What have we prepared for it?

This is a topic that many of us choose to ignore... maybe its because we do not want to face up to the fact that all the pleasures and temporary enjoyments and dealings of this world are sure to come to an end sooner than we may expect or plan! The important thing to remember is that the only guarantee we have in life is that we will for sure die and meet our Lord and we will be made to answer for every word we have spoken every action we have done or not done! This time could come sooner than we think... we have evidence of it all around us every second of the day with babies, children, teenagers, young and old even those still in their mothers wombs dying yet with all of this we do not take heed we do not learn! Read the story and ponder and think on what direction you yourself are going on and remember its not too late yet to make a change, improvments but when the time comes when you take yoru last breath thats when your time literally has run out!


Her cheeks were worn and sunken, and her skin hugged her bones. That didn't stop her because you could never catch her not reciting Qur'an. She was always vigil in her personal prayer room that our father had set up for her. Bowing, prostrating, raising her hands in prayer, was the way she was from dawn to sunset and back again; boredom was for other people.
As for me, I craved nothing more than fashion magazines and novels. I treated myself to videos until the trips to the rental place became my trademark. It’s a saying that when something becomes habit, people tend to distinguish you by it. I was negligent in my responsibilities and my salah was characterized by laziness.
One night, after a long three hours of watching, I turned the video off. The adhan rose softly in the quiet night. I slipped peacefully into my blanket.
Her voice called me from her prayer room.
"Yes? Would you like anything Noorah?" I asked.
With a sharp needle she popped my plans.
"Don't sleep before you pray Fajr!"
Agghh! “There's still an hour before Fajr. That was only the first adhan,” I said.
With those loving pinches of hers, she called me closer. She was like that even before the fierce sickness shook her spirit and shut her in bed.
"Hanan, can you come sit beside me."
I could never refuse any of her requests; you could touch the purity and sincerity in her. "Yes, Noorah?"
"Please sit here."
"Alright, I’m sitting. What's on your mind?"
With the sweetest mono voice she began reciting:
Every soul shall taste death and you will merely be repaid your earnings on the Day of Resurrection.
She stopped thoughtfully. Then she asked, "Do you believe in death?"
"Of course I do,” I replied.
"Do you believe that you shall be responsible for whatever you do, regardless of how small or large?"
"I do, but Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, and I’ve got a long life waiting for me."
"Stop it Hanan! Are you not afraid of death and its abruptness? Take a look at Hind. She was younger than you but she died in a car accident. Death is age-blind and your age could never be a measure of when you shall die."
The darkness of the room filled my skin with fear. "I'm scared of the dark and now you made me scared of death. How am I supposed to go to sleep now? Noorah, I thought you promised you'd go with us on vacation during the summer break."
Her voice broke and her heart quivered.
"I might be going on a long trip this year Hanan, but somewhere else. All of our lives are in Allah’s hands and we all belong to Him."
My eyes welled and the tears slipped down both cheeks. I pondered my sisters grizzly sickness. The doctors had informed my father in private that there was not much hope Noorah was going to outlive the disease. She wasn't told, so I wondered who hinted to her. Or was it that she could sense the truth?
"What are you thinking about Hanan?" Her voice was sharp. "Do you think I am just saying this because I am sick? I hope not. In fact, I may live longer than people who are not sick. How long are you going to live Hanan? Perhaps twenty years? Maybe forty? Then what?" Through the dark she reached for my hand and squeezed gently. "There's no difference between us; we're all going to leave this world to live in Paradise or agonize in Hell. Listen to the words of Allah:
Anyone who is pushed away from the Fire and shown into Jannah will have triumphed.
I left my sister's room dazed, her words ringing in my ears:
“May Allah guide you Hanan - don't forget your prayer.”
I heard pounding on my door at eight o'clock in the morning. I don't usually wake up at this time. There was crying and confusion. O Allah, what happened?
Noorah’s condition became critical after Fajr; they took her to the hospital immediately.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'oon.
There wasn't going to be any trips this summer. It was written that I would spend the summer at home.
It felt like an eternity had gone by when it was one o'clock in the afternoon. Mother phoned the hospital.
"Yes. You can come and see her now." Dad's voice had changed, and mother could sense something had gone deathly wrong. We left immediately.
Where was that avenue I used to travel and thought was so short? Why was it so very long now? Where was the cherished crowd and traffic that would give me a chance to gaze left and right? Everyone, just move out of our way!
Mother was shaking her head in her hands crying as she made du'a for her Noorah. We arrived at the hospital’s main entrance. One man was moaning, while another was involved in an accident. A third man’s eyes were iced. You couldn’t tell if he was dead or alive.
Noorah was in intensive care. We skipped stairs to her floor. The nurse approached us. "Let me take you to her."
As we walked down the aisles the nurse went on expressing how sweet of a girl Noorah was. She somewhat reassured Mother that Noorah’s condition had gotten better than what it was in the morning. "Sorry. No more than one visitor at a time,” the nurse said.
This was the intensive care unit. Past the flurry white robes, through the small window in the door, I caught my sister’s eyes. Mother was standing beside her. After about two minutes, mother came out unable to control her crying. "You may enter and say salaam to her on the condition that you do not speak too long," they told me. "Two minutes should be enough."
"How are you Noorah? You were fine last night sister, what happened?"
We held hands; she squeezed harmlessly. "Even now, alhamdulillah, I'm doing fine."
"Alhamdulillah...but...your hands are so cold."
I sat on her bedside and rested my fingers on her knee. She jerked it away. "Sorry, did I hurt you?"
"No, it is just that I remembered Allah's words.”
Waltafatul saaqu bil saaq (One leg will be wrapped to the other leg [in the death shroud]).
"Hanan pray for me. I may be meeting the first day of the Hereafter very soon. It’s a long journey and I haven't prepared enough good deeds in my suitcase."
A tear escaped my eye and ran down my cheek at her words. I cried and she joined me. The room blurred away and left us two sisters to cry together. Rivulets of tears splashed down on my sister’s palm, which I held with both hands. Dad was now becoming more worried about me. I've never cried like that before.
At home and upstairs in my room, I watched the sun pass away with a sorrowful day. Silence mingled in our corridors. One after another, my cousins came in my room. The visitors were many and all the voices from downstairs stirred together. Only one thing was clear at that point – Noorah had died!
I stopped distinguishing who came and who went. I couldn't remember what they said. O Allah, where was I? What was going on? I couldn't even cry anymore.
Later that week they told me what had happened. Dad had taken my hand to say goodbye to my sister for the last time. I had kissed Noorah's head.
I remember only one thing while seeing her spread on that bed – the bed that she was going to die on. I remembered the verse she recited:
One leg will be wrapped to the other leg (in the death shroud).
And I knew too well the truth of the next verse:
The drive on that day will be to your Lord (Allah)!
I tiptoed into her prayer room that night. Staring at the quiet dressers and silenced mirrors, I treasured the person that had shared my mother's stomach with me. Noorah was my twin sister.
I remembered who I had swapped sorrows with, who comforted my rainy days. I remembered who prayed for my guidance and who spent so many tears for many long nights telling me about death and accountability. May Allah save us all.
Tonight is Noorah's first night that she shall spend in her tomb. O Allah, have mercy on her and illumine her grave. This was her Qur'an and her prayer mat. And this was the spring, rose-colored dress that she told me she would hide until she got married; the dress she wanted to keep just for her husband.
I remembered my sister and cried over all the days that I had lost. I prayed to Allah to have mercy on me, accept me and forgive me. I prayed to Allah to keep her firm in her grave as she always liked to mention in her supplications.
At that moment, I stopped. I asked myself what if it was I who had died. Where would I be moving on to? Fear pressed me and the tears began all over again.
“Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar…” The first adhan rose softly from the masjid. It sounded so beautiful this time. I felt calm and relaxed as I repeated the mu’adhin’s call. I wrapped the shawl around my shoulders and stood to pray Fajr. I prayed as if it was my last prayer, a farewell prayer, just like Noorah had done yesterday. It had been her last Fajr.
Now, and in sha Allah for the rest of my life, if I awake in the morning I do not count on being alive by evening, and in the evening I do not count on being alive by morning. We are all going on Noorah's journey. What have we prepared for it?

