sure), and the whole world and its atheists celebrated it. Alright, but did this particle take form suddenly, on its own? Or did it require the hard work of the most brilliant scientists alive, with a number of technical settings and conditions at the Large Hadron Collider, such conditions that had any one of them been messed with, the particle would not have been discovered? Yes, it did. The discovery was the result of an experiment that was overseen at every point of time by some scientist or the other, probably a team of scientists. Now let me ask you something: if it took a number of scientists (who may possibly be the most intelligent men alive) to conduct experiments that resulted in the discovery of the "god" particle (discovery, not creation), if it took so much men to discover it, wouldn't it take a far greater force to create the universe which is far greater and more mysterious than the "god" particle? If it took a man (or many men) to provide the circumstances essential for this particle's discovery, wouldn't it take a God to make the necessary arrangements for the creation of the universe? There you are. So thank you scientists and thank you atheists, thank you very much for your valuable discussions on it. Thank you for proving your opponents' point.

You know what, I think the name "god" particle is apt after all, for it is the best scientific explanation (such is the world we live in, we require scientific explanations for everything) for the existence of God.

There is an even simpler explanation for those who will take it. We know that water comprises of two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom. Yet has man created a drop of water using this formula? No, because such an experiment, if successful, will also release a lot of energy that is highly destructive. But water found in nature is hardly formed with explosions. Isn't this a lesson that it takes not just substances to create life but a Creator?

Post disaster thoughts

Wondering what disaster? A gas tanker exploded on 27 August 2012 at a place called Chala, which is close home. We are all fine here, alhamdulillah but 19 people have died from 60-90% burns and many more are injured. The place looks as if it has been ground to a war-in the midst of greenery, an area stands out all brown and burnt, with its trees dead, houses and shops burnt beyond repair and people waiting for news of their dear ones. It is a pitiable sight and reminds one of death and its inevitability. The people of the locality are actively participating in the rehabilitation of the survivors and in ensuring the proper burial of bodies because death had taken whole families here. Even people from far-off have come to offer help, which is great, but most unfortunately, there are people who try to rob even the burnt houses, yes, there are such people in the world! Some have been seen searching among the soot in the burnt cupboards for anything valuable that has been spared by the fire. Where has humanity run off to?

To return to that hand that does not spare anyone, that certainty called death- had any of the victims thought of death before going to bed that night? They were all common people, like you and I. They were just going to bed (it was about 11 pm) or watching television or talking to each other or cleaning the kitchen or doing things that they normally do. Many of them might have had plans for the next day; we all plan ahead, normally. Not even the last thing on their minds would be explosion, fire and death. We do not think, and cannot imagine, each night when we go to sleep that we may not rise to see another dawn. We are all afraid of death, naturally. Only the most pious ones, confident of their Lord's satisfaction, can welcome death with a smile. They will be told on the Day of Judgement, "O (you) the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction! Come back to your Lord, Well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing unto Him! Enter you, then, among My honoured slaves, and enter My Paradise!" (Al-Fajr: 27-30)

One of the victims of the disaster is a twenty-year-old guy who died along with his parents and younger brother. Even minutes before his death, he was consoling other patients who were seriously injured (like he was) saying that life on this earth is not permanent, the eternal life comes after death.  It brought tears to the doctor's eyes, this young man about to die consoling those around him. He was fortunate (and virtuous) enough to be able to say the shehadah before death. Will we be able to do the same?

We are so busy living that we forget that basic, universal truth called death. We know that everyone born will die someday. We know that we cannot live here forever. We know, yet we like to ignore the fact, we tend to forget it. We place so much importance on our body and our physical activities, forgetting that our bodies are not going to last. This body to which we attribute so much of value will decay after death. It is temporary, as life on this earth is temporary. We shall all return to our Creator one day. It could be tomorrow, tonight, or the next minute. Nobody knows but Allah.  

The First Group

We are all in the hangover of Ramadan right now, that is to say, still in the habit of holding back words and glances out of the fear that Allah may not like it. But for how long? Will we be like the companions of our beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him) who spent six months after Ramadan in prayers so that their deeds during the scared month will be accepted by Allah, and the rest of the year in prayers so as to prepare for the next Ramadan? Or will we be among those who forget and return to whatever they were before Ramadan? Will we be among the ones who benefit out of Ramadan or among those who have the misfortune of Ramadan bearing witness against them? Will we be among those who turn to Allah in piety or will we be among those who wait till the last breath to repent?

