PROUDLY IN lOVE

Proudly in Love

SHANU

You wrap Me with You in the blanket of Love
And We let them stare with their mouths wide open
We pass them by as We smile at Each Other
And We ignore their envious, heated gazes
But they pause for a while
To smell the scent of Our Love, a freshly bloomed blue rose
The ubiquitous fragrance of which makes everyone smile
Yet these erratic humans continue criticizing Our Love
And won't admit We're real and true
They hate Us because We decided to Love One Another
And chose a path different from the one everyone praises

When are their hearts going to burst,
Due to all the animosity and envy stored for us?
But we ignore their petty comments about Our Love
And we continue walking on Our carefully chosen path
We mock and successfully bear their enmity
But celebrate with the candles of Love and Happiness
Eternally lit just for you and me.

Sunday, November 27, 05--6:50pm


POEM 3: Hold My Hand

Hold My hand in Yours
And let's start Our journey together.
We'll never let go no matter what
And We'll always be there for each other.

Let's welcome any bends
That We encounter on Our way,
For Our road of life won't be straight
As We travel on it together every day.

Let's embrace every obstacle,
Jump over every rock, slide on every hill.
We'll climb each and every mountain,
All with which Our path may be filled.


Let's not let the drops of rain
Hinder Us from walking on Our road.
Just walk beside Me all throughout
Till We finally reach Our abode.


Let's fly together into the sky
And spread wider Our mighty wings.
We'll bath in the sea of euphoria
And dive in all the happiness that Sweet Love brings.

Let's push every cloud further away
With every sigh that we blow.
We'll fly higher and higher into space,
And reach as far as we're meant to go.

Just remain devoted to me,
My partner on this intricate road of life.
We'll conquer all of life's obstacles
And let Our Love make things aright.


[with kind permission of sister SHANU]

Sick Current Events in Pakistan!

Sick Current Events in Pakistan!

shanu

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakaatuh (may peace and Allah's blessings and mercies be upon you all), everyone!

All right. So here I am back to blogging LOTS to share with you all, but I'll try to be a good girl and talk about only one topic and stick to it, k?

Well, I'm taking this Social Science class, which is like a combination of history, politics/political science, economics, psychology, sociology, and bother such social sciences. And, so, naturally, we're usually discussing current events, and most of the extra credit on the tests comes from ...¦guess ... the New York Times (current events around the world, mostly) . Well, I've never really been a fan of news and such, but when you're greedy for extra credit points, you'd really go even as far as to write a report on what's going on in Pakistan these days; that was our most recent extra credit assignment. Fifteen points, too . So, of course I did it.
ANNNDDD....so here I am...hoping to state in plain () terms what's been bothering me these days.
Some of you know I was born in Swat, Pakistan, a major city in northern Pakistan. And you also know that most Swatis are called Pathans, right? My family is one of them. And most of these Pathans are ...well, extremely conservative folks, and everyone knows how I feel about that: They follow an extreme version of Islam and force it down others' throat (don't get Shanu started, now, but to summarize: women are forbidden to do just about everything there, and let's not forget Shanu is a future feminist, inshAllah). But that's not ALLL Pathans; just some, and my relatives happen to be among them . But, anyway, so it got taken over by militants/extremists ( could it BEEEEE more extremist than what it already was???? Give me a break! ) and, you guys, SOOO many of the people who've died in there .... my parents know them . And that breaks my heart. I mean, I really can't watch the news because then I get all emotional and stuff, but then like just about every day for the past few weeks or so, my mom has been telling us, "You remember that classmate X of mine I used to talk about? He was the head of the police department in Matta, and they butchered him because they feared he might kill them"... Or then, "You remember my friend Y from? Her husband worked with the government, and they've killed him."
(I'll define who "they" are in a minute.)
I can go on and on with her childhood friends and how many of them have been killed, or how many of their friends/relatives/family members have been killed, or how many of my father's relative have been killed or hurt or affected in one way or another... but I'll not get that far. Bottom line is: It doesn't smell good.

