Summary: Qur'an Juz 1

Note: JazakAllahu khayran to Dr. Farhat Hashmi for making knowledge of the Qur'an available to Muslim women since 1994, especially this year in Ramadan
JazakAllahu khayran  Sr. Hina Adeel for inspiring me to write the Juzz summaries and sharing them with family and my online readers....
May Allah accept this work as sadaqa-jariyah for my grandparents (living and deceased), maternal and from my husband's side. aameen

Juz 1

SURAH AL FATIHA : سورة الفاتحه 

Content: 

1- Praising Allah and 2- Dua

Ayaat 1-7 

All praises are for Allah swt

الرحمان الرحيم ، رب العالمين ، مالك يوم الدين

We are asking for guidance and the way that will take us towards Jannah

AL BAQRAH  سورة البقره

Contents: 

1 - Description of three types of people: Mutaqeen (Allah fearing) .. Kafireen (deny and reject Allah and His commands) ..and Munafiqeen (hypocrites)

2- Story of AdamAs.

3- Story of Bani Israel.

4- Story of Moosa As.

5- Story and Duas of  Ibrahim As.

Ayah 2:  Guidance promised to the muttaqeen / Allah Fearing

·         Qur’an is la raibafi= 100% true and clear لا ريب فيه

·         ❤hearts of people of tawqa = alert, full of Allah’s fear and displeasure; vigilant

Ayah 5: success is for the muttaqeen

·         everyone wants to succeed: what is success❓what is the prescription of success❓ Quran

Ayah 21: Standard of success :

·         Taqwa and obedience; humility is a requirement of worship

·         Taqwa= saves us from wrong and the consequences of doing wrong: Allah’s Anger, Fire

Ayah:30 Allah has three creations: angels, jinns and humans

·         Practical examples of Taqwa:

Adam (a.s) made a mistake , repented at once = taqwa

Shaitan – made a mistake but remained proud

Adam (a.s) was forgiven with hope to enter Paradise.

Shaitan was banished forever from Allah’s mercy

·         Pride destroyes a person’s capacity to worship and obey

·         How to cure the disease of pride? Increase in worship and obedience to Allah

·         Whenever worship becomes difficulty / you lose heart or interest – ask Allah for help and patience to persevere; spend in the way of Allah  

Ayah: 45 Seek Allah’s help through sabr and salat

·         It is not possible that a person would want something from Allah, and she does not get up for tahajjud (best time to ask Allah)

Ayah 61: Do you prefer to exchange good (guidance) with bad (transitory things of this world)

·         Bani Israel gave preference to Dunya over Deen (they asked for food when instructed to pray for forgiveness).

·         When a person works to get reward in the Hereafter, Allah surrenders the treasures of this world and Paradise to them. When a person forsakes Allah’s pleasures for transitory things of this world, their life and Hereafter comes difficult.

Ayah 65: Trial for Bani Israel

·         They twisted the command in order to fish (seek livelihood through haram means)

·         A blessing became a means of trial for them when they disobeyed Allah

·         They made excuses for not following Allah’s command so they were disfigured and humiliated.

·         There are many things that prevent us from being sincere to Allah. (We also have Fish – distractions that are tests which take us away from Allah)

·         Enjoy halal within limits / enjoy the boundaries of Allah

·         Though Halal is limited and sometimes difficult to obtain and continue, it is good in itself and brings a good result. Though Haram is widespread and easy to obtain and enjoyable, it is evil in itself and brings a evil result.

·         The Halal is worth the struggle for the sake of Allah’s pleasure, reward and peace of heart

Ayah 67:  When Bani Israel asked Musa as if he was joking; he replied, I seek refuge in Allah from being ignorant (ignorance is engaging in useless things)

Ayah 74: Hardness of Hearts

Hearts become hard...

·         When we seek of instant gratifications

·         When we are ruled by our pride and self image

·         When we are not sensitive to Qur’an and it does not affect us

·         When we do not think of the Hereafter

·         When we ignore the signs of Allah after realizing them

·         Bani Israel lost their capacity to obey Allah because of fervent arguments. They wasted their time in debates and political correctness

·         They were conscious of people not Allah = no taqwa

·         Examine our hearts = is my heart hard?

