I don’t exactly remember when I came across his video first on YouTube but when I happened to see it after a long while again this Thursday night, it shook me. Really, I cannot describe with adequate words how I felt listening to him, watching him. He must be hardly eight in the video, young Hassan bin Abdullah Al Awadh, but his voice moves the heart.

So there I was at 1 am listening to him over and over and over again. Then I downloaded the audio into my iPod and listened to him before bed, the next morning, during my evening walk, when I got angry over something, on my way to back from college… you get the picture. By now, I’m sure I’ve gone on enough of a ramble to really stretch your patience.

Who’s young Hassan then? A young boy who’s recited the initial verses of Surah Ya Seen in a video on YouTube, son of an Imam of a masjid in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. When they first put his video on YouTube, I don’t think they had an idea how would much people would love it… that it would trigger off a sharing spree. People ask if he has a CD out. The more inquisitive minds want to know who he is. Where does he live? Who taught him?

The Quran is not an ordinary book, it is the Word of Allah(swt) and when recited, especially by a Qari with an exquisite voice, it is difficult to stay dry-eyed. The eyes automatically well up with tears, a fluttery sensation fills the heart and you know it is not something any man could put forward. If you can understand Arabic to any extent, it carries massive weight and immediately affects you, feeling as if there’s no-one else around… just you and your Lord. The words have direct impact, anger and sadness subsides, leaving an intense motivation to get up, make something of yourself and please Allah(swt) the way he wants you to!

Watching and listening to Hassan made me wonder about so many things. The powerful words of Surah Ya Seen were themselves enough to prompt self analysis. However, it also made me wonder about the reciter himself, whom Allah(swt) has blessed with such a beautiful voice. It is evident that he is in the constant company of the best reciters, who’ve taught him so well MashAllah. I also thought about the kind of environment he must have at home that he’s reciting with all the intricate rules of Tajweed at an age so tender. His mother, what an amazing woman she must be to have raised such a sweet child, MashAllah! What lessons did she teach him, setting the solid foundation for a soul that seeks to purify itself? Really, the beautiful tones in which this child recites indicates all these things about his life – his inner self literally shines through… that’s how it is with reciting the Quran with a sincere heart.

I also wondered about his future. I hope and pray he becomes a scholar of Islam through the magnificent talents that he has, that Allah(swt) has made known to us about him. We need these young children to grow up in Islam, nurtured by sincere and upright Muslim families, to become the leaders of tomorrow. Confident in their faith, trusting in Allah(swt), drawing closer to Him through His Words… that is the process of purification that produces strong believers.

Hassan has recited other portions of the Quran and a small handful of videos of him during a visit to Bosnia in 2007 show him to be about twelve or thirteen years old. His voice has matured slightly with age, lowering in pitch, but of course that does not reduce the beauty of the recitation in any way. In fact, it made me so happy to know he’s reciting and will possibly come forward as a well known Qari as he grows older InshAllah. Based on his videos, he seems like a modest young boy, nonetheless confident… a mark of a person well grounded in faith, may Allah add strength to it! Only those with strong faith can remain modest and shy while so much attention is turned towards him but the Shaitan is always at play and thus, I pray for Hassan sincerely.

I’ve learned so much from Hassan just listening to him recite those verses full of meaning. I’ve also learned about the importance of giving children the right upbringing and the massive benefits of doing that. Hassan proves you can become very knowledgeable in the Quran even at a young age. Very frankly, if I ever have a son, I’d be greatly blessed in so many ways if I could teach him, guide him, inspire him to be like the cute little boy who moved my heart with his sweet voice. Alhumdolillah, I have Hassan’s example right before me to inspire and motivate my own self for something so crucial and so rewarding.

(Yes, that’s weeding, not a typo or anything. )

I haven’t blogged in a while but I’m glad I didn’t because then I’d be writing about something without really meaning it or feeling I’d something worthwhile to share. I’d been loaded with lots of assignments recently, mostly related to college, that put me through an exponential learning curve. It was really hectic and seemingly difficult but Alhumdolillah, that phase passed away too.

One project I was involved with required teamwork and it spanned several months. Being the “leader” or “representative” of my group in college, I found myself facing situations and challenges that were very new and even daunting. Making decisions, deciding on the quality of work needed, identifying specific talents in people and then ensuring that work gets done within the deadline… it’s certainly not a piece of cake. With eleven young women working together, there are bound to be issues. Meanwhile, I was also juggling another assignment not related to college but which also involved teamwork. Finally, one or two other issues also cropped up making a tough week where everything converged.

However, one thing I was very aware of was that I was learning so much from all my good and not-so-good experiences. There were lessons in leadership, interpersonal relationships, patience (that was a big one!), tolerance, empathy, counselling and time management, to name a few. How to get along with different people coming from different backgrounds. How to overlook someone’s irritating habits and respond nicely, keeping the longer term in mind. How to deal with problems that friends may be having, medical or otherwise.

However, I also noted the glaring faults in my character and personality that I need to fix, no matter what. As a friend, as a daughter, as a sister, as a leader… as my own self… there’s a lot to do. So even though I had a tough week to handle and various stresses on my mind, I was satisfied I was learning about myself and about others that would InshAllah train me for the future.