A trip to the Country!

Yet again another thought provoking story! Enjoy!


One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country ...
... with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son,
"How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Oh Yeah" said the son.
"So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
With this the boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, "Thanks, dad for showing me how poor we are."

No Charge for Love!

This story is so heart warming it bought tears to my eyes... Waranga the little boy in the story is called Khalifa just for you.... enjoy! Its good to remember when purchasing something let us not always think what we will gain from it but rather how we can help or be of benefit to others!

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell.
He painted a sign advertising for 4 pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of little boy called Khalifah.
"Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies."
"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, "These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."
The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?"
"Sure," said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. "Here, Dolly!" he called. Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran
Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight.
As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse.. Slowly another little ball appeared, this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....
"I want that one," little Khalifah said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."
With that little Khalifah stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."
With tears in his eyes, farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully handed it to the little boy.
"How much?" asked the little Khalifah.
"No charge," answered the farmer, "There's no charge for love".

The Donkey!

Nice story with a good lesson to be learnt!

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.Finally he decided that since the animal was old, it wasn't worth retrieving it.

He invited neighbors to come over and help him just fill in the hole. They all
grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realised
what was happening it cried even more.
Then, to everyone's amazement he went quiet.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished.
With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey would shake it off and take
a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel, he stepped up further.
Eventually the donkey stepped out of the well and trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and step out. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stoneand we can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping--never giving up! Shake it off and take that step up.
Remember the five simple rules to being happy:
Free your heart from hatred.
Forgive.Free your mind from worries - most never happen.
Live simply and appreciate what you have.
Give more.
Expect less.

The Finger Prayer!

I recevived this by email from a lovely friend of mine and thought it was quite nice so I felt like sharing it with anyone who happens to stroll across this blog! Please remember me in your duas!

The 5 finger prayer

1. Your thumb is nearest to you.
So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. Pray for your loved ones – family, friends – and pray for those that have gone before us. Ask Allah to guide your family and loved ones onto the straight path and pray for their forgiveness.

2. The next finger is the pointing finger.
Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. Pray for the Shaykhs and Ulama around the world – they need the support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers and ask Allah to guide you on the straight path.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger.
This reminds us of our leaders. These are the people who have made Islam what it is. Pray for blessings upon our beloved Prophet Sallalahu alayhi wa salam, His Companions and His Family. Pray for the Caliphs of then and now. These people shape our nations and guide public opinion. They need Allahs guidance.

4. The fourth finger is the ring finger.
This is the weakest finger on the hand. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them. Pray for all our brothers and sisters around the world and keep a special part of your Dua for the orphans worldwide. May Allah protect them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger, the smallest finger of all.
This is where we should place ourselves in relation to Allah and others. This little finger should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for everyone else, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

When you look at the palm of your hand, you see your fingers coming out… think of your palm as the Ummah, don't forget the Ummah in your Dua's and pray for Jannah for all. Pray for the forgiveness of all the ummah. Our Lord is Most Forgiving Most Merciful.

Be Gentle With Others part 2!

Well as promised I said Id blog about my own example of being gentle with others so here goes...
I work in an Islamic Book Shop and out side on our shop window for a time we had some notices up saying how we should work for peace and that our bookshop was open for all etc!

Anyways one day a rather angry lady came in and barged up to my counter accusingly saying to me....'Id just like to say one thing to you... you have notices up raving on about peace and how muslims are peaceful people then how come your trying to ban christmas thats awful, its terrible I dont try and ban your festivals so how can you really be peaceful and how can your religion really be such a peacful religion???'

I remember thinking a few things...'errrm woah there calm down, I didnt try and ban christmas and Islam is peaceful'. But I took a few seconds and looked at this lady who looked very distressed and thought to myself now shouting back saying... What are you on about I didnt ban anything and yes Islam is peaceful was not going to get us anywhere so instead I calmy said... 'Ban Christmas who wants to ban christmas?' She replied... 'All Muslims do its in the paper I just read its and I think thats just awful how rude and mean is that' I said to her... 'Do you have this Newspaper? I can understand why your so upset as thats not a nice thing for anyone to do'. Suddenly she stopped and looked at me and I rememeber her head going slightly back as if she needed a to focus her glance on me. She then said she would go and get the paper and bring it to me. A few moments later she returned.... Showing me the Newspaper where there was an article of how some Muslims wanted to ban christmas celebrations etc. I looked at her and said... 'Im sorry but I dont want to ban christmas and I can understand how awful you must feel as if people tried to ban me celebrating Eid which is the Islamic festival I too would be very upset!' I then went on and said 'As Muslims we should not be banning any festival here anyway'. She was so taken aback with my response and said 'So you dont agree with this?' I said 'No I dont agree with it'. She then thanked me and said 'Im so happy you understand and I wish you all the best' She asked me my name and then said she would pop in and visit every time she went by. How her attitude had changed from an angry, accusing woman from when she first entered to a calm, polite, happy and friendly soul when she left.

What really touched me though was a week or 2 before the following Eid she came in and said to me 'Oh Im so glad I found you here you do remember me dont you? I just wanted to wish you a happy Eid in advance incase I dont come in next week' Allahu Akbar! Now from being angry about her festival being attacked she was now coming to wish me a happy Eid!

Then again Hajj was coming up and she was passing by and she came in and said 'Its your pligramage soon isnt it? Are you going?' I replied... 'No but I wish I could' she then smiled and said to me 'Insha'Allah you will go, I pray that you do go soon'. Again I was so shocked by her change of attitude. I remember thinking to myself and still do... I wonder if id handled it differently and been equally as angry back how things would be with this lady now?

I also make dua for Allah to open her heart to Islam ameen!

So everyone please be gentle with others even when they are mean ,rude, nasty to you stop and try and think what has made them behave like this and as a Muslim I need to respond in this best possible way. By the way please dont think im so wonderful all the time... so please remember to make dua for me to for Allah to increase me in patience and allow me to be gentle with others ameen!

Be Gentle with others!

