Prophet Muhammad , "O followers of Muhammad! By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, #627]

For our mother

I get teary eyed in just reading your name
It's unbelievable that some look at you with disdain
When your beauty was the light of his eye
When you are the one who carried his words on your tongue
And his honor in your breath
Through you he never left
With you was his final rest

The Red One
The little black thing
The 3rd of many
The wife of a king
The brilliance of the blazing sun
Born in to the world knowing God is One
The daughter of the truthful
The daughter of the loyal

What is it about you that made him so in love?
What is it about you that made the angels come?
Being kept away from your physical space
Couldn't shoot down what I feel with every hadith you relate

I hope and pray for your widened grave
Ya Ayesha, Oh Umm Muminin
I will not die until they all know your grace

No god, but God

O God
There is no God but you
The living
The eternal
O God
There is no goal but you
The high
The great
O God
There is no better cause then your cause
O God
There are no better words
Then to praise you continuously
O God their is no greater gift
Then knowing you

Allow our souls to depart
And our spirits to reconnect with you
O God their is no better presence then yours
O Lord
Their is no worse fate then to be turned away

O God
Were humbled by you
Your might
Will overcome
Our weakness will be on display
Faces of hope
Faces of dismay

O God there is no God but you
The living
The eternal
The high
The great
The holder of time
The watcher of all
The hearing
The living
The self sufficient

O living
O eternal
There is no God but you

Marriage, slavery and freedom 24: 32- 33

And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they should be poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty, and Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.

But let them who find not [the means for] marriage abstain [from sexual relations] until Allah enriches them from His bounty. And those who seek a contract [for eventual emancipation] from among whom your right hands possess - then make a contract with them if you know there is within them goodness and give them from the wealth of Allah which He has given you. And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, if they desire chastity, to seek [thereby] the temporary interests of worldly life. And if someone should compel them, then indeed, Allah is [to them], after their compulsion, Forgiving and Merciful.

What good deeds?

“If you fear becoming deluded and impressed by your deeds then remember whose pleasure you are seeking, and the joy (paradise) in which you want to be, and what punishment you fear. Whoever thinks about these things will diminish his deeds.” – Imam Shafi’i

keep moving

Our strength is limited but Allah has unlimited Mercy, Love, Power,…. so have faith and move on, don’t lose hope as it will drain all our positive energy…put our great trust in Allah with ardent effort as we move on & try to develop positive self talk each day to gain self esteem, and stay close to those who are positive minded as we will be energized by their positive aura, and all our pressure will turn to pleasure inshaAllah..

“Oh my heart,
Don’t become discouraged so easily.
Have faith.
In the hidden world, there are many mysteries,
many wonders.
Even if the whole planet threatens your life,
don’t let go of the Beloved’s robe
for even a breath.”
~ Maulana Rumi

Surah Al-A'lâ, Sheikh Mishary

A promise to the foremost

And those Foremost (in Faith) will be Foremost (in the Hereafter). (10) These will be those Nearest to Allah: (11) In Gardens of Bliss: (12) A number of people from those of old (13) And a few from those of later times. (14) (They will be) on Thrones encrusted (with gold and precious stones). (15) Reclining on them facing each other. (16) Round about them will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness). (17) With goblets, (shining) beakers, and cups (filled) out of clear-flowing fountains: (18) No after-ache will they receive therefrom, nor will they suffer intoxication: (19) And with fruits, any that they may select; (20) And the flesh of fowls, any that they may desire. (21) And (there will be) Companions with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes-- (22) Like unto Pearls well-guarded. (23) A Reward for the Deeds of their past (Life). (24) No frivolity will they hear therein, nor any taint of ill― (25) Only the saying "Peace! Peace."

Covering

“Man in early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It’s the removal of clothes again that is regressive back to ancient times''- Noble (Peace Prize Winner) from Yemen, Tawakul Karman

Compensation and destruction

The messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"Everyday two angels come down from heaven and one of them says, 'O, Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your cause and the other says 'O Allah! Destroy every Miser.'
[Sahih Al Bukhari 2/ 1442]

Updated repost: Safa and Marwa

Oh my mother Hagar!
The wife of Ibrahim
Running and searching to fed your dying babe
In distress
Running out of breathe
Feeling helpless
And feeling weak

Taking your faith to every mountain
In search of water for your boy
Your dying boy
Oh how the angel took pity on you
Striking the ground and causing water to flow

Fed your babe
All alone in the desert
Wasting away

But it was not the wish of your husband
To cause you such cruelty
He could not even turn back to you
As you pleaded for a reason
His heart was soft
But their was someone he loved more then you
For Allah?, you asked
And he said yes

For Ibrahim loved unconditionally
More then anyone in the world
The one who created the heavens and earth

When Allah spoke to him, he listened
He tested repeatedly his most faithful servant
And in turn Ibrahim is a friend to Allah

And now my mother
We run like you run
Retracing your steps
Not with a babe in our arms
But with our hearts filled

Asking for mercy
Praying that a mere ritual
Will grant us a place in paradise

But for you Hagar, my sweet mother
My faithful mother
I pray for you, a place beside your husband
Where you'll wear gold and never be cold
And never have to run again

