The Everyday Heroine.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

When many people think of Egypt, they think of the great, historical monuments: the iconic Sphinx, the awe-inspiring pyramids, the enduring flow of the Nile that has nourished the banks of this desert land for thousands of years.

Others think of Egypt's impressive Islamic history: the mosques and madrassahs of the Mamluks, the ancient Islamic section of Old Cairo and the great fort built by Salahuddin himself.

In this land, many mighty heroes have risen and fallen, as they have all over the world. But the hero that I wish to celebrate here is of a much humbler kind.

She is the woman who looks at the world around her with an alert eye and open heart. Where others see catastrophe, she sees opportunity; where others sense only despair, she senses hope; where others throw their hands up, she rolls up her sleeves.

This is the everyday heroine who makes a satisfying, nutritious meal for her family from the simplest ingredients every night, who knows how to cure a sore throat with the contents of her store-cupboard, who knows how to make a child feel like the champion of the world for learning how to spell the world 'beautiful'.

This is the everyday heroine who juggles pregnancy, weaning, learning Surah al-Fatihah and advice on dealing with peer pressure.

This is the everyday heroine who always has time to listen, knows when to talk and when to remain silent.

This is the everyday heroine who sets up a recycling group in her local area, who hosts coffee mornings for new Muslims, who volunteers at a local charity, who lifts up her child so that he can put 5p in the collection box.

This heroine will never make a Power List in any of the broadsheets. She will not be shortlisted for an award, nor will she be granted a medal for her achievements.

But in the eyes of Allah and those who know and love her, she is a hero every single day of the year.

May Allah reward all you heroines out there, every single one of you. Long may you rise every morning to be a hero to your families, your friends and your local community.

May Allah grant you sincerity and accept your righteous actions. May He bless your time and aid you in your cause.

And, if you happen to know one of these heroines, do me a favour: make dua that Allah accepts her work and lightens her load - then tell her how much you appreciate her, maybe even with a card or flowers. 

Chances are, you will make her day, Insha Allah.

With love and salaam to all the wonderful heroines I have met and continue to meet on this amazing journey called life.

(Na'ima B. Robert)

I found the above article in an old magazine yesterday and wanted to share it with all of you. May we all strive to become and to raise everyday heroines - Ameen.

Wasalaam!

Wisdom from my Teachers {Part 1}

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Unity and love, coming together, staying together and helping one another. This is very important so that we can help, encourage and inspire one another to enjoin good and forbid wrong. 

This is our responsibility.

Our religion is not a religion of selfishness. Our religion is a religion of helping and caring, having mercy and being compassionate to each other. The more we do this, the more Allah will help us.

When a group comes together, helping one another and when they are united, then Allah will make decisions of mercy, goodness, blessings and peace for this group.

Allah helps His servant so long as the servant helps his brother.

The most important thing is that we have to stay united.

Life is too short to hate one another. Life is too short to have jealousy in our hearts for someone else. 

It's not worth it.

Wasalaam!

3 Weeks Before Ramadan: "Night Prayer and Charity Week"

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Things To Do 3 Weeks Before Ramadan:

1. If one of your weak points is getting up for Fajr, now is the time to get this right by going to bed early and setting the alarm for Fajr time.

2. Start to pray Qiyam-ul-Layl after Isha. (2 rakats minimum after the Isha prayer).

3. Start getting up for Tahajjud; you only need to wake up half an hour before you normally would for Fajr. (2 rakats minimum before Fajr time begins.)

4. Agree with a friend or family member to wake each other up for Tahajjud.

5. Think of ways you can benefit your community and the Ummah with charitable acts. Be imaginative, try and involve as many people as you can and remember that even the smallest act of kindness counts as charity.

Wasalaam!

Make Every Day a New Beginning

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Staying away from Allah, the Exalted, only brings bitter fruit. The gifts of intelligence, strength, beauty and knowledge will all turn to calamity and loss if they are kept away from the guidance of Allah, the Exalted, and deprived of His blessings.

It is for this reason that Allah has warned people of the consequences of staying away from Him.

If you are walking down the street and a car comes towards you at high speed and you feel it will hit you and kill you, you have no choice but to act quickly and try to get away.

Allah wants to warn His slaves that they face a similar kind of destruction if they turn away from Him, so He urges them to seek safety with Him alone:

So flee to Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner.

