Sunday, 4 August 2013

--* Happily Ever Hereafter?

Assalam o alaikum,
Hoping you are in good health , In sha Allah.


In the words of an unknown writer-
 "Dunya kay ay musafir, manzil tairi Qabr hai;Tay kar raha hai jo tu, do din ka yai safar hai"  (Oh traveller of the world,grave is your destination the path of life you seek is only a journey of a few days)
Every single day when you wake up with that alarm clock on your head, the pressure of your jobs,your schools, your colleges your everyday chores take over you. The insatiable gluttony of earning money has taken over all of us in such a sad way that we forget the reason why we are here. Are we here to earn money? are we here to earn huge degrees and swear by them all our lives? or are we here to construct huge palaces and bungalows for ourselves and bask on them lavishly forever? Have you ever taken out a spare moment from your "busy lives" and wondered what exactly is your objective of getting born at all?. When questions like these are borne by our minds the only book that provides us with the answers is the book bestowed upon us by Allah subhana wa'ta'aala, The Qur'aan.

So what exactly is the reason we're all existing and have been gathered up here in this Duniya (world)?.

The Qur'aan tells us how this world is only an exam. This exam has very little to do with seeking pleasure or grandeur of this world.
"The purpose of this life is to seek the pleasure of Allah, this life is a test. So that Allah can see if we will sincerely worship Him alone or not. This is where our focus has to begin."
To give a really amusing example of how worthless and purposeless our lives would be without a reason, I'd tell you what my father says about the Duniya (world) and the reason why we're all here. Imagine a time when you'd be asked to give an exam,and you won't be provided with the syllabus. You are told it will be an exam and that's all. You'll be provided with the most expensive of pens and your exam room would have gold tiles and a diamond flooring. And there would be hundreds of attendants to look after you.The hall would be purely air conditioned and you'll be given answer sheets made of the finest paper ever existing. BUT the only bet is that you won't be provided with the syllabus. Also,you would be judged on the basis of your marks. Doesn't all of a sudden all that effusive and opulent provision of the finest papers and the costliest pens just look baseless and worthless? That's how this life is without a purpose- pointless and worthless. And the sole purpose is to please Allah. That's why we're all existing. And that is exactly our "syllabus" for the test called life.
Mālik b. Dīnār said,
❝By the amount that you worry about dunyā, the concern for ākhirah will leave your heart; and by the amount that you worry about the Hereafter, the concern for dunyā will leave your heart.❞
(Ibn Abī al-Dunyā, al-Zuhd: no. 67)
With all the posh life that we have been gifted by our Lord we forget how unimportant and gravity-less it is at all. We're all here for a very very very very very very short period of time. And in this very short period the only goal and purpose of our lives should be to obey our Lord,to pray,to seek His pleasure so that He may show mercy on us on that Day of Judgement. A day in the history of all mankind when we'll all realise how vain our lives really were. We'd realise if only we would've not missed that Salaah or if only we had obeyed Allah. If only we would've not committed that sin and asked for repentance instead. And when The Qur'an will be asked if we read it, we'd cry and say to ourselves if only we would've held ourselves to the Qur'an all our lives and not just set it in our rooms for the purpose of beautification, gathering dust. Truly it would be a very regretting moment for all of us if we still don't wake up from this dream called "life". 'Cause there's really NOTHING in here.


..and in case we do "pass" this test,we would have a life hereafter where there would be no pain,and no disease will be able to wreck the cells of our body,and we would appear so beautiful in the nicest of clothes of gold and silver and every imaginable nobility it would be difficult to believe. There would be lakes and rivers of strawberries and milk and fruits unimaginable. It is said that the smallest Jannah would be something like 10,000000 times bigger than this earth you're right now living in. Imagine the rewards our Lord has prepared for our good deeds! And then we'd be happy ever after.and no force would ever be able to make us sad. Isn't that just too lovely to believe? But that is exactly what Allah has planned for all His loyal servants who sincerely love Him with all their hearts, obey Him alone without associating any partners, seek repentance from Him and acknowledge His countless blessings every single moment of their lives. Cause that's exactly what this life is for.
“Whatever man is given from this worldly life, either he ceases to live and leaves it, or it comes to an end and leaves him." - Sheikh Saleh Bin Fozan

 May Allah subhana'ta'Aala guide us all to His mercy. Insha Allah.