·         Do I enjoy listening/reading to the Qur’an and work hard to implement it?

Ayah 83: Deen

·         Right of Allah: Tawheed and abstinence from Shirk

·         Rights of Human Beings:

Parents – Do ihsaan = do extra good to them without exceptions

Relatives

Orphans and needy

Speak good – Husna = beautiful and truthful conversation, better than they deserve

Ayah 109 – 110: Forgive and Turn over the page (start fresh without reminding of past wrongs)

Ayah 112: Worship = sincere submission to Allah + Ihsaan (following the example of the Prophet (s.a.w)

Ayah 121: The right of Qur’an (Tilaawah) is that it should be recited correctly and following the meaning of what is being recited. There is no Tilaawah without following the meaning

Ayah 124: Ibrahim (As)

·         Practical example of worship with sincerity and ihsaan

·         Submitted to Allah every time he was tested (without making excuse or twisting the command of Allah)

·         Gave the rights of Allah and human beings (good to father and looked after his wife and children)

·         Involved his family in worshipping Allah / did not do ibaadah alone

Ayah 127-128: Ibrahim (as) ‘s priorities

·         First Salah and then food, shelter and security

Ayah 136: All the prophets called themselves “Muslemoon”

Ayah 137: All the prophets and their children pledged allegance to be “Abidoon”

Ayah 138: Sibgat Allah

·         The colour/way  of Allah is best

·         Do not adopt any influence or opinion other than that of Allah

Ayah 141:

·         Do your deeds keep your focus on Akhira

·         You are not responsible for the beliefs and actions of others

·         Every person will be answerable for themselves so do not reject the truth because your family or ancestors were not upon it

14 reasons to Recite the Qur'an

سؤال .. مهم  ؟؟ 

ما هي نيتك و أنت تقرأ القرآن الكريم ؟ 

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :" إنما الأعمالُ بالنياتِ وإنما لكلِّ امرئٍ ما نوى "

InshaAllah many of us will be celebrating Ramadan with profuse recitation of the Qur'an. The goal would be to recite as much Qur'an as possible. However, our intention should not be to recite for the sake of completing the Qur'an from beginning to end. It is important to have a deeper and more meaningful purpose when we approach the Qur'an. The Prophet (s.a.w) said, "Indeed (reward for) actions is according to their intention. Every person will receive the reward of what she intended."

وللتذكير أحبتي على أهمية إستحضار النية ، وأن لا يكون هدفنا فقط هو ختم القرآن في رمضان ..!!

We should check our intentions and aim to be more ambitious with our recitation. 

هذه بعض النيات التي يحسن أن ننويها عند قراءة القرآن الكريم :

We can commit ourselves to achieve really beautiful and beneficial results from the recitation of Qur'an. 

 بقراءته نسأل الله أن يشفعه فينا .. لقول رسول الله صلى الاه عليه وسلم:" اقْرَؤوا القرآنَ ؛ فإنه يأتي يومَ القيامةِ شفيعًا لأصحابه "

1. By its recitation we ask Allah to make the Qur'an an intercessor for us. For example the Prophet (s.a.w) said, "Recite the Qur'an, indeed it will come on the Day of Judgement as a intercessor for its companion."

 ننويه لزيادة الحسنات .. 

لقول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :" منْ قرأَ حرفًا من كتابِ اللهِ فله به حسنةٌ ، والحسنةُ بعشرِ أمثالِها " 

2. So we ask Allah to reward us for our recitation. The Prophet (s.a.w) said, "any person who recites a single letter from the Book of Allah will receive a reward of 10 good deeds."

 نحتسب قراءته للنجاة من النار .. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:" لو جُمِعَ القرآنُ في إِهابٍ ، ما أحرقه اللهُ بالنَّارِ " 

3. We can make the intention for the recitation to become a means of protection from the Fire. The Prophet (s.a.w) said,"Allah will not burn in Hellfire whoever has collected (memorized) the Qur'an."

 نحتسب قراءته عمارة للقلوب .. 

