I’m in the midst of the annual grand tour of wisconsin, thanksgiving edition.  No substantive posts until I get home on Sunday probably.  But I made this ahead of time, just so ya’ll wouldn’t get squeaky deprivation like I’m currently suffering.

Last year, on the day before Arafat, I visited the Saint Paul Humane Society and fell in love with a fat orange cat named Mitze.  I planned on bringing AbuS back the next day to meet her and take her home inshaAllah, so I put a deposit and a 24 hour hold on her.  The day of Arafat  brought an awful snow storm and I was afraid we would lose our deposit and my kitty.  Alhamdulilah, Allah (swt) saw fit to allow us to make it safely there, where AbuS found Mitze to be acceptable.  We adopted her right then and there and brought her home, where she quickly filled her role at queen of the apartment.  The next morning, we went to eid prayers and I stayed home from work for the rest of the day with my new best friend.

It’s one (hijri) year later, and still I love her more each day.  On this blessed day that is both a festival of Allah (swt) and of giving thanks, I thank Allah (swt) for all the blessings I have in my life – first and foremost Islam, AbuS and my Squeaky Deak.  Thank you Allah (swt) for everything.

What are you thankful for?

I’m thankful for the fact that this year, Muslims are given an opportunity to be way more thankful to Allah on this American holiday. It just so happens the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah, referred to as the day of ‘Arafat, is the same day as Thanksgiving. It’s a blessed day where fasting is highly recommended.

Abu Qatadah reports the Prophet (may Allah’s Blessings and Peace be upon him) as saying:
“Fasting the Day of Arafat will be credited by Allah with forgiving one’s sins of the previous year and the coming year.”

I’m thankful to Allah for the enormous reward given for fasting on this day. Though, the irony of this year’s timing is quite hilarious, but also something to think about. My friend Abdullah, from Orlando, posted this interesting thought on Facebook:

So true.

A Muslim fasts in order to obey his/her Lord, and to appreciate what s/he has been given. It applies two very important concepts in Islam:

1. Sabr – the patience to deal with not eating or drinking from sunup to sundown, as well as refraining from vulgar speech, anger, and relations.

2. Shukr – thankfulness for the food, drink, and the other blessings that Allah bestowed on you.

The American way of celebrating is to cook a large meal (eating much of the day) for dinner where all the family comes together to eat. The Muslims stay away from even water all day, until the night when they can really “say grace” (i.e. Bismillah wa ‘ala barakatillah) and appreciate the meal before them (whether it’s large or small).

Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday with honorable values embedded in it such as thankfulness (obviously) and kinship.

But the truth is, who’s really going to be celebrating Thanksgiving correctly? The Americans, or the Muslims (from America and even in foreign countries).

Keep in mind that this day upon us is here to serve a purpose and send one message: Allah is Dhul-Jalali-wal-Ikraam (translated as the Lord of Majesty and Generosity).

One day. One message. Even though it technically is two different ‘holidays’.

Enjoy this day, and try to remember about turkey!

Of course, I meant to read about the glory days of the Muslim Ottoman Empire in Turkey!

and an early Eid Mubarak to you all.

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Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Saturday 26 Shaban 1428 (September 8, 2007)

Sheykh Abdul Kerim Efendi is saying more people are rising against Islam and the people of Haqq. Prophet (saws) said that following the sunnah is like carrying fire in end times. People are forgetting the lifestyle of Prophet (saws). Need to be able to tell good bidats (innovations) from bad bidats. Sayiddina Mehdi (as) will bring back the forgotten sunnahs. But Dajjal is also coming with his own powers. Meanwhile, Sheytan is fooling good people with illusions and delusions. Follow your Sheykh.

Download (25:37 mins) | Listen to the sohbet:

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Friday, 1 Ramadan 1430 (August 21, 2009)

Sheykh Efendi was saying that Ramazan is the month of rahmet and mercy for the believers who take it seriously, trying to come closer to ALLAH swt. It is the month of patience – to have authority on yourself and to show compassion to the ones you have authority over. The worst confusion is going to come out from the shaykhs and the imams in the hutbe place – calling people toward dunya. Prophet saws said that for your good deeds during Ramazan, the rewards are multiplying. Fast from all haram and from your bad habits.

