remembering Rasoolullaahصلىالله عليه وسلم

Around this time last year, in the aftermath of the Danish 'cartoon controversy', I was involved in a project on the life of the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم.

Once, while looking over my shoulder as I edited an article, Abu RR remarked that if I got nothing by way of remuneration for the project, it would have been enough recompense to be simply given the opportunity of sending salaat and salaam upon him, صلىالله عليه وسلم , so many times during a day.

Alhamdulillaah, there were many things I learnt during the course of that project, but what really struck and stayed with me was the importance of establishing a system of ittiba'a (emulating/following) of his blessed example, if we truly believe in the Qur'aan when it says that he, صلىالله عليه وسلم , was the best example for mankind.

It isn't enough to theoretically know what did the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم do in his lifetime, or rhetorically ask would he صلىالله عليه وسلم do in a particular situation.

We must ask of ourselves: what am *I* doing that he, صلىالله عليه وسلم, did/encouraged/stood for? How is *my* life a reflection of his?

The recurrent motif of his life was overwhelming kindness, generosity of spirit and justice:

he gave freely and never demanded (even if it was within his rights to do so);

he overlooked and never nitpicked;

he gently guided and never harshly remonstrated...

...and yet here we are, the generation that claims to have finally *got* the Deen, and there is not much of the Sunnah, of the aadaab and sulook of Allaah's Messenger, صلىالله عليه وسلم apparent in us -- except perhaps in our dress, rituals and manner of prayer.

Where's the Sunnah of mutual compassion, empathy and mercy? The joining of hearts? The fair dealing? The abstinence from injuring each others' feelings? Modesty in appearance and behaviour? The thinking twice before uttering/writing a poisonous or injurious word? The rigorous self-searching? Where's the trustworthiness, the grace, the humility?

We're so often busy looking for/commenting on the real or imagined lapses of others, we have no time to notice the barrenness in our own souls...we're so busy patting ourselves on the back for doing x, y, z "good deed of the day", that in our smugness, we forget the Sunnah was not about complacence, it was about continuous striving.

I often think about the hadeeth of meeting the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم at Al-Kawthar:

Narrated Sahl bin Sa'd:
"I heard the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم saying: "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Al-Kawthar), and whoever will come to it, will drink from it, and whoever will drink from it, will never become thirsty after that. There will come to me some people whom I know and they know me, and then a barrier will be set up between me and them."

Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri added that the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم further said: "I will say those people are from me. It will be said: 'You do not know what changes and new things they did after you.' Then I will say: 'Far removed (from mercy), far removed (from mercy), those who changed after me! "

[Saheeh Al-Bukhaari, Volume 9, Book 88, #174]

We seek refuge in Allaah's Mercy from His Anger; and in His Good Pleasure from his Chastisement; and we ask for His protection always.

May Allaah protect us from changing the Sunnah and from neglecting to revive it in our lives and the lives of those around us -- not just in its outward aspect, but within the secret depths of our own souls.

Aameen.

interesting stuff

We've all been incredibly busy this past week and have had no time to catch up with things on the blog, but these are some articles/posts that are really interesting reads via Tariq Nelson

No Daycare. No HomeTraining.
This post echoes what's on my mind a lot... parental neglect may have many forms and simply being physically present with children as a stay at home mother may not equate being with them in the spirit...(more on this later, in shaa Allaah..)

also: Children that learn to focus do better in Math
I was reading up on techniques to increase concentration and attention span in very young children, and was intrigued by the recommendation of making children do repetitive tasks while keeping track of the number of repetitions (for eg. bouncing a ball and keeping track of the number of time it bounces) or focusing on a candle flame for a number of minutes while keeping one's mind blank of other thoughts/without fidgeting...and it made me think of Thikr which, while performing the same function, is infinitely more beneficial.

also: More Fat Kids on the epidemic of childhood obesity that's creeping around the world...(more later, in shaa Allaah)

saturday morning cheer

Assalamu'alaykum wa rahmatullah..

(Here) I've got some jokes, I wanted to tell my friends who are reading this blog...


Umma : If u hit your sister you will not have any dinner!!!
Rasha : K! I will hit her after Dinner!..

أما: إذا ضربت أختك، فسأحرمك من الغداء

رشا: حسناً، سأضربها بعد الغداء

In the middle of the night, Rida woke Rasha up...
Rida : There is a mouse in our bedroom!
Rasha : Well... do you think I'm a cat?

في منتصف الليل

رضا : يوجد فأر في غرفة النوم

رشا : إذاً؟هل تظنين أنني قطة؟

A sample of *sense*:P

Umma to Rasha : get me three or four chillies.
Rasha brought seven!Why? Because Three + Four = Seven!!

like mother and father, like daughter and son

Thursday night, when one of the kids refused to dip his fried fish in chutney, saying he liked it better without, their father remarked (exasperatedly) on how much the children are influenced by me -- non-chutney eating quirks and all.