____________________________________

Current pictures of Safa and Marwa courtesy of Ibn Hanif,

http://lifenatureandme.blogspot.com/2011/11/recent-photos-of-al-safa-and-al-marwah.html

Misfortunes

‘Do not detest the misfortunes that befall you, for what you detest may be the cause of your salvation and what you like may be the cause of your ruin.’~ Hasan Al-Basri(may Allah ta’ala be pleased with him)

http://sidramushtaq.wordpress.com/category/hasan-al-basri/

God doesn't tire

‎"I swear by God, He does not tire of your deeds, rather it is you who become tired; and the best religious acts are those that the worshiper performs consistently"-Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

My Lord has sufficed me -Imam Al Haddad (translated to english)

My Lord’s knowledge has sufficed me

from asking or choosing
For my du’a and my agonising supplication

is a witness to my poverty.
For this secret (reason) I make supplication

in times of ease and times of difficulty
I am a slave whose pride

is in his poverty and obligation
———-
O my Lord and my King

You know my state
And what has settled in my heart

of agonies and preoccupations
Save me with a gentleness

from You, O Lord of Lords
Oh save me, Most Generous

before I run out of patience (with myself)
———-
O One who is swift in sending aid

I ask for aid that will arrive to me swiftly
It will defeat all difficulty

and it will bring all that I hope for
O Near One Who answers

and All-Knowing and All-Hearing
I have attained realisation through my incapacity,

my submission and my brokenness
———-
I am still standing by the door, so please my Lord

have mercy on my standing
And in the valley of generosity, I am in i’tikaf (solitary retreat) 

So, Allah, make my retreat here permanent
And I’m abiding by good opinion (of You)

For it is my friend and ally
And it is the one that sits by me and keeps me company

All day and night
———-
There is a need in my soul, O Allah

so please fulfill it, O Best of Fulfillers
And comfort my secret and my heart

from its burning and its shrapnel
In pleasure and in happiness
 and
as long as You are pleased with me
For joy and expansion is my state

and my motto and my cover

Surah Al-Lail

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

By the night enshrouding (1) And the day resplendent (2) And Him Who hath created male and female, (3) Lo! your effort is dispersed (toward divers ends). (4) As for him who giveth and is dutiful (toward Allah) (5) And believeth in goodness; (6)Surely We will ease his way unto the state of ease. (7) But as for him who hoardeth and deemeth himself independent, (8)And disbelieveth in goodness; (9) Surely We will ease his way unto adversity. (10) His riches will not save him when he perisheth. (11) Lo! Ours it is (to give) the guidance (12) And lo! unto Us belong the latter portion and the former. (13)Therefor have I warned you of the flaming Fire (14) Which only the most wretched must endure, (15) He who denieth and turneth away. (16) Far removed from it will be the righteous (17) Who giveth his wealth that he may grow (in goodness). (18) And none hath with him any favour for reward, (19) Except as seeking (to fulfil) the purpose of his Lord Most High. (20)He verily will be content. (21)

The light of Allah

They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.61. 8

Orphan Girls

'A'isha said that as for the words of Allah:

" If you fear that you would not be able to observe equity in case of orphan girls)," it was revealed in reference to a person who had an orphan girl (as his ward) and he was her guardian, and her heir, and she possessed property, but there was none to contend on her behalf except her ownself. And he (her guardian) did not give her in marriage because of her property and he tortured her and ill-treated her, it was in relation to her that (Allah said: )" If you fear that you would not be able to observe equity in case of orphan girls, then marry whom you like among women," i. e. whatever I have made lawful for you and leave her whom you are putting to torture.

Arabic reference: Book 57, Hadith 7715

English reference: Vol. 1, Book 43, Hadith 7158
sunnah.quran.com

Asalamu Alakum Dear friend,
Today, Insha Allah, instead of a poem or a quranic verse I want to give a reminder, to you and myself to set aside time today for God. Whether its reading Quran, making dua, dhikr, or simply thanking God for his continuos blessings in our life it is extremely important that we keep our connection to our Rabb (on top of our daily obligations, i.e. salah). Those of us who are Muslim are blessed in this world with the true message of God sent down from his prophets (peace be upon them all). For those of us who are not yet Muslim I urge you to set aside time today for you creator, God willing, he will soon point you in the right the direction.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be on our dear Prophet Muhammad and may we all look forward to meeting our Lord.
Your sister in islam, Nuriddeen bint Yusuf

Journey

It is a matter of certainty
That day will come
When none will matter but the One

And yet our aims are different
Each striving for success
Striving for happiness

Our aims will be unmet
When our hearts, our minds, and limbs forget

For were all traveling on a path
And we who would like to meet our Lord
will be met the same by him
And we who would spend every moment of breath denouncing his being
Will be before him with despondent souls
Begging God to go back home
Begging God for a second chance

For some -what we would do for just one glance!
For those who know
the hereafter is home
The present life is the time for growth

I beg of you
As I beg of me
Please don't be blind in this sea of illusion
Please bring your heart to this final conclusion
Where all going to meet our Rabb

Where all on the same journey
So why not hope to meet with him?
Why not face the afterlife hoping for his mercy?
May God bless us all, all of us on the journey

Sura Lail (The Night) Mishary Rashed Alafasy