Truth Always Prevails: June 2009

A Visit Hard To Forget : A Young Muslim Woman Visits the Prophet's Mosque

By Neveen Shedid
Reading Islam Team

"I'm here, I'm finally here, All praise to God who brought me here again."

These are usually the first words I utter as soon as my eyes fall on the minarets of Prophet Muhammad's mosque on my way from the airport to the hotel in Madinah.

Throughout my ride, I keep staring out of the window of the bus trying to just catch a glimpse from a distance of Prophet Muhammad's mosque.

I've been visiting Madinah every Ramadan for the last fifteen years. I believe this is a great blessing from God because once your feet step on the ground there, you feel what thousands of pictures cannot tell or transfer: the spirit of Madinah, Prophet Muhammad's city.

Although I visited Madinah so many times, I still feel the very same happiness I felt the first time I went there. The feeling of serenity overfills me every time.

Although Madinah has witnessed its fair share of modernization, it still hasn't lost its spirit of peace and tranquility. And no wonder, as it is the city to which Prophet Muhammad migrated 1400 years ago, lived in, and is buried in.

As I sit in Prophet Muhammad's mosque or wander in the streets of Madinah, a thought always strikes me: could I be stepping on the ground that the Prophet's feet once touched? Could I be sitting in a place that Prophet Muhammad once sat in?

And I pray: "Oh God, let my feet touch a spot Prophet Muhammad's feet once touched."

A Garden From Paradise
"As I look at the faces of these women, I ponder at the amount of love they carry for a man they never met!" There are two timings for visiting Prophet's Muhammad grave for women, as the grave lies in the men's section of the mosque. As soon as the doors open for women to enter, hundreds and thousands of women rush towards the grave to try to pray in the area called Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah (the area now between Prophet Muhammad's grave and his pulpit).

Prophet Muhammad once said, "There is a garden from the gardens of Paradise between my house and my pulpit." (Al-Bukhari)

Inside the Rawdah, you can see women from different ethnicities, speaking different languages, all gathered in this place for one reason: the love of Prophet Muhammad.

They look with love to each other with tears filling their eyes, praising God and thanking Him for enabling them to stand in this blessed place.

They raise their hands praying to God to forgive their sins and asking Him to grant them their wishes in this life and the Hereafter, for they stand next to the grave of Prophet Muhammad, the most beloved person to God.

A Pure Love
As I look at the faces of these women, I ponder at the amount of love they carry in their hearts for Prophet Muhammad, a man they never met, spoke with, or even saw, but still they love him as if he's living among them, and he is even dearer to them than their closest ones.

This enormous love to Prophet Muhammad stems from their appreciation to what he has been through in conveying the message of Islam, and the hope for his intercession to them on Judgment Day.

They carry for him a pure kind of love, incomparable to any other kind of love, a love that God placed in the believers' hearts for Prophet Muhammad, the mercy He sent to mankind.

When I sit in Prophet Muhammad's mosque and reflect upon all the incidents that happened to me throughout the year, I feel that my problems are very shallow and trivial.

Days and days we worry about tomorrow, forgetting the fact that it's all in God's hands and that we should truly rely on God as Prophet Muhammad did when he left Makkah, the most beloved place to him, and migrated to Madinah. That is one great lesson in reliance on God.

I look forward every year to visiting Prophet Muhammad's mosque to recharge my batteries of patience, and perseverance, and increase my faith that God always does what's best for me, but I'm the one who sometimes fails to read His signs.

The Bliss of Solitude
I always leave with the hope of coming back the next year, but as big as my hopes are, I also realize the fact that this visit might be my last one, a fact that I can't deny.

So I leave with tears in my eyes asking myself the inevitable question: Will my eyes ever fall again on the green dome where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is buried under?
My faith in God answers this question, and I find my solace in His words for God says in the Qur'an what means,

{And whoever obeys God and the Messenger, these are with those upon whom God has bestowed favors from among the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the pious, and a goodly company are they.} (An-Nisaa' 4:69)

I recall a poem I memorized at school when I was a child. It spoke about daffodils and how a beautiful memory can flashback and comfort you.

