NO! NO! NO! LOOK AGAIN!!!

Bismil Laahir Rahmaanir Raheem/ In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Assalaamu alaikum warahmatul Laahi wabarkaatuhu brothers and sisters in Islam. 

It is without doubt that Islam is among our greatest blessings and we must never fail to recognize, acknowledge and thank and praise Allah, Al-Rahmaan, for that fact and favour. Alhamdu lil Laah! Alhamdu lil Laah! Alhamdu lil Laah! May Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa sustain us on His path and bring us on it if we are not. Aameen.

Today, Friday, 14^th of March, I’d like us to do some little deep thinking. From the Qur’an, you realize that Allah, Ar-Raheem, calls upon us to do some thinking, pondering, reflection, contemplation, try to understand, etc.; aren’t they all the same? (Well, never mind that).

The parable of the spider and his web and the cave

He stares at his beautifully woven web and feels so majestic (I mean the spider). He could not stop admiring his home and his great talent. He totally forgets the extremely huge cave in which his insignificantly tiny home reside…

She just put some washed clothes on the dry-line and then it starts raining (I’m telling a different story now). She is almost about to explode in anger. At who? She says that if she knew that it was going to rain, she wouldn’t have worried herself to wash and she gets so annoyed with ??? (I mean, question marks).

And among His Signs….

That uncompleted sentence above is something I see in the Qur’an quite often. It either begins a sentence or it is in the middle of it or it ends it. That is a real big deal for every reader of the Qur’an I believe. May I ask you for a favour? Ok, could you please take time to look at all these aayaat? Mmmm! That would be great!

Ever said or heard anyone saying any of these?

·         Mtchewww! It is too sunny today why?

·         Look at this rain spoiling all my plans for today!

·         She is too fat/thin/tall/short/dark/fair (In an annoyed manner)

·         This language is not nice at all

·         She looks like a male/He looks like a girl (In an unpleasant manner)

·         Head/eyes/mouth/nose/ears/etc. are too big (Displeased)

Now, if I’m going to continue, it will be endless so let me just hold it there. I guess you might have said that or others before (if you haven’t, I think that is a blessing you must praise Allah for) and if you have said that before, then….

THEN WHAT?

You must think again…

Remember that all of these are one thing? Could you guess? Let me leave you to do that for now…

For Rabia, when she hears the adhan, it reminds her of THE CRIER OF JUDGEMENT DAY!

When she sees the snow fall, it is as if she’s seeing THE BOOK OF DEEDS drifting from the sky!

When she sees a pack of swarming grasshoppers, she is reminded of RESURRECTION!

What about me? (I’ve asked you enough questions already so this one goes to me) I ask myself… well, no. I never even thought of it.

The parable of you in a tiny corner of the world where you occupy and the World

So, have you ever been so amazed by someone’s building, car, anything that you talk about on and on again? (Sorry, this question goes to you now) It is natural for the answer to be yes. If it is not ‘yes’ for you, then I guess you’re harder to impress than me (well, the things that many see as little get at me the more). It is true that we make the things that our fellow humans make more ‘eyewise appealing to us’ so much that we talk about it over and over again. We forget, like the bee above, that it is only an insignificantly tiny bit of the world. 

Compare the spider’s tiny web to the huge cave…yet he ignores the cave and its maker!

Our creations compared to that of Allah in ‘might and splendour’ are like a tip of a needle in all the waterbodies in the world put together, it is much smaller…

Now, what is this lady trying to say by allowing herself to be angered by rain that falls by the command of Allah just because of her ‘clothes’ that she could always dry later with His own ‘sunshine’? Nastagfirul Laah! We indeed err…

Allah tells us...

‘And of His signs is that He created you from dust; then, suddenly you were human beings dispersing [throughout the earth]. And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought. And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge. And of His signs is your sleep by night and day and your seeking of His bounty. Indeed in that are signs for a people who listen. And of His signs is [that] He shows you the lightening [causing] fear and aspiration, and He sends down rain from the sky by which He brings to life the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed in that are signs for a people who use reason. And of His signs is that the heaven and earth remain by His command. Then when He calls you with a [single] call from the earth, immediately you will come forth.’

Surah Ar-Rum, the Romans, Chapter 30 ayah 20-25

Subhaanal Laahi Robbil ‘aalameen! Tabaarakal Laahu ahsanul khaaliqeen. Indeed, Allah, the One and Only, is without doubt; ‘Extremely Great.’

