Be the change!

لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّـهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ ۗ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّـهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا 

فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُ ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَالٍ 

For each one are successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah. Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron.

Everything good and bad that we encounter in our lives is decreed to happen but those who understand the Message of Allah can comprehend the wisdom behind the trials and tests of life to an extent. For example, those who argue about the issue of destiny do not take any pain to understand that ultimately everything is in the Hands of Allah and one can never get hopeless if he has faith in the Mercy of Allah. 
This is where we need to understand the importance of being steadfast on deen and the power of dua. This is the point where one needs to acquire the knowledge of the Quran and the traditions of our Prophet to know the spirit of Islam. It is indeed a vast arena and indeed it is full of wisdom. 

We, due to our lack of understanding and knowledge of the Message of Allah, tend to have a very restricted vision, a tunnel vision of Islam. We see things as either black or white or we paint them all in the shades of gray. It does not work like that. 

When we study Islam, which is impossible without the in depth study of the Message of the Quran and Hadees, we start getting a beautiful vision of life and afterlife. We start understanding things better and more clearly. We do not become extremists in our thinking rather we understand that those who implemented the teachings of this beautiful religion were human beings just like us. They too made mistakes, they too had difference of opinions and they too fell short of their duties sometimes. Islam has not come to make angels out of human beings rather Islam is purely a natural way of life. 

It teaches us a simple lesson, do your best. 

While doing that we can fall short and in that case we must turn to Allah and seek guidance from His Message, the Quran and the wisdom which He sent through Muhammad, His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his descendants. 

In short, the only thing we need to understand as human beings and as Muslims is that we need to keep ourselves steadfast on the path of guidance and righteousness. We must always stand with Truth and Justice. We should maintain restraint and peace. 

Once we say that we believe in Allah and His Messenger we must try our best to follow the commandments of Allah. 

Prayer is the only obligation that we as Muslims should take care of daily. Prayer is the line of control that sets a border between belief and disbelief. Once we have declared that we are Muslims and that we believe in Allah and His Messenger then it is an obligation upon us to follow the commandments of Allah in our life. We may fall short of our duties but we must have this in our hearts that every time we fall we have to rise again and seek the help of Allah to guide us and keep us steadfast on our deen. 

Even while doing things that require us to sacrifice the safety of our homes and routine life we should make sure that we do not neglect this duty. It helps us in ways we cannot imagine. A praying Muslim is even stronger and there is a certain grace and awe that he adorns due to his prayers. He is showing humility in front of the Most High and in turn Allah gives him strength and elevates him in the eyes of others. Allah puts fear in the hearts of his enemies and this person feels strength of iman to fight the falsehood. 

Today’s scenario of injustice and oppression is indeed saddening and many innocent people have gone through unimaginable pain and hardship through the hands of those who have no heart and no conscience. In these hard times we must hold on to the rope of Allah more firmly and increase our prayers and duas. 

We should focus more on the quality of our prayers and our connection with Allah. Keep making dua in every situation. Talk to Allah. Try to be regular in your prayers and not to miss them intentionally. We are taught by our Prophet the fear prayer even at the times of war. So there is no excuse for missing prayers. We are asking Allah to help us and He will help us when we will help ourselves through a stronger Faith.
  
And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (26:69)

Now is the time to turn to our Creator, Allah. Now is the time to open the Quran and understand the Message of Allah to seek strength and invoke Allah to send His help. Allah helps those who help themselves. 

And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives. (53:39)

I pray that every one whether a Muslim or a non- Muslim gets the Guidance from Allah and becomes the standard bearer of Truth and Justice in these trying times. 

What can I do?

These days, on a daily basis, we witness disturbing and heart breaking news of violence and oppression, injustice and intolerance against people. The people who are mostly the victims of this injustice are Muslims and others who belong to the weaker sections of society. As human beings we should raise our voice against this hatred and intolerance now becoming prevalent in the country. Not only should we raise our voice but we should also do every possible thing to stop this. We as Muslims have a greater responsibility toward these weak and helpless people. Our religion teaches us to help the oppressed and the oppressor.
 Narrated Anas, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): 
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "By preventing him from oppressing others."   Sahih Bukhari 2444
Moreover,  as a community we are like a brick wall. Each one of us is an important part and a building block of the whole community. If any one of us goes through some pain the whole community will feel it and get affected by it. We are supposed to take action and measures to relieve the pain of others. We cannot just sit back and relax and watch horrendous things happen to the oppressed section of the society. It can happen to any one of us as well. It can be our home, it can be our relatives and it can be us; may Allah save all of us from this tyrannous behavior of some biased people in the country. They are fueling the fire of hatred in the hearts of common, poor and needy people and through them they are igniting the violence against a selected section of the society to cause terror and to make them suffer in the worst manner. 
We as Muslims should do things that are in our control and what we are capable of doing within our capacities and the resources that we can utilize. I hereby list a few things that each one of us can do on a personal level and can be of great help to the oppressed people, especially our Muslim Ummah,  all around the globe. Many of us say that we are helpless and after all what can we do? It is beyond our capacity. But if we think and ponder, we can be of great help even while we sit in our homes. Those of us who can take practical action can reach out to those who need help. I see that many of our poets and writers are conveying the message and their condemnation of these injustices through their work. This is a great way to utilize your skills of writing. Some people are utilizing art to display what they think about the atrocities done to the people. All of these people are using their skills and their capabilities to do their bit in raising the voice against violence and letting the world know what pain is being inflicted on innocent Muslims around the world, especially in India, China, Palestine, Syria…
I thought of sharing with the readers some of those ways and actions that a layperson Muslim can do for helping the oppressed and for stopping the oppressors even while sitting in their homes. 

• First and foremost we should start on a personal level and increase in asking Allah for forgiveness. We should beg His forgiveness for ourselves and for our Muslim community as a whole. Many Muslims have become careless about their religious duties nowadays; especially the youth class. We must increase in asking forgiveness of Allah and seek His Mercy multiple times a day with all our heart.
• Secondly, we should be really serious and dutiful toward our daily prayers. The first and foremost prayer of the morning (Fajr) is so important that the one who prays it is under the protective care of Allah. It is highly recommended that the Muslim men should go and pray in the mosques so that the mosques are not deserted. Allah sends down His Mercy on those who pray regularly in the Mosque. The reason why the haters of Islam and Muslims have become so bold and courageous in disrespecting Islam and Muslims is that Muslims themselves do not feel that pride in owning and adopting their religious obligations. When we will start feeling pride in our own religion and will wear it proudly on our sleeves no one will have the courage to say anything objectionable to our Faith. 
• Thirdly, we should always keep our Muslim Ummah in our daily prayers. When you pray for yourself and your loved ones, you should realize that your Muslim community should also be close to your heart. Always keep them in your prayers. 
• Fourthly, each one of us should make a conscious effort to get up in the last part of the night and pray Tahajjud. In this special part of the night Allah is close to His servants every night and He extends His hands and asks His servants to ask what they want. This is the golden chance to ask Him to relieve our Muslim ummah from the oppression of the vile people and their plots. 
• We have been taught amazing duas that protect us from every bad thing or evil that can possibly harm us. As Muslims we must always guard ourselves and protect ourselves by using this shield of amazing duas of Morning and Evening. 
• Lastly but very importantly, as Muslims we should not reciprocate violence with violence, rather we should show courage and stand firm in stopping the violence through proper and peaceful means. Keeping the iman or Faith strong can save us in difficult times.  We should not keep fear of people in our hearts rather we should fear Allah more in all our dealings. We should make ourselves such good practicing Muslims that we earn Allah’s Pleasure and hence His Help in all our affairs.  Be good Muslims, show good behavior toward neighbors, colleagues and all other countrymen. Try your best to ward off any hatred that comes your way. We are the followers of Islam, which is the religion of peace, hence we are the ambassadors of peace.

