FEAR HER TEARS

Bismil Laahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatul Laahi wa barkaatuh brothers and sisters. Never get tired of this beautiful greeting for it is some kind of blessing to us as Muslims. And whenever anyone gives you such a greeting, respond with zeal and passion. Alhamdu lil Laah for the ni’amah of Islam. 

Abdullah Ibn 'Umar saw a Yemeni man performing Tawâf (circumambulating the Ka'bah) while carrying his mother on his back. This man said to Abdullah Ibn 'Umar, "I am like a tame camel for her! I have carried her more than she carried me. Do you think I have paid her back, O Ibn 'Umar?" Abdullah Ibn 'Umar replied, "No, not even one contraction!!" 

[Al-Adab al-Mufrad Bukhârî 1/62]

A Distressing Scene

One day, I had witnessed an upsetting scene. An elderly woman had come to a food seller with whom she does business to collect her money. The food seller told her that her daughter had already come for the amount she was supposed to give them that day. I found out that both mother and daughter sell maize to the food seller. The woman told the food seller that she should have given that money to her since her daughter knew that she had some loan she needed to pay. Then she added that her daughter had intentionally come for the money for herself because she knew she needed money badly and she does not want her to have it. Then the woman started complaining vehemently about how her daughter mistreats her.

I was there with my mum who wanted to know whether she was talking about her real daughter and the people around said it was her biological daughter she was talking about. The women around who knew both mother and daughter very well started saying some horrible things. They said that since her daughter even beats her whenever she wanted, then she should not be surprised that her daughter had come ahead of her for the money knowing that she needed it. My mum and I were flabbergasted. I mean we were shocked to the bone.

The woman told the food seller that she had seen her daughter with her when she was coming but she hid somewhere out of fear of the daughter and she only came when her daughter left. Could you believe that? I am telling you truth and nothing else but that. Then the woman started pouring her heart out on how cruel her daughter is to her. She was a calm woman and even when she poured her heart out, she did so gently. I wondered who such a daughter could be. Then the mother had called upon a woman who was passing by to come and hear what her daughter had done again. Do you know what the woman said? She said;

‘I am not interested in getting involved with issues about your daughter who insults, beats and treats you like something.’

And she left. Then my mum became outraged. How unfortunate that a daughter could make such a name for herself in the whole area. Then the mother made a remark that her daughter was going to get married soon and leave that region and she is praying for the time to come soon and that when they are leaving she doesn’t want them to take a bus but rather a flight so that she would leave the region earlier for her to have some peace.

Allah, Al-Khaaliq, tells us;

‘And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and good to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship…’

Surah Luqman, Chapter 31 ayah 14

That was an extremely unfortunate situation. I could not believe that a daughter could be this cruel. Imagine someone who had carried her for months in weakness and hardship as Allah azza wa jal describes it. What kind of heartlessness is this one? And I have seen quite a number of situations where people do not care a hoot about their mothers. They speak to them harshly, they disrespect them, they watch their mothers live in hardship whiles they live luxurious lives, etc. And the most unfortunate thing is when you find out that these people are Muslims. You ask yourself; ‘Where is the tarbiyyah?’ 

Look at how helpless babies are until they become adults and it is mothers who bear the burden of this helplessness. If they don’t feed, bath and cloth you, you will be as you are; totally helpless. Imagine the screams of babies; sometimes so piercing and mothers have to bear all that and they do so in joy. Imagine the pain of child birth! It is so serious that Allah azza wa jal even rewards her as a martyr provided she does not make it alive.

A man came to the Prophet and said: O Messenger of Allah! Who from amongst mankind warrants the best companionship from me? He replied: "Your mother." The man asked: Then who? So he replied: "Your mother." The man then asked: Then who? So the Prophet replied again: "Your mother." The man then asked: Then who? So he replied: "Then your father." 

(Sahih Bukhair and Muslim)

If a mother is given such a status in Islam, how then are some people extremely wicked to their mothers? You don’t even have to treat someone else’s mother like that how much more yours? Now, that is not the worse story ever. 

