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Thursday 23 May 2013

HALIDA JAFAR'S TAKE ON 'FIRE IN THE BELLY' 'A PLAY'





The title of the play is the kind that makes you want to read the story again and again. The drama explores the corruption of some Muslims in the distribution of funds provided to them for the maintenance of mostly orphans.

The opening scene introduces us to Hajia Nura and her daughter A’aisha. I would describe A’aisha as the one who reveals to us the reality of what happens to the funds given to such corrupt people. The next scene shows us the discussion between Mallam Ibrahim and his colleague Ustaz Hussein. However, Jamal “The mad but wise man,’’ interrupts them. He is a character who educates us on various Islamic principles such as the etiquette of replying to a greeting. In scene 3, the Narrator tells us about Abdul Laah. We see the household of Mallam Ibrahim and I’m sure that female readers would be in awe at how Mallam Ibrahim showers gifts on his wife and looking at his household on the surface, most women would wish to have husbands like him but would that be the case after reading further?

The flashback in scene 4 provides us with a better understanding of Jamal’s life. In scene 5, the household of Ustaz Hussein is also seen and this is where my admiration for him begins. Mallam Mohammed pays Ustaz Hussein a visit to ask him for help with Abdul Laah’s education and he gives them more than they had requested. This gesture might seem to be as a result of guilt or show off but I believe that even with that some of us would be happy that at least he has conscience which pricks him from time to time. His wife is not happy about his gesture and here we see the belligerent nature of Anty Munira.

Maame Sakina’s disappointment over the real nature of her husband’s job is also brought to bear in scene 6. She is consoled by her brother Mallam Mohammed. Abdul Laah’s predicament is further made clear to us when his uncle, Baaba Iddrisu, drives him out of his house. This brings out the reality of what it feels like to be an orphan. It is not for nothing that Allah (SWT) repeatedly informs us in the Qur’an to not take the possessions of the Orphan and to not turn away the orphans when they come to us such as in Surah Al Ma’un (1-2) which say; “Have you seen one who denies the Day of Judgment? Who turns away the orphan.’’ This calls for some reflection.

In scene 7, we see Jamal as a cured person now and married to Hajia Nura. In their conversation, we realize Hajia Nura actually lost her other daughter during her years of struggle, which Jamal blames himself for. Baaba Iddrisu also collapses as he chase after Abdul Laah. In scene 8, Anty Munira is angry at her husband for wanting to quit his business and vows in her words, “To take it up.’’ Maame Sakina is surprised at her and informs her of the disgust she has for the kind of business their husbands do. In scene 9, Mallam Ibrahim laments about some of his problems which included his wife’s threat to leave him, the collapse of his projects and the deterioration of his health.

In the final scene, we see Sheikh Nuruddeen, a key donor to Mallam Ibrahim and Ustaz Hussein’s orphan project. He is a man worthy of emulation. Having been an orphan from childhood, he makes it his job to fund such orphan projects. Mallam Ibrahim and Ustaz Hussein are exposed, they ask for forgiveness and they pledge to change their ways. Ustaz Hussein is my favourite. It may seem like the wrong choice to make but I see him with a different eye. I see a man who had a conscience. A man who had shown signs of guilt; a man who had a difficult wife but still stood his grounds.

To conclude, ‘’Fire in the Belly’’ is a play that focuses on the ills of our society and at the same time provides us with the hope that when we realize our mistakes, things can get better.