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon the inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude (William Wordsworth)

To me, the memory of the visit to Prophet Muhammad's mosque is my bliss of solitude.

____________________________________________________

Neveen Shedidis an editor at Reading Islam. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Cairo university and a diploma in Islamic studies.

photos;

http://picturesofmosques.blogspot.com/

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A Woman of Perfection: The Youngest Daughter of the Prophet

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By Maria Zain
A woman in today's society is not free from scrutiny about how she meant to dress, behave, or appear in public.

The public eye falls on every woman who strolls within its purview and its perception is often one that is rigid and judgmental.Physical beauty essentially becomes the talk of the season, every season, as the definition of physical beauty changes like the clouds.

One season, beautiful women are those who are skinny with a certain haircut — maybe one that is straight — so the trend follows: women of all ages begin to "diet" into the prescribed form of beauty and cough up their savings for rebonding hair treatments.

The next season's color of beauty is sandy dust and pointed shoes to elongate the legs. The trend then forces women to adhere to the "norm" by scouring beauty stores for sandy dust hair dye and shoe stores for pointy shoes.

Physical beauty is a never-ending debate. Face lifts, new diets, clothes, and more clothes and cosmetics represent lucrative industries where the perception of beauty changes and alters and is ultimately forced upon women who fall prey to this form of material perfection.
Islam has other ideas, though. It prescribes hijab for Muslim women to protect themselves from this shallow definition of perfection. With the use of this Muslim dress code, women are no longer required to follow trends of the season.

Women are allowed in their homes and to their spouses to make their eyes look bigger, their eyelashes longer, to color their toenails and they are even "allowed" to be a little overweight.
Physical beauty in Islam is guarded through the sanctity of marriage where spouses are described as being "garments" for each other.The perfect woman is therefore defined differently in Islam. Though a woman may still be physically attractive to her husband, her public image is a different one, where her inner beauty plays a far more prominent role in her appearance and behavior.

The Women of Perfection
The four perfect women recognized by Islam are well known by Muslims. They are: the Virgin Mary, the mother of Prophet Jesus, Asya, the wife of Pharaoh, Lady Khadijah, the Prophet's first wife, and Lady Fatimah, the youngest daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Fatimah the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, in particular, was a young girl during the time Islam was introduced. So from her youth — as a daughter, later a wife and a mother — the perfection of a Muslim as defined by Islam surfaces through Lady Fatimah.

Lady Fatimah is described to be one of the great women in Islam. She played an important role in her father's mission, thus is recognized as the perfect role model for women. The below verse describes the sanctity of the Prophet's household, including Lady Fatima.

[And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former times of ignorance; and establish regular Prayer, and give regular Charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless.] (Al-Azhab 33:33)

In many reports, she was barely five when Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation at Mount Hira'. As a child, she had witnessed gross calamities inflicted upon her parents and even at times she fell victim to the taunts of the Quraish.

Unlike some children today who have to deal with playground bullying or peer pressure, Lady Fatima endured physical, mental and spiritual pain as she watched her father being humiliated by the pagan Arabs as they labeled him as being "mentally insane."

One story even relays a scene at the Kabah where one of the Prophet's opponents discarded rubbish on Prophet Muhammad's head while he was prostrating to God.With a teary eye and a wrenched heart, the young Fatimah cleaned her father as he pacified his favorite daughter by telling her that he could endure personal insults, as long as they were not directed towards Islam.

Maybe it was through Lady Fatimah's endurance throughout her childhood that Prophet Muhammad held her in high regard throughout his lifetime.

When she was older, and even married, she would nurse her father through to recovery when he was injured during war.It was reported that on occasions where food was scarce, he would visit his daughter first to ensure that she had enough sustenance, before tending to his own needs.
Similarly, Lady Fatimah would visit her father if he were in need, without regretting any sacrifices she would make for him.

Also, when Lady Fatima entered a room that was occupied by Prophet Muhammad, he would immediately rise to greet her, kiss her forehead, and offer her his vacated seat. She would return the gesture when their roles were reversed.