In all of this, even if I did something right and got good results, I was aware that it was superficial and needed real substance as its foundation. If I didn’t feel happy about my own self, my personality and character, any praise I received from others on anything did not bring in total satisfaction. Why was I rude to that person? Why did I have to snap? How should I learn to control my temper and frowns, at home and at college? Why do I think negatively of that person? How should I improve my relationships, as a daughter? What am I doing wrong in my relationships with other people?

I was thinking about this a lot and in the process of identifying my weaknesses when I heard Stephen Covey’s famous book mentioned on TV. The person on TV was basically summarizing the book. For those of who don’t know, Stephen Covey is the author of a best selling book on changing yourself inside-out, working on your own self to take on the habits of people who’re achievers and not moaners and groaners. He talks about seven habits that are common to successful people, based on age-old principles of honesty, integrity, being optimistic, loving others and kindness. I’d always wanted to read that book, having heard it being quoted by several teachers at my Quran class and elsewhere. Turns out we had that book at home and I fished it out, sat down to read and did fifty pages before bed!

The book really is very, very good. It’s inspiring, full of common wisdom and it’s in the first person, directly addressing the reader. Why don’t I get along with people? Why do my plans fail? Why doesn’t my sister listen to me? Why can’t I achieve my goals? As you read the book, it really is amazing how the lessons in the Quran and Sunnah are essentially being described by Stephen Covey, of course without his knowing it. But then, that’s what he says, in similar words, that the things he mentions in his book are solid principles which man has always known in some form or the other. We’ve just stopped living by them and instead opted for “quick fixes” to all our problems, not realizing relationships are built over a long period and habits need to change fundamentally deep within us to have lasting impact.

The book’s made an impression on me, particularly at a time where I was already looking for change that has meaning and not just being all nice superficially. People who really come closer to Allah through the Quran and learning from the Prophet(pbuh)’s life, change so much for the better… everyone can see it for themselves. That’s why I need to improve, to really practice what I learn and not just hold up a degree from a Qur’an course and say “I’ve done it!”. Real change demands application, without which only knowing stuff is just not enough. Yes, the weeding is certainly overdue and it’s making the garden patch very unsightly even though there are a couple of good plants in there.

Time will tell what changes come about InshAllah.

I was supposed to go to my University today but I didn’t and this is why: two suicide bombers blew themselves up in the International Islamic University in Islamabad. Six people fell victim to this heinous crime while dozens were injured. One of the attackers actually disguised himself and managed to get to the girls cafeteria where he detonated his bomb. Following the incident, schools, colleges and Universities will remain off till Sunday, across Pakistan.

The first thought that comes to mind is how low could the attackers and their planners get that they could attack students with such impunity? What were they thinking? How did they justify it and put their consciences to sleep – that t00 for so-called “religious” causes?

There’s another belief that all such attacks on Muslims in Pakistan could never have been carried out by fellow Muslims. Such ideas are backed up pieces of evidence indicating direct as well as indirect involvement of “foreign agencies” in a highly complex scenario of vested interests driving a myriad of events.

Unfortunately,  with all the bloodshed, we now have a highly confusing situation on our hands that is certainly dividing the nation. I receive messages and emails from fellow Pakistanis urging people to recognize the “real” enemy and not be “deluded” into thinking the Taliban are behind the killings. Such people exhort the Taliban and whoever supports them, believing them to be the ultimate savior for Muslims in Pakistan (and even across the world!).

Surprisingly, some even believe the Taliban is in fact an extension of foreign agencies’ evil schemes and thus, such people would lump up the Taliban as one big conspiracy too. Thus, “Muslims could never kill Muslims like this” is their mantra every time a vicious incident takes place.

However, if you talk to refugee families from the conflict-ridden areas, they will tell you how people they initially thought were their helpers and leaders (Taliban, etc.) turned upon them later on. Extortion, kidnapping for ransom and routine harassment then exposed the true nature of these people to the innocent villagers. The common people admitted their mistake of initially lending their support to these Muslim brothers “in the name of Jihad” but later had to suffer themselves.

So what is going on? Why is all of this happening? What are the motives?

I’ll admit I do not have a single clue as to the real situation. I do know we have Muslims with totally distorted ideas of killing other Muslims “for the greater cause”, whatever that is… so I will not attempt to turn a blind eye and glorify them. I also know there are vested interests out to secure their interests, just as was done in Iraq. I also know there are common criminals who jump into the frey whenever confusion abounds to see what they can possibly get out of it in terms of wealth and power.

However, the biggest problem in all of this is that we do not know the truth and because of that, I cannot possibly stay united with my Muslim sister, for example, in her claim that we must “fight the enemy” when I am not even convinced the enemy is one single, definable entity.

Some people have twisted notions of battles in the name of Islam and their brains have become totally addled by all the war hype. Such are the people who totally sadden me: lacking direction, driven by vague ideas, making no sense when they speak and seeing things as either “black” or “white” and thus oversimplifying the entire complex scenario. In fact, this was what led me to write this right now – the madness that is driving the educated people in this nation today.

A confused mix of “religiosity”, nationalism, pessimism and a tendency to see a conspiracy in every tiny thing – that’s what’s going on. The Qur’an and the Sunnah, the wisdom that is required and the need to refrain from knee-jerk responses have all been forgotten. Why don’t people open their eyes already and realize the common Pakistani Muslim is not what they are glorifying him to be? Why don’t they realize we have so much work to do, to being people to the practice of Islam as taught by the Prophet(pbuh) and not drag them off into half-baked ideas of “martyrdom” all stemming from nationalism? Most of all, why don’t people realize all this confusion only helps the original enemies of Islam who have opposed it from the time of the Prophet(pbuh)?

