Let Dreams Come True!

Bismillah. 

Every single one of us who lives, dreams! Every person’s dream is unique to themsevles, yet every healthy dream has a happy ending. No one wants tragedies. We might dream of a beautiful house, car of the latest model, the newest iphone, pretty shoes, a trip around the world, a room full of makeup, to be a famous star, even simple things such as a cup of warm coffee in a cold night, a shoulder to lean on when we feel hurt, a surprise visit by a dear friend, the joy of seeing our kids succeed, the giddy feeling when someone hugs us suddenly, the elevated feeling on winning a competition, the peace that surrounds us when all the family is sitting together calmly and the list never ends. 

Hollywood cashes on this human weakness and makes us feel through its productions that “dreams come true”. Hardly any child is ignorant of the stories of princesses and the dreams that materialized for them eventually, stories that pass on from generation to generation. Some teach their kids to dream about other things and the kids even when they grow up into adults, still hold that childhood dream close to their heart. 

In every dream that each one of us has, the common factor is not just happiness but immortality. The “Happily Ever After”. However, we all live in a world of deception. This world does not have “ever afters”. The most happiest and richest guy dies too after completing his term on the planet. 

  
But wait, don’t let your dreams be shattered so soon. Dream on! But of the place where “happily ever afters” are the norm. Yes, dream of Paradise! Where you will never die, your loved ones will never die, where no one hates anyone, where love and joy bloom 24/7. The place where there will be palaces made of gold, silver and pearls. There will be gardens full of the most exotic fruits. Your favourite dish will come right in front of you right then and there. There will be greenery and beauty and sparkly streams flowing here and there. Where we will wear dresses of silks with the finest jewellery, and look so regal. Spouses there will be crazily in love and absurdly good to each other. It will be a place, free of exams and taunts and sad news. No jealousy or ill-will with anyone. We will recline comfortably on fluffly pillows and joke and laugh over delicious snacks. (InshaAllah). 

This is Paradise! Just thinking of it makes your mouth water and you wish fervently to have your name written in its inhabitants. But nothing of value was ever achieved without a hefty price. And so Paradise comes with its own set of requirements, the most basic of which is believing in the One true God, Allah and not associating partners with Him. 

However, there are many other factors as well, some of which make you more eligible for this heavenly land and others which make you ineligible. We will be considering only one of the factors right now that could prevent us from going into Paradise. You get rid of that obstacle and up your chances! :)

Before we go on, we must talk about the scary part. Ineligibility to go into Paradise means eligibility for the Great Fire, which will burn and torture and agonize beyond limits. It is either this end for us or that end, nothing in between. 

We find in Sahih Bukhari, 3241:

Narrated `Imran bin Husain:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I looked at Paradise and found poor people forming the majority of its inhabitants; and I looked at Hell and saw that the majority of its inhabitants were women.”

Women! In hellfire! Why? We find the explanation in another place. 

Sahih Bukhari, 29:

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas:

The Prophet SAW said, “I was shown the Hell-fire and that majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful.” It was asked, “Do they disblieve in Allah?” (Or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He replied, “They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and the good (charitable deeds) done to them. If you have been always been good (benevolent) to one of them and then she sees something in you (not of her liking), she will say, ‘I have never received any good from you.”

Ingratitude! We women suffer from this. Ungratefulness to husbands and also on favours conferred upon us. We have a natural disposition to complain and to get overemotional on a slight affliction and thus declare in the depths of pity and misery that this “always” happens, “nothing” goes right “ever”. We tend to use absolutes which are lies in and of itself. Because that affliction just came, it does not wipe out all the good that we have in our lives. 

  
This ungrateful attitude not only makes our husbands suffer and feel sad but also plunges us in misery. And it makes Allah displeased as well. Why lose that beautiful Paradise over petty things? 

