In The Driver's Seat

First of all, Jazakallah to everyone that remembered me in their Duas and for all the comments and e-mails people have sent.

Since I have started this blog, it has become so much more easier to see a deeper meaning to the everyday things in life. Just as Allah has stated in the Glorius Qur'an:

"To God belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth;
and God hath power to will anything..
Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day; there are indeed Signs for men of understanding.
Those who remember God standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth:
Our Lord! You have not created this in vain!
Glory be to You; save us then from the chastisement of the fire"

[Aal-e-Imran 3:189-91]

This verse is particularly important for our observation of the creation, for shaping our worldview with belief in Allah and applying our belief to our daily lives. It means that every single thing in its creation is a sign to the Creator and it reflects the attributes of the Creator. Whatever we can think of, each and every thing or event is created with wisdom as a sign to the Creator. We receive a phone call, a fly lands on our hand… these do not happen in vain, without any meaning or purpose...

So, if we reflect on any matter in life, and ponder over its creation and how it reflects the attributes of Allah, we will automatically start seeing the purpose of creation and how we are reminded of Allah through every act and each of His creation.

The lifestyle in Pakistan is completely different to the one we are used to seeing in the United Kingdom. Being a third-world country it is enivitable that we will see poverty, corruption and also a totally different living standard. There is no system, no practiced laws and everyone has their own styles of living.

The thing which caught my attention was the driving method in Pakistan. Those who have been there will be well aware of the manner of driving their; and those who have not had the pleasure of seeing it, I can simply say there is no system and no rules, anything goes (but you have to see it to believe it).

Whilst driving in Pakistan, there will be many times where you have to stop in the traffic (hardly for a traffic light). If at any point the car stops in the traffic, the driver, along with the passengers will be faced with two things; either they will have a beggar come up to their windows and ask for something, or they will have a poor person, trying to make his living, who will come to sell something.

Additionally, whilst driving in Pakistan, as there is no system, a driver is able to travel is able to take any route he wants to reach his destination; some routes will taker him faster to his destination than others, but always, the destination remains the same.

POINT

Similarly, in our lives, on the path of Islam and reaching Allah, we will also find times where we will either trip or come to a little stop, it is at this time that Shaytaan will take the opportunity to come to us and try and 'sell' us a lie and deceive us, or he will come and 'beg' us to do something which will divert our attention from the road for a moment or so.

It is then our choice whether we choose to pursue further onto the path we have chosen or whether we are deceived by the "sellers" and "beggars".

Another point to remember is that when we set out, our destination is always the pleasure of Allah; reaching Him, and acquiring paradise. However, no matter what our destination is, if we take the wrong path, we will never reach there and in the process we will have wasted valuable time. To the contrary, to reach Allah we can take many paths; those that will take us closer to Allah in a shorter span of time than other paths. There are many paths and each person has a choice to decide which path he wants to take to reach Allah, but it should not be forgotten, that no matter what path you choose, the final destination is none other than Allah.

May Allah give us the inclination to choose the path in which He is pleased, the path of Islam. May He show us the path that will earn us His pleasure and one that will take us to Him earlier than other Paths, and that He saves us from Shaytaan that who is our open enemy and will always try and deceive us from the straight path. Aameen.

A Short Break...

As Salaamu Alaykum,

Just a short notice to all the readers. Insha Allah, I am leaving to go abroad today for about a month. Therefore, I doubt I will be able to post during my travels.

Some people already know the purpose of my travels and others are probably totally unaware.

Insha Allah, I will be aiming to "complete half of my Imaan" and I request each and every reader to keep me in their Duas and make extra special Dua for me that Allah makes me successful and makes everything easy and that this can be a new beginning in the long stretch of efforts in pleasing Allah. Aameen.

I will be keeping everyone of you in my Duas and I hope that I have loads to write once I return from my trip.

Jazakallah for all the support and encouraging comments.

Wasalaam

EID MUBARAK

EID MUBAARAK to all the readers. May Allah make this day speacial and blessed for each and everyone. May He help all of us share in the joy of our friends and family.

May He accept our deeds during the month of Ramadhan and show us the sign of this acceptance by keeping us steadfast during the months to come. Aameen.

Please do remember me in your Duas and specially those people who are less fortunate than we are at this moment in time, keep them in your Duas and prayers and let us pray that Allah showers His mercy upon them so that they we can united in sharing the joy of Eid. Aameen.

Wasalaam

Life is a football match

Yesterday night, after Taraweeh, we went to play football with our ten players. The teams were different this week as we had different player this week as some of the regular players could not make it.

As always, a good game of football feels great and there are many lessons to be learnt from what we would class a simple game of football.

Yesterday the teams were evenly matched and equally balanced out. The result of which was a very tight game. Each team put in a hundred percent to overcome the other team and push forward.

In short, the game ended as a draw. One team's goal was answered by the same from the other team. The battle of sixty minutes led to nothing more than a tie.

POINT

The teams in this football match were equally matched and therefore the result was a draw. In our everyday life we have a football match and we have to make an effort to make a stronger team than the opposition.

The length of this match is until our soul is taken by the angel of death and the referees are the angels upon our shoulders.

So who are the team players?

Team one:

Player one: Me, you, us.
Player two: the love for Allah
Player three: the love for our Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam
Player four: Desire for Jannah

Versus

Team two:

Player one: Shaytaan
Player two: Nafs (Self)
Player three: Habits
Player four: Desire for sinning.

The only way we can defeat this opposition if we continue to give back what we take. Each time Shaytaan strikes and scores a goal against us we should become more alert and follow it up straight away.

The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has said:

"and follow up a sin with a good deed, it (the good deed) will wipe it (the sin) out..."

The only way to win this game is by training our players; by increasing our love for Allah and His Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and increasing the desire for Jannah we will have a stronger and better team than Shaytaan.