Halidatu Jafar
University of Ghana
CHRAJ (National Service)

Tuesday 21 May 2013

WITH BEAUTIFUL PREACHING AND FAIR ARGUMENT



Abdullah was an energetic person but lacking in certain skills. One day, he left his home to pray Dhuhr in the mosque. It was his zeal for the prayer and respect for his religion which brought him out to pray. He was walking fast in order to reach the mosque before the Iqamah was given. On his way, he passed by a date-palm tree on top of which there was a man in uniform, working on the tree. ‘Abdullah became surprised and thought,
“Who is this man that does not care about the prayer! It is as if he didn’t even hear the Adhan, or doesn’t care about the Iqamah, which is about to go!”
He shouted in anger, “Get down and pray!”
The man responded coldly, “OK, OK...”
He said, again, “Hurry up and pray, you donkey!”
The man screamed, “You called me a donkey?!” He then took a branch of the tree and descended in order to hit him over the head with it! ‘Abdullah hid his face with his headscarf so the man wouldn’t recognise him and went on to the mosque. The man descended from the tree in anger, went to his house, prayed and rested for a while. He then returned to the tree to finish his job.
Then ‘Asr time came and ‘Abdullah went to the mosque again.
On his way he passed by the same tree and noticed the same man working. He decided to change his method altogether and said, ‘As-salamu ‘alaykum! How are you?”
The man replied, “Al-hamdulillah, I am fine!”
He said, “Give me some good news. How are the dates this year?”
The man said, “Al-Hamdulillah.”
‘Abdullah said, “May Allah give you success and provision, make your life easy for you, and not deprive you of the reward for your work!”
The man was overjoyed at hearing this supplication and said ameen to the prayer.
‘Abdullah then said, “It seems that you are so preoccupied with work that perhaps you didn’t notice the Adhan for ‘Asr prayer. The Adhan has been called and the Iqamah is about to be given. Perhaps you should get down, relax a little and get ready for prayer. After the prayer you can get on with your work again. May Allah keep you healthy.”
The man said, “InshaAllah... InshaAllah...” and began to descend gently.
He then turned to ‘Abdullah, shook his hand warmly and said, “I would like to thank you for your excellent manners. As for the one who passed by me at Dhuhr time, I wish I could see him and show him who the real donkey is!”

Source: The book, ‘ENJOY YOUR LIFE’ by Dr. Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Rahman al-‘Arifi

THE STORY OF KA’B BIN MALIK, radiyal Laahu anhu




The Prophet called the people to set off for Tabuk and prepare for an expedition. He collected people’s contributions to prepare an army, until the number of combatants reached 30,000 - this was in a season when the shade was pleasant and the fruits had ripened, yet the desert heat was severe. The journey was long and the enemy was mighty and haughty. The Muslims were great in number but some of their names were not listed in the register.

Ka’b said, “I was the wealthiest I had ever been at the time. I had managed to accumulate two rides, and I found myself the strongest that I had ever been. At that time, I inclined towards the shade and the sweetness of fruits, and remained so until the Messenger of Allah, pbuh, set off to leave. So I said to myself: ‘I will go tomorrow to the marketplace, buy something in preparation for the expedition, and join them later.’ I then went to the marketplace the next day, but some things came up and so I returned. Thus I said: ‘I will return tomorrow – Allah willing, buy something and then join them’, but then again, something delayed me. I then said: ‘I will return again tomorrow – Allah willing’… This kept happening until days went by and I was left behind by the Messenger of Allah – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. I then began strolling the marketplaces and walking around the city, only to find people who were either drowning in hypocrisy, or those whom Allah had excused from marching forth.’

Yes, Ka’b was left behind in Madinah.

As for the Messenger of Allah, he along with his 30,000 companions marched forth until they reached Tabuk; he looked at the faces of his Companions to find that he was missing a righteous person from amongst those who had witnessed the Pledge of ‘Aqabah. He therefore asked, “What happened to Ka’b bin Malik?” A man replied: “O Allah’s Messenger! He has been prevented by his two Burdas (cloaks) and his looking at his own flanks with pride.” To this Mu‘adh bin Jabal replied: “How evil is what you have said! By Allah, O Messenger of Allah! I have not known except good from him.” The Messenger of Allah remained silent.