And do not make (as equal) with Allah another deity. I am to you from Him a clear warner.

(Surah Adh-Dhariyat, Verses 50 and 51)

Turning to Allah requires a person to:

1. Renew herself

2. Reorganize her life

3. Develop a better relationship with her Lord

4. Do better deeds

It is the start of a new covenant and way of life that is summed up in the following dua:

O Allah, you are my Lord and there is no god but You. You created me and I am your slave. And I am trying my best to keep my oath (of faith) to You and to live in the hope of Your promise.

I seek refuge in You from my greatest evil deeds. I acknowledge Your blessings upon me and I acknowledge my sins. 

So forgive me, for none but You can forgive sins.

Allah says: "I am as My servant thinks I am".

Wasalaam!

Put Things Into Perspective

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Sometimes we all need to step back. Take a look at the bigger picture. Face our reality head on. Sometimes we need to put things into perspective.

We're all guilty of it, now and again. Getting too engrossed in matters of this world, and forgetting our own impending reality.

And, then something happens that brings us all crashing back down to earth. 

It could be the death of a loved one, a family friend, or just someone in the community. 

But what it really is, is a reminder from your Creator. Reminding you of who you are and where you will end up. Reminding you to put things into perspective.

This world is important - but to a limit. Our families, jobs, education are important - but to a limit.

We need to make sure that these good things aren't getting in the way of our relationship with our Creator. Because if they are, then they're not good things anymore.

We need to remove all the negative people and influences from our lives and focus on that which is positive and blessed. 

Look around at the mercy and bounty of Allah that He has blessed you with. The house in which you live, the gardens which will soon flourish in the coming spring, the beautiful land all around.

Sometimes we tend to get so bogged down with things, we forget to look at the blessings that are all around us. We become ungrateful to Allah, Who has blessed us in so many ways.

Keep me in your duas, please,

Wasalaam!

Keep Busy with the Present, Rather than the Past or Future

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

What is the point of slapping your cheeks or tearing your garment in sorrow over something you missed or some calamity that befell you?

What is the point in focusing your thoughts and feelings on some incident that has passed so as to increase your pain and make you fall apart?

If it were possible to reach into the past and change its events which we did not like, and alter them the way we like, then going back to the past would be essential.

We would all rush to go back and erase the things we regretted doing and increase our share of good fortune.

But that is impossible, so it is better for us to focus our efforts on what will help us get on with our lives, for that is our only means of compensation.

This is what the Quran drew attention to after Uhud (a battle named after a mountain in Madinah), when Allah said to those who were weeping for the slain and regretting going out in the battlefield:

Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death" ..

(Surah Aale Imraan - Verse 154)

Be patient to be victorious.

Wasalaam!

Be Cheerful at Heart

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Look at life with a spirit of love and optimism, for life is a gift from Allah to us. So accept this gift from the One, take it with joy and embrace the morning with its glow, and the night with its quietness, and the day with its brightness.

Drink this fresh water with gratitude, breathe the fresh air with joy, smell the roses and glorify Allah. Think about the universe and learn from it, make use of the blessed gift of land, the beautiful flowers, the sweet air, the delights of the garden, the warmth of the sun, the light of the moon.

Let these blessings motivate you to obey Allah, the Exalted, give thanks to Him and praise Him for His blessings and bounty. 

Do not let worry and distress prevent you from seeing these blessings or make you ungrateful; rather, remember that the Creator and Provider has only created these blessings as a means to help you obey Him, and He says:

O you Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibat (all kinds of Halal foods) and do righteous deeds ..

(Surah Al-Muminoon, Verse 51)

The most sincere generosity comes from those who do not have anything but recognize the value of a kind word and a smile. How many people give, but it is as if they are giving a slap.

Wasalaam!

La Hawla wa la Quwwata illa Billah

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

A young man was jailed and his mother had no one else but him. She could not sleep and distress took hold of her completely. She wept until she could weep no more, then Allah guided her to say, La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (There is no power and no strength except with Allah).

She repeated these great words, which are one of the treasures of Paradise, and only a few days after she had despaired of her son ever coming out of jail, he was knocking at the door and she was filled with joy. Such is the reward of one who puts her trust in Allah, calls upon Him constantly and delegates all her affairs to Him.