The Most Despicable of All

A woman was afflicted with a disease that lead to the removal of a certain part of her body. As she struggled in her ill health, her daughter made her the object of her wickedness. This daughter will not speak to her mum. Even when her mother needed something, she did not care and the mother even feared asking her for anything. Everyday this woman cried in pain not for her illness alone but for how her daughter mistreated her. She could not believe that someone she had made so much sacrifices for would be that wicked to her. If the mother needed anything and there was no one around and it was just her daughter, then she had to wait no matter how long for another person to come before she could be helped. Their rooms were close to each other and the woman in her distress will sometimes come to lie in the corridor just to have some fresh air. When her daughter comes to see her close to her door and in the corridor, she would frown and pretend to be smelling something bad. She would enter her room and then come out with a spray to spray the whole place including where her mum lay. This will put her mum to tears and she will go back to her room. 

Now, if you are thinking that I am making this up, then I’m sorry. This is a true story of which I was an eye witness. Her mum will complain to me most of the time about her daughter’s actions and the fact that she sprays the environment that she is in (and I did see that once). I was almost dying with this woman. But in all that the one I pitied was her daughter. Knowing how bad she behaved even as a Muslim and then adding wickedness to her mum to the whole equation; I could not come to terms with what she was trying to prove to Allah, the Severe in Punishment.

The story continued to be so until the woman left this Dunya where her daughter was able to subject her heart to an everyday misery to a place where her daughter could dare not go to mistreat her. May Allah azza wa jal continue to shower His abundant Rahma on her soul and on all of those who have gone ahead. Aameen.

After her mother’s death, I had wondered about this lady. Was she now happy that her burden was now no more? She had been so ashamed of her mum that she never let any of her friends know that was her mum even when she had not gotten ill. And when she got ill and got a bit deformed, it became worse. Well, I could not really read her emotions and every one knew that any show of sadness from her was pure pretense. 

Funny enough, a few months after her mum’s death, she started experiencing some constant pain and she went to the hospital. The doctor told her that she was contracting a kind of disease. Do you know what that disease was? Interesting how the world is. It was the same disease that her mum had suffered from until death. Then she began to feel uneasy. She was thinking that it was probably due to her wickedness towards her mum that she was also contracting that disease. 

Upon some investigations, it was found out that she had gotten into a relationship with the husband of a woman who had treated her so kindly. The woman’s husband began to mistreat his wife because of her and then he drove her out one day with her new born baby after she found out about their affair. Then this woman in her pain had cursed her and her family because they defended her; her mum being one of her key defense. So it was said that the disease will be killing them one after the other. But alhamdu lil Laah! Upon another test, the doctor found out that she was free of the disease.

Allah, Al-Quddus, tells us that;

‘And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say; ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.’

Surah Al-Isra’, the Journey by Night, Chapter 17 ayah 23-24

How could anyone ever treat another human being in this way? And it is not just another human being but the one in whom she came from? The one who carries the womb that had kept her safe for months. Subhaanal Laah! Subhaanal Laah! I cannot even express my thoughts clearly. I cannot believe that a human could be that heartless. A mother? Subhaanal Laah! Even when our parents invite us to that which takes one out of the fold of Islam, Allah azza wa jal tells us to still be gentle with them. He says;

‘But if they strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not; but behave with them in the world kindly…’

Surah Luqman, Chapter 31 ayah 15

Now, joining others in worship is something that is most hateful to Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa yet even when our parents call us to such an unfortunate thing, Allah says that we should disobey them in that but…but we should deal with them kindly. The daughter of Abu Bakr, Asmaa bint Abu Bakr, radiyal Laahu anhum narrated that;

During the treaty of Hudaibiyah, her mother, who was then pagan, came to see her from Makkah. Asmaa informed the Messenger of Allah of her arrival and also that she needed help. He said: Be good to your mother

Bukhari and Muslim

How much more those who call us to Him? How could we be cruel to them knowing very well that we would become mothers and fathers like them one day by Allah’s will? And disobedience of one’s parents is considered a major sin in Islam as Abdullah ibn Amr relates from the Messenger of Allah suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam that;

The major sins are to believe that Allah has partners, to disobey one's parents, to commit murder, and to bear false witness.