And if we slip up our defences some times and let Shaytaan's team score a goal then we should make certain that we reply a goal with a goal.

May Allah Ta'ala give us the inclination and make us strong in our beliefs. Aameen.

Rush Rush...

As usual I had to lead Jumu'ah prayers at Rugby town this Friday. Alhumdulillah the weather was great and the sun was shining, the drive there was as good as the drive back; with all the scenery and greenery I was pleased that I had taken the country roads to get to the Masjid.

The journey takes me one three hours in total; an hour to get there and back, and an additional hour at the Masjid. Usually I hasten to leave the Masjid after an hour so that I can reach home and get to the other duties I have. However, this Friday I stayed behind for an additional half an hour reading a few books and just meeting the local people at the Masjid.

It was only when I decided that I had to leave that I realised I had to rush back because time was short and there was a fair bit of work that needed to be completed and I was also missing the luxuries of my home. Keeping this in mind, I left the town and decided to take the Motorway so that I could do greater speeds, thus arrive home earlier than I would if I had taken the country roads...

It was during this drive that I realised that I had an aim; a destination. I wanted to reach somewhere and my love for it was making me rush and hasten towards my goal. The luxury of my home had made me take a path which was quicker than the path I would have chosen otherwise...

POINT

Allah tells us in the Qur'an:

"And hasten towards the forgiveness from your Lord; and a Garden, the extensiveness of which is (as) the heavens and the earth, it is prepared for those who are God-fearing."

[Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:133]

In this verse we are asked to hasten towards forgiveness and Jannah, yet we can see that we fail to act on this command and instruction of Allah.

If we ponder over the reason, we will realise that we haven't created that love and haven't set Jannah and the forgiveness of Allah as our goal and target. For if we were aware of the luxuries of this Paradise then surely we would adopt such a path within which we would reach our goal much quicker than the path we have adopted.

Allah shows us through our daily lives that desire to achieve our goal is what will make us hasten towards attaining it... And if we have this desire then we will be concerned about the path we need to take in order to reach to this goal as quickly as possible.

May Allah Ta'ala create the love and realisation of the luxuries of Jannah in our heart. May He increase it's desire in our hearts so that we can prepare our journey to hasten towards it. May He also show and guide us on those paths which will take us quicker towards reaching this goal of ours. Aameen.

Ramadhan Mubarak

As Salaamu Alayakum,

Just a simple post to say Ramadhan Mubarak.

May Allah give us the strength and inclination to achieve in this month all the rewards and blessings that are sent down by Him.

May He make us from amongst those who have His glad tidings by the time this month comes to an end and may He make us from amongst those who He has forgiven.

Please remember me in your Duas during this month as I will be rememebering you.

Wasalaam

Network Busy...

As time moves on technology becomes more advance. If we were to look ten years back we will see that many of the luxuries that we have today were not available to us ten years ago. The phone industry is one such industry that has been providing us with remarkable improvements in technology.

I can remember a time where to answer a call we had to stand in corner of the living room and we had no privacy because we were limited to "corded phones". As techonology improved we were able to carry the phone around in the house due to the new "cordless phones". It has now come to a stage where we can make a call from just about anywhere. We carry our own personal little phones in our pockets and have the facility to call whenever we want and wherever we want.

So, without a doubt, it's a thumbs-up to technology and in particular the mobile industry.

Despite this, there are times with every system where they suffer some sort of technical problems. One which everyone will be aware of is "Network Busy".

Our network connection is dependent on our mobile service provider. The larger the compnay, or the more coverage the company has, the greater possibility of our calls being connected.

Today I used a friends phone to make a call as I didn't have my mobile with me. The call was quite important and therefore I was disappointed when he returned to tell me that the only response he had was "network busy".

POINT

The most important and worthiwhile connection we can ever have or think of is the connection we have with Allah Ta'ala. It is this connection that tries to establish itself many a times in a day; yet, due to our ignorance we fail to see this happening and continue with our lifestyles without a connection.

Each time the Adhaan (call to prayer) is said it is a connection that Allah is calling us towards; a reminder from Allah saying that come towards me and establish that link. But how many times do we cut off that connection and pay no notice?

Each time our parents give us an order to do something it is an that tries to connect us with Allah; a reminder from Him telling us that we are expected to obey our parents and treat them with love and respect. Despite this, how many times have we been disobedient to our parents and put them second only to place our desires first?

How many times have we had that regret when our connection was lost? How many times did we feel remorse when we returned Allah's call with a reply of "network busy"?

May Allah give us the inclination of creating a link and connection with Him. And may He also give us the feeling of regret and the understanding to establish a connection with Him. Aameen.

Run-Down Vehicle

For the past two Fridays I have been travelling to Rugby town to lead the Jumu'ah prayers. It is about an hours drive from home and the roads are through the countryside and it is a beautiful drive.

This Friday, on my way back home, I was going through a town where I saw this really run-down, battered and abandoned van. My eyes took in as much as they could whilst the car was on the move, and from what I saw it was obvious that the car had been looked after well but it had just past its time and had been either abandoned or left parked without much use.

This got me wondering... We take so much care over our cars and vehicles and then at the end of the day we have to abandon them because it is of no use.

Sometimes, the care out does us and it is us that leaves the world before the car reaches a point of being rendered outworn.

POINT

In our lives we pay so much attention to our bodies, we wake up each morning and spend hours on adorning ourselves. The world goes to so much effort in order to create "anti-wrinkle" creams and similar creams. Though there is nothing wrong with 'looking' after one's body, have we ever thought about how much attention we pay to our souls?

The soul is the real gift and everlasting item whilst the body is just the container. The example is simple, the soul is like the perfume inside a bottle; not matter how beautiful the bottle is, the reality is what is inside the bottle.

The human body is just a case for this precious item within, it will one day corrode and have no purpose for Allah will give every soul a new body in the hereafter.