Ka’b continued: “When the Prophet, pbuh, finished with the expedition of Tabuk and made his way back to Madinah, I began to think; ‘How do I save myself from his displeasure?’ I would seek advice from whoever had to offer me advice from my family, until the Prophet finally arrived in Madinah, and I realised that I would not be saved except by being honest.”

The Prophet then reached Madinah and directly entered the mosque, wherein he prayed two units of prayer, and then sat with the people. There came to him those who had lagged behind, making excuses for their actions and swearing oaths.

They were about eighty-odd people. The Messenger of Allah accepted their excuses at face value and sought forgiveness for them, leaving their innermost secrets to Allah. Ka‘b bin Malik also came. When he greeted him, the Prophet looked at him. He smiled at him, the smile of one who is angry.

Ka’b walked towards him and sat in front of him. The Prophet said to him: “What made you lag behind? Did you not buy a ride for yourself?” Meaning: your riding beast. He replied: ‘Indeed, I did!’ The Prophet asked: “Then, what kept you behind?” Ka‘b said: “O Messenger of Allah, if I were to have sat in front of anyone in the world other than you, I would have saved myself from his anger by making an excuse. I have been given the power of persuasion. But by Allah, I know that if I were to tell you a lie today in order to attain your pleasure, then Allah would soon make you angry with me anyway, and if I were to speak the truth, then surely you would be upset with me, but I would hope that because I spoke the truth, Allah would forgive me. O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I do not have any excuse. By Allah, I had never been stronger nor wealthier than I was when I remained behind!”

Ka‘b remained silent. Thereupon, the Prophet turned to his Companions and said: “He has indeed spoken the truth. Get up (O Ka‘b) and wait until Allah decides your case.” Ka‘b got up and left the mosque, dragging his feet, feeling remorse and being grief stricken, not knowing what Allah would decide for him.

When the people saw this, a group from amongst them followed him and began to censure him. They said: “By Allah! We have not known you to have committed a sin before this. Though, you are a poet, you failed to make excuses to the Messenger of Allah like the rest of those who lagged behind! You could have made an excuse by which he would have been pleased with you and sought forgiveness for you, so that Allah may have forgiven you.’
Ka‘b said: “They continued to censure me so much that I considered returning to the Prophet to inform him that I had lied. But I then asked: ‘Is there anyone else who has had the same experience?’ Someone replied: ‘Yes. Two men also said what you said and were told what you were told.’ I asked: ‘Who are they?’

They said: ‘Murarah bin al-Rabi’ and Hilal bin Umayyah.’ These were two righteous men who had witnessed the battle of Badr − men whom I thought could be examples for me. I therefore said: ‘By Allah, I will never return to the Prophet to retract what I have said and belie myself!”

Thus Ka‘b walked along, broken inside and full of sadness, until he reached home, where he remained. Not much time had passed after this when the Prophet forbade the people from speaking to Ka‘b and his two Companions.

Ka‘b said: “After this, people completely changed their attitude towards us and would shun us. If I were to go out to the marketplace, no one would speak to me. The people became estranged from me as if I never knew them. It was as though even the walls had become estranged from us, as if these weren’t the walls we were familiar with and the earth that we knew had also become a stranger. The two companions of mine would sit in their homes and weep night and day. They would never show their faces. They would busy themselves with worship as if they were monks. As for me, then I was the youngest and the firmest of the three. I would go out and attend the prayers with the Muslims and roam around the marketplaces, yet, nobody would speak to me.

“I would enter the mosque and approach the Messenger of Allah and greet him, then be left wondering to myself if he even moved his lips to return my greeting or not. I would pray close to him, looking at him stealthily. When I became busy with prayer, he would turn to me. When I turned to him, he would turn away from me.”
Days went by and pain led to more pain. Ka‘b was once considered a noble man amongst his people and a leading poet. He was known amongst kings and princes. His poetry circulated amongst the great so much that they would long to meet him. Yet here he was in Madinah amongst his own people, and no one would speak to or even look at him, so much so that the tragedy was gruelling and the estrangement became almost impossible to bear. Still, there was to come to him another test…
One day, as he was roaming around the marketplace, there came a Christian from Syria. He said: “Who can take me to Ka‘b bin Malik?” The people pointed to Ka‘b, so he came to him and gave him a letter from the King of Ghassan. How strange! From the King of Ghassan! Therefore, his news must have reached Syria, so much so that the King of the Ghassanites showed concern for him! How amazing! What exactly did the King want from him?