Bukhari and Muslim

So, I keep thinking about this lady and anyone in her situation and my thoughts just keep running wild. Even if they suddenly realized their folly and unfortunate behavior, who were they going to seek forgiveness from? Where would their mothers be for them to ask their forgiveness? Could they just ask Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa for forgiveness and hope that their mothers will forgive them because of that? Subhaanal Laah! 

There are millions of people who wish their mothers were alive for them to shower upon them an abundant love and just look at how some others who are privileged to have their mothers alive do to them? Heartlessness in the highest level!

We must all take caution

A mother is an indispensable person that Allah azza wa jal blesses us with. We should serve them as much as we can. We should never speak back to them harshly. Even when we disagree with them, we should do so with humility and diligence. When they even mistreat us, we should not mistreat them in return because we could never pay them back for the good they did for us even whilst we lay in their bellies and the pain of bringing us out of their bellies. At every point in time, we should simply make up our minds that we are going to serve our mothers no matter what. That is not to also say that we should help them when they are oppressing and behaving wickedly with others. In such a case, we should advise them in the best of manners and still treat them gently and kindly with love and care.

The next time you feel like shouting at your mum or doing something that will hurt her, think about your status before Allah azza wa jal as you do that and simply stop. Our mothers are more than worthy of our every attention and love; they gave it to us and they still give that to us in abundance remember.

May Allah, Al-Wadud, fill our hearts with the love of our mothers and fathers and make us obedient and merciful children to them. May Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa have abundant mercy upon those of them who have gone ahead of us. Aameen. Remember that I love you fiisabi lil Laah and I will always do. May Allah, Al-Shaheed, be a witness to this love. Aameen.

Jazaakumul Laahu khair always!

Love for the mother always in shaa Allah!

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatul Laah!

Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu

www.mmahajia.blogspot.com

I WRITE FOR HER: HAVE YOU EVER YEARNED FOR DEATH?

Bismil Laahir Rahmaanir Raheem!

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatul Laahi wa barkaatuh brothers and sisters in Islam. Alhamdu lil Laah for everything that He puts in our way. 

So, recently, I see lots of facebook statuses talking about the death of one person or the other. Most of them young when you see their photos. In my vicinity too, I see and hear the same; so many people dying one after the other. 

Some few days ago, a man who had gone to help prepare his friend’s body for burial had suddenly collapsed in the room where the dead body was and then the next dawn, he died in the hospital. A woman came to express her condolence to the bereaved family and the next day, she also died. All these three people were in the same area.

So Allah, Al-Hayy, Al-Qayyum, tells us explicitly that;

‘Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.’

Surah Al-‘Imraan, the Family of ‘Imraan, Chapter 3 ayah 185

And from the beginning of time, Allah azza wa jal has shown us a prove of this. At the end of the day, we all die. What I have come to realize is that one can never tell how death feels like until someone real close leaves. Then you understand what exactly it means to lose someone helplessly. And I say this out of experience. 

My Experience

I was kneeling by my dying dad in a hospital with my hands in his and on his stomach. I had never seen anyone die before but I could tell that it was close to the end for him. The pain was such that I cannot not describe. I only wished for one thing; that I could help make him well as he used to be. Then the ayah came running through my mind; How great Allah azza wa jal is! He says;

‘Then why do you not intervene when the soul of a dying person reaches the throat? And you at the moment are looking on. But We are nearer to him than you but you see not. Then why do you not if you are exempt from the reckoning and recompense bring back the soul to its body if you are truthful?’

Surah Al-Waqi’ah, the Event, Chapter 56 ayah 83-87

Lo and behold! It hit me hard how pitiful I was as a human being. The more reason that I should take advantage of now to worship him before I am suddenly put in the position I had seen my father in. May Allah azza wa jal engulf him with His abundant Rahma and all others. May Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa grant them the best of His Jannah and all of us who will follow them as well. Aameen.