Together, we can change this attitude inshaAllah. Instead of acting as fuel to the fire when our friends share our problems with us, we will redirect their attention to the good in their lives. Try to stay away from trashy negative literature and soaps. Whatever we see, read or think, influences us. We can make a list each night before sleeping in our phones or notepads of the 3 things that were good in my life today. And 3 things that I’m grateful for to my husband. Thinking more of the good all day will also help us control our tongues when feeling sentimental. Eventually this will lead to us being grateful to our Creator. Not only will it increase our chances of going into Paradise but also make our own little home in this world heavenly and peaceful. <3

Allah says, “If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]”. (14:7)

And Allah’s promises are true! :)

P.S. This hadith acts as a warning and sincere advice to women to correct their ways when there is still time. At other places, men have been reprimanded too with regards to their behaviour. This is not discrimination as some label it to be. Remeber, Allah is just and in terms of good deeds and bad deeds, men and women are treated equally. 

These Troubled Times

Bismillah.

Today was a hard day for the people of Pakistan. From one affliction after the other, we suffered. In general too, these are troubled times for the entire Muslim nation. One wound after the other, I saw people losing hope. I heard comments and read posts about how all is lost. Everyone is in despair. No one feels they can take it any more. And rightly so, the pain is great. The wounds are physical, emotional, spiritual and mental.

We keep repeating on our social media what we are going through and how bad the situation is, ending with a hashtag of #NoHate, though in reality our posts are doing nothing else but generate hate. But then what else can we do? We feel helpless!

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, sad as you are, let me remind you of another hard day that someone very beloved to us went through. Someone who all of us claim to love, one way or the other. What was his reaction?

Narrated `Aisha:
That she asked the Prophet (ﷺ) , ‘Have you encountered a day harder than the day of the battle) of Uhud?” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “Your tribes have troubled me a lot, and the worse trouble was the trouble on the day of ‘Aqaba when I presented myself to Ibn `Abd-Yalail bin `Abd-Kulal and he did not respond to my demand. So I departed, overwhelmed with excessive sorrow, and proceeded on, and could not relax till I found myself at Qarnath-Tha-alib where I lifted my head towards the sky to see a cloud shading me unexpectedly. I looked up and saw Gabriel in it. He called me saying, ‘Allah has heard your people’s saying to you, and what they have replied back to you, Allah has sent the Angel of the Mountains to you so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.’ The Angel of the Mountains called and greeted me, and then said, “O Muhammad! Order what you wish. If you like, I will let Al-Akh-Shabain (i.e. two mountains) fall on them.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “No but I hope that Allah will let them beget children who will worship Allah Alone, and will worship None besides Him.” [Sahih Bukhari, 3231]

This was a time when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ disappointed from the hatred of the people of Makkah and their constant refusal to accept the truth travelled to Taif, hopeful that they’d welcome the beautiful message of Islam. However, instead of accepting it, they started mocking the person who today we hold in so much respect. They made their people line up in two rows on the side of the road and when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ passed from there, they pelted him with rocks and threw stones at him. So much so that his body bled and the blood filled up his shoes. Just stop for a moment and picture this. Shoes filled with blood?! How much wounded do you have to be to be in this state. Imagine a lone person hurling a single rock at you, how would you feel? A whole group of people throwing stones at my Prophet ﷺ? The mere thought fills us with rage and tears. We want to go and beat up those people all over again.

In this state, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ staggered out of that town, how weak he must have felt. And at that time, Jibreel came with the Angel of the Mountains awaiting just a command. I see you already wishing it was you so you could tell the Angel to crush those people between two mountains. But look at the reply of my beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He said, “no, but I hope that Allah will let them beget children who will worship Allah Alone, and will worship None besides Him.”

Hope! At a time like this! This is the character of the one who I’m supposed to follow, step by step. This is what is expected of me being a caller towards Allah, being a Muslim, being a member of the best of nations. I can’t afford to lose hope.

I’m a leader, I have to pull up the people around me, I have to be the shoulder they can lean on, I have to give them light so they can see the way. And what is the way except the way that leads to Allah?

If that day, my Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had lost hope and had those people crushed between mountains, how would the legendary hero, Muhammad bin Qasim have been born from the progeny of the people of Taif? Muhammad bin Qasim, the first Muslim leader to have stepped on the land of Sindh and thus bringing Islam to this region. Who knows that I owe my Islam to him today?

Instead of ranting about the problems and the pain, I need to talk about the solution. I need to instil in those hearts softened by the affliction that it’s time we turn back to Allah, it’s time we fixed ourselves. Allah says, “And whatever strikes you of disaster – it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.” (42:30)

I will fix myself. I will perform ablution a little extra carefully today, I will spend a few minutes more at the prayer mat, I will seek forgiveness for my sins more than usual, I will tell people to worship Allah, to do good deeds, to stay away from immoral acts with more fervour today. Because I know this is the solution! I know this will bring change!

