Just walking my way through...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bismillah was Salaatu was Salamu 3la Rasulillah

Allaah the Most High says:

“Not a word does one utter, except that there is an (angel) Watching, Ready to record it.” [Surah Qaaf: 18]

Know that every individual who falls under the category of being responsible for his actions (mukallaf) must safeguard his tongue from all types of speech , except for that speech which consists primarily of some benefit.

So when speaking and refraining from speech are both found to contain the same amount of benefit within them, then the Sunnah is to refrain from it, altogether. This is because the allowable speech (equal in benefit and harm) paves the way towards that which is forbidden as well as disliked. Rather, in most cases, this will be the outcome and applying safety, at that point, will not be able to soothe it in the least.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (S)  said:

"Whosoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, then let him speak good or remain silent."
[Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree]

This hadeeth, of which the scholars have agreed upon its authenticity, is a clear proof that one should not talk, unless his speech is good—and that is the speech that consists primarily of benefit. So if one has doubt as to whether or not his speech consists of benefit, then he should not speak. Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee (rahimahullaah) said: "When one desires to talk, then it is upon him to think before he speaks. If there is beneficial good in what he will say, then he should speak. And if he has doubt about that, then he must not speak until he clears that doubt (by making his speech good)."

Abu Moosaa Al-Ash'aree said: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allaah Which of the Muslims is best?' He (S) said: 'He whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe from.'"
[Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]

Sahl Ibn Sa'ad reported that the Messenger of Allaah (S) said:

"Whosoever can guarantee for me (that he will safeguard) what is between his jaws (tongue) and what is between his legs (private parts), I will guarantee for him Paradise."
[Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree]

Abu Hurairah reported that he heard the Prophet (S) say: "Indeed, the servant will speak a word, while being unaware of (its consequences), and due to it, he will be cast into the Hellfire, farther than the distance between the east and the west."
[Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]

The meaning of "while being unaware" is that he does not stop to consider whether his speech is good or not.

Sufyaan Ibn 'Abdillaah reported that he said: "O Messenger of Allaah (S), tell me of a matter that I may cling tightly onto.' He (S) said: 'Say: I believe in Allaah and then remain steadfast (upon that).’ I said: 'O Messenger of Allaah (S), what is the most serious thing that I should fear for myself?' So he (S) took a hold of his tongue and said: 'This.'"
[An authentic hadeeth reported by At-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah and others]

'Uqbah Ibn 'Aamir reported:

"I said: 'O Messenger of Allaah (S), how does one attain salvation?' He r said: 'Restrain your tongue, remain in your home and weep over your sins.'"
[An authentic hadeeth reported by Ibn Al-Mubaarak in Az-Zuhd and it has support in Ahmad]Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudree reported that the Prophet (S)  said: “When the Son of Aadam wakes from his sleep, all of his body parts seek refuge from his tongue, saying: ‘Fear Allaah with regard to us, for indeed we are part of you. So if you are correct, then we will be correct and if you are corrupted, then we shall be corrupted.”
[A hasan hadeeth reported by At-Tirmidhee and others]

Almighty God, Lord of the Glorious Throne, I pray that He may guide you in this world and the next; that He may always bless you; that He may make you one of those who recognize His bounty, who remain firm in face of adversity, and who repent and seek His forgiveness if they disobey or sin. These three characteristics are the indices of felicity and blessedness.

Allaah says,

"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion" (5:4)

This verse embodies a clear statement that the religion has been completed and so has no need of addition and deletion, and our noble Messenger (SAW) said, "there is nothing that Allaah ordered you with except that I have ordered you with it, and there is nothing that Allaah forbade you from except that I have forbidden you from it" (al-Bayhaqee and others)

And he (SAW) said, "there is nothing that will take you closer to paradise but that I have enjoined it upon you, and there is nothing that will take you closer to hell but that I have warned you from it" (Musnad ash-Shaafi'ee and others).

So the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) fulfilled the trust placed upon him by Allaah completely, explaining the religion to the people in it's inward and outward form, making clear the lawful from the prohibited, the encouraged from the discouraged, even to the extent that he taught us the manners of going to the toilet, the manners of having sex with our partners etc.

Allaah says in His Book,

"And We have revealed to you a Book explaining everything" (16:89),

and He says,

 "We have neglected nothing in the Book" (6:37).

So in the Qur'aan is explained the principles of the religion, tawheed in all it's various categories, even to the extent that it teaches us the manners of sitting in circles, visiting other peoples houses, the correct clothing etc.

~Was Salamu Alaikum Wa RahmatuAllahi Wa Barakatuh

 

 A Beautiful Hadith
 

Rasulullah (Sallalloho alaihe Wa-aalay wasallam) said, "When a man dies and his relatives are busy in funeral, there stands an extremely handsome man by his head. When the dead body is shrouded, that man gets in between the shroud and the chest of the deceased.
When after the burial, the people return home, 2 angels, Munkar and Nakeer (names of two special Angels), come in the grave and try to separate this handsome man so that they may be able to interrogate the dead man in privacy about his faith. But the handsome man says "He is my companion, he is my friend. I will not leave him alone in any case.  If you are appointed for interrogation, do your job. I cannot leave him until I get him admitted into Paradise". 

Thereafter he turns to his dead companion and says, "I am the Qura'an,which you used to read, sometimes in a loud voice and sometimes in a low voice. Do not worry.
After the interrogation of Munkar and Naker,you will have no grief. When the interrogation is over, the handsome man arranges for him from Al-Mala'ul A'laa (the angels in Heaven) a silk bedding filled with musk. Rasulullah (Sallalloho alaihe Wa-aalay wasallam) said:
"On the Day of Judgement, before Allah, no other intercessor will have a greater status than the Qura'an, neither a Prophet nor an angel."
Please keep forwarding this "Hadith" to all ....because Rasulullah(Sallalloho alaihe Wa-aalay wasallam) said:  "Pass on knowledge from me even if it is only one verse".
May Allah bestow this favour on all of us.
AMEEN

 

 

Allah is the Greatest.

When we are leaving this world for the next one, it shall be like a trip to another country.

Where details of that country won't be found in glamorous travel brochures but in the Holy Qura'an and the Hadiths.

Where our plane won't be Indian Air Lines, British Airways, Gulf Air or Emirates, but Air Janazah.
Where our luggage won't be the allowed 30 Kgs, but our deeds, no matter how heavy they weigh.
You don't pay for excess luggage. They are carried free of charge, with your Creator's compliment.

Where our dress won't be a Pierre Cardin suit or the like but the white cotton shroud.

Where our perfume won't be Channel, Paco Rabane, but the camphor and attar.

Where our passports won't be Indian, British, French or American but Al Islam.

Where our visa won't be the 6 months leave to stay or else, but,The "LaIlaha Illallah".

Where the air hostess won't be a female, but Isra'iil and its like.

Where the in-flight services won't be 1st class or economy but a piece of beautifully scented or foul smelling cloth.