Pray that Allah opens the chests for Islam, lets it enter the hearts of one and all and gives the Tawfeeq to all Muslims to enter into Islam completely. Give us the courage and strength of Iman to face the trials of life and give us the understanding to help those in need. 

The Message of Islam

When the Angels pray...

Ustaza Dr Farhat Hashmi's Jeddah Session-5th of June 2019 

الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَحْمَةً وَعِلْمًا فَاغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ الْجَحِيمِ ﴿٧﴾رَبَّنَا وَأَدْخِلْهُمْ جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ الَّتِي وَعَدْتَهُمْ وَمَنْ صَلَحَ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿٨﴾ وَقِهِمُ السَّيِّئَاتِ ۚ وَمَنْ تَقِ السَّيِّئَاتِ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَقَدْ رَحِمْتَهُ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ﴿٩﴾

Those [angels] who carry the Throne and those around it exalt [ Allah ] with praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who have believed, [saying], "Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire. Our Lord, and admit them to gardens of perpetual residence which You have promised them and whoever was righteous among their fathers, their spouses and their offspring. Indeed, it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. And protect them from the evil consequences [of their deeds]. And he whom You protect from evil consequences that Day - You will have given him mercy. And that is the great attainment."
(Surah Ghafir 7-8-9)
The joy of Eid was doubled when we got the golden opportunity to meet our beloved respected Ustaza Dr. Farhat Hashmi at the premises of our Madrasa Dar Umm Sulaim in Jeddah. We got the opportunity to learn many things in this session. During the month of Ramzan we could benefit from the daily Dawrah e Quran of respected Ustaza and had the chance to read and understand the Noble Quran with meaning and brief Tafseer along with the lessons derived from the Aayaat for application in daily life. We pray that Allah keeps her in good health and well being and accept all her good deeds.
The session started with the recitation of aayaat 7, 8 and 9 of Surat Ghafir by Ms Tahreem. Ustaza then reflected upon these aayaat and the audience also participated actively in this reflection. A gathering where Allah is remembered is covered in tranquility and blessings by the presence of the angels. The audience must have felt that peace in this session. As we talked about Allah and His Throne and those Angels who carry His Throne so the environment became grander and more serene. Ustaza explained these three aayaat so eloquently that we could understand and learn a lot in just one session.
When we read about the Throne of Allah we understand how Allah is above all His creation, Exalted and the Most High. He is above the Throne. We can also understand the magnanimity of the Throne itself though we cannot imagine how it looks like. Also, we can understand what kind of Angels must be carrying that magnificent Throne of Allah, the Almighty. When we talk about the Throne we know that there is one Hadith where it is mentioned that 7 kinds of people will be under its shade when there will be no shade other than the shade of Allah’s Throne on the Day of Judgment. The following Hadith mentions this:
وعن أبى هريرة رضي الله عنه، عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏
 "سبعة يظلهم الله في ظله يوم لا ظل إلا ظله‏:‏
1. إمام عادل،
2. وشاب نشأ في عبادة الله تعالى،
3. ورجل قلبه معلق بالمساجد،
4. ورجلان تحابا في الله اجتمعا عليه وتفرقا عليه،
5. ورجل دعته امرأة ذات منصب وجمال، فقال‏:‏ إنى أخاف الله،
6. ورجل تصدق بصدقة فأخفاها حتى لا تعلم شماله ما تنفق يمينه،
7. ورجل ذكر الله خالياً ففاضت عيناه"۔ (‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him said: "There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade:
1. a just ruler;
2. a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic;
3. a man whose heart is attached to the mosques;
4. two men who love each other for Allah's sake, meeting for that and parting upon that;
5. a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position (for illegal intercourse), but be says: 'I fear Allah',
6. a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and
7. a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.'" (Abu Hurairah & collected in Saheeh al-Bukhari)
Ustaza said that remembering Allah in seclusion where no one sees you happens only out of the love of Allah or His fear and it is one of the most sincere acts. When we are in a gathering we can easily shed tears influenced by those crying there but during times of seclusion we are alone and nobody sees us except Allah. Such kind of crying has no show-off and it is heartfelt. Since such kind of crying is pure and sincere its reward is also immense as mentioned in the above Hadith. Ustaza said that one must remember the blessings of Allah and acknowledge them and then cry out of thankfulness. We can also cry out of the fear of Allah’s punishment when we remember our sins privately. The most important thing here is sincerity or ikhlas. We should not do things to impress others or to show-off. We should be content with the fact that Allah has seen our deeds and He will reward us in the best way. When a person thinks in this manner then he has strong Eman or Faith in Allah. But opposite to that if someone wants to please and impress people then he will be motivated to do things only when people acknowledge or praise him otherwise he will do nothing. Those actions that are done just to please Allah are done even when there is no one around and no one even comes to know of that act or the doer of that act. May Allah give us such sincerity in our actions that we become eligible for the shade of Allah’s Throne of the Day of Judgment.
We could know so much more about the Throne of Allah, the Arsh. Allah has made the Throne by His own Hands. Apart from it the Pen, the Garden of Eden and Adam are also made by Allah Himself and the rest of the creation is made by the Word “Be”. Ustaza guided us that whenever children ask ‘where is Allah’, we should point toward the sky and say that He is Above. Allah is the Most High and He is Above all His creation, including the Throne. The Throne is the most magnificent of Allah’s creation and it is the roof of all the rest of His creation, the skies, the heavens and the universe and everything that we can imagine.
The aayaat under reflection mention the carriers of Allah’s Throne, the 8 noble angels. These angels are also very huge and magnificent and it is mentioned in ahadith that the distance between their earlobe and their shoulders is equal to 700 years of journeying. They are doing such a great job and they are so magnificent yet they are not arrogant. They are keen on worshiping their Rabb and they talk to each other in a low tone. This must be because they are aware of their Majestic Rabb and His Power. They are so humble that they care to pray for the forgiveness of the people of Faith or the believers to their Rabb even after having such a lofty position near their Lord.  Their humility and that of the Prophets of Allah is something to take lesson from. Those who have arrogance will not enter Paradise. The Prophets were the most humble of people. Take the example of Musa peace be upon him. He acknowledged the fact that he was weak in the aspect of speech and his brother Haroon was good at it. He asked Allah to make Haroon peace be upon him his helper in the mission that he was assigned. He did not feel shy or constricted at heart to say that his brother was better than him in something. On the contrary, shaytan said that he was better than Adam peace be upon him, and so he refused to bow down to him in respect. We come to know that humility and giving people the credit of their qualities and accepting them whole-heartedly is the character of the Prophets, whereas, being arrogant and considering oneself as better than others is the way of shaytan.  If ever we find it difficult to acknowledge the good in others we must check the state of our hearts. This is due to the constriction in the hearts, envy, stinginess of the soul etc., and we should work on its treatment. When we ponder on our own attitude we come to understand our own selves better and realize that there is so much that we say but don’t mean it.
وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ
Apart from the Angels who carry the Throne of Allah, the Angels around it also exalt the Praise of Allah. Allah is the Rabb; He is the Creator, the Master and the Planner of everything. He does all the Planning. If something untoward happens in our life then we must remember that it is the decree of Allah and His planning and it is based on nothing but Justice and Wisdom. If some disease of illness strikes us we must glorify Allah and believe that there must be some good in it. Even if things go against our will we should not get angry rather say that we are pleased with our Rabb and His Plan. Never say that this should not have happened. Everything takes place by His Will. He never does injustice to His creation. Whatever He Wills is better for His slaves. There are many occasions to glorify the praises of our Lord like when we face any pain or difficulty in life, when we encounter evil whisperings, when Allah bestows His blessings etc; in all these situations and more we should glorify Allah. We should recite سبحان اللہ و بحمدہ in all situations whether pleasant or unpleasant. The angels around the Throne also glorify Allah with His Praise and their quality of Faith is mentioned here specifically. They have Faith in Allah and believe in Him. We should also keep our Faith strong in the hard times. The difficult times in life are indeed painful to handle but this is the test of our Faith in Allah. They are put into our life to train us in patience and to test the strength of our belief system. The whole life of a believer is a test. Through these tests Allah raises the status of the believers and erases their sins. This is indeed due to the Mercy of our Rabb that he tests us to make us pure and deserving of His Reward in the form of Paradise. Those who praise Allah even when a hardship befalls them are the true believers. Death is the most difficult of all hardships and when a dying person praises Allah it is the sign of his strong Eman. It means that he is please with His Rabb even when he is about to die.
 وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا
These angels ask forgiveness for the believers. These servants of Allah keep their relationship with Allah in good shape therefore the angels pray for them. We usually ask others to make dua for us but here we come to know that if we have a strong Faith then the angels themselves pray for our forgiveness. They pray for those who believe in Allah alone and do not associate anyone or anything with Him. We have a relationship of Eman or Faith with the noble angels. Proclaiming the declaration of Faith and standing firmly on it is not a light matter. Correct belief and Faith are essential for the acceptance of our good deeds. Eman has its highs and lows and this is why even the believers fall short and make mistakes. The angels ask Allah to forgive the believers. Forgiveness of Allah means that the sins will be covered and hidden. When the sinners seek Allah’s forgiveness and do sincere repentance Allah readily forgives them.
رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَحْمَةً وَعِلْمًا
The Mercy and Knowledge of Allah is very vast and it envelopes everything that exists. His Mercy prevails over His Wrath and He has written Mercy for Himself. The knowledge of Allah is complete in the sense of time and place whereas the knowledge of His creation is very limited. We get so impressed with those who are great scholars and have gained much knowledge in the world. But the reality is that there knowledge is nothing compared to the knowledge of Allah. When the so called learned men and scholars realize this they are humbled. They always seek the help of Allah in their matters because they know that Allah knows everything. When Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was suffering due to some magic done on him he sought the help of Allah alone. Whenever we face any distress or confusion we usually ask others for suggestion or help when in fact we should first turn to Allah as the knowledge of people is limited whereas the knowledge of the Creator is all encompassing and vast. We need to make our connection with Allah so strong that before anyone else we turn to Him alone ask Him for help. We should pray the Istikhara prayer to seek the guidance of Allah in our matters. Ask him to make matters clear for you and make your difficulties easy for you. It is important to believe in Allah, in whatever He does and in all His attributes as well. Sometimes things happen in our life that our incomprehensible for us. This is the time when the strength of our Eman in Allah shows up. Knowledge of the attributes of Allah help in building up a strong Eman in Him. When we know His power and authority we easily understand that all that He Wills has justice an wisdom behind it.
One of the students related the sad story of her sister’s illness and demise. She described how the period of her illness till her death was extremely trying for everyone. She was thankful that due to the guidance from the Quran they could go through this tough period with patience and strength. She thanked Ustaza for her course ‘mera jeena mera marna’, because of which she and her mother could carry out the last rites of her sister in the proper Islamic manner. When you have the light of guidance from Allah you can smoothly go through the trials of life with patience and strength. Though the pain is there but the connection and strong relationship with our Creator at all times gives us immense courage and the ability to do the right thing at the right time. Allah never does injustice to His servants. We should have this firm belief in Him.
  فَاغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ الْجَحِيمِ﴿٧﴾
The angels who carry the Throne of Allah and those around it ask forgiveness for those who repent. Every one of us is guilty of some sin or disobedience to Allah. No one can say that he has never done any mistake. Those who accept that they are wrong, feel the remorse, do sincere repentance and choose the path of goodness; those are the ones for whom the angels ask forgiveness from Allah. This aayah gives such consolation that indeed Allah turns with Mercy toward those who repent to Him and He shows them the right path. This is indeed by the Mercy of Allah alone that we have been given this chance to seek forgiveness and repent and have the assurance that Allah accepts our repentance. If this was not so then people would have lived under the pressure and constant distress of the guilt. The life would become a burden for the sinners. But we should never lose hope in the Mercy of Allah. We should not live in the guilt of our sins. The sinners must repent and start their journey on the path of good deeds. These are the blessings of Eman. Allah covers everything with His Rahmah. The angels pray for those who repent. The effect of true repentance is that the person shuns the sin and its path and takes over the path of good deeds.
Ustaza said that these aayaat bring such peace and hope in a person’s heart. We must try to learn these aayaat by heart.
Furthermore, the angels pray that Allah saves the believers from the fire of Hell. They call Allah ‘their Rabb’, this is so beautiful to know that they acknowledge and declare that Allah is their true Master.
Allah is the only Master and the best of planners. We plan for so many things in life but sometimes just the opposite happens. We are helpless in many situations. The actual plan of action is Allah’s. He does whatever He wills. When some difficulty arises in life we should not complain about it. If something good happens in life we should not feel proud of it. Nothing happened due to our ability or mastery. It is in fact Allah Who made things possible. All the Might and Power belongs to Allah. It is none of our genius. We should not just say this but really mean it. Allah is not just our Creator rather He is our Guardian as well. He is not in need of our worship; rather it is we who are in need. He is self-sufficient, Master of everything. If any of His blessings is lost we should have patience thinking that He gave the blessing and He took it away. He has the full authority over everything. Whatever we have in the world is temporary. We should say انا للہ و انا الیہ راجعون  on every small or great loss or difficulty in life. There is good in what He gives and good in what He takes away. The real planning is His and it comes into effect ما شاءاللہ کان و ما لم یشاء لم یکن
For example, we plan and organize a trip. Everything is ready and we are just about to leave our home when some guests arrive. We have to stay back to see the guests and all our planning to go out is cancelled. This is just a small example but many great plans also go to waste if Allah does not will them to happen in our life.
رَبَّنَا وَأَدْخِلْهُمْ جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ الَّتِي وَعَدْتَهُمْ وَمَنْ صَلَحَ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ﴿٨﴾
The noble angels of Allah also acknowledge and declare that Allah is exalted in Might and the most Wise so they ask for the Gardens of Eden for the believers. They do not stop their dua at this alone but ask Allah to let the righteous ones from among the families of the believers too enter the Paradise with them. Pray that Allah joins us and our loved ones in the paradise together and not let the sins distance us from each other. We should always keep praying for ourselves and for our spouses and children.
وَقِهِمُ السَّيِّئَاتِ ۚ وَمَنْ تَقِ السَّيِّئَاتِ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَقَدْ رَحِمْتَهُ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ﴿٩﴾