Who's "they"�? "They" are the extremists who wanna take over Swat, who have bombed the school my mom taught in and the same school which my sister attended JUST BECAUSE it was an all-female school; "THEY" are the idiots who have been threatening any clinic owned by male doctors who treat female patients.
Before I go on...lemme say something. Does this make ANY sense to any of you? My question here is, you don't want us women to go to school, but you don't want MEN doctors to treat us either? Do you expect us to be BORN DOCTORS? ?? Or, then, you just want us to stay at home even during sickness and "let God heal you because He can do anything"???? Well,then you men shouldn't go to the doctor either. Besides, God doesn't work that way, you freaks. Oh, GOD!!! How SICK I am of them!!
I wonder if the school I attended is still there; would break my heart if it's not! It was a co-ed, with both male and female students, so maybe it's gone...
Let's further describe who "they" are. THEY don't believe in music at ALL and hence destroy any stores/shops that have any kind of relationship with music. My mom has six aunts, five of whom live (or lived until death) in this village called "Baandai." I think it was the worst there, of all the villages I know. These grandaunts of mine...literally banned tvs, radios, etc. in their houses! The men were forced to grow beards or then threatened and killed. Now, now, folks, it wasn't just these aunt-relatives of mine. The thing is, just about EVERYONE literally knows EVERYONE in Baandai, and I doubt I'm wrong in this. In fact, when we came to the U.S. and met this Pathan family, they named some relatives of there also from Baandai, and my mom said she knew them. That's how it usually works with Swati Pathans --- won't speak for all, though. But, really, since my mom's aunts have like about 7 or 10 or more kids each, and the kids have their own kids...and then my dad has relatives there from his dad's side...and THEY have kids...yeah, it doesn't end anywhere soon.
Anyway, so back to the point... so, when these militants carried out their threats and bombed and destroyed soo many innocent people (INCLUDING CHILDREN! ....!!) and threatened the residents to stop sending their daughters to school or else, the residents listened and banned school on their children.
Oh, hey, get THIS: One of the reasons these freaking militants gave for why girls shouldn't go to school is... !!!!!!!!... cause they meet boys there and they fall in love...and, of course, these idiots don't think girls should talk to boys---but then so do many Pathans I know, but let's please not let Shanu go that far, k? That can be a separate blog for a separate time, inshAllah.
Anyway, so, the other day, I heard someone saying that Baandai's residents have been nearly wiped out, that it's like so quiet there...and I don't find that hard to believe. Imagine as though the whole village has been wiped out.
And then someone on ARY television (Pakistani tv station) said this: "Hamare log hamare apne nasal ko khatam kar rahe hai." Translation: "Our OWN people are destroying our OWN generation of people." SO true!

I'm not yet finished with who "they" are. But...umm...folks, I've something very depressing to say here ... (at least MOST of) my relatives are siding with these militants . My parents call them just about daily to see how they're hanging on, you know....and I don't know how aware any of you are of the public beheadings they had/did a couple of week ago (like, in HUNDREDS, I think...maybe not, but it was a fairly large amount, I thought ), but my grandpa said SOO proudly to my dad (something like), "Guess what! We beheaded people!!!"

