Allah's Jewel/s

Have you ever felt so close to someone or rather loved someone so much, your heart physically feels this? At the age of 21 I realised what love truly is and what it means. Love for my dearest dearest mother.

Like many I grew up in her care and unconditional love, a love, which was enough to cure the most painful young ‘ill-health’. Being a single mother, my beloved mother was not just a parent, but a friend, a teacher and amongst other things.

It shames me to say this but I took this devotion of my mother for her children for granted, I believe there are many more of my kinds inhibiting this earth. It took me to experience something I would not wish for any other soul to go through to realise my mother’s essence.

As I grow up in a relatively multi-cultured society, I see all kinds of behaviour. One, which catches my attention the most, is that of the lifestyle of our young generation. The young one’s who spend more time with their friends smoking ‘weed’ than spending time in things that will benefit them.

Often we would hear this, as I call ‘cliché’ of the ‘parents are to blame for the immorality the young ones go about in’. But we should really ask ourselves, ‘do we really mean this? No we do not mean this, of course some parents are more careless than others, but in the hearts of ever parent is a deep love for their child/ren. A love so profound and so unique no words I am sure will do any justice to explain it. It is just like the love I; you and others have for their parent/s, every parent deserves some form of praise…


And the paradise is under the feet of your mothers. - Prophet Muhammad (saw)

Ali bin Hussain, the great-grandson of the Prophet, said: "Coming to the rights of relatives, it is the right of your mother that you should appreciate that she carried you [in her womb] as nobody carries anybody, and fed you the fruits of her heart which nobody feeds anybody, and protected you [during pregnancy] with her ears, hands, legs, hair, limbs, [in short] with her whole being, gladly, cheerfully and carefully; suffering patiently all the worries, pains, difficulties and sorrows [of pregnancy], till the hand of God removed you from her and brought you into this world."

"Then she was most happy feeding you, even if she herself had no clothes; giving you milk and water; not caring for her own thirst; keeping you in the shade, even if she had to suffer from the heat of the sun; giving you every comfort with her own hardship; lulling you to sleep while keeping herself awake."

"And [remember that] her womb was your abode, and her lap your refuge, and her breast your feeder, and her whole existence your protection; it was she, not you, who was braving the heat and cold of this world for your safety."

"Therefore, you must remain thankful to her accordingly, and you cannot do so except by the help and assistance from Allah." (The Charter of Right, p.18)

Do you see how precious a mother is? Do you not, after reading these words of Ali bin Hussain, want to raise your hands and plead to Allah SWT to bless, honour and look after her in the best of health in this duniyah and the hereafter?

I can go on and on listing the essence of a mother, as well as father, for I lost my beloved Baba at the age of 5 years of age. But I do not want to list, because listing is far too unjust to these jewels of our lives. I want my brothers and sisters to appreciate such profound love and to feel it before regret pains our souls. This Ummah of ours really needs to delve into the origins of our beings. For then will not the fruits of success be enjoyed?

I make du’a for all the parents out there, whether alive or in Allah's SWT mercy. May Allah SWT give us the tawfiq to look after them and consume their du’as for their children so we feel it not just in this duniyah but on the day when we stand before the creator who fashioned these beautiful creatures of His, InshAllah.

"Your Lord has commanded that you shall not worship (anyone) but Him and to be good to the parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) 'Ugh' nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word. And lower for them 'the wings of humility' out of mercy; and pray; 'O my Lord! Have mercy on them as they brought me up (when I was) little.'" (17:23-24)

May you all make dua for my Baba who has passed away, and for my dearest Ammi-Ji, for Allah SWT to protect her from the harm of this duniyah and for Him to continue to give me the pleasure to look after her and honour her, inshAllah.

Peace.

Be Patient Oh Soul Of Mine...

Everyday we hear news flash of another loss of an innocent human life/s. Some of us look away because of anger, yet deep pain embeds the soul, a pain that stems from the invisible paradigm, the feeling of ‘Ummah’. Others because the grief and injustice is so great, bow down and raise the hands for mercy from Allah:
‘Ya Allah, give your servants the power to fight injustice, Ya Allah give your servants the strength to establish good and forbid the evil…’
Then you have those who endeavour to physically bring about peace and fight for the cause of the brother and sisters who suffer in the hands of evil, of the Ummah the beloved RasulAllah SAW who worked relentlessly to establish and expand.

So regardless of what we do and how we go about in times of injustice, there is but one crucial point. That point is we, as Muslims must embed patience in our actions and thoughts, this will be illustrated in our words, physical movements and the radiance on our faces. For then will we be composed and articulate enough to deal with both good and evil, inshAllah.