Download (23:07 mins) | Listen to the sohbet:

As regards one whose deeds are great and many, he must busy himself with showing gratitude for them, for the accord to show gratitude is one of the greatest blessings Allah bestows upon His servant. It is obligatory upon him to meet these deeds with gratitude and realize his deficiency in displaying due gratitude.

Wahd ibn al-Ward, when asked about the reward of a particular deed said, “Ask not about its reward, but ask about the gratitude due upon one who was guided to it.”1

Abu Sulayman would say, “How can an intelligent person be amazed with his deeds? Deeds are one of Allah’s blessings, as such it is upon him to show gratitude and to show humility. It is only the Qadariyyah who are amazed at their deeds!”2  ie. those who do not believe that the actions of the servant are created by Allah, Mighty and Magnificent.

How excellent is the saying of Abu Bakr al-Nahshali on the day that Dawud al-Ta’i died. After his burial, ibn al-Sammak3 stood and praised him for his good deeds and wept causing all present to weep as well and testify to the truth of what he said … Abu Bakr al-Nahshali stood and said, “O Allah, forgive him and show mercy to him and leave him not to his deeds!”4

Abu Dawud records on the authority of Zayd ibn Thabit (radiAllaahu ‘anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Were Allah to punish the inhabitants of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth, He could do so without having oppressed them in any way. Were He to show them mercy, His mercy would be better for them than their deeds.” 5

Footnotes:

1 – Abu Nu’aym, vol. 8, p. 155

2 – Ibid, vol. 9, p. 276 #13896

3 – Ibid, vol. 8, p. 223 #11949, records that he used to say, “Astounding it is that the eye can take delight in sleep when the Angel of Death is standing by one’s pillow!”

4 – Ibid, vol. 7, p. 396 #10977

5 – Abu Dawud #4699 and ibn Majah #77. It was declared sahih by ibn Hibban [#727] and Albani, Sahih al-Jami’ #5244

Allah, Exalted is He, says: “If Allah took mankind to task by that which they deserve, He would not leave a living creature on the surface of the earth; but He grants them reprieve unto an appointed term, and when their term comes  – then verily Allah is Ever All-Seer of His slaves.” [Fatir (35):45]

Ibn Hibban #659 records on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Were Allah to take me and Isa to account for our sins, he could punish us without wronging us in the least!”

It was declared sahih by ibn Hibban and Albani, Sahih al-Taghrib #2475

• Transcribed from: The Journey to Allah | Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali

Asalaamu Alaikum Brothers, Sisters, Comrades!

If you are a Brother and you have been considering joining Islam, insh’Allah you’ve had a chance to check out some of my earlier blogs about some Islamic basics.

Trying to become a Muslim can be hard, even in a city with a decent-sized population like Chicago. In small towns around the US and the world where there might be few or no Muslims, it can be even harder for a potential revert.

Regardless of the level of contact with the Ummah (Muslim community), sometimes reverts can make the innocent mistake of trying to learn too much at once. Sometimes reverts try to OVERNIGHT become fully-fledged Muslims. While I don’t want to discourage people from learning as much as possible as soon as possible, I do want to stress that it doesn’t help the revert, nor Allah (SWT) if you burn out from trying to learn too much to fast.

SubhanAllah, we don’t want to burn people out, we want folks to be able to ease themselves into Islam and become productive members of the Ummah. As I’ve said before,  sometimes baby steps are the best way to go. Learning simple prayers (such as The Shahadah), or starting with basic tasks like growing a beard (for those that are capable).

In addition to growing a beard, or for some, instead of growing a beard, beginning to cover your hair is also a simple and useful way to practice being a Muslim. Alhamdulillah, much in the same way that growing a beard can raise the question of self-identity as a Muslim (for yourself and for people around you), insh’Allah it can provide a “gateway” to submitting oneself to Allah (SWT).

So why the Kufi?

As I mentioned before in the “Beard” blog, it is part of a man’s hijab (veiling/modesty). As the women wear the “head scarves,” so the men grow beards and wear hats. It sounds simple, but even something as simple as this can be very scary for people because of the powerful racism and Islamophobia that exists in our world.

But with that said, these are crucial steps in becoming an “out” Muslim (as I like to say). Although, in fact, any hat that covers your head is basically good, a kufi itself is best.

If you look up “kufi” in Google images, you should be able to find various different styles, colors, etc.

