Hikmatullaah - Al Hakeem: The Wisdom of Allah - The Wise

The situation of our sisters and brothers in Philistine has completely overwhelmed me… Across Saudi Arabia, sisters and brothers are sending awareness of the reality of the situation by informing others about companies, from the west, that need to be boycotted in every shape, manner and form. This is coupled with the active participation from university students, flocking together to donate countless of money towards their suffering families in Gaza.

I've contemplated this inconceivable reality during sleepless nights; reflected upon it; pondered over it; questioned... questioned... and questioned some more. My questioning is not of the situation, but rather of my own actions. ‘How am I, a supposed 'Muslim' behaving in the sight of Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'ala)?’ ‘What does my Lord, azza wa jal, want me to learn from this devastating situation, all of which is under His control?’ and ‘Am I really doing enough?’ As these questions continued to overflow, I suddenly remembered a very beautiful reminder I heard at a sisters' circle last week: situations occur as a means of testing people, thus though such events may not directly be linked to individuals, their final destination in the Aakhirah may very well depend upon it.

"When I wake up, I do not care what happens to me; whether it is good for me or bad for me, for I neither know whether it is good or bad. [And I trust in the decree of my Lord (Swt)]."

[A saying attributed to Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiAllahu anhu)]

As we continue to discuss this heartbreaking reality; make sincere du’a; collect countless of money in donations and shed heart-felt tears like never before, let us not forget... those that have passed us by - dying in the name of Islam have met their destiny, completed their tests and returned to Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta’ala)… For surely to Jannah are its inhabitants. The enemies have our Lord to answer to, their evil deeds to account for, Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta’ala) to face… And surely to Jahannam are its inhabitants.

For those of us that are left watching… reflecting… pondering … and questioning, let us be reminded that our Lord (Subhaanahu wa ta'ala) Sees and Knows ALL things. Thus, just as hardships may elevate a people and abase others, they are also an unequivocal means of testing others… those that are left behind.

"You may like a thing that is bad for you, and dislike a thing that is good for you, Allah Knows and you know not."

[Surah Al-Baqarah (2):216]

May Ar-Rahman aid the believers in passing this test by running to the aid of our sisters and brothers, as a means of seeking Allah’s pleasure, ameen.

Yaa Al-'Afuww shower Your forgiveness upon our sisters and brothers of Philistine, ameen. Yaa Rabbi grant them Your peace, security and refuge for truly You are As-Salam; Al-Muhaymin. Yaa Rabbi, grant our sisters and brothers refuge from Your Punishment, for verily You are Al-Jabbar. Yaa Al-Qadir, make for them a way out of their sufferings and deal with our enemies in the way that they deserve, ameen.

“Allahumma munzilal-kitaabi, saree’al-hisaab, ihzimil-ahzaaba. Allahumma ihzimhum wa zalzilhum”.

Ameen.

“Oh Allah, Revealer of the book, Swift to account, defeat the groups. O Allah defeat them and shake them”. Ameen [Imam Muslim(rahimahullah)]

Ameen Allahumma, ameen.

“Oh Allah You are Mightier than Your creation, there is none worthy of worship but You”. [Imam Bukhaari(rahimahullah)]

"Subhaanahka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ashadu alaa ilaha illa anta, wa astagfirooka wa atoobu ilayk."

"Glory be to You Oh Allah, I bear witness there is no god but You, and I seek Your Forgiveness and turn repentant to you."

The eyes may cry and the heart may feel sadness, but the tongue does not utter anything displeasing to Allah...

With du'a as our weapon and Al-Qawiyy (The Most Strong) as our Protector, who and what else could we possibly need? Alhamdulillah.

...Upon a sand-pebbled ground

A sharply chilled morning dawn, coupled with dusty particles eager to attach themselves to every sister's draping abaya (outer garment)... to many this might be the prelude for a not so attractive experience... however, for me, it was one to remember.

The build-up to the blessed three day 'Eid ul-Fitr celebrations were beautifully received, having been invited to a couple of iftaars, a reminder of the beauty of fasting in the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah (last month in the Islamic calendar). I couldn't help but feel he beauty of the approaching festival, though loving thoughts of my family across the ocean, lingered deeply in my mind. But, alhamdulillah, the fact that I knew I could just pick up the phone and hear their comforting voices subdued my overwhelming thoughts.

The sisters' iftaars I had the pleasure of attending was succeeded by a beautiful Istiraaha (gathered 'Eid celebration) on the Second day of 'Eid. A stunning garden boarded off by raised walls surrounding the area was the scene of the Istiraaha, scented with mouth-watering traditional Arab style dishes and an Asian style cuisine. Masha'Allah, the array of sisters from across the globe was a wonderful sight to see. Sisters from all backgrounds, in all shapes, forms and sizes decorated the open ground with their chosen 'Eid garments. Although I'm use to 'Eid dinners, gatherings and parties, this one had a slightly different feel to it... the sisters and children appeared so carefree, as though they didn't have a care in the world, masha'Allah - like many enjoying a unique lifestyle in the blessed city. And as much as the pre-'Eid iftaars and Istiraaha were beautiful to experience, one event, by far, was the highlight of my Saudi 'Eid experience...