Allah SWT in his glorious book reiterates the need for patience and perseverance…


"Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives, and the fruits of your toil. But give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Those who say, when afflicted with calamity, 'To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.' They are those on whom descend blessings from their Lord, and mercy. They are the ones who receive guidance." (2:155-157)

"Oh you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy. Vie in such perseverance, strengthen each other, and be pious, that you may prosper." (3:200)

"And be steadfast in patience, for verily Allah will not suffer the reward of the righteous to perish." (11:115)

"Be patient, for your patience is with the help of Allah." (16:127)
"Patiently, then, persevere - for the Promise of Allah is true, and ask forgiveness for your faults, and celebrate the praises of your Lord in the evening and in the morning." (40:55)

"No one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but persons of the greatest good fortune." (41:35)

"Verily man is in loss, except such as have faith, and do righteous deeds, and join together in the mutual enjoining of truth, and of patience and constancy." (103:2-3)

There is hardship in all our lives; no soul is left untouched by the equilibrium of joy and grief. Life is a balance and both are needed for the better of us. Moments of bliss will be the next moments of pain. But again I repeat the need to be positive, reassure ourselves the one verse Allah SWT tells us to acknowledge and contemplate…

Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.
Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.
Qur'an 94:5-6

‘Ya Allah, my Lord give me what is best for this duniyah and the hereafter. Ya Allah, I plead to you to protect me from the desires of this duniyah it is but for my own self-destruction. Ya Allah let not anything extinguish my need for You…’

Ameen.

A Silent Du'a

O Allah, my Light, my Guide
Show me the kernel of the truth
Give me the heart of a lion
And a falcon's eye.

Wisdom of Life

Some of us have this preconceived attitude over a number of things in life. Growing up in an environment of Islam/Muslims, their words were to be the ultimate for a rewarding life, not anything/anyone else. It has for a number of people caused a barrier for the wider community to integrate with other races and religions. It is sadly destructive for a human race which has been ultimately been created by one God, a God whatever name we have for Him.

I have come across wonderful Non-Muslims in my life, considering being brought up in an environment where only Muslim/Islam matters wouldn’t have thought that to be real/true/possible. Today I had to see someone and his words has rather left me really blissful. His faith in his God brought him to speak to me in the same league as I have learnt from my God. He talked to me about how I can remain content, the way forward the medicine…’speak to your lord that will be your ultimate relief…don’t seek changes feel the change, accept things you cannot change…’

Really what I am trying to say is regardless of what race/creed we come from. Even from our own creed, we mustn’t let enmity to destruct us, because not only does it destruct those around you but one feels it in oneself too.
Reading some of the articles about Muslims fighting fellow Muslims, it does nothing but cause negativity to prevail. We must learn from our ancestors how they won battles, love and peace. The old cliché of playing fire with fire never truly extinguishes…that is wisdom, a great wisdom that needs contemplating it is but an honest reality and truth.

The Wait?

A number of us wait for things, could be for a person or to reach a goal. But it almost fascinates me that no matter how much we have or attain there is this existential void in our life, a void which is there due to being estranged from the divine.

Some will say waiting means one is not living 'today' the 'now'. But the above brings one to the conclusion that we can fulfill as much as we like to near our hearts content, but the void of reaching the divine can only be attained when the meeting has reached its maximum...

~

Waiting
The song I came to sing
remains unsung to this day.
I have spent my days in stringing
and in unstringing my instrument.

The time has not come true,
the words have not been rightly set;
only there is the agony
of wishing in my heart.....

I have not seen his face,
nor have I listened to his voice;
only I have heard his gentle footsteps
from the road before my house.....

But the lamp has not been lit
and I cannot ask him into my house;
I live in the hope of meeting with him;
but this meeting is not yet.

~Rabindranath Tagore

What Did You Find?

And long have you travelled beside me...through those treacherous winter evenings, when even the maple leafs withered and died...what did you find out about me?

What rages in the bossom of ones heart, cannot possibly be retrieved over a course of few days. What needs to be acknowledged is that to know a man one ought to travel with him for a period of time. Many number of us judge on the basis of few words or maybe even actions, how futile that is. Life is to be explored; what is dark is followed by a glow.

There can be no darkness without light and no light without the darkness...

There is something...

There is this void.
Its yearning is spent in solace
Its yearning is felt in melancholy.
Words are brought to the lips to explain,
but what is explained when the heart lives in rage?

There is this void.
Moments are spent in its coming
Days are dedicated in its worship.
The heart purified for its awaited visit,
but what will come to the one, whoes life is dedicated to this?

There is this void.
For what it is worth
Let the madness absorb one.
What absorbs is relief,
such is the path to content when all else fails, surely?