As a personal recommendation, if you live in Chicago, stop by the neighborhood just west of Western and Devon.
There are a multitude of shops that sell Islamic items and clothing. Kufi’s generally aren’t particularly expensive, though there are fancy ones that cost a lot. But you probably don’t need a fancy kufi, especially not if its your first.

If you don’t live somewhere near an Ummah, then you should check out SHUKR online at http://shukronline.com/

They have great clothing and great service. As a tip, if you don’t know what size hat you are, try buying two hats. I know this sounds like I’m some kind of salesman for them, but sometimes it is hard to tell how a hat will fit. But a lot of their hats are pretty inexpensive. So if you’re not sure if you’re a small or a medium, or you’re torn between medium and large; try both!

I wasn’t sure if I was a small or a medium, so I bought one of each in different styles. Turns out, I’m a medium. Alhamdulillah!

Like I said, there are a variety of different kufi’s that have been created over the centuries from different times and regions. If you think you want a kufi, this is a good place to check out there looks, prices, and sizes. Otherwise, there is always the simple one-size-fits-all knit cap kufi.

Insh’Allah this has been useful. Jazak Allah Khair to Shukr Online!

My eyes, see this man,

Leaning  over by the curb,

a rusty pan barely held in his hand.

he hadn’t showered in days, weeks

skin resembling different shades of sand.

My hands, hold a baby

barely three months old

eight percent chance of survival, maybe.

He holds my finger, he doesn’t even know…

His finger loosens.  It was meant to be.

Walking, with my cousin- he’s the one

the one who is pushed around.

He got high one night, thought it’d be fun…

Twisted, Angry, Burning metal, Sirens, everywhere.

Lost both of his legs, when all was said and done.

As my eyes saw,

As my hands held,

As my legs pushed,

My lips moved…

“Alhamdulillah”

*Never take for granted what Allah, ‘azza wa jal,  has blessed us each with*

[And remember when your Lord proclaimed, “If ye are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you; but if ye show ingratitude, truly My torment is terrible indeed.”] (Ibrahim 14:7)

[We bestowed wisdom on Luqman: “Show (thy) gratitude to Allah.” Any who is (so) grateful does so to the profit of his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, verily Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise.] (Luqman 31:12)

The Qur’anic word for thanks is “shukr.” It is mentioned in the Qur’an many times. Shukr is not only the way of good human beings; according to the Qur’an it is also the way of our Lord, our Creator

“It is the consideration of the favor and its acknowledgment. Shukr from the human means the recognition of the favor. Shukr from Allah means the reward and appreciation.”

Shukr is a very important principle in Islam. It is a quality of the believers and it is a source of all goodness. Shukr is used in the Qur’an sometimes as equivalent to faith. The faithful are thankful people and the unfaithful are ungrateful people.

Thankfulness creates many positive qualities in life. It makes a person happy, contented, hopeful and optimistic. Thankfulness takes away hate, anger, grudges and jealousy. Give thanks to someone and you will always see a smile in return. Thankfulness makes strangers friends; it can win even the hearts of the enemies. Thankfulness should not be only in happy times; it should be also in difficult times. Someone may say how a person can be thankful when he/she is in distress, difficulty, suffering and pain. We must, however, know that Shukr can change the difficulty. It certainly lightens the burdens of pain.

In Islam thanksgiving has two aspects: thankfulness to Allah and thankfulness to human beings. Thankfulness is not only a ceremony or festival; it is the whole life. The whole life should be lived in thankfulness to Allah who is our Ultimate Benefactor. We should also express our gratitude to many others from whom we receive benefits and services.

Allah has been good to us and so in our thankfulness we should worship Him and obey His commands and orders. Our daily prayers, our fasting during Ramadan, our Zakat and our Hajj are all our acts of thanksgiving. We should do them not only as duties; we should do them with an attitude of thankfulness and gratitude to our Lord and Creator. We should never forget that we are constantly under Allah’s favors and blessings. The Prophet –peace and blessings of Allah be upon him- was the most grateful servant of Allah. He taught us to remember Allah and give thanks to Him all the times.

