Sunday, 25 November 2012

--* In a World full of Problems, Solutions Still Exist

Assalam o alaikum
Hope you all are in good health.  :)

Want more in life?
Want to find the answers to all your questions?


It seems like we live in a pretty messed up world. Life isn’t always fair. People aren’t always treated right. We wish the world was better. We want change. But alone, we can do nothing. And, we like finding excuses. We all do. And yes, some things may not be your fault entirely, or even at all. Yet there’s always something we can do. Let’s all try to change the world for the better, one step at a time. Let’s all work for improvement starting with ourselves. And when we’ve got something, some light in our hearts that gives us peace and direction, some knowledge that is guiding us to a slightly less ignorant place, a brighter rung on the ladder of life, it’s only natural to radiate this light. Let your character shine!

We, Muslims, just like all human beings, have many problems in our daily lives. Still, our main concern should always be the Hereafter. Because, when your breath stops unexpectedly, you’d wish you had less plans for tomorrow and more for the eternal life in the Hereafter.And, miraculously, focusing on that automatically fixes most of our other concerns.We even have powers beyond our actions; beyond our limited control on life. Making dua to Allah and trusting Him- truly trusting Him to help us- relieves is of so many worries. The things we can’t control, Allah is here to take care of that for us. Following Allah’s commands; that takes care of our other problems- the parts of life we can control.

If you don’t follow Allah’s limits, you’ll never know where to draw the line. It’s not up to us. As Muslims, we are supposed to submit to the will of our Creator. Allah already gave us the guidelines that save us from so many unnecessary problems. Allah already sent down the Quran, Al-Furqan, that is, the Criterion between the right and the wrong. The distinction is clear; it’s just our inharmonious ways that create complications. Allah has sent down His divine guidelines to save us from various evils and the mountains of problems that come with them. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and he is the Creator of human nature. He created us, and sent down the instructions that protect us: from heartbreak; from running after petty things; from feeling used, meaningless or valueless; from being degraded; from falling prey to the devil; from having our heart corrupted; from having an empty life or chasing things with the wrong vision. God gave us the answers we are searching for. Like the purpose of life. He gave us life, and He, Alone gives our lives true meaning! 

Allah guides those who sincerely want to be guided. Once our hearts are lit with true purpose, we realize that even if the world isn’t perfect, we can try our best to spread a bit of goodness, lend a helping hand, as much as we can. We realize that true pleasure comes from deeds that are done to please Allah Almighty and that the fruits of true goodness are to be found in the life after death. Once we adhere to the right path, we realize that even if our lives aren’t perfect, we can wait a little while, for “perfect,” in heaven, InshaAllah!

Jazak Allah!
Do not forget to remember all our Muslim brothers and sisters who are suffering  anywhere in the world in your prayers.

Thursday, 25 October 2012

--* The Month of Dhul-Hijjah!

Assalam o alaikum,

Just some useful information about the month of Dhul-Hijjah in pictures. Alhumdulillah
(I know not all of you are a huge fan of reading :D)




Jazak Allah!

Dont forget to fast on the 9th of DhulHijjah. Insha Allah. :)

Wednesday, 10 October 2012

--* Picture this

Assalam o alaikum

This picture says it all. :)



To those of us who wake up regularly for fajr : Masha Allah hats off to you. Allah has chosen you among so many other Muslims who prefer sleep over Salah. You are a soldier. When you fight your own nafs and desires, believe it or not you are in jihaad. Yes you are literally fighting those urges. Fighting to get up.We all know how we adore sleeping. Its that one thing that requires a lot of strength to give up. and I know its hard. Its very hard. But please try. If you sleep with the intention to wake up no matter what trust me it is like your brain sets an alarm clock or something. You will find yourself waking up around fajr. At that moment do not give up, just get up and perform wudu before sheytan takes over. ( Try putting the alarm clock in your bathroom or near it at least so that when you wake up to shut it off , you'll find yourself near the bathroom door ..Ready to perform wudu. Insha Allah)

 Think about this when you go to sleep today: Do I want to be Allah's soldier? Do I want to be a part of this special group of selected Muslims who fight sheytan every morning they wake up on fajr?