This is yet again another lovely story from the time of the prophet (saw)! It holds a great lesson in it for us! Many of us today are quick to scold others for mistakes they make without thinking, without using wisdom and without having patience! Doing so rather than helping them correct themselves we just push them further away and make them feel, upset, angry and even resentful to the harsh advice we hae offered them! Sometimes we need to sit back and listen to them even if it sounds rude and impolite and then take the time to think 'what could have made them behave in this way'. Even if we cant think why... deal with them with patience no matter how hard or how wrong they may seem or how unfairly treated you may feel! I have my own example to share with you which I shall do so in a new post as this post is for you to learn from the best of teachers Muhammad ibn Abdallah the final Messenger and Prophet of Allah (saw)!

So read and on and please think of the lessons to be learnt and insha'Allah use them in future! My won story shall follow in a post or 2!


A Bedouin came to RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam and told him,
“Give me from what Allah gave you, not from the wealth of your mother nor from the wealth of your father.”

The Sahaabaa were furious at the man and stepped forward to discipline him for what he said.

RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam commanded everyone to leave him.
Then by the hand, RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam took the Bedouin home, opened his door and said,

“Take what you wish and leave what you wish.”
The man did so and after he was done, RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam asked him,

“Have I honored you?”
“Yes, by Allah,” said the Bedouin. “Ash hadu an laa ilaaha illAllah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadar RasulAllah.”

When the Sahaabaa heard of how the man changed, RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam taught them:
“Verily, the example of myself, you, and this Bedouin is that of a man who had his camel run away. The townspeople tried capturing the camel for him by running and shouting after the camel, only driving it further away. The man shouted, ‘Leave me and my camel; I know my camel better.’ Then he took some grass in his hand, ruffled it in front of the camel, until it came willingly. By Allah, had I left you to this Bedouin, you would have hit him, hurt him and he would have left without Islam and eventually have entered Hellfire.”

The Power of Non Violence!

This a really nice powerful story with good morals! For those of you who may have heard it before it will be a nice reminder and for all your first timers it will be a great lesson insha'Allah!


Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K.Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, in his June 9 lecture at the>University of Puerto Rico, shared the following story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the sugarplantations. We were deep in the country and had no neighbors, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going to town to visit friends or go to the movies. One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance. Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list of groceries she needed and, since I had all day in town, my father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such as getting the car serviced. When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I will meet you here at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home together." After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a John Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time. It was 5:30 before I remembered. By the time I ran to the garage and got the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was almost 6:00. He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late?"
I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, "The car wasn't ready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had already called the garage.

When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's something wrong in the way I brought you up that didn't give you the confidence to tell me the truth. In order to figure out
where I went wrong with you, I'm going to walk home 18 miles and think about it." So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to walk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads.

I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him, watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered. I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again. I often think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me the way we punish our children, whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I don't think so. I would have suffered the punishment and gone on doing the same thing. But this single non-violent action was so powerful that it is still as if it happened yesterday.

That is the power of non violence!

The Story of an African King and His Friend!

The Story of an African King and His Friend

A story is told about a King in Africa who had a close friend that he grew up with. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) by remarking,
"This is good, Allah Almighty knows best"
One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the King fired it and his thumb was blown off.Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual,
"This is good! Allah Almighty knows best."
To which the King replied,
"No, this is NOT good!" and ordered his soldiers to put his friend into jail. About a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured the King and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the King was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. So after untying the King, they chased him out of the village.When the King reached his Palace, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend.
"You were right" the King said, "It was good that my thumb was blown off."
And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened.
"I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this.
"No," his friend replied, "this is good…Allah Almighty knows best""What do you mean, `this is good'! How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"
The King's friend replied:
"Remember that the Almighty knows best and if I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you on that hunting trip."

"He knows what is before them and what is behind them: And to Allah go back all questions (for decision)"Qur'an: Surah Al Hajj 22:76

Do Not Judge Things or Events by its Immediate Outcome!Although the decisions of Allah Ta'alah may seem harsh to us, they are full of wisdom.

What goes around come around!

He almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so ... was he going to hurt her ? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said,
"I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm ? By the way, my name is Khalifa."
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Khalifa crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from Babylon and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. Khalifa just smiled as he closed her trunk.. She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.
Khalifa never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Khalifa added, "And pray for me."
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out-of-work actor - it didn't ring much. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Khalifa. After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change for her hundred dinar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin under which were four hundred dinar bills. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote:
"You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low,
"Everything is going to be all right. I love you, Khalifa."
Holy Quran says: "But he who gives to others more out of his own will then it is better for his own self..." (2:184) There is an old saying "What goes around comes around."

2 Wolves

In a story from Native American folklore, a grandfather explains to his young grandson the inner struggle between good and evil.

"A battle goes on inside us all," the grandfather begins. "It is a battle between two wolves. One wolf is the embodiment of everything evil, like hate, anger, jealousy, resentment, greed, arrogance, lying, and selfishness. The other wolf is the embodiment of everything good, like love, joy, peace, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, compassion, truth, and faith."

The grandson thinks about those words and then asks, "Which wolf wins?"

The grandfather replies, "The one you feed."

Mohammadu Maccido

Salaam all,
I knew this wonderful man personally since before I was born meaning he was a close family friend to my family before I was born. He was one of the most gentlest, kindest, loving and peacful persons I had ever come across! I ask Allah to have mercy upon him and his family ameen. Please all make dua for him!


Muslim leader killed in crash was voice of calm in Nigeria


SOKOTO, Nigeria (AP) -- Mohammadu Maccido, the spiritual leader to tens of millions of Nigerian Muslims, was an important voice of moderation and calm in Africa's most-populous nation.
Maccido, the 19th sultan of Sokoto, was among 96 people killed Sunday when a Nigerian ADC airliner crashed shortly after takeoff in the capital, Abuja. Thousands of people trooped to Maccido's palace in the northwestern city of Sokoto, where his body was buried Sunday. He was 58.
President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christian, was among those mourning the spiritual leader. "He lived for peace, worked for peace and died for peace," Obasanjo said.
Nigeria's 130 million people are roughly split between a predominantly Muslim north and Christian or animist south.
The sultan approves dates for the start and end of Muslim fasts and speaks on issues of religious policy in Nigeria, which gained independence from Britain in 1960.
Maccido was a direct descendant of the Islamic scholar Uthman Dan Fodio, who founded the Sokoto Caliphate that became one the largest pre-colonial states in Africa. Dan Fodio launched a campaign from Sokoto in 1804 that spread Islam across much of the northern half of Nigeria and parts of neighboring Niger, Cameroon and Benin.
Under colonial rule, the British worked as allies with the sultans, who have retained religious and political influence over Nigerian Muslims, who number at least 65 million.
The sultanate council usually meets within days to select a successor from among Dan Fodio's descendants, palace officials said, but no date has been set in this case. The choice will have to be approved by the elected governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa.
The new leader will emerge from the same tradition-bound and tightly knit class as the last, and is likely to be similar to Maccido in outlook. Because the new sultan will be a descendant of Dan Fodio, he will likely command the respect and influence wielded by Maccido.
Maccido often spoke in favor of peace in Nigeria, even as the country witnessed some of its worst bouts of sectarian violence.
Thousands were killed as the imposition of strict Islamic law by 12 predominantly Islamic states in the north increased friction with Christians and other non-Muslims. Through the tensions, which flared with the end of strict military rule in 1999, Maccido urged peace among all religious groups.
When immunization of children against polio was boycotted by large numbers in northern Nigeria in 2003 over baseless allegations by radical Muslim preachers that it was a ploy to sterilize people and spread AIDS, Maccido came out in support of the vaccine.
Vaccination programs resumed in 2004, but the boycott set back global eradication efforts, causing a polio outbreak that spread the disease across Africa and into the Middle East.
Maccido's official titles included leader of the faithful and head of the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. He became the sultan in 1996, after his predecessor, Ibrahim Dasuki, was deposed by the then-military ruler Gen. Sani Abacha.
Maccido is survived by one wife -- one of three he married -- and many children. One of his sons, Mohammed, and a grandson also died in the crash.