The first feeling which comes with respect to thankfulness to Allah is that whatever we get is from Allah alone. He is the sole Owner of everthing. Everything originates from Him. Thankfulness to Allah in totality includes that we should be thankful from our tongue and the whatever we are getting should be used in a manner which pleases Him.
The practise of thankfulness is througout the life. There are huge number of benefits from Allah, like the air we breathe, which are very common and we get them without any effort for free. The feeling of thankfulness often dies down in a person for these benefits. The real Mo’min is the one whose tongue and actions are always filled with gratitude towards Allah for all benefits He has given.

The Prophet – peace be upon him – also said: “Those who do not thank people, they do not thank Allah.” (Al-Tirmidhi 1878)

We should be thankful to our parents. We should obey them, serve them and take good care of them when they need our help. We should thank our brothers and sisters, our relatives. We should thank our neighbors, coworkers, employers and employees. We depend on others and we owe many things to others. We must show our gratitude to every person in caring and thoughtful ways.

I recently ordered from this Islamic boutique online called Love Unspoken.  I loved the quality of the clothes that I ordered and the detail that was put into them.  All the items sold are made to order.  You give your measurments for every item to be made specifically for you.  Having your clothes made to order gives you a lot of flexibility for adding length where you want or need it and for allowing extra room in the bustline, waist, hips, etc.   The owner of the boutique contacted me with shipping information in a timely manner.  I had a pleasant experience not only with the ease of ordering but with the customer service as well.  A shop like this is great for a women who has odd measurements that are difficult to fit into standard sizes. 

The products that I ordered were great quality and I will definitely be ordering more clothing from this site.  I encourage the Muslimahs to check it out.

Love Unspoken

Arif-billah Shaykh Dr. Abdul Hayy ‘Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘I tell you the synopsis of my (80 years of) life.

The catalysts for changing dust to gold are,

1.  Get the blessed supplications (dua) from the pious (auliya) as much as possible
2.  Respect the elderly
3.  Be thankful for each and every bounty of Allah.’

Ibn Abbas held the opinion that touching the kafir breaks your wudhu.  I believe I read the above statement in the work of an orientalist and it had no evidence to support it so I am not sure if this truly is the opinion of Ibn Abbas.  However, the statement got me thinking about the issue of the kuffar and the Muslims approach to them.  Indeed, al wala wal bara is a part of the Muslim aqeeda and it is something that Muslims must adhere to very strictly.  The topic seems to be the current hot-topic amongst many Muslim bloggers after the article posted by Shaykh Tawfique Chawdhury on MuslimMatters and Imam Anwar al-Awlaki’s response to it on his own blog about working with the kuffar. 

However, one thing I wanted to point out and emphasize while all this debating is going on is the blessing, we, as Muslims, truly have been blessed with.  I mean, subhan’Allah, can you imagine life without Islam?  We have been blessed with guidance from the Lord of the Worlds.  In addition to al wala’ wal bara’, I feel great remorse towards the non-Muslim and I feel great pity towards them.  I was at a restaurant less than a week ago and they were playing a music-video of some MTV rapper.  The MTV rapper had women and money and the dunya in his music video, yet you could tell he wasn’t happy.  If you look at people in the Western society today, you notice that they go through ups and downs like it’s nobody’s business.  Depression is extremely common in the USA and UK nowadays.  When I look at the non-Muslim, I realize they have been deprived of so many things.  Just think about the following, the non-Muslim:

1. Does not realize who is His Lord nor does he have a relationship with His Lord
2. Does not understand the purpose of life
3. Is in a continuous state of najis (impurity), hence why the first thing someone does after converting to Islam is take a bath (ghusl)
4. Has never tasted the sweetness and khushoo of the prayer
5. Has no comprehension of tawakkul and relying on God, therefore causing stress and depression
6. Will never be truly happy for we know happiness is not with wealth but in the heart
7. Has never experienced true brotherhood (not the one where you pay money to have friends in a fraternity)
8. Does not have a proper relationship with society (where it’s with the parents, the masjid, or the community)
9. Does not have the beauty of the greeting of the salam
10. Does not experience the sweetness of faith (emaan)
11. Solves problems with alcohol instead of with dua or the Quran
12. Does not know what true fun/pleasure is (compare going to the club with brotherhood)
13. Has nothing to look forward to it (everyday is a blessing for us and we look forward to meeting our Lord, insh’Allah)
14. Money is their Lord and the lack of it depresses them and they will never have their fill (b/c of greed)
15. Their women are completely degraded and slaves to a sexual society

Number ten really hits the nail on the head.  We need to be thankful everyday for the Islam that has bestowed upon us.  We need to make dua to Allah (SWT) that He allows us to die in a state of emaan.