These are just a few of His signs that He calls upon our minds to ponder on in order to see that His greatness is incomparable to none and He is great beyond our reason. But? There is always a ‘but’. What do you and I do? We say the evil things listed above. We question the perfection and order of Allah’s creation. We underestimate His awesomeness. We turn ourselves into the ‘examiners’ of His creation and we mark Him wrong all the time. How dare us!!! (Nastagfirul Laah!)

And how do we do that?

By complaining bitterly against natural phenomena which are solely so by Allah’s order…

Yet… 

‘We could not create even a mosquito.’

So brothers and sisters in Islam, Islam is our blessing and we must understand that everything that Allah, the Creator, makes is perfect and the diversity in the creation is towards one thing: SEEING HIS MAJESTY! Not complaining bitterly over them when we have no control over them.

And Oh! Brothers and Sisters, remember, never and ever bullshit (I mean do not shove aside easily) the miracles that Allah, Al-Haqq, has placed all around you. You will understand more when you contemplate on them. So, the next time you see anything by Allah, the Al-Azeez, do not look away or look at it once. No! No! No! Look at it again and again and again and thank and praise Allah, the Sufficient, for them. 

Wake up your heart brother and sister!!!

And this goes to me more than you.

NOTE: Please stop complaining against nature…try very hard not to. Train yourself to do that.

Alhamdu lil Laah for the blessing of Islam. May He grant us ‘Eemaan’ and then ‘Ihsan’ and more if any. May He make us fulfill the purpose of our lives, ‘His worship’ no matter how short they are. Aameen thumma aameen.

Remember this always; ‘I LOVE YOU FIISABI LIL LAAH’ and if you love me for the same reason, then may Allah, Al-Wadud, love us the more. Aameen. Jazaakumul Laahu khair!!!

ISLAM FOREVER IN SHAA ALLAH!!!

ASSALAAMU ALAIKUM!!!

Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu

www.mmahajia.blogspot.com

THE 'BF' SAGA, NOT WORTH THE MUSLIMAH'S ATTENTION

Assalaamu alaikum warahmatul Laah dear sis. It is yet another day. Alhamdu lil Laah for His abundant mercies. Indeed, we can never count the blessings of Allah upon our lives just as He tells us;

‘And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.’

Surah An-Nahl, the Bee, Chapter 16 ayah 18

It will be great however if we made the attempt sometimes to count our numerous blessings even though we know too well they’re uncountable. That way, the reality of Allah’s Might will hit us hard and then we’d get the understanding that indeed His greatness cannot be comprehended.

Allah’s mercies upon my life especially are a miracle and that recognition helps my connection with ‘Him’ get better. Alhamdu lil Laah! 

That was just by the way. I want us to talk about something quite interesting. After my article on the, ‘Muslimah Sisterhood,’ which discussed the fact that in our relationship as sisters in Islam, we must encourage one another to that which is good and discourage one another from that which is bad, I feel the need to write on this ‘BF Saga.’

I believe that we all know the essence of covering for the woman in Islam. Allah says;

‘…That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’

Surah Al-Ahzab, the Confederates, Chapter 33 ayah 59

It is both our right and our responsibility to know, understand and put into action the rules Allah azza wa jal has made for us in order to preserve our dignity throughout our lives. It is our right because those rules that guard and guide us aren’t made by man so no one can dare change them. They are our blessing. It is however our responsibility to put these rules into action in order to preserve our honour as ‘Muslim ladies.’ 

The Muslim woman’s cover has not ‘outlived its usefulness,’ Hajia Samia Zouain, an Islamic public speaker, argues out at a recent programme, ‘Ghana Muslimah Dilemma (GMD).’ I would put it as;

‘The Islamic concept of covering for the woman is equally as useful today as it was 1400 minus years ago and it will continue to be so until the end of time.’

This article isn’t about covering anyway but the ‘whys’ of this covering is very essential for the subject I want us to discuss.

A QUESTION: How is the Islamic covering done and why?

I wish you could answer that before you continue with this article. 

To cut a long story short. There are two ways to cover in Islam; ‘Physical and Spiritual.’ The physical is what we popular know as the ‘Hijab.’ You dress in such a way that you know your;

1.      whole body is covered except your hands and face (sometimes feet)

2.      dress is loose enough that it doesn’t reveal your body shape

3.      dress is not transparent

That is so that your natural feminine body attraction is taken out of the way in your day to day activities with people. That guards you against any unnecessary distractions in your worship of Allah especially from the males.