For death is inevitable to all. Regardless of whether you are big or small, rich or poor, young or old, kind or cruel, good or bad, sound or sick, once born, you have to die. You have to return to your Lord one day. “Every soul shall have a taste of death," says Allah in the Holy Qur'an (3:185); "No soul knows what it shall earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it shall die" (31:34). Even as I write this, I do not know if I am going to live long enough to type the next word, let alone to see another day. Upon our death, our family and friends will weep not knowing that we cry worse, for they return home and we face our Lord (from Ahmed Bukhatir's song "The Last Breath"). 

The topic of death reminds of the three groups into which we will be divided on the Day of Judgement. Allah the Almighty talks of these groups in Surah al Waqiah thus:

1. The elite, who excel over others in piety and Imaan. They will brought closest to Allah. They will have the best of Heaven. And most importantly, most of them will be from the older generations, mainly the prophets (Peace be upon them) of Allah, their companions, followers and their issues who believe. Unfortunately, very few of them will be of the later generations, that is to say, from our times. How fortunate are those who fall among the First group!

2. The people of the Right, who have led virtuous lives. They will be rewarded with Heaven and fortunately for us, there will be many form the older generations and many from the later generations in this group. How generous is our Lord!

3. The people of the Left, who have led luxurious lives regardless of Allah's commandments. They will be in Hell amid boiling waters and burning winds (56:42) . How terrible is the punishment that awaits the people of the Left!

Now let us look inward. Which group do we honestly think we will fall into? Have we done anything in our life, anything at all, to deserve the foremost place in Heaven? And even after knowing all these, will we ever try?

Eid Mubarak!

Alhamdulillah,, it's Eid-ul-Fitr today! And as far as I know, it's Eid today in others parts of the world as well. Alhamdulillah, may our celebrations always display this unity. Praise be to Allah for extending our lives to see this day. Eid is certainly a joyous occasion, but the fact that Ramadan is over gives it a tinge of sorrow. May Allah help us sustain the piety and purity we have gained in the blessed month throughout this year, until next Ramadan comes to reinforce our faith. How lucky are those who get Ramadan to bear witness in favour of them on the Day of Judgement!

Dear sisters and brothers, as we celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, I would like to remind you (and me) of certain things.

Let us not forget those who, even as we feast, are dying of hunger in countries like Somalia. Let us not ignore starving neighbours and homeless orphans.

Let us not forget all the people living in refugee camps all over the world. Let us not forget our sisters and brothers in Palestine. Let us not forget Rohinkyas and Assamese Muslims.

Let us not forget the children being slaughtered in Syria, and the blood being shed in the struggle to live freely in one's own land. Let us not forget the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Let us not forget that to be alive, to breathe and blink is all a blessing. Let us not forget to be grateful to our Creator for this blessing called life. Let us thank Him, praise and exalt Him.

Allaahu Akbar Allaahu Akbar Allaahu Akbar
Laa Ilaaha illa Allahu Allaahu Akbar
Allaahu Akbar a lillaahil Hamd...   

Farewell to Ramadan

From The Farewell Khutba for the Last Friday of Ramadhaan,

By Muslimah

The Month of Ramadhaan is coming to an end; where are the eyes that will weep and where are the hearts that will humble themselves by the fear of Almighty Allah, the Bounteous King? You have heard this so many times from the Holy Qur’an: “All the creatures will certainly die.” Now the time of the departure of the month of Ramadhaan is very near and with you it will stay just like a night-guest, or like a departing beloved. Never forget that the separation of good friends is a very bitter thing; so where are those who will perform as many good deeds as they did this month? Undoubtedly those who have fasted have collected great benefits and the transgressors are the losers.

Bid farewell to this month with sighs, cries and constant weeping when you say: “Salaam to you, O month of Revelation: Salaam to you O Month of Forgiveness (of Allah) and release from Jahannam! Salaam to you O Month of the Illumination of Hearts! Salaam to you, O Month of compensation of past sins! Salaam to you, O Sacred month, wherein lies a night which is better than a thousand months!

Salaam, Salaam, O Month of Ramadhaan! Salaam to you, O Month of Ramadhaan! Salaam to you, O Sacred month, whose nights are blessed by Almighty Allah, and are a means of erasing one’s past sins! Salaam to you, O Month of Virtue and Blessings of Almighty Allah: Salaam to you, O Month of Charity and of fasting! Salaam to you, O Month of Ibadah, Taraweeh and remembrance of Allah! Salaam to you, O Month of Takbeer and glorification of Allah!