Therefore, O Muslim, be thankful for the blessing that is Islam and feel extreme gratitude to have been excluded from those that have been deprived of it.

Related Article

Aasiyah, the wife of Fir’own. Her Eeman in Allah thrived under the shadow of someone that said, “I am your Lord, Most High!” When news reached Fir’own of his wife’s Eeman he beat her and commanded his guards to beat her. They took her out in the scalding noon heat, tied her hands and feet and beat her perpetually. Who did she turn to? She turned to Allah! She prayed, “My lord, build for me a home with you in Paradise and save me from Fir’own and his deeds and save me from the transgressive people.”

It was narrated that when she said this, the sky opened for her and she saw her home in Paradise. She smiled. The guards watched astonished, she’s being tortured and she smiles? Frustrated, Fir’own commanded a boulder to be brought and dropped on Aasiyah, to crush her to death. But Allah took her soul before the boulder was brought and she became an example for all the believing men and women till the end of time:

[And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe: the wife of Fir'own (Pharaoh) - when she said, "My Lord, Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Fir'own and his deeds, and save me from the transgressive-disbelieving people.] -(Tahreem 66:1)

In the hadith of Jibreel, when he came to the Prophet (SAW) and asked him about Islam, Eeman, and Ihasan, the Prophet SAW said about Eeman, “Eeman is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His Messengers, the Final Day, and the divine decree, the good and the bad thereof.” For the past few weeks we have been reflecting on this hadith, only glimpses. Today we shall conclude with the last article of Eeman: to believe in the Divine decree, the good and the bad thereof.

As you and I travel though life we find ourselves in one of two situations. Either something good is happening in our lives and in which case – as Muslims- our role is to thank Allah for the blessing. Or something bad is happening to us, something we dislike and our role here is to be patient (Sabr). This is the formula for a happy life, a life cruising towards the pleasure of Allah. Sabr or Shukr, the worry stops here.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “Strange is the affair of the Mu’min (the believer), verily all his affairs are good for him. If something pleasing befalls him he thanks (Allah) and it becomes better for him. And if something harmful befalls him he is patient (Saabir) and it becomes better for him. And this is only for the Mu’mmin “

Ibn Al-Jowzee said, “If this Dunya was not a station of tests it would not be filled with sicknesses and filth. If life were not about hardship, then the Prophets and the pious would have lived the most comfortable of lives. Nay, Adam suffered test after test until he left the Dunya. Nuh cried for 300 years. Ibrahim was thrown into a pit of fire and later told to slaughter his son. Ya’qub cried until he became
blind. Musa challenged Fir’own and was tested by his people. Eeasa had no provision except the morsels his disciples provided him with. And Muhammad (SAW) met poverty with patience, his uncle – one of the most beloved relatives to him – was slain and mutilated and his people disbelieved in him … and the list of Prophets and the pious goes on and on.”

What happens to us happens by the will of Allah. It is an article of our Eeman in Qada’ and Qadr that we are pleased with Allah’s choice, Good or seemingly bad it is all the test of this Dunya. How could we imagine that we shall not be tested when those who were better than us suffered what they suffered. They however came away with the pleasure of Allah, Subhaanahu wa Ta’Aala.

Al Hasan ibn Arafah narrated, “I visited Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal after he was whipped and tortured. I said to him, “O Abu Abdillaaah, you have reached the station of the Prophets!” He said, “Keep quiet. Verily, I saw nothing more than people selling their Deen. And I saw scholars that were with me sell their Faith. So I said to myself, ‘Who am I, what am I. What am I going to say to Allah tomorrow when I stand in front of Him and He ask me, “Did you sell your Deen like the others did?” So I looked at the whip and the sword and chose them. And I said, “If I die I shall return to Allah and say: ‘I was told to say that one of Your Characteristics was something created but I did not.’ After that, it will be up to Him – either to punish me of be Merciful on me.”

Al-Hasan ibn Arafah then asked, “Did you feel pain when they whipped you?” He said “Yes, I felt the pain up to 20 lashes then I lost all feeling (They whipped him over eighty times). After it was over I felt no pain and that day I prayed Dhuhr standing.”