According to him, the resemblance surfaces several other times -- when the under 5s respond to every reasonable request with an imperative shake of the head and a very decided: "no!"; when RR absentmindedly leave the caps of medicine bottles or the tops of toothpastes unscrewed; when dishevelled books are discovered in bizarre places around the house; when they all prefer macaroni slathered in sauce to 'proper food'.

Sometimes, when people remark on how Rasha is growing up to look so much like me and when I read some of her writing where she sounds so similar, I feel an inner tremble of apprehension. As someone who is painfully aware of my own limitations (notwithstanding the previous post which *some* people misconstrued as tongue-in-cheek bragging, when it was really plain statement of past fact :P) one of my prayers for my children is that they all become better -- in the deen, dunya and aakhirah.

I can't understand parents who want to raise children as mirror images of themselves -- I know of so many people who believe that the way their parents are is the way to be , it's scary.

Right now, I'm the only teacher/friend/constant companion my children have, but in shaa Allaah, as time passes that will change and I hope they come across stimulating, charismatic teachers and friends who will add new depths to their personalities and many more dimensions to their perspectives. While I would always want them to like me, I can't say in all honesty that I want them to be exactly like me.

Friday reminder

صلوا وسلموا على من دلكم على الله فعرفتموه

Salloo wa sallimoo 'ala man dallakum 'alaAllaah fa'raftumoohu

صلوا وسلموا على من دلكم على المسجد بيت الله فدخلتموه

Salloo wa sallimoo 'ala man dallakum 'ala almasjidi baytillaahi fadakhaltumoohu

صلوا وسلموا على من دلكم على الصراط المستقيم فسلكتموه

Salloo wa sallimoo 'ala man dallakum 'ala ass'iraat almustaqeem fasalaktumoohu

من صلى عليه صلاة واحدة صلى الله عليه بها عشرا، ومن صلى عليه عشراصلى الله عليه بهامئة

man salla 'alayhi salaatan waahida

sallaAllaah 'alayi biha 'ashara

wa man salla 'alayhi 'ashara

sallaAllaah 'alayhi biha mi'ah

ومن صلى عليه مئة صلى الله عليه بها ألفا، ومن زاد زاده الله من فضله

wa man salla 'alayhi mi'ah,

sallaAllaah 'alayhi biha alfa

wa man zaada,

zaadahullaahu min fadhlih

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيماً

"Indeed Allaah and His Angels send salutations upon the Prophet...

O you who believe, send blessings and salutations of peace upon him."

اللهم صل وسلم على نبيناوحبيبنا وقدوتناوصل على بشيرٍنذير وسراجً منير

Allaahummaa salli wa sallim 'ala nabiyyina wa habeebina wa qudwatina,

wa salli 'ala basheerin natheer

wa siraajim muneer

وأعرض عليه صلاتنا وسلامنا وتحيتنا، يا من جل وعلا يا قدوس يا سلام

wa 'aridh 'alayhi salaatana wa salaamana wa tahaiyyatana

yaa man jall wa 'ala

yaa Quddoos, yaa Salaam

----------------------------------------

This is the way the Shaykh begins the Friday khutbah, by sending salutations (salah and salaam) upon the Prophet, صلىالله عليه وسلم

the meaning of this is:

Send salutations (salah and salaam) upon the one who guided you towards Allaah, so that you came to know Him;

Send salutations (salah and salaam) upon the one who guided you to the masjid, the house of Allaah, so that you entered it;

Send salutations (salah and salaam) upon the one who guided you to the Straight Path, so that you followed it

Whoever sends salutations upon him (the Prophet, صلىالله عليه وسلم) once;

Allaah sends salutations upon him ten times

Whoever sends salutations upon him ten times,

Allaah sends salutations upon him a hundred times

Whoever sends salutations upon him hundred times,

Allaah sends salutations upon him a thousand times

And whoever exceeds that

Allaah increases him in His favour

Our Allaah! Send salutations of peace on our Prophet and our Beloved and our Leader,

and send salutations upon the Bearer of Good News and the Warner,

and the Source of Light, the Radiant One

and show him our salutations (salah and salaam) and our greetings

O Majestic, Exalted One

O Holy One, The Source of Peace

'pleasures of reading'

Assalamu'alaykum,

I was VERY busy, and I'm still busy cz we're swotting HARD for our exam., and Umma was giving us this revision for the exam, and there was this question in it: ' write an article about the pleasures of reading' and I wrote an article which Umma said turned out to be quite nice, and I hope I get the full 8 marks for it. I hope you'll like it too!

Reading is one of the most important ways of acquiring information about the world and people. The most famous books today are fiction like story books, fairy tales and poems. It is very necessary to choose and read the right books like encyclopaedias, books on science like anatomy and how our body works, and books on the world around us like books on history and geography and astronomy as they are more beneficial than fiction, which although it's good fun to read, does not add much to our knowledge -- except maybe vocabulary.