May Allah make it easy for us to wake up on fajr and gives us the strength to fight sheytan, every time he pollutes our head with sinful thoughts. Ameen

Jazak Allah! :)

Tuesday, 9 October 2012

--* Iman : A rollercoaster ride

Assalam o alaikum

As you can see we haven't blogged for quite a while. One of us is busy with admissions and stuff. I ,on the on the other hand, am free till January (free does not always mean fun). Like a typical teenager I waste my time watching television, sleeping late and waking up even later. The me that I am now is not the me I was back in Ramadan. (Confusing?) . You see my level of Iman in Ramadan was way up on the scale. Alhumdulillah. I was regularly attending a Qur'an class, going for taraveeh and listening to Islamic lectures when I couldn't sleep. The point is that our Iman grows and contracts according to our actions. And this is actually very normal. You cant expect yourself to be at the very top all the time. We are humans. We make mistakes. We are tempted to do things that are forbidden. Sometimes we give in. Sometimes we don't find the strength to fight sheytan. That is when we are at our weakest. Sheytan attacks and we give in. Our Iman immediately contracts. I refer to them as "episodes". I know for sure that everyone goes through them. Everyone gives up at one point and starts questioning their faith, their existence. Sheytan makes us think all these horrible things that we'd never dare say out loud. Somewhere at the back of our minds (deep down) we think to ourselves: "Do I even deserve Jannah?" or "Maybe I can never be a good Muslim". And then we spiral out of control in to the web of Sheytan.

What makes me and you a good Muslim is not the frequency or intensity of these episodes. Its how fast we get back on the line. How fast we realize that we have sinned and must repent immediately. I am not saying it is okay to do anything you want and repent afterwards. Our intention matters. Allah will only look at our intentions. Actions, no matter how good, wouldn't matter if the intention is polluted. Sincere repentance comes from the very depth of our hearts. And we really do feel it. You might find yourself reciting "Astaghfar" whenever you get the chance or crying during namaz or dua or constantly thinking of ways to do good deeds to somehow nullify your past sins.

What I am trying to convey is that it is okay to have these episodes. You do not have to completely fall off the line and convince yourselves that you may never be a good Muslim. My target is this thought specifically. Repent while you still have time. Get back up again. Kick the hell out of sheytan and pray and remember Allah and do not look back. Whats done is done. You cant control that. But what you can control is right now. The present is in your hands. Gather up your strength start again. Just don't give up.

You may not be at your very best of Iman all the time. You may be at the very bottom some days. But please don't give up completely. Your Iman will rise again with your actions. Try harder. A roller coaster isn't flat , is it? If it were where would all the fun be?.  These highs and lows are what make us human. Allah doesn't expect you to be perfect. He expects you to be trying and striving to gain His pleasure. 

We aren't saints either. This blog is our effort to share some of our knowledge with others. Whatever we can to help you and ourselves uplift our Imans. Our posts are also a reminder for us. More like "Notes to self".

I repeat in the end: Do not give up. All Allah asks for is our efforts. Leave the rest to Him. A sincere effort will no doubt lead to something good. Just hold on to the rope of Allah.  Sometimes you may feel like you are loosing your grip but don't completely let go. Hold on to it. Even if you are barely touching it. 

May Allah helps us stay in our best of Imans. Today, tomorrow and to the second He takes away our souls. 

Jazak Allah! :)

Wednesday, 26 September 2012

--* The Most Superior Love

Assalam O Alaikum!


Do you love Allah?


When we love someone, we are willing to go out of our way to fulfill their requests. When we really love someone, we truly want to please them. Do you love Allah? Don't you love your Creator more than any of His creations? 

Every Muslim professes love for the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W; May Peace and blessings be upon him), but do we love him more than any other human being; more than any of our possessions, like true believers? We blatantly ignore his teachings daily- could we do that if he were standing right in front of us? When we don't follow Ayahs of the Qur'an or Hadith (sayings of the Prophet S.A.W.) we must remind ourselves that Allah can see everything and has knowledge over all things. 


If we truly love Allah more than any creation, then why can't we follow His commands? Why don't we yearn to get closer to Him and do everything we can to please Him? When we truly savor the sweetness of faith, we won't think what He asks of us is too much or too hard. Our Lord, our Sustainer and Cherisher, loves us and does not want hardship for us. He wants to show us mercy and reward us generously; if only we'd try- sincerely try. 



In His Glorious Book, Allah, the most Exalted, says: "When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them) : I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way." [2: 186]
He is there to help us whenever we call on Him (and answers prayers in the best manner, better than we can even imagine.) Allah can open doors we can't even see and miraculously make ways for the best things to happen. If Allah wants good for you, no one can stop that good from reaching you. But similarly, we should take care not to displease our Lord, because if He leaves us, no one can be of even the slightest avail to us. And then, the problems of this life aren't even our biggest concern- in fact, it's all nothing compared to eternal reward or punishment.