And my dad was SO shocked and disappointed and was literally yelling into the phone saying, "WHAT???? And you're FINE with that???"
And my grandpa tried to justify his reasons, of course, but didn't succeed cause my dad kept saying, "What if someone did that to ME, your son, or to your brother or sister or someone like that? Wouldn't you feel any pain? Well, you would and these innocent people you're beheading are also feeling pain."
Now, my grandpa isn't brave enough to actually do the killings HIMSELF, of course ....But he's certainly one of those men who'd send his SONS to do it!!! But fortunately, I'm sure my uncles know better...I hope....
And my grandpa said, "So what? They're Shias, and we're trying to bring Islam here."
And my dad said, "WHAT??? And Shias aren't humans??? And as far as Islam is concerned, it doesn't say to behead someone who doesn't follow Islam, or to behead anyone at all. And you're required to take care of yourself and your family before going to fight in any war anyway." And he narrated this hadith in which a man, I think his mom's only son, comes to the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying, "I wanna fight in this war."
And the Prophet (pbuh) responded something like, "Do you have a mother?" And the guy said,
"Yes." And the Prophet (pbuh) said something like, "Then you cannot go because you've to take care of your mother."
........ Taking a Break for a Second, folks.
Speaking of this hadith.... I'm reminded of this neighbor of ours in Swat (who got killed in this pathetic...war???...too a week or so ago). He was married, with two wives, VERY poor (do note that it's usually the POOR men who're polygamous; I rarely here of RICH men having more than one wife. How ironic and sad.), an old, old mother. Lived right next to my maternal grandparents' house. He said he wanted to fight, too (fight the government that is) and bring justice and peace and Islam into Pakistan. And his mom didn't let him go saying something like, "You're the only man in this house, and the rest of us are women. Who's gonna take care of us if you leave, if you die?"
Of course, these people have been brainwashed and are told, "You'll go to heaven if you die in the war." So, his mom was like, "I FORBID heaven upon you!" (In other words, if you're gonna die in this freaking war and you're supposed to go to heaven, may you not because I'll be upset with you and your wives and kids will be all alone and we may became even more poor and homeless because of you.)
But he went anyway.
And died.
And when his mom found out, she went all numb and stuff and then at last decided, "It's okay...forgive him; I don't forbid heaven on him anymore."
I wanna cry for the mom, as wrong as she is, as hurt as she must be.... but alas... what would that do? ....
Umm....there's SO much more to say that if I were to continue, this would be the longest blog I'll have written all my life (no I'm kidding....seriously ), but I'm sure you guys get the idea, which is that... it's hell in Swat these days.
Oh, and PLEASE don't even THINK about getting me started on what's going on with Pakistan's Prime Minister, that Musharraf dude....
Anyway, so these dumbos want SHARIA in Swat????? The ISLAMIC law to take over????? GIVE! ME! A! BREAK!!!
(Besides, I thought Sharia was ALREADY being followed in Swat! At least these idiots' extreme version of it, anyway. I mean, you don't see a woman outside without covering her face, for instance; or you don't see males and females in the same school once they've reached a certain age, or it's not too common to have a female working, or love marriages are just about unheard of there...at least with my relatives....and I could go ON AND ON AND ON and no one could ever stop me. )
I've gone far beyond wits' end with this, man. What, they actually believe Islam says to take your swords and kill anyone who doesn't share your beliefs and cover your ugly old faces while doing it? They actually BELIEVE that you've to kill soldiers (who, of course, are on the government's side), and that anyone who dies while trying to kill the soldiers becomes a martyr??? Oh, puh LEEEEEEEASE! NOO logic whatsoever. NONE! And it's making me SICK TO MY NECK now, folks!!! SOMEBODY STOP ME!!!
They know how to take their ugly swords and knives out, but they don't know that Islam says you CANNOT fight anyone unless they fight YOU first (can't initiate a war, in other words)???? That you CANNOT kill WOMEN, CHILDREN, the ELDERLY, religious leaders of any religion during the war/fighting??? That you CANNOT destroy houses and other places of residence and restaurants during the war??? That you CANNOT kill animals unless they're being used in the war???Andnd that you CANNOT even destroy plants during the war???
Sheesh, man. Anyone wanna help me count how many KIDS they've killed in this freaking thing, let alone women and the elderly and plants and animals? And how many people have become homeless because of it??? Many of those people in Swat are already poor, man. And does anyone have ANY idea what it's like in Swat during winter??? Well, I lived there from birth till the age of 12, so I know, and lemme tell you it's HARD. The typical house in Swat is open-aired anyway, so that sometimes makes it even more difficult, especially for the poor. You kill their bread-winners (whether men or women, since sometimes, the poor have their women working so they can have enough money to live), and leave the survivors to sit there in pain, in this cold weather, perhaps being frozen to death, starving to death...and ... and... ...ending up dying because of this emotional, physical, mental distress.
Astaghfirullah. Allaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!!!!
This Swat...folks, I TELL YOU ....Swat is one of the most beautiful regions in the world. (No, I still don't like its PEOPLE or their CULTURE, as you know, but I love the region. ) It's known all over Pakistan and perhaps all over South Asia, too, for its natural beauty ... its breathtaking rivers/lakes/other bodies of water, its mountains, its green valleys.... And it's always been an attraction spot for tourists...but now...now ...its loyal residents are leaving the place because of fear of these pathetic, ignorant, evil-minded, idiotic so-called Muslims who enjoy killing others and use ISLAM as their reason!!! May Allah punish them as they deserve for damaging Islam's and Muslims' reputation around the world, for making it SO hard for the innocent Muslims among us to live in peace with non-Muslims and with other Muslims. Like my sister said, "I wanna avoid discussing this and talking about it with ANYONE but it's not easy since people out of nowhere come to you, knowing you're from Swat, and tell you themselves what's going on there and what they think about it!"