Grief of losing a loved one

We see how much grief the Prophet Muhammad suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam felt when he lost his uncle, Abi Talib and then his beloved wife Khadija radiyal Laahu anhaa. That was the Prophet of Allah who understood the concept of death more than any human being. How much more us? I see the grief of Asmaa Hussein (check her out on facebook) in each letter in her status on facebook. A good Muslimah who lost her husband three years into their marriage. 

My friend’s latest yearning

Ok; a friend of mine tells me for some time now that she wishes to die and leave this Dunya that is full of fitaan (temptation, trials, affliction, distress, etc). Allah azza wa jal tells us of the beauty and serenity of what the afterlife contains for the one who dedicates his or her life to His true worship. My friend thinks about this afterlife which Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa assures us that none of us could ever imagine its nature and then she feels like having that life instead of this one now.

That is quite interesting to me. Alhamdu lil Laah, we talked about it in detail and I was able to convince her on my thoughts. I felt the need to write this article afterwards for her and others who have this thinking to read and perhaps I might win them over with what I think.

Contemplating suicide

So, my friend’s situation reminded me of a Muslimah I had been introduced to by a Muslim brother of mine; a young wonderful lady who was contemplating suicide. The first time I heard, I shook all over. She had made quite a number of attempts and they all failed. Being a doctor, he tried to help her but to no avail so I became her friend. Her reasons for wanting to die were quiet sad. She had lost a very close friend and so mostly she felt like she was going to die to follow her due to how close they were. This made her extremely moody making it uncomfortable for her other friends and any other person to be around her. Soon she started thinking that no one wants to be around her so the feeling of suicide became a lot more intense. Alhamdu lil Laah! She is forgotten suicide now and enjoying her life to the maximum. Alhamdu lil Laah!

After this lady, I have come across a number of others who seem to contemplate suicide. I haven’t really come to terms with what the suicide lovers are expecting to have when they are finally out of this Dunya; are they expecting relieve and bliss? Or what?

Dr Muhammad A’rifi tells a story in his book; Enjoy Your Life (I recommend you to read that book). He tells the story of a young man who had sent him a message asking whether it was Islamically allowed for a Muslim to commit suicide. Being the person that the Sheikh is; he decided to call the person up. The moment the young man picked the Sheikh’s call, he wanted to know the answer and his tone of voice seemed like he was in distress over something. Dr A’rifi just told him that it is allowed to do so and the guy couldn’t believe it. He asked the Sheikh whether that was really true and he said yes and that he wanted to meet up with him so that they could discuss how he could go about the suicide.

That is how interesting it sometimes is. Mostly, these suicide thinkers do not want to really die. In the case of the young man above, he wanted to excuse himself from dying by finding out that Islam forbids it but the Sheikh decided to play a smart one on him. To understand the Sheikh’s strategy, you have to read the book. You wouldn’t regret it in shaa Allah.

I have ever thought of dying as well. Those days when my understanding of the essence of life was not as broad as it is now. I had wished to die due to some serious problems I was facing which I could not afford to share with anyone on earth for fear of causing pain to them. I had thought that if I died, then it will be over and then I could have some peace whiles I was with Allah (not to commit suicide, but die naturally). Interesting huh! And I thought of my parents; my mum especially and what my death will mean to her and I was hanging between two desires; life and death. Alhamdu lil Laah! Today, all that is over. Alhamdu lil Laah!

‘And no person can ever die except by Allah’s leave and at an appointed term. And whoever desires a reward in this world, We shall give him of it; and whoever desires reward in the Hereafter, We shall give him thereof. And We shall reward the grateful.’

Surah Al-Baqarah, the Cow, Chapter 2 ayah 145

My friend’s wish for death

As the ayah above states; one’s death does not depend on whether he or she wishes for it or not; it would not come if Allah has not decreed it and it will come if He decrees it. I remember once when I had gotten seriously sick as it usually happens to me and then my mum was almost going off; I prayed for life just because of my mum. By then I hoped that even if it was my time to go, Allah should spare me for my mum. Funny, isn’t it? And the last time I had gotten seriously sick again, a few years ago; my mum had finally come to terms with it that it was going to be the end but here I am. This affirms the fact that we could never tell when we were dying or not.