May Allah give us the inclination to pay more attention to our souls than to our temporary body. Aameen

Remember me and I will remember you.

Recently, there was a request to post something in regards to doing Dhikr of Allah. It got me thinking as to how the Dhikr of Allah is implemented in one’s life and how one gains benefit from it.

The verse that came to mind was:

"...Remember Me and I shall remember you..."

[Al-Baqarah - 02:152]

What can be more rewarding than the fact that Allah remembers us if we remember Him.

This blog is dedicated to me, my life and my experiences, how each thing we do in life is connected to His being and presence.

POINT

Those who remember Allah and those who do not, how do they defer? What are the differences in their lifestyles?

Let us start with a simple example; we see at the airport many people have baggage with them. We can easily split these people into two types; firstly, those who carry their baggage and then those who place them upon a trolley.

If both these people were carrying a heavy load of the same weight, we could easily say, despite of both of them having the same weight, that the person using the trolley will be at more ease than him who is carrying his bag. We could even go further to say that the person with the trolley is able to carry a greater with more ease than that person who is carrying his load.

This is the difference between a person who remembers Allah and a person who does not. When a person remembers Allah, then in return Allah also remembers him, and in due to this all the burdens of that person become easier and bearable.

The Dhikr of Allah means that Allah will be remembering that person and surely if Allah remembers us our daily life becomes much easier to bear despite the load being the same.

So, in simple terms, the remembrance of Allah aids us in living our lives; we find pleasure and sweetness in our worship; it keeps our hearts alive and it every time we remember Him we should keep in mind that He is also remembering us.

May Allah give us the inclination to remember Him continuously. Aameen.

A path...

Firstly I would like to thank Brother Adam for making such an effort to make me realise how important this blog was to all the readers. May Allah bless him and give him a high abode in Jannah.

In every aspect of life there is a lesson to learn. Many times, we make choices in life that affect more than just our lives, and it is those choices that we should make with great consideration.

Life is tiring and sometimes it becomes a burden. This burden can be felt in many of the activities that we do, whether they are totally connected to worldly gain or whether they are totally connected to our Deen and spiritual upbringing.

These are the repetitive activities that tires one out, and many a times makes the person leave the act which he was doing day after day.

This could be something that I went through in the last week...

POINT

Many a times we see people who are committed to their religion and their beliefs; they worship Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala with commitment. But then, a time comes upon them, where they feel, for what ever reason it be, that they have to diverse from this path or that another path is better for them.

It is after the person leaves the path of Allah that he can feel the emptiness, the lack of spiritualism; it is then that he realises what he left and what he is missing out on. This feeling is something which one should welcome and make every effort to work upon this feeling, for very few people, despite having this feeling, are able to return to the path of Allah.

The reason is simple; Shaytaan makes the path that one treads on beautiful and so addictive that one is unable to return to the path of Allah. May Allah save us all from leaving His path, and if His will is that we should trip whilst being on His path, then I pray to Him that He always returns us to His path alone and to give us death in the state that He is happy with us. Aameen.

Adam - A Request

It feels awkward to writing on a blog that has always been an inspiration to me. I have always read these posts even during the times I was not so well. I read this blog so many times that I actually took it for granted.

One thing that I learnt from Maulana Zain is that we should never take anything to granted, not even the next breath we plan to take. Despite this teaching I couldn't help but hope that this blog would always be here as a guide in a manner which not many sites offer.

I've been making an effort to change the mind of Maulana Zain and I hope that the requests and comments from people do help. I would appreciate it if all the readers of this blog or any of his other blogs would comment and show him how much need we have for this blog. I don't know about everyone else, but I sure could do with the guidance I've received from this blog.

Jazakallah for your time.

Adam

The End... By Far

As Salaamu Alaykum,

Alhamdulillah, since the time I began blogging till today, I have learnt many things and my blogs have gone through many changes. It is the Mercy of Allah Ta'ala that He has chosen me from amongst many other people to carry out His words in many different ways; and although there are many people that carry out this act, it is always an honour to spread the religion of truth.

The internet is a very big place, I would class it as a world of its own. Those who are able to swim in this world can be fortunate enough to spread the truth in a way that has not been known to man, and those who are unable to swim in this world unfortunately drown.

Every thing has to come to an end, be it good or bad. This is the case for any creation for Allah, so much so that even death will have to die.

In short words, I believe the time has come to put an end to this blog. However, there have been many requests to keep it going and therefore I will give this blog away to brother Adam who is more skilled in the English language and able to produce better pieces of work.

I hope that He his words will aid each and every reader to continue along that path which I began to tread on. I hope that He is more able to lead the people to the destination that we all intend to reach.

It has been an honour to have many people through this blog, all gifted in their own ways. I hope that you will continue visiting and give the encouragement to brother Adam that you have been giving me.

Please remember me in your Duas and maybe I shall return (might be soon), but currently I have a few issues I have to go over... I have to find the true meaning of trust and friendship.

May Allah forgive us all and grant us honour of being from amongst those who will qualify for the intercession of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. Aameen.

Thunder and Lightening

Yesterday in Leicester, and maybe a few other places, it was thundering and lightning and rain was pouring down heavily (Masha Allah it was beautiful).

For most of the people, it was just another day with bad weather; for some people it may have been a good excuse to stay in and not have to go out, but for a very few people this thunder and lightening was actually a message.

Every time the weather goes bad and there is thunder and lightening, I believe that there is a lot of power present. It is as though you can feel it in the atmosphere.

To be honest, that sort of weather scares me and sometimes prevents me from sleeping. I wonder if it is a sign from Allah that He is upset. What if the thunder is His anger and the lightening is a warning, a punishment that could strike anytime? We see the lightening coming down from the sky and reaching towards us and we hear stories of those people who have been struck.