So you should recite this dhikr, La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, for these great words are the secret of happiness and success. Recite them a great deal, chase away the specters of grief and distress with them, and receive the glad tidings that Allah will soon grant you happiness and a way out.

Beware of losing hope or becoming frustrated, for there is no hardship but it is followed by ease. This is how it has always been, and always will be.

Think positively of Allah, the Exalted, and put your trust in Him; seek that which is with Him, and wait for a way out.

Wasalaam!

Accept the Blessing and Make the Most of It

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Make the most of the blessings of Allah, give thanks to Him and obey Him. Enjoy the water that you drink and use for wudhu. Enjoy the warmth and light of the sun, and the light and beauty of the moon.

Pick fruit from the trees, drink your fill from the rivers, look at the ocean, walk through the fields, and give thanks to Allah, the Almighty, Oft-Forgiving, the Sovereign and Subduer.

Make use of these blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you, and beware of denying these blessings.

They recognize the Grace of Allah, yet they deny it ..

(Surah An-Nahl, Verse 83)

Before you look at the thorn of the rose, look at its beauty.

Before you complain about the heat of the sun, enjoy its light.

Before you complain about the blackness of the night, think of its peace and quiet.

Why look at things in such a pessimistic and negative manner? Why deny and change blessings?

Have you not seen those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief?

(Surah Ibrahim, Verse 28)

Take these blessings and accept them graciously, and praise Allah, the Almighty, All-Glorious, for them.

Wasalaam!

Living in a Hut with Faith is Better than Living in a Palace with Disbelief

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

A Muslim woman living in a hut, worshipping her Lord, offering her five daily prayers and fasting Ramadan, is happier than a woman who lives in a lofty palace with servants and all means of luxuries.

A believing woman living in a tent and eating barley bread and drinking water from an earthenware jar, who has her Quran and tasbeeh with her, is better off than a woman who lives in an ivory tower, in rooms furnished with velvet, but who does not know her Lord or follow her Prophet (saw).

You should understand the true meaning of happiness - it is not the narrow and distorted meaning that many people imagine.

Do you think that happiness is to be found in dollars and pounds, furnishings and clothing, food and drink, means of transportation?

Not at all.

Happiness is contentment in the heart, peace of mind, a sense of stability, joy in the heart, a righteous attitude, good behaviour and being content with what is sufficient.

Put your trust in the Ever-Living Who will never die.

Wasalaam!

Look at the Clouds and Not the Ground

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Be ambitious, keep climbing and always have hope. Beware of falling, and remember that life is minutes and seconds.

Be like the ant in hard work, patience and perseverance. Always keep trying, and keep repenting. If you go back to sin, then repent again.

Memorize the Quran, and if you forget it, go back and memorize it again and again. 

The main thing is that you should never feel defeated or frustrated, because rationally speaking there is no such thing as the last word or the bitter end, rather there is always trial and error, and learning from your mistakes.

Life is like a building that can be renovated and rebuilt from scratch, with new decor and paint. 

Do away with all thoughts of failure, and stop thinking of calamities and problems, for Allah, the Almighty, says in Surah Maaidah, Verse 23, 

"... and put your trust in Allah if you are indeed believers".

Giving up sin is jihad (fighting in Allah's cause), but persisting in it is stubbornness.

Allah loves those who repent and turn to Him.

Wasalaam!

Count the Blessings that Allah has Bestowed upon You

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

When morning comes, remember that the sun is shining upon thousands of miserable women, but you are blessed. It is shining on hundreds of hungry women, but you have plenty to eat.

It shines on thousands of women who are imprisoned, but you are free. It shines on thousands of women who have been stricken with calamity and lost their children, but you are happy and healthy.

How many tears flow down women's cheeks? How many mothers' hearts are filled with pain, how many screams come from girls' throats - but you are smiling and happy.

So praise Allah, the Exalted, for His kindness, protection and generosity.

Sit and think, and be honest with yourself; look at the numbers and statistics.

 How many things do you own? How much wealth do you possess? How many blessings do you enjoy? How many things do you have that bring you delight?

Beauty, wealth, children, shade, a home, a country, light, air, water, nourishment, medicine?

Rejoice and be of good cheer.

Wasalaam!

You Will Be a Winner In All Situations

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

You have to seek reward with Allah. If some worry, distress or grief befalls you, remember that it is an expiation for sin. 

