Why should we obey Allah? A personal hygiene story...

Many of us when we look in the mirror, we try to tell ourselves that our physical appearance and clothes do not define us. Alhamdulillah us hijab and abaya wearing sisters do not dupe, trap and degrade ourselves with half nude/all curves-hanging-out fashion or starve ourselves anorexic. By covering ourselves the way Allah has commanded us, we protect our bodies and thereby our self-image and self-respect from being consumed and exploited by the public for their sensual pleasures.
Our physical bodies are a gift from Allah so props to all the sisters who cover their bodies and keep themselves pure (modest and chaste) out of love, respect and obedience to Allah.

“Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves.” (Quran 2:222)

Purity is modesty in clothes and physical chastity. Purity is also bodily cleanliness such as istanja (washing oneself after using the toilet), wudu (ablution) and ghusul (showering).

At Masjid al Haram, I learned that when our physical appearance and clothes do not matter; we are all children of the same father, Prophet Adam (as) - worshipping the One True God, Allah. Personal hygiene, here matters a lot.
All the lovely awesome places like the Black Stone (Hajar al Aswad), the Door of the Ka'bah (multazim), and the Hateem (the semi-circle which marks the original size of the Kabah) begin to stink up when hundreds and thousands of people with poor hygiene pray together.

Bodily and physical cleanliness is half of faith. No act of worship is accepted by Allah without extensive physical cleanliness. Practicing good body hygiene helps one feel fresh, energized and confident. A clean body leads to a clean mind: it helps achieve a higher level of focus and comfort during Ibaadah.

Cleanliness means trimming nails, removing unwanted hair and embracing soap, shampoo, listerine, body spray, moisturizers, face cream and frequent trips to the laundry. Alhamdulillah, we are so lucky to be Muslims because we are meant to enjoy the best personal hygiene - our religion, Islam gives us reason to groom, pamper and maintain ourself at least 5 times daily.

Overall, Allah wants us to enjoy and be the best at everything in life - Allah says, "We have not neglected anything in the Book." (Quran 6:38). Therefore obeying Allah in things like trade and commerce, parenting, cleanliness, human rights, marriage, friendships and environmental care everyday means guaranteed success.

Allah's commands are for our own good. He loves us and with every difficulty He blesses us with twice as much ease. Allah created everything we own and He is the Life-giver. In His All-Encompassing knowledge, He is All-Aware and Alll-Acquainted with how we should live, what works best and what causes the most happiness and what is smiltaneulously more rewarding, communally and socially and economically, in the long run. We have to trust Him in that; His perspective is much better than ours. Obedience expresses faith in His Lordship. Obedience is what He made us for, and life works better if we are in tune with the way we were made

ps. Unscented toiletries can be bought in Makkah to use while in Ihraam.

There is a Salah for "That"

The unfailing remedy for all burdensome, distressing care is Salah. The place where Allah is the closest is Salah. There His Presence and Power is always found, and there He is at hand to bless, to deliver and to help.

When I did my first Umrah, the temperature at Makkah was over +40• Celsius. At the haram around 9 am it was scorching. The sun blazed down from a cloudless sky. My lips were parched from dryness and dust. There was no cool solace anywhere. I was doing Tawaaf sluggishly through the stifling crowd. As my back began to bake under the heat and sweat tarred my abaya, I called out to Allah for rain. For a complete one circuit around the Ka'bah, I just raised my hands and begged for rain.

There is no sorrow, Allah, too light.
To bring in prayer to thee;
There is no anxious care too slight
To beseech Your sympathy.
There is no secret sigh we breathe,
But it changes Your Divine Decree,

Before I could reach the Black Stone, a sudden frenzied rush of panic-stricken people started crushing me from every direction. Alhamdulillah Muhammad Sajid Aga grabbed my wrist and pulled me out before I fell into the stampede. We ran into a fleet of police officers in dark shades and Saudi dignitaries carrying life-size swords in gold sheathes, making their way into the courtyard. A camera crew was quick on their heels filming their entrance. Guns and swords in the haram? What was going on?