Point:

Has Allah not given mankind respite from His punishment? Has He not also said that He will give us respite till a limited time thereafter He will reel us in towards Him in such a quick action that we will be left dumbfounded.

Is it not time that we looked at the signs of Allah and turned towards Him? Is it not the Mercy of Allah that He gives us respite as well as warnings so that we may take heed before His wrath falls upon us?

May Allah protect us from His wrath and punishment. May He save us from being amongst those who earn His displeasure and anger, and instead, may He make us from those who return to Him by looking at His signs and therefore earn His love, mercy and bounties. Aameen.

Ups & Downs

This temporary world is an important reminder that this place is not paradise and nor is it problem free, for was it, there would have been no need to create paradise and its existence would not be unique and catching.

However, this world, being just in theory as a waiting room, brings along with it many difficulties. I realised this myself for the past for days or so. Sometimes life is so perfect and serene that one could not wish nor desire for anything more. And at other times, life can be so hard and demanding that death is not only an option, but in actual fact feels like a gift.

Although, I would not like to extend into details, nor do I want discuss my feelings at this very point... The matter which is important at the moment is that life has not been a comfortable ride recently. I do not complain, for this has not been the first time and I am certain that it shall not be the last.

Now, Alhumdulillah, I am feeling much better and then it occurred to me, during those few days thousands of thought went through my head and were washed down by hundred of tears, that I had not once left living, nor had I given up; I may have desired it, but nevertheless, I am sitting here, which denotes that I did not follow my desires.

POINT

The point is simple, where we have the materialistic side of this world; we also have the spiritual side that works in parallel. Just as the body has "ups and downs" in this world, so does the soul of a person feel the same "ups and downs" regarding its spiritual side. This feeling of "ups and downs" is known as "Qabz" (spiritually depleted state) and "Bust" (state of spiritual zenith).

In the state of Bust a person is willing and eager to worship Allah Ta'ala; it is in this state that he enjoys worshiping and being obedient to his Lord. No act or deed is too far fetched to carry out and he is able to carry out that which he has been ordered. In opposition is the state of Qabz in which man is a depleted and depressed state. He has no drive in him to carry out the acts which he has been ordered by his Lord nor is their any enjoyment for his soul in carrying these acts. But, in reality, it is within this state that the true test lies for the servant of Allah; for if he is successful and persuades his soul to worship Allah, despite detesting it and not gaining any pleasure, then surely he has reached fought his desires to a great level and therefore receives an equally high reward.

In conclusion, just as we fight our daily problems without letting the desires to give up succeed, so must we worship Allah Ta'ala without the urge to give up or forsake him, "for indeed with every difficulty comes easiness".

May Allah give us the ability to worship in every state, be it Qabz or Bust and may he make each state easy for us as the other. Aameen

4.7 Seconds

Life has been really hectic and busy for the last few weeks and it has been difficult to post on this blog, or any other blog for that matter.

While I was out for a drive one day I came across a billboard with the words "most people fall in love within 4.7 seconds"

That's the only thing that I managed to catch hold of and the fact that it was an advertisement for a Jaguar car. Nevertheless, the message behind that board was far more than meets the normal eye... it is a message for us to ponder.

Isn't it true how we can totally fall in love with something that has just been sighted by our eyes...

I know for sure that I've walked into a car showroom and fell in love with a car within a minute; I'm sure that this works for many people, falling in love with a dress in the shop window, some jewellery, a house, a computer, or whatever a person is into. It's not even strange to see people falling in love with animals.

Seeing that advert made me ponder about the meaning and the word "love". It made me thing that this is such a strong word and its usage is mostly with meaningless things.

Then it occurred to me that a meaningless thing becomes some precious as soon as you apply the "love" in the equation.

So where does that leave us with 'Love'?

POINT

If a man can fall in love with a care within 4.7 seconds and a girl with probably a dress (or a Barbie doll - I have no idea), then surely we should think about how we are not applying this love correctly in each part of our life.

Love is a great thing if done in moderation and applied in the right places, but it can be a very harmful and bad thing when it is used in the wrong places and more than need be.

We need to have love for money and material, but this should be very minimal. It should be enough to see us through our days and not leave us begging; yet it should not be so much that it makes us blind from everything else.

We need to have love for our partners and children so that we can fulfil their rights and have a peaceful life; yet it such not exceed the love we have for Allah, His Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and His religion.

We should have love for Allah so that we can be successful in both this life and the hereafter; yet we fail to realise that this love should have no limits but it is the love that sometimes has no beginning.

We are so busy in loving all these futile, things that will perish one day that we have forgotten to love that which is beneficial and eternal.

The harm is still not done... do we change or do we continue to be drowned in what Shaytaan has shown us to be "love"... the decision is ours, will we recognise true love.

Surely we have had more than 4.7 seconds and over a thousand reasons to love Allah... Should we not ponder as to what or who is stopping us from loving Allah and is encouraging us to love futile objects?

A New Start... A deception

Our Beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has shown us many ways to prosperity and success. He has outlined to us, and shown us, the lifestyle of a Muslim. Yet, the fact remains that Shaytaan, the accursed, has made a vow, "I will take each and everyone into the hellfire" and this is where the battle begins.

On one hand, we have a believer, one who may not seem to be strong, but nevertheless has the flame of Imaan and belief buring inside his heart. And on the other hand we have Shaytaan who has vowed to mislead mankind despite knowing the result and consequence. Who will win the battle? That option and choice lies with every individual, it lies with me and it lies with you...

Have you ever had this thought, this belief and feeling, that I will start being god-fearing once I get married and settle down? Have you ever had the urge to give up something that is forbidden only to have a force telling you that you are still young and there will be time to repent? Has a whisper ever lead you away from Allah giving you false promises that you shall, one day, return on his path?

All these notions, whispers and forces are non other than the deception of Shaytaan.