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:" إنَّ الذي ليس في جوفِه شيءٌ من القرآنِ كالبيتِ 

الْخَرِبِ "

4. We intend to grow our hearts with its recitation. The Prophet (s.a.w) said, "A person who does not recite the Qur'an is like an empty, ruined house." A person who recites the Qur'an develops self-awareness and identity, talents,  inner strength and many other good qualities. Recitation of the Qur'an is necessary for personal growth. 

 نحتسب قراءته بنية العمل بكل آية نقرأها لننال أرفع الدرجات في الجنة .. لقول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :" يقالُ لصاحبِ القرآنِ : اقرأْ وارقَ ورتِّلْ كما كنتَ ترتلُ في الدنيا، فإنَّ منزلتَك عندَ آخرِ آيةٍ تقرأُ بها 

5. We hope that every verse that we recite will help us reach (Paradise) and increase us in ranks in Paradise. The Prophet (s.a.w) said, "It will be said to the companions of the Qur'an to recite and ascend into Paradise. With the recitation of every verse, they will increase in their position/status in Paradise until they reach the last verse."

Allah will honour the reciters of Qur'an with Paradise according to the amount of Qur'an they read. 

 نحتسب قراءته شفاء لأمراض قلوبنا وعلل أجسادنا ؛ وسببا لنزول الرحمات علينا .. قال تعالى :{ وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ } 

6. We intend that its recitation will cure the diseases of our hearts and the (health) deficiencies in our bodies and a means of receiving Allah's mercy. As Allah (s.w.t) says, "And We revealed the Qur'an; in it is healing/cure and mercy."

 نحتسب قراءته لطمأنينة قلوبنا .. لقول الله تعالى :{ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ } 

7. We intend by its recitation to ease and comfort our hearts. As Allah (s.w.t) revealed, "Verily in the Remembrance of Allah hearts find peace and satisfaction."

نحتسبه سببا لحياة قلوبنا ونور أبصارنا وجلاء أحزاننا وذهاب همومنا 

فالقرآن ربيع المؤمن كما أن الغيث ربيع الأرض .. كما قال الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم في دعائه: "... أن تجعلَ القُرآنَ ربيعَ قلبي ، ونورَ صَدري ، وجَلاءَ حَزَني ، وذَهابَ هَمِّي "

8. We intend the recitation to become a means of giving life to our hearts, giving enlightenment and a removing our sorrows and griefs. 

The Qur'an is the to hearts what spring is to the earth. The Prophet (s.a.w) used to supplicate in his duaa, "(O Allah) grant my heart warmth, pleasure and life through the Qur'an, make the Qur'an a means of enlightenment (Noor) for my chest (faculties)  and a means of completely expunging and erasing my sadness and depression."

 نحتسب قراءته سببا للهداية .. قال تعالى :{ ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ } ، وفي الحديث القدسي "يا عبادي كلكم ضالٌّ إلا من هديتُه ، فاستهدوني أَهْدِكم " 

9. We seek guidance through the recitation of the Qur'an. 

Allah (s.w.t) says, "This is the Book, there is no doubt it in, Guidance for the Allah-Fearing."

And also in Hadith Qudsi, (Allah says), "O My servants all of you are lost except from whom I guide. So seek guidance from Me, I will guide you all."

نقرأه بنية أن نموت عليه كما بلغ الله تعالى عثمان رضي الله عنه شهادة وهو يقرأه

قال ابن كثير : من عاش على شيء مات عليه ومن مات على شيء بعث عليه .. معتمدا على قوله تعالى :{ أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَوَاءً مَّحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ } 

نقرأه بنية رجاء القرب من ربنا بحب كلامه العظيم .. كما في الحديث " إنَّك معَ مَن أحبَبتَ " 

10. We should recite the Qur'an with the intention that we will die upon it as Uthman (r.a) reached Allah (s.w.t) in a state of martyrdom while he was reciting the Qur'an. 

Ibn Katheer says, "If you live by something, you will die upon it and if you due upon something, you will be resurrected in that state."

Allah (s.w.t) says, "Do you expect that we will make those who commit sins the same as those who do good deeds?" 

Whoever lived a bad life will die a horrible death. 

We recite the Qur'an with the intention of attaining closeness to Allah via the love of His Noble Speech. Just as the Prophet (s.a.w) said, "You will be with the ones you love (on the Day of Judgement)."