Immediately following the Fajr salaah (dawn prayer) my sister and I proceeded to get ready for the 'Eid salaah. Now back in London, though my family and I would make it a habit to prepare ourselves straight after the dawn salaah - this was always with the aim of catching the first salaah, normally at 8:00am. So the thought that we'd be partaking in an 'Eid salaah as early as 6:30am... was a different experience to look forward to.

As we travelled to the prayer ground, my heart begun to race with excitement: I was about to experience the 'Eid prayer according to the sunnah (the way of the beloved Prophet - salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam), insha'Allah. Approaching the open musallah I observed a multitude of women, men and children making their way to the designated place of prayer. Unprepared for the temperature or the outdoor experience, my sister and I hastened to huddle up with a sister on her ground mat. The sharply chilled morning dawn air, coupled with dusty particles eager to speckle the garments of the worshippers, ironically soothed my soul. Here I was perched upon the ground mat of a 'stranger' - my sister-in-Islam - in a crispy chilled open-roof musallah, about to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and feet-to-feet with the purpose of uniting in the way of our Lord - our Beloved (Subhaanahu wa ta'ala). Fulfilling a recommended sunnah of the prophet (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) as a means of worshipping Allah - The Most High.

The sound of the Imam's voice - a reminder to straighten our lines and stand as close together as possible - indicated the salaah was about to begin. I glanced around, in hope of capturing 'a perfect' moment before losing it. My eyes took a quick glimpse of the ever-joyful children; the pleasantly plain and authentic walls of the musalla, the picturesque clear-blue sky and the beautifully covered all-in-black female worshippers perched... upon a sand-pebbled ground... Alhamdulillah - my moment had been captured.

Home, Sweet - Blessed Home

So… by the Grace of Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta’ala) it has happened… I’ve embarked upon a dream, one that appeared surreal, but which I held so dear to my heart. After years of preparing; nurturing and training my soul for its spiritual journey, my physical one has now begun... alhamdulillah.

The look on my sister’s face as I hugged and kissed her goodbye was enough to break me… and it did. As much as I had tried to suppress the tears, denying myself the right to release any emotion, there and then my attempt to ‘hold-strong’ suddenly burst forth, stubbornly refusing to withdraw. I knew what my leaving meant, but hadn’t really internalised its reality, until now. I was making hijrah, migrating for the sake of my Beloved (Subhaanahu wa ta’ala), to a land I had only ever dreamt about and marvelled at, but with deep-rooted love in my heart. The land of Tawheed – where I hoped to embark upon the next phase of my journey and to achieve what may not have been possible whilst remaining in the country I had always known as ‘home’.

And yet ironically, in my heart of hearts I knew there was another home… another place that I yearned to migrate to, longed to reside in and aspired to make a part of me… the home of the two sacred cities – where The country where the House of my Lord remained.

Departing from my beloved family and dear sisters and friends made me realise their true beauty and significance in my life. They have made me who I am and what I stand for. Allah (Swt) brought them to me and me to them for a purpose known only to Him (Swt) Alone. I am forever thankful for that, but only sorry that I hadn’t the wisdom to realise their worth long before. How often it is that we take for granted the blessing and jewels bestowed upon us, whether people or possessions, only to one day realise that the beauty of what we sought was all the while evident in what we had.

Those aspects of my life will remain apart of me and my continual journey, insha’Allah. So, as heartbreaking as it all was and as much as my eyes wept like a baby, this – my new life, new hopes and new aspirations - I never want to lose -insha'Allah.

As difficult as it was: leaving my loved ones, I knew, and took great comfort in the fact, that none of these things really mattered – not the people nor the possessions - for they were merely meant for Allah’s (Swt) Sake Alone: a means of seeking His (Swt) Pleasure, as an aid and guide to seeking nearness to my Lord (Swt).

So, as I settle and adjust to my new life, the words of my new companion resonates in my mind… ‘can you believe that after so many years… we’re finally home’.

SubhaanAllah, yaa ukht - I couldn’t have said it any better myself, wa- alhamdulillah.

"Every Cloud has a Silver Lining"

How many times have we experienced a situation and been quite unsure as to what course of action to take? Living every single day of our lives, performing every single action and experiencing every situation, requires careful thought and deep-rooted wisdom. It has often been the case, after plunging into a situation I viewed as 'minor', that the consequences resulted in something I could NEVER have possibly fathomed. Alhamdulillah. Thus, I stand by my experiences: there is no such thing as 'a meaningless situation' or 'an insignificant occurrence' . This our Lord informs us of, for there is great wisdom in all that is granted, great beautiful wisdom only known to Allah, The Most High.

In hindsight one may think, 'alhamdulillah, I now know why such and such took place' - but in actual fact - we most certainly do not. For wisdom, true incomparable wisdom belongs solely to our Beloved, Al-Hakeem - The Most Wise. We, dear readers, are only shown and only know what it is that Allah (Swt) allows.