Furthermore, the angels pray to Allah that He removes the bad effects of the pious believers’ sins and save them from a bad end. Even if someone is righteous he is not free from mistakes and sins. No one can claim that he or she is not guilty of any sin. It is only Allah Who gives us the tawfeeq to do good deeds. This is the Mercy of Allah. The real success is that the servant of Allah enters Jannah and is saved from the Jahannam. This is possible only by the Mercy of Allah. The angels intercede and pray for the pious servants of Allah and ask Him to grant them this ultimate success.
The Path of Jannah is not an easy one; in fact it is filled with difficulties. Similarly, the path of knowledge is also full of hardships. The path of Jannah is surrounded with painful things. Every evil deed is made to appear attractive and beautiful. The soul urges man to incline to these evil deeds. Shaytan is after the son of Adam to remove him from the path of Jannah.
If someone takes to the path of Jannah he should not leave it even when it seems difficult. Once we take the path of knowledge we should be very careful. Always pray to Allah that He helps you to be steadfast on the path of knowledge. Sometimes we are unable to realize the evil things around us and get fooled by it. Likewise shaytan came to Adam and Hawwa alayhimussalaam as a well wisher. They could not recognise him and fell into his evil plan. Sometimes people try to make you confused and doubtful about the scholars of deen and this might keep you back from seeking the knowledge of deen. In this manner every good deed will be surrounded with doubtful thoughts and evil whisperings. It is extremely important to keep safe from these bad thoughts. If we are able to save ourselves from the difficulties coming from inside then we might face problems from outside. People around you will never be satisfied from you however hard you try. At this point Ustaza relate the story of a man and his son who were going with their donkey. People made fun of them that they were walking while they had the ride with them. Both of them sat on the donkey. Now the people criticised them for putting too much load on the donkey. The father came down and let the son ride on the donkey. People now criticized the son for being so heartless; him riding on the donkey and the poor father was left walking. The father now sat on the donkey and the son was on foot. This too was not received with acceptance by the people as now they criticised the father for being selfish. Now both of them had enough. They carried the donkey on their shoulders now. People declared them fools and laughed at them.
The moral of the story is that even if you try your best you will never ever satisfy people. They will never be pleased with you. Therefore you should never worry about the opinion of others when you are doing something right. Those who have not tasted the pleasure of seeking knowledge will never be able to understand your feelings and thoughts.
Things to do:
Whenever you face any difficulty in the path of seeking knowledge:
1. First and foremost, seek the help of Allah. Ask Him to help you out. Ask Him for guidance. Do istikhara and pray.
2. Secondly, see whether by seeking the knowledge of the Quran your life has changed for good or not. If your life has become better then keep firm on this path and never give up.
The shaytan will never stop harming you and he will keep trying to remove you from the right path till your last breath. Therefore we have been taught this dua: وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ أَن يَتَخَبَّطَنِي الشَّيطَانُ عِندَ المَوتِ
Also always keep praying for the steadfastness on the path of guidance once you tread on this path:
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ
Even after your course is completed try to continue this journey of learning.
Reflecting upon these aayaat helped us understand that Eman/Faith is such a valuable thing! Because of our correct Eman/Faith the noblest of Allah’s Angels pray for us. Because of the faith Allah grants us His Taqwa. Pray that Allah gives us the opportunity to seek knowledge till our last day. Let there be no shortcoming from your side in the effort to learn things. Do not judge yourself from the eyes of other people and do not let their opinions affect you. Give everything and everyone the due rights. Leave your matter to Allah. حسبی اللہ ونعم الوکیل Allah is enough for me and he is such a good disposer of Affairs. After reflecting upon the aayaahs the question answer session started. Someone from the audience asked about the issue of Eman and Decree on which most of the youth do arguments. Ustaza said that we should not get into arguments and debates regarding the topic of Destiny or Decree of Allah. We are not capable of giving anyone guidance. Whenever we face difficulty with regard to our children or spouses we should focus more and more on praying for them.
 A student asked about those who invoke the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him, saying Ya Rasoolullah. How should we make them understand that it is not correct to ask the Messenger peace be upon him. Ustaza told her that she should not correct them then and there rather see the situation and then explain to them the meaning and tafseer of suratul fatiha. She should specifically explain to them the ayah iyyaka na’budu wa iyyaka nas’taeen which says that we worship only You (Allah) and ask only You (Allah) for help.
Regarding parenting issues ustaza asked the mothers not to let the children feel that they know better than us and that they are very intelligent and clever rather time and again make them realize who the real boss is and who is in control. This way they will not overpower you and will listen to what you tell them. One of the students asked about the dua that we recite on the Night of Al Qadr  اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عُفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي  She said that since this dua is so virtuous is it better to recite it in place of istighfar. At this point ustaza told us that Afuw has a more vast meaning than istighfar. Referring to Ibn al Qayyim’s explanation of this dua she explained why Rasulullah peace be upon him asked us to recite this dua on the special Night of Al Qadr. This is because this dua is very vast. It covers all aspects of our life from bodily needs, that is cure from all physical illnesses, to the requirements of our deen, that is having the ability and opportunity to do good deeds, and it also refers to the attribute of Allah the Exalted Ad Dayyaan which means the One Who is the Supreme Judge and Who Recompenses or takes account. In short, this dua comprises of all the needs of man that one can think of and more. One of the students pointed to the fact that many people get up from the place of prayer immediately after praying which is not a good thing. Since the angels pray for the person who sits on his place of prayer and is engaged in the remembrance of Allah until his wudu breaks or he gets up from the place, we must try not to get up immediately after saying salaam rather sit there for some time. Ustaza also stressed on the importance of keeping the rows straight and told us to correct people and inform them gradually and not force things on people. It is very necessary that correct knowledge is spread to create awareness among the masses. We should make the meaning and translation of Quran easily available for everyone. To save ourselves from misguidance the two most important things are the knowledge of Al Quran and the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Some other lady asked about the evil whisperings that trouble us regarding those whom we do some favour and they do not acknowledge it or appreciate our good efforts. Ustaza said that as long as the whispers are inside our hearts and we do not say them aloud we are not accountable for them. If people do not appreciate your goodness toward them do not lose heart. It is Allah Whom we should try to please and hope for the rewards from Him for our good deeds.
We should start the work of our deen from our home. In the case of giving dawah to the non muslims we should reach out first to those who are nearest to us like our neighbours, our fellows at work etc. Regarding the Quranic and Masnoon duas that we recite, Ustaza said that at least once we should read their meaning so that we know what we are asking Allah for. Ustaza also told us that if we are patience during the time of loss and Praise Allah at that time then Allah asks the Angels to build a house for us in Jannah and name it The House of the Praise or Bait Al Hamd. Ustaza advised us never to live our lives in guilt. Guilts come in the way of patience. Repent from the sins, rectify the mistakes and keep going on the path of righteousness.
This beautiful and gracious gathering was so informative and enlightening for us Alhamdulillah. I pray to Allah the Exalted that He accepts our attendance in this gathering and forgive each one of us, accept the duas of everyone and give our dear Ustaza Dr Farhat Hashmi good health and well being and best rewards for her good work.