The ‘Spiritual Cover’ deals with a lot more than a physical dress. It is about your attitudes, character and the state of your heart. It has to do with being ‘modest,’ ‘chaste,’ ‘pure,’ and ‘spiritual.’

Modesty, Chastity, Purity, Spirituality…

I understand the linkage among these four to be;

‘Modesty leads to chastity and chastity leads to purity and purity leads to spirituality.’

You might differ with me on that but let’s just agree that I’m right. 

Modesty is such that you want to make sure you aren’t sexually upset and you don’t upset anyone sexually so you put in place measures to prevent that as much as you can. The feeling of modesty thus starts from the heart and then shows on the body.

If your modesty is like that then your chastity, total abstinence from illegal sexual acts, is ensured. What chastity does to a woman is also to keep her pure because illegal sexual acts are considered some dirt unto a person in Islam. Purity also helps the woman in her spiritual inclination to Allah. A perfect example of a woman like that is our mother Maryam, alayhas salaam. May we be blessed with all that. Aameen.

NOTE: The fact that you haven’t been modest or chaste your whole life does not mean that you cannot achieve this purity or spirituality. You can always start somewhere. Just make that intention and in shaa Allah, you will be blessed with them.

The ‘BF’ Saga…

A young Muslim man in a tertiary institution dates two Muslim ladies, his fellow students. This man says he intends to marry both of them at different times somewhere in his future. From these two precious Muslim sisters who aren’t his wives, he gets sexual satisfaction. What I mean is that he has sexual intimacy with them and they cook for him and do all that a wife does for a husband for him. They are supposed to be Muslims, ‘people who play by Islamic rules.’ And these he tells his friends proudly.

Now, that is a true story and that is an extremely sad one indeed.

A young religious Muslimah lady finds herself a Muslim guy. A knowledgeable and religious ‘Islamic Icon’ in a tertiary institution. She is glad because their families know about them and their plans for future marriage. Soon, the guy starts demanding ‘sex.’ Subhaanal Laah! The lady wonders, someone like you too? Interesting when you think about it. And he lets her know that there are other ways of getting that and it seemed like he was getting that from a non-Muslim lady, she found out.

Now, this is also a true story and it is even more unfortunate.

There are numerous stories like these. And if some of the Muslim guys are going to tell you about how some Muslim ladies are used by their fellow Muslim friends and even non-Muslim guys, you will marvel. Some are humiliated in those tiny students’ rooms and on those tiny beds. 

There are many stories of Muslim ladies who date and do stuff with non-Muslim guys. There are stories of many Muslim ladies who date guys for years and do stuff with them and don’t even end up marrying them. 

That is the ‘BF’ Saga that Muslim women should talk about no matter how extremely sensitive the issue is.

We have to understand that some men are out there only searching for women to fulfill their illicit sexual desires. The Muslimah must never and ever be a victim to them. Take the rape cases out of this. May Allah azza wa jal save us from that. Aameen. A Muslimah in her right senses must never ever settle for that.

Proposals are not something that she could prevent even though she could avoid some so she must know how to handle these guys if she doesn’t want to marry them and if she wants to marry a particular guy, then she should know how to go about it.

When a guy proposes and it is not marriage now or soonest, then it is not worth considering. That is because of the ills that could come about in the process of dating for years before marriage.

I tell most of the guys that I am cool with who want ladies they could marry in years to come one thing;

‘Wait until you are ready in those years to come and in shaa Allah, you will get a wife who will be good enough for you.’

Alhamdu lil Laah! Some of them take it and even feel happy about it. May Allah continue to bless such people. Aameen.

It is not easy to find a man who wants to marry you in years to come who will stay away from any kind of evil with you even though there are some; I have seen some before. Therefore, do not take chances.

It is unfortunate that it is becoming a norm to have a guy because all your friends have guys. And it is even more unfortunate that some Muslim ladies turn these men into their ‘providers.’ The guys provide their phones, laptops, monthly money, dresses, and many more. And it is indeed true that;

‘A woman most of the time pays in kind for the cash she gets from a man.’

Even when the Muslim woman is in need, she could not stoop that low. She could not gamble her relationship with Allah for that. And sad enough, sometimes, it is even the ladies who do the taking care of.

These are realities among us. We could not sweep them under the carpet and pretend that all is well. Let not the Muslimah fear that she might not get a husband if she doesn’t preserve a guy for herself. It is never true, believe me. Just do the right thing and when the time comes to get married, that man will come who will treat you just fine before and after marriage in shaa Allah.