I believe! Allah says, “Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people.” (12:87)

I believe that my hope will bring forth many Muhammad bin Qasims inshaAllah. :)

 

For better or for worse

Bimillah.

If you’re a woman, married or unmarried, this is for you. Surprisingly, the post is about men. Oops!

It’s because we live in a world where everyone is keen to know their rights but hardly anyone is concerned about their duties. It’s satisfying and easy to know what rights you have, but fulfilling your duties is uphill work. Anyway, it’s a long debate and we will not be getting into it just now, suffice it to say that men and women both have their sets of duties and rights, Allah has set them and He is not unfair to either sex.

What I do want to talk about is hadith no. 3237 in Sahih Bukhari, it is a well-known hadith but the intensity of the implication of its meaning is what’s often not registered:

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “If a husband calls his wife to his bed (i.e. to have sexual relation) and she refuses and causes him to sleep in anger, the angels will curse her till morning.”

Refusing a husband when he calls for sexual relations is a major sin.

Major sins are not something to be taken lightly. If not doing something is a major sin then doing it is an obligation. You have to do it, there is no way around it. Sometimes when people start getting pleasure out of certain things, they think they have to do those things only as long as they’re enjoyable and when they don’t get the pleasure any more, they think it’s okay to leave them and they forget that in the first place it was an obligation, the pleasure was just a bonus.

This is the mercy of Allah that He has put pleasure in obligatory things for us. For example, attending a Quran class and learning new things is fun. But even if it wasn’t fun, we’d still have to do it.

Similarly, your husband is your friend, you have good times together and you have bad times. You get tired and sometimes want to be alone as well. But even then, when you don’t feel like it, you still can’t say ‘no’.

Some might call it cruel but then again the thing to remember is that all the rules are set by Allah and He knows us best, wants the best for us and is never unjust. To understand the scientific aspect of it, you can read the details somewhere where you will find how it is important for men to release that specific energy bottled up inside which would otherwise be harmful for them. It’s a need, just like food is our need. To understand the emotional aspect, you can still read on it elsewhere.

There are only 2 conditions in which you can refuse your husband:

1. There is a legal reason. You’re on your period, you’re fasting the obligatory fast, he’s asking you to do something forbidden in Islam (anal sex etc.)
2. There is a physical reason. You’re extremely ill and weak and don’t have the strength to please him.

Other than this, denying him his right just out of boredom, because you’re not in the mood, you’re doing something else or you want to do it conditionally, all this is wrong.

This is an obligation. Leaving obligatory deeds is sure to bring all sorts of problems in life. The first thing it would do is to take away Allah’s mercy. If your marital life is suffering, think is it because I am not doing something that I am supposed to be doing?

Obeying one’s husband is very important anyway. His place is only after Allah and His Prophet ﷺ. If the husband is not happy with you, Allah won’t be happy either. We should be careful lest all our other good deeds go to waste by not taking care of this obligation.

Just like it is sinful to not obey him, similarly, obeying him has a lot of merits. Not only does it make you enter Paradise but it will make Allah happy and it will eventually bring marital bliss. Your husband will notice what you do for him and be good to you as well. You just need to keep doing your job.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “If a woman prays her five (daily prayers), fasts her month (Ramadaan), guards her chastity and obeys her husband, it will be said to her: Enter Paradise by whichever of the gates of Paradise you wish.”

[Narrated by Ahmad (1664) and others; classed as hasan by al-Albaani because of another report in Saheeh al-Targheeb, as stated by al-Arna’oot in Takhreej al-Musnad.]

May Allah make our spouses the coolness of our eyes. Ameen.

 

iGive

Bismillah.

What is life without its share of excitement? We humans get thrilled when it comes to various mysteries of this world. Explorers, researchers and think tanks spend their entire lives trying to solve the intriguing phenomenons around us. History is full of people who gave the Bermuda triangle mystery their blood, sweat and tears.