Where our place of destination won't be Heathrow Terminal 1 or Jeddah International Terminal but the last Terminal Graveyard.

Where our waiting lounge won't be nice carpeted and
air-conditioned rooms but the 6 feet deep gloomy Barb.

Where the Immigration Officer won't be His Majesty's officers,but Munkar and Nakeer.

They only check out whether you deserve the place you yearn to go.
Where there is no need for Customs Officers or detectors.Where the transit airport will be Al Barzakh.

Where our final place of destination will be either the Garden underwhich rivers flow or the Hellfire.

This trip does not come with a price tag. It is free of charge, So your savings would not come handy.
This flight can never be hijacked so do not worry about
"terrorists".

Food won't be served on this flight so do not worry about your allergies or whether the food is Halal.

Do not worry about legroom; you won't need it, as your legs will become things of the past.
Do not worry about delays. This flight is always punctual. It arrives and leaves on time.

Do not worry about the in-flight entertainment program because you would have lost all your sense of joy.
Do not worry about booking this trip, it has already been booked, the day you became a fetus in your mother's womb.
Ah! At last good news!

Do not worry about who will be sitting next toyou.You will have the luxury of being the only passenger.

So enjoy it while you can. If only you can!
One small snag though, this trip comes with no warning.

Are you prepared.... .you better be!

~Not written by me but an e-mail sent to me. May Allah allow us to die on a good ending. Ameen.

 Aoothubillah min 3thabal Qabr wa min 3thabal Naar.

 May Allah protect us and help us. Ameen!

Was Salamu Alaikum Wa RahmatuAllahi Wa Barakatuh

 

 What do you do if you get arrested, or interrogated??

As-Salaamu 'Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuhu

My dear brothers and sisters in Islaam

I have something important to share with you and I ask Allaah to assist me, and to let this short article benefit us all since this is an important topic that we all need to be aware off because of the situation we live in today. Muslims are getting detained each day and each day we see more arrests worldwide.

It can happen to any of us and our only crime most of the time is that we look like muslims and hold tight onto our deen. But there is some important information we need to be aware of in regards to this issue in order to safeguard ourselves and the ummah from the plots of the kuffar.

They (the kuffar) don't care whether you're a male or female, nothing prevents them, gender, age or anything else for that matter. If you're a "threat" in their eyes, this alone is a good enough reason for them.

It is very important that we are prepared for this before it happens to us, so you can survive the arrest and interrogation without causing any trouble for yourself, or any other muslim(s) they are questioning you about.

We should expect this to happen to us and prepare for it, since it is part of this long journey of haqq. And we should not act like the munafiqeen, who agree with the enemy whilst on this path as long as they don't have to sacrifice anything for the deen.

What will follow is some important notes I have written for us all, from your sister in Islaam whose brother has been imprisoned by the tawagheet.

Some important notes to remember:v Don't say anything! Remember war is deception. Don't give them any information and the only thing you should say is. I DONT KNOW. I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING. I NEVER SAW ANYTHING. You have a right to remain silent, and they can never force you to speak. And even if they tell you "we will release sooner if you speak" this is merely but a lie. And as they say, "If words are silver, silence is Gold".

v Always think about situation in accordance with the shareeah. You can never harm a muslim no matter what situation you're in. And talking not only harms you, but the one you talk about aswell, and because of the words you say, a person can get locked up for years. Would you ever wish that for yourself?

vA great example is Asmaa' Bint Abi Bakr (rathiallaahu 'anha). When the Prophet (salla Allaahu alayhi wa-sallam) and Abu Bakr (rathiallaahu 'anhu) were hiding in the cave, Quraysh started searching for them and Abu Jahl knocked on the door, of Asmaa' and she opened the door. When he (Abu Jahl) asked her about her father she said: "I DONT KNOW" Abu Jahl slapped her across the face so hard that her earring broke. She was a young girl, facing the fir'aun of her time!! But she still remained steadfast. Who is worse than him?? Shouldn't we remain steadfast in front of the cowards of our time who fear young boys and lock them up? Just remember the words of Asmaa' "I DONT KNOW"

v NEVER sign any paper! If you sign anything they will use it against you and other Muslims.

v NEVER believe what they say! They lie about everything, and they will play you up against you're muslim brothers and sisters. And they will try to feed you lies and tell you they (your brother or sister) said this and this, and just remember this is a part of their game.

v You have a right to get a lawyer, and he/she has to be there when they interrogate you, they can't interrogate you without a lawyer present. But even if you have a lawyer, don't trust him/her too much if they are kuffar, deep down a kaffir is never on your side and they hate you because of your deen.

v They will accuse you of something big at first, but they know you are innocent, it's just a technique they use to stress you out and normally you will defend yourself, and most people fall into their trap and start to give out details and this is the exact details they wanted to know. Do not give them any information. If you do that, they will keep you for hours to get more.

v If they break into your house, they will most likely do it very early in the morning and in a very noisy way so they can scare you and the neighbors and make people think you are something big, to show the world look we caught a "big fish".

v If anything happens to you, remember Allaah much and make du'aa nonstop. Remember the story about the Sahaabi that was stopped by a thief that wanted to kill him. So the Sahaabi said, let me pray 4 raka'at before you kill me. And he made the du'aa:

Yaa Wadood

Yaa thal Arshil majeed

Yaa Fa'aalun limaa tureed

As'aluka Bi'Izzikal lathee laa yuraam

Wa Bimulkikal lathee laa yudaam

Wa Binoorikal lathee mala'a Arkaana Arshik

An takfeene (and mention the matter that you need help with)

Yaa Mugheeth Aghithnee (3 times)

vWe also have the example of Khubaib bin Adiy (rathiallaahu 'anhu) who fell into the hands of the Polytheists who escorted him from the Sacred Masjid-ul-Haram to kill him. He said to them, "Let me pray two raka'ahs." When he finished he said to them, "If it were not that you were to think that I am afraid of death, I would have lengthened my prayer." He became the first to establish the tradition of praying two raka'ahs before execution. He then said, "O Allaah! Count them one by one! Kill them one by one! And let there not remain a single one from them alive!"

vHe then said, "As long as I am killed as a Muslim for the Sake of Allah, I do not care on what side I fall. All this is for the sake of Allaah: if He wishes, He will bless me with the reunion of the torn pieces of my body." He was then finally killed by Uqbah bin Al-Harith.

v If Allaah decides prison for you, it is you're Qadr, and it cannot pass you by. Be patient and wait for the reward. And remember everything in this duniya is temporary, everything has its end.

v Don't fear the kuffaar. Its one of shaitaans tricks to get you to fear his awliyaa'. Remember the ayah: "Qul lan yuseebanaa Illaa maa kataballaahu lanaa, huwa Mawlanaa, Wa Ala Allaahi Falyatawakkalil Mutawakkiloon"

v As long as your emaan is strong then everything else does not matter. Remember what Nusaybah Bin Ka'b said: "Laa Ubaali Maa Asaabani Min Ad-Dunyaa"

v A special note for the sisters: they want to interrogate sisters because they know they are emotionally affected and easier to get information out of if and they will threaten them (the sisters) so be prepared for this. They will look for the sisters weak spots and keep pushing you until you fall into their trap.