Note that these are issues we should ponder on and decide for ourselves whether we want to be part of all these confusions of the ‘BOYFRIEND Saga.’ 

‘Most definitely, a man who wants to be a boyfriend instead of a husband isn’t worth the Muslimah’s attention.’

I love you my sister, fiisabilil Laah!

SISTERS FOREVER!!!

ASSALAAMU ALAIKUM!!!

Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu

www.mmahajia.blogspot.com

MUSLIMAH SISTERHOOD

Assalaamu alaikum warahmatul Laahi ta’aalaa wa barkaatuh sweeeeeeet sisters! Now, you’ve got to respond to that because it is obligatory upon one to respond to a greeting. Allah, the Almighty says; 

‘And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant.’

Surah An-Nisa, the Women, Chapter 4 ayah 86

Ok! So, I just came out of an amazing Muslimah sisters’ get together; a programme actually; ‘Ghana Muslimah Dilemma (GMD)’ and the sisterhood feel is still fresh in my heart. Been wanting to pour out my heart on this topic for a long time now and this morning, a Monday, March 10, 2014, I just want to pour a bit of this feel at least.

From being seen almost as a snob in Senior High School to now being referred to some as ‘strange (even my closest pals think so, amazing huh),’ I have come to recognize, accept and want to spread the importance of Islamic Sisterhood. That is simply because as I learn Islam the more, I see our unity as Muslims in general and Muslim women especially as extremely important. 

Looking into the life of the most amazingly awesome person ever, the noble Prophet Muhammad, the peace and blessings of Allah azza wa jal be upon him, and how he taught both his men and women companions to live with one another, I see a great challenge in our time. We are in a time when everyone is for herself due to some very trivial reasons which we could easily do away with. 

I also see that we are in a time when we need one another as sisters who share a common believe more than ever. That is because the challenges to our being ‘Muslim women’ gets worse and worse and some Muslim sisters are gradually giving up in the struggle to hold firmly unto the most blessed gift that anyone could ever have; ‘Islam.’

‘The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.’

Surah At-Tauba, the Repentance, Chapter 9 ayah 71

 I believe each one of us understands the importance of ‘Allah having ‘Mercy’ upon us.’ We would gain this through being allies of one another and for me it is easy if we make up our minds to do so. In this kind of alliance that is towards attaining ‘Allah’s Rahma’ however, there must be one thing; ‘Enjoining one another to that which is right and helping one another against that which is wrong.’ To me, that is the best of alliance because there is ‘Allah’ in it.

Alhamdu lil Laah, I have been blessed with an uncountable number of sisters even though I am my mother’s only daughter and I have other blood sisters. And of course, I have a number of non-Muslims whom I consider sisters. My linkage with the Muslim sisters is for one reason only; ‘Fiisabilil Laah!’ ‘For the sake of Allah.’ I met some during school, some outside of school, some on social networks (facebook, whatsapp, etc), and our common ‘Islamic Goal’ had kept us in touch and moving (not always physically) together in our endeavours. 

Among the things we must be clear on however in this kind of alliance are;

For the Sake of Allah…

The love between us must come naturally. It must simply be because she is a Muslim and I love her fiisabilil Laah! Nothing more, nothing less! And I have come to learn the ease with which love for the sake of Allah comes about. I am the type who will naturally be hollow-minded about anyone I meet for the first time until I begin to know him or her then I could decide the kind of person he or she is and whether we could get along or not. Somehow however, I have come to learn how to recognize the Allah in people and appreciate them for it. And as I get to see more of how Allah inclined a person is, I fall even the more in love with him or her fiisabilil Laah!

"On the Day of Judgement, Allah, the Most High, will announce, 'Where are those who love each other for the sake of My pleasure? This day I am going to shelter them in the shade provided by Me. Today there is no shade except My shade."

(MUSLIM)

Now, I know each one of us will give everything to have this blessing from Allah. So then, why don’t we just love one another for His sake? What better way to love one another than to do du’a (prayer) for one another even when the other doesn’t know and to desire for one another what we desire for ourselves. The Prophet Muhammad, suallal Laahu ta’aaalaa alayhi wassallam says;

"None of you has Iman (faith) until he desires for his brother (or sister) Muslim that which he desires for himself (or herself)."

(Bukhari and Muslim)

The Other Things…

      Sincerity

Indeed, sincerity is a beautiful thing and among the best gift you can give in any kind of relationship is sincerity. No telling of lies to or about one another. It is heart breaking really if you really give all your heart to a sister fiisabilil Laah and the person lies to and against you (talking from experience). It is almost like a demeaning of your mind. 