As I said above, my friend believes that the life of the Hereafter was better and she wanted to have that life now. Indeed, each one of us should wish to have the better life of the Hereafter than the one here. But does that mean that we should wish for death? No. Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam said;

‘None of you should wish for death because of a calamity befalling him; but if he has to wish for death, he should say: ‘O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me.’’ 

Sahih Al-Bukhari

So the Prophet warns us against the wish for death and he teaches us a proper way to go about it. 

The Hereafter is mind-blowingly sweet but...

How much confidence do you and I have about our Islam? Have we worshipped Allah, Ar-Raheem, enough to believe that we are good to go? Are we sure of Allah’s forgiveness for all of our sins? Are we sure that we would be blessed with the Rahma of Allah in order to obtain this pleasure which He describes to us? Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: Allah’s Messenger suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam said; 

‘Do not wish for death, for the terror of the place whence one looks down is severe. It is part of a man’s happiness that his life should be long and Allah Who is Great and Glorious, should supply him with repentance.’

Al-Tirmidhi

We see that the issue of the Hereafter is not just the endless enjoyment part but it includes an endless pain as well. Each of us is either going to have the enjoyment part or the pain part. Now which one are you going to have? Do you know? Did Allah, Ar-Rahman, tell you which one you are getting? Obviously it is a no. So then, why the hurry to go into bliss? What if you went and it wasn’t the bliss you wanted but pain that is worse than the one from which you were running from in this life.

With the little I know of the seerah of the companions of the Prophet Suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam, even though most of them were given the glad tidings of Paradise, they still strove with every inch of their lives to worship Allah azza wa jal with the least opportunity. And their desire for death was in such a way that they wanted so badly to die whiles Allah azza wa jal was pleased with them whether it was now or later.

So then why would we who have not been given the glad tidings of Jannah ever think of wishing for death now? It doesn’t make that much sense to me. As the Prophet suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam advised us; if we were going to wish for death then we should rather say;

‘O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me.’’

So why not put the burden of when to die aside since you have no say in it anyway and just really work hard so that Allah, Al-Gaffuur, may take you when your ihsaan reaches its peak? There is so much to do especially in our era. We cannot afford to run away from the fitaan which are there to test our faith in Allah, Al-Aziz, and our rewards increase with the increment of our level of resistance to these fitaan.

The Parable

Imagine that a man has lots of children around him in a very luxurious and comfortable house. One day, he sends these children away into a garden with a bowl to pick some fruits. He lets them know that he would call each one of them back and give them something special based on the passion with which they pick the fruits. The children are then put in the uncomfortable garden with dark soil, thorns and insects. Then some of them begin to get distressed with the farm and their objective for being in that farm and they want to go back even though the man had not called them yet meanwhile they do not know how much longer he was going to make them stay there. Others however take their time to deal with the uncomfortable situation and try hard not to make those things in the farm that will have a negative impact on their passion to pick the fruits to get in their way. They do so knowing very well that if they tried hard to be very passionate about doing the man this service, they were soon going to get something better in return even though they had no idea how soon. They don’t know exactly when but that isn’t their problem. Their problem is their mood at all points in time.

I believe you have gotten what I am driving at? It is the same thing I see with us. We have a purpose in life. It is better we concentrate on this purpose and strive as much as we can with Allah’s help to fight all the temptations, trials, distress, etc that Allah azza wa jal puts in our way in order to test our faith. Not forgetting the fact that, we will soon go to give accounts to Him.

There is also the fear of dying which isn’t also healthy. Some people fear dying but they do not concentrate on trying their best to please Allah due to this fear. This would not help at all. It is not a wise thing to do. Fear the state in which you die rather than your death.

I pray I have been able to say something useful to you. So instead of putting yourself in the distress of wishing for death which you might not get if it isn’t your time, why don’t you do du’a that the Prophet suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam taught us and just live our lives with hope that Allah, Ar-Razzak, answers?