The Return Journey

Yesterday I was invited at a friend’s place to a dars (a talk that involves remembering Allah and giving good advice to the audience). Her mother had passed away a few days back and this gathering would serve as a condolence meet as well. There were many ladies present. Some of the ladies who are teachers at different Islamic institutes in Jeddah gave very inspiring talks. One lady shared her personal story of her mother’s last days with her.
The host  Shahjahan’s daughter Ayesha recited Chapter 84 Al Inshiqaq from The Noble Quran. The ladies had gathered with the intention of remembering Allah, taking time to remember the destroyer of all pleasures; death, and to pay condolences to the host on her mother’s demise. One of the teachers started her talk by reminding us that we all should have Taqwa (consciousness) of Allah and should focus more on preparing for the Hereafter. Then she related a very interesting story from Israelite traditions in which the moral was to be content in what you have and not be greedy over the worldly things because world is not going to stay forever.
Another speaker teacher Shakeela explained to us the meaning of Surah Al Inshiqaq and told us that slowly and gradually we all are moving toward the meeting with our Lord, Almighty Allah. The life in this world is not more than a temporary stay or transit during the journey. The return ticket is confirmed and the seats are booked. Only the date and time of the return journey is kept hidden from us. The period of stay in this world is a test for mankind. It is being monitored how we spend our days on this earth; in Allah’s obedience or disobedience. Each one of us must check our life as to what we are doing with it. Are we heedless of the harsh reality of death that each one of us would be facing for sure one day? It could come suddenly any time. When someone dies we do not imagine that this same day is about to come in our life as well. We will also die one day.
In the Noble Quran Allah says, ‘Wherever you may be, death will overtake you…’ Death is inevitable.
Every soul shall taste death. Death has a taste, so to say. Like we taste various things and get to know how it feels only after tasting, the same goes for death. We shall know the taste of death only when it is in front of us.
The last moment of a person’s life will be the flashback of the whole of his life. He will die on what he lived. If he spent his life on the Kalima, denying that there is no god except Allah and only Allah is worthy of worship, he will have a good end. The moment one sees the angels of death the curtain separating this life from the next life will be lifted up. Now he will clearly see everything that was hidden from him, he will see the truth behind things.
The good soul will be taken by the good angels, smelling nice and taking out his soul delicately. He will be given a warm welcome in the seven heavens. He will then be taken from one level to another as he crossed the stages in the world. These levels or stages of every soul will be according to his or her deeds. The one who is saved from the fire of Hell and admitted to Jannah is the most successful one.
Every one of us keeps busy in 3 things during our time in this world:
1. Earning money and making property
2. Making and maintaining relationships
3. Doing deeds (good or bad)
The first two things remain behind when we die. The deeds come along with us in our graves. If they are good they will become a source of peace for us and our stay in the next world will be a good one.
To motivate ourselves to do good deeds always we must keep in mind that Allah is always aware of what we are doing.
Since this life is a test we have been given The Book to prepare for this test or exam. This book is the Noble Quran.
A good soul leaves this world happily as he is looking forward to meet his Lord, Allah.
The angels who take out the soul of a good person give him 5 glad tidings:
1. You won’t have any fear
2. Your Jannah is ready as per the promise of your Lord.
3. We will be your companions always
4. You will get in Jannah whatever you wish
5. Allah will honour you as His guests in Jannah
These amazing rewards and temptations will be there for those who lived their lives in obedience of Allah’s commands.
These rewards will be never ending and will keep increasing for the inhabitants of Paradise.
We must collect the baggage for our return journey. It should be loads of good deeds and not the burdens of sins and evil deeds.
What we must be doing:
• We should do all actions keeping in mind the Hereafter and the outcome. The real profit is the profit of the Hereafter. We must see that we give value to the things that actually hold real value and not ignore the commands of Allah for petty things in life.
• We have to do good deeds for our own benefit in the grave. The good deeds will light up our graves.
• We should make good and righteous friends who help us remember Allah. Attending the gatherings of Allah’s remembrance strengthens our Faith and softens our hearts.
• We should have good thoughts about our companions. We are Allah’s witnesses on the earth for our fellow beings.
• Always say a good word about each other.
• The good deeds have great strength. Even if the deed is small it can be of value in the sight of Allah. It is difficult to do good deeds in this life but eventually they will turn out to be very heavy on the scales.
• The sins of show-off, taking interest, not performing salah, being arrogant will be punished severely on the day of Judgment so we should be very careful of all the sins.
• The test of the bearers of Al Quran is even harder. We as the people of the Quran must see that our deeds match our words. We must not be arrogant of our skills and knowledge.
We are never completely satisfied in this worldly life. We aim for building a house and when we achieve that we start wishing to have a big car and this greed goes on and on. Most of the time in this life is spent in making this life better and better but what happens is that we leave all that and set out to another world for which we had hardly prepared anything.
The best among all the people are those who are best in their manners and character.
The most intelligent of the people are those who remember death often and prepare for it.
These were the inspirational words by the teacher and then some of the ladies in the audience shared their experiences. In the end we made dua and thus the event came to a close.