Salaam to you, O Honourable Visitor, whom we have welcomed (enthusiastically). O Traveller, we bid you and honourable farewell. Salaam, Salaam, O Month of Ramadhaan! Blessed are you O Month of Ramadhaan. O Month of Ramadhaan! We do not know whether you will be a witness for us or against us (on the Day of Judgment). This is your last interview with us; we do not know whether you will return to us (in our lifetime) or whether death will overpower us. O Month of Ramadhaan! How fortunate is the person, to whom you will return with blessings of Almighty Allah, and how unfortunate is the one against whose misdeeds you will be a witness on the Day of Judgment!

May Almighty Allah bless our Masjids with your presence for a long time, and May He light our lamps with your divine light. The performance of Taraweeh is coming to an end, and our lamps are going to be put off (by your departure). No one will wait for Iftaar, and no one will see the stars for his or her Suhoor. For a time our bellies were under your command and our eyes were kept awake in constant Ibadah. Undoubtedly, we are for Almighty Allah, and to Him we will all return! Oh! How sad will be your departure and separation from us. The day of your departure will be sorrowful for all of us.

May Almighty Allah take mercy on the person who bid farewell to Ramadhaan with repentance and devotion. All of you should say: “O Almighty Allah! Let us be among those who have attained salvation during the Holy month of Ramadhaan. Deliver us from the fire of Jahannam, by the honour of Ramadan. Pardon us with Your Mercy, O Most Merciful of those who show Mercy. And all praise is due to Almighty Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. I seek refuge in Almighty Allah, from Shaytaan the rejected one. (Says Almighty Allah in the Holy Qur’an)! “The pious will reside in an abode of Peace, in Jannah (with) fountains; they will be dressed in brocade and silk, as they sit before each other.

If you are afraid that your hearts will wander off as they did before Ramadan, keep paying thus:
"Allahumma Rabbana la thuzigh quloobana ba'ada idh hadaytana va hab lana milladunka rahmah innaka antal Wahhab"

("Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower.")

May Allah the Almighty guide us to the Righteous path.

Ya Allah Ya 'Gafoor

Have you ever thought of the moment you meet Allah, your Creator and Sustainer? Not during the questioning on the Day of Judgement (which of course deserves the thought of all who fear Allah the Almighty), but of meeting Him from that eternal abode He has promised us? Can you imagine meeting Him for Heaven? Here is a prayer that will make you think of it, among many other things. It is by Sheikh Hani ar Rifai, the Imam of Masjid Anani in Jeddah. May Allah bless him and all the rest of us. Certainly, Allah is the Most Merciful, Compassionate and Generous. Arrahman Arraheem wal Kareem.

Note: Sheikh Hani and his younger brother Sheikh Nabil ar Rifai (the Imam of Masjid at Taqwa, Jeddah) recite The Holy Qur'an beautifully. Listening to them would be an added benefit to anyone who wish to learn Qur'an. May Allah bless all the Qaari-es of of the world and bestow them with health and long lives. May Allah bless all Muslims with His Satisfaction in this world and the next, and Jannath.

Endless Mercy

No matter how far we are from Him, and how long we’ve been away, know that Allah giving us life to witness this Ramadan is a sign that He has left the door open for us to turn back to Him.  Your sins are great, and mistakes and weaknesses are many, you may say – but His mercy, compassion and loving grace to His servants are far greater and far more vast.

Shazia Ahmed. More here  

I'm so humbled by Your Mercy, oh Allah! So awed by Your Majesty, so overwhelmed by Your blessings.
All praises be to You.

Ya Allah, bless us all with the ability to regain our faith and strengthen it this Ramadan, and keep our hearts pious throughout our lives.

Aameen.

Apologies to Ramadan

Apologies to you, O Ramadan! You used to come to people who prepared to meet you, understood your secrets and appreciated your reality; they would thus await your arrival and prepare for you by praying, fasting, and performing other acts of worship; they would supplicate to Allah for six months prior to your arrival that He would allow them to live long enough to enjoy your virtuous period; they would then supplicate during the remainder of the year for Allah to accept the deeds that they performed during your stay. They would say: ‘O Allah! Make us live long enough to reach Ramadan, and accept (the deeds we perform in it) from us.’