To set things back on the right track, the Pakistani Muslim first needs to free himself of such baseless notions of “Pakistan is the bastion of Islam”, ignoring all the un-Islamic acts that he commits in his daily life. How many Pakistanis actually offer the five daily prayers in the masjid? Killings, “honor crimes”, lying, cheating, corruption, ignoring traffic rules, domestic abuse all happen in Pakistan. If you don’t admit it, you’re never going to change and there are no “short cuts” available.

Whatever is going on today, only one thing is for sure: Allah(swt) is the Only One Who is aware of the real situation and we ask Him to guide us to what is right for us. Yes, we Muslims have failed miserably in our duties but, in seeking to improve upon our knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah and implementing it in ourselves, spreading it in our areas of influence, we can find the right way again.

The important thing is Hikmah… wisdom. If we lose this, as many people are demonstrating to, may Allah protect us!

I didn’t know what to do just then. My mind was totally blank for a moment… exactly when I needed it to work the most. I stared at the mobile phone in my hand, with a partly composed message to my teacher. I had to tell her I couldn’t make it to class today. Yes, that’s what I had to do.

Midterm exams are closing on. I hadn’t done my laundry and it would be hard to find proper clothes for going to the class. I looked around at my room to buy some time and spotted my college books. I remembered the difficult day at college I’d just had and grabbed my head in my hands. Why was it so difficult to do this? Why not skip class and study for the exams?

I’d missed last week’s class too. I stayed home and studied that afternoon and slept a little too… but every glance at the wall clock reminded me of what my fellow students would be studying in class, while I had held back. Later that week, a couple of days ago, I had heard a wise person say, “you only make time for things you really want to do.” How true that had been and the guilt underneath the surface had bubbled up, as if it was there just waiting for a trigger!

And today, I was again faced with the same dilemma – should I stay home? The exam is only five days away, a voice in my head reminded me.

“Yeah,” I thought. “But I guess I could spare three hours and study more over the coming days to make for it.”

The voice in my head changed to a different reason – clothes not ready.

“Yeah,” I thought. “But I could wash a dress quickly… still got about an hour and a half before class starts.”

And your unfinished assignments, which you have been lazy about? Just don’t go, you can always do them this week and give them the next rather than showing up without them!

“Well but…”

I then thought of what I’d be missing and the voice quickly said I could always catch hold of my classmates’ notes. And my help-out duties after the class? The voice in my head quickly suggested I message a fellow classmate to help out with that.

“Okay…”

Besides, the voice suggested, look at what you’ve become! You’re so “low” that you can’t really get any lower. All these classes, have they really had any effect on you? It all bounces off you! You go, you listen, you come home – end of the story! Even now, you’ve reached such a point that you can’t decide which deal’s better for you! Come on, one more missed class won’t kill you.

“But I wasn’t like this before! I knew my priorities, I used to jump at opportunities to get to the class, among such classmates and now, I’m debating between lousy midterm exams that won’t even be marked in the final grade this semester and my class, which is priceless?”

I turned the mobile over, feeling miserable. I’d have to go ahead and do the dreaded. I poised my thumbs to complete the message to my teacher, trying to think of words that wouldn’t sound lame. I paused again. Something was just not right. Ameera, you’re not who you used to be…

NO! This. Is. Not. The. Right. Thing. To. Do!

Each word was punctuated by my thumb tapping on the mobile – somehow, the message I had half-typed out symbolized the wrongness of the situation and as such, needed to be singled out for a bashing.

You’re mad, the voice in my head shouted at me in disbelief. It almost shook my resolve.

“No, I need this the MOST right now!” I said to the voice. “I need to be as far away from you as I can right now! Yeah… yeah, I’ll find clothes. I’ll do the assignments… I’m going!”

I jumped up, rummaged through my cupboard, quickly washed a shirt I wanted to wear and tossed it into the dryer. I grabbed the half-finished assignments and started completing them. I typed one out on my computer within ten minutes (sometimes, typing is faster than writing it out with a pen). I ironed my clothes as quick as possible, assembled my books and soon was on my way.

Two hours ago, I came back from the class. It was like a fresh breath of air, not at all how the voice kept trying to convince me it would be. I needed to be with my classmates, with my teachers. I needed to take that time to step back and take stock of my situation. The voice that kept holding me back wasn’t trying to help me at all! This week, I’ve been taking that voice’s advice a lot and oh, how I decayed and deteriorated because of that!

Go ahead, it used to tell me, and tell your sister how mean so-and-so was (a.k.a. backbiting). Forget the Sunnah and Nawafil this time. There’s still time to sunrise, you can sleep in a little longer. There’s no time for the Qur’an today, there’s too much to do, it would distract you. Shout at your sister, she won’t listen otherwise!

Go ahead, it prodded me and I listened to it, blindly accepting everything. Last week, I’d listened to a similar idea that voice had dangled before me tantalizingly – a Saturday off from the class… and I’d caved in. Not this week… Alhumdolillah.

When someone deceives you and you find out, that’s the end of any trust that existed between you two. But then, why is it that this voice that deceives me repeatedly, was responsible for deceiving my parents, Adam(as) and Hawwa(as) is my close aide, confidante and trustee? A voice that whispers into me ear, eager to see me lose out on all joy, is my chosen friend? Why is it that when I am at the verge of doing wrong and I know the voice is egging me on, I chose to listen to it rather than to what I know is right?