If you lose one of your children, remember that he will intercede for you before Allah. If some disability or sickness befalls you, remember that it brings its own reward from Allah, which is preserved with Him.

Hunger, sickness and poverty all bring their own rewards from Allah. Nothing is ever lost with Him. 

He keeps it as a trust with Him until He gives it to its owner in the Hereafter.

Wasalaam!

You Are Better Off Than Millions of Women

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Think of the world as a whole, of the hospitals filled with patients who have been stricken with disease and calamity for many years; and the prisons in which thousands of people are held behind bars, their lives and pleasures ruined; and the asylums and hospitals which accomodate people who have lost their minds and have become insane.

Are there not poor people living in tattered tents and hovels, who cannot find a bite to eat? Are there not women who have been stricken with calamities that took away all their children in a single accident? Or women who have lost their sight or hearing, or whose arms or legs have been amputated, or who have lost their minds, or who have been stricken with chronic diseases such as cancer and the like?

But you are sound in body and in good health, living a life of tranquility, security and contentment. So, give thanks to Allah, the Exalted, All-Merciful, for His blessings and do not waste your time with things that are not pleasing to Him.

Wasalaam!

It is Sufficient Honour for You that You are a Muslim

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Everything that happens to you for the sake of Allah is an expiation for you, if Allah, the Exalted, wills. Hear the glad tidings narrated in the Hadith:

"If a woman obeys her Lord, offers her five daily prayers and preserves her honour, she will enter the Paradise of her Lord".

These are easy matters for the one for whom Allah makes them easy. So, by doing these great deeds, you will meet a Merciful Lord who will give you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.

Follow His laws no matter where that leads you, and adhere to the Book of Allah (the Quran), and the Sunnah of His Messenger Muhammad (saw), for you are a Muslim woman, and this is a great honour and source of pride. Other women were born in the lands of disbelief, Christians, Jews or something other than the religion of Islam, but Allah chose you to be a Muslim woman, and He made you one of the followers of Muhammad (saw), following in the footsteps of Aisha, Khadija and Fatima - may Allah be pleased with them all.

Congratulations, for you offer the five daily prayers, you fast in Ramadan, you go on pilgrimage to the House, and you observe Islamic hijaab. 

Congratulations, for you are pleased with Allah as your Lord, Islam as your religion, and Muhammad (saw) as your prophet.

Your gold is your religion, your adornment is your moral attitude, and your wealth is your good manners.

Wasalaam!

What is Alhamdulillah?

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

We are the people of Alhamdulillah.

 What does Alhamdulillah mean? It is two things:

1. That you thank Allah

2. Appreciation and praise is for Allah

Thanks and praise are two separate things. You can see a beautiful building, and you will praise it but you will not thank it. You will see a beautiful car, and you will praise it but you won't thank it. 

Sometimes the opposite happens. You may thank someone but you won't praise them. 

Allah says that the Muslim has to be grateful to his parents no matter what, even if his parents are not Muslim. Even if they want you to leave your faith, you still have to be grateful to them. You will not praise their shirk (non-belief), but you will still thank them. 

So, sometimes in life, you can have praise without thanks. And, sometimes in life, you can have thanks without praise.

 Another example of this is Firown. He raised the Prophet Musa (as) in his home. Many years later, Prophet Musa (as) came back to him, and Firown reminded him, saying, "Didn't you live many years here? Didn't we raise you as a newborn in this house?" He was reminding Prophet Musa (as) of his favour. And, obviously, when someone does you a favour, you owe them thanks. Prophet Musa (as) realised the favour, and he did thank him. He thanked Firown but he never ever praised him. 

When we say Alhamdulillah, then we are praising Allah for whatever He is doing, and we are also thanking Him for doing it. There are people of other religions who believe in God, but they don't have Alhamdulillah. Some Muslims don't understand Alhamdulillah. When we say it, we should be grateful from the bottom of our hearts. For all the things that are going wrong in your life, there are more things that are going right. There are so many other things that could be wrong with you. 

Being people of Alhamdulillah, we are constantly grateful and we are constantly positive. If we understood Alhamdulillah, we would never be depressed. A Muslim cannot be depressed. Muslims themselves complain about the state of the Muslims. Allah is the One who can change our circumstances. All we need to do is turn to Him and say Alhamdulillah, and be positive.

May Allah make us the sincere people of Alhamdulillah - Ameen!

Wasalaam!