Reading should be encouraged and introduced among people -- especially children -- because not many people are interested in it these days and think it is boring and dull, and prefer playing games on the computer or watching TV instead.

The most famous authors are still remembered for their books because they make a person feel like they are actually watching and experiencing the things that are being described by them. My favourite authors are Enid Blyton, Carolyn Keene, Mark Twain, Gerald Durrell, Roald Dahl and Ruskin Bond because of their great sense of humour and light-hearted way of writing and one day, in shaa Allaah, I hope to write like them and publish books that will be enjoyed by many readers all over the world.

Reading is a very useful and interesting recreation and most importantly, it is a way of gaining good deeds, like by reading the Qur'aan and ahadeeth of the Prophet. Reading the Qur'aan is also a way of curing many diseases of the heart and the body.

Some people like to sit at their study tables and read, others read at bedtime, but (edit: much to the despair of our parents) we like to read everywhere all the time!

It is important that we not only read for enjoyment and pleasure, but also to learn important lessons and gain knowledge that will help us in life."

2 very sorry stories

Mummy, will you ever come home? is a story in the Gulf News on how maids are forced to leave behind/neglect their own children to take care of others' kids...and Boy Left in Hospital With No Support is a story about a boy who has been kept in hospital for two weeks in Madeenah, without a single visit by any of his family members...hospital staff said they couldn’t think of a logical reason for his family’s negligence. “They never respond to our calls,” said Dr. Mutawakel Hajjaj, who works at the hospital.

hmm..interesting

138 Saudi Students Prep for Higher Studies in India
Mohammed Rasooldeen, Arab News

RIYADH, 22 March 2007 — A group of 138 Saudi students set to leave for higher studies in India...[read the rest of the story here]

on their return, will they too be given the equivalent of 1/3 rd the pay of what 'Western' qualified people are given, regardless of their competence, efficiency and skills? just wondering...

the newest R in our life

...is called Rohu :)

I've resisted fish (cooking/eating) from the time I was a growing child in a place where Koli fisherfolk gathered the sea's riches and emptied them at local markets twice a day... to the place where fishermen rowed dingy, wooden boats to the centre of a lake amidst green water-chestnut wreaths, to catch silver-grey dinners from the blue green water.

When we moved to a place by the sea, friendly patients would give Abu-RR a bag full of the day's freshest catch, which he brought home to a wife who wouldn't know what to do with it.

Another move brought us close to a Giant Store, which obligingly conjured fresh fish fingers with chips or baked fish in huge infrared ovens or fried hamour filets from fish one could choose fresh off the counter, while one shopped for groceries.

However, the move that really brought us out of our fish-less state was when one of Abu-RR's colleagues moved closer to our place, and his wife served us a variety of delectable fried fish one day. It looked like fish and tasted like fish -- but it didn't smell like fish. Turns out it's a variety of fresh water fish so exotic and well loved that it qualifies as a *gift item* in some parts of the world.

For now, I have a stash of fish in my 'fridge; my family (except for Rasha who's a pucca vegetarian) has their supply of omega-3 fatty acids, high protein and minerals that promises brighter eyes and hair, stronger bones and better brains, and protection from everything from asthma to cancer.

PS: I found this delicious site while looking online for fried fish recipes -- complete with amazing pictures, authentic recipes and a really original name...look it up!

The purpose of language: a lesson in humility

My son and I sit across a table.
His Grade 2 Arabic Qira'ah wal Kitaabah (Reading and Writing) book is open in front of me as I dictate sentences from a lesson that he will be tested on tomorrow.
He writes swiftly, with dark sinuous strokes of his pencil upon the fresh sheet, unhesitating.
The lesson (comprising about 3 printed pages) is finished in around 15 minutes.
I pick up the sheet and read through it, trying to spot mistakes that could cost him precious darajaat (grades) tomorrow.
Nothing. maa shaa Allaah...laa quwwata illaa billaah.
He has it all down perfect, down to the sukoon over the silent alphabets.

It's my turn next.
I hand him the book and he dictates.
Slowly.
Waiting for me to catch up with the text.
The alphabets look clumsy to me, at one point I ask him to show me how to make a better looking ط, ,ى, and ه. I join and re-join the joining letters to make my handwriting look more-grown up and not the childish scrawl it really is. I ponder over which alphabets need sukoon. It takes considerably longer, and while there are no real mistakes, he mercilessly runs the red pencil over some of the alphabets to give them a better shape.

I am humbled, alhamdulillaah.

When I was growing up, I was considered something of a prodigy at home and school because of my language skills. I consistently got top marks in English all through my school years, won a number of handwriting and creative writing competitions, spelling bee trophies, was called on to draft everything from dear-john letters to acceptance speeches by friends and teachers.