Getting close to Allah is the key. For everything. For getting into heaven. For increasing our imaan and attaining a higher level of faith. For Allah making everything easier for us, if He wills. Pray; call on Allah, the best provider and loving Lord. Talk to Him, for He has power over all things. Think about it: the One running the entire universe, from every atom to every galaxy, wants to listen to us, individually listen to us, and yet we don't come rushing to Him, eager to be heard. May Allah guide us, show us the solutions to our problems the right way and help us get closer to Him. Ameen.


Prayers for you and your family :)
Jazak Allah! 

Monday, 10 September 2012

--* The Miracle of Rain!

Assalam o alaikum!

After a long wait, heat spells, sweating and duas it finally rained here in Karachi. Alhumdulillah.  :)



A view from my balcony

For some rain is merely just water falling from the sky. But for a true believer rain is Allah's mercy literally showering upon us. Rain is just one of Allah's countless blessings. It has so many benefits for every creature , living or non-living. If you truly knew all the benefits of rain , you would fall in love with Allah (swt) even more. Insha Allah. :)

As students we are all aware of "The Water Cycle". Yes that colorful picture in our geography textbooks with a side veiw of mountains, the sea,labelled with words we struggled to learn and a smiling sun perhaps?. At least that's how I remember it. But did we ever truly appreciate all that it depicted?. Did we ever truly realize its importance? It is no less than a miracle.OK let your imagination go wild for a minute and picture all that I am about to write, in your head.
So the main actors are : the sea , the sun , the clouds and the wind.
I also want you to realize how all  these things work together in harmony  ,just as their Creator commanded. (hmm... Is there a lesson here? ) 

The Sun is assigned the job of heating up the salty sea below. The water from the sea evaporates and reaches the sky. No salt. Just water. Pure water. (And no fishes ! There have been cases of fish rain in some parts of the world...Another thing to be thankful for... Alhumdulillah). Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. Normally when we see clouds, don't they look like soft delicate cotton balls to you? (I ,for one, would love to jump into one! ) . So imagine these fur look alikes "floating" around with tonnes of water in them! ...Subhan Allah... they travel miles and miles to reach wherever it is that Allah has commanded them to shed their load. The wind is assigned the job of pushing these clouds around. ( Like pushing barrels of water on a cartwheel? Easy, no? ). And now when it finally does rain, have you noticed what a rain drop looks like? Sharp on top , curved below ? Imagine a drop falling from such a great height yet reaching you in a perfect shape,at a calculated speed so that it doesn't harm you. What if it wasn't specifically shaped like this? We would have felt them as needles...no, bullets... piercing through our body. Seriously. Alhumdulillah.Alhumdulillah.
Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinns and men) deny?   ( Surah Rahman, Verse 13 )
Behold...Before this "water cycle" was scientifically proved, Allah already told us about it in the Qur'an some 1400 years ago 
 "It is Allah Who sends the Winds, and they raise the Clouds: then does He spread them in the sky as He wills, and break them into fragments, until you see rain-drops issue from the midst thereof: then when He has made them reach such of his servants as He wills behold, they do rejoice!" (Surah Al-Rum, Verse 48) 
Oh Allah I love how You have perfectly designed everything to benefit us.You really do love us a lot. We are thankful  -- Your humble servants :)

Did you realize the amount of work that is being done just so that you can enjoy pure water falling from the sky? Rain is a source of  happiness for all. It freshens the environment, makes plants even greener, puts a smile to our faces (convinces our mothers to make pakoras and other delights for us?  :D ) , provides us pure water to drink and I could go on and on about its benefits. Maybe you could point some more out in the comments below? Here is one from the Quran. :) 
"We send down pure water from the sky. That with it We may give life to a dead land, and slake the thirst of things We have created,- cattle and men in great numbers." (Surat al - Furqan, Verse 48- 49)

 Leaving you with this wonderful hadith as a gift :  ( And pictures :] )
Narrated Sahel Ibn Sa'ad (RA): that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Two will not be rejected, Supplication when the Adhan (call of prayer) is being called, and at the time of the rain'. [Al-Hakim 2: 114, and Abu Dawud #2540, ibn Majah]

So don't forget to make dua when it rains and thank Allah for it from all of your heart. :) Jazak Allah! 