That was long and I am grateful to you for taking time to read this. You can contact me about any concerns in shaa Allah. May Allah azza wa jal take us when we finally obtain ihsaan and when that ihsaan is at its highest peak. Aameen. Remember always that I love you for the sake of Allah and may He be a witness to this love and may He love us even more. Aameen

Jazaakumul Laahu khair!

Islam Forever In shaa Allah!

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatul Laah!

Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu

www.mmahajia.blogspot.com

ARE YOU GROWING?

Bismil Laahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatul Laahi wa barkaatuh

As always, I emphasize on showing gratitude to Allah azza wa jal for everything. Alhamdu lil Laah for the blessing of Islam. My mum is the type who’d always recognize the minutest of blessings (that is if it is minute at all) and thank and praise Allah for it and I am trying to learn that as well. You should too.

Are you growing?

So, when I ask you the question above, what are you going to say? Are you going to tell me your age? (I guess people aren’t so comfortable telling others their age, heheheee). Or would you start telling me about the increment in your height, weight and all (or even the grey in your hair, heheheee)? Well, I did ask someone this question and she gave me an awesome answer. Do you want to know the answer she gave? Smiles… I’m going to put someone on our plate for some dissection… (not in the real sense of the word though). I want us to take a walk through a portion of her life to see what the growth I’m talking about is.

When I got to know her

A fresh level 100 students I encountered. A pretty lady. She dressed just like any other person (not Hijab). She wears the jeans, skirts, small tops and all. But one thing I noticed, she kind of ties her hair with a scarf most of the times I saw her (when I say kind of, then you should know that it wasn’t proper hair cover, lol. I’m not judging. Trying make a point). And she tells me a long time after I’d encountered her that even with the hair cover; she was not doing it when she came the first time to the University. She used to leave her hair for public scrutiny until a course mate of hers who was a Muslim and who found out that she was also a Muslim cautioned her against not covering her hair. So she started covering it. And oh! She used to add artificial hair to her hair and all.

She started growing

Soon, she fell in love with Islam and its activities. Then she began to cover her hair. Amazing, right? It was really lovely watching her grow together with a very good friend of hers. Her initial style of hijab was that she could wear tight jeans, a short top with or without long sleeves and then she’d wrap some small and mostly transparent veil around her head and neck. Then anytime I saw her, we’d laugh together at how ‘hijabious’ she looked. And oh! Sometimes, when she needed to be where the hijab seemed a no, she would simply do away with it.

Soon, her hijab started getting better. She cared for the Hijab details. And that is just the physical aspect of her advancement in deen. Her interest began switching from all else to watching and listening to Islamic lectures. And then when she finds out something isn’t right in Islam, she stops immediately. She would ask so many questions on what to do as a Muslim on some issues. It was extremely heart-cooling seeing her progress.

And now I remember once a facebook sister whom I have grown very close to telling me;

‘Rubaba, I never knew adding artificial hair to my own was not allowed in Islam and I’ve been doing it all these while. I just cut all of the hair right now after finding out.’

Well, she said it with the kind of remorse that I cannot express in words. And this woman (Oh yes! She is a mother with kids who is just trying now to get better because she was never given the opportunity to discover true Islam as a child) is one of the examples of people I could as well put on our table for dissection.

Back to the one I was talking about earlier…

She is still growing

If I should show you this lady we are talking about today and then you knew her some years back, all that you are going to do is marvel at how Allah azza wa jal is able to transform a human being as much as He wishes. Studying Islam and putting its teachings into practice is now her only passion. She would hear of nothing else. 

This is what I call growth… real growth. Not just an increment in age, height, weight and all. Those are just physical changes. But real growth is displayed in this adorable friend and sister of mine. She was in a kind of world that was exactly at par with Islam and its teachings even though she was Muslim. Then she took a step on the Islamic ladder and today, she just keeps going higher and higher the steps. It is my ardent prayer that she gets to the highest in shaa Allah. Aameen. And I pray the same for myself and for you and for everyone. Aameen.

Could you grow like that?

