WHAT IF THE ANSWER IS IN TWENTY YEARS TO COME?

30th Shawwal, 1435                                                 Bismillaahi-r Rahmaani-r Raheem

Assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barkaatuhu brothers and sisters in Islam. It is yet another great day. We thank and praise Allah azza wa jal for the countless blessings. Today, I woke up with a start: bad headache and painful eyes but feeling very ok this morning. Remember me in your du’a always. And you know what? The pure and noble Angels will make the same du’a you make for me for you. Are you smiling? That is Islam.

Many months ago, I updated my whatsapp status to;

‘What if the answer is in twenty years to come?’

Interesting enough, a sweetheart of mine sent me a message that it was almost as if I was talking to her with my status. She was drowning in frustration of the failure of so many of her plans among them; marriage. Funny enough, people were saying all sorts of things about her failed marriage. People always talk, don’t they? They say everything, what they knew and what they didn’t know. Yet here was this wonderful Muslimah going through her own internal struggle and pain. So I told her simply;

‘If it didn’t happen, it was because Allah azza wa jal has not decreed it and when it is time for you to marry, no one can stop it and if it isn’t time, no one can let it happen. What if the answers to all the things you were hoping to have accomplished now comes years later and Allah azza wa jal was going to keep you alive to see them?’

So, in the long run, she let herself be. She gave herself some peace…inner peace which I believe every human being deserves to give to him/herself. Now, alhamdulillaah, she is happily married. Such is the power of Allah azza wa jal which we are naturally unable to fathom.

My friend is almost losing it. She wants that particular kind of job but she isn’t getting it and family were not making her situation any easier. But she does not lose faith. She sticks to du’a hoping that Allah azza wa jal might just answer. She almost falls into depression; she probably didn’t notice but I thought so for the signs that were emanating. And the question still applied to her; what if the answer was in twenty years to come? Alhamdulillaah, she has a beautiful job now.

Allah azza wa jal tells us;

‘And when My servants ask you, concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be guided.’

Surah al-Baqarah, the Cow, Chapter 2 ayah 186

Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aalaa tells us explicitly that He is near to us and that He responds to our every du’a to Him. All that we can do and should do is believe in Him totally. That believe in Him is what will help us to take situations as they come trying as much as possible not to contribute to our own woes.

It is indeed true that sometimes it is as if Allah azza wa jal does not hear us but truth will always be that He does. We have seen so many examples of du’a that were answered much later. An example is how long it took for Prophet Yaqub to reunite with his beloved son, Prophet Yusuf alayhimas salaam. It took more than twenty years for that to happen. Prophet Yusuf alayhis salaam himself was locked up in prison whilst he was very innocent and it took about fifteen years for him to regain his freedom.

My mom tells me about a woman who had given birth seventeen years into her marriage. I could just imagine the kind of verbal and physical attacks that this woman might have gotten from people. I could just imagine the kind of emotional instability she might have had to deal with. I could just imagine the amount of tears that might have flown in her heart and on her cheeks but the truth if she had known would have been and was that she was only going to give birth, by Allah’s decree, seventeen years to come. Her tears, the insults could not change anything because her du’a was only bound to be answered within Allah’s given time.

These are practical issues from which we must learn. Learning from them helps to give us a peace of heart, mind and soul. Let us imagine the case of Prophet Ayyub and that of Prophet Zakariyya alayhimas salaam as well. Prophet Ayyub’s tests were bound to be taken away by Allah azza wa jal within some time and there was nothing he could do to delay it or make it come earlier. Prophet Zakariyya and his wife were going to only have a child at a particular time that Allah azza wa jal had decided. Let us consider the du’a of the mother of Maryam alayhas salaam. She wanted a baby boy but she had a daughter. From this daughter she had a son; a prophet. She had a double blessing. So, should she have worried herself sick over her du’a of a son not being answered? That is the line I believe we must be thinking even though I know by experience that it is difficult and people around us sometimes don’t make it any easier. The Prophet Muhammad suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam said;

"Verily your Lord is the One modest and Generous, and when His servant raises his hands to Him in supplication, He is diffident (in some wordings, shy or hesitant) from returning them empty." 

[Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi - Hasan]

I do not want to go into why the du’a is not answered right away then. But we must know, provided we believe that, it is as the noble Prophet suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam has said; our prayers are answered but…in Allah’s own way and in His own time. We cannot hurry it and we cannot delay it. We should not also forget that the extreme case is true that we may never see the results of our du’a in this life.