Journeys of Faith Part 2

Fatma Joe, another former Christian from Kanyakumari, India, was the chief guest at this event. She was just 4 years old when she came to Saudi Arabia. She did not have a good experience with her Muslim classmates at school as they had a superiority complex over the non Muslims. She did not have much knowledge about Christianity therefore, around the age of 14 years, she became an atheist.

Whenever there were debates over religion her atheism grew even stronger as she could not get convincing answers.

Some years back she met a Muslim boy whose mother was a teacher at a Madrasa. They showed her a completely different picture of Islam from what she used to see through media. This made her rethink about her opinion of Islam. When she researched about Islam she was amazed by the comprehensive nature of its teachings.

Islam covers all the aspects of life- how you should be behaving as a person, how you should be dealing with others, and how you should be performing as a state or governing body. These aspects are not taught in any other religion. She said that media portrays a very bad image of Islam and the general public believes what the media shows them.

She came to Islam just 2 years back and was still living in the Christian home. She was apprehensive about the reaction of her family to her changed faith. She hid her new faith from them and used to perform wudu and pray secretly.  Once her sister suspected that she was doing wudu but she had to deny what she was doing as she was afraid that her family will stop her from staying upon Islam. During Ramadan she pretended that she was on a diet while she used to fast, but one month of dieting was something that made her family suspicious. When she used to watch TV with her family and there was negative depiction of Muslims in the news etc., she tried to give excuses that it was possible they do not know the whole truth.  But her faith could not remain hidden for long.

She believes that Islam is beautiful and perfect as a religion. She finds herself much happier, satisfied and blessed to have embraced Islam. In Islam, she said, there is a constant struggle to be a better person each day. The real Jihad is jihad of nafs, that is the struggle to become a better self and to strive against the temptations of the desires. One needs to control the desires and work toward the obedience of Allah. She requested the audience to pray for her family so that they are also guided toward the Truth.

She thanked her in-laws, her mother in law and her husband and a few other people in her life who helped her in her journey toward Islam. Her mother in law and her husband have whole heartedly accepted her as a family member and they have been supporting her throughout.

The takeaway point from her life story is that she observed that Islam is a holistic religion that covers all the aspects of Human existence.

The last of the speakers was the president of the new Muslim sisters; Umme Hudhaifah also called Scarlet, who related her amazing story to the audience.

She was of British decent but born and brought up in Belgium. She grew up as an atheist. Her mother, a staunch atheist, believed that religions only divide people and are bad. But Scarlet had her own doubts. She used to wonder why science cannot explain everything.  Why are so many mysteries of the universe unexplainable by the scientists? She did not know any way of praying but she used to say that if there is god then he should answer her.

She was from a well off family and was very fond of travelling and exploring different cultures around the world.

When she observed a variety of cultures and religions she used to like Islam more. She saw Hinduism and Buddhism but found that they do not make sense. Hinduism was very exotic but the concept of its gods was not appealing. In Buddhism she found that everything was based on philosophy. It was only in Islam that she noticed logic and reasoning. She understood that there must be only one Creator who created everything and He alone deserves to be worshipped.

Christians are very vocal about their love of Jesus Christ and Christianity but their love does not show in their way of life. They do not follow what Christianity teaches them.

In the life of a Muslim his 5 daily prayers are ongoing proof of his love and obedience to Allah and His Messenger. Sister Umme Hudhaifah spent most of her life in the West. She lived in Luxembourg which has a very high standard of living. But throughout her travel and explorations she observed that even though people have a life of comfort and have everything they need they are still not happy. They are always complaining, sad and depressed. She told the audience that life in the West is not as it outwardly seems. The more they have the riches the more problems they face and their problems have no solutions therefore they fall into despair. Contrary to the West she found that people in less developed countries like Africa, Syria, Yemen etc., and the people who are predominantly Muslims are very happy, generous, kind and content in their life. She saw poor Muslims in Africa always smiling, very kind and generous. In Europe she found the people are rich but never satisfied with their life. This, she said, is because of the lack of Eman in their hearts. 

Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.

During her visit to Africa she stayed with a Muslim family in Senegal and it is where she became a Muslim. Her boyfriend also accepted Islam. She had studied in a University in England. She had many of her male non Muslim friends from there but once she became a Muslim it was hard to explain to them the changes she made in her lifestyle. Her husband was staying in Belgium. Soon they moved to a Muslim populated town in England but still they wanted to travel to a Muslim country. Scarlet found a job for her husband in Yemen. In 2003 they became Muslims and in the year 2005 they moved to Yemen. They stayed in Yemen for 10 years. It was a very fruitful stay in Yemen as she could benefit from many halaqas (gatherings for learning about Islam, remembering Allah etc) and classes where she learnt Arabic language. She found the Yemenis to be very generous and welcoming. Their neighbours would share food every day during Ramadan.

 The Yemenis, she found to be practising Muslims. They were sincere and made them feel like family. Her stay in Yemen is very memorable to her as she could learn many lessons, she got many books to learn about Islam and she could learn the Quran. She studied the Arabic language and started to teach Islam and Quran to the others. She can fluently speak French language as well. After 10 years in Yemen the situation changed because of the ongoing war and they decided to move to Jeddah. They are staying in Jeddah for the past 2 and half years. Here, she is teaching Arabic Language to the non Arabs.

After she accepted Islam she too had to face unexpected reaction from her family. She thought that they were broadminded but it was not so. They did not like her idea of becoming a Muslim.

In her early days as a Muslim woman she found Hijab difficult to adopt. But according to Scarlet or Umme Hudhaifah, when one takes one step toward Allah, He makes everything easy for His servant.

Just as the Quran was sent upon our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, gradually over the span of 23 years, Islam and Eman too take their time to build their foundation in the lives of the new Muslims. It was her advice that new Muslims should not hurry over learning everything at once. The most important is the meaning of Shahadatain, one should have a clear understanding of one’s pillar of Faith, that is the Kalima. After that come the 5 daily prayers. The new Muslims should first focus on these two aspects. The other features of Islam like the hijab and other rulings will fall into place gradually with time. She suggested that the new Muslims must not be burdened with all the rulings at once rather they should be taught aout Islam gradually with patience and wisdom.