Why am I mentioning all this? Surely this blog has things only to do with what I endure in my life, the things that occur to me... Well, this is my story...

This weekend I went to a Walimah (I thought avoiding the wedding ceremony would save us all from the Fitnah). In my mind I had a notion, a belief that people do Walimah because our Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has told us and taught us to do so. Therefore, if we are doing the Walimah we will surely not be slaughtering the commands of our Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam.

To be honest, it was appalling to see each and every Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam being slaughtered. It was a shame to see people doing the total opposite of what their 'true' desire is...

Every person that gets married hopes and prays for a happy marriage. We even begin this mighty decision by seeking the guidance of Allah through the prayer of Istikhaara. We beg Him to give us a happy married life and to keep our love and marriage strong through all that life throws at us... We ask Him for beautiful pious children... We prayed to Him for 'A New Life' yet how did we begin this 'New Life?'

Yet, have we ever turned around and asked ourselves if we will ever get what we asked for? The day we take vows and become Husband and Wife is the day that we break nearly all of Allah's commands and rules. We forget Allah in such a way that the only pleasure we seek is that of mankind, the only praise we beseech is that of the people.

We begin to believe that what we truly want is for a 'grand' wedding. A wedding where each and every person of the community is invited, where food is at large and no attempt of upholding the laws of Islam is made... We begin to fall into the deception of Shaytaan to see this as our true desire.

Which wedding can be more 'grand' and worthy of praise than that of our Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and his beloved Companions Alayhimus Salaam?

I don't want to stretch this post to an extent where it will tire people to read on... But the pain that is felt within the heart is so great that the eyes fail to shed tears but the heart cannot stop wailing. The sorrow is indeed because the happiness of Allah is slaughtered, but the shame and sorrow is for those people who asked for something great for their marriage and done something in totally contradicted it when it came to taking the blessings of Allah.

POINT:

Shaytaan is very weak yet he is very sly and cunning. He will not stop a man from wishing good for himself nor will he stop a believer from begging in front of Allah. Shaytaan's deception is such that he will make you feel that you have done what you needed to do and then he will take you against Allah knowing that your asking was futile when you do not follow His commands.

Has one never felt Shaytaan tell him "do this later, you are still young"?, "You can do all of this once you are married and settled", "there is plenty of time, when you get old, just repent". Shaytaan will never say "No! Don't pray Salaah", "Don't do this act of worship", but he will always aid you in the path of procrastination.

I pray to Allah that He aids us through every step of our life, that He forgives us when we fall into the deception of Shaytaan. I pray to Allah to forgive us all and not to look at our shortcomings and instead look at our sincerity when we spread these hands in front Him to beg Him for His mercy and blessings. Aameen.

Near Misses

I've been meaning to update this blog for some time. However, I had to give priority to my simplyislam blogspot because I have not managed to update that for some time.

As days go by so does the commotion increase, people seem to be getting busier and life seems to be moving on much faster. There is no time for anyone and people are drowned in their own world.

So, what does half of Leicester do at a time like this? When time is moving fast and there is nothing to do but to try and keep up with it, what options does one have?

Well, I don't know how people really tackle that problem, but when I sit into my car and decide to take my mum for a half day shopping spree, I realised what many people do... They drive like maniacs. I could understand the theory of driving fast, but fast becomes maniac before you can really catch on.

I was out shopping with my mum and during that time I saw all sorts of traffic (apart from school traffic, I see that everyday); I saw people rushing to lunch, from lunch, to shopping from shopping, to work, from work and many others that I have no idea about.

During that day, I realised how inconsiderate and dangerous other drivers can be. I had over seven near misses and non were my fault (if I would've hit them it would be their fault - and no, I'm not always right).

To cut a long story short, I managed to finish the shopping and get mum, myself and my lovely car back home in one piece... But I did ponder...

POINT

It's amazing how we take life for granted, yet Allah shows us and takes us through so many events in one day which could be life threatening for us and yet we don't even realise. The simple act of eating can be life threatening, all one needs to do is have the morsel go down the wrong pipe. Allah saves us day after day to show us that He is capable of taking us to Him, to show that there is a power that we have no control over, and most of all, he gives us the 'wake up call' so that we turn towards Him before it is too late.

I was also wondering how engrossed we are in our own worlds that we can't even think or care about the safety and well-being of others. In Islam, there has been a great emphasis on rights of our fellow beings, yet we overlook this and become totally ignorant of the level and amount of questioning that will be made in this area.

I pray to Allah that he keeps reminding me of His path and power through all of His signs and that He gives me the strength, inclination and understanding to change myself so that before the death reaches us our hearts, love and connection have already reached Him. I pray that He allows us to see the importance of the rights of people and then He gives us the ability to keep them in our minds so that we are not faced with a burden on the day of Judgement. Aameen.

A New Set of Wheels

Alhumdulillah the last week or so has brought along with it really good weather. It has been really warm and sunny; weather that makes you feel alive and happy as opposed to the normal, gloomy weather most people are used to in this country.

I really love the heat, but my body has its own problems during this time of the year. The heat gives me nose bleeds on a daily basis which leaves me really weak (due to anemia). Nevertheless, I try to enjoy the weather as much as I can.

One of my favourite ways of enjoying this weather is to go for a nice long drive. It is the Mercy and Grace of Allah that He has given me two beautiful cars which are not more than three years old; one being a small polo and the other a Mercedes.

I decided that the Mercedes would be a better option for this long drive. So, I seated myself in (and yes, I did have my seat-belt on) and I set off for a drive. Five minutes down the road and I thought to myself 'great weather for a convertible, I should get of those...' And, sometimes, without realising, we tend to forget what we have and in turn we forget to appreciate it.

It wasn't long before I had thought this that I came to a halt at a traffic light. The people at the pedestrian crossing were trotting across the street and amongst the bustle of the people I saw a person in a small car used by invalid people.