Ka‘b opened up the letter and read: “To proceed: O Ka‘b bin Malik! It has reached me that your companion has turned cold towards you and distanced you from him. You do not deserve loss or ruin, or to be disgraced. So join us, and we would give you consolation.”

When he finished reading the letter, he said: “To Allah we belong! The people of disbelief have now shown interest in me! This is indeed a great calamity and evil!” He then went with the letter immediately to an oven, set it alight, and burned it. Ka‘b did not consider the king’s offer for a moment.

Yes, the doors were opened up to him to the kings’ palaces and the mansions of the great who would invite him to honour and companionship, whilst the city of Madinah around him censured him and people frowned in his face. He would greet people, yet none would return his greeting. He would ask, yet none would respond. Despite that, he did not turn to the disbelievers. The devil failed to shake him or to make him a slave to his desires. He simply tossed the letter into the fire and let it burn.

Thus the days passed, one by one, until a whole month went by. Ka‘b remained in this state as the boycott continued to grow heavier around his neck and the pressure continued to increase. Neither did the Messenger pardon him, nor did revelation descend decreeing anything in this matter.

When forty days had passed, a messenger from the Prophet came to Ka‘b, knocking on his door. Ka‘b went out to him, hoping that he might have come with concessions, only to find the messenger saying: “The Messenger orders that you distance yourself from your wife.” He said: “Should I divorce her?” He said: “No, but keep your distance from her and do not approach her.” Thereupon, Ka‘b went to his wife and said: “Go back to your family and stay with them until Allah decrees for this matter.”

The Prophet sent the same message to his two companions. So the wife of Hilal bin Umayyah came to him and said: “O Messenger of Allah, Hilal bin Umayyah is a weak old man. Will you give me permission to serve him?” He replied: “Yes, but do not let him approach you.” The woman said: “O Prophet of Allah, he is not even able to move for anything he needs. He is still very depressed and cries, night and day, since the day he did what he did.”

The days became very difficult for Ka‘b and the boycott became so unbearable for him that he began to re-examine his faith. He would try to speak to the Muslims, but they would not respond to him. He would greet the Messenger of Allah but would not hear a response. So where should he have gone? Whom should he have consulted?

Ka‘b said: “When the calamity had gone on for far too long, I went to Abu Qatadah, who was my cousin and the most beloved of people to me. I found him in his garden. I scaled the wall, entered and greeted him, but by Allah, he did not return my greeting. I said: ‘I beseech you, by Allah, O Abu Qatadah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?’ He remained silent.

I then said: ‘O Abu Qatadah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?’ He remained silent. I then said: ‘I beseech you, by Allah, O Abu Qatadah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?’ He then said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.”

When Ka‘b heard this response from his cousin and the dearest of all people to him, it was as if he could no longer tell if he was a believer or not. He could not bear what he had heard. His eyes filled with tears. He climbed over the wall, went back to his house and remained therein, looking here and there, confined within the walls of his house. He had no wife to accompany him, nor a relative to console him.

Fifty nights had passed since the Prophet forbade the people to speak to them. On the fiftieth night, it was revealed to the Prophet in the last third of the night that the repentance of the three men had been accepted. At the time, the Prophet was in the house of Umm Salamah. So he recited the relevant verses, after which Umm Salamah said: “O Prophet of Allah, shall we not give the glad tidings to Ka‘b bin Malik?” He replied: “The people would throng and prevent you from sleeping for the rest of the night!”