Well, a lot of people have similar stories to tell. Do you remember the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam and how much they had grown in faith from the beginning of Islam until their end? It is amazing. Did you know that Omar ibn Al-Khattab, radiyal Laahu anhu, was on his way to kill the noble Prophet Muhammad suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam when Allah azza wa jal blessed him with His guidance unto the path of Islam? Your head will definitely blow off when you analyze the growth of the man, radiyal Laahu anhu, in Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan. He was an epitome of Taqwa.

In that same way, each one of us has an opportunity so far as he or she is not dead to grow… the real growth. The growth in which one gets better and better. And of course, in this growth, there are challenges that might draw one backwards but with Allah azza wa jal as the One and Only Helper, one will definitely sail through and get back to climbing higher and higher.

All that you need to do

All that you need to do is du’a. Du’a that is sincerely from your heart. Ask Allah azza wa jal for guidance unto His path and hope in His positive response in shaa Allah. May Allah azza wa jal be our Guard and Guide always. Do not forget that you need to put in a lot of efforts to stop the things that are against the rules of Islam. You might be used to some so much that you will find it difficult letting it go but with determination to live as Allah wills, you will be able to let go if you tried hard.

The answer she gave when I asked whether she was growing?

Khalida Jafar says; Yes, she is growing and why she says so is because of the following:

1.      I have grown and continue to grow in my understanding of people

2.      Appreciating what is around me

3.      In being patient with people though it is my greatest weakness

4.      I have grown and I am growing in my relationship with Allah

5.      I have grown and I am growing in my not making this world my focus

6.      I have and continue to appreciate how insignificant this dunya is

7.      Also, I have grown and I am growing in finding my sense of self-worth as a human being

Now, that to me is real growth. What would your answer be? Have you grown and are you growing in this direction? If no, then you can always start growing now. If yes, thumbs up and there is more to grow about than you have already grown so keep it up. If you are rather retrogressing, then we have a major problem.

Retrogressing

So, we were neighbours in my Hall in level 100 (I am telling a story). She always dressed decently (not in hijab). Her hair is always covered; her skirts up to her feet, her tops cover her bosom and all. Soon, she started wearing what was popularly worn by others. The tight jeans and baby tops. Then it sadly came to the very short skirts and shorts. And then show your breasts and it kept getting worse and worse (I am not judging her, I am only telling a story). It was indeed sad watching someone trek such a path. I never saw her get better again until now. I hope and pray she retreated. Aameen. But such is the challenge in our world today. May Allah save us from it. Aameen.

And there are some who were deep into the deen who have suddenly gone off the path. They let the Dunya take them for a joke. May Allah azza wa jal safeguard us from this kind of fate. Aameen.

A Necessity 

We all need to keep assessing our growth. Pick out some bad that you have noticed about yourself and try to overcome it with du’a and action. You could choose a mentor to help you in doing that if you deem it necessary. Each one of us needs to do some self-assessment always and we should never ever think that we are perfect. There is no one like that at the moment. We all have our shortfalls and our ability to recognize, acknowledge and work on them is in itself a great victory for us. We must always think that we are the worst of people in the sight of Allah in order to get gingered to always do that which pleases Him…growth.

Imagine how much Asiya bint Muzahim radiyal Laahu anhaa grew in her believe in the message of Prophet Musah alayhis salaam so much that even when her husband tortured her severely, she still found solace in Allah and she smiled in her torture because Allah showed her, her home in Jannah. May we be blessed as she was. Aameen.

So, that is a really long story. I just really hope that you have gotten what I am driving at and you are going to work on growing up from today until the end. Remember to remember me in your du’a always. May Allah azza wa jal continue to draw us closer and closer to Him. Aameen.

Taqabbalul Laahu minnaa; may Allah accept from us. Aameen. And as always, I want to let you know again with all sincerity that I love you fiisabi lil Laah and will always do so far as you remain on the deen. And I pray that Allah will be a witness to this love. And may He love us even more. Aameen. May He sustain us on His path always. Aameen.

Jazaakumul Laahu khair always!

Islam Forever in shaa Allah!

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatul Laah!

Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu

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