My mum tells me again about a woman who has never given birth. She is a very wonderful and cheerful woman. She has learnt to accept her situation, the pressures notwithstanding. At her age now, well…Allah is more than able to do all things. If this woman only knew that she was destined not to give birth in this life, she would have given herself a lot of peace in her du’a to Allah azza wa jal to give her a child or children. So, for a believer who knows that his or her du’a could be answered right away, or in many years to come or never in this life, should we not have an upper hand in dealing with what we think should be and what is? 

Khawlah bint tha’alaba radiyallaahu anhaa was one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam. One day her husband said something about her being like his mother’s back and later he wanted to have intimacy with her. She would not allow him to do so until Allah had decided between them. After her complaint to the Prophet, he pleaded with her to make peace with her husband since he was her cousin. But she awaited an answer to her du’a and right there and then, Allah azza wa jal had responded. Read the beginning aayaat of Surah al-Mujaadalah, the Pleading Woman, Chapter 58. Her du’a was answered right away. And there are many examples like that.

I have seen cases where a person had prayed to be in a particular situation and Allah azza wa jal had given that person the right opposite. Just like in the case of the mother of Maryam alayhas salaam. Imagine a woman who prays to have an Allah inclined child ending up with a child who makes Allah azza wa jal his or her last interest. Imagine a person who prays for a good husband ending up with a bad one. That is where the tests lie and we must identify those tests and figure out ways to overcome and deal with them.

I have seen young ladies and gentlemen who are yearning so much to get married yet where are the men and the women who will even be interested in marrying them. The right men don’t simply come to them and the men don’t simply get the right women. Yet there are those women and men who are not yearning to get married whose lists of proposals from the right kind of gentlemen and ladies keep getting longer. That is not because they are more beautiful or handsome, or wealthier or anything. So then, would you kill yourself because you wanted one thing and got another? All that is required is that there is sincerity in your heart. You do your best and leave the rest to Allah; that is all.

So I have said enough. I hope that this is able to convey the message that I wanted to in the right manner. I hope someone thinks deeply about this and takes off the burden of the thought of his or her du’a not being answered because the reality is that Allah answers our du’a in His own way and time and as believers, we must respect that fact. Remember that I love you fiisabilillaah and I pray and hope that on the Day of Accounts, the Day of Mutual Gain and Loss, we shall be blessed with the Shade of Allah azza wa jal that He promises to the believers who love one another for His sake solely. Aameen.

Jazaakumullaahu khair always!

Assalaamu alaykum!

www.mmahajia.blogspot.com for my articles

www.rubabawords.blogspot.com for my poetry

Rubaba

Were Our Love To Be True

26th Shawwal, 1435                                                      Bismillaahi-r Rahmaani-r Raheem

Assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barkaatuhu brothers and sisters in Islam. Bear me witness that I testify that there is nothing worth anyone’s worship except Allah and Prophet Muhammad suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam is His servant and Messenger. I pray that all of us are blessed to die on this testimony. Aameen.

So, this is my first article after Ramadaan. I pray and hope that your Ramadaan was an excellent one and we pray that Allah azza wa jal makes us witnesses to the next Ramadaan. Aameen.

So I read for the umpteenth time a hadith that got me thinking about love and all. I thought; ‘I should write my thoughts down.’ Perhaps, I’ll stand to benefit at the end of the day. So I am sitting here at 3:41am and writing and praying to be able to convey the message right.

I was mc-ing a very beautiful ladies get together named GMD-Ghana Muslimah Dilemma, and I was honestly enjoying the ‘feel’ of so many Muslims ladies and mothers around as we did our own Muslimah thing. In my busy’ness’, a woman stopped me, I can’t recall her face but she seemed really excited like me, she had something to say. She said;

‘I don’t know you from anywhere but I want to know that I love you for the sake of Allah.’

Errmmm! So, I was taken off guard obviously. I was blushing even. Her statement went straight into my heart and I could tell that I loved her too for the same reason. And of course, for me, the moment you are Muslim, you have my love for Allah’s sake but then sometimes people like this woman make this love a lot more clear and visible.