Al-Hasan ibn Arafah started weeping when he heard what had happened. Imam Ahmad questioned him, “Why are you crying? I did not lose my Eeman. After that why should I care if I lose my life?” They were better than us but this was how they were tested.

Let us discuss some facts about these tests of life, the good and the bad that befalls us:

§ Much of what befalls us – the hard times – is the direct result of ourown sins. Allah Ta’aala says “And whatever misfortune befalls you it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.” – (Qur’an 42:30)

Muhammad ibn Seereen used to say when his debts piled up and he felt sad, “I know that the cause of this sadness is a sin I committed over 40 years ago.”

§ People understand that when something bad happens it is a test from Allah. But dear Brothers and Sisters, the good things that happen to us are also a test.

Allah ta’aala says [And we tested them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn back] – (Al-A’raf 7:168)

Abd alMalik ibn Ishaq said, “There is no one that is not tested with health and prosperity to measure how thankful he is (Shukr).”

And the Companion – AbdurRahman ibn ‘Awf (RA) said, “We were tested with hardship and were patient. And then we were tested with prosperity and we were not patient. Because of this Allah states:

[O ye who believe! Let not your wealth or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers.] – (Al-Munafiqun 63:9)

§ Patience must happen from the beginning, not three days later or one day later, at the first news of the calamity, when it first happens. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Verily patience (is only Sabr when practiced) at the first hit (of news).”

§ There are things that contradict Sabr. Tearing ones shirt, for example, slapping ones face, slapping hands, shaving ones head, and cursing and wailing. Umm Salamah narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) say, “Any Muslim that says when a calamity befalls him that which Allah commanded him: To Allah we belong and to him we return. O Allah reward me in this calamity and give me better then it – (any Muslim that says this) Allah will grant him better than (that which he lost).” – Muslim

§ These tests and hardships wash our sins. Aisha (Ra) said, “Verily fever sheds sins like a tree sheds leaves.”

§ The hardships that befall us distinguish the believers from the insincere. Shumayt ibn Ajlaan said, “The pious and the ungrateful are hidden by health. Yet when calamities befall the two men are separated (by how they react).”

Allah says in the Quran “Alif/Laam/Meem..Do people think that they will be left alone because they say, “We believe,” and will not be tested? Indeed We tested those who (lived) before them” (Al-Ankaboot 29:1-3)

Towards Sabr

Ali (RA) said, “Verily Sabr is to Eeman what the head is to the body. When the head is cut off, the body falls. (He then raised his voice) Verily there is no Eeman for he who has no Sabr (patience).”

There are three types of Sabr that the Muslim must have:

1. Sabr in the obedience of allah. For example, One must be patient and perform their Fajr at it’s time.

2. Sabr in not disobeying Allah. Like someone might say, “I just have to insult him.” No, we are command by He who gave us our tongues to not follow the whispers of Shaytaan. And we must have Sabr in not disobeying Allah.

3. Sabr in what Allah Decrees on us. For example, if our child was to pass away we should be patient and seek the reward of Allah in our patience and say only that which is pleasing to Allah.

There are two keys. If we understand them we shall open the door to Sabr in our lives:

The First Key: know that our souls, families and wealth do not belong to us, they belong to Allah. He gave it to us as a loan to see what we would do with it. And when he takes it back He is taking back what belongs to Him. We had nothing before the blessing and we’ll have nothing after it. We did not create the blessing from nothing, so how can we claim that it belongs to us.

The Second Key: We are on a journey and the destination is the hereafter – Paradise or Hell. We shall be leaving the Dunya behind us and we’ll come back to Allah by ourselves. This is what needs our focus. And if Allah is pleased with us then no worry. If He is not pleased with us then all worry.

Let me draw your attention to a verse. Listen carefully. Allah revealed: “Guard strictly the (five obligatory) prayers, especially the middle Salah and stand before Allah in obedience.”- (al-Baqarah 2:238)

The verses before this deal with divorce. The verses after it deal with divorce. Why was this verse placed in the middle?

The Ulama’ have suggested, Wa Allaahu a’lam, that in the hard times that a person goes through (especially in a divorce) they should not forget the remembrance of Allah, the Salah. And it is that Salah coupled with Sabr that will pull them through.