Hence, when the Prophet prayed the Fajr prayer, he proclaimed the fact that Allah had accepted their repentance. The people then rushed to give them the glad tidings.

Ka‘b said: “I had prayed Fajr on the rooftop of one of our houses. I was sitting in a state which Allah has described in His Book, in which my soul felt intense restriction, and even the earth had become restricted, despite its vastness, and nothing worried me more than the thought that I may die and the Messenger of Allah may not pray over me, or that he may die whilst I remain boycotted by the people, such that no one speaks to me ever, nor prays over me upon my death.

“So, whilst I was in that state, I heard the voice of a person on Mount Sala’, shouting at the top of his voice: ‘O Ka‘b bin Malik!

Glad tidings for you!’ I fell into prostration and realised that relief had at last arrived from Allah. There came to me a man on a horse, whilst another man was shouting from the top of the mountain, and his voice reached me more swiftly than the horse.

“When the man whose voice I heard finally came to me to give me the good news, I took off my two garments and gave them to the men. By Allah, I didn’t have any other garments, so I borrowed two others, wore them and set out to see the Messenger of Allah – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

The people came to meet me in droves, congratulating me on the acceptance of my repentance, saying: ‘Congratulations that your repentance has been accepted!’ I entered the mosque and found the Messenger of Allah  sitting with his Companions.

“When they all saw me, by Allah, none stood for me except Talhah bin Ubaydullah. He stood up, hugged and congratulated me, then sat down again. By Allah, I will never forget Talhah’s action! I kept on walking until I reached the Messenger of Allah and greeted him. I noticed that his face was radiant with happiness. Whenever he became happy, his face would become radiant, as if it were part of the moon. When he saw me, he said: ‘Glad tidings to you for the best day you have witnessed since your mother gave birth to you!’ I said: ‘Is this favour from you, or Allah?’ He replied: ‘It is from Allah.’ Then he recited the verses. I sat down in front of him and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! As part of my repentance, I should give the sum total of my wealth in charity for Allah and His Messenger.’ He said in response: ‘Keep some of your wealth, for that is better for you.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, Allah only saved me for being truthful, and a part of my repentance should be to always speak the truth as long as I live.’”

Yes, Allah accepted the repentance of Ka‘b and his two companions and revealed in that regard Qura’nic passages, saying: 

“Allah has already forgiven the Prophet and the Muhajirin and the Ansaar who followed him in the hour of difficulty after the hearts of a party of them had almost inclined [to doubt], and then He forgave them. Indeed, He was to them Kind and Merciful. And [He also forgave] the three who were left behind [and regretted their error] to the point that the earth closed in on them in spite of its vastness and their souls confined [i.e., anguished] them and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.”

The point to note in this story is that Talhah – may Allah be pleased with him – when he saw Ka‘b, he stood up for him, hugged and congratulated him. Hence, Ka‘b’s admiration increased for him, so much so that he would say after Talhah’s death, whilst narrating this story years later: “By Allah! I will never forget what Talhah did!”

And what did Talhah do to captivate the heart of Ka‘b? He demonstrated a great skill, by showing concern for him and sharing in his moment of happiness with him, and hence he became beloved to Ka‘b.

Source: The book, ‘ENJOY YOUR LIFE’ by Dr. Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Rahman al-‘Arifi