Subhan Allah. This post is a contribution from a very dear friend Sarah from India. May Allah bless her and her family. May Allah let us be of those fortunate people who worry about their hereafter more than their Dunya. Ameen. Because if you think of it everything in our lives will fall in to place if we just focus on the hereafter. Its like preparing for an exam. Our focus is on the results. And we give it our nothing but the best effort to get those results. This is just like that. We keep our eyes on the prize and try to be as good Muslims as we can be and always hope for good from Allah. (:

Jazak Allah
May Allah accept our Ibadah and our fasts. Ameen (:

*None of the pictures are ours. Credit goes to the original owners. May Allah bless them whoever they are. Ameen

Friday, 2 August 2013

--* Lessons from the Quran under 10 minutes

Assalam o alaikum

I'll be sharing here some videos from Nouman Ali Khan's "Quranic gems" series. The ones that I have seen so far. Some videos are just 5 mins long and you still get to learn so much Subhan Allah .May Allah strengthen our Iman and make us of the true followers of the Quran. Ameen.

  • Allah tells us that believing in the Prophet (peace be upon him), loving him, and respecting him is awesome but not enough. You also have to walk his path and accept his teachings.Also about having friends who take you away from the deen.


Juz 19 [Quranic Gems] - Nouman Ali Khan - Quran Weekly from Quran Weekly on Vimeo.

  • Allah created us with certain talents, certain abilities, certain powers and we have to put those powers to work for the sake of Allah in some good way.                                             



Juz 10 [Quranic Gems] - Nouman Ali Khan - Quran Weekly from Quran Weekly on Vimeo.

  • Whatever emotional trauma you’re going through, know that Allah can intervene and give you peace of mind, peace of heart, and He can give you tranquility again.



    Juz 20 [Quranic Gems] - Nouman Ali Khan - Quran Weekly from Quran Weekly on Vimeo.

    • Allah says that different languages and skin colors are from His miraculous signs. So how can you be racist and also call yourself a Muslim?. On respecting people from different races and their languages. None is superior over the other .



      Juz 21[Quranic Gems] - Nouman Ali Khan - Quran Weekly from Quran Weekly on Vimeo.

      • The importance and use of "In sha Allah"


      Juz 15 [Quranic Gems] - Nouman Ali Khan - Quran Weekly from Quran Weekly on Vimeo.

      • 'Hypocrisy is not a terminal state' . This ones my favourite!
        Of hope and forgiveness. A must listen if you feel utterly hopeless (:


      Juz 6 [Quranic Gems] - Nouman Ali Khan - Quran Weekly from Quran Weekly on Vimeo.

      May Allah give you and I the taufiq to listen to the complete series, learn from it and try our very best to practice it in our lives. Ameen.

      Jazak Allah
      May Allah accept our Ibadah and our fasts. Ameen 

      Monday, 15 July 2013

      --* Surah Naba

      Assalam o alaikum

      So I was home today and was wondering how to spend my time productively. So I decided to listen to the tafseer of Surah Naba by Nouman Ali khan, who is a wonderful speaker Masha Allah. May Allah bless him and his family. Ameen. It is in two parts. You can also download it and listen to it whenever you want on your mobiles or Ipods. I was halfway through the first part and taking notes alongside to write like a summary of it for the blog and then I scrolled down the page and found out they already have the text posted. :) So no worries I will just post a link to the website.

      http://www.nakcollection.com/surah-naba.html

      We have to make the Qur'an the most important thing in Ramadan. Whether you listen to it, recite it or understand it you just have to concentrate on the Qur'an for this whole month. Because this is what Ramadan is all about. Its a celebration of the revelation of the Qur'an.


      Jazak Allah

      Sunday, 14 July 2013

      --* Ramadan 2013

      Assalam o alaikum
      Hoping you are in good health. Insha Allah.

      Courtesy of: https://www.facebook.com/igotitcovered

      It has been such a long time since I even last visited my own blog. Yes I fell off the Iman-bandwagon months ago. Specially when I started university. And I truly hate myself for it. For not even trying to be the person I was when I decided to start this blog. And just as would happen when the blessed month of Ramadan arrived (And Allah swt chose me again to see it alive and healthy... Alhumdulillah), I could not feel it in my heart. I just cant describe the empty feeling. So here I am taking a trip down memory lane trying to remember all that I did last Ramazan when I truly felt like I had finally tasted the sweetness of Iman. And reading all these old posts gives me hope. Subhan Allah. If I was successful in trying then, I can definitely try to reach that level again now. Insha Allah.