v And remember what tests are for, one of the reasons is that it distinguishes the munafiqeen from the truthful believers who are willing to go all the way for this deen,even if they have to sacrifice.

v While you're still free start memorizing the Qur'aan, because you will need it in there as sometimes they don't even allow you to have a mushaf.

v Learn the rules of how you make ijmaa' in your salaah and tayammum etc as you will most probably need this.

v Never trust people in you cell because usually it's full of spies which they the kuffar planted in there for you, even in muslim lands so don't trust other cell mates to avoid their traps.

v They will threaten you and be prepared for this - one example of how they threaten you, is what happened to a brother. He refused to speak with them, so they said we will get your sister and rape her. He told them to go get her. They went and got her, and put her in the room next to him so he could hear her. They started beating her and she started screaming, to make him think they were raping her. They let her go when they realised it didn't have any affect on him. So just have full tawakkul. And He subhanahu wa ta'aala will provide a way out for you from every difficulty.

v Dont say anything you don't want others like the kuffar to hear on the phone, msn or through emails, they save everything and track it down. Learn from the mistakes of others and avoid them. There is no reason to commit a mistake that can prevent you from helping muslims in need. A kaafir lawyer once said, don't say or type anything you don't want to see again.

Finally, I pray that you and I learn something from this, and I request that you all help by spreading this short article, since it can help someone avoid committing a mistake that could cost someone years in prison. Please spread on other forums and forward as emails

I ask Allaah to make us from those who act upon what we know and spread it to others, and may Allaah protect us from the plots of the kuffar, and hasten the release of our imprisoned brothers and sisters worldwide.

Dont forget me from your sincere du'aa

Jazaakumullaahu khairan

Was-salaamu 'Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuhu

Author: Anonymous
--
"The affairs of the later part of this ummah can never be made right except with that which made right the affairs of the early generations of this ummah."

-- imam maalik ( rahimahullah )

 

 

 

An Excellent poem about the Muslim Woman.

Who I Am!

What do you see
when you look at me
Do you see someone limited,
or someone free

.....

All some people can do is just look and stare
Simply because they can't see my hair

...

Others think I am controlled and uneducated
They think that I am limited and un-liberated

...

They are so thankful that they are not me
Because they would like to remain 'free'

...

Well free isn't exactly the word I would've used
Describing women who are cheated on and abused

...

They think that I do not have opinions or voice
They think that being hooded isn't my choice

...

They think that the hood makes me look caged
That my husband or dad are totally outraged

...

All they can do is look at me in fear
And in my eye there is a tear

...

Not because I have been stared at or made fun of
But because people are ignoring the one up above

...

On the Day of Judgment they will be the fools
Because they were too ashamed to play by their own rules

...

Maybe the guys won't think I am a cutie
But at least I am filled with more inner beauty

...

See I have declined from being a guy's toy
Because I won't let myself be controlled by a boy

...

Real men are able to appreciate my mind
And aren't busy looking at my behind

...

Hooded girls are the ones really helping the Muslim cause
The role that we play definitely deserves applause

...

I will be recognized because I am smart and bright
And because some people are inspired by my sight

...

The smart ones are attracted by my tranquility
In the back of their mind they wish they were me

...

We have the strength to do what we think is right
Even if it means putting up a life long fight

...

You see we are not controlled by a mini skirt and tight shirt
We are given only respect, and never treated like dirt

...

So you see, we are the ones that are free and liberated
We are not the ones that are sexually terrorized and violated

...

We are the ones that are free and pure
We're free of STD's that have no cure

...

So when people ask you how you feel about the hood
Just sum it up by saying 'baby its all good'

 

~From a sister's blog (HafidhahaAllah. Ameen) 

 

 As Salamu Alaikum Wa RahmatuAllahi Wa Barakatuh

I was reading "The Purification of the Soul" a couple of nights ago. (Complied from the works of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Ibn Al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, and Abu Hamid al-Ghazali). In the section:

"Types of Hearts". I wonder what type of heart I have. There's the Healthy Heart, The Dead Heart, and The Sick Heart. It's like describing a person whether they're healthy, sick or dead. Most of us would want to be healthy. Why not allow our hearts to be healthy and pure of sins (well no on can be pure of sins but at least try).The Healthy Heart:

On Yawm-al- Qiyamah those who come to Allah with a healthy heart will be saved. Allah says: 

026.088 "The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail,026.089 "But only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart;

(Surah 26, Ayahs 88-89).What is a healthy heart? It's almost like a healthy body, one that doesn't put drugs and other unhealthy things in it." A healthy heart is on that is clean from any passion that challenges what Allah commands, or disputes what He forbids. This heart services are only for Allah, willingly and lovingly in all matters. When the heart loves, it loves for Allah and when it hates, it hates for Allah." REALLY loving what Allah loves means what is within the Quran and Sunnah and what He hates is outside those lines. Not just picking a person YOU hate that does nothing outside the Quran and Sunnah and saying you hate them for Allah's sake. They could be better than you!

Also, when it gives, it gives for Allah and when it withholds, it withholds for Allah. Everything for Allah only! Even Allah comes before itself!The Dead Heart:

The Dead Heart is just the opposite. Think of an unhealthy body, smoking, drinking, drugs, and all unpleasant things. This is how different the healthy heart and the dead heart are from each other. Like a dead person and a live person. This heart doesn't know Allah and doesnt worship Him. Wal 3yathubillah. Someone not worshipping Allah as He commands, in the way that He is pleased?! After all Allah gives them! SubhanAllah! Signs of Allah's creation, His existence is all around you. Stop and take a look. Look into the mirror. Can anyone besides The All-Mighty make what you see?! Glory be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds."Instead this heart clings to lusts and desires even if it will lead to Allah's anger or punishment. It worships other than Allah. Its whims are its imam. Its lust is its guide. Its ignorance is its leader. Its crude impulses are its impetus. Like a drunk body this heart is drunk by wordly matters. Those fantasies of the dunya and pleasures and instead of following the Quran and Sunnah it follows Shaytan. Life angers and pleases it, and passion makes it deaf and blind to anything except what is evil.

(It has been related on the authority of Abd'd-Darda' that the Messenger of Allah (S) said , "Your love for something makes you deaf and blind." Abu Dawud, al-Adab, 14:38; Ahmad, al-Musnad, 5/194.) Be careful in loving something to much, love for it may lead you to the Hellfire.

Even to be around this heart will bring you to illness, living with it is like taking poison, who wants poison? And befriending it means utter descruction."

The Sick Heart:

"The Sick Heart. This is like a body in between life and death. A heart with life in it, as well as illness. Sometimes it gives in to one over the other and vice versa. It follows whichever one takes over. Its life is its love for Allah, faith in Him, sincerity towards Him and reliance upon Him. This heart also craves the lust and pleasure of this dunya. It prefers them and strives to experience them. Its self-admiration can lead to its own destruction."