Her marriage to Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet's cousin, was a happy one. The wedding is often described as one of the most lavish weddings in Madinah. It was sponsored by her father, as Ali was a poor man.

In fact, Lady Fatimah was the only one of Prophet Muhammad's daughters who did not marry a rich merchant. Prophet Muhammad encouraged the union, knowing very well that Ali was a pious Muslim and one that would look after his youngest daughter until death parted them.
Lady Fatimah braced married life bravely and worked to help her husband to provide for their family. Besides the grueling conditions that she worked in, she was also a mother to two baby boys the older is named Hassan and the younger is Hussein.

She was a loving daughter, loyal wife, and doting mother. She persisted through the hardship that burdened her throughout her life, without even a whimper. How many women today are able to do that without being swayed by the latest fashion statements?

Raising Fatimahs
Contemporary culture often talks about the physical appearance of a woman, one that has to be inherently attractive. But Muslims, and Muslim women in particular, learn that inner beauty outweighs beauty on the outside. This has been portrayed by pious Muslim women who observe the Muslim dress code and adhere to good Muslim behavior.
They are those who provide for the needy, relieve the burdens of their husbands, raise their children as believers, love their parents, and strive for personal improvement, whether it is through their careers, interests, or hobbies. Every act of a good Muslim is done for the sake of Allah.

Are Muslim daughters today growing up to be remotely close in demonstrating Lady Fatimah's demeanor and faith? Fatimah was exposed to violence and oppression at a young age and she blossomed into becoming one of the most pious Muslims in the history of Islam, and is recognized by Allah as one of the perfect Muslim women.
It does not mean that young Muslim daughters today have to be exposed to violence and oppression the way Prophet Muhammad and his family had been to flourish into becoming believing women.

But the overwhelming levels of materialism that is inherent in today's culture, especially the shallow definition of perfection, dampens hopes that young Muslim women today will prescribe to Lady Fatimah's formula in striving for perfection.

Perfection that Lasts
There is only one Fatimah, the one and only Lady Fatimah.
To Fatimah the Prophet Muhammad said: "Thou art the highest of the women of the people of Paradise, excepting only the Virgin Mary, daughter of Imran," (Lings, 1983).

It is difficult for women not to be swayed by the idea of contemporary perfection. The media bullies women into thinking that without a certain asset, accessory, or cosmetic case, they will fade into becoming bland individuals for being less attractive and less perfect.
Imagine striving for perfection amidst fashion faux-pas and the latest cosmetic discoveries.
Now imagine striving to socialize with Lady Fatimah in Paradise. Imagine mingling with her amongst other believers who withdrew from the pressures of contemporary perfection.
The reminder of Lady Fatimah as a perfect Muslim woman is one to lean on, whether a Muslim woman is a daughter, wife or mother. Regardless of personal interests, hobbies, networks, social circles, or career prospects, a woman's duty – like that of a Muslim man's - is towards Allah and his covenants.

The shallow world of materialism has no place in the hearts of believing Muslim women.
________________________________________
Maria Zain is predominantly a Business Writer but enjoys various writing genres including Muslim Lifestlye, Muslim Management and Leadership, Islamic Finance, Interior Decoration and Parenting. Her work has been published in multiple international publications that focus on da'wa work in one way or another. Maria is a Malaysian writer, with a short career in banking to her name, courtesy of her degree in Finance. She was brought up in Europe but currently resides in Malaysia with her husband and two small children.

http://www.readingislam.com/

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The story of Prophet Eesaa

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While Maryam (Mary), may Allaah exalt her mention, was praying in her place of worship, an angel in the form of a man appeared before her. Filled with terror, she tried to flee, praying (what means): "…'Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing of Allaah.' He said: 'I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy [i.e., son].' She said: 'How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?' He said: 'Thus [it will be]; your Lord says: 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed.''" [Quran: 19:18-21]

The angel's visit caused Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, great anxiety, which increased as the months went by. How could she face giving birth to a child without having a husband?
Later, she felt life kicking inside her. With a heavy heart, she left the place of prayer and went to Nazareth, the city in which she had been born, where she settled in a simple farm house to avoid the public.