نحتسب قراءته سببا عظيما لزيادة الإيمان .. لقوله تعالى :{ وَإِذَا مَا أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَٰذِهِ إِيمَانًا فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ }

11. We intend that the recitation of Qur'an will increase us in honour and emaan. Like Allah (s.w.t) said, "When a Surah is revealed in them, they said, who was increased b it in faith. As for those who believe, it increases their emaan and they are the ones who will soon receive good news (of Paradise)."

The more Qur'an we recite, the more we want it to strengthen our belief in Allah.  

ومن نياتنا بقراءته أننا نريد أن نزداد علما بربنا ومعرفة له لنزداد له ذلا وافتقارا فنستعين به في كل لحظاتنا.

 12. And from our intentions is that the by reciting the Qur'an we will attain the knowledge and true recognition of Allah which will increase us in humility and dependence towards Him and (strengthen our resolve to) seek His help (and turn to the Qur'an every time we need help).  

ومن نيات قراءة القرآن أن نرجو به الفضل العظيم وهو أن يكون سببا لاصطفاء الله تعالى لنا بأن نكون من أهله وخاصته .. لقول الحبيب صلى الله عليه وسلم: " إنَّ للَّهِ أَهْلينَ منَ النَّاسِ ، قالوا : يا رسولَ اللَّهِ من هُم ؟ ، قالَ : هم أَهْلُ القرآنِ ، أَهْلُ اللَّهِ وخاصَّتُهُ " 

13. And from the intentions of reciting the Qur'an is that because of its great virtue and favour, we will be selected by Allah and Allah will accept us from among His people and His chosen. Like the beloved (s.a.w) said, "Indeed Allah selects from all humanity some people as His own." They asked O Messenger, who will receive this honour? He (s.a.w) replied, "The people of Qur'an are the people of Allah and His chosen ones."

 ومن أعظم النيات وأهمها وفي مقدمتها أننا نتعبد الله تعالى بقراءته .. لقوله تعالى :{ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا } 

14. Finally the greatest intention, the most important and the foremost purpose of reciting the Qur'an is to worship Allah (s.w.t). Allah (s.w.t) says, "Recite the Qur'an with a measure recitation." Allah has commanded us to recite the Qur'an, slowly, beautifully and with understanding.  

Ramadan Mubarak :) 

Sweetness of Ramadan

Ahmad bin Harb was asked, "Why I don't feel the sweetness  of Ibaadah?"
He replied,
“I worshipped Allaah for fifty years, but tasted the delight of worship only after I abandoned three things:
1. I discarded seeking people’s pleasure, and thus was able to speak the truth.
2. I abandoned associating with the wicked, and thus tasted the delight of accompanying the righteous.
3. I ignored the delights of this world, and thus tasted the delight of the Hereafter.”

May Allah grant us the mercies, blessings and forgiveness of this special month.  May Allah grant us sweetness in our siyaam and qiyaam. Alhamdulillah the Fiqh Council of America announced tomorrow to be the first day of Ramadan 1435.  Ramadan Mubarak Everyone :)

Every Ramadan is an opportunity to take life up a notch - to make up for our mistakes and sprint towards improvement. Ramadan is a second chance.

Ṭalḥa raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him) said, “I saw a dream about myself, and my two friends who were companions of the Messenger of Allāh ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).” These two ṣaḥābah had become Muslim on the same day, and one of them passed away exactly a year before the other. The one who passed away first died a martyr and thus was more known for his goodness. Although both companions were great, but because the first died a martyr, everyone believed he was more pious than the second one.
I saw a dream that I was standing with these two ṣaḥābah (r.a), and a caller called the one who died second to enter Jannah first. He entered Jannah despite the fact that he died one year after the companion who was martyred. Then the caller called the martyr and he entered Jannah next. Then he called me, he told me to go back and that it was not time for me.

Ṭalḥa raḍyAllāhu 'anhu went the next day and shared his dream with the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam.