The first heart mentioned is one that is alive and submitting to Allah, humble, sensitive, and aware; the second is brittle and dead; the third goes back and forth between either its safety or its ruin.

Ask yourself , which heart do you have? What kind of heart do you want to have?

May Allah allow our heart to be a healthy one. Allahuma Ameen.

~ Was salamu Alaikum

 

 As Salamu Alaikum Wa RahmatuAllahi Wa barakatuh

 SubhanAllah I was reading about Al Baraa Al-Ansari and SubhanAllah look how he was determined to die in Jihad. But yet today some are scared to talk about it or even fight. SubhanAllah, a forgotten obligation.

  May Allah grant us from amongst the martyrs. Allahuma Ameen.

His hair looked disheveled and his whole appearance was unkempt. He was thin and wiry with so little flesh on his bones that it was painful to look at him. Yet in single-handed combat he defeated and killed many opponents and in the thick of battle he was an outstanding fighter against the mushrikeen. He was so courageous and daring that Umar once wrote to his governors throughout the Islamic state that they should not appoint him to lead any army out of fear that he would have them all killed by his daring exploits. This man was al-Baraa ibn Malik al-Ansari, the brother of Anas ibn Malik, the personal aide of the Prophet.

If the tales of Baraa's heroism were to be told in detail, pages and pages could be written. But let one example suffice.This particular story begins only hours after the death of the noble Prophet when many Arabian tribes took to leaving the religion of God in large numbers, just as they had entered it in large numbers. Within a short space of time only the people of Makkah, Madinah and Taif and scattered communities here and there, whose commitment to Islam was unwavering, remained within the religion.Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, the successor to the Prophet, stood firm against this blind and destructive movement. From the Muhajireen and Ansar, he mobilized eleven armies each under a separate commander and dispatched them to various parts of the Arabian peninsula. Their purpose was to make the apostates return to the path of guidance and truth and to confront the leaders of the rebellion. The strongest group of apostates and the greatest in number were the Banu Hanifah among whom Musaylamah the Imposter arose, claiming that he was a prophet. Musaylamah managed to mobilize forty thousand of the best fighters among his people. Most of these however followed him for the sake of asabeyyah or tribal loyalty and not because they believed in him. One of them in fact said, "I testify that Musaylamah is an imposter and that Muhammad is true but the imposter of Rabi'ah (Musaylamah) is dearer to us than the true man of Mudar (Muhammad)." Musaylamah routed the first army sent against him under the leadership of Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl. Abu Bakr dispatched another army against Musaylamah led by Khalid ibn al-Walid. This army included the cream of the Sahabah from both the Ansar and the Muhajireen. In the front ranks of this army was Baraa ibn Malik and a group of the most valiant Muslims. The two armies met in the territory of the Banu Hanifah at Yamamah in Najd. Before long, the scale of battle tilted in favor of Musaylamah and his men. The Muslim armies began to retreat from their positions. Musaylamah's forces even stormed the tent of Khalid ibn Walid and drove him from his position. They would have killed his wife if one of them had not granted her protection. At that point, the Muslims realized in what a perilous situation they were. They were also conscious of the fact that if they were annihilated by Musaylamah, Islam would not be able to stand as a religion and Allah the One God with whom there is no partner would not be worshipped in the Arabian peninsula after that. Khalid mustered his forces once more and began reorganizing them. He separated the Muhajireen and the Ansar and kept men from different tribes apart. Each was put under the leadership of one of its own members so that the losses of each group in the battle might be known. The battle raged. There was much destruction and death. The Muslims had not experienced anything like this in all the wars they had fought before. Musaylamah's men remained firm amidst the tumult, as firm as immovable mountains although many of them had fallen. The Muslims displayed tremendous feats of heroism. Thabit ibn Qays, the standard bearer of the Ansar, dug a pit and planted himself in it and fought until he was killed. The pit he dug turned out to be his grave. Zayd ibn alKhattab, brother of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with them both, called out to the Muslims: "Men, bite with your jaw teeth, strike the enemy and press on. By God, I shall not speak to you after this until either Musaylamah is defeated or I meet God." He then charged against the enemy and continued fighting until he was killed. Salim, the mawla of Abu Hudhaifah, and standard bearer of the Muhajireen displayed unexpected valor. His people feared that he would show weakness or be too terrified to fight. To them he said, "If you manage to overtake me, what a miserable bearer of the Qur'an I shall be." He then valiantly plunged into the enemy ranks and eventually fell as a martyr. The bravery of all these, however, wanes in front of the heroism of al-Baraa ibn Malik, may God be pleased with him and with them all. As the battle grew fiercer and fiercer, Khalid turned to al-Baraa and said, "Charge, young man of the Ansar." Al-Baraa turned to his men and said, "O Ansar, let not anyone of you think of returning to Madinah. There is no Madinah for you after this day. There is only Allah, then Paradise." He and the Ansar then launched their attack against the mushrikeen, breaking their ranks and dealing telling blows against them until eventually they began to withdraw. They sought refuge in a garden which later became known in history as The Garden of Death because of the many killed there on that day. The garden was surrounded by high walls. Musaylamah and thousands of his men entered and closed the gates behind them and fortified themselves. From their new positions they began to rain down arrows on the Muslims. The valiant Baraa went forward and addressed his company, "Put me on a shield. Raise the shield on spears and hurl me into the garden near the gate. Either I shall die a martyr or I shall open the gate for you." The thin and wiry al-Baraa was soon sitting on a shield. A number of spears raised the shield and he was thrown into the Garden of Death amongst the multitude of Musaylamah's men. He descended on them like a thunderbolt and continued to fight them in front of the gate. Many fell to his sword and he himself sustained numerous wounds before he could open the gate. The Muslims charged into the Garden of Death through the gates and over the walls. Fighting was bitter and at close quarters and hundreds were killed. Finally the Muslims came upon Musaylamah and he was killed. Al Baraa was taken in a litter to Madinah. Khalid ibn Al-Walid spent a month looking after him and tending his wounds. Eventually his condition improved. Through him the Muslims had gained victory over Musaylamah. In spite of recovering from his wounds, al-Baraa continued to long for the martyrdom which had eluded him at the Garden of Death. He went on fighting in battle after battle hoping to attain his aim. This came at the battle for Tustar in Persia. At Tustar the Persians were besieged in one of their defiant fortresses. The siege was long and when its effects became quite unbearable, they adopted a new tactic. From the walls of the fortress, they began to throw down iron chains at the ends of which were fastened iron hooks which were red hot. Muslims were caught by these hooks and were pulled up either dead or in the agony of death. One of these hooks got hold of Anas ibn Malik, the brother of al-Baraa. As soon as al-Baraa saw this, he leapt up the wall of the fortress and grabbed the chain which bore his brother and began undoing the hook from his body. His hand began to burn but he did not let go before his brother was released. Baraa himself died during this battle. He had prayed to God to grant him martyrdom.