These people appreciated that you came to teach them how to elevate themselves above the animalistic conduct of having their main objectives being eating, drinking and satisfying their sexual desire. They realised that you came to teach them how to divest themselves of their desires.

Once, ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn ‘Awf  was fasting, and when the time came for him to break his fast, two types of food were brought to him; when he saw this, he began to weep. His wife asked him why he was crying, to which he replied: “I remembered the day Mus’ab Ibn ‘Umayr died, and nothing could be found to shroud him except a small garment, (it was so small) that when we covered his head, his feet would be exposed, and when we covered his feet, his head would be uncovered; but today, I am enjoying these types of food, and I fear that we are exhausting all our share of pleasures by enjoying them now.”

O Ramadan! But nowadays, who do you meet when you arrive? People whose opinion of you is that you are a month of hunger and thirst during the day, and stuffed stomachs during the night; people who think of you as a month of cooking varied dishes in outrageous quantities; people whose preparation for meeting you was nothing except to supply themselves with food and drink, it is as if you only came to teach them the art of cooking and preparing meals in varied forms.

Apologies to you, O Ramadan! You used to come to people who would stay up at night in worship during you; they realised that you are a season of virtue and they therefore sacrificed everything during your stay. They heard the saying of Allah (which means): "A limited number of days…" [Quran 2: 184] Thus, they certainly did not wish to miss out during these few days.

You would look at them and they would be crying, standing in the optional night prayers, heedless of this life, their main worry being the Hereafter; they shunned this life and would prostrate and supplicate, placing their hope only in Allah. Safwaan Ibn Saleem  would pray the optional night prayer until his veins became protruded and their green colour would become apparent. ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab  would cry to the extent that there became two permanent lines engraved on his face. ‘Abdullaah Ibn Al-Fudhayl  heard a verse that made him faint and fall; it was the saying of Allah  (which means): "If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say: 'Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers.'" [Quran 6: 27]

O Ramadan! But nowadays, who do you meet when you arrive? Miserable people whose only worry during the night is entertainment and frivolity; foolish people who have abandoned prayers and busied themselves with satellite television channels; lazy people, some of whom only strive to pray eight Rak’ahs of Taraweeh with the Imaam and then leave the mosque, bragging about it as if they have therefore fulfilled their due worship and all other responsibilities towards Allah; hardhearted people who hear the Qur’aan being recited day and night and yet whose hearts do not move, and whose eyes never shed a tear.

O Ramadan! Forgive us! Our hearts have become hard and our eyes are dry; we no longer feel the sweetness of obedience to you, nor do we sense the beauty of worship.

Apologies to you, O Ramadan! You used to come to people who were brothers without any blood relationship, but they realised the value of brotherhood, understood its significance, and thus fulfilled its rights; they perfectly comprehended the saying of the Prophet when he said: “A Muslim is the brother of his fellow Muslim.” They would be like a single body, the elders would be merciful towards the young and the young would honour the elders; they lived compassionate lives and dealt with each other based on love; they lived in harmony and had no hatred, envy or spite. They would suffer at the suffering of their brothers and strive to fulfil the needs of their brethren.

O Ramadan! But nowadays, you only meet people who have replaced brotherhood with enmity, and love with hatred; it is as if they have never heard the saying of the Prophet : “Deeds are raised to Allah every Monday and Thursday, and He forgives all people except for any two who have a dispute among them; it will be said: `Delay these two until they reconcile.`”

You only come nowadays to find people whose sense of brotherhood, as well as the bond set forth between them by Allah, has diminished; they do not react to the disasters of their fellow Muslims around the globe. They are not moved when their sisters are raped, or their rights are transgressed; it is as if they have never heard the saying of the Prophet : “He who is not concerned about the worries of other Muslims is not one of them.” You only come nowadays to find people who hardly even know anything about their next door neighbour.

Apologies to you, O Ramadan! These are our wounds and this is the reality in which we live!

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Ramadan is almost here

Ramadan is just a couple of weeks away. Preparing mentally and physically for the month of bliss. Here's a thought for you.

The Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) encouraged his followers to pray thus during the months of Rajab and Sha'ban:

 " اللهم بارك لنا في رجب وشعبان وبلغنا رمضان "

(Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban wa ballighna Ramadan)

O Allah! Make the months of Rajab and Sha’ban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan (i.e. prolong our life up to Ramadan, so that we may benefit from its merits and blessings)

[Narrated by at-Tabarani and Ahmad]