Acceptance

Before I start I would like to wish you all a blessed Ramadan and I pray that Allah accepts your Ibaadah in this holy month Inshallah.
This is not a normal post, I don't even know what to call it.It's them days when all you want to do is just let it all out. When the smallest thing irritates you. When the smallest thing has you in tears. When the smallest thing tears you up inside. A day everyone goes through I guess. Not everyday can be a smiley day, that's not how we work. You may go around with a smile plastered on your face but deep down your slowly dying. When asked the matter all you can manage is a "I'm fine." Sometimes it's just best if you kept it to yourself, no one can completely understand you apart from the One and Only.
Days like this are a struggle, a struggle where sometimes you feel like you can't bear. All you want to do is hide and never come out. People just seem to make everything worse. That's when I should stop and look at myself; like really look at myself. What am I doing with my life? Why do I feel like this? There is only one answer. I've lost the connection with the One and Only, the One that really cares. The One that really understands what I'm going through, THE ONE THAT IS ALWAYS THERE. It's sad, it's so sad. We base our life around the temporary things in this life and when they are gone we feel like we've lost everything. That would have never been the case if we hadn't attached ourselves in the first place. If we had connected ourselves wholeheartedly with our lord the illusions of this word would have meant nothing to us.The word loneliness would have not existed. The love for your Creator would have overpowered those feelings.
It's time that I stopped worrying about whats going to happen but rather started worrying about what I should be doing. Yes you go through tough times but the question is how do you get up? How do you regain that connection. Without returning to my Lord misery is all I'm going to experience. No one can change how I'm feeling apart from myself, No one can fix my flaws apart from myself. I need to turn back, back to my creator to which I should give my undivided attention. I need to turn back to my Lord. Without Allah me and you are useless, we are nothing.
Allah is the only Person that truly understands. Without even putting it to words Allah already knows. But it's just up to me to turn back and acknowledge that. I don't need to shout my problems to the people, it's just not necessary. The One and Only already knows. He is the only one that can really help; just through the simple act of prayer. Just that small supplication or 2 rak'at can make such a huge difference. I need to understand that Allah may not answer my supplications straight away, but there's always a reason for that. Maybe I want something which is bad for me and I do not want something which is good for me. We as humans plan and plan as if we can predict the future. Maybe sitting back and letting it all flow is the what's best. Allah is the best of planners. He knows what's best for me, it's time that I accepted that and allow it all to happen with good time. Feeling depressed or stressed about it is going to get me no where. It's time that I focused on myself for once, it's time that I changed myself for the better. No one is perfect but there is no harm in trying to perfect yourself for my Lord. The One that truly cares. The One that truly understands my pain.

Oh Allah! Grant us the strength to overcome our difficulties and allow us to regain that connection with You and You only. اللهم امين يارب العالمين     

"OPPRESSED???"

You say we are oppressed
and we have no sense of dress.
We don't dress to impress.
Our Niqab and Hijab makes us feel depressed.

What if I was to tell you,
you are creating unnecessary stress.

Women in your eyes should walk around flaunting
what they have.
Revealing every asset and making every head
look back,
And then you call us oppressed???
Without a women being revealing beauty is not what you see,
but rather a person who seems to have no mentality.

Women are not products of merchandise,
but rather a jewel that should be protected.
Jeans, heels and lipstick is what gains your respect.
Your Women are fake,
materialistic is what you have invented.
Self dignity is what you have corrupted.
In Islam a Women's assets are for the ones that care
not the for the ones that just sit there and stare,
Her Hijab is her pride and joy,
nothing you say can make that go away.
Her modesty is what defines her identity,
not the values and degradation of your society,
Do not point fingers at the ones that don't need your appreciation,
because deep down they know their beauty is beyond any condemnation.

Our Women are not oppressed,
don't make unnecessary assumptions.
The freedom from your stares is what provides a Muslimah with great satisfaction.
So the next time you say our women are oppressed
and depressed...
Look around your street corners,
then tell us who really is OPPRESSED!!!

(It had to be said... Alhamdulillah we are part of a religion where Haya is key, if only everyone understood this. May Allah guide the misguided as well as us اللهم امين)

Judging, Judging and Judging

I find it really concerning how we as humans find it so much easier to point out the flaws of an individual rather than what's truly amazing about them. We seem to have given ourselves the right to look a person up and down and start assuming. Before a word even comes out of a persons mouth we already have a image in our heads; an image purely based on assumptions. We all see materialism as something we should not base our lives round. But why is it that the first thing we judge a person by is their materialistic appearance? If we were to see a man with shaggy hair, ripped clothes, a shoe missing we immediately assume him to be someone you wouldn't want to associate yourself with. This man is immediately below you. You see yourself as better. But if we were to see a man dressed in a designer suit coming out of a Mercedes we would think of him as a man of class, a man of status. What have we come to? What happened to judging a person from the inside, judging them on their character, their manners. That homeless man who struggles to even afford a piece of bread may have the best of hearts, whilst that man with the wealth and power may have a stone for a heart. But this seems to slip our minds when meeting people.