If anyone has doubts about what I've mentioned in this blog, just google up "current events in Swat, Pakistan" or anything of the like, and you'll get TONNS of info. BBC may be the best choice in this; those beheading stuff... I read first on there and then confirmed with my dad.
Oh, I forgot to say who this dude named Muslim Khan is; I've seen his name widely during this chaos (his name and quotes appear on the last link I've given below). Yeah, I'm sure there are lots of other people named Muslim Khan, but this particular one... well, my family knows him and he's unfortunately some paternal relative of mine . I think he was the head of those idiots who carried out the beheadings. My dad saw his name online on one of the news sites and wanted to make sure it was him....and called my relatives and they said it really is him. And, of course, my dad's very disappointed and hurt and stuff.
Get this regarding this brutal man:
**Muslim Khan, Fazlullah deputy, said sharia law was the end goal. "We have a one-point agenda and that is the enforcement of Shariah in Swat and the rest of Malakand region in accordance with the assurance given to us by the government," Khan said. "We have yet to announce a jihad against the government and in that case the situation will turn from bad to worse."** (from the last link posted below)....
Oh, and this one uncle or great-uncle of my mom's ... he was siding with the government and his son was siding with the extremists, and so his son went to fight the government, got killed...the dad heard about it and got a heart attack and died instantly.
Yep, there go my lovely relatives.
That's the result of this ugly and meaningless battle, in which innocents are being killed and many of the evil ones are being left unpunished and the situation will keep cycling.
Well...okay, NOW I think ... hope ...I'm done, guys....
May Allah have mercy on this world and....somehow.... just SOMEHOW....help us open our eyes and guide us to Himself. Aameen.
Wassalaam, all!


[with kind permission of sister SHANU]

A Book of My Life

A Book of My Life

SHANU

My eyes closed, my hands shaking
My heart blazing like the sunset
My mind soaring above the clouds
As I get this idea for a new book
A book of my life
A book so long, so much to say in it,
Such strong feelings to put into words
That there aren't enough words
To substitute for those feelings
For this is the big book of my life that I plan to write

This hundreds-of-chapters-long book
Has pages leading not anywhere
A story of me and you out of nowhere,
Without a beginning and with no end
For it is the book of my life that I plan to write


This book that reveals the real me
That tells only the truth
Of my life, of my time, of us as one
That doesn't include anyone but me and you
Its chapters are full of laughter from within our hearts
All that laughter we share
And smiles from our lips
And tears shed from our eyes
And those obstacles we overcame and made it this far
And it has chapters glimmering with the word "love"
Which I accepted only from you
Which I offered only to you

There are chapters full of all the dreams we share
And so many things that need to be done as one
And such strong thoughts and ideas
All whirling in my mind
Like several fish in a small tank
The combination of all these things
Just so many... in a teeny, tiny, little space
This book comes in letters
But time comes in numbers


It has chapters full of words spoken at wrong moments
Times I spoke when I should've kept quiet
And times I remained silent
When I should've spoken my mind
It's full of regrets and pain sweet as honey
And those constant little mistakes
That I made so many times
Some, people learned from
Others, I was never forgiven for

This book of my life that I'm going to write
With the help of this paper and pen
And the rain dripping outside
Those little drops drumming on my windows
I'll write it with assistance from the sun,
The sun that keeps playing hide-and-seek with the rain
And those tall trees won't mind lending a branch for support
Those tall trees that stand even taller
To hear my whispers to the clouds
And those twinkling stars that always lead our way at night
They'll all help me write this big book of my life

But you see, I need no help
To write this big book of my life
Because the only thing I need is unlimited time
But time is just too precious to let us abuse it
Not giving us even one-eighteenth of a second more

So I change my mind about writing that book of my life
Just for the lack of time
And I'll let all these hidden feelings
And dreams and thoughts stay inside
And not let them come out
Until unlimited time arrives


[with kind permission of sister Shanu]

Aishah

Aishah

Wife of the Prophet, mother of the believers, the greatest Muslim woman scholar





THE life of Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) is proof that a woman can be far more learned than men and that she can be the teacher of scholars and experts. Her life is also a proof that a woman can have influence over men and women and provide them with inspiration and leadership. Her life is also a proof that the same woman can be totally feminine and be a source of pleasure, joy and comfort to her husband.