I realised, that though we may not have a posh car or cars that we would like to have, we should be grateful that at least we have some sort of car. And for those who don't have a car, we should really be grateful that at least we are not dependent on some sort of transport because our feet cannot carry us.

POINT:

I am not saying that to desire for a better car is a sin, nor am I saying that we should stop living and enjoying ourselves. Sometimes, we find it hard to stay on the path of religion because we fail to understand what religion is. The truth is that we are not asked to sacrifice our pleasures, but we are asked not to sacrifice our religion for our pleasures. To wish for a great car is not a problem, but to be ungrateful for what one already has is not an act of a true believer.

I pray to Allah that He keeps our mind open towards His religion so that we can understand His way, His choices and His Will in each step that we take. I pray to Allah that if we ever slip from His path that He sends us a simple sign to remind us of Him and His mercy upon us. Aameen.

Allah's Blessings

This weekend I went to London to get away from everything. London, although not my place of residence, somehow feels like home to me.

Anyways, while I was there I was talking to my cousin and realised how people can be liiving a totally different life to the one that we live.

Yes, I know that this is a pretty obivious thing and everyone has thee own lifestyles and their own daily repsonsibilties and chores. But, the thing that made me ponder was the basic things in everyone's lives can really differ.

Whilst we were talking my cousin mentioned to me how proud he was of himself that he managed to pay off seventy pounds of his bank charges and bills. Currently my cousin is jobless and is looking for work, which means that he has to be very careful with the money he receives.

Sometimes, by looking at the lives of others, we can perceive how fortunate we ourselves are. When we compare ourselves to someone less fortunatge thab oursesleves it is then that we can actually learn to appreciate and be grateful for even the small things that we take for granted.

The practices of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam teach us to look at the people below us in regards to our worldly matters and to look at the people above us in our Deeni (religious) matters.

By practising what the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has taught us we will achieve satisfaction and learn to be grateful and at peace in our worldly matters and the fire of greed, jealousy and competition will cease to consume us. In the same manner taking an example of those above us, in our religious matters, will awaken us and will aid us to create a desire to accomplish what the Auliyaa (friends of Allah) have achieved. This will therefore help us in creating closeness to Allah Ta'ala and will also give us a high rank in the eyes of the pious people as well as in the sight of Allah Ta'ala.

Simply put, the essence of the outcomes of both these methods will be a peace, contentment and a burning desire to please Allah and meet him.

Allah states:

"If you are grateful, I will surely give you more and more"

[Surah Ibrahim 14:7]

May Allah give us the inclination to be thankful towards Him for all that we have, so that in return He shall fulfil His promise and increase us in our blessings.

'Spring Clean'

Our house is going through a thorough clean at the moment; some rooms are being 'broken down' and done up again from scratch, others are having a few touch ups here and there because a simple clean won't do.

During the year, life is so busy and the easiest way of getting rid of something is just to dump it in the store room and say "I'll deal with it later". However, now that the "later" has finally come, we've realised how hard it is to clean all that mess which we gathered throughout the year.

The things have piled up so much that it takes a few hours each day to make such a little difference, and half the things need throwing out whilst others need to stay but have no place. Cleaning up is such a mission, especially after we've been dumping for a year.

So, every day, when I spend some time trying to clean up all the mess that the people have gathered what does my mind say to me? It says that 'if only you would have dealt with it when it occurred...' or sometimes it just provokes me by saying 'prevention is better than cure...' Nevertheless, at times I see the positive side, 'clean away, you will get there...' or 'it's all worth it in the end...' I know it's hard, but I will get there one day, if I keep on trying... Next time, make it a habit to deal with it on the spot.

POINT:

The point of this little cleaning spree is simple. We strive to clean our bodies, our houses, cars and belongings each day; things that will perish one day. Yet we fail to clean the everlasting soul that will accompany is in the hereafter as well.

Throughout the year we commit sins, we gather it in our hearts and make ourselves believe that we will clean it up one day and that one day we will repent. We fail to realise that the "one day" we refer to may never arrive, and if it does come, then surely to deal with a heap load of sins is so much more difficult than to deal with it at the time it occurs. The sins will have, with no doubt, stained our delicate hearts, and to remove those stains of habits will be a very difficult act indeed.

This is one of the reasons that the month of Ramadhan has been sent to us. Ramdhan is said to come in the meaning of "to burn" and the reason for that is because it burns our sins and cleanses our heart. Soon this blessed month will be upon us and it is vital that we start preparing for it now. Surely to reap all the benefits from this month we must prepare ourselves by making our habits in accordance to the Shari'ah. So that when this month does come we are prepared for it. Remember, we will get there if we keep trying.

I pray to Allah that He makes every day of mine a spring clean, so that I can sit and cry tears in His presence, seeking His forgiveness and Mercy, so that one day I am not faced with a mountain of sins which I have gathered. May Allah forgive us all and give us the strength to repent before a time comes when our repentance shall not be accepted. Aameen

Good Ol' Days of Sweet Wrappers

Good Ol' Days of Sweet Wrappers

Today I was very fortunate to be able to get some more chocolates. Yes, I really do enjoy my chocolate feast, not that I'm as bad as I used to be a couple of years back, I now have a limit (honest).

So, here I was, like any other kid, in my room, with the door closed, and my tin of chocolates in front of me. I took one out from the tin and carefully took of the wrapper. I love to keep these wrappers, even though that these wrappers only fascinate me for like ten minutes (which I guess is still quite a long time).

The first wrapper was a nice orangey colour... I took off the wrapper and obviously ate my chocolate. Then I remember how we used to play with these colourful transparent chocolate wrappers. The way we would look through them and see a totally different colour of this world. Something that would seem so beautiful through this wrapper would be the same old boring thing that we would look at everyday in our lives and most of all ignore.