I had a newspaper column in one of the mostly widely distributed regional 'papers when I was a teenager; I wrote and worked for some of the biggest national newspapers and magazines. I could make out the Latin origins and meanings of most muscle groups and other arcana that one is force-fed in medical school. I teach others language skills.

Yet, here I am struggling with a Grade 2 Arabic book.

It makes me think of the purpose of language: instilling humility.

The Qur'aan was revealed during a period when the Arabic language was at its pinnacle of development. Poets vied with one other in producing the most grammatically correct and intellectually intricate prose. Yet, nobody could measure up to the simplicity and majesty of the words recited by the unlettered Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم ; inspite of the challenge:

وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُواْ بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِ وَادْعُواْ شُهَدَاءكُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُواْ وَلَن تَفْعَلُواْ فَاتَّقُواْ النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ

“And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to our slave, then bring one chapter like it and call upon all your witnesses/helpers, besides Allaah, if you are truthful. And if you cannot; and indeed you can not, then fear the Fire, the fuel of which is men and stones, prepared for the deniers (of the Truth).” [Soorah Al-Baqarah, 2 : 23]

The language of the Qur'aan was meant to humble people who considered themselves linguistically and intellectually 'accomplished'; who scoffed at the idea of an unlettered man producing sublime verses that rendered them speechless with awe.

Learning Arabic has been an incredibly humbling experience for me.

There are intricacies of grammar and speech which seem like unexplained mysteries to the uninitiated. There is the i'jaaz (inimitable nature) of the Qur'aan, that has been incorrectly understood to be grammatical errors in the Qur'aan; when it is really the transcendence of Divine language above human limitations and man-made rules -- including grammar.

I often wonder, if the purpose of language is really instilling humility, what explains the latent pride on acquiring/knowing a language in all its sacred and mundane intricacy?

Is it not an act of denial of having one's heart and mind opened?

Is it not a negation of: laa hawla wa laa quwwah; illaa billaah (there is no power and strength, except from Allaah)?

Sometimes, I'm glad Arabic is not my first language. It forces me to learn everything afresh; by driving home my enormous ignorance, it frees me from the unsightly burden of pride. alhamdulillaah.

roadtrips r us

we've all had this collective dream of going around the world and seeing/experiencing new places/things together... in fact R-R are quite sure they're going to grow up and live in caravans ...seeing people actually managing to do this makes me hopeful that in shaa Allaah, perhaps we could one day do this too!
----------------
Family answers call of open road to see the world
By Rania Habib, Staff Reporter, Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: The Le Bourg family travels in a hippie-like white van decorated with flowers and adorned with the words "around the world". While the idea of touring the world for two years sounds bohemian, Gregory Le Bourg is quick to dispell the idea that the trip with his wife and children is nothing but an extended holiday.
"It feels and sounds like a vacation, but of course it's not," he said. "We cook, we clean, we make the children study, we maintain our van."
With their three children in tow, Gregory and his wife Isabelle left the comforts of their home and jobs in Paris to discover new cultures and experience the life of nomads.

Margot, 10, Marie, 7, and baby Eve, 18 months, have been on the road since last March with their parents, and the Le Bourg family now has passed through 15 countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Oman and the UAE.

The Le Bourgs travel in their trusty van and trailer. A typical day involves going out to tour the city or village they are in, lunch at a local restaurant, homework for the girls who study through correspondence, cooking dinner and putting the youngsters to sleep. "We have dinner with local families, or the girls play with children, or even in Oman, we attended a traditional wedding," said Gregory.
The family is off to India next and then Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, New Zealand, Australia, North America, Mexico and Latin America.

on spreading salaam

*points taken from a khutbah by Sh. Ahmad bin Muhammad bin 'Abdullaah al-Hawwaash/
Imaam and Khateeb, Al-Jaami'a Al-Kabeer, Khamees Mushayt

(Before I start with the actual khutbah, I'd like to mention something about the character of the shaykh's masjid -- it's bang in the centre of a very busy souq surrounded by all kinds of big and small shops. Unlike other masaajid, it's not very opulent (no foot-deep plush carpets, no crystal chandeliers, no ACs on full-blast); it has separate entrances for men and women and a very large women's section and there's a flight of some steps before the entrance to the women's section.

On Friday, you'll have women coming in with little sprigs of rayhaan (scented herbs) and mint and twigs of miswaak to hand around the masjid...just for the sheer ajr and pleasure of sharing something with others. There are copies of the Qur'aan in old-fashioned niches in the wall, boxes of tissues and cups of bottled water provided for free by worshippers. Some of the women are regulars -- the women in the front rows who attend almost every Friday prayer there...and possibly stay for the evening dars (lecture); others whose presence is incidental. One elderly sister I've noticed in particular, stays back after the prayer and cleans up the entire musalla, picking up bits of tissue and carelessly discarded water cups and bottles, making sure that the entire praying space is clean before she leaves.