According to her we should do things gradually and try to improve ourselves daily. We should approach people with wisdom to convey the message of Islam. It is important that we learn our deen and the Quran. She shared that learning Surah Al Fatiha seemed very hard to her in her early days as a Muslim. But today by the grace of Allah she is a Hafizah (she has memorised the whole Quran)!

In the beginning she found Arabic to be a strange language but today she is teaching it to others! Nothing is impossible if the servant is sincere in the pursuit and intention, puts some effort, and makes dua to Allah. Allah makes things easy. She is now actively doing Dawah work, teaching Arabic and Islam to the community members.

After listening to the stories from our guided and blessed sisters, sister Sara would give the audience food for thought and takeaway lessons.

Throughout the event all the stories were related to the audience in Urdu by teacher Farzana from Madrasa Hafsa. Very beautifully and emphatically she would put the questions to the audience which were thought provoking.

The takeaway lesson from this amazing story is that we born Muslims must not take Islam as a plaything. We should be constantly striving in pleasing our Rabb, doing whatever we are capable of doing.

As a closing speech, sister Farzana talked about the value of Islam as Faith and how some of the born Muslims take it for granted.

Basically we need to focus on Tawheed, the oneness of Allah and clear our minds of all kinds of big or small Shirk. Our prayers, our sacrifice, our life and our death should all be in the way of Allah, for Allah. Allah subhaanahu wa taáala calls us toward the Truth, His Mercy, His Grace, His Bounties, His Jannah and His Forgiveness. We should be racing toward Him all the time. We should question ourselves what we are striving for in our life?

Look at these sisters from around the globe! Some are highly educated doctors, some are nurses, some are from humble backgrounds, yet their search for Truth led them toward it and finally they could recognize it and embrace it. Their amazing journey toward Islam leaves us spellbound and speechless. The hearts move and the eyes well up with tears. We could clearly see what they went through to reach this status. The hardships were endured and loved ones were left behind. Their hearts weep for their families yet they hold on to the Most Loving, the only Creator, Allah.

It is Allah who opens the heart and we must pray to Him to keep our hearts steadfast on His Deen.

Another lesson that we learn is that we should not be blinded by the glitter and glamour of the West in particular and of the world at large. We must understand that it is just a façade. They are all shallow from within. They have no substance. They have a deep void, a lack of the sweetness of Faith. The source of that sweetness or inner peace is none but the Truth. The peace lies in accepting the Truth.  And the Truth is that there is no god but Allah and He is only worthy of worship. Islam is the only true religion that is based on Truth, logic and Divine evidence in the form of Al Quran.

The event was successfully completed with the help of volunteers like  Lubna Zubair, Rubina and others. 

The event came to an end with distribution of the gifts sent by companies like Darussalam, perfume companies and some individuals namely Mr Zia Abbas Nadvi and Mr Nihal Shazi, who gave an air ticket for one revert sister. The gift items ranged from electronic items like the digital Quran, perfumes, utility items, books etc. 

Doctor Helen Gouse, who is a professor of anatomy at Ibn Sina National College of Medical Sciences in Jeddah, handed over the first gift to the small girl Fatima who recited the Quran in the beginning of the event.

Finally, sister Rabia, made beautiful and heart warming dua with the audience.

The academy had arranged some refreshments for the revert sisters and the attendees of the event. The guests of honour, the new Muslim sisters were served the refreshments on their tables by the organizers.

It was indeed a very thought provoking event for everyone. The life and journey of these sisters is a shining example for those who are seeking the Truth and a lesson for those who take their Faith for granted.

Pray that Allah keep these sisters steadfast in deen and help them always.

Journeys of Faith Part 1

On 4th January 2019, Maulana Hifzur Rahman Seoharvi Academy-Jeddah organized the Annual Reception-2018 in the honour of the new Muslim sisters in the famous Lasani Restaurant, Jeddah. A few days ago they organized such an event for the new brothers in Islam.

The Seoharvi academy has been very active for the past 7 years in welcoming the newly reverted Muslims into the community. They are playing a very important role in making the new Muslims feel welcome and accepted as well as appreciated by the Muslim community. They encourage them to speak out and share their journeys of Faith and enlighten the listeners. This lets them feel that they are not alone in their hard journeys and the audience also gets to understand the value of Islam as a Faith. Inviting them over to share their stories and giving gifts is a beautiful way of making them feel at home.

The function started with the beautiful recitation of the Noble Quran, (Chapter 59: Al Hashr, verses 21-24) by a young girl named Fatima. She had memorised the Noble Quran at the tender age of 8 and half years. Now she is studying in the second grade. Her mother read out the English translation of the verses recited by her which was as follows:

If We had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allah . And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.

He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him.

He is Allah , the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

After the recitation of the Noble Quran the host of the event, sister Farhana, introduced the new Muslim sisters and called all the speakers upon the stage. The president and the chief guest from the new Muslim sisters were seated on the stage and some of the speakers joined them. 

The host, Sara Altaf, a Hafiz e Quran and a medical student, then called upon the first speaker to come up to the podium and share her story with the audience.

This new Muslim sister, Emaan, is a dentist by profession and belongs to the Philippines. She was earlier a Christian. When she came to work in Saudi Arabia she observed and understood Islam. Her perspective toward life changed. She started fasting with the Muslims and later accepted Islam. She told the audience that while giving anaesthesia to her patients during treatment she recites Surah Al Ikhlas which is one-third of the Noble Quran. She wants to earn the reward and it also helps her keep connected with Allah.

She suggested that if the Muslims want to invite others to Islam they should show them the essence of Islam that is good manners and best attitude in dealing with others. Her story clearly shows that all human beings are created upon fitrah or nature and they have the search for Truth inside them. When they seek the Truth and search it they get it and understand who the True God is.

The second guided sister was Batool. Her earlier name was Betty. She is also from the Philippines. She was such a devoted Christian that she had built a church behind her house in the Philippines. She even served as an assistant to the Ministries to Born Again Christians. Nevertheless, she always wondered about the purpose of life. Questions like “Who is Jesus?” bothered her. She went to Australia and worked in a Muslim family from the embassy of Kuwait. However, the family did not treat her well. She wondered why Muslims treated Christians badly. But eventually, she met a good Muslim man, which made her think that she must not look at Muslims, rather see what Islam is all about. The man proposed to her and they got married. After marriage, she took her Shahadah, and memorised Surah Al-Fatihah shortly after.