But fear and anxiety did not leave her. She was from a noble and pious family. Her father had not been an evil man nor was her mother an impure woman. How could she prevent tongues from wagging about her honour?

After some months, she could bear the mental strain no longer. Burdened with a heavy womb, she left Nazareth, not knowing where to go to be away from this depressing atmosphere.
She had not gone far, when she was overtaken by the pains of childbirth. She sat down against a dry palm tree, and here she gave birth to a son. Looking at her beautiful baby, she was hurt that she had brought him into the world without a father. She exclaimed (what means): "…Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten." [Quran: 19:23]

Suddenly, she heard a voice nearby saying (what means): "…'Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream. And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates. So eat and drink and be contented. And if you see from among humanity anyone, say: 'Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man.'" [Quran: 19:24-26]

For a while she was comforted by Allaah's miracle, for it was a sure sign of her innocence and purity. She decided to return to the city. However, her fears also returned. What was she going to tell the people?

As she had expected, her arrival in the city with a newborn baby in her arms aroused the curiosity of the people. They scolded her: "This is a terrible sin that you have committed!" She put her finger to her lips and pointed to the child. They asked: "How can we speak to a newborn baby?" To their total amazement, the child began to speak clearly, saying (what means): "…'Indeed, I am the servant of Allaah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and Zakaah as long as I remain alive. Allaah [made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant. And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive.'" [Quran: 19:30-33]

Most of the people realised that the baby was unique, for if Allaah wills something, He merely says 'Be' and it happens. Of course, there were some who regarded the baby's speech as a strange trick, but at least Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, could now stay in Nazareth without being harassed.

It was said that Yoosuf (Joseph) the Carpenter was greatly surprised when he knew the story, so he asked Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention: "Can a tree come to grow without a seed?" She replied: "Yes, the one which Allaah created for the first time." He asked her again: "Is it possible to bear a child without a male partner?" She replied: "Yes, Allaah, created Aadam without male or female!"

The Jewish priests felt this child ('Eesaa, or Jesus) was dangerous, for they felt that the people would turn their worship to Allaah, the Almighty, displacing the existing Jewish tenets. Consequently, they would lose their authority over the people. Therefore, they kept the miracle of 'Eesaa's speech in infancy a secret and accused Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, of a great misdeed.

As 'Eesaa, may Allah exalt his mention, grew, the signs of prophethood began to increase. He could tell his friends what kind of supper waited for them at home and what they had hidden and where. When he was twelve years old, he accompanied his mother to Jerusalem. There, he wandered into the temple and joined a crowd listening to the lecture of the Rabbis (Jewish priests). The audience was all adult, but he was not afraid to sit with them. After listening intently, he asked questions and expressed his opinion. The learned rabbis were disturbed by the boy's boldness and puzzled by the questions he asked, for they were unable to answer him. They tried to silence him, but he ignored their attempts and continued to express his views. 'Eesaa became so involved in this exchange that he forgot he was expected back home.
In the meantime, his mother went home, thinking that he might have gone back with relatives or friends. When she arrived, she discovered that he was not there, so she returned to the city to look for him. At last she found him in the temple, sitting among the learned, conversing with them.

Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, became angry with him for causing her worry. He tried to assure her that all the arguing and debating with the learned had made him forget the time.
'Eesaa grew into manhood. It was the Sabbath (Saturday), a day of complete rest for the Jews: no fire could be lit or extinguished, nor could females plait their hair. It was a Jewish practice that Saturday be dedicated to the worship of Allaah. However, the wisdom behind the Sabbath and its spirit had gone, and only the letter remained in the Jews' hearts. Also, they thought that Sabbath was kept in heaven, and that the People of Israel had been chosen by Allaah only to observe the Sabbath.

They made a hundred things unlawful on Saturday, even self-defence, or calling a doctor to save a patient who was in poor condition. There was, for example, a rule which prohibited a journey of more than one thousand yards on the Sabbath day.

One day (on a Sabbath), 'Eesaa was on his way to the temple. He reached out his hand to pick two pieces of fruit to feed a hungry child. This was considered to be a violation of the Sabbath law. He made a fire for the old women to keep themselves warm from the freezing air, which was considered another violation. He went to the temple and looked around.