She did not graduate from any university, as there were no universities as such in her day. But still her utterances are studied in faculties of literature, her legal pronouncements are studied in colleges of law and her life and works are studied and researched by students and teachers of Muslim history as they have been for over a thousand years.



The bulk of her vast treasure of knowledge was obtained while she was still quite young. In her early childhood, she was brought up by her father who was greatly liked and respected for he was a man of wide knowledge, gentle manners and an agreeable presence. Moreover he was the closest friend of the Noble Prophet who was a frequent visitor to their home since the very early days of his mission.

In her youth, already known for her striking beauty and her formidable memory, she came under the loving care and attention of the Prophet himself. As his wife and close companion, she acquired from him knowledge and insight such as no woman has ever acquired.

Aishah lived on, almost 50 years after the passing away of the Prophet. She had been his wife for a decade. Much of this time was spent in learning and acquiring knowledge of the two most important sources of God's guidance, the Qur'an and the Sunnah of His Prophet. Aishah was one of three wives (the other two being Hafsah and Umm Salamah) who memorized the Revelation. Like Hafsah, she had her own script of the Qur'an written after the Prophet had died.

So far as the Ahadith or sayings of the Prophet is concerned, Aishah is one of four persons (the others being Abu Hurayrah, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Anas ibn Malik) who transmitted more than two thousand sayings. Many of these pertain to some of the most intimate aspects of personal behavior which only someone in Aishah's position could have learnt. What is most important is that her knowledge of Hadith was passed on in written form by at least three persons including her nephew Urwah who became one of the greatest scholars among the generation after the Companions.

Many of the learned companions of the Prophet and their followers benefitted from Aishah's knowledge. Abu Musa al-Ashari once said: "If we companions of the Messenger of God had any difficulty on a matter, we asked Aishah about it."

Aishah not only possessed great knowledge but took an active part in education and social reform. As a teacher she had a clear and persuasive manner of speech and her power of oratory has been described in superlative terms by al-Ahnaf who said: "I have heard speeches of Abu Bakr and Umar, Uthman and Ali and the Khulafa up to this day, but I have not heard speech more persuasive and more beautiful from the mouth of any person than from the mouth of Aishah."

Men and women came from far and wide to benefit from her knowledge. The number of women is said to have been greater than that of men. Besides answering enquiries, she took boys and girls, some of them orphans, into her custody and trained them under her care and guidance. This was in addition to her relatives who received instruction from her. Her house thus became a school and an academy.

She died in the year 58 AH in the month of Ramadan and as she instructed, was buried in the Jannat Al-Baqi in the City of Light, beside other companions of the Prophet.






Compiled from various sources.

Permission is granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, to post on Internet sites and to publish in full text and subject title in not-for-profit publications.

Living Islam Daily

Living Islam Daily


By Sister Iman bint Johari

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,

'Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free-time before your preoccupation, and your life before your death.'

[al-Hakim, al-Baihaqi]

Indeed, we all, at some point in our lives, are reminded of the passage of time... It may be due to an affliction that has befallen us, a word we have read or an incident that we have witnessed. We literally feel the seconds ebbing away from our lives and we are filled with a sense of desperation. What have we achieved? What have we done with our lives?

We are reminded of our aspirations we had once had that have lain dormant... buried... while we are engrossed with building our lives in this dunya. We are reminded of how we wanted to be the true and successful servants of our Creator and we become sick with worry and shame. We see how we have not moved an inch closer to this goal.

We want to make amends ...
we KNOW we can do it.

And so we start all over again. We begin to piece together our ideas and resolutions. This time we will not forget and we will not fail, inshaa Allah. We will fast more, pray more, recite the Qur'an more... we will change the world and make it a better place.