 

 Ramadhan Mubarak everyone! Here's a story from a sis in Egypt. Enjoy! May Allah accept our fast and allow our sins to be forgiven. Ameen.Asalam AlaikumHello All

I seen something so beautiful yesterday. I was walking
my son to school when
I passed by a man reading a small Quran on a bench.
One hand was holding the
Quran and the other was rested on his head. He looked
deep in thought and
was content. The world around him just seem to pass by
as he was reading
Allahs words.

When I came back by him he was in the same position
still reading. This time
though there was a group of men standing close in
front of him talking
loudly(almost arguing). But he was to deep into the
Quran he paid no
attention to them. His mind was with Allah and the
world around him was with
the dunya.

Were are we today? Do you remember Allah when you are
out and about? When
you have a momet do you stop and take the time to read
Allahs word? Or maybe
make a little dhiker, you can do it quitly with your
hands?

Is Ramadan doing anything for you? Are you keeping up
with the Juz a night
or more? Are you getting up to pray night prayer? Are
you taking the time in
this holy month to worship more for Allah?

This is our time lets use it. And lets not stop after
Ramadan. Lets remember
Allah like he deserves. Lets be the Muslims we are
supposed to be. Lets not
let Islam be run into the ground. Allahs name is being
slanered, and the
Prophet(sallAllahu alayhe wa sallam) is being
degrated. And what do we do,
we burn down embancys and churches. Is that showing
the world Islam or
hatred?

Its time brothers and sisters. Lets be the man on the
bench.

 

 

The Perfect Believer

Imam Ibn ul Jawzee
Translated from Sayd ul-Khatir, p. 364
Publ. by Dar Al Yaqeen

The believer is not one who performs the ordained religious duties superficially and avoids what is forbidden only, but he is one whose faith is absolute, with no objection whatsoever arising in his heart and no obsession dwelling in his soul. The more hardships he faces, the more his faith grows and the more his submission strengthens.

He could pray and not see a trace of an answer to his prayers, yet he does not change because he knows that he is owned by One who deals with him in whatever way He chooses. For if an objection was to arise in his heart, he then forsakes the role of the slave and takes on the role of a protester such as that of Iblees (the devil).

A strong faith unveils itself in strong hardships.

A believer sees in Yahya, son of Zakariyya, a fine example. He was killed by a tyrant who confronted him, yet He (subhanahu wa ta`ala), who made him a prophet, did not intervene nor defend him.

Similarly all the tyranny that befell the prophets and the believers was not held back from them. If one goes to think that Divinity cannot answer for them then one is an unbeliever. However if one believes that Divinity can answer for them but chooses not to, and that God (subhanahu wa ta`ala) can make the believers go hungry while infidels are full and inflict the believers with sickness and grant the infidels health, then one is only left with submission to the Owner even when tormented or scorched.

Jacob cried for eighty years when Joseph son of Jacob (peace be upon him) was gone, he never gave up; all he said when his other son was gone too is “May God bring all of them back to me”.

Moses (peace be upon him) prayed against Pharaoh, who killed children and crucified the magicians (who embraced Islam and gave up magic) and cut their hands, for 40 years before he was answered.

In such submission the intensity of one’s strong faith is manifested not in mere rak`at (bowings in prayer).

So many of those who glorify Qadar (destiny) were afflicted with tribulations and this did not increase them except in submission and pleasure (with their Lord), and there lies an explanation of the meaning of His words, "Allah is pleased with them" (Qur'an, 5:119 and elsewhere).

Al-Hasan Al-Basree said: people are the same in health but when hardship befalls they show distinction.

 SubhanAllah I find these stories a real imaan booster.

[QUOTE] From the dear Umm Layth, May Allah protect her and preserve her, ameen}

As-Salaamu 3laykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuhu

The only reason for my posting is to call all of the sisters who are trying to fear Allaah Subhaanahu wa ta3ala, those of you who don't betray the Muslims - to make du3a for our sisters. The wives of some of the brothers who were injustly imprisoned. They are having their words manipulated and twisted, as well as threatened to have their children taken away from them. I must say that they are very strong for dealing with things the way they have. Here are 2 of the accounts of the sisters... The first is of Umm Tayyab and the 2nd is of Umm Nour. May Allaah protect their children and them aameen

I also advise every one of you not to think that you are fine while you sit in your homes. Prepare by increasing your `ibaadat, praying tahajjud, all your nafl and constantly making sincere du3a to Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3ala. Your strength will come from your good deeds, bi'ithnillaah. Also for those of us with kids... Start thinking of plans just in case you were next on the list, and your words were being twisted. Start thinking who you prefer has guardianship over your children. Get all the documentation ready and have a lawyer witness the signing. Make copies of it and give to your family members. You can give joint guardianship as well. And keep the original far from your home incase it is raided, as they may take whatever they want.
Don't give them the chance to take your children far from you. This is reality. These sisters are being threatened. Will we be next? Will we want others to help us then? We need to thank Allaah for all of our blessings and trials. Like sister Umm Tayyab told me... may Allaah bless her, aameen... These are but cool rivers hidden by a apparent fire(it is all purification for us - to bring us closer to Allaah). Don't be afraid. Tawakkal 3ala Allaah

Spread the word and don't be scared to get this injustice spread. One characteristic of the muttaqoon (may Allaah make us of them, aameen) is that they command the good and forbid the evil, and the weakest of Iman is rejection in the heart. Don't let your sisters be hit by a surprise. Tell them to prepare. The Muslims need to be smarter. May Allaah protect all of us and our children, aameen

----------------
Story of Umm Tayyab... may Allaah protect her and her family, aameen
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatoh,

I don't know how many of you read the Globe and Mail and have seen the recent articles about us, the wives of 4 men arrested in Mississauga. We had been posting in a Meadowvale Crew website created by Nada, Zakaria's wife (Zawjatu Zakaria) in 2003 or 2004, but then it kind of died off. Some of you know us. Our posts have been printed in the Globe and Mail out of context and in the worst light. Now RCMP are digging into our relationships. Will they come and take us to prison too? What will happen to our babies? Three of us are still nursing our youngest ones.You know us and you know what we have always said. We have not said anything more 'radical' that what is here, but now we are all suspect, as all of you are also.All these sites have been monitered for the last 2 years. The investigation continues, they say more arrests are pending.

They tell my husband to tell me not to post on the internet chats. Not only are our men shackled and gagged, but so are we.The entire community has turned against us and even called us "not muslims". 20 organizations have publically joined ranks against us and demanded the mosques be purged of 'these radical imams' and that their children must be protected from people like us. Our friends have turned their backs on us and refuse to even help us with bail. (all but a few of the most beloved, pious friends, May Allah answer all of their prayers). Our mosque refuses to allow a dua for us after the Jumaa prayers.I suffered dry heaves for a week, I shook and shuddered the whole time. My husband was at the door holding the hand of my 18 month old son, on their way to the Asr prayer when they opened the door and were overcome by the raid. My children were terrorized by more than a dozen SWAT men storming the house and over the back fence pointing loaded rifles at all of us screaming at the top of their voices "GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR!!! GET ON THE FLOOR!!! GET ON THE FLOOR!!! GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR!!! GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR!!!GET ON THE FLOOR!!!