Talk to Allah!

Salaam and Hello Howdy all!

Its been a while I know and most prob the few random readers I had have prob long forgotten about my humble little blog and my monkey lol... not to worry!

Its Ramadan so im sure everyone has been busy trying to the make the most of it insha'allah. I myself know that I already wish I had done soooo much more khayr no use getting depressed ill just try harder from now insha'allah!

I had decided not to blog during Ramadan but I came across this and it reminded me how Great Allahs Mercy is and how Great His understanding His Love, His compassion is for His slaves even those of us who sin outrightly BUT then return to Him! Subhana'Allah this story is about a man who was sinning for 40 years imagine that most of us may not have even reached 40 yet or perhaps recently passed it or at the very least its prob at least most of our lives!

In that time of 40 years Allah hid his sins and then forgave him when he repented and even when a prophet of Allah asked about Him Allah refused to reveal who he was Allahu Akbar!

Its Ramadan now the month of Mercy of course Allah is ready to forive us all year round but this month is like no other the blessings it contains are unimaginable Allahs Mercy and Forgiveness are waiting to be handed out so I implore all of you please please please during this month especially turn to Allah and ask Him for forgivenss of those sins you have comitted your whole life the sins you comitted that you know about and the sins you may not even know about please beg Him forgiveness and insha'Allah God Willing Allah will forgive you and you will have a clean slate! That piece of advice was my Eid present to all of you!

Read the story and perhaps share your comments about the Mercy of Allah! Have you ever begged Allah for forgiveness and felt warm or peacful inside, has talking to Allah ever let you feel closer to Him insha'allah if you have not tried these things I ask you to do so especially during the night. Just sit there and raise your hands and talk to Allah in any language you like... speak to Him, tell Him whats on your mind although He already knows and ask Him for help and guidance and for His forgiveness and honestly you will feel a weight lifted off your shoulders!


It was narrated that in the days that Musa (Alahi salaam) wandered with Bani Israel in the desert an intense drought befell them. Together, they raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the blessed rain to come. Then, to the astonishment of Musa (Alahi salaam) and all those watching, the few scattered clouds that were in the sky vanished, the heat poured down, and the drought intensified.
It was revealed to Musa that there was a sinner amongst the tribe of Bani Israel whom had disobeyed Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) for more than forty years of his life.
“Let him separate himself from the congregation,” Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) told Musa (Alahi salaam).
“Only then shall I shower you all with rain.” Musa (Alahi salaam) then called out to the throngs of humanity,
“There is a person amongst us who has disobeyed Allah for forty years. Let him separate himself from the congregation and only then shall we be rescued from the drought.”
That man, waited, looking left and right, hoping that someone else would step forward, but no one did. Sweat poured forth from his brow and he knew that he was the one. The man knew that if he stayed amongst the congregation all would die of thirst and that if he stepped forward he would be humiliated for all eternity. He raised his hands with a sincerity he had never known before, with a humility he had never tasted, and as tears poured down on both cheeks he said: “O Allah, have mercy on me! O Allah, hide my sins! O Allah, forgive me!”
As Musa (Alahi salaam) and the people of Bani Israel awaited for the sinner to step forward, the clouds hugged the sky and the rain poured. Musa (Alahi salaam) asked Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala),
“O Allah, you blessed us with rain even though the sinner did not come forward.” And Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) replied,
“O Musa, it is for the repentance of that very person that I blessed all of Bani Israel with water.” Musa (Alahi salaam), wanting to know who this blessed man was, asked, “Show him to me O Allah!” Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) replied,
“O Musa, I hid his sins for forty years, do you think that after his repentance I shall expose him?”

Subhana'Allah how great is the Mercy of Allah... many of us think "Oh but Ive done such and such whats the point of me praying, wearing hijab, going to the masjid Id be a hypocrite"... my dear friends those are just the whispers of shaitan telling you not to get closer to Allah. Learn from the example above and turn to Allah and insha'Allah He will honour you just as he honoured the man who had sinned for 40 years!

The Story of The Visit Of Satan The Accursed!

I know its been a long while sinc I last posted. Ive been so busy doing lots of things and honestly could not think of anything interesting to blog about until I came across this long long hadith! Subhana'Allah its amazing and is an excellent preparation for Ramadan which is right round the corner! I ask you all to remember me in your Ramadan duas and to remember my family and all the Muslims around the world! I probably wont be blogging much if at all during Ramamdan and hopefully you all will be too busy to read it anyways!

I know this one is super long but its excellent and I urge you all not only to read it but to contemplete over it and pass it on! The sources of it can be found on the following link...http://beautifulislam.net/articles/visit_of_satan.htm

The Story of the Visit of Satan, the Accursed

One day a congregation was gathered at the home of one of the Ansar around the Prophet (saw). [According to Hazrat Anas it was Abu Ayyub]

In the middle of a wonderful discourse an ugly voice from the outside was heard saying,

"O the ones inside, (or , "O Messenger of Allah!") would you permit me to enter? I have business with you!"
All looked at the Prophet (saw), who said to the ones present, "Do you recognize the owner of this voice?"
The Companions answered, "Allah and His Messenger know best."
The Prophet (saw) said, "It is Satan the Accursed."
On hearing that, Hazrat Umar (ra), who was present, pulling his sword, asked, "O Messenger of Allah, permit me to go and cut off his head!" ["Let me smash his skull and free the people from his trouble!"]
The Prophet (saw) replied, "No Umar, don't you know that you cannot kill him? He has permission to exist until Qiyaamah."

Then he added, "Open the door and admit him, as he did not come on his own but on Allah's orders. [Or, "There is always an underlying reason for things.] Otherwise, he would not have come here. Listen to what he says, and try to understand."

Then Rawi (ra), one of the Companions, relates the tale:

They opened the door and he appeared ion front of us as an old man, cross-eyed [or blind in one eye] and scant of beard, with only six or seven long hairs hanging from his chin. He had a very big head, his crossed eyes close to the top of his head, high on his forehead, with big thick hanging lips like those of a water buffalo. He saluted the Prophet and the Companions, to which the Prophet (saw) responded, 'O Accursed, the salaam and salutations belong to Allah Most high.' Then he said, 'I heard you are here on business. What is it?' Satan said, 'I did not wish to come here, I was forced to - an angel came to me from your Lord, Who honors whom He wishes, and said, "Allah Most High orders you to Muhammad, but you will go to him in humility and abasement, and be submissive and tractable. You will tell him how you seduce and mislead humankind. You are going to answer all his questions truthfully, without a single lie." And Allah said that if I lied to you He would turn me into ashes and blow me away in the wind, and my enemies would laugh at me. I come with such orders, O Muhammad.'