Interestingly enough, little abstract things around us hold as much intrigue and depth as the big ones. However, we tend to ignore them due to our poor observation skills. It’s wonderful how the night brings sleep with it even though the lights inside our homes are as bright as the day. Similarly, it’s beautiful how the cat tends to its kittens and teaches them how to climb trees out of pure affection. Harder to explain still is the warm feeling one gets on seeing red crisp leaves of autumn, bathed in sunlight and fallen on the straw coloured winter grass. Strange and lovely are these intangible and abstract concepts.

Another such thing that continues to baffle the human race is how come the guy who spends so much never seems to be going in deficit yet the rich bloke who lives in the huge mansion always seems to be crying over his losses! Those who get stuck here are the ones who always think twice while giving charity.

Those great billionaires at the other end of the world give huge charities in order to help make their country stable. We go, “wow, they are the ones who’re actually doing something”. Well, let me tell you a secret: the whole culture of Islam is built around “giving” and sharing and putting others’ needs before my own. It’s my job to give, give, give and to help make my country stable. Not only will this make the economy strong but generate love amongst the people living together. Imagine if everyone is putting the other person first, who would be last?

Various economic systems were presented in front of the world in different centuries, they were implemented and they wreaked havoc. History of capitalism, communism, socialism is right in front of you. Islam brings the only flawless system where not only can economies be stabilized but “human rights” are most taken care of as well.

You give. You give zakat money as an obligation so the love of wealth doesn’t infiltrate in you and so the flow of money doesn’t break its cycle. You give charity in the form of money, food, clothes, land and even education, smiles and a kind word. If you have nothing else, you give your good wishes (dua) to the other person. This is what Islam teaches us, what could be more “humanitarian”?

To cap it all, we have the most beautiful role model in our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ who spent on every person he came across and never spoke a harsh word to those who asked.

It says in Sahih Bukhari, 3220:

Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was the most generous of all the people, and he used to be more generous in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel used to meet him. Gabriel used to meet him every night in Ramadan to study the Holy Qur’an carefully together. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to become more generous than the fast wind when he met Gabriel.

What a beautiful example for us and what a beautiful friend he had. Because friends influence you, clichéd as it may sound. They do good, you start doing good and you don’t even know it.

Besides, they were studying the Quran together and there’s nothing that compels you more to spend on others and give charity than the Words of the Quran itself. It not only tells you of the great reward that you’ll earn by spending in both the worlds but also about the temporariness of this world and its goods. So you know that its better to spend here right now and have it saved for the hereafter with a lot of profit on it than to try to hoard it here where it will perish eventually anyway.

Let’s revive this wonderful culture back again. Let’s give and make others around us give too. Let’s set that example. If you have nothing tangible to give, give greetings and peace. Give your kind words. Let no one be deprived.

Allah promises that if you give, your wealth will not decrease rather it will increase manifold. This is one of the mysteries of life and it’s called “barakah”. :)

Love Deprived

Bismillah.

“No one loves me”. “Nobody really cares”. One of the most common claims of teenagers nowadays. Many end up committing suicide just because of that. Born to single parents or belonging to a broken home or having both parents slaving at a 9-5 job, kids often feel ignored or deprived of love. These same kids then grow up to be delinquents or somehow psychologically disturbed adults. Developed countries spend billions of dollars on crime control.

Many people who have anger, frustration or other behavioural issues are now known to be suffering from some kind of complex. If you look at it, these complexes too are born out of insecurities that stem from lovelessness, lack of proper attention etc. These insecurities end up turning the defensive mode on, hence giving rise to the culture of individualism, which brings forth the “I don’t care” and “this is my life” attitude.

Love can do wonders to people. Life coaches and healing practitioners know that and so many books are out there in the market that teach you how to earn love of parents, spouses, colleagues etc. Some of these books actually have good practical advice.

However, at the end of the day, we live with humans who will hurt us and ignore us and lack somewhere in the love they have for us. It does get tiring running after this person and that after a while. That is the time when people give up, start cheating on their partners or break out in jealousy. What then is the solution?

What we need to understand is that a building constructed on weak foundations will eventually fall. If the foundation of your building is strong then advice from different experts and their experiences will help, otherwise it will not. Don’t sweat, the way out is so simple that you will be surprised!

Here you go: Please one, not all. Rest will be taken care of.
The question is which one?