Interesting enough, that wasn’t the first time someone I didn’t know had expressed his or her love for me fiisabi lil Laah and it was not to be the last either. So many times, especially due to what I do on facebook, blogging, whatsapp and all, I get to hear this line once in a while. Alhamdu lil Laah, I am grateful for that and I pray those people and I are both loved most by the Owner of Love; al-Wadud, for His love is our greatest yearning (note: I am not boasting about anything here to you, I am trying to make a point. Definitely, I seek refuge in Allah from the desire of wanting to please humans against His will for it is pointless anyway. May Allah azza wa jal save us from that. Aameen.) The Prophet Muhammad suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam tells us;

Verily, whenever Allah loves a servant of His, He calls Jibril and says, "O Jibril, verily I love so-and-so, so love him.'' Thus, Jibril will love him. Then, he (Jibril) will call out to the dwellers of the heavens, "Verily, Allah loves so-and-so, so you too must love him.'' Then the dwellers of the heavens love him and he will be given acceptance in the earth. Whenever Allah hates a servant of His, He calls Jibril and says, "O Jibril, verily I hate so-and-so, so hate him.'' Thus, Jibril will hate him. Then, he (Jibril) will call out amongst the dwellers of the heavens, "Verily, Allah hates so-and-so, so you too must hate him.'' Then the dwellers of the heavens hate him and hatred for him will be placed in the earth. 

Al-Bukhari and Muslim

So we see that Allah’s love is the ultimate. May we be among the most beloveds of Allah and may He save us from His wrath. Aameen. As Muslims, we love one another as a ‘means’ of attaining Allah’s love.

If you are a Muslim and you do not see yourself loving your fellow Muslims (brothers and sisters together) for Allah’s sake and all that you feel in your heart for them is contempt, then we have a problem. A problem we must work on quickly. 

Rasuulullaahi suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam told his companions about a man who was destined for Jannah. One of the sahaaba (companions) made it a point to find out what things the man did to earn him such a status (and the sahaaba were like that, striving to be at the forefront in serving Allah). Soon he found out to his surprise that the man did nothing unique but rather whenever he was going to bed, he would make sure that he bore no grudges against any one. Are you thinking? Could you say with certainty that you bear no grudges with other people especially our fellow Muslims?

It does not mean your ‘lovers’ are flawless

No one is perfect! That is a fact that you and I cannot change. As someone will put it;

‘Perfection ended with rasuulullaah.’

We are humans and we are bound to have problems and disagreements with one another; even with our fellow Muslims. We would not admire one another always, sometimes not at all. We will forever have different opinions on some issues and our understandings about certain matters will forever remain different. That is how we were made to be.

What I believe however is that; the moment we are Muslims, our differences notwithstanding, and no matter how a big deal we think those differences are; we could still love one another for Allah’s sake solely. This is because our grudges against one another could never be greater than the shahada and the other pillars of Islam that bind us together as Muslims.

So there is this general love that we feel for one another for the sake of Allah azza wa jal purely because of the mere fact that we are Muslims all together. May Allah azza wa jal keep us on this beauty, deen. Aameen. It is also true that some Muslims win yet another stage of our exceptional love for Allah’s sake by their piety and religious attachment to Allah. These Muslims exhibit in them some light that is seen by the eyes (the hearts have eyes too…and that is the real eye) of their beholder. Yesterday, an office colleague asked me about a certain woman who had come to a program we organised for some Muslim women. After giving me the description of the woman, I found her out and told him whom she was. One of the awesome, strong, humble, down-to-earth, Allah inclined, motherly Muslim women in our country. And this is an older man with his wife and children and all that he is interested in is to have some form of relationship with this woman, halal of course. To be to him like a mother even; and I am just so sure, she could be so and more. He fell in love with her for the sake of Allah. He saw her nuur…that is how I would put it. Now imagine this;

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim ibn Dinar that Abu Idris al-Khawlani said, "I entered the Damascus mosque and there was a young man with a beautiful mouth and white teeth sitting with some people. When they disagreed about something, they referred it to him and proceeded from his statement. I inquired about him, and it was said, 'This is Muadh ibn Jabal.' The next day I went to the noon-prayer, and I found that he had preceded me to the noon prayer and I found him praying." 

Abu Idris continued, "I waited for him until he had finished the prayer. Then I came to him from in front of him and greeted him and said, 'By Allah! I love you for Allah!' He said, 'By Allah?' I said, 'By Allah.' He said, 'By Allah?' I said, 'By Allah.' He said, 'By Allah?' I said, 'By Allah.' " 

He continued, "He took me by the upper part of my cloak and pulled me to him and said, 'Rejoice! I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said, 'My love is obliged for those who love each other in Me, and those who sit with each other in Me, and those who visit each other in Me, and those who give to each other generously in Me." 