After ending the khutbah, the shaykh makes it a point to remind people to turn off their mobile phones in case they've been left on, before getting ready for the 'ittsaal al akbar' (the highest communication) with the Lord of the Worlds. It's actually such a small gesture, but it makes a big difference to the quality of concentration and focus during the prayer.

I'd really like to write about the nature of the prayer led by the Imaam, but in the past he has been very upset with people who prayed with him and talked about the prayer in a manner of eulogy...he specifically mentioned it one Friday and warned against praising someone in matters of deen without knowledge -- and who knows the inner states of hearts except Allaah, The All-Knower?

Suffice to say that he strives to follow the Sunnah of prayer of the Prophetصلىالله عليه وسلم to the best of his ability, with Ihsaan (excellence).)

------

*One of the first words that the Prophet, صلىالله عليه وسلم is reported to have said on entering Madeenah were: "O people! Spread Salaam (glad tidings/greetings of peace), feed (the poor and needy), maintain the ties of the wombs, and offer prayer when the people are normally asleep, and (thus) enter Paradise in peace."

What is the meaning of spreading salaam? Is it merely to say the words: As-salaamu'alaykum (peace be upon you) to one another by way of greeting? Or does it have a deeper meaning?

Muslims who understand the true meaning of afshus-salaam (spreading salaam) will try and keep others secure from their sharr (evil) by thought, word and deed.

That means: they will not act on the evil suggestions of their Self, by not thinking evil thoughts about others,such as harbouring envy/jealousy/enmity/suspicion/unlawful thoughts of a sexual nature. They will safeguard the tongue and stop themselves from speaking evil like lies/slander/gossip/backbiting/vain talk about others. They will control their bodies and restrain themselves from physically harming others -- by way of physical assault or taking an innocent life that is forbidden by Allaah; or by indulging in unlawful physical contact.

If a Muslim does all this, he has actually extended salaam to others.

*salaam is a basic right of one Muslim upon another

The Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم said: "When one of you meets his brother, he should salute him by sending blessings of peace upon him" (Hadeeth transmitted by Abu-Daawood)

In another hadeeth, Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم as saying: “A Muslim has a right against his fellow Muslim in six ways.” Asked what were these, the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم said: “When you meet him, greet him; if he invites you, accept his invitation; if he seeks your advice, give him an honest and sincere advice; if he sneezes and praises Allaah, bless him; if he falls ill, visit him; and if he dies, attend his funeral.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim).

It is also the right of a Muslim that his greetings be returned in a better manner: “When a greeting is offered to you, answer it with an even better greeting, or (at least) with its like. Allaah keeps count of all things.” (4: 86).
The better greeting and reply are illustrated in the following Hadeeth. Umar reports that he was riding with Abu Bakr on one mount. When they passed by people, Abu Bakr greeted them saying: “Assalamu 'alaykum” and they replied: “Wa 'alaykum assalam wa rahmatullaah.” Or he may greet them saying: “Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullaah,” for which their reply was: “Wa 'alaykum assalam wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuh.” Abu Bakr commented: “Today, people have gained much more than us.’” (Related by al-Bukhaari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)

The Prophetصلىالله عليه وسلم called returning a fellow Muslim's greeting one of the "rights of the road" and called the person who initiates greeting a fellow Muslim after an altercation/disagreement has occurred between them, the better Muslim. "It is not lawful for a Muslim to desert (not to speak to) his brother Muslim for more than three days while meeting, one turns his face to one side and the other turns his face to the other side. Lo! The better of the two is the one who starts greeting the other". (Saheeh Al-Bukhaari)

*people who set out to spread the opposite of salaam

There are people who deliberately (or unknowingly) set out to spread the opposite of salaam. They create discord between husbands and wives, parents and children; among extended families, neighbours and communities, among nations and the Ummah.

Their situation is like the ones mentioned in the Qur'aan: "And when it is said to them: 'Do not cause discord/corruption on earth', they say: 'Rather, we are but reformers'. Unquestionably, it is they who spread discord/corruption; but they do not perceive it." (2: 11-12)

Has not the time come to take stock of ourselves? Are we among the ones who spread salaam or do the opposite? Do we not know that Allaah does not love the mufsideen (the people who spread discord/corruption)? Then, let us make sincere repentance to Allaah and return to that which is pleasing to Him and not persist in disobedience and spreading discord/corruption on the earth.

*salaam is the greeting of the blessed people of Jannah

The people of Jannah will be received with the words of Salaam: وَيُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةً وَسَلَاماً

( سورة الفرقان , Al-Furqan, Chapter #25, Verse #75)

They will be greeted with the words: Salaamun 'Alaykum! Tibtum (the translation of which means: "Peace be upon you! You have been purified!"(39:73)

Indeed, the greetings of the people of Jannah amongst themselves will be salaam :

وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلاَمٌ وَآخِرُ دَعْوَاهُمْ أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

the translation of which means: And their greetings therein will be Salaam and the culmination of their request will be: Al-Hamdu Lillaahi Rabbil-Aalameen (All Praises belongs to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds( سورة يونس , Yunus, Chapter #10, Verse #10)

This is because Allaah will have purified their hearts of all rancour and ill-feeling and they will be at peace with themselves and each other.