We find the answer of this in Sahih Bukhari, 3209:

Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, ‘Allah loves so and-so; O Gabriel! Love him.’ Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven. ‘Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also,’ and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth.”

If you strive to please your Creator, eventually people of this earth will come to accept and love you. And hey, what more could you want? Imagine your parents, spouse, kids, neighbours, colleagues loving you!

So now you don’t need to lose your focus by thinking, ‘should I side with my boss or the colleague who helped me last week?’ ‘Should I make my mother-in-law love me or should I exert my efforts towards my sister-in-law?’ Instead, you can focus on pleasing the only One in peace Who will never fail you, never be unjust and never get angry without a reason. <3

Now that we have a goal, here are some tips and tricks on how to please Allah:

Belief and good deeds – Allah says in Maryam 96: “Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection.”

Voluntary good deeds (nafal) – “…..And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (voluntary prayers or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) until I love him,…..” [Al-Bukhari]

You can find many more ways to earn His love in the Book of Allah and the narrations of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. May Allah give us the tawfeeq to earn His love inshaAllah. :)

The Paradigm Twist

Bismillah.

One of the hot topics of discussion in Muslim gatherings nowadays is, “how those Muslims back then were so awesome and we don’t even come close”. Such discussions usually end up inflicting gloom and hopelessness in everyone.

Yes, it is true they were very inspiring. They ruled over half of the world. They were leaders in all sorts of skills and disciplines; be it warfare or medicine or banking system. We see the beautiful spider’s web of Muslim history crafted to perfection but we don’t get hold of the end of the thread so we can unravel the root cause. What was the pivot point that kept them going? Any ideas? What does differentiate us from them?

It was their “paradigm”. They shifted their paradigm wholly. They didn’t just read a few words enough to make them Muslim, they made that One God, Allah their focus. We, on the other hand, get distracted very quickly. It’s good to look for answers, to use science as a tool, it broadens the mind, but to rely on it completely? That’s overdoing it.

We know that earthquakes are caused by the moving of the tectonic plates and we hope furiously with our fingers crossed that some new discovery is made which can limit the movement of these plates. We know that eclipses are caused by the moon coming in front of the sun and we’re satisfied. We’re satisfied as long as science can explain how things happen. But this is not enough! Science does explain the ‘how’ part but what about the ‘why’ part?

Looking into that ‘why’ and accepting the first answer that it is the will of the Creator and then looking for other answers is what we’re missing. We rely on science, we rely on our faculties, we rely on what media says, we rely on what the palmists and astronomers say, we rely on anything but on the real source believing on which makes us Muslim. No matter what befell them, they turned to Allah. They knew all good and bad comes from Him alone. They didn’t spend undue time on what the zodiac signs say and what the parrot pulls out of its basket.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to get anxious when strong winds blew or when eclipses happened or when a storm came. He knew these are signs in the creation shown by the Creator of this universe. We should seek Allah’s refuge, remember Him and seek forgiveness from Him when we come across anything strange or out of place.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ reaction to such happenings is seen in the books of hadith:

Sahih Bukhari, 3206:

Narrated Ata:

`Aisha said If the Prophet (ﷺ) saw a cloud In the sky, he would walk to and fro in agitation, go out and come in, and the colour of his face would change, and if it rained, he would feel relaxed.” So `Aisha knew that state of his. So the Prophet (ﷺ) said, I don’t know (am afraid), it may be similar to what happened to some people referred to in the Holy Qur’an in the following Verse: — “Then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said, ‘This is a cloud bringing us rain!’ Nay, but, it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened a wind wherein is severe torment.” (46.24)

He took guidance from the Quran and what it says about winds.

Similarly, in Sahih Bukhari, 3202:

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Abbas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The sun and the moon are two signs amongst the Signs of Allah. They do not eclipse because of someone’s death or life. So, if you see them (i.e. eclipse), remember Allah (i.e. pray).

This is what we’re supposed to do instead of tweeting and updating statuses on social media. It’s the perspective which needs to change. May Allah guide us all. Ameen.

 

“The Sunny Side”

Bismillah.

How many people do you know in your life who have a passion for photography? Many, right? Out of those, how many photographers do you know who don’t have any picture of the sun in their portfolio? No one, you say? Exactly!