Monday 20 May 2013

THE TALE OF THE FAMOUS SPANISH BUSINESS MAN




Ibn Hazm mentions in his work Tawq al-Hamamah a tale of a famous Spanish businessman:
There was competition between him and four other businessmen and as a result, they disliked him. They were therefore determined to aggravate him. One morning, he left his house to go to his workplace, wearing a white shirt and turban. One of the four businessmen met him on the way. He greeted the Spanish businesman, looked at his turban and said, “How beautiful this yellow turban is!”
The businessman said, “Are you blind? This turban is white!”
He replied, “No, it is yellow! It is yellow, but it looks good.”
The businessman left him and moved on until he met the second of them. He greeted him, then looked at his turban and said, “You look handsome today! Your clothes look fine! Especially this green turban!”
The businessman said, “Actually, the turban is white.”
“No, it is green,” he insisted.
He replied, “It is white! Go away from me!”
The businessman walked on, talking to himself, and every now and then looking at the flank of his turban to make sure that it was indeed white. He reached his shop and opened up the lock. Meanwhile, there came to him the third of the four businessmen and said, “How beautiful this morning is! And especially your clothes, they look fine! And your beautiful blue turban only adds to your good looks!”
The businessman looked at his turban to ascertain its colour, then rubbed his eyes and said, “Dear brother! My turban is white!”
“No, it is blue. But the important thing is that it looks good, so don’t worry!” the man said, and left, as the businessman began to yell after him saying, “The turban is white!” as he looked at his turban to ascertain its colour once again.
He sat in his shop for a while and couldn’t take his eyes off his turban. Meanwhile, the fourth person came and said, “Greetings!
Mashaa Allah! From where did you buy this red turban?”
The businessman shouted, “My turban is blue!”
He replied, “No, it is red.”
The businessman said, “No, it is green! Actually, no, it is white!
No, it is blue, or black!” He then laughed out loud, then screamed, then began to cry and then started to jump up and down!
Ibn Hazm said, ‘Thereafter, I would see him in the streets of Spain. He had gone mad and children would pelt stones at him.’
If these four people, by using their skills, were able to change not only the nature of the person but also his mind, then how about the tried and tested skills that are supported by revelation which a person can put into practice in order to become closer to Allah?
Put into practice whatever good skills you come across and you will be happy.
If you say to me, “I cannot.”
I would say to you, “At least try!”
If you say to me, “I don’t know how.”
I would say, “Yes, you do!”
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Knowledge is only gained through learning, and clemency is only gained through perseverance.”

Source: The book, ‘ENJOY YOUR LIFE’ by Dr. Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Rahman al-‘Arifi

MY WILL by Babirye Warda





BY BABIRYE WARDA

Do I even know how to cry?
Can I still hold onto the dreams
I long for the moment
I long for the time
I long for those pleasure
I long for innocence
It might be the last time I live
I might not live to see tomorrow
But I am grateful to be me now
I am also grateful for being among the few
The few who can make their will
I have nothing at hand
But I have something that money cannot buy
I have a pleasure that is beyond a treasure
I have a guarantee that you will love it
Discover the magic of learning Islam
My will is Islam for my loved ones

Wednesday 8 May 2013

WHAT WAS FIR’AUN THINKING?.... The Arrogance of Ignorance




The man ‘Fir’aun’ ‘Pharaoh’ does not cease to amaze me. I keep wondering what had plunged him into the ignorance of thinking he was anything close to ‘God.’

I should probably not be worrying myself about this man who is the greatest sinner of all times. Subhaanal Laah! How very bad his situation is to have won such a title.

Unlike some people whom Allah subhaanahu wata aa’laa blessed with some special spiritual power like Prophet Sulaiman (peace be upon him) who could command the wind and the shayaatu’in (devils) by the permission of Allah as Allah tells us in Surah Al-Ambiyaa (The Prophets), Chapter 21 ayah 81-82;

‘And to Sulaiman we subjected the wind strongly raging, running by his command towards the land which We had blessed. And of everything We are the All-Knower. And of the Shayaatu’in were some who dived for him and did other works besides that; and it was We who guarded them.’

Prophet Sulaiman (peace be upon him) acknowledged and worshipped the source of his power. And consider someone like Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) whom Allah (glorified be He above all else) blessed with miracles as we are told by Allah in various places in the Qur’an.

And talk about Prophet Issah (peace be upon him) who could heal the blind and all by Allah’s permission and aren’t all the prophets blessed with numerous miracles. Even some men are able to do their own magic like the magicians Fir’aun hired to his defence.