There were twenty thousand Jewish priests registered there who earned their living from the temple. The rooms of the temple were full of them. In the temple, the Pharisees and Sadducees acted as if it was a market place, and these two groups always disagreed on everything. 'Eesaa followed the scene with his eyes and observed that the poor people who could not afford the price of the sheep or dove were swept away like flies by the Pharisees and Sadducees. 'Eesaa was astonished. Why did the priests burn so many offerings inside the temple, while thousands of poor people were hungry outside it?

On this night, the two noble Prophets Yahyaa (John) and Zakariyyaa (Zachariah), may Allaah exalt their mention, were executed by the ruling authority. On the same night, the revelation descended upon 'Eesaa . Allaah, the Exalted, commanded him to begin his call to the children of Israel. To 'Eesaa the life of ease was now closed, and the page of worship and struggle had opened.

For more.. http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/archive/article.php?lang=E&id=108641

The story of Prophet Luut

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Prophet Luut left Egypt, accompanied by his uncle Ibraaheem and headed to the city of Sodom in Palestine, which was on the western shore of the Dead Sea.

This city was filled with evil. Its residents waylaid, robbed and killed travellers. Another common evil among them was that their men used to have sex with men instead of women. This unnatural act later became known as sodomy, after the city of Sodom. It was practiced openly and unashamedly.

It was at the height of these crimes and sins that Allaah revealed to Prophet Luut that he should summon the people to give up their indecent behaviour, but their immoral habits were so deeply ingrained that they were deaf to Luut's preaching. Addicted to their unnatural desires, they refused to accept the call to repentance, even when Luut warned them of Allaah's punishment. Instead, they threatened to drive him out of the city if he continued preaching against their evil habits.

Allaah Almighty revealed (what means): "The people of Luut denied the messengers. When their brother Luut said to them: 'Will you not fear Allaah? Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger. So fear Allaah and obey me. And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds. Do you approach males among the worlds. And leave what your Lord has created for you as mates? But you are a people transgressing.' They said: 'If you do not desist, O Luut, you will surely be of those evicted.' He said: 'Indeed, I am, toward your deed, of those who detest [it]. My Lord! Save me and my family from [the consequence of] what they do.' So We saved him and his family, all. Except an old woman [i.e., the wife of Luut] among those who remained behind." [Quran: 26:160-171]

The sinful actions of Prophet Luut's people saddened his heart. Their abominable reputation spread throughout the land, while he continued to struggle against them. As the years passed, he persisted in his mission, but to no avail. No one responded to his call and believed except for the members of his family; even in his household, not all the members believed: Luut's wife was a disbeliever.

If home is the place of comfort and rest, then Luut found none, for he was tormented both within and outside his home. His life was continuous agony as he suffered greatly, but he remained patient and steadfast as a Messenger to his people. Instead of heeding to him, they belittled his message, and mockingly challenged him, saying (what means): "…'Bring us the punishment of Allaah, if you should be of the truthful!" [Quran: 29:29]

Overwhelmed with despair, Luut prayed to Allaah to grant him victory and to destroy the corrupt. Allaah Almighty, therefore, sent three angels in the guise of young handsome men in answer to his prayer. They reached the walls of the town in the afternoon. The first person who caught sight of them was Luut's daughter while she was filling her jug with water from the river. When she saw them, she was stunned that there could be men of such magnificent beauty on earth.

One of the three men (angels) asked her: "O maiden! Is there a place to rest?"
Remembering the evil character of her people, she replied: "Stay here and do not enter the town until I inform my father and return." Leaving her jug by the river, she swiftly ran home.

"O father!" she cried. "You are wanted by young men at the town gate and I have never before seen the like of their faces!"

Luut felt distressed as he quickly ran to his guests.

They visited him at home as guests. After ushering them in hospitably, he asked them where they came from and where they were going.

They did not reply to his questions. Instead they asked if he could host them. He began talking with them and impressed upon them the repulsive nature of his people. Luut was filled with turmoil; he wanted to convince his guests without offending them, not to spend the night there, yet at the same time he wanted to extend to them the expected hospitality normally accorded to guests. In vain, he tried to make them understand the perilous situation. At last, therefore, he requested them to wait until nightfall, for then no one would see them.