Everyone was shocked. The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said, “Why are you surprised?” They said, “O Messenger of Allāh, how can the guy who was called to Jannah second died a martyr and had more good deeds than the person who died after him?” The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam listened to responses and said, “Didn't the one who died second live an entire year after the martyr?” They said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allāh.” The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam ( said, “And he caught another Ramadan and fasted such and such and prayed such and such.” They said, “Yes.” The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam said, “Then what is between them is greater than the distance of the heavens and the earth.”

This ḥadīth is ṣaḥīḥ. The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam did not insult the martyr, and this does not decrease from the reward of the martyrs. This shows you that if you make the most out of your Ramadan with good īmān and iḥtiṣāb, then you could actually surpass a martyr. Think about that SubḥānAllāh!

I ask you, dear brothers and sisters, to make the most out of Ramadan. I ask Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) to allow both you and I to enjoy all the blessings of mercies of Ramadan. To become generous as the fast wind. To us achieve ahsaan in our ibaadah, to pray with īmān and absolute iḥtiṣāb. To attain taqwa as a result of fasting and be given forgiveness from all our sins. Allāhumma āmīn. 

FIFA 2014 in Brazil

I just wanted to share a picture (left) today that broke my heart.
I love soccer and the Brazilian team (second only to the Portugal's) but I would love more for people to have food, hospitals and schools.
The Ministry of Education reports that over a third of education budget goes to school meals, because most of the students in public schools either eat at school or not at all. According to South magazine (a business magazine that reports on the Third World), Brazil has a higher infant mortality rather than Sri Lanka. A third of the population lives below the poverty line and "seven million abandoned children beg, steal and sniff glue on the streets. For scores of millions, home is a shack in a slum, or increasingly,  a patch of ground under a bridge."

Welcome to the 21st century where sport achievements qualify as legitimate grounds to decimate the poor. This picture is an inspiration for the triumph of democracy in our time: admiring the great soccer goals as hundreds of thousands of starved, scavenge for food in garbage dumps.

Reflections: Father's Day

"Every Day is Father's Day"; "But being a father is not just being male! Its about love, responsibility, humility, listening, courage, and fearing Allah. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) never hit any woman in his household; he played with children, sewed his own clothes, swept the floor yet was given immense power and authority! On behalf of sincere Muslim men, I apologize to women for any insult, abuse, pain, ill feeling or heart ache that we have caused. And I beseech you to ask Almighty Allah to forgive us and enable us to be real Muslim men at this critical point in our history. Surely Allah is the Hearer of the prayers of the oppressed and the pure of heart." - Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quickh

The apology does not take away the shock, anger and disgust of marital/parental abuse but at least it is a step in the right direction. Husbands and fathers must stop terrorizing and/or abandoning their families and at the same time, distraught wives and daughters should get their act together. Women who are desperately dependent on men, making male, or the lack of one, the central focus of their lives, sacrifice their personality to perpetuate their relationships.

Dear Wives/Daughters,
Your desperation will not soften his heart. The more you call him and ask him to assume responsibility, the more he will run away. Trust yourself, don't be afraid of being alone and taking care of your own needs.  Our society tells us that we ought to feel unhappy

without a man. You don't need a man's heart, hand, shoulder or any other body part or even his wallet to be whole. Do not give yourself on a leash to someone, no one can take care of you or spend time with you like that. The only thing which will completely be yours' in life is your avocation and your work. Some of the most brilliant sahabiyat (r.a) and their successors did not lean on men to build a life! They were virtuous (did not give up Islamic values of modesty to fill the void), they had courage (to make it on their own) and conviction (to do something positive). I think this is the pinnacle of femininity and womanhood.

Umm Shuraykh (r.a) was a single; she used to visit women in their homes in Makkah to teach them tawheed. She also converted the thugs of Qureysh who arrested her for spreading Islam. Aisha (r.a) was single for at least 40 years after the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) passed away. Her home tutored the sahaba (r.a) and sheltered the orphaned.  Nafeesah bint Ali (r.a)  was the teacher of Imaam Shafa'i. Umm al-Kiram bint Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Hatim al-Murwaziyyah spent her entire life in Makkah as a writer and a scholar. She was the student of Muhammad b. Makka al-Kashmihini, she transmitted ahadith using his change until she died in 465 H. Umm 'Abd Allah Fatimah bint Sulavman b. Abd-al Karim al-Ansari was a hadith scholar in Damascus. Atman al-Ra'ia was Baghdadi scholar. Nawab Zayun al Nisa Bikum a queen from India. She learned under Sh. Ahmad b. Said al Hanafi. She owned a library along with authoring many manuscripts of poetry.