Fir’aun on the other hand as we are made to understand in the Qur’an by Allah, was totally spiritually powerless! He could not do even magic! It baffles me that such a man, due to his physical possessions and powers only, could be this arrogant to claim to be ‘God.’ Subhaanal Laah! Subhaanal Laah! What was he thinking?

Cutting the story of he and our noble Prophet Musa’s story short, I will like to share the part of his arrogance that mesmerizes me even more and causes me to truly wonder about him. Allah (glorified be He above all else) says in Surah Al-Qasas, (the Narration), Chapter 28, ayah 37-38 that;

‘Musa said: ‘My Lord knows best him who came with guidance from Him, and whose will be the happy end in the Hereafter. Verily, the wrongdoers will not be successful.’ Fir’aun said: ‘O chiefs! I know not that you have a god other than me. So kindle for me fire, O Haman! To bake bricks out of clay and set up for me a lofty tower in order that I may look at the God of Musa; and verily, I think that he is one of the liars.’

Indeed, gloried is Allah above all that is associated with Him. He is One and Only. He begets not neither was He begotten. Just listen to Fir’aun and you will know what I am wondering about. I have highlighted part of his speech for emphasis. Imagine that he dared to question his chiefs about having a god besides him? He didn’t even know how they came into existence. He didn’t even know how they function! Yet, He expected to take credit for something he knew too well that he had not contributed to.

And then, for him to be able to see that ‘God’ that Prophet Musa was talking about, he had to use a tower. He could not do it just like that; like suddenly vanish in search of that ‘God’ or even command that ‘God’ to just come to his presence. And even funnier is the case that he could not just command the tower to just appear! Subhaanal Laah! When Allah wills for something to be done, He says to it; ‘Be’ and ‘It is.’ This man Fir’aun, had to call on another man; Haman, for help in order to be able to build that so called tower. Praise Allah! We definitely have to worship Him however we can. To Him belongs the dominion of the Heavens and the Earth.

And let’s look at ourselves. Aren’t we somehow trekking this path of Shaitaan? The little authority we have, we want to put it in everyone’s nose. We want to show everyone that we are the super powers for some minute and insignificant physical power that we have? Let us ponder brothers and sisters. It is arrogance without thought that sent Fir’aun as far as he went.

Allah, the Owner of the Day of Judgment, gives us another example of a display of Fir’auns lack of power in Surah Al-A’raf, (The Heights), Chapter 7 ayah 106-121 that;

‘(Fir’aun) said: ‘If you have come with a sign, show it forth, if you are one of those who tell the truth. Then he (Musa) threw his stick and behold! It was a serpent, manifest! And he drew out his hand, and behold it was white (with radiance) for the beholders. The chiefs of the people of Fir’aun said; ‘This is indeed a well-versed sorcerer.’ He wants to get you out of your land, so what do you advise?’ They said; ‘Put him and his brother off for a time and send callers to the cities to collect – that they bring to you all well versed sorcerers.’ And so the sorcerers came to Fir’aun. They said; ‘Indeed there will be a reward for us if we are the victors.’ He said; ‘Yes, and moreover you will be of the nearest to me.’ They said; ‘O Musa! Either you throw first or shall we have the first throw?’ He said: ‘Throw you first.’ So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic. And We revealed to Musa; ‘Throw your stick,’ and behold! It swallowed up straight away all the falsehood which they showed. Thus truth was confirmed and all that they did was made of no effect. So they were defeated there and returned disgraced. And the sorcerers fell down prostrate. They said; ‘We believe in the Lord of all that exists.’

You know! Let us all say alhamdu lil Laah for making us Muslims and it should not be just a lip service to the Creator but we should mean it and act it. Look at Fir’aun! He had to summon the best of his sorcerers to fight his fight for him. He did not even know how their sorcery is done? Yet he dared to compare himself to the Supreme Being. Subhaanal Laah!