When darkness shrouded the town, Luut escorted his guests to his home. No one was aware of their presence. However, as soon as Luut's wife saw them, she slipped out of the house quietly so that no one noticed her. Quickly, she ran to her people with the news and spread it to all the inhabitants like wildfire. The people rushed towards Luut quickly and excitedly.

Read the rest from: http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/archive/article.php?lang=E&id=135457

Convert a Lemon into a Sweet Drink *

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By Sheikh `A'id Abdullah Al-Qarni
Da`iyah and Scholar — Saudi Arabia

An intelligent person transforms losses into profits; whereas the unwise aggravates his own predicament, making two disasters out of one.

§ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was compelled to quit Makkah, his beloved homeland, and to leave to Madinah. With lightning speed, Madinah took its place in history.

§ Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was imprisoned, severely tortured, and flogged. Yet he emerged triumphant, becoming "the Imam of the Sunnah."

§ Imam Ibn Taymiyah was put into prison; he came out an even more accomplished scholar.

§ Imam As-Sarakhsi was kept as prisoner at the bottom of a deserted well and he managed therein to produce twenty volumes on Islamic jurisprudence.

§ Ibn Al-Athir became crippled, and thereafter, he wrote his Jami` Al-Usul wa An-Nihayah, one of the most famous books on the science of Hadith.

§ Imam ibn Al-Jawzi was banished from Baghdad , afterwards he mastered the seven different ways of reciting the Qur'an.

§ Malik ibn Ar-Raib was on his deathbed when he recited his most famous and beautiful poem competing the poetical works of the later poets of the Abbasid period and still appreciated until this day.

§ When Abi Dhu'aib Al-Hudhali's children died before him, he eulogized them with one of the best and most moving Arabic poems; it is still admired and it became an integral part of Arabic literature history.

Therefore, if you are afflicted with a misfortune, look on the bright side. If someone were to hand you a glass full of squeezed lemons, add to it a handful of sugar. And if someone gives you a snake as a gift, keep its precious skin and leave the rest, for Allah Almighty says in the Qur'an what means,

(It may happen that you hate a thing that is good for you) (Al-Baqarah 2:216)

Before its violent revolution, France imprisoned two brilliant poets: one an optimist and the other a pessimist. Both of them looked through the bars of their respective cell windows. The optimist stared at the stars and laughed, while the pessimist looked at the dirt of a neighboring road and wept.
Look at the other side of a tragedy; a circumstance of pure evil does not exist, and in all situations one can find goodness and victory and reward from Allah.

* Excerpted with some modifications from www.islamcan.com
Sheikh `A'id Abdullah Al-Qarni is a prominent Saudi scholar and da`iyah. He has his doctorate in Hadith. He has made many audio lectures and a number of TV programs about different Islamic and Da`wah-related topics.

www.islamonline.net

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Fitra

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by Imran Ibn Zarkhan Al Shafi

In The Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

All Praise be to the one who Created us;
There are some who make His existence a fuss;
Those who disbelieve in Him, they are in Loss;

In this life we have a test;
The question: whose fear of Allah is the best?
To worship him is our quest.

Time and Time again we are faced with situations;
In which we must make tough decisions;
Fools are we, we think we're so smart;
shaytan attacks us with many ideas like darts;
According to him, we plan and chart;
Not knowing that he is poisoning our hearts;
The time comes when we realize the mistake in our Parts;
One last chance!, for some the tauba starts;

Even still, some don't ask of His Forgiveness;
They don't realize that they're in a big mess;
Never do they ask of Allah's Mercy;
They have eyes, but can they really see?;

There are also the righteous however;
Forget to ask Allah?, NEVER!;
They ask Allah in every endeavor;
To help them as part of His Favor;
Then, even if they are affected by Shaytans call;
They are not hurt by the hard fall;
They quickly get back up, standing tall;
Racing to gain forgiveness from The Merciful;
Allah promised to answer the caller's call;

Take a lesson from the fitra of the child;
With the lesson of walking they are trialed;
Yes, they do fall, but they are not beguiled;
They get back up and take a step;
Maybe again they accidentally trip;
But they stand up again and get a grip;
More and more steps take place;
Before you realize it, they are walking with so much grace;

An example for us, as we grow in our age and Deen;
Like the baby, hard challenges we have seen;
As the baby walks with so much grace;
We should also pick up our pace;
We are travelers, there is no question;
To Allah is our ultimate destination!