Source: The Muwatta of Imam Malik

From this hadith, we must learn a thousand and one things. 

1.      The narrator had just observed from a distance a man showing signs of real intelligence of the deen. The fact that he was young and those learning will constantly refer to him for clarification was impressive enough and he had met him nowhere else than in the Masjid.

2.      He went ahead to make enquiries only to find out that he was one of the companions of rasuulullaahi suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam.

3.      So then he wanted to prove his love for him and he had gone to meet him in the Masjid to confess this love that was pure and genuine and for no worldly benefit but fiisabi lillaah.

4.      He confessed his love and then Muadh ibn Jabal radiyallaahu anhu wanted to know whether he was sure that it was for nothing but Allah.

5.      After he was assured that this man loved him solely for the sake of Allah azza wa jal, he went ahead to give him one of the best of news.

Those are self-explanatory enough. Now the questions:

1.      Will we not love that Allah loves us for the mere fact that we love each other  truly for His sake as brothers and sisters in Islam, that we sit with one another, visit one another and help one another solely for His sake and not for any other worldly benefit?

2.      What kind of people do we love and for what reason do we love them? Do we love people because they are like Muadh ibn Jabal radiyallaahu anhu? Do we love people because they are movie stars, politicians, wealthy people, royalty or what? 

3.      Could we really say with certainty that we have even a single person we love solely for the sake of Allah? Well, a scholar said; ‘To say you are sincere is a sign of insincerity.’ But in this case, let us all search our hearts and ask this question again and again to ourselves only then try to find answers.

4.      Do our Muslim brothers and sisters who love us do so for the sake of Allah? Could we ask a couple of them in order to be sure their love for us is for His sake just like the sahaabi did? I just asked someone and she said yes. Maa shaa Allah.

For me, that is what ahaadith such as this should do to our minds…set it working. We should not just throw them aside because we cannot trade Allah’s love for anything imaginable and unimaginable. Now, the hadith I read is;

Rasuulullaah said: “Among Allah’s servants are people who are neither Prophets nor martyrs, but whom the Prophets and martyrs will deem fortunate because of their high status with Allah.”

They asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Inform us of who they are.”

He said: “They are people who loved each other for Allah’s sake, without being related to one another or being tied to one another by the exchange of wealth. By Allah, their faces will be luminous and they will be upon light. They will feel no fear when the people will be feeling fear and they will feel no grief when the people will be grieving.”

Then he read the verse: “Behold, on the friends of Allah there shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”

 

Sunan Abi Dawud 

Now, you and I should be envious of such a state enough to love our brothers and sisters solely for Allah’s sake truly. For indeed, if our love for one another was truly for His sake, He says that He does not renege on His promise! Are we going to be able to do that? Are you going to be able to do that? Well, remember always that I love you for Allah’s sake solely and I pray I get this nuur and high status with you on the D-Day. Aameen. 

Jazaakumullaahu khair always!

Assalaamu alaykum!

www.mmahajia.blogspot.com for my articles

www.rubabawords.blogspot.com for my poetry

Rubaba

YOUR KHALIL: A DOG HONOURED

Bismil Laahir Rahmaanir Raheem

 

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatul Laahi wa barkaatuhu brothers and sisters in Islam. Alhamdu lil Laah for everything that He has done for us and for everything that He has deprived us. Whatever He does is perfect and may He favour us with contentment in this Dunya and the Akhira. Aameen.

There are a number of ahaadith in which the Prophet talks about the virtues of reading Surah al-Kahf, the Cave, Chapter 18. Among them is this;

Ibn Umar radiyal Laahu anhum said; ‘The Messenger of Allah suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam said: ‘Whoever reads surah al-Kahf on the day of Jum’ah, a light will shine for him from beneath his feet to the clouds of the sky, which will shine for him on the Day of Resurrection and he will be forgiven his sins between the two Fridays.’

This is enough motivation to get you grabbing the opportunity. May Allah azza wa jal make it easy for us to do this. Aameen.

Companionship

So I was reading this book and when talking on companionship, the author had made a heart-stabbing analysis. I have never ever thought about it in that regard. In a very popular hadith, the Prophet suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam makes a parable of how our companions influence us. He says;

‘The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk and the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows. So as for the seller of musk, either he will grant you some or you buy some from him or at least you enjoy a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows, either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from him.’