Find your style and aspire a routine that is fun, fulfilling and man-free. If you get involved in the work of Allah, Allah will be involved with you (Abu Bakr r.a). The one who fears Allah never feels lonely and the one who is helped by Allah never fails.
.

"Ya Rabb, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent." [Q. 66:8]

Aameen

If I could 1 thing in my life ...

 So long as we have enough money to get us by food and rent, I think many of us will be happy in our own little (real) world... an alternate life, away from the daily 9 to 5 grind, away from toxic people, the ultimate peaceful lifestyle.
 Call it an escapist fantasy if you will but I am in the mood to challenge  my reality and tweet it for some improvements
how can I live better? What can I do more with my life? 
Those who don't dream, don't achieve!

I want much more than this provincial life!
I want adventure in the great wide somewhere
I want it more than I can tell
And for once it might be grand
To have someone understand
I want so much more than they've got planned

Bruce Campbell lives an alternate life. Though I wished he build a tree house, he spent $218,000 to renovate a Boeing 727 plane. He has installed a sink, washing machine - maybe an air conditioner?
If I were ever to take a romantic, alluring cross-country road trip, I would want to have this tiny house on  wheels. Who needs lodging reservation when you are taking your home on the go? You don't have to constantly worry about meals or bathroom breaks. You can take all the comforts of home into the wilderness and enjoy the best of both worlds. Sigh. One Day InshaAllah!

 I would love to have a tiny home like this one on the right. They are very beautiful and have a low impact on your budget and your pride.  Buying a home has become a trap not a milestone. I can't imagine invoking the curse of Allah and paying debt for the next 25 years.Why would you want to own a place and be stuck? A tiny rental place forces you to be outside more and gives you the luxury to be flexible. You can get up and relocate any time. There is less tension to decorate. You just need basic aesthetic things to make the place peaceful and comfortable. If we simplify our lives and live with less - our overall quality of life will improve. Its easier to organize when you have limited space. You focus on things you really love and want from life. 

The house of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was the best home and it was really simple. This is Prophet Muhammad's (s.a.w) replica house, based on the exact description in authentic aHadeeth, on display in Jeddah. 

 The entrance to his home was not a door, it was just a curtain, Visitors didn't knock. They called his name (Surat Alhujurat). Once Aisha (r.a) placed a curtain with an animal print and the Prophet (s.a.w) had it taken down because angels would not enter a place where there were images of living creatures. SubhanAllah! Having angels in his house was more desired by him than fancy decoration (s.a.w). 

His (s.a.w) personal items included a spear, bow, arrows, and a sword. He (s.a.w) had a stick that he used to lean on when giving Khutbahs and walking. One can tell a lot about a person from the things that they keep in their house. Many of us just have clutter which reflects our diorganized lives and unfocused minds. It is evident that the defence and protection of the Muslim Ummah was a matter of immeninet priority to the Prophet (s.a.w).
Aisha (r.a) had very few kitchen items: waterpot made from skin, plates, and bowls. As you can tell, she wasn't much into cooking but she conduced it to please her husband. Her real interest was in learning the Deen. So while Safiya (r.a) is remembered as a great cook, Aisha (r.a) is celebrated for transmitting the largest number of ahadith from the Prophet (s.a.w), after Abu Hurirah (r.a) and Abdullah ibn Umar (r.a). 

The roof was made of palm tree branches. If it rained, the house got wet! The pillow he (s.a.w) used was.... a brick! ﷺ and he (s.a.w) slept on a straw mat which left marks on his back.

Sometimes though, every once in awhile, we get the consumption itch. We start noticing things that we usually ignore, like how shabby my couch is. I wish my place was a little nicer, I wish I had some nicer stuff. Usually, this isn’t fuelled by our own actual desire for stuff, but by noticing other people’s stuff, or by feeling like our own home isn’t up to other people’s standards of what a home should look like. Trying to keep up with the Joneses is a futile endeavour, about as helpful to my overall happiness as having a splinter. That said, trying to ignore the Joneses is just as tough, since it’s seems like the whole point of social media these days is to show each other how awesome our lives are.