May the Prayers and blessings of Allah be on His beloved;
and on the companions who prayed and strived;
That the Deen of Allah might be carried on to those who came later;
On high thrones will they be raised in the hereafter;
Advice on Friends!

A real friend wishes his companions well,
He's not one who allows them to get close to hell,
Always be careful of the friends you Choose,
So, in the end, Jannah you will not lose,
If you find your companion is not stopping your wrong,
then, be weary, his friendship is not strong.
If you see the pattern made,
that when you are under your friend's shade,
Your Imaan begins to fade,
Leave the worthless creation,
make friends with Allah, Surely that is a high station!.
A dervish who had knowledge of our present situation,
Once told his students the following dictation,
"The meeting of people will never enrich you,
save with the gibberish of useless gossip.
So diminish your meeting with people,
except for knowledge or to improve your condition"

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Tests for the Believers: Fluctuations of Life *

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By Sheikh. Salim Al-Hilali
A Scholar of Hadith

A person’s life in this world is not stable. One passes through alternating periods of happiness and dismay, strength and weakness, wealth and poverty, health and sickness, etc. A true believer is one who maintains a clear level of faith throughout the worldly fluctuations. He continues to remember Allah and ascribe the bounties to Him, and he turns to Him in submission, asking for relief from his affliction. This is described by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who said:

“Indeed amazing are the affairs of a believer! They are all for his benefit. If he is granted ease of living he is thankful; and this is best for him. And if he is afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres; and this is best or him.” (Muslim)

And Allah said:
[Certainly, We shall test you with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits; but give glad tidings to the patient—those who, when afflicted with calamity say, “Truly to Allah we belong, and truly to Him shall we return.” It is those who will be awarded blessings and mercy from their Lord; and it is those who are the guided ones.] (Al-Baqarah 2:155–157)

Thus, a believer shows gratitude and thankfulness for all the wonderful blessings that Allah grants him. And he displays patience and submission during sickness and hardships, hunger, or other afflictions.

Hardships Benefit the Believer

Allah has decreed that, in this life, hardships and disasters strike both believers and non-believers. For a non-believer, they are inconveniences that hinder him from proceeding with his normal involvement in the worldly life. For a believer, on the other hand, they are instances of rest and remembrance, tests that promise great rewards, and indications of atonement and expiation of sins. Regardless of how little is the harm that strikes a believer, it carries with it good news of forgiveness and elevated rank in Paradise. The Righteous Predecessors used to be pleased when a hardship afflicted them, seeing it as a token of Allah’s forgiveness and benevolence.

Expiations of Sins

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet said, ”Hardships continue to befall a believing man and woman in their body, family, and property, until they meet Allah burdened with no sins” (At-Tirmidhi).

Sign of Allah’s Love

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whenever Allah wills good for a person, He subjects him to adversity” (Al-Bukhari and others).

Sign of Faith

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Ka`b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“The parable of a believer is that of a fresh and moist plant; the wind tilts it this way and that way; and so is the believer; he continues to be subject to affliction. And the parable of a hypocrite is that of a firm cedar tree; it does not shake—until it is uprooted all at once.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Sign of Righteousness

The prophets and righteous people are afflicted the most, and their rewards are the highest. Sa`d (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“The most in their suffering among the people are the prophets, then the best, then the (next) best. One is afflicted in accordance with his faith. If his faith is firm, his affliction is hard, and if his faith is weak, his affliction is light. Indeed, one would be so much subjected to adversity until he walks among the people without any sins.” (Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi)

Early Punishment

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“When Allah wills good for a servant of His, He expedites his punishment in this life; and when He wills retribution for a servant of His, He holds his sins for Him to judge him by them on the Day of Resurrection.” (At-Tirmidhi)

