Sunday, October 24, 2010

Everything happens for a reason (:

Once upon a time an African king who had a close friend that he grew with. The friend had a habit to face each situation that happened in its life (positive or negative) saying: "That is good! Almighty Allah knows more".

The king and his friend one day left for a hunt. The friend loaded and prepared the weapons for the king. Apparently, the friend had made something missed in the preparation of one of the weapons, the king shot and it took his thumb away. When examining the situation, the friend observed as always: "That is good! Almighty Allah knows more". The king answered, "No, this is not good", he commanded the soldiers who arrested his friend and put him in the prison. After one year, the king was hunting in a region where, cannibals appeared, and captured the king and took him to their village. They tied his hands, and piled up the firewood. When the cannibals came closer to the fire they noticed that the king did not have the thumb. As they were superstitious, they never ate who had a part of his body missing.

Thus, after setting the king free, they banished him from the village. When the king arrived at its palace, remembered the incident about his thumb and felt remorse for the treatment given to his friend. Immediately, he pays a visit to the prisoner to speak with his friend. "You were right", said the king. "It was good that I lost my thumb". The king started to tell his friend everything that happened to him. "I am sorry that I have ordered you to prison for such a long period. It was a great mistake". "No", the friend said, "That was the good decision, because Almighty Allah knows more". "What do you mean by that? How it can be good decision? I ordered my best friend to prison?" The friend answered: "Remember that Almighty Allah knows more and if I was not in the prison certainly I would be with you in the hunt". Then you know what would have happened with me?

"He knows what is before them and what is behind them and to Allah are all affairs turned back". Noble Qur'an, Surah Al Hajj (22:76)

Do not judge the facts or events for the immediate results! Almighty Allah, the Highest, the Omniscient and the Wise, knows more.

When we faced by circumstances that are no good, we react quickly, "This is not good." but, perhaps we did not know the reason behind it. It can become a good thing also. Hence, from next time onward, when we face any type of situation. Let us not jump into any conclusion, always remember. This life is a test. The good and the bad, nothing happen without any reason. Our mind is not prepared to understand the reason.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Wonderful story about Da'wah

Every Friday afternoon, after the Jummah service at the Central Mosque, the Imam and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out "Path to Paradise" and other Islamic literature.

This particular and fortunate Friday afternoon, as the time came for the Imam and his eleven year old son to go to the streets with their booklets, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring rain.

The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, 'OK, dad, I am ready!' His 'Al Mualim' dad asked, 'Ready for what?'

'Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out.' Dad responds, 'Son, it's very cold outside and it's also pouring rain.'

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, 'But Dad, are not people still going to hell, even though it's raining?' Dad answers, 'Son, I am not going out in this weather.'

Despondently, the boy asks, 'Dad, can I go? Please?' His father hesitated for a moment then said, 'Son, you can go. Here are the booklets. Be careful son.' 'Thanks, Dad!'

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a pamphlet or a booklet.

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone chilled wet and down to his very last booklet. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a booklet to, but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, this eleven year old Dawah (Inviting to the way of submission and surrender to Allah) expert turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch!

He rang again and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad looking elderly lady. She softly asked, 'What can I do for you, son?'

With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, "Ma'am, I am sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that 'Allah really loves and cares for you' and I came to give you my very last booklet which will tell you all about God, the real purpose of creation, and how to achieve His pleasure."

With that, he handed her his last booklet and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed. 'Thank you, son! And God Bless You!'

Well, the following Friday afternoon after Jummah service the Imam was giving some lectures. As he concludes the lectures, he asked, 'Does anybody have questions or want to say anything?'

Slowly, in the back row among the ladies, an elderly voice was heard over the speaker. As the voice went on, a hint of glorious gaiety and contentment was plainly evident in it even though she was not to be seen, "No one in this gathering knows me. I have never been here before. You see, before last Friday I was not a Muslim. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Friday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live.

So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, I will wait a minute and whoever it is will go away.

I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.' I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His smile, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead to leap to life as he exclaimed with a cherub like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that Allah really loves and cares for you!' Then he gave me this booklet, 'Path to Paradise' that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this book. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I would not be needing them any more.

You see, I am now a happy vicegerent of the One True God. Since the address of your congregation was stamped on the back of this booklet, I have come here to personally say Thank You to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell.

There was not a dry eye in the mosque. And as shouts of Takbir! Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest)! rented the air, even among the ladies.

The Imam (dad) descended from the pulpit to the front row where the little angel was seated. He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Probably no Jamaat (Assembly) has had a more glorious moment and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love and honor for his son, except for one, this very one.

You are the best community evolved for mankind; you enjoin the right conduct and forbid indecency and you believe in Allah. Noble Qur'an (3:110)

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious. Noble Qur'an (16:125)

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Sayyidul Istighfar

On the authority of Shaddad ibn Aws, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet S.A.W said, “The chief of prayers for forgiveness is:

اللهم انت ربي لا اله الا انت
خلقتني وأنا عبدك
وأنا على عهدك ووعدك ما استطعت
أعوذ بك من شر ما صنعت
أبوء لك بنعمتك علي, وأبوء بذنبي
فاغفرلي فإنه لا يغفر الذنوب إلا أنت


O Allah! You are my Cherisher. There is no deity except You. You have created me and I am Your servant and as far as possible, I abide by my solemn promise and covenant (which I made to You). I seek Your protection against the consequences of my wrongdoings. I fully acknowledge the grace You have bestowed upon me and I confess my faults. So pardon me my sins as none besides You can pardon sins.

The Prophet S.A.W added, “If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it and dies before the morning he will be from the people of Paradise.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 318

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Sisters fillah (:

I got a very random sms from a friend. She said "Just do your best, and let Allah do the rest :)"

It might seem like a simple message but somehow it means a lot to me. The message came at a perfect time. Its like as if she knows what im feeling. Its some kind of encouragement, so different from the ones i get in school. The best thing is that, she's not even here with me. The only time i got a chance to talk to her this year was during "raya outing" and that was all.

This is the reason why i love Maarif alot. This is the reason why the decision to go to SR was a hard one. I have been blessed with great friends, great teachers. My friends are awesome people. Never fail to remind me if im not doing the right thing, never fail to give me good advice. They are people i know i can rely on. I love them a lot, fillah. May Allah bless them always.