      Let it out

There is this thing about some of us that is not commendable at all. If we have issues with one another, let us talk about it instead of letting it eat us up in our hearts. Our sisterhood should be such that there are no buried grudges. Let your sister know that as for you, if you have a problem with her, you’d let her know so that when you aren’t saying anything, she knows all is well. In my opinion, it helps. And you have to also be like that to her in order to make things work. If this is also going to work among us as Muslim sisters, then we should be ready to listen to the other’s complaints and offer explanations, apologies, solutions, etc. to them where necessary.

      Be a mirror

"A Muslim is a mirror to another Muslim"

(ABU DAWUD)

And I found the exact explanation the ‘Muslimah Sisterhood’ needs on this hadith from www.ummah.com

      A mirror has the following qualities that we also should have when reflecting upon other fellow Muslims.

      A mirror has a one-to-one relationship with an object, after the person has gone the Mirror doesn't keep the image for everyone to see, it is as though the person was never there.

      It does not announce a defect in public; a mirror does not backbite.

      A mirror does not distort the image, but gives an honest, unbiased picture, if there is something wrong - it shows it in due proportion, if there is something right - it also shows it in due proportion, it is very Fair.

      Neither does it exaggerate nor does it belittle the object.

      The object goes to the mirror. The mirror does not travel looking for the short-comings of the object."

#that says it all…

And the Prophet, suallal Laahu alaihi wassalaam also says;

"Help your (Muslim) brother (or sister) when he commits a wrong and when a wrong is committed against him, someone asked, "O Messenger of Allah, I understand how I can help him if a wrong is committed against him, but how can I help him if he is himself committing a wrong?" At that the Prophet (SAW) answered, "Stopping him from committing the wrong is helping him."

(Bukhari)

Wonderful how stopping a sister from doing wrong is actually some help to her instead…may we be blessed with ilm (knowledge), hikma (wisdom), and faham (understanding). Aameen.

We have human differences

Well, it is sometimes difficult to connect with some Muslim sisters because they are simply ‘unresponsive’ to us. Sometimes that is due to the fact that they do not understand the essence of the ‘Islamic Bond’ and sometimes it is just their character. What sisters have to know is that these are hurdles we can do away with. If you are a sister who is having a hard time getting along with other Muslim sisters for one reason or the other, just know that we have human differences and all that is required of you is to give your portion of the love fiisabilil Laah. Perhaps, the sisters will learn from you or from other sources to understand the essence of your need to bond with them. Islam is thicker than blood, right?

Some character traits are a no no no…

Arrogance is a dangerous thing just as humility is adorable. Forget the class, the age, the knowledge, the wealth, the beauty, the status, etc and just let the love flow fiisabilil Laah. Envy is deadly. Quick temperedness is yet another bad one. Backbiting and slander is as dangerous. And there are more…do a character check and try working on deleting all the bad ones and improving on the good ones. May Allah help us do away with our bad traits. Aameen.

I guess I’ve said quite a lot. We have to note that there are loads of benefits in this Dunya (world) and the Akhira (hereafter) that we stand to gain if we built our bond fiisabilil Laah! And there is this amazing hadith that puts a smile on my face anytime. The Prophet, Suallal Laahu alayhi wassallam says;

"If a person loves his brother, he should inform him of this fact."

(Abu Dawud and Tirmidi)

And during the time of the Prophet, Suallal Laahu alayhi wassallam, his men and women companions had spread their love for one another both in words and deeds all in hope of attaining Allah’s pleasure. We could do the same no matter the challenges. 

So sisters, are we going to let it show, our love for one another for the sake of Allah? Are we going to work on building the ‘Muslimah Sisterhood?’ If yes, that will be excellent.

Now, I want to say something to your heart and I pray it goes into the deeper part of your heart because it is coming from very deep within mine;

‘I LOVE YOU TRULY FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH.’

If you love me too for the same reason, then may the One for whose sake you love me love you even more. Aameen.

Remember to give me that smile that does things to the heart when you see me at least. Give me that soothing hug that reminds me of the blessing of Islam and just go ahead and give me kisses fiisabilil Laah!

To Allah we are grateful for His many favours especially of Islam. Taqabbalul Laahu minkum wa minnee, ‘May Allah accept from you and from me.’

SISTERS FOREVER!!!

ASSALAAMU ALAIKUM!!!

Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu!!!