Ahlan Ya Shahru Ramadan!

Alhamdulillah another Ramadan has reached us or have we reached the next Ramadan? 

 The waking up for Suhoor, tahajjud, Fajr, Qur'an recitation, Iftar, Isha and Taraweeh at the masjid, meeting random strangers and throwing them smiles and wishing people Ramadan Mubarak... It's all back Alhamdulillah. Praise be to the One who blessed us with Ramadan and gave us another chance to redeem our souls of the sins we have committed! Shukran Ya Rabbal Alameen!

 The masjid near our home (which opened two years and after continuous pestering) has the Imaam delivering short Khutbahs in between the Taraweeh salah. Today he said something which was lingering in my mind since Ramadan was about to begin.

 He said that Allaah has blessed us with Ramadan. It's our chance to do good deeds and seek forgiveness for our sins. What's the point when men break their fasts with cigarettes? I was shocked to hear this. Or what's the point in waiting till Iftar and once the time comes people start talking with their boyfriends or girlfriends and resume the illicit relations. There are some who talk all the way till Suhoor and refrain from talking to them just because they are fasting!!! Subhaallaah!

 Here we are experiencing this Ramadan when those who looked forward to it are not here anymore. Those people are below the earth just wishing to get back on earth to rectify their mistakes and make more Ibaadah. May Allaah accept our good deeds and not make us amongst those who regret on the Day of Regret!

 It's beautiful to listen to these kind of wise words at unexpected moments. It's like realisation just hit earth!

 Alhamdulillah!

Giving Hand is Better than The Receiving One

 I recently got hit by an intense comprehension. When people ask for monetary assistance we might (actually we do) feel annoyed and irritated that they have come to us for help. 

 We do all feel this. Why? We speak about Islam and about the Blessings Allah has given us, about this and that and advice people to do this and not that and blah blah. Good that we  speak about Islam and spread the Deen but when a stipulation is to be applied to us we back away and forget Allah. It's time for serious introspection. Let's get back to the scenario. 

 A person comes to us asking for financial help. How do we see that? Our thoughts on this are, 'Why do they have to come to us?', 'Can't they find someone else?' and questions of that sort.

 The main reason we feel all this is because we worry agonizingly (it is an intense worry after all) if our hard earned money would ever get returned to us. Well it surely will. Allah has promised that if we give to others He will give us twice the reward of what we have given. I mean who has promised us? It is Allah Azza wajal. Can we doubt His promise? Even the richest of us when we make a promise remain uncertain if we can fulfill it. Why is that? It is because we do not know if we will remain in the same financial position as we are in. This perspective is understood by people who know that everything in this duniya is temporary. It is Allah who is Al Hayyu.

 Alhamdulillah that I gained a different perspective about this whole issue. We must not see this as a test rather we should view this as a chance Allah has given us to do khair! As simple as that. Complex thinking muddles simple intellect. The more we give the more we get richer. Our good deeds account gets fatter with more finer rewards even though our actual cash balance may reduce. Who cares though. 

 It is on that day, The Day of Judgement that people will wish that their skins and flesh were cut with a pair of scissors and wished they had done more. This is the idea of a Hadith narrated by Jabir (radiya llahu anhu).

 May Allah strengthen our Emaan and make us give more and more in His path.  

Imaan

We sometimes taste the real sweetness of Imaan. Though it may not be in the highest of levels, it is sufficient for us to digest and feel it. This happens when we face a calamity at an intensity that it becomes hard for us to handle that we look up towards the skies and ask Allaah with the sincerest of sincere intentions to help us, deliver us safely and quickly out of the ordeal.

The amount of Zikr we do, the way we elongate our prayers, our tears, our tasbeeh, tahmeed, takbeer and astaghfars are so much that it can't parallel to our ibaadah of before. 


 We see the world in a different perspective. That is when we grasp the meaning of the word 'insignificant'. We see the trivial's of this duniya. The way it has enslaved by making us be a captive of the desires of our very own souls.