Bukhari and Muslim

And there are many instances where the Prophet suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam stressed on the importance of good companionship and the dangers of bad ones.

Dhikrul Laah (Zikrul Laah, the Remembrance of Allah)

We ask the question; ‘How is the remembrance of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aalaa possible in the company of one who does not care about the dos and don’ts of Allah azza wa jal?  Yet at any point in time, whether alone or in a gathering of two or more, one should endeavour to be remembering Allah ar-Rahmaan in one way or the other. This is possible when you choose the right companions who will constantly remind you of Allah, enjoin you to that which is good and discourage you from that which is bad. In a hadith Qudsi, Allah azza wa jal says;

‘I am as my servant thinks I am. I am with him when he mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s length, I draw near to him at an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.’

Bukhari

Subhaanal Laah! Alhamdu lil Laah! Allaahu Akbar! Laa haula wa laakuwwata illaa bil Laah! Hasbunal Laahu wa ni’amal wakeel! Laa ilaaha illaa huwa, wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd wahuwa ‘alaa kulli shay’in qadeer! Laa ilaaha illal Laah! Yaa Salaam! Yaa Mujeeb! Yaa Hayyu! Yaa Qayyum! To Him belongs the most beautiful names so let us call Him by them.

How extremely rewarding it will be for Allah azza wa jal to remember us within Himself and even more in an assembly far greater. What are you waiting for? You should know what you should be doing right now? And if you are going to be remembering Allah in a gathering or an assembly, then your companion should be like-minded.

The Prophets’ Wives Who Perished

Clearly, the wives of Prophet Nuh and Lut alayhimas salaam are among the unluckiest beings in this Dunya and the Akhira. Imagine that their companions should have been among the finest of humans yet they chose to seek companionship elsewhere: with the people who had earned Allah’s anger. So Allah al-Adl sends them to Jahannam along with their companions. Allah says;

‘Allah sets forth an example for those who disbelieve: the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut. They were under two of our righteous slaves but they both betrayed them. So they (the Prophets) availed them not against Allah and it was said; ‘Enter the fire along with those who enter.’

Surah at-Tahreem, the Prohibition, Chapter 66 ayah 10

Yet a Dog is Honoured

The Prophet suallal Laahu alayhi wa sallam does not encourage much the keeping of dogs except for some particular purposes. So it is interesting to note that because the wives of Prophets (as mentioned above) chose bad companions, Allah mentions them with them; ‘Enter the fire along with those who enter.’ Yet a dog is mentioned in this same Qur’an with people of great honour. A number of youth who have been set forth as an example for us; those who hope to dodge the harsh realities of our era. The dog was mentioned among the companions of the cave; ashaabul kahf, who run away from the evil that had engulfed their people in order to seek the pleasure of Allah.

‘Do you think that the people of the Cave and the Inscription were a wonder among our signs? Remember when the young men fled for refuge from their disbelieving folk to the Cave. They said; ‘Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself and facilitate for us our affair in the right way! Therefore We covered up their hearing (causing them to go into deep sleep) for a number of years. Then we raised them up that We might test which of the two parties was best at calculating the time period that they had tarried. We narrate to you their story with truth: Truly, they were young men who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance. And We made their hearts firm and strong when they stood up and said; ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, never shall we call upon any illah (god) other than Him. Why do they not bring for them a clear authority? And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah.’

Surah al-Kahf, the Cave, Chapter 18 ayah 15

The aayaat above shows us clearly that type of companionship that the young men had. They drew one another closer and closer to Allah and He favoured them. Could we say the same about our friends? We must indeed ponder. And we are told by the Supreme, Allah, how their dog had enjoyed this bliss with them because he was their Khalil (friend). Allah says in ayah 18 of that same surah that;

‘And you would have thought them awake, whereas they were asleep. And We turned them on their right and on their left sides, and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the entrance. Had you looked at them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight and would certainly have been filled with awe of them.’

We can see clearly in what context the wives of the Prophets and the dog is mentioned. Those women would forever be remembered with the evil of their companionship and the dog will forever be remembered with the honour that Allah azza wa jal placed on these youth. To the pondering mind, this is something that should not be brushed aside at all. 

Keep thinking deeply and always remember me and all others in your du’a. Love fiisabi lil Laah and may Allah love us more. Aameen.

Jazaakumul Laahu khair always!

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatul Laah

RMRS, www.mmahajia.blogspot.com