  

Prayers for you and your family. Stay safe.

Tuesday, 4 September 2012

--* Who Are the People of Taqwa?

Assalam o alaikum!
May Allah accept our efforts Insha Allah :)

This video that I am about to share would probably be  the best 31 minutes of your life.
 Trust me... May Allah open our hearts and makes understanding of our Deen easy for us. Ameen. 



Alhumdulillah , May Allah shower His blessings on Nauman Ali Khan and his family. Such an inspiring young scholar. Makes you want to learn more and more about our deen. :)

Jazak Allah!
Prayers for you and your family. Peace :)

--* Do you know your Lord?

Assalam o alaikum!
May Allah accept our efforts. Insha Allah :)

Can you take just two minutes and listen to this beautiful recitation of Ayat-ul-Kursi before you begin reading the rest of the post? Jazak Allah :)


Subhan Allah! Touched your heart, didn't it? That is the beauty of the words of my Lord. 

Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.  (Qur'an 13: 28)
 
This post, as you may already know will be about Ayat-ul-Kursi also known as "The Verse of the Throne". This is such a beautiful Ayat. It describes Allah (swt) so perfectly.


Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter . And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.(Qur'an: Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 255)

He has the power over all things. Doesn't that give you hope? Whatever it is that you are going through right now , Allah Knows. Whatever it is that you are hiding in your heart , Allah Knows. So Pray to Him, turn to Him alone.  The attributes of Allah described in this Ayat cant ever be found in anyone else. He doesn't need rest. He doesn't sleep. He provides for and protects everything that He created, be it an ant or us humans ,regardless of whether they turn to Him or not. (P.S All non-living and living things apart from humans and jinns praise Allah at all times...we just cant hear them....Masha Allah if animals and rocks can, why cant we?) 
Are you not aware that it is Allah Whose limitless glory all creatures that are in the heavens and earth extol, even the birds as they spread out their wings? Each of them knows how to pray to Him and to glorify Him; and Allah has full knowledge of all that they do.
To Allah belongs the dominion over the heavens and the earth, and to Allah will all return. (An-Nur 24: 41-42)
 
He knows everything , even the future (Hence no "najoomi" or "aamil baba" or fortune-teller can tell you anything about it unless they have help from sheytan - Our enemy). His authority extends over the heavens and the earth. We humans cannot even imagine how big the universe is. NASA keeps discovering new galaxies and planets. Species of insects and plants are still being discovered. Allah alone has the Knowledge of all things and He doesn't ever get tired. ( He doesn't need food or drinks. People who worship gods that they have carved out of stone themselves actually keep food and drinks in front of them expecting rewards and blessings. Do you think a god would ever need to eat and rest if there is a whole universe needing to be looked after? ) Subhan Allah...La ilaha ilallah...Allah is One!

You can refer to tafseer of this ayat of any religious scholar. This was just an attempt to make you grow more curious about verses in the Quran so that you can Insha Allah try and learn more about them.Trust me ...It can do wonders . :)

Next time : Benefits of memorizing and reciting Ayat-ul-kursi .See you then. Insha Allah


Jazak Allah!
Prayers for you and your family! :)

Saturday, 1 September 2012

--* The Doors of Mercy are still open


 Assalam o alaikum!
 May Allah accept our efforts! Insha Allah :) 

The Doors of Mercy, Doors to Eternal Happiness are Open

Teenage life gets complicated. Especially when we try to live according to people and society, instead of by Islam. Living how our Creator wants is truly the solution to put our hearts in a peaceful state. If we find it difficult to abide by the rules Allah Al-Mighty ordained for us, it's simply because we have let our hearts get diseased and corrupted. We're all messed up. We sin. A lot. We've spent years mindlessly searching for peace in the wrong places and allowing our conscience, our spirit - our "ruh," the part of us that knows the truth- to die. But there is still hope.

Allah is Al-Ghafoor and Ar-Raheem; He is extremely forgiving and always merciful. Sincere repentance can turn mountains of sins into mountains of good deeds! But we must turn to Allah. Satan has numerous ways of tricking us into going astray or earning Allah's wrath, but we must keep in mind that evil is our enemy. Shaitan, the devil, is going to hell and wants to drag us down with him. We must rise above petty desires. This victory is one that leads to eternal happiness; true success. Remember, this life is only temporary; the HereAfter is forever. Forever.... never-ending happiness or punishment after punishment... the choice was given to us, and we must ensure our deeds lead us to a true 'happily ever after.' Call on Allah for help and forgiveness, before it's too late.
 