My alternate awesome life would combine my love for Hadith and Travelling, like Shaykh Waleed AbdulHakim. He is a travelling Imaam and Professor who has gone extensively across Europe and Asia with the message of Islam. May Allah preserve him and make me a follower in his footsteps aameen. 

He has taught several classes in Sweden. On one of his teaching trips he also visited IKEA. He said that "it is so massive that it is bigger than... NINE football fields,  IKEA was founded in 1943 by a 17 year old boy (Ingvar), who started by selling matchboxes at the age of 7 by going around town on his modest bike. An alternate life? He then expanded by selling pencils, pens, and even fish, until he used his uncle's kitchen table and started the furniture business! Today (71 years later), IKEA has 349 stores in 43 countries, and it is the world's largest furniture retailer, and Ingvar at age 88 is the 5th richest person in the world with $42.6 Billion, but more importantly, Ingvar founded the world's largest charity foundation (INGKA), where he donated more than $33 Billion dollars (75% of his wealth)! Despite his wealth, he lives a very simple life, taking only economy class flights, driving an old 1993 Volvo, avoiding luxury hotels, and eating cheap meals at his own IKEA stores, all to save money for charity!"

In an alternate life I would live in Sweden and write a lot of Islamic textbooks, novels and magazines for all ages then make as much money as as JK Rowling, 75% of which I will donate of course to fund more Muslim writers around the world, make more Islamic schools with state-of-the-art libraries (inshaAllah). 

Another cool thing about Sweden that he shared from is travelouge is that, "although they are one of the richest countries in the world, only less than a third of the population use cars, because Sweden has the highest percentage of walking people (to work) in the world, and the rest they either use a bike, bus, or "water taxis", since Stockholm is made of 14 connected islands. Subhanallah, even the highest government officials (including the ministers) go to work by bike! As a result, the streets are hardly congested." 

In my present life, I already commute between two cities for 3 hours each day.
It kills my feet and gives me motion sickness. 

Here he is in Taiwan, 
where he taught Tafseer Surah Maryam

Tafseer Surah Maryam puts Bible thumpers in their place.  There are so many Christian missionaries who hit Asia but veyr few Muslims besides Sh. Waleed arrive at scene with an alternate choice. Did you know one of the reasons why Esa (a.s) is called al Maseeh is because he travelled covering a huge area with the message of Islam. May Allah accept this work from Shaykh Waleed and grant him the companionship of the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs and the Righteous on the Day of Judgement aameen.

What I like about Shaykh Waleed AbdulHakim is that he brings back wisdom from the cultures he interacts with. In a way he is giving Islam to the world and helping Muslims learn from the world as well.                     Once he wrote about the Twin Towers of Taipei in Taiwan (on  right) being "the tallest building in the world until 2009, with 101 floors. It has the world's fastest elevator, moving at a speed of 1100m/min, it takes you to the top in only 35 seconds! The shape of the tower is inspired by Asian elements (pagoda) and helps it to be earth quake resistant.There is a massive giant iron ball at the top (in picture) weighting 660,000kg that moves opposite of the wind direction to balance the center of gravity in order to withstand the frequent typhoons and tornadoes."

In an alternate life, my husband wants to build the largest Muslim community centre/tower (inshaAllah). He wants it to offer everything from malls, Masjid area, councelling/therapy services, Islamic conferences, restaurants, libraries and sporting arena. Can you guess he is from UAE? :) 

Standing out of his lecture
hall in University of Zurich 

Albert Einstein was a student and professor in the University of Zurich.
One of Einstein's most powerful testimonies about God "Every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that in the laws of the Universe, a Being vastly superior to that of human manifests itself, and we with our modest knowledge must feel humble towards it." Indeed, there are signs to those who reflect! 

Sh. Waleed says "in Switzerland's alps, you drink water that looks as clear as the sky, you drink the milk and eat cheese from your cows every day, and eat the food you grow at the foot of the alps or the fish from the lake." In my alternate life I would choose living in this Alpine village over living in BORING concrete apartments any day of my life. 