*Allaah is the ultimate source of salaam

In the duaa after saying salaam in salah, we affirm that Allaah is As-Salaam and from Him is all peace. The state of discord around us -- in our Ummah and in our own lives -- is because of the great distance from the Source of all peace. We hear increasing reports of the spread of mental, psychological and stress disorders because people lack mental peace. The cure for that is to approach the original Source of peace and try to attain nearness to Him through repentance, prayer and righteous deeds.

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(I've looked up and added detailed references where I could. Please bear in mind that these are *points* from the khutbah and not the actual khutbah itself. I'd be grateful for corrections/recommendations if you spot any mistakes in the references/translation. I pray this will be of immense benefit to the readers...please keep us in your prayers!)

must-read

A sister posts about a journey to Mu'tah, Jordan, the scene of the historic Battle of Mu'tah, and reflects on how it is: "a perfect metaphor for our state: we are sitting on this legacy of some of the most beautiful, courageous and passionate people that walked on this planet - and what are we adding to this tradition except garbage and wasting of time?"

very moving, maa shaa Allaah.

coming soon: Friday khutbahs

R-R are on an important and particularly strenuous leg of their studies these days, which is why they're in short supply on the blog (duaas, please) but in shaa Allaah, come April they'll have a lot more time on their hands.

I was hoping to get them to translate the weekly khutbah that they attend for the blog...maa shaa Allaah the khutbah is recorded and available immediately after salah on audio cassettes (which they get home for me to listen to), so it should be easy to transcribe and I feel it'd be a good way for them to develop their language skills.

That apart, our khateeb and Imaam (may Allaah preserve him and make him a source of guidance for many others) is amazing...maa shaa Allaah...laa quwwata illaa billaah.

He is someone who lives Islam -- not just talks/teaches about it...whenever I go to the masjid and stand for salah, there is an incredible surge of nostalgia -- someone who, by living the Sunnah of the Prophet,صلىالله عليه وسلم can evoke such intense emotion makes me understand the intensity of love and devotion that he صلىالله عليه وسلم inspired in the Companions.

in shaa Allaah, I'll try and look up and post (an abridged version) of one khutbah sometime today...

11-year-old hijab-wearing girl feels it's "her fault" FIFA won't let her play!

From: Butting Heads over Headscarves in Quebec by Zahed Amanullah/altmuslim.com

...an 11 year-old soccer player was asked by an official (a Muslim, incidentally) in the town of Laval, Quebec to remove her hijab before playing in a tournament. Asmahan (Azzy) Mansour refused and her team (and several others) walked out in solidarity with her. The result has been a Zidane-sized storm of protest across Canada, with the international body FIFA starting an investigation. [...]
The soccer ejection was backed by Quebec Premier Jean Charest who, along with the Quebec Soccer Federation, was almost alone among Canadian organisations and politicians to support the ban. "It's up to them to apply the rules, and they applied them in the way they saw fit," said Charest. "I don't have a problem with that."
[...]
Mansour's herself felt responsible for her team's forfeiting the match. "I'm so sorry my team couldn't play," said Mansour. "It was my fault." But despite the sympathy and precedents, FIFA's rule-governing body, the International Football Association Board, leaned toward the referee in the case at a meeting in Manchester, England. "It's absolutely right to be sensitive to people's thoughts and philosophies," said a representative. "But equally there has to be a set of laws that are adhered to, and we favor law 4 being adhered to." (Law 4 governs what may be worn on the head during a game). The Canadian Soccer Association, to whom Quebec authorities said they would yield to, is unlikely to go against the IFAB, though the ruling was also not seen as clearly defined.
"I truly think they should have (overridden) what Quebec's rule is," said Asmahan's mother Maria. "(She) is still hoping that Quebec will remove that rule someday so she will be able to play (in Quebec)." In the meantime, Azzy is determined to show that she's not going to give up easily. She scored two goals during a game in Ottawa just as the FIFA ruling was announced.

clockwork kids and know-it-all nannies

I've been following the fairly recent, extremely disturbing trend of nannies -- some of whom are not married or mothers themselves -- being encouraged to dictate to parents how to raise their kids, get them toilet trained (within a week no less!!!/Gina Ford) and the best way to put them to sleep.

It strikes me as enormously ironic that parents who would be all up in arms on receiving similar well-meaning parenting advice from mothers and mothers in law -- people who actually have some experience of raising children -- submit meekly to some of the most bizarre parenting suggestions from these self-styled experts.