Writing it out helps. After all, if together we don’t write about the wrong that is done to us and we don’t expose deceivers, how will we recognize them the next time they dare cross our paths?

O mankind! do your duty to your Lord, and fear (the coming of) a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father. Verily, the promise of Allah is true: let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the Chief Deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allah.(Qur’an 31:33)

]]> http://duskanddawn.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/deception/feed/ 3 Ameera Deception Satan's Deception http://duskanddawn.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/breakfast-at-dawn-or-not/ http://duskanddawn.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/breakfast-at-dawn-or-not/#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:52:22 +0000 Ameera http://duskanddawn.wordpress.com/?p=622 ]]>

Imagine boarding an airplane at 6:30 am to take a ninety-minute trip across the country. It’s just about sunrise and you vaguely wonder what the catering trolley will serve for breakfast. I’d probably even wonder whether they’d offer a choice between omlette and bread crumb-dipped potato rolls and what I’d choose. As the airplane takes off and gains height, you’ve finally found a comfortable spot in your seat and have just begun to flip through the in-flight program menu when you see the air hostesses bring out their trolley.

“Aha! Better choose a good program to watch with the meal,” you think and quickly scan the menu.

Slowly but surely the trolley makes its ways down the isle and finally it’s your turn.

“Juice or soda, madam?”

Juice or soda?! Oh of course, it’s only the first round – how stupid could I be? They don’t serve the meal directly, it’s always a drink first, especially in decent airlines.

Choosing a fizzy orange drink, you settle back into your seat. Rumble…rumble… no, it wasn’t the airplane (Alhumdolillah!), it was your tummy asking for breakfast as the sun climbed up the sky.

Fifteen minutes later, the trolley comes by again and this time, you’re ready to receive your tray. The air hostess smiles down at you, extends her hand and… hands you a shiny little fluffed up packet of potato chips! What?!

“Uh, no thank you,” you smile politely, only partially hiding your surprise and also wondering how the airline got the idea of serving juice and potato chips before breakfast.

“No, no, please, have some!” she insists, wearing a dazzling smile.

“I’ll just wait for breakfast,” you almost begin to say but stop, wondering how silly it would sound… as if you were a three-year old who needed a timely meal.

“Oh, ok,” says the air hostess in a chirpy tone and moves on.

Twenty minutes pass. Tick tock… tick tock… according to the flight status indicator, you’ve just completed more than half the journey and will be at your destination in another three-quarters of an hour.

Tick tock… tick tock. That’s not your wristwatch anymore… it’s your “tummy clock”, clocking the number of hours it has been since your last meal.

Lo and behold! The trolley arrives again. Forcing yourself to smile at the air hostess (the reward for patience is Paradise!) while inwardly shaking your head at the poor service, you look up.

“Would you like juice or soda, madam?”

“No thanks!” you blurt out, partly in shock and partly knowing, in some corner of your mind, that you’d known it would happen exactly like that.

The trolley moves on. Thirty minutes to touchdown and now, you’ve given up on breakfast altogether. Suddenly, you remember the half-finished packet of chocolate chip cookies in your purse, rummage for them and quickly down them, wondering how they’d have tasted with a piping hot cup of delicious tea. Just as you are busy brushing off a wayward crumb from your dress…

“Tea, madam?”

The trolley’s back again! But you’re trained now. You shake your head, mumble a “no, thanks!” and busy yourself deleting off all the useless messages in your mobile inbox.

Somebody in the row ahead of you impatiently asks for a customer comment card. Then there’s another one asking for the same. You smile. Some people air their views directly to the air hostesses  who point out they are only employees, following the company policy. Someone asks for the airfare to be reduced if the service is to remain poor. Suddenly, breakfast at dawn is the center-point of the criticism.

“Ha! So I’m not insane for asking for breakfast!” you smile with satisfaction, your ego partly satiated.

Rumble… of course, your tummy’s still hungry. Maybe the airport pastry shop still serves those delicious eclairs… what flavor topping should one choose? Chocolate or strawberry?

—————————————————

The story above is actually based on a very real, extremely similar episode, recently witnessed by a reader on this blog, Sammy, on a domestic flight in Pakistan, aboard one of the newer and supposedly better airlines. This just goes to show, new isn’t necessarily the best!

On and the chips served were Lays potato chips… to every passenger, young and old. Fascinatingly low, isn’t it?

So there I was, heading home from college in a rickshaw, trying desperately to hold on to my seat and also retain possession of my bag while the dupatta on my head was flying about, despite a safety pin to secure it in place. What else should happen just then other than that a motorcycle passes by and the person seated behind the driver turns his face a full one hundred and sixty degrees to stare at the “girl in the rickshaw”. One glance and he’s on to next car or rickshaw in the vicinity, confirming the fact that silly men continue to stare at even modestly dressed or covered women.

“Ha! Let’s make things difficult for you!” I thought and lightly draped one end of my dupatta across the lower half of my face, just enough to make me feel momentarily comfortable with the new set up. However, it got me thinking along some comical lines… benefits of the face veil. In the rocking rickshaw, I jotted down a few points I came up with and here I’m sharing them with you. Please know this is not at all a proper article about the plus points of the Niqaab but it’s simply light hearted stuff to share.

