This was a long time coming, but here we are. Day 20 of the blessed month of Ramadan, and I am sure every single one of us will say, "It has gone too quick". I urge everyone to make the most of the last 10 days, as you may never live to live amongst this great month ever again. But the point of this post isn't about the last 10 days of Ramadan. In fact, it's about the atrocities taking place in Gaza, and all around the world at this moment in time.
To start off, I make a dua that Allah keeps the people of our Ummah suffering around the world strong and steadfast and allows us to come to their aid in any way, shape or form. To reduce the suffering and pain of every single person and to unite us all in protecting and valuing human life.
'Valuing human life', is exactly what is not happening right now. We have all questioned these 'World leaders', and the stance they are taking and quite frankly they are doing nothing. To be able to watch what is happening around the world and not do anything to help, yet claim 'authority' around the world, is baffling to the average human. Without a doubt, (wrongly in my opinion), they have so to say, 'control' over the world and let's face it, if a matter has no benefit for these world leaders, they will not step in.
Over the past few weeks and previously regarding other atrocities, I have noticed a lot of individuals 'slandering' these leaders for doing nothing. From my perspective, it has been a lot from Twitter and Muslims (as they are the bulk of the people I follow). By slandering, I mean I have seen people say, "They will taste the punishment of Allah", or "Wait until your time comes" (Punishment of Allah of course) and this is something that irritates me and go against my own principles and values.
First of all, I'd like to share my own views and then also share a little story. I do not think as Muslims, regardless of what is happening around the world, we should be condemning people to Hell or saying with certainty that certain people will taste the punishment of Allah. How perfect are we ourselves? Nevermind condemning someone else, look back at your own day. What have you done that makes you so certain of a place in Jannah? You may have done something in the day which Allah will hold you accountable that you are oblivious to. Should we not spend our time asking for forgiveness for ourselves rather than condemning someone else? What benefit is there to yourself condemning someone else?
In addition to this, I have a second point which I hope to put across with a little story.
During the early years of the initial stage of giving da'wah to the Qurasysh, the early Muslims faced great hardship. Cutting a long story short, the Prophet s.a.w told those who could, to migrate to Abyssinia. At this point in time, Umar ibn Al-Khattab r.a was one of Islam's fiercest enemies. The story involves one of four couples who initially migrated; Amir ibn Ar-Rabbia and his wife Laila.
It is narrated that Laila was packing her bags and loading the camel. Umar ibn Al-Khattab passes by and notices they are travelling. So he asks,
"Where are you travelling?", as it is not the season of trade. You can imagine at this point Laila's temper rising. Leaving her home land, to some far away land, with people that are not her own and she snaps at him in anger.
"This is all because of you! And your terrorising of us and your persecution of us, just because we want to worship Allah! Because of your persecution, we have to go somewhere else and find a land where we can worship Allah in."
Instead of getting angry, she noticed for the first time in his eyes, some compassion. And he said to her,
"Has the matter reached that level?" (Meaning he never thought it was that bad). And then he said,
"May Allah be with you", and he walks on his way.
Completely flabbergasted, seeing a side of Umar she has never seen before. So when her husband came back home, in excitement she narrated the story and said,
"Umar showed some compassion!" Her husband snorted in contempt and said,
"Do you really think he will be merciful to us and accept Islam? Wallahi! the donkey's of his fathers house will embrace Islam before he does!"
We all know what happened after this and the position Umar ibn Al-Khattab r.a has in our religion.
From the above story, a moral I can derive is to never condemn anyone. Relating back to today, these 'leaders' some of us tend to condemn, what's to say they will not be the next Umar ibn Al-Khattab? Isn't this story and indication to us all to leave matters regarding the hereafter to Allah and Allah alone? If Allah guides, who can be misguided and if Allah does not guide, who can ever be guided? I think as Muslims we should never condemn anyone but instead, why not make dua and say,
"Oh Allah, help Islam by guided the leaders of the world and to help us in our cause".
You lose out nothing!
I hope you all keep the Muslim Ummah in your prayers in this blessed month and with all the charities coming to the foreground, give as much as you can! Allah will give you black plenty in return and one fundraiser profile I'd like to help put out there is through the following link; https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/freedomforpalestine ..
Until next time, Salaam.
Thursday, 17 July 2014
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Ramadan Diary - Day 3
It's day three of this year's Ramadan, and whilst it was on my mind for a while, I thought I'd share what I get up to in this month should anything interesting happen. Just for the record, I attempted this as a video but I found it so weird I decided to stick with my blogs!
Saturday night was the first night of Tarawee prayers for those who started fasting on Sunday. The highlight of this prayer isn't just listening to the recitation of the Qur'an, but the men reciting. Hafeez's are in my opinion, the greatest men alive! Of course Shaheed's have a high rank, but they are of those moved on to the next world. On Saturday, as I sat in the Masjid waiting for the arrival of the Hafeez's, the first one arrived. I sat in the second row so I could stay as close to them as possible. I sat there just looking at him, at his back, and that moment felt so amazing, to be close to someone loved so much by the Lord of the Worlds, I almost cried. The tears built up as I was taken in awe.
A Hafeez is like a walking, talking, Qur'an! The endless days and nights they spent trying to memorise the book of Allah, just puts into perspective their persistence in achieving what they have achieved. And if you don't feel a positive jealousy over them, I think there's something wrong with you.