      So can you. We just have to give it our best. Whenever we can. However we can. Lets not lose grip of the rope of Allah. Lets use this wonderful opportunity to gain His pleasure again. Even if you think you still cannot feel it in your heart, just keep swimming. Listen to Quranic reciations and tafseers. Recite it yourself. And most importantly make Dua. That wall of sins around our hearts will crack at one time or another. It has to. Because good beats evil, any day. Just don't give up. Make Dua to Allah to help you get through this. Just keep trying. We will get there Insha Allah. :)

      Oh Allah! Please Please help us really feel this blessed month in our heart. And accept our ibadat and struggle. No matter how small. And let us taste the sweetness of Iman once again. And help us stay on it till our death. And pick us up whenever we fall. And do not leave us misguided Ya Allah.We need You. Save us from the Hell fire. Protect us and our families from evil of every kind. 
      AmeenYa Rabbul Alamin.

      Ramadan Mubarak! (:

      Friday, 29 March 2013

      --* One step at a time

      Assalam o alikum



      Just recently I went through a very rough patch. Now that I come to think of it, it was actually my own doing.. I couldn't find a way to balance my religious duties and my duties to this worldly life. I found myself lost in a dark place where all that I could feel was guilt. The kind of guilt that makes you wish you could just rip your heart out and not feel anything. Anything at all. Shaytan caught me when I was at my weakest. This guilt intensified every day. I had these really weird thoughts about how Allah doesn't want me to be happy, how I don't have something that others have and that whatever I do I am doomed to go to hell anyway.. Thoughts like these kill. They kill our humanity. They shatter the very foundations of our existence. And that is exactly what sheytan wants. He feeds on these thoughts and our vulnerability.

      While I was brooding and hating myself I had no idea that every time I thought like this I was letting sheytan in. It was like giving him the key to control me. I soon realized this is definitely not how Allah wants me to be. He wants everyone of us to be happy. In the hereafter. Our struggles here will pay off one day Insha Allah. I couldnt let the guilt consume me and make me lose track of what is right.

      I decided to take a deep breath. And let it go. I decided to take one step at a time and stop harming my self with these thoughts. See that's the thing. We cant do it all at once. I would love to meet anyone who claims otherwise. We must constantly tell ourselves that Allah loves us no matter what. He loves us more than the combined love of 70 mothers. If we sin He is the Only One we can turn to and seek refuge with. A mother never abandons her child, does she? Even if the child disobeys her. Why do we expect Allah to do that. We are good Muslims Alhumdulillah. Please don't let sheytan win. Don't let him in. Strengthen your fortresses. Fight back with whatever strength you have. You'll find yourself falling back at times, But the moments where you actually win will remind you how everything was worth it. 

      I am not promising the guilt would go away or leave you completely. It would always be there. Its completely up to us to either learn from it or feed it and make it grow.

      Breathe. Take a step back. Ask Allah for help. And take a leap of faith. Just don't give up trying. I know there are people of our age who are better Muslims than us. I always wondered if the reason that I am not one of them is because Allah isn't happy with me. And then I realized I don't know what struggles they had to face to reach that level. Maybe they went through the same things you and I are going through. Maybe one day we will break free of all worries and dedicate our hearts solely to Allah. Until that day comes do not harm your selves by having such self-destructing thoughts. Enjoy life. Its a gift. Use it to make your hereafter better. Just remember to keep it all halal. Happiness will find you. Insha Allah :)

       This sums it up perfectly:
      I'm done swimming against the waves, I'm going to allow the waves to carry me back to shore. And when Allah swt thinks I'm ready, he'll send a boat --- my view on life at the moment (: - Nashiha Pervin (The HijabiBengaliSisters)
      May Allah help us youngsters in these times of Fitnah and may He forgive our sins and make us the people of Jannah. Ameen