I dashed upstairs to the second floor to get a better look from the gallery. Imaam Sudais was being escorted by the security to lead Salah al Istisqa!!! All this time when I was praying for rain, at the back of my head I was thinking, come'on what are the odds, it can't rain in Saudi Arabia, it never rains here ... Moments later Allah sent Imaam Sudias himself to make Salah for rain.

I couldn't control my tears. This was so epic subhanAllah! For years in Canada, I had made duaa for Imaam Sudais to return and lead Salah when I visit the Haram. This was another unlikely possibility yet Allah made it happen for me today. Not only Imaam Sudias was here but he came to supplicate my duaa to Allah and everyone on the haram said ameen! Ya Salam!

Alhamdulillah this made me realize that Allah loves to be asked. He wants His servants to desire Him, to ask Him, to invoke Him and show their need of Him. He loves those who are earnest and persistent in supplication. For this reason Allah has given us a special Salah for all our needs, so we are assured that whatever affects us concerns Him. There is Salah for everything: to offer gratitude (salah al shukr), seek forgiveness (salah al tawbah), to satisfy a need (salah albhaajah), to overcome fear (salah al khowf), to praise and sanctify Allah (salah al tasbeeh), to request for rain (salah al istisqa), commorate Allah's Majesty during eclipse (salah al Khusuuf), to celebrate ( salah al Eid). For everything, there is a Salah.

There is no distinction here between temporal and spiritual things. Such a distinction is against faith, wisdom and reverence. Allah rules everything in nature and in Deen. We are affected by things secular as well as by things spiritual. Our Hereafter hangs on our communal lives (our careers, our spendings, interaction with our families and society) as well as our Salah. Our communal life hangs on our Salah just as it hangs on our diligence.

So in everything which comes to us and which concerns us, in everything which we want to come to us, and in everything which we do not want to come to us, Salah is to be made for all. Salah blesses all things, brings all things, relieves all things, and prevents all things. Everything as well as every place and every hour is to be ordered by Salah. Salah has in it the possibility to affect everything which affects us.

The bitter of life sweetened by Salah! The feeble made strong by Salah! Sickness flees before asking Allah for health in Salah. Doubts, misgivings, and trembling fears retire before Salah. Wisdom, knowledge, holiness, and heaven are at the command of Salah. Nothing is outside of Salah. It has the power to gain all things from the provisions of Allah. All departments and the entire field of human concern, conditions, and happenings are covered by Salah.

ps. Don't wait till you reach the Haram to take Salah seriosuly. InshaAllah pray as much Salah as you can from anywhere in the world and don't limit yourself to just the obligatory Salah, go the extra mile for Allah and pray Sunnah and nawaafil regularly as well. I am confident InshaAllah Allah remove all distances between you and Him; He will invite you to His House because of the excess and beauty of prayers (Salah).

Making Sa'i with this little guy

When I felt like my legs were going to fall off from all the walking during Sa'i, this little guy gave me an instant energy boost. His tiny legs were frolicing about. His smile was a million bucks. 

I realized there is a lot of walking here in Makkah. One has to walk a lot at the airport then there is a long walk from the hotel to Masjid al Haram. All of Umrah and Sa'i consists of walking around the Ka'bah followed by walking between the two mountains of Safa and Marwa. In the end, the spiritual high is worth the physical exhaustion Alhamdulillah. It reminds me of the verse - Say: "Verily, my Salah, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Rabb of all that exists.' Quran 6:162

Alhamdulillah since I arrived in Makkah, my walking has only been for Allah. I take my feet only to the places of worship to please Allah. I eat and drink not for the love for flavour or savoury tastes but to further exert myself and drive myself in the way of Allah. I rest, to give myself to Allah again the next day. Sadly, I understand now that this is how life was meant to be lived all along. Our beginning and end is with Allah then naturally everything we do in between should also gravitate around Him.