They continued to scream at us for about 2-4 minutes while I refused to get off the couch and leave my baby who had half a diaper on and would roll off and fall on the floor if I left him. I screamed and swore and screamed some more at them to stop terrorizing my children, but they only systematically inched forward a small step at a time until about 7 of them were surrounding us (the children had by then run to me in terror screaming and screeching and crying), and pointing their rifles at my head, still yelling their order GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR!!! GET ON THE FLOOR!!!

I finally realised the children would not stop screaming in terror until the SWAT team stopped screaming and pointing guns at us, so I left my baby (8 months) on the couch unattended and laid down on the floor while my other three boys (7, 5 and 18 months) kept screaming and crying and calling me. They handcuffed me behind my back and I told my 7 year old to call his grandma, but the SWAT team said no one would be calling anyone and told him not to touch the phone. I called my children to come beside me and touch me and hold me so they would not be scared anymore, but they told them to stay on the couch.

I screamed some more profanities at the SWAT team and ordered the children to come to me and kept ordering them to come to me until they finally did disobey the men and laid down beside me crying. When I finally soothed them and reassured them everything would be ok, they stopped crying but were still horribly frightened. They brought out my 63 year old mother-in-law and sat her by my head. She was also in handcuffs behind her back. (They had entered her bedroom while she was praying her Asr, she was in sujud in the last rakah, and a SWAT member put his boot on the back of her neck, and put a gun to her head. He pushed her back farther into the floor, rolled her over and put her hands behind her back and handcuffed her. She doesn't even speak English....)I demanded my hijab. More screaming and profanities.

They put on my hijab and I began demanding they take off my handcuffs and let me nurse my screaming baby. They tried to lift me with by one arm. I continued to sit and said "I weigh over 250 pounds and I have a bad back, you better get another guy on my other arm, man!" They took us (me, the children and my mother in law) to the back yard and let me nurse the baby. After that, the world began to return to 'normal', except my husband was arrested and the muslim community has condemned him as a terrorist and a radical, a danger to the children

.......and it isn't over yet....

Story of Umm Nour.... May Allaah grant her patience and protect her family and all of our brothers and sisters aameen

Asalamu AlaikumSubhanAllah...

My head is throbbing right now. For some reason, media loves picking on me. And on my so called comments on that board. I'm scared, posting here, I don't know how much will be published and how it will be twisited. I feel like a prisoner. My house is tapped, my phone is tapped, my car is tapped, I am being followed, I got informants ready to "rat" me out...I may not be in a physical prison, but i'm defintely in some kind of prison...I know it'll make me feel better if I write about what happened and how I feel...So here is goes..

Me and my husband were in the basement, with our 8 month old daughter. My husband was busy getting ready for work..and me and my sister (14 yrs) were playing with my daughter. Suddenly we hear this loudest bang...as If the roof fell..and then I see 2 member of SWAT team burst downstair..I run for my daughter...And I grab her...and I see these yell at us to get down..pointing their guns at us..I get down with my daughter and sister...and my husband is on the floor only few feets away...at this point, I regreted runnign after my daughter...and I stuill regret...I wished I had ran to hold onto my husband...and never let go..but as a mother, my instinct was to for my daughter...anyway...

when they had everybody on the floor...I had starting shaking and crying...my husband was like "Nada, don't cry..please Nada, this life is only for a day, be strong, everything will be all right, this life is only for a day..." And then my husband starts to recite the Shahadah " Asshadu Allah ilaha illalah..." At this point, the man screams at my husband to shut up...They then handcuffed me and sister...and one of the man picked up my daughter while he was pointing his gun at me. They dragged my husband out. They then push me and my sister upstair and put us in the garage with the rest of the family. My door was broken..Glass was shattered everywhere.

There were over 2 dozen SWAT team, including the people in chemical suits and police officers... I was then taken by the CSIS agents to be questioned..They tricked me and made me feel that I had to answer their questions...in this conditions they questioned me in the car for over 3 hours......I dont' even wanna talk anymore..The muslims have the most disgusting people I have ever met...not all of them of course..but most of them have been the greatest wussies I have ever met. Sorry if this offends anyone...but I have learned so much in this experience. SubhanAllah. Just make for us inshAllah. Even recieving a call from someone who sincerly cares...makes us feel so much better. But at this point. I sit beside the phone waiting for my husband to call. Barely anyone calls to find out how we are doing..

--------------
If your heart doesn't ache after reading this... then you have not even reached NEAR the completion of Iman. Because we are a people who love for our brothers and sisters what we love for ourselves.

Don't forget them and each other in your ad3iyah. These are hard times, but we must stay strong and help each other. Don't be afraid of them, Don't be afraid of them. Rather, be afraid of ALlaah and keep your Trust in Him. The closer you come to Him, the closer He will come to you...

[END QUOTE]

 

 

 I heard this before. Quite old actually. Just wanted to share. I knew who the stranger was before I even finished, SubhanAllah. Just read for the sake of a reminder even if you know.

A few months before I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanted newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family.

The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later. As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother five years my senior was my example. My younger sister gave me an opportunity to play big brother and develop the art of teasing. My parents were complementary instructors – Mum taught me to love the Words of God, and Dad taught me to obey it.

But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries, and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spellbound for hours each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it all. He knew about the past, understood the present, and seemingly could predict the future. The pictures he could draw were so lifelike that I would often laugh or cry. He was like a friend to the whole family.

He took Dad, my brother and me to our first football game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie and pop stars. My brother and I were deeply impressed with John Wayne.

The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn’t seem to mind, but sometimes Mum would quietly get up while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places, go to her room, and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave.

You see, my Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt an obligation to honour them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house – not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our long time visitor, however, used occasional four-letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted.

Our religion forbids alcohol but the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished.

He talked freely (probably too much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man-woman relationship were influenced by the stranger.

As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave.

More than 30 years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family in Woking, Surrey . He is not nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years.

But, if you were to walk into my parents den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and look at his pictures.

His name?

We just called him TV.

 

 Here's something that I got off of keema's blog, lol. I'm a post stealer. But keema you stole it from meyeh! Anyways I like it and its nice so it's going on my blog and msn space :P It's called I wish you enough ....

"At an airport I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her planes departure and standing near the door, he said to his daughter, "I love you, I wish you enough."

She said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy." They hugged good-bye and she left.

He walked over toward the window where I was standing there. I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking,

"Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me.

Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was experiencing.

Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?"

"I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral, he said. "When you were saying good-bye I heard you say,

'I wish you enough. 'May I ask what that means?" He began to smile.

"That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone."

He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough, we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things to sustain them," he continued and then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye."

He then began to sob and walked away.

"It takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them."