It is not for us to try to solve the mysteries of our lives or our situations, for there may be times when we will stop and seriously ponder over matters and yet as much as we reflect, ponder and question, we may never know the real reason(s) why Allah (Swt) tested us in such a way. Does that mean that the situation is not one of goodness? No, rather, our train of thought, understanding and ability to truly accept that 'everything happens for a reason' needs to be deep-rooted in our hearts. For the actual 'reason' is the goodness - unknown to us, but always known to Allah (Swt). You see, the all too familiar 'every cloud has a silver lining' is our Lord's unfailing Promise:

"For indeed, after every hardship comes ease.

Indeed, after every hardship comes ease."

[Al-Inshirah (94): 5-6]

Thus, true belief, during times of great difficulty, is manifested through having patience; reliance and unwavering trust in The One Who - through His Magnificent Knowledge and Wisdom - enabled such situations to occur in the first place. So dear readers, take pleasure: great pleasure; be filled with peace and never forget to smile... for though you may not realise it ... you have every reason to.

Please ... Leave me out (a poem)

Don’t count me in …

I’m not one of you: never will, never want and never desire to.

You see, to you it’s like a game – a jest of follow me.

However, this is most certainly not where I yearn to be.

You have other false agendas, strange aims and goals.

Certainly not what a true lover lives and strives to uphold.

So, to put it to you bluntly, I don’t care for false presumptions.

For I think I’ve finally discovered what I definitely do not need.

And that, my fellow rival, is not to battle with thee.

©Oct 08 Umm Thameenah

... For, it was never about them anyway (part 2)

May this find you - dear readers in the best of mental, emotional, spiritual and physical states, ameen. A little something I came across whilst browsing through my text message inbox: a beautiful message sent to me by a dear and beloved sister-in-Islam, at a time ... when I needed it most...

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you ... but be honest anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight ... but go ahead and build it anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous ... but be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow ... but do good anyway.

You see dear readers, in the final analysis, only one thought should persist in the mind: it is all between you and your Beloved (Swt) - for it was never about them anyway...

My tears have now gone dry...

Have you ever stopped and wondered, wondered why certain things occur in the manner in which they do? Do you ever wonder why you keep being tested with the same situation again and again? Sometimes these thoughts cross my mind and then I have to stop, take a deep breath and revaluate. . . To be completely honest, the answer is really quite simple, thus I put myself to the test: Do you ask Allah (Swt) to forgive you your sins? All of them? Are you amongst those that ask Allah (Swt) to protect you from committing future sins? But then what? What do you do? Do you make every effort to make tawbah (repentance) every single night before going to sleep? No, for you probably exert extra caution in ensuring that you don’t displease your Lord in the first place? (Hmm?) Dear readers, if we really think about it – who are we fooling? Certainly not The Lord of the Worlds, for it is our soul alone that we are gambling with.

Why do we forget the effects of our trials a mere a few days after having experienced it? Were the shed tears not sufficient to remind us of the ache our heart painfully bore? When I think of my situations: tests; trials; as well as the blessings from Allah (Swt), I can’t help but wonder if my ‘re-living’ the actions again and again is as a result of my failure to produce worthy outcomes.

I recently brought myself to admit this reality: the beguilement of the soul by my very own pretences: ‘sweet hope’. I thought my wishful thinking had gained me true hope, but rather, maybe, it just simply covered my eyes with fake, often too familiar, wool. So as I sat, pondering; feeling sad and on the brink of despondency, something, not quite sure what or how, but something hit me and the heavy grey cloud hanging over my head begun to slowly disperse, with sudden beams of ray seeping through my thoughts. No! I refuse to believe that my Lord wants me to be filled with despondency. Of course we must ponder; reflect; and most certainly call ourselves to account, but to begin to lose hope – no, for verily that is tantamount to disbelief. So yes, I must continue to reflect and question – my own self – whilst simultaneously resting my heart assured that things will never be exactly as we want . . . and that’s okay, for we do not live for ourselves, we live for our Lord (Swt). Thus as long as we continue to strive and seek His pleasure wholeheartedly, with no corruption of the heart being present, then what could possibly be more comforting?

Well, of course a sign or indication that one is heading in the right direction would be great, however how exactly is one to know when that sign or indication arrives? So as I bring myself back to reality, I must remind my soul that this journey must still go on.

Over the rocky hills and mountains, through the deep ice-cold lakes and oceans and upon unpredictable terrain. . . the journey must still go on.

So as I sit wiping away at my tears and thanking Allah (Swt) for the trials that go experienced again and again and again, I feel a sense of contented victory at the fact that He (Swt) Knows me, not as I know myself, but far greater.

“If they repent then I am their beloved friend, for I love those who repent and I love those who purify themselves. If they do not repent, I am their physician (tabeebuhum), and I will try them with afflictions to cleanse them of their faults.”

[Ibn Qayyim (rh), ‘The Invocation of God’, p.83]

Alhamdulillah (all praises are to Allah), for my heart has once again found contentment - sweet and peaceful contentment. Thus I pause, reflect and sigh . . . Alhamdulillah . . . for my tears have now gone dry.