When I was younger, my granddad had taken me to a guy to help make me become a Hafeez. But at that moment in time, the man said I was too young and to come back in a couple of years. I don't know why, but I was never taken back. I guess the illnesses my granddad was facing an increase in and the simple reason my family didn't really push it, it was never meant to be. This is one thing I regret looking back at my 'short life', that I wish I could go back and do. Of course it's never too late, but the younger you are, the easier it is to memorise things. For e.g. a four year old can learn four languages simultaneously with ease and comfort as oppose to someone much older. But an aim I have is to memorise as much of the Qur'an I can by myself because I actually have great photographic memory. Who knows, maybe one day In Shaa Allah, I can feel a part of these great men..
During prayers, we were coming back up from a Sajdah and I headbutted the Hafeez in front of me! As awkward as it felt, I just felt like that accidental collision, was Allah's way of saying, "Here, take some blessings off him."
After the prayers finished, one of the Hafeez's shook my hand. He is an acquaintance but I like to call him my friend because it makes me feel a little prestigious. But I know him from the petrol station we use to fill the cars up. But when I shook his hand, as weird as it is to say, I didn't want to wash my hands ever again! The blessings I felt like I received from him at that moment, made me feel as if all my sins may have been forgiven! Words can't describe how special these men are to me.
Taking a backward step, before Ramadan we all have personal goals/aims we want to achieve. One goal I had was to start attending the Masjid for prayers regularly whenever I can. I used to pray at home with my granddad and he started to urge me to go to the Masjid in order to gain more reward for praying in congregation. After a delay of a few weeks of him nagging me, I decided to go for it. I always planned to do this, but didn't think I'd do it now. It has been four weeks since I started attending prayers at the Masjid whenever I could and it feels as if I've already achieved my goal before Ramadan even started!
I also tend to go with the flow. If I see myself changing a certain part of my daily activities, because of Ramadan, I look at it like, why not stop this forever or continue this forever depending on if it is something avoidable or something I should do more.
This is how I make my goals but I want to know what you all do! What are your goals and objectives and how are you going about achieving them? It'll be nice to know what you are all getting up to so just send me an @ on Twitter (@TheFursaan) or pop a DM and maybe I could write about what you all are doing which could help someone else along the line? Who knows!
Until next time, I hope you all find this month easy and gain an abundance in blessings from our Lord!
Saturday night was the first night of Tarawee prayers for those who started fasting on Sunday. The highlight of this prayer isn't just listening to the recitation of the Qur'an, but the men reciting. Hafeez's are in my opinion, the greatest men alive! Of course Shaheed's have a high rank, but they are of those moved on to the next world. On Saturday, as I sat in the Masjid waiting for the arrival of the Hafeez's, the first one arrived. I sat in the second row so I could stay as close to them as possible. I sat there just looking at him, at his back, and that moment felt so amazing, to be close to someone loved so much by the Lord of the Worlds, I almost cried. The tears built up as I was taken in awe.
A Hafeez is like a walking, talking, Qur'an! The endless days and nights they spent trying to memorise the book of Allah, just puts into perspective their persistence in achieving what they have achieved. And if you don't feel a positive jealousy over them, I think there's something wrong with you.
When I was younger, my granddad had taken me to a guy to help make me become a Hafeez. But at that moment in time, the man said I was too young and to come back in a couple of years. I don't know why, but I was never taken back. I guess the illnesses my granddad was facing an increase in and the simple reason my family didn't really push it, it was never meant to be. This is one thing I regret looking back at my 'short life', that I wish I could go back and do. Of course it's never too late, but the younger you are, the easier it is to memorise things. For e.g. a four year old can learn four languages simultaneously with ease and comfort as oppose to someone much older. But an aim I have is to memorise as much of the Qur'an I can by myself because I actually have great photographic memory. Who knows, maybe one day In Shaa Allah, I can feel a part of these great men..
During prayers, we were coming back up from a Sajdah and I headbutted the Hafeez in front of me! As awkward as it felt, I just felt like that accidental collision, was Allah's way of saying, "Here, take some blessings off him."
After the prayers finished, one of the Hafeez's shook my hand. He is an acquaintance but I like to call him my friend because it makes me feel a little prestigious. But I know him from the petrol station we use to fill the cars up. But when I shook his hand, as weird as it is to say, I didn't want to wash my hands ever again! The blessings I felt like I received from him at that moment, made me feel as if all my sins may have been forgiven! Words can't describe how special these men are to me.
Taking a backward step, before Ramadan we all have personal goals/aims we want to achieve. One goal I had was to start attending the Masjid for prayers regularly whenever I can. I used to pray at home with my granddad and he started to urge me to go to the Masjid in order to gain more reward for praying in congregation. After a delay of a few weeks of him nagging me, I decided to go for it. I always planned to do this, but didn't think I'd do it now. It has been four weeks since I started attending prayers at the Masjid whenever I could and it feels as if I've already achieved my goal before Ramadan even started!
I also tend to go with the flow. If I see myself changing a certain part of my daily activities, because of Ramadan, I look at it like, why not stop this forever or continue this forever depending on if it is something avoidable or something I should do more.
This is how I make my goals but I want to know what you all do! What are your goals and objectives and how are you going about achieving them? It'll be nice to know what you are all getting up to so just send me an @ on Twitter (@TheFursaan) or pop a DM and maybe I could write about what you all are doing which could help someone else along the line? Who knows!
Until next time, I hope you all find this month easy and gain an abundance in blessings from our Lord!
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