We set out with promise and enthusiasm but as the months go by, our determination fizzles out and our good actions are forgotten. Our resolutions once again remain in the realm of good intentions.. . until the next time something prompts us into introspection.

How do we avoid this? How do we convert our good intentions to consistent actions?

I do not dare to say I have all the answers. I can only share what I have learned in my own struggle with good intentions and resolutions.



Here are some tips that I hope you will find useful in trying to live Islam daily:




[1] Purify your intentions and remember that you wish to seek the pleasure of Allah


Sincerity in all we do is a commandment of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala):

"Say, 'Indeed my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first (among you) of the Muslims.'"

[Surah al-An'aam, 6: 162,163]

He also says:

"So worship Allah (alone) by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allah's sake only, (and not to show-off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship). Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allah only."

[Surah Az-Zumar 39:2-3]

Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said,

"Deeds without sincerity are like a traveler who carries in his water-jug dirt. The carrying of it burdens him and it brings no benefit."



[2] Seek His help through du'a


Allah has told His Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) that He is close and answers the supplication of any servant who calls to Him. He said:

"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them), I respond to the prayer of every supplicant when he calleth on Me."

[Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 186]

Indeed, when we are faced with distress, it is He whom we should turn to:

"Or, who listens to the distressed (soul) when he calls on Him, and who relieves his suffering?"

[Surah An -Naml: 62]



[3] Do not procrastinate


It is easier for one to put off a goal until tomorrow so that one can rationalize not disciplining oneself today. How often have we said, "Inshaa Allah, I will make a change tomorrow" but never actually get around to doing it? One of the early scholars said, "Beware of procrastinating. It is the greatest of the soldiers of Satan." Do not make half-hearted promises - you are fooling no one but yourself. Carry out your resolutions with zeal and optimism.



[4] Take baby steps and set realistic goals In our zeal


We often chart ambitious plans only to be discouraged when we cannot sustain our efforts. Remember that no good deed is too small - the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) was asked, "Which deed is most beloved to Allah?" He said, "The one that is continuous, even if it is little."
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Fath al-Bari 11:194].

Small changes work a great deal better than giant leaps, so don't bite off more than you can chew. Start out with small deeds and you that you can accomplish easily and consistently before moving on to more challenging ones. This will motivate you and make you feel more successful. Insha'Allah, you will find that over time, you will have made a big difference.



[5] Build a good support system


Ibn Hazm said,

"Anyone who criticises you cares about your friendship. Anyone who makes light of your faults cares nothing about you."

It is said that reminders benefit the believers, so surround yourselves with good companions who will give you sincere advice and who will support you with your resolutions. Avoid those who will chip away at your self-esteem or who will tempt you away from your resolutions.

Bear in mind what 'Ali radhiallahu 'anhu said:

"Mix with the noble people, you become one of them; and keep away from evil people to protect yourself from their evils."



[6] Track your progress and be consistent


Write down your goals - hang this list up on the wall, keep it in your notebook, fold it into your wallet or stick it in your locker. You can even keep a log or journal of how you are doing - start a web log even! Be honest with yourself and recheck your goals. The idea is not to slacken. Indeed, when the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) did something, he kept it up.
[Muslim].

Take a look at the hadith Qudsi in which Allah says:

"… 'My slave keeps drawing nearer to me with naafil (supererogatory) deeds until I love him.'"

[Sahih al-Bukhari].

The phrase maa yazaalu ["keeps (drawing near)"] gives the impression of continuity. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) also said,
"Continue doing Hajj and 'Umrah."



[7] Avoid burnout


It is inevitable that we sometimes feel as if our iman has hit rock bottom or that we lack the spirit to continue in our striving.

The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,

"Iman wears out in one's heart, just as the dress wears out (becomes thin). Therefore, ask Allah to renew iman in your hearts."

[at-Tabarani and Al-Hakim]

Continuing to do acts of worship and good deeds does not mean one exhausts oneself to breaking point. We continue with the obligatory acts. When we have the energy and inclination, we strive to do more and when we do not, we do as much as we can.

The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)said:

"Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection…"

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

According to another report, he said:

"Be moderate, and you will reach what you want."