 

 

Forgiveness...

As Salamu Alaikum Wa RahmatuAllahi Wa Barakatuh

Oh Allah,You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship but You. You created me and I am your slave. I keep Your covenant and my pledge to You so far as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I admit to Your blessings upon me, and I admit to my misdeeds. Forgive me, for there is none who may forgive sins but You.

As everyone knows I am human and we all make mistakes, some bigger than others. Sometimes I may not know when I have wronged someone and sometimes it may seem intentional,hopefully not most of the time though. We may even catch ourselves gossping or backbiting, Allah says in the Quran (49:12) (...Nor speak ill of each other behind their back. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it. But fear Allah, for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.) We must be mindful of what we do and repent if we know we have done something wrong. I know my tounge has gotten me into trouble. As a woman it's our nature to talk alot. Even though I don't really talk on the phone Shaytan has lead me to the net. May Allah bring me (us) closer to the good and keep us away from the bad. Ameen. Although I am happy I have befriended many friends I think I might have befriended too many. The Prophet (S) did say we will be with those whom we love and we must make wise choices when choosing friends. I want to share something I read from The Ideal Muslimah :The Prophet (PBUH) announced that on the Day of Resurrection, every traitor would be raised carrying the flag of his betrayal and a caller will cry out in the vast arena of judgement, pointing to him and drawing attention to him: "Every traitor will have a banner on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said: `This is the betrayer of so-and-so.'"^{22How great will be the shame of those traitors, men and women, who thought that their betrayal was long since forgotten, and now here it is, spread out for all to see and carried aloft on banners held by their own hands. Their shame on the Day of Judgement will increase when they see the Prophet (PBUH), who is the hope of intercession on that great and terrible Day, standing in opposition to them, because they have committed the heinous crime of betrayal, which is a crime of such enormity that it will deprive them of the mercy of Allah (SWT) and the intercession of the Prophet (PBUH):}

"Allah (SWT), may He be exalted, said: `There are three whom I will oppose on the Day of Resurrection: a man who gave his word, and then betrayed; a man who sold a free man into slavery and kept the money; and a man who hired someone, benefitted from his labour, then did not pay his wages."23

SubhanAllah...:(. Getting back to the point...On a serius note I just wanted to ask everyone to sincerely forgive me and make dua for me. The only thing that can possibly make me feel better is seeing some "Forgiven" or "I forgive you" replies after this. And what will make it even better is if you add wallahi :D.

Oh Allah, whomever of the believers I have abused, give him the reward of a sacrificial sluaghter for it on the Day of Resurrection. Allahuma Ameen!

Ya ikhwati wa akhawaati, in tears I'm REALLY asking you to forgive me before it's too late. I don't want to be stopped from entering the Jannah for wronging any of you. I want my faults to be erased,inshaAllah. Although they can't possibly be forgotten by me :(.

Oh Allah forgive me, and have mercy on me, and guide me, and give me good health and provide for me, ameen.

BarakAllahu feekum from Your sincere sister in Islam

Was Salamu Alaikum Wa RahmatuAllahi Wa Barakatuh

 

 Long but nice....

She's My Sister

A true story translated by Muhammad Alshareef

Her cheeks were worn and sunken and her skin hugged her bones. That
didn't stop her though, you could never catch her not reciting Qur'an.
Always vigil in her personal prayer room Dad had set up for her.
Bowing, prostrating, raising her hands in prayer. That was the way she
was from dawn to sunset and back again, boredom was for others.

As for me I craved nothing more than fashion magazines and novels. I
treated myself all the time to videos until those trips to the rental
place became my trademark. As they say, when something becomes habit
people tend to distinguish you by it. I was negligent in my
responsibilities and laziness characterized my Salah.

One night, I turned the video off after a marathon three hours of
watching. The adhan softly rose in that quiet night. I slipped
peacefully into my blanket.

Her voice carried from her prayer room. "Yes? Would you like anything
Noorah?" I said.

With a sharp needle she popped my plans. "Don't sleep before you pray
Fajr!"

Agh...there's still an hour before Fajr, that was only the first
Adhaan!

With those loving pinches of hers, she called me closer. She was always
like that, even before the fierce sickness shook her spirit and shut
her in bed. "Hanan can you come sit beside me."

I could never refuse any of her requests, you could touch the purity
and sincerity. "Yes, Noorah?"

"Please sit here."

"OK, I"m sitting. What's on your mind?"

With the sweetest mono voice she began reciting:

"Every soul shall taste death and you will merely be repaid your
earnings on Resurrection Day"

She stopped thoughtfully. Then she asked, "Do you believe in death?"

"Of course I do."

"Do you believe that you shall be responsible for whatever you do,
regardless of how small or large?"

"I do, but Allah is Forgiving and Merciful and I^زve got a long life
waiting for me."

"Stop it Hanan ... aren't you afraid of death and it's abruptness? Look
at Hind. She was younger than you but she died in a car accident. So
did so and so, and so and so. Death is age-blind and your age could
never be a measure of when you shall die."

The darkness of the room filled my skin with fear. "I'm scared of the
dark and now you made me scared of death, how am I supposed to go to
sleep now. Noorah, I thought you promised you'd go with us on vacation
during the summer break."

Impact. Her voice broke and her heart quivered. "I might be going on a
long trip this year Hanan, but somewhere else. Just maybe. All of our
lives are in Allah^زs hands and we all belong to Him."

My eyes welled and the tears slipped down both cheeks.

I pondered my sisters grizzly sickness, how the doctors had informed my
father privately that there was not much hope that Noorah was going to
outlive the disease. She wasn't told though. Who hinted to her? Or was
it that she could sense the truth.

"What are you thinking about Hanan?" Her voice was sharp. "Do you think
I am just saying this because I am sick? Uh - uh. In fact, I may live
longer than people who are not sick. And you Hanan, how long are you
going to live? Twenty years, maybe? Forty? Then what?" Through the dark
she reached for my hand and squeezed gently. "There's no difference
between us; we're all going to leave this world to live in Paradise or
agonize in Hell. Listen to the words of Allah:

"Anyone who is pushed away from the Fire and shown into Jannah will
have triumphed."

I left my sister's room dazed, her words ringing in my ears: May Allah
guide you Hanan - don't forget your prayer.

Eight O'clock in the morning. Pounding on my door. I don't usually wake
up at this time. Crying. Confusion. O Allah, what happened?

Noorahs condition became critical after Fajr, they took her immediately
to the hospital ... Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.

There wasn't going to be any trips this summer. It was written that I
would spend the summer at home.

After an eternity...

It was one O'clock in the afternoon. Mother phoned the hospital. "Yes.
You can come and see her now." Dad's voice had changed, mother could
sense something had gone deathly wrong. We left immediately.

Where was that avenue I used to travel and thought was so short? Why
was it so long now, so very long. Where was the cherished crowd and
traffic that would give me a chance to gaze left and right. Everyone,
just move out of our way. Mother was shaking her head in her hands
crying as she made dua'a for her Noorah.