Then the Prophet asked the Devil, 'Tell me, who in the creation do you hate most?'
The Devil answered,

'You O Muhammad! ['And all the Prophets'] There is no one in the whole creation that I hate more. There is none other like you.'
The Messenger of Allah (saw) [confirmed that the Devil was his own, and all the Prophets' (as) greatest foe]. He asked, 'Whom else do you detest besides me?'
Satan said, 'The young ones who have given up their pleasures and themselves for Allah's sake; the men of knowledge who act upon their knowledge and who decline all that is doubtful; the ones who are clean. So clean that they wash thrice that which they wish to cleanse. Then the patient poor, who neither ask from others the things they need, nor complain. Then the thankful rich, who give alms lawfully and spend lawfully. [Hazrat Anas lists fourteen enemies after the Prophets (as): the knowledgeable who act on what they know; readers of the Qur'an who pattern themselves on it; those who call to prayer for Allah's sake; the satisfied poor; the compassionate; the generous; those who perform the morning prayer on time; advisors and reformers; abstainers from unlawful food and sexual relations; those who are always in ablution; the modest; those who place their trust in Allah; benefiters of the poor; the devout busy in Allah's service.]
Then the Prophet (saw) asked, 'What happens to you, O Accursed One, when my people do their prayers?'
'I shake and tremble as if stricken with malaria because I see your people raised in blessing and power each time they prostrate.'
'What happens to you, O Accursed, when my people fast?'
'I have my hands and feet tied until they break their fast.'
'What happens when they all meet on the Hajj at the house of their Lord?'
'I lose my wits, I go mad'
'What happens to you when they recite the Holy Qur'an?'
'I melt, like lead turning to hot liquid in the fire.'
'And when they pay alms?'
'I am torn to pieces, as if the generous donor took a saw and sawed me into four pieces. Because there are four beatitudes which the donor receives - the blessing of abundance, love and respect from Allah's creatures, a shield from hellfire, and relief from distress and troubles.'
Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) asked the Devil what he thought of his beloved Companions. About Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) he said, 'I hate him. Even before Islam he refused to obey, nay! Even to hear me. How can he now listen to me?' About Hazrat Umar ibn Al-Kattab (ra) he said, 'I run away whenever I see him!' About Hazrat Uthman ibn Affan (ra) he said, 'I am ashamed in front of him. Even the angels of mercy are ashamed in front of him.' And about Hazrat Ali ibn Abu Talib (ra) he said, 'O if I could just be safe from him, if he would just let me be, I would let him be. But he will not leave me alone!'
Having heard the answers of the accursed Satan the Prophet (saw) thanked Allah and said, 'Praise be to Allah Who has blessed my people with such felicity and cursed you with such negativity until that appointed time.'
When the Devil heard that, he said, 'Alas, alas for you, what felicity for your people? How can you feel there is safety for them as long as I exist? I enter their very veins, their very flesh, and they cannot even suspect, let alone see or feel me. I swear by Allah Who has given me time until Qiyaamah that I will seduce them all, the intelligent and the simple-minded, the learned as well as the ignorant, the devout as well as the sinner. None will be safe from me except the true servants of Allah.'
The Prophet (saw) asked, 'Who are the true servants of Allah, according to you?'
The Devil said, 'You know well, O Muhammad, that whomsoever loves his money and his property Allah does not count among his servants. Whenever I see someone who does not say "mine" and "me" , who does not love either money or flattery, I know he is truly a servant of Allah and I run away from him. As long as one loves money, property, flattery, he obeys me, he is my servant. I need many servants and I have many servants. I am not alone. I have 70,000 children, each of them with his assigned duties. Each of my 70,000 children has 70,000 satans serving him, all assigned to different posts. Many are with the young people and older women, and with the theologians and preachers and shaykhs. There are almost no differences of opinion between your young people and my devils, and your children play happily with my children. And some of the devout and some of the pious get along very well with my people! My devils lead the imagination of the pious from one height to another. Arrogant, they leave the sincerity of their devotions. Soon they fight with each other, and they don't even know what is happening to them. Then I whisper to them, "Disbelieve!", but when they disbelieve, I say, "I am free of you. Surely I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." (Surah al-Hashr, ayat 16).'
Then the accursed Devil told how he profited from habits of man which he liked. About lying he said, 'Do you know, O Muhammad, that lying is from me and that I am the first liar? Whoever lies is my best friend; whoever swears to the truth of his lies is my beloved. You know, O Muhammad that I swore by Allah and lied to Adam and Eve. I swore to them both, "Surely I am a sincere advisor to you." (Surah al-Araf, ayat 21) I also love rejection and gossip. They are my delightful fruits. I detest loving families. If they think of rejecting each other, separating from each other, and talk about divorce, even if just once, the marriage bond in Allah's view is dissolved. The wife will be unlawful to the husband. When they sleep together, they will be adulterers. If they have a child he will be a bastard. I love all that.
'O Muhammad, let me tell you about my friends who abandon prayers or delay them. When it is time for prayer I make them imagine that there is still time, that they are busy. They should enjoy what they are doing, they can always pray later! I hope they will die before doing their next prayer, and some of them do. Even when they do their prayers late, their devotions are thrown in their faces. If I cannot succeed myself, I send them a human satan who will prevent them from their devotions. If I don't succeed again, I enter into their prayers. I tell them, "Look to the right, look to the left! Think of the past, plan your future!" And when they do I caress their cheeks and kiss their foreheads and take the peace from their hearts. You know, O Muhammad, that the prayers of those whose attention is outside of them or who are imagining things which do not belong in the presence of Allah are also rejected and thrown in their faces. And if I am not successful in that, I order them to do their prayers fast, and they
look like hens picking at grain. If I still don't succeed, I follow them to the congregational prayers and put bridles on their heads. I pull, and lift their heads from the prostration before the imam, and I push their heads down before the imam touches his head to the ground, and I am overjoyed to remember that Allah will turn those unruly heads into donkeys' heads on the Day of Judgment. If I am still not successful, I try at least to make them crack their fingers while they are making prayers. Then they will be among those who make my tasbih instead of Allah's tasbih. Or at least I will blow into their noses and make them yawn, and if they open their mouths a little devil will enter into them through their mouths and increase their love and ambition for this world. The one who loves and is ambitious for this world becomes my soldier; he obeys me and does as he is ordered.
'O Muhammad, if I have told a single lie, may scorpions bite me, and ask from Allah that he turn me into ashes. O Muhammad, do not be sure of your people. I have already converted a sixth of them, who have left their religion.'
Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) asked, 'O Accursed One, with whom do you most like to spend your time?'
'The usurer.'
'And your best friend?'
'The adulterer.'
'With whom do you share your bed?'
'The drunkard.'
'Who are your guests?'
'The thieves.'
'Who are your representatives?'
'The magicians and soothsayers.'
'What pleases you most?'
'Divorce'
'Whom do you love most?'
'Those who abandon their Friday prayers.'
[Hazrat Anas (ra) gives eight friends of Satan: tyrants and oppressors; the arrogant; servile scholars who hide the truth for the benefit of tyrants; dishonest tradesmen; drinkers of alcohol; dealers in fraud; slanderers; those who stir up trouble among friends.]
Then the Prophet (saw) asked, 'What breaks your heart, O Accursed One?'
'The determination and the firm footsteps of those who march against the enemies of Allah for Allah's sake.'
'What gives you pain?'
'The repentance of the penitent.'
'What makes you grimace?'
'The alms given in secret.'
'What makes your eyes blind?'
'The tahajjud prayer in the middle of the night.'
'What makes you bow your head?'
'Prayer done in congregation.'
The Prophet (saw) continued asking: 'O Satan, according to you, who are the happiest among people?'
'The ones who purposefully abandon their prayers.'
'And the best among people?'
'The miser.'
'What prevents you from doing your job?'
'The gathering of men of knowledge and their discourses.'
'How do you eat your food?'
'With my left hand and the tips of my fingers.'
'When the sun is hot, where do you seek shade?'
'Under people's dirty fingernails.'
Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) asked, 'What did you ask from my Lord on the day you were rejected from His presence?'
'I had ten requests which were accorded.'
'What were they, O Accursed One?'
'I asked Allah to make me a partner in the properties and children of the children of Adam. He gave that to me, and He said, "And incite whom thou canst with thy voice, and collect against them thy horse and thy foot, and share with them in wealth and children, and promise them. And the Devil promises them only to deceive." (Surah Bani Isra'il, ayat 64). I eat from the meat of animals killed without the basmalah and from the food bought by money gained through interest, injustice, and tyranny. I am the shareholder of the property whose owner does not take refuge in Allah from me. I am part father of the child which comes from intercourse performed without the basmalah. I am the traveling companion of the one who rides a vehicle which is going to an unlawful destination.
'I asked Allah to give me a house, and He gave me the public baths. I asked Allah to give me a temple, and He gave me the marketplaces as my temple. I asked Allah to give me a book. He gave me the books of poetry as my book. I asked for a call to prayer, and He gave me the dancing music. I asked for someone to share my bed, and He gave me the drunkard. I asked Allah for helpers. Allah gave me those who believe in free will. I asked Allah to give me brothers and sisters, and Allah gave me the squanderers who spend their money on evil things. Allah said, "Surely the squanderers are the Devil's brethren" (Surah Bani Isra'il, ayat 27). Then I asked Allah to be able to see the children of Adam while they are unable to see me, and He accorded that to me. I wished that the very veins of the children of Adam be my routes, and it was given to me. So I flow in their veins as I wish and enter their flesh. All these were given to me, and I am proud of what I have received. And let me add, O Muhammad, that there are more with me than there are with you, and until Qiyaamah there will be more with me than there are with you.'
Then the Prophet(saw) said, 'If you had not proven what you said with the verses of Allah's Book, it would have been hard for me to confirm what you say.'
The Devil continued, 'Do you know, O Muhammad, that I have a son whose name is Atam (in Arabic, the first third of the night)? He pisses in the ear of the people who go to sleep without performing their night prayers. His urine puts them to sleep, otherwise no one could have gone to bed without finishing their prayers. Then I have a son whose name is Mutaqadi (in Arabic, one who presses for payment). His duty is to publicize the prayers, the devotions, the good deeds which are done in secret for Allah's sake, because Allah promises to reward the good deed done secretly a hundred fold. When deeds are publicized and receive credit and praise from the creatures of Allah, Allah takes away ninety-nine of the promised one hundred rewards. Then I have a son whose name is Kuhayl (kohl). His duty is to put kohl on the eyes of those in the presence of wise men or preachers. The ones whose eyes he has touched start falling asleep. They are thus prevented from hearing the words of Allah or receiving any benefit from them.'
The Devil talked about women. He said, 'Whenever a woman leaves her seat a devil sits in her place. On the lap of every woman sits a satan who makes her desirable to whoever looks at her. Then he orders the woman to open and show her arms, her legs, and her breasts, and with his claws tears her veil of shame and decency.'
Then the Devil started to complain. He said, 'O Muhammad, in spite of all this I have no strength to take away the faith of the faithful. I only take away their faith when they throw it away. If I were able, there would be no one on the face of this world who could say LA ILAHA ILLALLAH, MUHAMMAD RASULULLAH, "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his Messenger." I would not leave a single one to pray or fast. All I can do is to give the children of Adam imaginations, illusions and delusions, make the ugly appear beautiful, the wrong, right, and the bad, good. Neither do you have the power to give faith. You are only a proof of the truth, because I know that if you were given the power to give true faith you would not leave a single non-believer on the face of this world. The fortunate one who is a believer is fortunate in his mother's womb, and the rebellious sinner is a rebel in his mother's womb. As you are the guide of the fortunate, I am only the cause of sin of the ones who are destined to sin. Allah is He Who renders one fortunate and another rebellious.' Then he recited form Surah Hud, '"And if thy Lord has mercy, and for this did He create them. And the word of thy Lord is fulfilled. I shall fill Hell with jinn and men altogether." (Surah Hud, ayat 118-119).' He recited from Surah Ahzab, ayat 38: '"And the command of Allah is a decree that is made absolute."'
Then the Mercy upon the Universe told the Devil, 'O Father of All Bitterness, I wonder if it is at all possible for you to repent and return to your Lord. I promise I would intercede for you.'
The Accursed One answered, 'O Messenger of Allah, it is Allah's justice. The ink on the pen which wrote the judgment is dry. What will happen will happen until Qiyaamah. The One Who made you the master of all the Prophets, the speaker for the inhabitants of Paradise, the One Who chose you to be the beloved amongst all his creation, chose me to be the master of sinners and the speaker for the inhabitants of Hell. He is Allah, devoid of all lack. O Muhammad, this which I have told you is my last word to you, and I have told nothing but the truth.'"
"All praise is due to Allah the Lord of all the worlds which existed before and which will exist after, visible and invisible. And Allah's blessings upon our beloved master, the Beloved of Allah, Mercy upon the Universe, and upon his household and progeny and companions and friends who are loved by him, and upon the ones who love him." - Tosun al-muhibb al-Jerrahi