"Say (on My behalf), 'O servants of Mine who have acted recklessly against their own selves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Surely, Allah will forgive all sins. Surely, He is the One who is the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful. (53) Turn passionately towards your Lord, and submit to Him before the punishment comes to you, after which you will not be helped." (Quran 39:53-4)

Pray and try. It's as simple as that. Allah loves us and does not want hardship for us. He wants to reward His slaves with His generosity. If only we'd try. Sincerely ask Allah to make you righteous. To make us obedient slaves of His. To make us among those He favors, and not those who go astray or earn His wrath. To make sure we do not get misguided after He has guided us. Pray to Allah to accept our good deeds and multiply the reward for us generously. Pray that Allah erases our sins, by His mercy, and does not allow any of our good deeds to go to waste because of them. Oh Allah, guide us to what is right and help us adhere to the straight path. Help us savour the sweetness of true faith and grant our hearts peace by increasing our piety. Oh Allah, protect us from falling into satan's traps and save us from the punishments of the grave and Hell-fire. Ameen


Source: Google Image


We must all strive to please Allah. We're not perfect and God knows we will make mistakes. True believers feel their sins are mountains of burdens that can come crashing down on them, and they sincerely repent, immediately remembering Allah even after sinning. We can't let shaitan trick us to stop trying to please our Lord. When we lapse into error, we must turn to Allah. Call on Him and hope for His forgiveness. The only way to increase iman is to do good deeds; to worship our Cherisher and Sustainer and follow the way of life our Lord prescribed for us. And if our intentions are pure, In sha Allah (if Allah wills) He shall make the right path easier for us. May Allah forgive us all and help our iman grow. May Allah make us true believers; and not take away our soul until He is happy with us! Ameen.

Jazak Allah!  :)
Prayers for you and your family. Peace

Tuesday, 28 August 2012

--* The Silent Hero


Assalam o alaikum !

Alhumdulillah, If you are reading this post you really are willing to uplift your Iman.May Allah (swt) accept our efforts :)

You might be wondering why I titled it "The Silent Hero". Who or what could this be? When you hear the word hero what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Someone who saves another from harm or danger, Right? (Lets not think of it in terms of movie stars... I am talking about real life heroes! ) Well...here I will be discussing about a what rather than a who.It is present in all of us.Hiding away in a corner somewhere in our hearts, waiting for us to nourish it and let it grow.So that it can be strong enough to save us.

Despite the various sects that the Muslim community is divided into, all of them expect the same from their Creator.A peaceful abode in heaven.What they fail to realize is that the road to their ultimate abode is not a bed of roses.The gate to this road is open only for those who strictly adhere to the rules set out in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. .Having done that, once a Muslim sets his foot on that road, a giant wave of worldly pleasures and desires awaits to direct him to the other path, leading to eternal pain and regret.This path leads straight towards the Hellfire.And by straight I really do mean straight.Because sheytan makes that path appear very easy for us. 

This is where the hero inside us steps in.It acts like a strong shield while we thread our way through the throng of familiar worldly diversions.That hero lies in our heart.It strengthens us and guides us along.It awakens us from our love for this world and pushes us to strive for the hereafter.Whatever crisis we may face, no matter how bleak the future seems, it is always there to snap us out of depression .During the best of times and the worst of times it reminds us to be thankful to Him alone.

This hero is none other than Iman . Now you know why it is the "Silent Hero". The reason is simple. Its there within us,even if we haven't felt it yet.It saves us when sheytan is trying to misguide us at his best.The intresting thing however is that we alone can nourish it.No one can do it for us.If we really want to hold on to our love for Allah (swt), we need iman in our hearts (emphasis on "need") to fight the sheytan,who is constantly trying to misguide us somehow.

We can choose to either lock it away in our hearts, or polish it everyday to make it stronger.If you have it locked away , it is never too late to use the golden key to undo that lock. The golden key lies in the remembrance of Allah .Alhumdulillah, Our Holy Prophet (May peace be upon him) has taught us dua's and zikr for every little task in our lives. So why not follow the footsteps of our beloved and attain Allah's pleasure?   Insha Allah in future posts we will try to revive Forgoten sunnahs . Till then, Allah Hafiz! 

Jazak Allah ! May Allah shower His blessings upon you and your family. Peace.