[Sahih al-Bukhari]



[8] Seek inspiration


The best sources of inspiration are in the mighty Qur'an, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), his companions, the pious predecessors and the scholars.

Look at Abu Musa al-Ash'ari. He used to apply himself so much in worship at the end of his life that he was told, "Why don't you slow down and be gentle with yourself?" He replied, "When the horses are released for a race and are close to the finish line, they give all the strength they have. What is left of my life is less than that." It is said that he maintained this level of devotion till he died.

Look at Amir ibn Abdullah who was once asked, "How can you tolerate being awake all night, and thirsty in the intense heat of the day?" He replied, "Is it anything more than postponing the food of the day to nighttime, and the sleep of the night to daytime? This is not a big matter." When the night came, he would say, "Remembrance of the heat of hellfire has taken sleepiness from me." And he would not sleep until dawn.

Look at Ar-Rabi' ibn Khuthaym. Abu Hayan related that his father said, "Ar-Rabi' ibn Khuthaym was crippled and used to be carried to the congregational salah. So people told him, "You have an excuse (for not coming)." He said, "I hear 'hayya 'alas-salah' , the call to salah; so if you can come to it even by crawling, do so", paraphrasing a hadith.



[9] Do a variety of acts of worship


Allah in His Infinite Mercy has blessed us with a variety of acts of worship to do - some are physical such as prayer; some are financial such as zakat and sadaqah; some are spoken such as du'aa and dhikr.

Perhaps the wisdom behind this provision is that it addresses the different inclinations and abilities of the people. Some people may enjoy some kinds of worship more than others. Indeed, Allah has made gates of Paradise according to the different types of worship.

According to a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (radhiallahu anhu) the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)said:

"Whoever spends on a pair for the sake of Allah will be called from the gates of Paradise, 'O slave of Allah, this is good.' Whoever is one of the people of prayer will be called from the gate of prayer. Whoever is one of the people of jihad will be called from the gate of jihad. Whoever is one of the people of fasting will be called from the gate of al-Rayyan. Whoever is one of the people of charity will be called from the gate of charity."

[Sahih al-Bukhari]



[10] Do not waste even a minute


As mentioned earlier, there are a variety of deeds one can do. There may be days when one is busy with chores, work or commitments to family and friends. This does not mean that one does not have time to incorporate one's resolution to live Islam daily. One can make dhikr while cooking, one can memorise a du'aa while waiting for the bus, one can listen to an Islamic lecture when driving home from work… the list goes on. The bottom line? Do what you can when you can.

May Allah give us steadfastness and may He give us the best in this world and the hereafter
Aameen.


---

Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni!

OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me
and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!

(Aameen)

Share this article with the maximum number of people you can.

Guiding one soul to knowledge and faith is a momentous achievement.
It is what will earn us great blessings...
(Insha Allah)

With kind and humble regards,
Umme Safoora

[with kind permission of Umme Safoora]

Choosing a husband

Choosing a husband

Question:
What are the most important factors for a woman in choosing a husband? If she rejects a righteous man for some worldly reasons, will she be punished by Allaah?

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The most important factors for a woman in choosing a husband are his attitude/behaviour and his commitment to religion. Wealth and lineage are secondary matters. The most important thing is that the potential husband should be religious and have a good attitude, because if a man has religious commitment and a good attitude, a woman has nothing to lose: if he keeps her (remains married to her), he will keep her on a reasonable basis, and if he divorces her, he will set her free on a reasonable basis. Moreover, a man who is religious and has a good attitude will be a blessing to her and her children, for they will learn good manners and religion from him. But if the prospective husband is not like that (is not religious), she should keep away from him, especially those who take the matter of prayer lightly or who are known to drink alcohol. We seek refuge with Allaah.
As for those who do not pray at all, they are kuffaar and it is not permissible for them to marry believing women. It is important for the woman to focus on the matter of attitude and religious commitment. With regard to the matter of lineage, this is a bonus. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If there comes to you (to propose marriage to your daughter etc.) a man with whose religious commitment and attitude you are pleased, then marry (your daughter) to him.”
But if you can manage to ensure compatibility (in terms of lineage and socio-economic status, etc.) as well, then this is better.



[with sister Zakirah's kind permission]