FINGER LICKING GOOD!!! MMMM!

FINGER LICKING GOOD!

I need urgent help! Those of you who know me will know that Ive been married now for comning up to 5 months masha'Allah wow!!!! Anyways in say those last 4 and half months I have experimented cooking for my husband and alhamdulillah all the dishes Ive made from your Chicken Korma to Jamaican Jerk Chicken as well as the pineapple deserts and freshly baked cakes have alhamdulillah turned out good!!! I was just starting to think hmm ok my cooking is kind of alright and my husband seemed pleased alhamdulillah!

Anyways last week my husband decided that he wanted to do some cooking for me so I gladly accepted... He first cooked so daal (lentils) which although may sound plain actually tasted soooo good and it was a really tasty dish... I was secretly glad that I had not attempted to cook it so far as I knew his would have been way better than mine...then the real blow came yesterday!!!
My husband decided he was going to cook me some lamb chops! I thought hmm ok!
Im not joking those chops were the best ever chops I have ever tasted in my whole entire life...I really understood what the meaning of 'Finger licking good' is.... those chops!

Masha'Allah I have discovered that he is a fantastic cook way better that me... all the dishes Ive cooked in the last 4 and half months all put together are nothing compared to the chops he cooked... I can not explain the flavour the marinade which he made himself was sooooo good and the meat just melted in your mouth wow! Alhamdulillah it was excellent! My plate was left way cleaner than this one in the picture... im telling you his chops would tempt even a vegetarian (no offence to anyone).

Now you all are probably thinking 'Stupid girl whats she panicking about?' Well let me explain... for the last say 4 and a half months I had led myself to believe that I was quite a good cook really I had and then one fine day.... BAM my whole cooking world was shook when my husband decided to show me his cooking skills... oh yeah I forgot to mention the rice he made to go with the chops was perfect each grain given its own right not sticky just perfect masha'Allah... Yes so as I was saying my problem is that after last nights chops I no longer think I am able to cook again not when I know such a fine chef is going to be eating it so I need help from everyone... I need magical recipies... you know all your best cooking secrets so that once again my empty pot gains confidence... and Im serious please all of you have pity on little old me and send me your cooking secrets everything welcome!

AMERICAN WOMANHOOD!

The Debauchery of American Womanhood
By Henry Makow, Ph.D.

I received this as an email a while ago and then again yesterday its very interesting so I thought to share it with you all. I dont know anything about the author but the article is good read on... The Debauchery of American Womanhood By Henry Makow, PHD.

On my wall, I have a picture of a Muslim woman shrouded in a burka.Beside it is a picture of an American beauty contestant, wearing nothing but a bikini.

One woman is totally hidden from the public; the other is totallyexposed. These two extremes say a great deal about the clash of so-called "civilizations."

The role of woman is at the heart of any culture. Apart from stealing Arab oil, the impending war in the Middle East is about stripping Arabs of their religion and culture, exchanging the burka for a bikini.

I am not an expert on the condition of Muslim women and I love feminine beauty too much to advocate the burka here. But I am defending some of the values that the burka represents for me.

For me, the burka represents a woman's consecration to her husband andfamily. Only they see her.

It affirms the privacy, exclusivity and importance of the domestic sphere.

The Muslim woman's focus is her home, the "nest" where her children are born and reared. She is the "home" maker, the taproot that sustains the spiritual life of the family, nurturing and training her children, providing refuge and support to her husband.

In contrast, the bikinied American beauty queen struts practically naked in front of millions on TV. A feminist, she belongs to herself.In practice, paradoxically, she is public property. She belongs to noone and everyone. She shops her body to the highest bidder. She is auctioning herself all of the time.

In America, the cultural measure of a woman's value is her sex appeal.(As this asset depreciates quickly, she is neurotically obsessed with appearance and plagued by weight problems.)

As an adolescent, her role model is Britney Spears, a singer whose act approximates a strip tease. From Britney, she learns that she will beloved only if she gives sex. Thus, she learns to "hook up" rather than to demand patient courtship and true love. As a result, dozens of males know herbefore her husband does. She loses her innocence, which is a part ofher charm. She becomes hardened and calculating. Unable to love, she is unfit to receive her husband's seed.

The feminine personality is founded on the emotional relationship between mother and baby. It is based on nurturing and self-sacrifice.Masculine nature is founded on the relationship between hunter and prey. It is based on aggression and reason.

Feminism teaches woman that feminine nature has resulted in"oppression" and that she should convert to male behavior instead. The result: a confused and aggressive woman with a large chip on her shoulder, unfit to become a wife or mother.

This, of course, is the goal of the social engineers at the NWO:undermine sexual identity and destroy the family, create social and personal dysfunction, and reduce population. In the "brave new world,"women are not supposed to be "nest" makers, or progenitors of the race. They are meant to be neutered autonomous creatures that indulge in sex forphysical pleasure, not for love or procreation.

At his press conference on Sunday, Donald Rumsfeld said that Iranian women and youth were restive under the rule of the Mullahs. He impliedthat the US would soon liberate them. To Britney Spears? To low-rise"see-my-thong"pants? To the mutual masturbation that passes for sexuality in America?

Parenthood is the pinnacle of human development. It is the stage when we finally graduate from self-indulgence and become God's surrogates:creating and nurturing new life. The New World Order does not want usto reach this level of maturity. Pornography is the substitute formarriage. We are to remain stunted: single, sex-starved andself-obsessed.

We are not meant to have a permanent "private" life. We are to remain lonely and isolated, dependent on consumer products for our identity,in a state of perpetual courtship.

This is especially destructive for woman. Her sexual attraction is a function of her fertility. As fertility declines, so does her sexappeal. If a woman devotes her prime years to becoming "independent,"she is not likely to find a permanent mate.

Her long-term personal fulfillment and happiness lies in making marriage and family her first priority.

Feminism is another cruel New World Order hoax that has debauched American women and despoiled Western civilization. It has ruined millions of lives and represents a lethal threat to Islam.

I am not advocating the burka but rather some of the values that it represents, specifically a woman's consecration to her future husbandand family, and the modesty and dignity this entails.

The Trust!

Subhana'Allah this ayah of the Qur'an to me seems so powerful! I am not a scholar of tafseer but its one of those ayahs when you read it you stop and think woah! I wish I had the ability to do so with every ayah I read insha'Allah with time ill get there! I was wondering if anyone has read any tafseer on this ayah in particular? Im going to look it up later when I get a chance insh'Allah... The Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains refused the 'trust' but we have taken it on!! What could this trust be?? Is it the message of Islam... if so are we taking care of it as a trustee should do. I mean do we take care of our own Islam meaning to we live, breath and do our every day practises in accordance to the Quran and Sunnah, do we aid our families in doing so, do we help spread the true message of Islam to our communities by being role model Muslims??? When asked about the character of the Prophet (saw), Aisha (ra) replied it was the Qur'an meaning he acted upon the commands of Allah and refrained from what Allah had forbidded... the Qur'an is a text for us to live our lives by.... the prophet (saw) acted that out as an example to us all at his time and for all times! If this ayah is referring to the message of Allah the final message of Allah our creator to Mankind Al Islam and then we are the trustees lets take care of it as we should do as the prophet (saw) did. Lets worship our creator in all ways from the moment we wake till we go to sleep. We can do this in sooo many ways... praising Allah, being good to people, when we see something in creation which astounds us remember it came from Allah and so praise Him, when we receive something nice remember its by the Will of Allah and its a blessing from Him so praise Him, when we accomplish anything good remember we only did so by the permission from Allah as He is the One who allowed us to do so praise Allah as He is most deserving... when you fall into sin remember its only Allah who can forgive so turn to Him alone and sincerely repent verily Allah loves to forgive His slaves!
Subhana'Allah!

Baby Its All Good!

I came across this poem and thought to share it with you all! Its a nice addition to all the posts on hijab ive recently been putting up quite nicely! Maybe some of you have read it before even so its a nice read so enjoy...

Baby, it's all good!

Author unknown

What do you see when you look at me?

Do you see someone limited, or someone free?