Another sister named Ayesha, formerly named Angeles, came to Saudi Arabia as a domestic help to a Saudi employer. Her employer used to share books about Islam with her. Her madam’s sister asked questions about why there was the concept of trinity in Christianity. This made her question her belief in the concept of trinity. Before coming to Saudi Arabia in May 2015, she went through a lot of trial and tribulation in life. One of her colleagues made Shahadah in the meantime. When she recited Surah Al-Fatihah for the first time, her heartbeat increased due to the effect of the words of Allah and she couldn’t put into words that feeling. This consequently led to her accepting Islam. With the help of IEF (Islamic Education Foundation), she took Shahadah on the phone. Now, she has a faith different from her family, but she hopes that when she stays with her family again, she can show them her faith by her good manners and one day, they will understand why she accepted Islam. She is concerned about her family’s faith but now in her eyes the life of the hereafter is much more important.

Yet another sister Aleena, is also a Filipino. Her earlier name was Eleanor. She came to Islam in 2010 through a friend. Earlier she stayed in Jizan till the year 2008 and worked as a nurse in the King Fahd Hospital. Her colleagues used to give her books on Islam but she used to keep them on one side and go off to sleep. She did not have any interest whatsoever in knowing about Islam. In fact she did not even like the way Muslims prayed, especially the position of Sujood made her laugh. She used to joke and say that if Allah tells her to come to Islam she will accept Islam. Her past life was completely different from what she is now as a good Muslim. She was a disco goer and used to wear miniskirts and shorts as dresses.  But gradually she realized that Islam is the true religion. Soon she was ready to take shahadah. This was the most unexpected thing in her life. Those who knew her from her past were surprised and shocked to see the change in her. She now wears hijab contrary to her improper way of dressing before Islam. She was invited by the Islamic Centre at Balad where she accepted Islam. The best thing she finds about Islam is the way of prayer! This is a drastic change of heart as she disliked this very aspect of Islam! This can be possible only by the will of Allah.

She regrets why she did not come to Islam earlier so she could call her parents to Islam. Her family is still not Muslim but they show her respect when she visits them and avoid cooking the haram food that she does not eat. Her sister is still a nun. She is very happy with her religion Islam and is greatly thankful to Allah that He opened her eyes to the Truth.

The takeaway lesson from her story is that we all regret something from our pasts but this is in fact a blessing in disguise. This regret actually leads to repentance and amendment of our situation at present.

The Musk Seller: A good friend, a great teacher.

Narrated Abu Musa:

Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, 

"The example of a good companion (who sits with you) in comparison with a bad one, is like that of the musk seller and the blacksmith's bellows (or furnace); from the first you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell while the bellows would either burn your clothes or your house, or you get a bad nasty smell thereof." 

Sahih Bukhari 2101 

Beautiful relationships and friendships always fascinate me. I cherish and value good friends. The best of friendships are formed based on mutual trust and understanding. The best of friendships emerge from the best form of love, the Love of Allah. Friends who are together for the sake of Allah and His Book are the best of friends. This kind of friendship does not involve any other motive apart from loving each other just for the sake of Allah. Such friendships are not only long lasting rather they are everlasting. This is so because good friends remind you of Allah and keep you in constant remembrance of Him. They become the reason for you being on the Path of Truth. The fragrance of a good friend lasts forever. She might part with you due to some reason in this world but she leaves a pleasant aroma in your thoughts and in your heart whenever you think of her and remember her ways, her words and her actions. 

This world is a place of separation. No one lives with his or her loved ones forever. Due to some reason or the other we part with each other. One might part with a good friend physically but the spiritual bond with her lasts forever, Allah willing. 

Friendships and relationships especially between students and teachers are very powerful. You might remember your first grade teacher till date just because of her polite way of dealing with you. You might remember a class mate just because of one sentence that she said to you that had an everlasting impact on your life, in a positive way. 

Today, in my institution a very dear teacher, Teacher Asima,  gave us a farewell talk. She has been in Saudi Arabia for almost 30 years and now she is parting with us. She teaches the correct way of learning the Quran called Tajweed. She shares a beautiful friendship with another teacher from our institution. They have been together for many years running this institute, teaching the Quran and other subjects to thousands of ladies here in Saudi Arabia. Her talk was very very positive, motivating and inspiring. I thought of composing this post so that all the readers should take the gems and benefit from her talk. 

First of all what affected me the most was her positive approach on this change of phase in her life. She praised Allah the almighty saying that she is thankful to Him for everything in her life. She took this change in her life in a very cheerful manner and said that we should accept changes in our life saying that they are the Will of Allah. We should not complain over things that happen in life. She also emphasized on the fact that nothing is going to stay forever. This shifting from one place to another is just one reminder that one day we are going to part with this world as well. The preparation that she was doing for this journey from one country to another also involved the management of the material things that she has in her house. She told us that while disposing and managing her material possessions she thinks about the real things that we need while departing to the Next world. We should not collect too many useless material things that would later become a burden to those we leave behind. To the students of the institute she said very encouraging words. 

🌹She told us to give ourselves the value as we are the students of the Quran, the Book of Allah. It is no ordinary thing so we should learn to value ourselves. 

🌹The path of knowledge is the path to Jannah (Paradise).

🌹She advised us to give the Quran its rights:

🌹Read it daily

🌹Ponder on its signs

🌹Try to find something for yourself from the ayahs (the verses)

🌹Try to figure out what you learn from that particular verse, and now that you have learnt it how you need to react in different situations in life.

🌹Try to give the rights of the Quran

🌹Always be thankful that Allah has given you the chance to stay in this country where you had the chance to learn the Quran, the correct aqeedah. 

🌹Keep praying that Allah does not waste your capabilities wherever you go. Whether you stay here or go to your home country you should be thankful to Allah in all circumstances. 

🌹When you go back to your home country the people there will notice your manners in the light of the fact that you have come after learning the Quran. Therefore, it should be seen in your character and in your manners.

🌹We intended to pursue the knowledge for changing our life for good. Real knowledge is that which shows in your actions. 

Very beautifully she mentioned that 
🌹the Knowledge of the Quran is a light that will not let you stumble in life. Keep this light with you always. Never let this light go away from you. 

🌹This Book, Al Quran is a very noble and blessed book. When you will spread it, it will show you its fruits and its blessings in your life. When you will pay attention you will find that Allah will make way for you and make things easy for you just because of the blessing of this Book. 

🌹She also advised us not to become those who cry and complain. We should be strong and determined. We have a lot of potential to achieve many things. We can do a lot of things in life. 

🌹As the students of Quran we must learn to become the people of understanding (ulul albaab) 

🌹This world is indeed a place of parting. We should focus on what we are collecting as our luggage for the Hereafter and what we are leaving behind.

🌹There is no need to feel sad and remain sad, rather we should see how fruitful our stay in this world can be for us and others around us. 

🌹The reason we come to learn the Quran is to bring the teachings of the Quran into our lives.

It was a very emotional as well as spiritually refreshing talk.
I pray that Allah Almighty make her journey a blessed one and she brings goodness wherever she stays. 

💓Teachers are always very inspiring and encouraging to their students. We are blessed to have such amazing teachers in our life.

May Allah bless all the teachers! 💓