1. You friend says something that angers you and you make a rude face. Your friend spots the expression and is hurt or retorts angrily in return… oops, major problems in the long run. But for a Niqaabi, you can never see their whole facial expression except the widening or narrowing of their eyes, which of course could be attributed to the sun shining brightly, etc. I tell you, it’s not a joke, I’ve noticed this with some friends and really… my expressions can turn off people but theirs’, no way, they are “naturally immune” to that problem.
2. You can chew gum in class without the teacher noticing.
3. You missed breakfast but you can chomp on anything in class if you keep side-way jaw movements minimized.
4. You can yawn in class out of total boredom without the teacher noticing.
5. A large, totally embarrassing pimple appears on the tip of your nose but you have to go to college or your job – no problem for the Niqaabi!
6. Everyone’s concerned about catching Flu virus version 2.0 and scrabbling to buy funny masks while the Niqaabi just looks on amusedly.
7. Something stinks! Yeah it does but only you can smell it… your Niqaabi friend’s protected.

Add more, be totally creative and come with suggestions better than the ones I’ve put up! I’m looking forward to it! =D

It was a beautiful Eid morning here in Karachi, Alhamdulillah. Of course, Eid is always something special but this year, I was blessed with so many more reasons to enjoy not only my Ramadan but also Eid, Alhamdulillah. I’d never gone for Eid prayers in my life, not even when we were in Saudi Arabia all those years and ever since I’d learned how important they were, I really wanted to attend them. Year after year, something would come up, one reason or the other and I couldn’t go.

In our extended family, it’s quite unheard of for ladies to go for prayer to masajid anyway, let alone offering the Eid prayer. Cultural traditions always took precedence over the Sunnah (people don’t know much about the Sunnah way to spend Eid anyway [see end of post for references]) so that the womenfolk believed staying home and laying out the breakfast was the only thing they were supposed to do, until the gents and young boys come home to greet them.

Of course, Allah’s Messenger (saw) was sent to show us the most excellent way to go about out daily lives and how could he not tell us about our Eid? He explicitly stated that all Muslims must come out to the Eid gathering so that they may witness the joyful meeting of Muslims. Even woman who were not able to pray (due to menses) were to come and take part, except that they wouldn’t stand for the actual prayer.

A day or two before Eid, I launched phase one of the Eid prayer project: Drop hints!
“Hey, I was wondering if we could maybe, perhaps, possibly venture out for Eid prayers this time?”
“Y’know, if we iron our clothes at night, we could actually be dressed and ready to perhaps join Abba (father) for Eid prayers!”
“A lot of ladies go to Eid prayer, it’s highly, highly recommended!”

And of course, asking Allah(swt) to be able to go was of absolute importance.

From my family, the reaction was mixed. My mother was non-committing, my sisters not very enthusiastic. As for my father, I knew he’d say ‘yes’ the moment I even hinted at going so that wasn’t a problem thankfully!

Phase two, marked by active campaigning to the point of being somewhat of a nuisance (that was a risk I was willing to take, having garnered some hope from phase one), was launched on the night of Eid after the moon was sighted. My parents were busy somewhere that night and couldn’t come home until around past 12 am. Although I kept telling my sisters we’d go for Eid prayers and that they should be ready, I was giving up hope, believing my mother would definitely tip towards ‘no way’ if she didn’t get to sleep enough… and the preparations that needed to be done! Well, I grabbed hold of some kitchen work that Amma needed to do when she got home and was finishing up just as she arrived. Yaaaay! Not only did it cut down her work substantially, she became so happy with it that I pushed my ‘Eid prayer’ case even further.

Well, the signs were really positive now, Alhumdolillah! I shifted gears and went a little giddy with excitement, egged on by a sister’s grumblings about how I was acting all ‘goody goody and sickly sweet’ but hey, that’s me!  So there we went, ironing like crazy… another sister even ironed my mother’s clothes quickly(making her even happier!)… starched and ironed my father’s kurta and we all shot off to bed. Three-and-a-half hours later, we were up and bathing, dressing for the Eid prayer!

It was so exciting, I can hardly describe the feeling. After quickly having something sweet, as is the Sunnah way, we drove to a masjid that’s part of a Qur’an learning and propagating institution. Well, of course it was a beautiful morning, Alhumdolillah! It was an experience itself to see people going off to different prayer areas, mostly men and boys of all ages, dressed in starched kurtas of different colors and wearing white prayer caps too.

In the masjid, few ladies had arrived in the ladies area at that time, as we were early. We came across a cleaning lady vacuuming a carpet and I was glad to see she was wearing lovely new clothes too. There was a waaz (sermon) before the Eid prayer and when it began, I knew for sure there’s no better way to spend Eid morning than in that setting, listening to the Ayaat (verses) of Allah and the relevant Hadith, filling up with gratitude to Allah(swt), praising Him and seeking His forgiveness for ourselves. The Imam has been blessed with Hikmah, Mashaa’Allah, because he was considerate and understanding regarding the length of his sermon and very concise in his speech. He revised the method of Eid prayer for the congregation until it was clear to everyone. He also spent a few minutes making sure all the prayer rows were in order, all the while mentioning why it was necessary that some time be spent on this important aspect of congregational prayer.