Starting Umrah

Looking at the Ka'bah is such a magicial experience each time. I can't take my eyes off of it. SubhanAllah It's a dream come true. I dream I wish would never to end. I can only fantasize what it would be like to see Allah in the Hereafter. Ya Salam!

This Sacred House is an emblem of Tawheed, thereby Islam's backbone. The Ka'bah is the melody, comfort and passion of our hearts. A radiating breath in our chest, it is the precious soul of our beliefs. From its dew our Ummah gained viridity and life. I can't imagine any Muslim who has seen the Ka'bah and not become overwhelmed with love for it. Yet there is something Allah wants us to respect and revere even more than the Ka'bah - other Muslims.

The Prophet Muhammad saws said, “The Blood of a Muslim is worth more than the Ka'bah.” (Sunan Ibn Majah; Silsilah El Saheehah: hadith #3420; Saheeh El Targheeb wal Tarheeb: hadith #2441). By this extension, the feelings and emotions of a Muslim person is more sacred to Allah than His Own House. Allah wants us to hold other Muslims in high esteem. Just as we respect the Ka'bah, we are meant to respect the feelings of other Muslims even more.

A person is not a believer until she likes for other Muslims the same words, manners and gifts she prefers for herself.
When Aisha ra made a distasteful remark about Jawariya ra, the Prophet saws told her that she has said something so toxic that if her words were to mix with water, they will pollute all the oceans on earth. The Prophet saws disliked for a believer to put down other Muslims by demeaning their appearance (or their efforts) because all Muslims are precious to Allah like the Ka'bah.

Tawaaf around the Ka'bah does not simply bring us closer to Allah but also bring us in solidarity with other Muslims from all around the world. In its sanctity and vastness we merge our strengths and become a cemented, United people. Muslim unity is verily one of the aims Umrah. 

Qur'an at the Ka'bah

Alhamdulillah reciting Quran at Fajr was never more heart-felt than today. Genuine recitation of the Quran has all the characteristics of a wonderful and meaningful conversation. I recited the Quran this morning, intentionally to communicate with Allah. It helped me know Him more fully, understand Him better, feel more at home in His presence, find cause to praise Him more, and have a deeper relationship with Him.

Quran is the key to a relationship with Allah.The purpose of the Quran is that we might know Allah better, experience more of His love, and have an abiding awareness of His miracles in our lives.

A relationship with Allah, of course, is very personal. In fact, it’s the most intimate relationship we can ever know. Nobody knows us like Allah knows us. Nobody loves us and takes care of us like Allah does. Nobody desires good for our life more than Allah. In the Quran, we soon discover not only more about Allah, but more about our position with Allah. There is no more exciting or enriching experience!

I encourage you to open yourself to the grand possibility that Allah has a lot to say to you. The pages of Qur'an are filled with joy and wellbeing, eagerly waiting to be internalized.

Ultimately, Quran is to be studied as much as it is to be experienced. With a teacher, you can learn how to better learn the language of the Quran and the oceans of knowledge attached to each word. My eternal gratitude to Dr. Farhat Hashmi for being my Quran teacher. I can never pay her back except invite you to learn from her www.farhathashmi.com. Life is too short to miss out on the Quran.

My Dream Finally Comes True

By Him whose House 
the loving pilgrims visit,
Responding with ihram 

at the appointed limit,covering their headsin total humility,Before One to Whomfaces bow in servility.
They exclaim in the valleys,“We have responded to You –All Praise is Yours, and Kingdom too!”He invited and they answered,with love and pleasure;When they called upon Him,nearer came the Divine treasure.You see them on their mounts,clothes dusty and disheveled,Yet never more content,never happier have they felt;Leaving homelands and familiesdue to holy yearning,Unmoved are theyby temptations of returning.Through plains and valleys,from near and far,Walking and riding,in submission to Allah.