We arrived at the hospitals main entrance.

One man was moaning, another was involved in an accident and a third^زs
eyes were iced, you couldn^زt tell if he was alive or dead.

We skipped stairs to Noorahs floor. She was in intensive care.

The nurse approached us. "Let me take you to her." As we walked down
the aisles the nurse went on expressing how sweet a girl Noorah was.
She reassured Mother somewhat that Noorah^زs condition had gotten
better than what it was in the morning.

"Sorry. No more than one visitor at a time." This was the intensive
care unit. Through the small window in the door and past the flurry of
white robes I caught my sisters eyes. Mother was standing beside her.
After two minutes, mother came out unable to control her crying.

"You may enter and say Salam to her on condition that you do not speak
too long," they told me. "Two minutes should be enough."

"How are you Noorah? You were fine last night sister, what happened?"

We held hands, she squeezed harmlessly. "Even now, Alhamdulillah, I'm
doing fine."

"Alhamdulillah...but...your hands are so cold."

I sat on her bedside and rested my fingers on her knee. She jerked it
away. "Sorry ... did I hurt you?"

"No, it is just that I remembered Allah's words

One leg will be wrapped to the other leg (in the death shroud)

{waltafatul saaqu bil saaq}

"Hanan pray for me. I may be meeting the first day of the hearafter
very soon. It is a long journey and I haven't prepared enough good
deeds in my suitcase."

A tear escaped my eye and ran down my cheek at her words. I cried and
she joined me. The room blurred away and left us ^ض two sisters - to
cry together. Rivulets of tears splashed down on my sister^زs palm
which I held with both hands. Dad was now becoming more worried about
me. I've never cried like that before.

At home and upstairs in my room, I watched the sun pass away with a
sorrowful day. Silence mingled in our corridors. A cousin came in my
room, another. The visitors were many and all the voices from
downstairs stirred together. Only one thing was clear at that point ...
Noorah had died!

I stopped distinguishing who came and who went. I couldn't remember
what they said. O Allah, where was I? What was going on? I couldn't
even cry anymore.

Later that week they told me what had happened. Dad had taken my hand
to say goodbye to my sister for the last time, I had kissed Noorah's
head.

I remember only one thing though, seeing her spread on that bed, the
bed that she was going to die on. I remembered the verse she recited:

"One leg will be wrapped to the other leg (in the death shroud)" and I
knew too well the truth of the next verse: "The drive on that day we be
to your Lord (Allah)!"

I tiptoed into her prayer room that night. Staring at the quiet
dressers and silenced mirrors, I treasured who it was that had shared
my mother's stomach with me. Noorah was my twin sister.

I remembered who I had swapped sorrows with. Who had comforted my rainy
days. I remembered who had prayed for my guidance and who had spent so
many tears for so many long nights telling me about death and
accountability. May Allah save us all.

Tonight is Noorah's first night that she shall spend in her tomb. O
Allah, have mercy on her and illumine her grave. This was her Qur'an,
her prayer mat and this was the spring rose-colored dress that she told
me she would hide until she got married, the dress she wanted to keep
just for her husband.

I remembered my sister and cried over all the days that I had lost. I
prayed to Allah to have mercy on me, accept me and forgive me. I prayed
to Allah to keep her firm in her grave as she always liked to mention
in her supplications.

At that moment, I stopped. I asked myself: what if it was I who had
died? Where would I be moving on to? Fear pressed me and the tears
began all over again.

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar...

The first adhan rose softly from the Masjid, how beautiful it sounded
this time. I felt calm and relaxed as I repeated the Muadhdhins call. I
wrapped the shawl around my shoulders and stood to pray Fajr. I prayed
as if it was my last prayer, a farewell prayer, just like Noorah had
done yesterday. It had been her last Fajr.

Now and insha' Allah for the rest of my life, if I awake in the
mornings I do not count on being alive by evening, and in the evening I
do not count on being alive by morning.

We are all going on Noorah's journey. What have we prepared for it!?
Dear sisters. Subhanallah we must remember when our time will come. We have to make the best out of our littlest time we have.

 

 This is funny LOL. Yup. Some of this is sooo true.

Don't agrue brothers. Just face the....FACT!

Basic Difference

1. A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he wants. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't want.
2. A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
3. A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
4. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.
5. Married men live longer than single men - but married men are a lot more willing to die.
6. Any married man should forget his mistakes - there's no use in two people remembering the same thing.
7. Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
8. A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.
9. A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
10. There are two times when a man doesn't understand a woman - before marriage and after marriage."

 

 

Popular but not plastic. Athletic but not a jock. Smart but not a brain.

You were well rounded and well liked in high school.

oh yea..its true.

 

 Okay here are some names I like for babies, although I think the husband picks it but the woman can put in her ideas! Anyways here are the names, starting with boys:

 Mu'awiyah, Shu'aib, Haarith, Abdur-Rahim, Abdur-Rahman, Idris, Isma'il, Muhammad(my 2nd lil bro's name), Yusuf, Mujahid, Nour(could be a boy or girl's name. I know a lil boy named Nur.), Salih, Salahudeen, Haasan, Amir, Abdullah, Usaama, Amir, 'Ali, Maajid(after you know who!), and last but not least, Sufyan(although that's my lil cousin's name.)

Okay now girls! :

 Haala, Hadiyaah, Hidaayah(<-- two different meanings although the sound almost the same. The first means gift the second is guidance), Nusaybah, Asmaa, Maryam(after my big sis!), 'Aaliyah(not exactly spelled like yours 'Alia), Alina(stole this from a friend, heh.), Mujahidah, Yasmeena, Yasmeen(got that from you Yasi! No difference in meaning I guess.), Maajidah(you know where I got this from! :P ), Noura, Sakina, Salihah, Hanaan(got this from you ya 3aroosa!), Hanaah, Haasanah, Layla, Amira, Aminah, and I just now started liking Hafsa.

 Okay now twins! I love twins, mashaAllah! InshaAllah maybe I'll have a pair(the second time around). Here are the names(they're so close in pronounciation cause I like to confuse ppl *blush*):

  Hadiyaah&Hidaayah/ Hanaan&Hanaah/ Hanaah&Haasanah/ Yasmeen&Yasmeena(one nickname will be Yasi the other Meena, LOL!) My mom shook her head when I told her this.)/ Mujahidah&Maajidah(does that sound okay? Ya Maajidah you and I are two peas in a pod!)

   Boy twins:

 Abdur-Rahman&Abdur-Rahim/ Amin&Amir/ Salih&Salahudeen

 Okay if twins one a girl and one a boy (I forgot what you call them) :

  'Ali&'Aaliyah/ Maajid&Maajidah/ Mujahid&Mujahidah/ Nour&Noura/ Salih&Salihah/ Haasan&Haasanah/ Amir&Amira/ Amin&Aminah

  That's all. I would take Safa and Marwa but I don't want to take Intisaar's idea! *blush*

Was Salamu Alaikum Wa RahmatuAllah