And weren’t the situation of those sorcerers pitiful until they accepted the truth? Imagine subjecting yourself to a human being who does not even know what you know just because of what you will get from him of worldly things. And how dare Fir’aun! He actually saw his bringing those sorcerers near to himself as a great favour for them. For surety, there is no deity worthy of worship save Allah.

The question we should be asking ourselves is; ‘Do we sometimes find ourselves in this kind of situation?’ A situation where we have sold our very souls to the world and those who possess some physical things in it that we want so much that we are prevented from worshipping our Creator? Think and Reflect!

And when Allah caused the sea to separate for the noble Prophet and the children of Israel, Fir’aun came running with his people to enjoy what he did not contribute to. Now, I keep wondering; ‘What made him think that the one who had separated the sea will just let him ride on it to harm the people He had rescued from him?’ It is really interesting, isn’t it? But of course such was the arrogance and ignorance of Fir’aun. May Allah take away any of his traits that we have. Ameen. Allah tells us in Surah Yunus (Jonah), Chapter 10 ayah 90-91 that;

‘And We took the Children of Israel across the sea, and Fir’aun with his hosts followed them in oppression and enmity, till when drowning overtook him, he said: ‘I believe that none has the right to be worshipped but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one of the Muslims.’

Subhaanal Laah! So, at the verge of his own destruction, he remembers that there is indeed a God to whom he must submit? But aren’t some of us doing the same? We wait for a calamity to befall us before we turn in remembrance of Allah and just when it is over, we become rebels of Allah. May Allah save us from ourselves. Ameen.

But Allah, the Lord of the A'alameen, all that exists, had told him in the next verse that;

‘Now you believe while you refused to believe before and you were one of the evildoers.’

May Allah repel you and I and everyone else from attitudes such as that of Fir’aun. Ameen thumma ameen.

TAKE HEED WHILES YOU STILL BREATHE!!!

By Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu

THE MAN I WOULD WANT TO MARRY….BUT WAIT!





By Babirye Warda


He is all l have been looking for

His eyes are fearless  

Fearless from all threats of man

His words are calculated

He utters not a word that can hurt a soul

The man I would want to marry

He is petrified when the name of his creator is mentioned

He is humbled by the recitation of the Qur’an

The man I would want to marry

He believes in the everlasting love

Love that goes beyond ‘until death do us part’

The man I would want to marry.

He is but a survivor

A lion that never gives up

A man who works as if he will live forever

Yet threatened by death as if he will die tomorrow

A man I would want to marry

He lives to make me a better person

Bearing in mind that he wants me to be with him when the Day of Judgement is finalised

The man I would want to marry

He loves me and my loved ones expecting me to do the same

He is a man who loves his ancestral lineage

Family is a thing of great importance to him

The man I would want to marry. . .

His love for great knowledge is advanced

Now he approaches

To him I say

Even before you had approached me

l assure you my heart had already craved for your attention

l had already fallen in love with all your actions

You were so different

Your humble movement always made me want to know you more

I became your shadow and l was surprised and amused with every discovery I made,

Your love for your Creator brought put in me a strong desire for you

I resorted to praying to God for you to choose me

You always lowered your gaze and so did I

But I was defeated to do so whenever I heard your voice

I wanted to master the courage to air out my heart to you

But I feared that I would get you and I close to fornication

For my love for you I decided to protect you from me

I indulged in praying that when He should accord us the capability

To become garments to each other without exceeding His limits

I would want to be your wife one day

For now we can be nothing

May Allah give us the capability and insha’a Allah we will be one

I have never felt this way before and love to me was something non-existent

I do not imagine myself in anyone's arms apart from yours

Much as I desire you with every breath I take

I promise to protect us from the sin of love

I am to keep myself chaste for you

I promise I will be waiting until when our doors are opened

Until you a ready to make me your wife

Don't get close to me

I am sorry for the decision

But for us it’s the best


By Babirye Warda