All some people can do is just look and stare

Simply because they can't see my hair

Others think I am controlled and uneducated

They think that I am limited and un-liberated

They are so thankful that they are not me

Because they would like to remain 'free'

Well free isn't exactly the word I would've used

Describing women who are cheated on and abused

They think that I do not have opinions or voice

They think that being hooded isn't my choice

They think that the hood makes me look caged

That my husband or dad are totally outraged

All they can do is look at me in fear

And in my eye there is a tear

Not because I have been stared at or made fun of

But because people are ignoring the One up above

On the day of judgment they will be the fools

Because they were too ashamed to play by their own rules

Maybe the guys won't think I am a cutie

But at least I am filled with more inner beauty

See I have declined from being a guy's toy

Because I won't let myself be controlled by a boy

Real men are able to appreciate my mind

And aren't busy looking at my behind

Hooded girls are the ones really helping the Muslim cause

The role that we play definitely deserves applause

I will be recognized because I am smart and bright

And because some people are inspired by my sight

The smart ones are attracted by my tranquility

In the back of their mind they wish they were me

We have the strength to do what we think is right

Even if it means putting up a life long fight

You see we are not controlled by a mini skirt and tight shirt

We are given only respect, and never treated like dirt

So you see, we are the ones that are free and liberated

We are not the ones that are sexually terrorized and violated

We are the ones that are free and pure

We're free of STD's that have no cure
So when people ask you how you feel about the hood Just sum it up by saying, 'Baby its all good'

VA VA VOOM with renault!

Just a quick note for those people who are deluding themselves into thinking that any other F1 team apart from Renault will win this year! Allah willing it will be Alonso with Renault winning as they are after all the best!

Fitrah of a Child!

I have not posted for a while... Ive been trying to concentrate on preparing for Ramadan as its not too far away... I cant wait... insha'Allah Ill see if I can come up with some interesting posts on Ramadan! My little baby nephew is not too well either he has a terrible throat infection and was rushed to hospital the other night as his temp hit 102!!! Make dua he gets better soon insha'Allah!

Anyways the other day I had gone to a shop to buy some hijabs... its a really cool shop which is divided in half... half sells hijabs, jilbabs, thowbs, prayer hats, bukhur all Islamic stuff and the other half sells normal high street clothing such as jeans, tea shirts etc!
Anyways I was in there buying a few hijabs and some bukhur when this lady came in with her daughter... They were from Brazil! The lady was very very friendly. She was dressed in a very small skirt and a half bikini top which was so revealing that it literally barely covered anything at all. Anyways she had popped in and was trying on some of the dimonte jewellry the shop sells. She came and asked me and the sister who works there if it looked nice. Anyways in the mean time her little daughter who was about 6 years old had also been browsing the shop... she came up to her mum and asked if she could have something she wanted for so long... she then produced a small packet which contained an all in one childs hijab... ALLAHU AKBAR!
The lady then explained that her daughter has been asking for one for so long as she wants to cover her head Subhana'Allah I could not believe my ears! Despite the example she was being set this child whose face was shining as most kids do her natural instinct her fitrah was telling her that the hjjab was the correct way to go! Her mother had no problem at all and agreed to getting her the hijab... the sister who was working in the shop was also touched and gave the hijab as a gift to the little girl who was sooo delighted that she poured and showered kisses and hugs to us in the shop!
May Allah guide her and her family and us all to the truth ameen!

Being Merciful to Animals!

I came across this picture and subhana'Allah I was so upset and thought of the different sayings of the prophet (pbuh) about the importance of being kind to animals... this poor donkey is so over loaded and reminded me of the hadith about the camel who complained to the prophet (pbuh) this also shows a miracle of the prophet (pbuh):

Once the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, was passing by a farm in Madinah when he came across a camel. The camel approached the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, as if it was telling him something. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, asked about the owner of of the camel and called upon him and told him, “Your camel is complaining that you overburden him with work, and gives him too little to eat.” [Narrated by Abu Daud, Al-Hakim, Imam Ahmad, and others and it is an authentic hadith]

Imagine if the prophet (saw) was here today what would this donkey say about his/her owner? Perhaps they will complain to Allah who knows Allah knows best... IF any of us do have pets we really need to take a lesson from this and make sure we look after them properly, treat them with kindness and mercy, feed them give them water. They are a responsibilty on us from Allah and we will be asked about them so its of utmost importance that we look after them properly!

We should also remember that we should not harm those animals which are in the wild for example birds in a tree.

Once while the prophet (saw) was with his companions he found a bird making a greaving sound. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, immediately said: “Who has frightened this bird by taking its offspring?” Then he commanded: “Return back her offspring.” In another hadith the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, warned Muslims not to harm animals. He said: “A lady was put into the hellfire because of a cat. She tied up the cat and did not give her anything to eat nor did she allow it to look for food.”

From these ahadith we can see how important it is for us to look after animals and have mercy on them as it could literally lead us to paradise or hell! Dont be like the person who owns the donkey above rather be like someone who owns this little cat which is so well looked after, loved and fed (I know because its my sisters cat)

The Mercy of Allah in Regard to Forgiveness

Im glad that those of you who read the last post on death appreciated it and insha'Allah will keep it in your minds and remember the important lesson of sabr and realisation that we will all return to Allah only He knows when and He has more right over us than anyone on this Earth. I also mentioned how important it is for us to prepare for death. This can be done in so many ways...Of course by fulfilling the 5 pillars, then you have the chance to gain more reward by doing extra optional fasts, extra prayers, giving charity subhana'Allah so much can be done this list is endless! However many of us forget (now im not trying to give you guys the easy way out please still do try and do extra fasts, prayers etc) many of us forget one of the most essential and simplist ways of pleasing Allah by doing an act which is loved by Him which shows our complete dependancy on Him which shows how we have realised out wrong doings... yes its by simply asking for forgiveness. At the end of the day we are not angels we are human beings so we are not perfect and do make mistakes... the trick is NOT TO FALL IN DESPAIR and to remember the Mercy and Forgiveness of your Lord Allah which has no bounds! I happen to also have some proof of the divine Mercy of Allah which is from a hadith Qudsi.
"O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it."
In this Hadithi Qudsi, Allah gives hope to mankind reminding and encouraging us to turn to Him in repentance. It displays the quality and attribute of Allahs mercy. No doubt its is Allah who is ar-Rahman, the Most Compassionate, and ar-Raheem, the Most Merciful. Allah is reminding us all of the greatness of His forgiveness and mercy so that no one would despair due to the amount of sins he may have committed Subhana'Allah how great is that! This is supported by the following verse of the Holy Quran:
Say: O My servants who have transgressed against their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surah az-Zumar 39:53)
This hadith teaches us the importance of realizing Allahs mercy, having faith and hope in Him especially when making dua, calling to Allah alone for forgiveness, and the importance of repentance in the life and faith of a believer. Its is an excellent way to prepare for death as would not we all love to meet Allah and He greets us with His Mercy and Forgiveness? Many a time we listen to lectures where we are told about rules we must do and alhamdulillah this is very beneficial and I hope that myself and all others are able to learn more about the rulings of Islam. But let us not forget the Mercy of Allah the Forgiveness of Allah do not fall into despair and instead remember that sincerely asking for Allahs forgiveness is a great way to prepare for death and be sure that Allah hears all our sincere duas and accepts them! Please remember me in your duas and ask Allah to forgive me His slave who is continous awe of Him ameen!