Interesting thought, how a colourful wrapper can you world look different from reality whilst being such a small and uncomplicated thing, just a wrapper.

Point:

Our beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has said:

"The life of the world is sweet and green. Allah makes you generations succeeding one another so that He may try you in respect of your actions."

It can be complicated to understand this Hadith, yet just as simple. If a mere wrapper can make my everyday bedroom look fascinating, then indeed the powerful eye can make this word seem sweet and green.

So will we fall into the delusion of our eyes? or will we realise that once this wrapper of sweet greenness is removed from our eyes there will be nothing in this world that will seem beautiful.

I pray to Allah that He saves us from the false deception and colour of this world, and that He allows us to see the true reality of this world before it is too late. Aameen.

No Signs? No Post?

I wake up each day, following the same routine in a zombie like manner. Each day is followed by the same activities that I would expect everyday to hold for me. I get dressed, head to the office, carry out my work there (which varies, but only slightly), followed by a short session of teaching at the Madrassah. Thereafter, back to the office and then lunch (sometimes) and, yes, believe it or not, back to the office. Followed by another session at Madrassah and then back home for Dinner (if I feel like it). Thereafter, some time spent with family and back to bed.

That was my normal routine fitted into one paragraph. Not much changes in that (apart from my unpredictable emotions).

It occurred to me that within all those activities, there hasn't been something that 'startled' me and made me think of Allah Ta'ala and His creation or doings (like the previous post). I then felt a wave of remorse... Am I forgetting Allah?

But now that I look back, I realise, that my actual pattern for a week is the doing of Allah.

Point:

I wake up each morning - Allah has returned to me my soul, He has given me life once again after this small death. I could class it as another chance to free my soul from the fire of hell... Do we let this chance go day after day? Or do we make the most of this opportunity that thousands of people don't receive after they lay to sleep?

My daily routine is a mercy from Allah, His kindness and His affection. Man is not accustomed to surprises and shocks. Therefore, surprises arouse extreme forms of feelings, either they make him extremely happy or extremely sad. Our day to day activities are so normal that Allah is saving us from extreme sadness, He saves us from the worry of what will happen next and what we should do next...

If only we could live a day of the lives of those people who do not even know what situation is going to befall them the next minute, let alone the next day. The families of those people who are severely ill; the people who themselves are drowned in a see of illness; those children who have grass as their daily meal, not knowing what will be next on the menu... Shouldn't we thank Allah that our lives are so systematic that we are saved from a million worries a day? Should we not stop complaining about the few worries that befall us and divert our attention towards the millions we are saved from?

May Allah give us all the correct understanding and wisdom to see His signs in our day to day activities. Aameen

How Rich Am I?

During this past couple of days, we have been having some good weather. It may not have been the hottest of days, but at least the sun was out and the sky was clear.

So, I set of in my car, and thought I'd enjoy the weather with a nice long drive (which is like fifteen minutes, because I have to be back at the office). I set off, on a long stretch of road (keeping my eye open for speed cameras) and put my foot down (just a little).

In Leicester, it's common to stop the car every, say, five minutes. At the traffic lights, behind approximately fifteen to twenty cars, my car came to a halt, on the right side was a restaurant and on the left side some houses (with really nice cars).

I was just having a look around when something unusual caught my eye; I saw a women pushing a pushchair in the most awkward manner. She seemed to be young and very able. When I did look at what she was doing, I realised that one of her arms was either short or maybe cut of. She was pushing the buggy with what seemed like her shoulders to the bus stop.

The light had gone green by now, and I made my way forward. But that little stop at the traffic light opened up my eyes and my heart to ponder...

... How rich am I? Can I complain? Have I ever stopped and wondered? Am I suffering?

At some time in life, maybe all of us have felt deprived, depressed, poor and neglected. Some of us complain, others use it as an excuse to do whatever we please in life. But have we truly had the time to stop, ponder and then be thankful?

If it was not for a traffic light, would I not have gone along with my usual day, thinking I was overworked, I deserved better, I need a nicer car, more money, etc?

Yet, when we look at the things Allah puts his other slaves through, it makes us realise that we are the richest people in the world. We may not have a car, but we have our feet. We may not have a bungalow, but we have a shelter over our heads. We may not be handsome or pretty, but we have a perfectly normal face. We may be busy, but we are able to be active. We may be sick, but we are alive.

Should we not be grateful for rich Allah has really made us? Would we sacrifice our hands, arms, legs, eyesight or our sense of hearing for even a million pounds? I know I wouldn't.

I thank Allah that He has made me gave me life without me asking, I thank Him that he made me a Believer without my asking. Now I pray to you Allah that make me steadfast upon your Deen and make me your beloved. O Allah, if you can give man such great bounties without him even having to raise his hands, then indeed you can accept the request of this servant who is begging from you your Mercy. Aameen.

Food For Thought.

This Sunday I thought I should spend a little time on the house; give it a coat of paint, pull out the brushes and scrub away the marks that were placed from the stains from everyday use.

I managed to sand paper one door (honestly, it was hard. It had six panes of glass) after which I could here my stomach talking to me. It was nearly four o clock and I hadn't eaten anything all day.

We had some visitors over so mum had made some samosas and Bhajias (don't ask the English for that, because I have no idea). Nevertheless, I had to wait until the visitors had finished so that I could have my fair share (I was starving by now).

Finally, it was about five thirty when I did get my hands on two samosas and one Bhajia, but I sure wasn't complaining; I was glad to get anything down my throat.

I put the samosa in my mouth, and "crunch"... I stopped, looked down in horror, and I realised it was, unbelievably, VEGETABLE samosa. Yes, the shock of the moment, images of the peas staring me in my face, and rumbling noise coming from the direction of my stomach.

I don't have anything against vegetable samosas as such, I just prefer meat ones. So, I thought, 'what difference does it make?' and continued pleasing my stomach with the samosa.