After all, who can resist taking a picture of the sun rising or setting behind the clouds, in a clear blue sky, behind the trees, above water or at the roadside? Every single sunrise and sunset is different from the previous one. Every single one of them has their own beauty, their own uniqueness.

Not only do we enjoy photographing the sun, but we also enjoy the sunlight in winters and benefit from it in various uncountable ways throughout the year. Today we know that not getting enough sunlight can cause a deficiency of vitamin D in our body.

Even if we don’t ponder over these facts often, we know that the sun rises everyday and brings morning with it and its setting is the onset of night. Engrossed in our routines as we are, fretting about an assignment not completed, about an employee being on leave, about a family member being ill, we don’t for a moment doubt that today the sun might not rise or set way too early. We trust that even though our own faculties or are loved ones may deceive us, but the sun won’t. This trust, don’t you think is actually on the One who causes the sun to rise and set? We just know He won’t forget or make a blunder like we humans do. Yes, the sun functions by the permission of its Creator.

Well, here’s the surprise! One day the sun won’t rise as usual from the East, but it will rise from the West. That will be a scary day. It will be the day when the end of this world will be very close, and when seeking forgiveness won’t benefit any more.

This has been mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, 3199:

Narrated Abu Dhar:

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked me at sunset, “Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?” I replied, “Allah and His Apostle know better.” He said, “It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: “And the sun Runs its fixed course For a term (decreed). that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All- Knowing.” (36.38)

Beyond Compare!

Bismillah.

One thousand years ago, no one could imagine that there could ever be created a device by humans that could perform calculations, organize data, make long distance communication a possibility and even point out mistakes of humans themselves. And yet, today every other person owns a laptop and hardly anyone can imagine their life without a smartphone.

However, despite all the development in technology and despite the advanced efficiency of the brain of computers, no one can claim that they come at par with the human brain.

Nor does anyone ever believe the camera lens to be equal to human eye. Although the camera lens captures the most intricate details of the scene, enhances colours and tones and even adjusts the lighting of the environment, it still cannot do what the human eye can.

If you take an aerial view, you’ll come to realize that humans, computer and the camera, all are created after all. Humans are created by God and computer and the camera are created by humans. If we say God is the Creator and all else is creation then in short, they all (humans, computers, cameras) are creation of God. But even then there is no comparison of one creation (humans) with the other creation (computers & cameras).

How strange is it then that a comparison is made between the Creator and creation? Not only is it strange but absurd and illogical as well. How can purely human traits be in God and how can God not do what humans can’t? It doesn’t even make sense. Which is why the Creator does not approve of any such false statements.

And this is what the Creator, Allah says Himself as we find in Sahih Bukhari, 3193:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Allah the Most Superior said, “The son of Adam slights Me, and he should not slight Me, and he disbelieves in Me, and he ought not to do so. As for his slighting Me, it is that he says that I have a son; and his disbelief in Me is his statement that I shall not recreate him as I have created (him) before.”

May Allah make us see the truth and follow the truth only. Ameen.

A Love Story!

Bismillah.

PICTURE THIS:

You and your husband are at a government office, getting some paperwork done. You came here at 8 in the morning and now it’s 7 at night. You both are very tired and have been going from office to office to get the papers signed. Finally your work is done and you leave the office, get in your car and are on your way home. You reach the end of the lane and you realize that you don’t have your documents with you. You have probably forgotten them in one of the offices in that building. You tell your husband and ask him to go back so you can find them. What does your husband say to you?

“Oh sure sweetheart, you must have forgotten them because you’re so tired, let’s go back and I’ll help you find them, don’t you worry about it”? I see most of you have “Haha! Nice joke! This is not Bollywood!” written over your face.

Or does he go, “Can’t you remember to keep your things with you, woman? We have to go all the way back just because of you. I have a good mind to leave your documents there. There’s no peace in my life, I’m so tired”? Now you go, “okay, this one is a bit more realistic”.