We then offered the Eid prayer behind the Imam – I couldn’t believe I was actually getting the opportunity and really it was a station of humility for me just then… when Allah(swt) accepts His slave’s dua, it shows how His slaves are really at His Mercy and in need of all that He bestows upon them. Also, we are not such that we deserve even an iota of what Allah(swt) grants us, so whatever comes our way, even after we ask for it, is a great, great honour and not “what I should have been granted long ago!” or “it’s about time now!”. SubhanAllah!

After the Eid prayer, there was the traditional Eid khutbah (address) where the Imam generally touched on similar points as in the waaz earlier. The khutbah was in Arabic exclusively, as is the prescribed way but, Alhumdolillah, with all the experience from Towards The Light , I can now understand enough Arabic to be able to follow short talks like the khutbah quite easily all the way to the end. That’s another great blessing to be thankful for.

The Imam made a long prayer, praising Allah(swt), asking for His forgiveness for mistakes and sins as well praying for the betterment of the Muslims’ situation worldwide. It was like in Hajj… being united with the Muslims all over the world, each praying for his fellow-Muslim, wherever he may be.

After the khutbah, people started exiting the masjid and I got the chance to see the vast assembly that had come in. Cute little girls and boys, dressed in brightly colored clothes, even babies, all there with their families. It was heartwarming, really. We met up with some relatives outside too, men only of course, who must have been surprised to see us girls, heheh! The sun was shining bright but there was a light breeze too… perfectly in tune with how I felt… excited yet calm and happy altogether! Alhumdolillah. I think my family enjoyed it a lot too though, especially after my maternal uncle invited us for a quick breakfast at his home nearby.

There was such a lot of goodwill and joy in the air. I mean, where was I all this while, missing such joy and exhilaration on Eid mornings? We’d just sleepily dress and set the table, waiting for our father to come home and then, after breakfast, watch some TV or something. No way! Not anymore InshAllah! I’ve dropped hints for next Eid already… why settle for a crumb when you can have a great big chunk of the cake?

References:

Eid prayer for women

Is it better for woman to go out to the Eid prayers or to stay at home?

“And when you (Muhammad SAW) see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Qur’ân) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaitân (Satan) causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the wrongdoers.” (Quran 6:68)

“And when they hear Al­Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk), they withdraw from it and say: “To us our deeds, and to you your deeds. Peace be to you. We seek not the ignorant.” (Quran 28:55)

“And those who do not witness falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity.” (Quran 25:72)

In recent days and even years, I’ve thought a lot about the right way to deal with particular situations that I face often. It’s about incessant arguments and heated debates between “Muslims” who have very little, not even the basic knowledge about their own Deen (and by choice, not because they did not have an opportunity to learn). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about people who’re unaware of the right Islamic teachings but those who enjoy picking out what they see as “flaws” in Islam and then debate them in unbecoming ways, with an attitude that aims to push you into a corner under a barrage of allegations. This is a small group of society that is determined to not only abandon its faith but also demean it and those who are adhering to it.

The topic of the debate is usually some incident in Islamic history or some practise of Islam – there sounds the bell and the wrestling match begins! Perosnal views, long held beliefs, guesses and even incredulous, exaggerated and fabricated remarks are all pitched against one another. One round ends only to signal the start of another round. No personality, no character is spared an attack but you won’t see angry mobs out protesting against this because, of course, these are Muslims conversing and then again, in the comfort and privacy of their drawing rooms. Yes, a “drawing room” discussion and we all know what that’s about!

Shocking and painful as these discussions are, to hear such ignorance and careless regard for Allah’s Deen being discussed in a pseudo-intellectual way, under the guise of a good cause – “pondering and increasing knowledge” – yeah, right! Please spare me! Asr and then Maghrib time come and go by but the questions ”What is the concept of prayer in the Quran? Is it meditation? How do we do it? And what are the exact timings?” are not settled.

Initially, I used to sit in and share what I knew from the Quran and Sunnah, wondering how grown-ups could know so less about so simple matters. However, what I heard in those discussions shocked my ears and twisted my insides  in disgust - some of the things I can never repeat, such wild and senseless character assassinations those were, sparing not even the family and being of Prophet(pbuh) whom Allah(swt) Himself describes as being  ”upon the highest standards of character.” (Quran 68:4)

Sa`d bin Hisham asked `A’ishah about the character of the Messenger of Allah , so she replied: `Have you not read the Qur’an?’ Sa`d said: `Of course.’ Then she said: `Verily, the character of the Messenger of Allah was the Qur’an.’ (Saheeh Muslim)

The only reason I sat there was to somehow introduce the real facts into the discussions but I learned my lesson after a long, long period of time. The very intent of these discussions, to dissect and question every command that Allah(swt) gives in the Quran, to twist Islam into what they want for themsevles rather than what Allah(swt) wanted… it showed the futility of the whole exercise in the name of “pondering and reflecting”. A Muslim submits – Islam means submission to Allah(swt)’s Will and finding peace through that - not pitching a whining question -”but why this way, Allah? Why? Why? Why?” – at ever command!

So, initially, I sat with them but later, I started to realize it was not the right way of utilizing my time. “You should counter them if you believe you have the answers,” one could say but really, a Muslim’s job is not to sit down with fellow Muslims who cannot find the humility to bend their ego before Allah(swt), and then point out to them the obvious. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not being proud or anything but I speak from years of experience – sad memories – of being asked the question, “How do you know the Quran is authentic and unaltered? Besides, I can’t rely on these Maulvi people’s interpretations!” or “Perhaps even the Prophet went to idols? And you know what – I bet he did this and that too…” Astaghfirullah, I only quoted this to let you know the silliness of their arguments and why it was futile to be in such discussions. Will you not agree?