I've watched distressing episodes of SuperNanny and Nanny 9-11 where entire families have willingly let themselves be taken hostage to the marketing tricks of tv channels and allowed cameras into their homes and lives, filming their children at their troublesome worst, tearfully accepting tough love parenting advice, until at the end of the episode, the nanny departs leaving a miraculously disciplined bunch of children and eternally grateful parents.

The basic parenting message given out is: be firm but gentle with children, let them know who's in-charge of their lives and do things which are good for them, no matter if that's unpopular -- which is something that generations of traditional parents have been doing without making it seem like it were the discovery of the century. As Eugene Levy said: "Parenting isn't a popularity contest."

Recently, Gina Ford has been involved in a spat over the extreme regimentation in her 'The Contented Baby Book' which have been compared by some parents to animal training techniques ...which she defends as just one way of bringing structure to the lives of babies and parents and allowing them to be parents with minimal disruption from the children.

I'm thinking: Is that the goal of modern parenting? Treating children like mere accessories to one's life, as just one more sign of being blessed with a having-it-all lifestyle without allowing them to cramp your style?

Even as I type this, I'm thinking of my doctor (may Allaah bless and guide her), who asked me within secomds of Rasha's birth: Do you realise what you've become now? Do you know your life has changed forever?
At that moment, and for a long time afterwards, I was too dazed to respond, but her words come back to me every day...I like to think that my life has changed in innumerable positive ways -- and yes, irrevocable ways -- with the birth of each child...alhamdulillaah.

If I were constantly hankering for a magic time machine that did a quick rewind and allowed me to be transported to the pre-kids past with kids in tow, or allowed the past to be transcribed over my present (which I did for a long time) I'd be one miserable mum.

This is not to say that the kids have completely hijacked our lives -- alhamdulillaah, my children keep to a routine (devised and adhered to largely due to the effect of their no-nonsense ever father) which allows all of us the time to work and relax individually and as a family.

The point is: as parents, we're all instinctively wired to know what's good for our children. I'd much rather seek guidance and help from Allaah (istikhara) and mothers whose parenting efforts and theories have effects I can see reflected in their children -- than remote 'babygurus' who have nothing to recommend them but a bunch of media ratings and hype.

1 hour 13 minutes of a celestial show or a sign?

Previous civilizations drove themselves crazy trying to understand them, but lunar eclipses——are just part of the natural orbital cycle
By David Biello/Scientific American

No need to fear blindness (or apocalypse) from Saturday night's total lunar eclipse. Earth's shadow will completely block the face of the moon from reflecting the sun's light for one hour and 13 minutes on March 3. "Europe and Africa have the ringside seats," says Fred Espenak, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "[But] every single continent will see at least part of the eclipse." That is rare, as most eclipses can only be viewed from certain vantage points on Earth. Contrary to rumor, the moon will not go completely dark. Rather, it will glow in a dim light that will probably be a reddish-orange in color, although it can be as dark as an ashen gray, depending on the amount of light-scattering dust in the atmosphere.

Such eclipses may no longer be mysterious but they remain spectacular. "This is something that really puzzled the ancient Greeks," Espenak says. "They are basically just natural phenomena. I encourage anybody to go out, watch and enjoy."

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I was out in time to see the eclipse last night, thanks to the mu'aththin at our neighbourhood masjid who called out loudly for the Salat al-Khusuf . All the Rs had been very excited about the eclipse and had been peeking out at the moon since maghrib, but by the time the actual eclipse began, they were all asleep. It was so quiet and peaceful deep into the night, with the sound of prayers pouring in from all directions as the moon was slowly obscured from vision.

I couldn't help thinking of the thousands of people who would witness this awe-inspiring Divine Sign, and only see what the scientists have trained them to see :

اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ
The Hour draws closer, and the moon is split

وَإِن يَرَوْا آيَةً يُعْرِضُوا وَيَقُولُوا سِحْرٌ مُّسْتَمِرٌّ
And when they see a Sign, they turn away and say: This is only continuous magic

وَكَذَّبُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهْوَاءهُمْ وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍ مُّسْتَقِرٌّ
And they falsify/belie (the Sign) and follow their own desires; and all matters will be decided

وَلَقَدْ جَاءهُم مِّنَ الْأَنبَاء مَا فِيهِ مُزْدَجَرٌ
And there has come to them from the News, enough to keep them in check

حِكْمَةٌ بَالِغَةٌ فَمَا تُغْنِ النُّذُرُ

Clear Wisdom/Guidance, but the warning does not benefit them...

[Soorah Al Qamar: 1-5]

The Qur'aan explicitly mentions the eclipse of the moon as a sure sign on the Last Day, so I find it rather alarming when scientists make it seem like it's just another spectacle to amuse oneslef by:

لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

I swear by the Day of Resurrection

وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ

And I swear by the self-reproaching soul

أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَلَّن نَجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ

Does man think that We shall not/cannot assemble his remains/bones?

