Isn’t It Hot In That?

We’ve all heard it. Yes, it IS! But the fire of hell is hotter. Yes, I’m dripping in sweat. But let me tell you something. This heat? Is absolutely NOTHING compared to the heat of the fire of Hell. The heat of which is something the human body cannot bear. So pray tell me, which is better- sacrificing a few hours and covering myself up for the sake of Allah, or burning in the fire of hell for an eternity?

The prophet (sal) said, “Modesty brings nothing but good.” [Sahih Bukhari] Being modest is not oppression. It’s a protection- A protection against the lustful stares of men. A protection against the many vices of society. Every command of Allah is for the benefit of the human being. Anything He has commanded us to do, is out of His infinite Wisdom. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what’s best for us and what’s not-even if it goes beyond our limited perception.

Always keep in mind the reward that awaits you for every sacrifice you make for His sake. Your Lord the Most Generous will never leave you empty handed and unappreciated.

Allah says: “And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, for what they patiently endured.” [Surah Al-Insaan 76:12]

“Indeed, the righteous will be in a secure place; Within gardens and springs, Dressed in [garments of] fine silk and brocade, facing each other.” [Surah Al-Dukhaan 44:51-53]

Abu Hurayrah (ral) reported that the Prophet (sal) said: “Whoever enters Paradise is blessed, and will never be miserable, his clothes will never wear out and his youth will never fade away.” [Saheeh Muslim]

And believe me, I know what it feels like to want to remove your hijab just for the sake of flaunting yourself- just to get a little bit of attention, or a compliment, or a wink, or just a simple look. But trust me, those few minutes of hearing some stranger call you pretty, is not worth the dire consequences that come along with it. You’re worth far more than that. Your worth is not based simply on how good you look. Classy is when you have everything to flaunt, yet you choose not to.

Protect yourself, lower your gaze, be modest and guard your chastity for His sake and He WILL send you someone who would love and cherish you for His sake, accept your flaws, accept you for who you are, and most importantly someone who will never make you feel like you have to compromise on your religion.

Be patient, my love. and know your worth.

Life Is A Delusion

This life is a delusion,
A pretty little lie,
It’s bound to be over
So why do you sigh?

You handed your heart over,
Wrapped in a fragile case.
You’ve chosen wrong my friend,
You’ve trusted the wrong place.

This dunya is a place of heartbreak,
A place of pain,
By striving for this world,
What is it we gain?

Keep the goal in mind my beloved,
For all this is bound to cease.
An eternity of bliss awaits us,
So hang in there please?

You Are, The Deputy of Allah

Believe me when I say, you weren’t just born to eat, sleep, work and die.

You were made for a higher purpose. Allah put you on this Earth as a deputy- to pass on the message of monotheism to all of mankind. And what greater honour than to be chosen by the King of Kings as his own deputy?

Allah says in Surah Baqarah Verse 30: “And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.”

The responsibility of conveying to the entire nation was placed on the shoulders of one man- the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and he fulfilled his mission completely. After his demise, the responsibility now lies on our shoulders- to spread the message of one true God to all of humanity.

Allaah says “Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:104]

Sounds like a big task isn’t it? Well it is. So what are we waiting for? Put yourself out there and strive with your life and property. And don’t give up. The reward is truly limitless.

From Darknesses Into Light

With the first step I took to begin my journey with the Qur’an, in understanding its meaning and delving into its depths, I knew it would be life changing for me. In fact, I began merely for that very reason- To change myself for the better.

From darkness that obscured my vision
Into light that brought perfect distinction
Between the right and the wrong, the good and the bad
My journey began with the Quran in my hand.

The past few months of my life have been a metarmophosis for me. Like a caterpillar that roams around in the mud, despicable to some people, I knew, my heart was in need of some change. My heart was in need of healing. My heart was in need of a good clean up – to remove the layers of rust and darkness caused by sin. And deep down I KNEW that all these could only be achieved by forming a connection with my Rabb through His words.
And it could only be by letting the beauty of His words touch and cleanse my heart, by letting the stories of the pure character of His beloved messenger ﷺ, engrave in my mind in order for me to rise and reform myself everyday.

It has been a never ending struggle with my nafs and Satan urging me on the path to evil. Urging me to deviate from the straight path that Allah alone has guided me on.
For example, it isn’t all that easy to control your anger when you are provoked. We try and fail, time and time again. But when we believe in the words of Allah and the promise of reward from Him, everything becomes worth it. Throwing away that massive ego and pride and letting go of a very good and sarcastic comeback, is definitely a battle. But our Lord promises us much more. So we have to make choices everyday- do we want to follow our desires which will only lead us to misery? Or follow the commands of Allah which will only lead to eternal success?

My journey with the Qur’an not only transformed my days but my nights as well. The transition from nights that were spent in evil to nights spent crying at the door of my Lord, begging for His forgiveness and great favour. From nights that I wasted away in heedlessness to nights where I only yearn to be closer than I have ever been to the Most Loving.

Subhanallah, it’s the love that Allah has for us that never fails to amaze me. We spend our days and nights in His disobedience but yet, HE Himself chooses such sinful people like us to be among His chosen ones? He guides us and calls us to Him just so that we don’t burn in fire of Jahannam? Just so that we can enter the Gardens of Paradise which He has prepared for His righteous slaves? Just so that we can abide in bliss forever? Just so that we can achieve His pleasure? The pleasure of the one who has given us everything and more. The pleasure of the most High, the pleasure of the king of kings.
The price of Jannah is huge. It isn’t something that can be obtained easily and we need to ask ourselves what is that one deed we do that is worthy of such a huge reward?

Let me share with you the story of the caterpillar who turns into a butterfly.
On the journey between a caterpillar to a butterfly, the caterpillar encloses itself into a cocoon. Within that cocoon, the entire caterpillar is broken down into a soup-like mixture. Just about all of the major structures are broken down and rebuilt including the heart. Soon the butterfly emerges, free to fly with hardly a trace of the caterpillar.

The journey with the Qur’an is a metamorphosis.
A spiritual one rather. A journey where we evolve from human beings that merely eat, sleep, work and exist, into human beings with much greater purpose in our lives. Human beings with the goal of Jannah and the pleasure of Allah in our minds. Once we’ve got the drive to achieve the loftiest rank in Jannah, no dark cocoon can be too difficult or uncomfortable for us. Remember just as the caterpillar faced hardship inside that cocoon, we will too. But the caterpillar knew that there was something much greater waiting for it on the other side. This is our journey too- a journey where we evolve from nasty caterpillars into the most beautiful of butterflies. More beautiful in heart, in our speech and in our deeds. So no matter what we go through along this life changing journey, let us keep our eyes fixed on the goal- Jannatul Firdouse and never give up striving and sacrificing in the way of the Most Generous. Your Lord who has promised to reward you in full. And your Lord never goes against His promise.

Oh how we pray that on the day we meet our Lord, that our names are called from every gate in Jannah. How we pray, that Al Wadud Himself says to us,

“O soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction!
Come back to your Lord, Well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing unto Him!
Enter you, then, among My honoured slaves,
And enter you My Paradise!”

Aameen.

The Journey Begins

My journey began from darkness that obscured my vision, ate at my heart and brought about a myriad of complications and confusion. Spiraling downwards, with no sense of direction, my Lord the Most High, pulled me up, helped me out and saved me for the salvation of my own soul and brought me into the light of His guidance.

If you’ve felt that way too, join me, hold my hand, as I too make my way from darkness into the light.

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