Multiplication of Rewards

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“The amount of reward is in accordance with the amount of suffering. When Allah loves some people, He tries them (with affliction). He who then is content (with Allah’s decree) has achieved the acceptance (of Allah), and he who is dissatisfied (with Allah’s decree) will attain the anger (of Allah).” (At-Tirmidhi)

Rewards for Sickness

One should not look to sickness as a gloomy episode, but should remember the great good in it. It is one form of affliction with which Allah tests His servants, giving them a chance to acquire rewards, as was explained above, as is further emphasized below.

Removal of Sins and Elevation in Ranks

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whenever a Muslim is afflicted by harm from sickness or other matters, Allah will drop his sins because of that, like a tree drops its leaves” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A Muslim is not afflicted by hardship, sickness, sadness, worry, harm, or depression—even if pricked by a thorn—but Allah expiates his sins because of that” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Sa`id said, “I was with Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) when he visited a sick man in Kindah (in Persia), and he said to him, “Expect good because Allah makes a believer’s sickness an expiation (for his sins) and a period of rest. However, when a disbeliever falls sick, he is like a camel whose owner ties it then lets it loose—it does not understand why it was tied nor why it was freed.” (Al-Bukhari)

`A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that once some pain afflicted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) causing him to suffer and turn about in his bed. She said, “Had one of us done this, you would have blamed him.” He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied:
“An ailment is intensified for the righteous. Whenever a believer is afflicted by a hardship, whether it is a thorn or more, a sin is taken off from him because of it, and he is elevated by one rank (in Paradise).” (Ahmad)

Retaining Rewards for Deeds Before Sickness

Usually, when a believer falls sick, he would not be able to do the same amount of good (prayer, fasting, helping Muslims, etc.) that he used to do when he was well. But Allah, out of His great mercy, continues to record for him the good deeds that he was forced to stop because of his sickness. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “For a traveling or sick person, his deeds will be recorded in accordance with what he used to do when he was resident or well.” (Al-Bukhari)

`Abdullah ibn `Amr reported that the Prophet said, “No (believing) person gets sick, but (his deeds) will be recorded for him in accordance with what he used to do when he was well.” (Al-Bukhari)

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“No Muslim body is afflicted by Allah, but He will record (his deeds) for him in accordance with what he used to do when he was well—as long as he is sick. Thus, if He takes his life, He forgives him; and if He cures him, He washes him (from sins).” (Al-Bukhari)

Reason for the Reward

`Atta ibn Rabaah reported that Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) told him, “Do you want to see a woman from the people of Paradise?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “It is this black woman. She came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying, ‘I have (epileptic) seizures, and I get exposed, so supplicate to Allah for me.’ He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘If you wish, be patient and you will attain Paradise; or if you wish, I will ask Allah to cure you.’ She replied, ‘I will be patient! But my body gets exposed (because of the fall), so supplicate to Allah for me that I do not become exposed.’ And he (peace and blessings be upon him) did.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The scholars have differed in opinion as to whether a sick person will be rewarded for the sickness itself or for being patient during it. The correct opinion is that if he is patient and submits to Allah’s will, as in the above hadith, he would be rewarded for both the submission and the sickness; otherwise, he would not be rewarded at all because he resented Allah’s decree. This is what should be understood from Ibn Hajar Al-`Asqalani’s words: “The authentic hadiths are clear in that the rewards are recorded once affliction strikes a Muslim. As for patience and acceptance, they are virtues for which a person may get additional rewards over those for the affliction.”

`Abdullah ibn `Amr reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If a Muslim is pricked by (as little as) a thorn in the worldly life, and he seeks its reward from Allah, some of his sins will be removed, because of it, on the Day of Judgment.” (Al-Bukhari)

* Taken from The Inevitable Journey: Sickness, Death, and the Grave, Quran and Sunnah Society of North America.

Sheikh Salim Al-Hilali is a Scholar of Hadith. He studied under the prominent Hadith Scholar Al-Albani.

(http://www.islamonline.net/)

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