Eid Mubarak

After Eisha Salaah the day felt really incomplete without the Taraweeh prayer. As I headed home I was thinking about the month of Ramadhan, its purpose and the way in which It just came and went.

The month of Ramadhan is a devotion and dedication to Allah for which we are giving the day of Eid in return. We celebrate on the day of Eid because during the month of Ramadhan we are to have attained a rank higher, blessings and self-control that we never possessed before.

For those who were sinful they were granted forgiveness and guidance; for those that had few sins or were on the correct path they were granted rank and status.

The month of Ramadhan just reminded me of a training ground; a person enters the ground and trains for a month after which he leaves. Generally this 'graduation' day is celebrated with family and friends and thereafter we are sent into the real field.

POINT

The month of Ramadhan is like a training ground for us all; a month which teaches us self control, discipline, devotion and worship. It is followed by a day of celebration which is known to us as Eid. Eid is our graduation from this blessed month and this graduation only indicates that now the real work is to begin.

Whatever we learnt and done in the month of Ramadhan will now be reflected from what we do in the remaining months. We will prove whether we were worthy or graduation from this training camp or did we let ourselves down.

The month of Ramadhan was a month where we worked upon ourselves... Now arrives the months within which we have to maintain that work and show what we learnt in the blessed month of Ramadhan.

May Allah make this day of graduation filled with happiness and blessings. May He make us worthy of this graduation and aid us in the path we are to take. May He guide us and prove our training to be at least successful if not complete. Aameen.

Eid Mubarak

Manuals & Instructions.

I was at the factory looking at the manuals for all the machinery we have there. Each manual contained a detailed explanation on how to operate the machinery, how to maintain it as well as what to do and what precautions to take.

When I came home I was going through my drawers and once again manuals of computer software and electronic items were placed in a pile in one of my draws.

It just made me realise, that the simplest of items to the most complicated machinery and technology contained some sort of instructions and guidance; at times on a small piece of paper giving simple warning instructions or indicating the safety standards of the product and at times a whole manual covering every minute detail of the product.

It was obvious that the more complicated and complex the product was the more detailed the manual would be. And this was obviously a need that was comprehended by the maker of the product and therefore the need was met in this manner.

POINT

The human body is the most complicated of machinery, the most amazing creation of Allah, the Creator; and just as complicated is the soul that is present within this human body.

Allah, the Almighty, knowing that there would be a need for not only a manual but also a guide, sent down our Beloved Prophet صلي الله عليه و سلم as a guide and along with him the Qur’an as the manual, the book of guidance.

“This is that book in which there is no doubt. Guidance for the God-fearing”

[al-Baqarah – 02:02]

Allah, being the Most Merciful not only sent down this manual and book of guidance but also sent down our Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم as a demonstrator and a complete guide. He included in this ‘manual’ every necessity and requirement of man. How man should maintain both his physical body and his spiritual body.

Allah mentioned within this manual technicians that will aid one to repair one’s physical body, these being doctors; and in the same manner technicians that would aid us in our spiritual ailments, these being our Shuyookh (spiritual doctors).
These two are the greatest gifts and blessings from Allah which are exceedingly forgotten and unappreciated by mankind.

Imagine our electronic devices without any instructions, without any guidance of operation! Imagine all our tools and utensils without any maintenance instructions! Let us try assembling complicated items without any illustrations. It can seem difficult despite its simplicity in comparison to the complicated and masterful creation of the body.

May Allah give us all the understanding and appreciation of both the teachings of the Prophet صلي الله عليه و سلم and the Qur’an. May He give us the appreciation for all the favours He has done upon us and then courage and strength to bring that appreciation into action. Aameen.

Tug-of-War

Whilst sitting in my room one night, I was totally aware that the following day would hold a great challenge; a day that would require me to exercise every ounce of patience I had. I knew the baby-sitting my nephew and niece was not going to be an easy task… not by far.

Well, to be honest, they’re a pair of good kids, but they’re kids. So I was preparing myself mentally and headed off to sleep to prepare physically also.The day came and the day went; and to be able to write up the activities of that day I would need your attention for a couple of hours. So to skip to the point…

Two packets of crisps, two children but only blanket is the perfect ingredient for trouble. Kids, although loving, caring and sharing, can sometimes decide that they want something totally to themselves and that they want ‘that particular one’.

Not before long there was a tug of war on the blanket and the rivalry to get the blanket had disappeared replacing it with a fun activity of seeing who was stronger and would win this tug of war.

Muhammad, being the elder had no advantage at all as his physique left him pull with all his might; whilst on the opposite side, Aisha, although younger and stronger also didn’t have the advantage because she was too busy giggling and laughing instead of pulling… In the end I had to call it quits before someone gave up and one of them went ‘flying’.

POINT

We sometimes fail to realise that life is a big ‘tug-of-war’ where we have oppositions and teams at many modes of life. At times we will find people who will willingly join our team and give us strength and an advantage over the opposition and at times we will meet people that would rather give join our opposition and then we have to put on a stronger fight and greater effort, if not to win, then at least to stay in the game.

In life, we have one team of goodness and one of badness; these teams stand either side and tug against each other hoping to pull the opposing team into their territory and by doing so win the ‘game’.

In our life, on one side we have those who will aid us into getting closer to Allah by helping us pull at this ‘rope of worship’ and at the same time we will find people that will oppose us and try and weaken us in achieving this.

However, in life, we also find people that appear to be on our team yet they make no effort in helping us, and at times their actions help the opposing team. These people appear to be our friends but in reality hold interests for the opposing team.

In this month of Ramadhan we have been given support by Allah Himself, who has taken the strongest of the opposing team , Shayaateen, and locked them behind bars. However, we still have to keep tugging and pulling and not become distracted, who we have people who seem to be on our side that actually aid the opposing team, this is our Nafs, Self Desire.

O Allah, give us strength so that we come out as the winners, give us courage that we never lose hope when the opposition seems strong. O Allah, save us from those people who appear to be friends but distract us from your path and in doing so aid the enemy. O Allah, save us from our desires and give us the zeal to walk the path you have chosen for us, the path that leads to you. Aameen.