بَلَى قَادِرِينَ عَلَى أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ

Rather, We are Able to make them come together in perfect order, down to the tips of his fingers.

بَلْ يُرِيدُ الْإِنسَانُ لِيَفْجُرَ أَمَامَهُ

Rather, he (mankind) desires to continue committing sins.

يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ

He asks: "When will be this Day of Resurrection?"

فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ

When the sight will be bedazzled/dazed

وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ

And the moon will be eclipsed,

وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ

And the sun and moon will be joined together

يَقُولُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ

Man will say on this Day: "Where is the refuge ?"

[Soorah Al-Qiyaamah: 1- 10]

When I was a child, I was taken on a trip to the zoo, where most of the class crowded around the monkeys' cage and teased each other: Look at your ancestors..I can see the resemblance...et al but I remember there was this one Christian girl who took umbrage and said: No way! These may be your ancestors but not mine -- mine were created in human form by God.

subhaanallaah, sometimes I think children who are on the fitrah are blessed with greater surety of faith than adults who are easily conned into misplacing their beliefs.

How to...

...Host and Be Hosted by an XXXXXXXL family without compromising your cool(-ness)

I've been meaning to write about this for countless weekends in the hope that someone would benefit from an insider's perspective on the comings and goings, more specifically the goings -out of a large family but...alhamdulillaah, we live in bzzy times, so ...here goes...

but first, a DISCLAIMER: [/start] I am not anti-social...at least I try very hard not to be. [/end]

So... even if I'd much rather spend the weekend exploring schoolwork and homework and large, brightly coloured books with my kids or quaffing tea/coffee/hot chocolate/soup and eating homemade cheese pizzas and cupcakes for a 3:30 lunch or just talking about school/work/childhood memories/the state of the world/ random things with my family (which are things we never seem to have time for during weekdays), I try to go out when we're invited and try to have people over. We like to meet new people and like to be hospitable.

Thing is, not many people know what going out entails for a large family, half of whose members are constantly conspiring to upend strategically placed jugs of juice or the contents of their stomach ...whichever happens first. This is meant to offer some insight into previously uncharted territory, a never-before look into the dynamics of a day-out... so that in shaa Allaah, some of our future guests/hosts aren't completely confounded and mutter to themselves after seeing us off ..."but they seemed like such nice people..." [j/k]

• Time: When we were single, we were punctiliously punctual, see-you-at-X-am/pm-sharp types. Then, it started getting increasingly difficult to get out of the house at a particular hour (even if it entails 60 whole minutes)...so we'll arrange to meet up in an elastic time-frame, not mentioning a particular hour, like: after 'asr or between maghrib and 'isha. This does not mean we are slothful, inconsiderate people who don't value time, it just means that it is difficult to get out at a particular time when one of our kids may be taking a last minute nap or bathroom trip or tumble. Impatient foot-tapping or innumerable calls to see where/how far we've reached are misplaced...they only contribute to our mutual mortification.
• Place: There is a reason why I love picnics, that has nothing to do with fresh air or the love of nature. It is easier to let the kids loose in a park or an open space (locals: think Jabal Akhdar, As-Sooda, tents near the airport, the beach) and have them play around while I actually get to sit and talk and eat with the guests/hosts, rather than keeping a constant eye and an ear cocked out for them while appearing to concentrate on the conversation/food. If we don't call people over/ seem reluctant to visit if the venue doesn't have open spaces, it doesn't mean we're snobbish/standoffish/want to keep people at arm's length or live in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)...think of it as an invitational hazard.
• Food: Personal experience says there's not much that can go wrong with food that involves some form of rice, (recognisable, not too spicy) chicken, cheese, pasta, fresh fruit, finger food and desserts...I do have a lot of dishes in my repertoire now alhamdulillaah, but this is the menu of choice at my place for a reason: I want the kids (yours and mine) to eat and don't want to be left with gourmet leftovers that no one will touch for a week. To all prospective hostesses: please as in puh-lee-ase don't spend hours slaving away in the kitchen for us...we aren't big eaters at all and go for more snack type stuff than several course meals ...it genuinely distresses me to see all that effort and food go to waste.
• People: From what I've seen, I feel the world is divided into two types of people:

Type 1. People who like children and are reasonably comfortable, even happy to be with them

Type 2. People who don't like children and get distinctly uncomfortable around them.

Funny thing is, I can't generalise further and say which kind is which. We've been with Type 1s with one or two kids (and others who weren't even married) who got along famously with us and our menagerie and others with many kids whose homes felt like an extension of ours...and Type 2s with few/many kids who, we felt, were simply counting the minutes until we/they went home.

The bottomline: please meet up with us only for the sake of Allaah...not for making up numbers or 'returning' a visit. That way, all the waiting and other unaccounted aggravation will automatically be a source of 'ajr -- for the da'iee and the mad'oo. And please make duaa for us...