For all those that want to know, I made up for it all at dinner time.

As usual, there is a point... Not one, but two points... Isn't that the purpose of life, to live and learn?

Point 1 - Cleaning.

It's amazing, how we can see the dirt and stains on the doors, windows, cars and table but we fail to see what marks the daily filth leaves on our heart.

Just as the dirt on the table and chair are removed with tap water, so must the filth upon the heart be removed with water... But this water is the water of the eyes... Our tears.

Sincere repentance and will power to stay away from those things that gather filth upon our heart is essential. Just as how we cannot live in a house full of dirt and filth, how can we expect the Al-Mighty to be in a filthy heart?

Point 2 - Hunger and Appreciation.

Alhumdulillah, Allah has blessed us enough that we have enough food for the day. We do not even have to worry about the food for the week to follow let alone worry about the provision for the next meal time.

However, not everyone is fortunate as us; there are some people who do not even have half a meal a day. In fact, there are some people that die due to hunger and starvation.

These are our brothers and sisters, suffering and dying, while we are here over-eating and wasting food. The pain and suffering of hunger can only be known by that person who has been starving, maybe for even three or four days without any food.

Should we not be grateful towards our Creator who has made us fortunate enough to be living in such great conditions? Should we not show Him our obedience for what He has given us?

May Allah give us all the inclination to remember our brothers and sisters in our Du'aa and to realise the importance of the blessings showered upon us by Allah Ta'ala. May He give us the understanding not to waste what we have been given and the strength to follow His path so that we can keep our hearts clean enough so that non other than the love and Allah and His Prophet is contained within. Aameen.

Long Weekend

During the long weekend, I decided to make my way over to London so that the change of environment could be a form of relaxation.

I set off, leaving all the commotion and hassle of my "normal" life towards London where the change would relax me both physically and mentally.

The trip all in all was great fun, I spent a whole day travelling in the tube, busses and walking for hours on end, exploring the sites in London and examining the stores.

It was definitely a good change of atmosphere and something that I wouldn't mind looking forward to again.

What I really want to mention though is some of my thoughts before, during and after this short trip.

Before:

Before I set off to London, I really was really happy, cheerful and excited... Why? Because of the hard work that went into my life before my trip. I knew that I had enough money to get me there and allow me to enjoy myself while I was there.

Point: The point is, isn't that what life is about? To prepare for the hereafter? If we worship Allah in this world will we not get rewards (money) for the hereafter? Is it not our faithfulness towards Allah that will make us look forward to meeting Him?

During:

During my trip to London I was calm and at peace. I knew that there was nothing that would cause me discomfort; I had packed my bags and was prepared.

Point: Have we packed our bags for our journey to the hereafter? Can we be at peace and say that we have prepared for our journey to come?

Another thing that I noticed during my trip was the different types of people. The tube, the busses, the streets and even the shop were like a market full of people on display. Each and every person doing their own things, living in a world of their own; people of all colour, background, styles and beliefs.

Point: Are we not lucky that out of thousands of people we were chosen to carry the message forward? Are we not lucky that we were the chosen to reside in Jannah by being given the gift of Imaan? Is it not our duty to save the others? Are we doing our part as Muslims?

After:

In short... Back to the same old lifestyle. What was I expecting? But, I knew it was coming. A little tired and down, but that is the pattern of life.

Point: Our life here is limited and temporary just like my visit to London. This life may be dull and tiring with all the responsibilities, but it is through these responsibilities that we are able to enjoy the life to come (like I did my visit).

Point: No matter what lifestyle we choose, what ways we decide to take. At the end of the day, the reality is always there, the truth will always shine and the single path of Islam is where we shall all have to return.

Saturday

Saturday is Football day. I woke up and got ready for the match that we were going to have. It had been time since I had lost a game, but I knew with the proposed teams this week it may well be my first defeat after such a long time.

To no surprise, I lost the game, and it was no close one either. Nevertheless, I never gave up hope, I kept on pushing forward, giving my team all the energy I had so that I could once again win. But it was not meant to be, on the final whistle I was well aware of my loss.

I came home, defeated, tired yet not broken. I came back stronger knowing where I went wrong and the things I would change for the next week.

Then I pondered (as usual). A simple game of football and I took it so serious. An hour of fun and play (and the needed exercise) and I was not willing to give up. So why, when it comes to the hereafter, when it comes to winning the love of Allah and His Prophet do we take defeat from Shaytaan so easily?

I thought of all the times when i would exercise no effort to fight the provocations of Shaytaan, all his efforts to deviate me and take me on the path of the losers.

I realised, that if i treated my life as a football pitch, in which the goal was to achieve the love of Allah and His Prophet, and if I exhausted all my efforts in winning this match I would achieve much more than I would from a mere football game.

May Allah give us all the inclination to make an effort to spend our effort in attaining His and His Prophet's love and and pleasure.

Aameen.

Something I Learnt...

Today, like every other day for the past month, was full of stress and confusion. My life, although apparently seeming very luxurious, is one chaotic process at the moment.

It's amazing how in life everything is based on the decisions you make, every step that you take has a consequence; some that we may not see, some that may not be immediate, but all have some sort of affect on our lives.

As I sat in my office chair, I pondered over the pass couple of days, everything I seemed to have done seemed to have no meaning, no purpose and no benefit. It seemed as though we do things and then ponder over them, only to find that the things we done were only limited to that moment, its use no more than the moment, but its effect could be of a lifetime.

From the many things I learnt today, I learnt that although the people in our lives come and go, they always leave a footprint in our hearts. It is the those footprints that sometimes show us the path we take in our life.

I pray that the people that leave a footprint in my heart are those that inspire me spiritually. And may Allah Ta'ala give me the inclination and ability to make those choices in life that will aid me in acquiring His pleasure.

Ameen.