      Tuesday, 19 February 2013

      --* Protection guaranteed

      Assalam o alaikum

      I am compiling some invocations for protection in this post. Specially due to the situation here in Pakistan. Where everyday people are killed in the name of terrorism in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawer.
      Just recently 83 people belonging to the Hazara community were killed in a bomb blast in Quetta. and while I was typing this 3 were killed Karachi. 20 years back this would have come as a shock to many. But during these times we have almost adapted to the violence around us. We don't mourn and grieve anymore. We just move on. Carrying a burden in our hearts. Trying our best to ignore it somehow. Knowing that we don't have a choice. We just hope and pray that our loved ones return home safely. We spend every minute of every day worrying about their safety when they are away from home. Everyday we keep turning on the news channels hoping the screen would not be flashing in red, reporters not shouting their lungs off describing a recent shooting and cameras not showing live pictures of a recent blast site. We live in this constant fear. Almost like in a war zone. Only a little more functional. A little less devastating. But almost the same situation.
       
      This is also for anyone else who wants to feel safe throughout the day. Death is inevitable but Dua and Sadaqah can divert calamities. May it even be something as simple as a prick of a thorn. So make it a habit to do both. And one more thing these invocations would be of no use if recited without trusting Allah. You have to really have faith in your heart that the Almighty will protect you against calamities and evil. Do not stop believing. Do not let Sheytan plant any seeds of doubts in your hearts.

      Recite 3 times in the morning

      Recite 3 times in the morning and the evening

      3 times in the morning and the evening

      3 times in the morning and the evening

      1 time in the morning and the evening

      3 times in the morning and the evening

      3 times in the morning and the evening

      3 times in the morning and the evening

      3 times in the morning and the evening

      7 times in the morning and the evening

      1 time in the morning and the evening

      1 time in the morning and the evening

      Spread the khayr. Let others know.
      Jazak Allah!
      Remember Pakistan in your prayers. Ya Allah please help us fight these enemies. We don't see them. We don't know them, We don't know where they will strike next. But you do. And indeed your knowledge is above all. For only You can protect us. Ameen

      ** These pictures are the courtesy of www.farhathashmi.com . Visit the website and you can go through many other supplications.

      Monday, 7 January 2013

      --* Judgements!


      Assalam o alaikum!

      Hope you all are in good health! 

      If you go out on a limb, and fall, you’d probably prefer not to have the whole world watch and laugh. If an idea explodes in your face, you wish no one saw your scars, at least not people who don’t understand. If you say something by accident, and regret it deeply, you wish people wouldn't remember it years later. You wish people ignore your mistakes, and remember the things you have done right. Then, WHY do we hold onto the faults of others? Why can’t we make excuses for others the way we do for ourselves. We should be pushing our own selves towards improvement, but cutting others some slack. I don’t know the full story behind everything I hear. I don’t see the tears hidden in others’ eyes.
      When all your actions are for the pleasure of the Almighty, you have to think twice before hurting another Muslim. We like to talk, especially ‘about people’, despite knowing that it doesn’t make us particularly good people. Take a minute to reflect on your own character and think about whether the Prophet (S.A.W) would be pleased or ashamed to have a Muslim like you claim to be from his (s.a.w) Ummah.
      Have you ever realized that we judge people exactly the way we do not want to be judged? You see something different or hear something shocking about someone, and you are immediately ready to call them crazy or stupid. On the other hand, when you make mistakes, you wish people wouldn’t tease you. You wish people wouldn’t talk behind your back about your failures. You wish people wouldn’t be so quick to pass comments, without understanding what you’ve been through. Sometimes, you know you made a mistake, and wish people would just let it go already. But, what if you were them? Don’t you taunt others when you get the chance? Don’t you backbite about people you don’t like? Do you even have a reason for disliking them?
      Next time, try not to be so hasty in attacking the reputation of your Muslim brother or sister (or even disbelievers, as they, too, are creations of your Rabb.) Remember, you may not know their whole story. They may have their own reasons for their actions. Or they may have slipped and are regretting their mistake. You also do things you’re not proud of; cut others some slack. If you see others sin, help them to the right path, but do not degrade them, for Allah hates the arrogant, and the sinner may just be guided later on in life. We are not the ones to judge anyone. And before you start thinking low of anyone, realize they may have good deeds that you are unaware of, that bring them closer to Allah. Be a true winner, and don’t lower anyone’s image
      Prophet Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, "Verily, Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and your deeds." ~ [Sahih Muslim]
      Ask yourself : If Allah doesn't , should I be judging others based on their looks and status?

      Jazak Allah!
      Spread the Khayr
      Let others know!