Judging starts of with false assumptions and most of the time we let it get the best of us. Judging people seems to have a become a norm in our society. We know it's wrong, so why do we still do it? I want to address an issue in our Ummah with regards to judging. Again its based on their appearance. If we were to see a man in a short Thobe and a beard and a woman covered from top to bottom they are labelled as being pious. They are seen as the ideal Muslim, a Muslim who spends their whole day praying and doing Adkhar. Maybe even a Hafidh. Now thinking about it, How are we able to assume soo much? We don't know what their true intentions are, we don't know if they are being sincere or whether it's for show. May Allah purify our intentions and make us sincere. Allahumma Ameen.

My Niqabi and Hijabi sisters we shouldn't look down on sisters that don't cover.. They may not dress appropriately, they may not cover, but we are not aware of their inside. Their Imaan levels maybe be soaring whilst we are struggling to increase ours. If Allah has guided you and provided you with the knowledge you shouldn't use it as an excuse to see yourself as being superior in any way. Instead of thinking of wrongly of that person it would be in your best interest as well of that sister to advise her. Maybe that sister you look down upon may have no knowledge about the Hijab. Even if you are not able to approach the sister at least keep her in your Ad'iyah.
My brothers in Islam this is not only an issue of the sisters, but also with you men as well. If a guy was to come into the Masjid with tattoos all over and covered with piercings, you do not have the right to chase him out whilst whispering "Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah ". That's not the way to do it. That is not the way of sharing the beauty of our Deen. Alhamdulillah we are part of a religion that teaches to love all. If we are chasing out the misguided, how are we able to unite our Ummah?
To those of my Brothers and Sisters that Allah has blessed with knowledge, we should use it to help those that need it, we should use it to bring our Ummah together. We shouldn't look down on the misguided with pride and arrogance but rather use our knowledge to guide them and bring them back to the straight path.

Judging people does not benefit us, neither does it benefit the people around us. No one and I mean NO ONE is perfect. Each and everyone of us has flaws; some more apparent than others.Everyone is different in their own way, everyone is SPECIAL in their own way. Allah created us to be unique, Allah created us this way. We are the way we are because this is what Allah has planned for us. Who are we to criticise this? Who are we to question this? Just remember the next time your about to judge a person, they are human. A human with flaws, a human who makes mistakes, a human just like YOU. If the Almighty is judging us on our sincerity, on our intentions and our actions who we are to judge a person on assumptions? You don't like to be judged do so don't judge others.

Our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said “Verily, Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and actions.” (Saheeh Muslim) 

I want to end of by saying that this is a reminder first of all to myself and then to my Brothers and Sisters. May Allah keep us sincere and may He allow us not to think wrongly of people.

اللهم امين

 

The Illusion...

Once you start making the dough

all you want, is it to see it flow.

A studio flat is no longer ideal,

The mansion with a flat screen is the one and only dream.

The Merc outside is what everybody seems to need. 

STOP for a sec,

Just spare one second from your "perfect life" to see what really is the reality.

You roam around with your Merc for everyone to view

whilst others starve and have nothing to do.

You have your refrigerators stocked 

and your packed cupboards locked.

But for others just a piece of bread could make their day.

You fall ill

free healthcare is what you receive,

but still you complain that private is what you need.

For some just seeing a doctor could prove to be a huge difficulty.

You switch from designer to designer,

whilst a father can hardly clothe a child.

But still they do not complain,

they thank Him every night and every day

and when they pray, 

its not that they become prosperous the next day

but so that Allah can show them the light of another day.

Why is it that whist given so much

you appreciate so little.

But only value blessings when they have become belittled. 

You live as if you been promised a forever eternity,

whilst your life is nothing but just temporary.

Your status and your reputation with the people

will have no value

once that DIRT goes over you.

Your aim is pleasing the creation when you should be pleasing

THE CREATOR.

You have become blinded by the bright lights.

The facade has blurred your sight.

This illusion has you deluded.

Death seems to be excluded.

When will the concern for your Imaan be included.

Nobody is perfect 

everyone has their flaw,

but just remember you are not the slave of the people

but a slave of Allah.

The only One who knows your true value.

This Dunya and its illusion wasn't designed for you,

step back and put your priorities straight.

Are you going to fall for the facade

or turn back to count your days.

Repentance is truly the only way.

Ya Allah we've fallen into the trap

we ask for forgiveness

so that you can put us back.

Back so that we please You

and only You.

Oh Allah! You have created us weak, but do not allow us to become trapped. Trapped by the illusions of this Dunya. اللهم امين