 Allaah has not done any injustice to us. It is us ourselves who dug the path for our pitfall. If only people could understand that this duniya is of no use to them except to reap good deeds what a better place it would be to survive in.


 Gossip becomes bland and flavorless. It palates bitterness and sour taste as it is a compound of hatred and jealously. How else would it taste? How did we ever do this do before? How did we ever eat and digest this crude piece of words? 


 That is why we are in the obstacle we are in. We sold our soul and tongues for a mere fraction of a second pleasure in slandering. We brought the calamity upon ourselves and we are finally Alhamdulillah, realizing it. 

 It is at this time we recognize that the problem has manifested itself to a greater hidden blessing. A blessing which would only be understood and appreciated by the ones who will to cherish and build the connection they made with Allah. The bond with Him can never be equal to the bond we will ever create with anyone His creations. We realize: Our true love should be for Allah alone. The giver of the test can be the only One Who can remove it. 

 We slowly start to worry not about the difficulty but if that trial ceases our bond with our Rabb might come to a standstill. We get torn between two things: the problem and also if we want to get over this problem because we gained a true insight?

 We would be happy if the test ended but if it lasts longer we will keep laying deeper foundations to a stronger relation with Allah. We get to see the real wisdom behind His plans, the true Hikmah.

 But what is more great is to remember Allah at the times when we are elated and over the moon. Recalling Allah to our heart is a level that is attained by some. When He is recalled we get back to the ground and realize that this happy moment might in fact be a greater fitnah. 


 These are the souls who are at peace with the Qadr of Allah. The greatest calamity and the greatest blessing will evoke the same response from them, "Alhamdulillah!", is what their tongues, minds, heart and limbs utter. 

يأَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ - ارْجِعِى إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً - فَادْخُلِى فِى عِبَادِى - وَادْخُلِى جَنَّتِى

(26. And none will bind as He will bind.) (27. "O tranquil soul!'') (28. "Come back to your Lord, -- well-pleased and well-pleasing!'') (29. "Enter then among My servants,'') (30. "And enter My Paradise!'') (Surah Fajr)


Allahu Musta'an

Weather

The weather is beautiful today. Alhamdulillah! Cloudy and foggy. My mum is in a spectacular mood, which is worth all of it. Seeing this atmospheric condition makes me recall my days in Khobar.


 My table used to be near the window at one point of time. When it used to rain, I sat on top of the table and opened the window as wide as possible and study then. I still remember learning Chemistry though what the topic was is still dull and fazed out as compared to the whole scene in my mind. More like the Chemistry text book was pixel-ed out like we saw on TV when journalists interview culprits. 


 It is cold now and this has pacified my mood. Nice warm thoughts, memories that I clutch on it are all flooding through my mind. So I don't think I would need winter clothes to warn me.


 And now it seems to be drizzling. What could be better? Maybe in the company of someone loved. 

Inspiration

Another stage of life almost completed. A set of subjects taken and my memory on them were tested on. What now remains is a few more exams to be given and then the results of the performance.

Another set of people met. The kind of girls I never had the chance to discover earlier and now that we started to bond, very little time left to befriend them further. 

There are various stages in life that we experience. Some are fixed and need to be undergone and some others are like a stroke of good fortune that showers on us. It is in these unexpected podiums we learn a lot about ourselves and other peoples' lives. 

Life doesn't remain static. It can be simply defined as dynamic. The dynamism comes from within us. If life is static it points that we have stopped racing beyond and against the time frame- built and set as a standard to compare- and we let us be lifted and washed away with time, which takes its own calculated pace. 

Life can be a lot more fun and enjoyable. I realized that. Being stagnant for a long period brings the strong urge to break free. Then inspiration becomes a harbinger. Even the least thing you wanted to fulfill and you see someone having done that is enough to make you get on your heels to accomplish that feat. Inspiration doesn't simply come at the knock of the door. It rains down and kicks open it because you were unconsciously or acutely aware of the need of proving to yourself your existences' worth.

We are what we are and we are not what we are. It is for us to figure it out. If not us then who else and what better deal do we  have in life than the covenant that binds us to discovering and tempering ourselves?