Later on, when I started moving, solely due to Allah(swt)’s guidance, from a being “Muslim by name” to a “Practising Muslim”, I too (or atleast my kind of people) became the subject of discussion. Then, it became quite personal and even more so, I was expected to answer their questions, just so they could refute me by brining in senseless arguments, with no evidence from the Quran or Sunnah. Of course, it was all under the seemingly harmless inquiry of “Did you read that verse in the Quran?” or “You know, Maulvi (a certain stereotype of a Muslim scholar) people do this and that?” Look at the way the question is framed, to make it seem as if they are genuinely interested in learning the right thing but let me tell you, it ends up with “Your idea of covering up is all wrong – there is no Hijab in the Quran” or “The five prayers have not been mentioned in the Quran! We need to interpret the Quran correctly” or even “Don’t talk to me about these Ahadith! I can’t stand it! We can interpret the Quran without all these made up stories!”

“Verily, those who dispute about the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, without any authority having come to them, there is nothing else in their breasts except pride [to accept you (Muhammad SAW) as a Messenger of Allâh and to obey you]. They will never have it (i.e. Prophethood which Allâh has bestowed upon you). So seek refuge in Allâh (O Muhammad SAW from the arrogants). Verily, it is He Who is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” (Quran 40:56)

I’ve now come to realize, Alhamdolillah I feel this is a tiny part of wisdom in Deen that I have gained, that it is not an obligation on me to refute such arguments. It is a waste of time and energy when I could be doing better things for Islam. The best way to counter this, after knowing it to be false and vain talk, is to increase the efforts to spread Allah(swt’s) Deen, enlighten those who have the sincere yearning and desire to learn the Truth and thus, achieve something. Allah(swt) has commanded us to invite to His way and to advise others to good while admonishing them against evil in a decent way.

“Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islâm), enjoining Al-Ma’rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful.” (Quran 3:104)

This realization has brought peace to me. I do not feel guilty about not refuting every single “argument” brought forth by people, just as an excuse to cover up their own lackings in Salah, etc. When someone raises a question and I know, through experience or instinct, that the intent is not good, I avoid the discussion or move out of the area for a while, so that I would not have to hear those ignorant exchanges. It pains me when Allah(swt)’s simple Deen is ridiculed with such abandon, without fear that they will face up to Allah(swt) one terrible Day and He will ask us all, “Well, what did you do?” What will we answer when He asks us about our Salah? And when He asks us upon what basis did we ridicule His Messenger (saw) whose words and deeds, preserved in the Sunnah (by Allah(swt)) were supposed to be our guide?

Recently, my new resolve was put to test several times, such as…

“We still haven’t defined Allah – first tell me what is the definition of Allah!”

There was much worse but I cannot quote it here for the sake of decency. Alhamdolillah, even though it was as painful as ever, I was able to end the discussion quickly or go away for a while, until the topic was changed (as Allah(swt) commands). I tried to shut out the sad feelings, pray for their guidance and go on to listen to some Islamic talk online or listen to the Quran. I’ve also learned, through Islamic sources, that the right thing to do is to spend more time with pious, Allah-conscious Muslims and try to strengthen Imaan together while restricting meetings of the wrong sort, where Allah(swt)’s commands are ridiculed, to a bare minimum or at least, keep them at a level where I can interact with them in a good way (such as short visits, etc.).

Perhaps you have found yourself in such situations too but were unsure of what to do. In that case, I hope what I have concluded will benefit you as well. If you have got more to share, please leave a comment – I might benefit from your knowledge InshAllah. It would be great if you gave the reference to an Ayah or Hadith, as appropriate. I’m sure this is not the last time I shall write about this, but for now, I’ve said enough. I leave you with powerful words, may Allah guide us to Him…

“Shall We then treat the (submitting) Muslims like the Mujrimûn (criminals, polytheists and disbelievers, etc.)? What is the matter with you? How judge you? Or have you a Book through which you learn. That you shall have all that you choose? Or you have oaths from Us, reaching to the Day of Resurrection that yours will be what you judge.
Ask them, which of them will stand surety for that! Or have they “partners”? Then let them bring their “partners” if they are truthful! (Remember) the Day when the ‘Shin’ shall be laid bare (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) and they shall be called to prostrate (to Allâh), but they (hypocrites) shall not be able to do so.
Their eyes will be cast down, ignominy will cover them; they used to be called to prostrate (offer prayers), while they were healthy and good (in the life of the world, but they did not). Then leave Me Alone with such as belie this Qur’ân. We shall punish them gradually from directions they perceive not. And I will grant them a respite. Verily, My Plan is strong.” (Quran 68:35-45)

This talk was given last year and was highly acclaimed and InshAllah, this year on August 17th, Muhammad Al Shareef is presenting another highly anticipated talk live, titled “The Fasting and the Furious”. I got a chance to watch/listen to “Towards An Outstanding Ramadan” on Youtube today and decided to share some notes I took down as I listened. Here we go:

• When Allah(swt) gives the command to fast, the ayah begins with “O you who believe…” - this is always important to note, as either a) some good will be highlighted for you to do, or b) you will be warned about some harm that may come to you for a certain act.
• Various religions today have some remnant of fasting, modified from the original fast but only Islam has the original method of fasting preserved through centuries. SubhanAllah!
• What is your goal for Ramadan? It is illogical not to have a goal – like a traveller who would turn up at the airport without knowing the destination he wanted to travel to!
• Imagine Ramadan as a “marathon”. There are some who are just spectators at the start and finish lines (likened to those who just worship at the start and end of Ramadan). In the middle are the participants who’re putting in all the effort to win the race, from the start to the finish, likened to those who do Ibadah throughout, consistently.
• Ramadan is the month of feeding people – giving charity, cooking food for the needy. It is not about about eating more ourselves or attending dinner parties where we stuff ourselves with food.
• We have lots of excuses for not being regular in prayers or not waking for Fajr or being unable to control anger throughout the year. In Ramadan, we are able to do many of these things – there is no substance in “excuses” then – we are only lying to our ownselves.
• Ramadan is a time to build up Taqwa. There are only two instances in Islam where Halal things are temporarily denied for us – in the Hajj (eg: cutting hair) and during Ramadan (eg: not having food while fasting) – why? It is to…
  - recognize the blessings we have and
  - to train the body to avoid what is Haram
  This is training for after Ramadan!
• The Imam of a masjid is the person to look to – he leads the prayers throughout the day, is not able to attend iftaar parties that are far away as he has to be in the masjid. What about the people who come to the masjid? Very easily, they cite an iftaar party far away from the masjid as the excuse for missing Taraweeh.
• The Imam cannot eat much at Iftaar as he has to lead Maghrib and Isha, then Taraweeh while the people stuff themselves with food and then are late for Taraweeh.
• We have forgotten past Ramadan that we spent but is there any time that we particularly remember? Usually, it has something to do with offering Taraweeh regularly and with concentration – it makes Ramadan unforgettable!
• Ramadan makes us disciplined – why not continue after Ramadan?
• Make your intention now – do not be like the traveller who shows up at the airport and does not know his destination.

“O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn.” (2:183)

Ramadan is fast approaching and I’ve been spending the past few days trying to get that into my head – it’s time to pick up the pace and prepare for Ramadan in the right way. I’ve still got under two weeks of vacation to go before college starts again so this is a golden opportunity to spend more time reading or listening to the Quran, audio lectures on various subjects and organizing other tasks. Every year, I enter Ramadan with a lot of excitement and zeal, only to slack off very early and this time, I’m hoping that preparing myself early on will protect me from going off track later on. Besides, every time we get to experience this amazing month, it’s a huge blessing from Allah(swt) – how many people have passed away during this year after the last Ramadan?

Allah(swt) commands us to fast and then tells us that the purpose of fasting is to become Muttaqoon – those who have Taqwa. Taqwa means piety or being conscious of Allah(swt), avoiding sin out of that awareness and happily doing good deeds for His Pleasure. When you think about it, does everyone who fast become such a kind of person or even close to it at the end of Ramadan? Everyone can analyse their ownselves here. If the answer is ‘no’ or something like that, we’ve missed the whole point of fasting. Sadly, that’s what we’re doing every passing year – not all of us, but many – and that’s why Ramadan’s coming and going makes no positive difference, may Allah forgive us!

Part of the reason for such a tragedy is that we don’t prepare for Ramadan at all. Washing your face and sitting down at the table for Suhoor on the first day of Ramadan is not what preparing for Ramadan is about. Checking out the Iftaar deals in your favorite restaurants is not preparation either. Fasting is for the pleasure of Allah(swt) and to strive to become more righteous in our relationship to Him and to His creation so that’s what our preparation should be about. But how does one prepare the soul and body for that?

Preparing the soul:

(Preparing the body is pretty useless without focusing on the soul)

• Read more Quran than in usual days, reflect and ponder upon it’s meaning
• Listen to Quran audio tapes or mp3 on your ipods, car CD players, etc. by your favorite Qari
• Read inspiring books geared at cleansing yourself of wrong characteristics, such as “The Ideal Muslim” and “The Ideal Muslimah” by Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi
• Try to develop a routine that you can carry into Ramadan – such as one juz of the Quran recited after Asar prayer everday
• Try to offer your prayers in the golden timings – immediately after the Adhaan (except Ish’aa which is preferably delayed an hour or two)
• Become more conscious of all the wrong you’re doing as Ramadan is the time to work off those habits
• Keep a close check on the words you’re uttering, your relationship with your parents and other people close to you
• In the days leading up to Ramadan, try to wake up for Tahajjud if you don’t do that already

Preparing the body:

• Eat a little less than usual if you’re not already on the way of the Sunnah (that is, keeping only one-third of the stomach for food, one-third for water and one-third empty)
• Try to cut down on your sleeping hours to put in more time for Ibadah in Ramadan
• Something I’d like to do is take this opportunity to give up one bad eating habits (at least) this Ramadan, like giving up certain ‘junk’ foods InshAllah
• Try and go without food for six hours at least between meals, to prepare the body metabolism to adapt to the change

That’s what I can share right now. I’ve got to apply it all on myself first InshAllah. I really, really, really hope you all have an outstanding Ramadan InshAllah that strengthens the soul, liberating us from all the shackles that hold us back from worshipping our Lord and then carry that on throughout the year… Ameen!

Wassalam!

“And I (Allâh) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me.“ (Quran 51:56)