In Switzerland, the first Muslims arrived in year 911 from Andalus to the Provence of Valais (pictured here), who remained there for 62 years until they were defeated in a series of 5 battles in 973, where they were forced to flee. Muslims did not return to Switzerland until 1000 years later, and today, there are over 150 Masjids around the country, and growing at a rate of 1 new Masjid every 4 months Masha'Allah, as if the word of Allah is being echoed among those pristine green mountains! 

He shared a picture of a Masjid from Ukraine once. "This is the Bakhchysaray Masjid (on the left) in the Crimean region, which is now all over the news for the possibility of a Russian-Ukranian war! What many don't know was that this was a Muslim majority region under the Ottoman empire, and it was the one responsible for collecting the Jizyah from the Russians for several centuries. 
However, in the last century, the Soviet has practiced ethnic cleansing against the Crimean Muslims under the false accusation that they were spies for the Germans, so they mass murdered and mass deported millions to Central Asia, resulting in only 20% of the region being Muslims today, about 400,000, and if things escalate, they will have no choice but to be part of this horror all over again, may Allah protect them and protect people from the trials of war!" Aamen. 

Shaykh Waleed AbdulHakim has gone as far as China and taught a Fiqh of Salah class in Maldives. His next mission is a one week course in Netherlands over the summer 2014 inshaAllah. May Allah bless him and take care of all his needs aameen. Another really cool personality who is sort of living the alternate life is Brother Imran Mansur, aka Dawah Man. In fact the entire IERA tam is on on it. They are in Brazil right now giving Da'wah to FIFA crowds. May Allah accept their work aameen. 

What would your alternate life look like? 

ممکن ہے کہ ممکن نہ ہو،

میرا پلٹ کے دیکھنا..

INSOMNIA

Trying to sleep but my eyes open wide  With voices whispering from every side  Battles in my mind and nowhere to hide  a futile resistance against the rising tide Thought after thought taunting my soul  As this constant barrage takes its toll  Eating away slowly now a gaping hole  My mind going crazy and out of control  I search frantically and fail in despair  For something elusive which was always there  Something tossed away without a careits prolonged absence I can no longer bear Peace of mind I no longer possess,  A nightmarish life I must confess  So much hardships and so much stress  A constant companion is pain and distress Tossing and turning all night long miserable and sad -   everything is wrong what is life? and where do I belong? Millions of questions and all answers gone  My heart is riddled with grief and sorrow  And with these thoughts my tears flow  All hope lost my heart sinks low  Without a care what happens tomorrow Finely balanced on the edge of a knife  I see the stranger who lives my life  an emotionless tyrant causing havoc and strife  A corrupted soul where ignorance is rife  My whole world is hypocrisy and lies  And no more goodness do I recognise  Everything I possess I begin to despise  And this voice inside, I hear its cries Of a promise made before the days of old  In a meeting with my lord - I am told  That forever in my heart, tawheed I would hold  A promise broken for a miserable price sold  This murmuring voice so long ignored  To delay it further, I can not afford So this mission of truth, I have taken aboard With conviction my shield and truth my sword  An uphill struggle an eternal fight Battle-lines drawn between wrong and right Returning to my lord, I head for the light Submerged in Salah is my only respite  Lifting my hands to my lord I pray'let ignorance go and let faith stay  Through Your mercy show me the way  Give me guidance so that I can obey'  With an open heart I read the QuranI discover my Creator's will and planWord of my Lord, a guidance for manMissing pieces restored now I am one  Content and happy, no more tears to weepContent and happy, I fall asleepPeace and happiness with faith running deepPeace and happiness - forever to keep Zahid Bin Ghulam

Reflections of a 20 something year old

Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better - Henry Rollins

I am obsessed with spending quality time with people and build meaningful relationships. I now realize that it isn't all it is cracked up to be. I have since learned that marriage, friendship, family ... it's all overrated. People with the closest propinquity to my heart are not cruel, they are just busy. The continual pursuit to find time with them only compromises the adventure and discovery which my life is meant to be. Counting on other people to make me happy is a cop-out. My pleasure should be my priority. Besides my existence should be for a purpose. Not a person!

Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for - Dag Hammarskjold