Let me tell you of a husband who when went through worse, still opted for the first response. Surprisingly, he was a real husband, not a Bollywood one. Isn’t this amazing? Read the following true story and find out for yourself:

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 7, Number 330:

Narrated ‘Aisha (the wife of the Prophet ﷺ):

We set out with Allah’s Apostle ﷺ on one of his journeys till we reached Al-Baida’ or Dhatul-Jaish, a necklace of mine was broken (and lost). Allah’s Apostle ﷺ stayed there to search for it, and so did the people along with him. There was no water at that place, so the people went to Abu- Bakr As-Siddiq and said, “Don’t you see what ‘Aisha has done? She has made Allah’s Apostle ﷺ and the people stay where there is no water and they have no water with them.” Abu Bakr came while Allah’s Apostle ﷺ was sleeping with his head on my thigh, He said, to me: “You have detained Allah’s Apostle ﷺ and the people where there is no water and they have no water with them.

So he admonished me and said what Allah wished him to say and hit me on my flank with his hand. Nothing prevented me from moving (because of pain) but the position of Allah’s Apostle ﷺ on my thigh. Allah’s Apostle ﷺ got up when dawn broke and there was no water. So Allah revealed the Divine verses of Tayammum. So they all performed Tayammum. Usaid bin Hudair said, “O the family of Abu Bakr! This is not the first blessing of yours.”

This is the funniest part of the hadith and so natural as well. Guess where was the necklace found from in the end?

Then the camel on which I was riding was caused to move from its place and the necklace was found beneath it.

The Prophet ﷺ was not coming back from his office. He was coming back from a battle, he was the General. Think of the responsibility on his shoulders. He was the leader. He had to take care of his tired soldiers as well. He was not in a car on a road in the city. He was in the middle of the desert. There was no water there at all. His wife had not lost important documents, only a necklace. And yet, he stopped the whole battalion for her. He didn’t shout at her, he wasn’t that scary that she had to think 10 times if she should ask him to stop or not. This is how beautiful the conduct of my Prophet ﷺ was with his wives.

And yet, people talk about Islam oppressing women? And share images of women in veils, chained by the feet and being dragged by frowning bearded men? Do you think this is the real Islam? This is what the Prophet ﷺ taught? They think his marriage with Ayesha was forceful and tyrannical? Shame on those people! Let them only be like him in conduct for a day to their women. They’ll never be able to do that. Women today are humiliated, shouted at, abused, used and what not. Where is the respect that he gave to his wives? That he taught? You think his having 9 wives is shameful? Are you good with your one?

Today, we’ve distorted the institution of marriage so much that the young generation wants to have the ‘real fun’ first and then get married sometime later in life as they consider marriage to be a lifelong jail. If we just follow him ﷺ the right way, we can make our family life so beautiful. We can bring back that peace and strength in family life. There is no real happiness in the affairs and haram relationships. It’s only a matter of knowing the reality of Islam and acting upon it.

Wassalam,
Hajrah :)

First, Second or Third?

Assalamu’alaikum,
Bismillah.

Here’s a confession: Sahih Bukhari is one of the awesomest books ever. :D

I just want to sit and ponder deeply over each hadith and write extensively about it, but well there is not that much time. So, here’s only one for today. It’s simply lovely.

Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, The Book of Knowledge, Hadith no. 66:

Narrated Abu Waqid Al-Laith r.a:

While Allah’s Messenger s.a.w was sitting in the mosque with some people, three men came. Two of them came in front of Allah’s Messenger s.a.w and the third one went away. The two persons kept on standing before Allah’s Messenger s.a.w for a while and then one of them found a place in the circle and sat there while the other sat behind them (the gathering), and the third one went away. When Allah’s Messenger s.a.w finished his preaching, he said, “Shall I tell you about these three persons? One of them betook himself to Allah, so Allah took him into His Grace and Mercy and accommodated him, the second felt shy from Allah, so Allah sheltered him in His Mercy (and did not punish him), while the third turned his face from Allah and went away, so Allah turned His face from him likewise.”

There’s just one point to focus on, what category would you like to be in?

Would you rather be thirsty and compassionate for the knowledge of religion and run after it and thus be engulfed in Allah’s Mercy and Barakaat?

OR

Would you rather be the shy one and sit at the back and gain something from His Mercy so that you’re saved from the punishment but still not the big share?

OR

Would you rather be the one who turns away from the knowledge of the religion and thus Allah’s face be turned from you too?

Take your pick!

Read the same hadith with another angle, here: Backbenchers.

 

Wassalam,
Hajrah. :)