“O you who believe! Seek Help in Patience and Salah. Truly, Allah is with those that are patient.”- (Baqarah 2:153)

In conclusion, Allah ta’ala wants us to give pass on the following good news:

[And give good news to the patient who, when afflicted with calamity say, “Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.”/They are those on whom the Salawat (i.e. the blessing and forgiveness) of their Lord is upon them, and who shall receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones” – (Baqarah 2:157)

Allah promised anyone who wants to work on his or her patience three things: Forgiveness, Mercy, and guidance. Who could ask for more?

Source

Ja jag kunde inte låta bli!

så klart köpte jag en av kjolarna! ha ha! Tänk att det ska vara så svårt att låta bli att köpa en massa fina saker!

Yes i could not  help it! I had to bye one of the skirts! I love them! why is it so hard to just not bye so much stuff all the time

Jag köpte denna i färgen “buttercream”

I bought this one but in the colour “buttercream”

Jag älskar Kjolar! Detta vet de som läste min tidigare blogg Jag använder nästan bara långa kjolar, därför att jag tycker att det är stilfullt och det är modest tycker jag. många tycker nog att jag är pryd och får de väl göra det då! Mitt motto är: mer är bättre! alltså mer täckande är bättre.. jag gillar inte dagens ju mindre destu bättre. det är den rådande tränden just nu och det är väl helt okej men det är inte så jag vill klä mig!

Nu har i alla fall min favoritaffär på nätet fått in nyheter!! tänkte visa er några kjolar som jag tycker är fina av det nyinkommna!

Alla dessa kjolar finns på shukronline

You can find the skirts thru the link above

Bismillah.

Being thankful to Allah is hard. It’s even harder when experiencing tough times and nothing seems to be going according to plan. In such a situation, Shaitaan makes us forget the blessings of Allah that we have, instead shifting our focus to the blessing that we are – apparently – deprived of. But thankfully, Allah has sent down the Qur’an that contains the guidance that we need to swat away Shaitaan’s feeble plans.

Allah says,

Say, He is the one who has brought you into being, and has endowed you with hearing, and sight, and hearts; Yet how seldom are you grateful!

[Surah Al-Mulk:23]

How little are we thankful indeed! The most amazing thing here is not that the three organs mentioned in the ayah are fundamental to our physical existence. No! It’s that the three organs mentioned in the ayah – hearing, sight, heart – are the three most important instruments in recognizing the favors of Allah. If these become dulled, then recognizing the favors of Allah becomes difficult.

Think about this: if the heart stops beating, the person dies. If the spiritual heart hardens and dies, the person dies a different type of death; the Qur’an makes no sense and the ahadith seem like fairy tales. This  is the ultimate consequence of being ungrateful to Allah. This is why we can never afford to be ungrateful to Allah – even in the worst of times – because we are putting our existence at risk.

But being thankful is not easy. Sometimes, it’s not even in our control. We need help. “You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help” (1:4). Divine help and guidance is needed to accomplish this task.

Some prophetic guidance to help us be thankful, because without the prophetic guidance we would be clueless:

1. After waking up, thanking Allah.
2. Thanking Allah after each prayer.
3. Thanking others who make a difference in our lives.
4. Making this dua morning and evening

Allahumma maa asbaha bee min ni’matin
aw bi ahadin min khalqika
fa minka wahdaka la shareeka laka
fa lakal hamdu wa lakash shukru

and for the evenings:

Allahumma maa amsaa bee min ni’matin
aw bi ahadin min khalqika
fa minka wahdaka la shareeka laka
fa lakal hamdu wa lakash shukru

The Prophet said, “Whoever says this in the morning has indeed offered his day’s thanks and whoever says this in the evening has indeed offered his night’s thanks”.

Allah says in the Qur’an, “Indeed if you are grateful and give thanks, surely, definitely I will increase you; but if you are ungrateful, then know that My punishment is indeed most severe” (14:7). So let that drive us to be thankful to Allah – for His blessings, for His favours, for the things He withheld and for the things that He facilitated.

Alhamdulillah.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Friday 29 Rajab 1429 (August 1, 2008)

Sheykh Efendi is reminding us that the night of Berat (15 Shaban) is coming – one of the holiest nights of the year. Will you pass the test for your activities and intention since last year?

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