The Deed Of The Day…

So, here we are, the great day is upon us, millions of people have gathered at Arafah and its an amazing spectacle surrounding the mount of mercy, everyone is invoking Allah, with the hadith firmly in their mind, in which the Messenger of Allah, said, “There is no day on which Allah frees more of His slaves from fire than on the Day of Arafat.” [Muslim]

 

However, what about us? What about us sat here in our homes? Well there are two things to consider.

 

Firstly, Arafah’s bounties are not only for those physically there. It’s a blessed day, the day of Arafah, so we should all seek its goodness and invoke Allah.

 

Seconndly, the day of Arafah is from the best of days, almost the crown of them if you may. The Messenger of Allah said,” There are no days that are greater before Allaah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him, than these ten days.” [Ahmad]

 

What these ahadith suggest is we all need to busy ourselves with doing great deeds today, and not let any opportunity split. With this in mind, I stumbled across something, which I just have to share.

 

There is an opportunity to help a hafiz of Quran and Bukhari, a sick man in hospital, a father of four children, an Imaam, a husband, a Shaikh, a great gentleman; Dr Dremali. This shaikh who has served this religion enormously is now laying in a hospital bed, struggling to take a breath and looking at a considerable time off work!

 

The thing about all the ways he is being trailed now is, that like most of his life he has been serving the Ummah, and the source of much goodness, he continues in that way, through actually being in a position to need your help now. He represents an opportunity to spend money for the sake of Allah, to help the oppressed, to support the vulnerable, to support the Alim in his spreading knowledge, to illustrate selflessness, to compete for the doing of good deeds, to loving for the sake of Allah and the list continues.

 

His situation is such that living in the most expensive healthcare system in the world, with failing health and high commitments through supporting the community, he needs to raise approximately US$50 000. This may seem a lot of money, but in the USA if you have a major illness, like the Shaikh and your not covered by a good insurance policy, such monies go very quickly. Also, it is a lot of money for maybe one of us to stand by this Shaikh, but if we came together is it really?

 

Please watch this video, and see if your willing to become one of the 100 Ansar required to free this man from his current situation. We need just 100 people to stand up and support him with $500, sorry 99 people to stand up with $500, and say Shaikh we are behind you. As you have served the Ummah, in your time of need the Ummah is with you, and we take satisfaction from the words of habeebana, Muhammad, Alayhe salat wa’salam, who said, Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allâh will fulfil his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allâh will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allâh will screen him on the Day of Resurrection.” [Bukhâri]

 

http://www.islamictube.com/100ansar1431.html

“Allâh supports His slave as long as the slave is supportive of his brother…” [Muslim]

The Quest For A Partner For The Long Road To Al Firdaus…

“We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”

 

Orson Welles, could not have been more right with these words, and this is why the difference between good and bad company is like the heavens and the earth.

 

In the modern time, we have seen a renaissance in the Islamic spirit, and across the world we see an increasingly visible presence of Islam. By the grace of Allah, we see the rise of Ahl Sunnah, we see niqaab and the headscarf ever more manifest in our societies and we see masaajid and Islamic centers emerging with great ambition and glory.

 

In and amongst this we have also seen the rise of whole Islamic communities, circles of people who love each other for the sake of Allah. They have no racial connection, no blood lineage to one another and no material benefit to bring to one another except to further one another in god consciousness. And without question this is one of the most beautiful manifestations of the Islamic revival in our time. As an AlKauthar student, I have met some of the finest people in the world, who have changed my world view, and allowed me to experience some of the best times in my life. People I would have not met otherwise, people who I have no connection with, except a zeal for knowledge, from Afghanistan, Kenya, Australia and even Mirpur! It is genuinely something amazing and only those who have the pleasure of such relationships will know to what I am referring.

 

Only yesterday I came across a brother. A new Muslim who entered Islam less than a month ago, and was homeless. However, he was in a café and met some brothers. Once they found out he was Muslim, and he was new to this Ummah, they immediately offered him a place in their home. They never met him before, did not know him, and yet opened up their home to him, to live and stabilize his affairs. Why? Simply because they understood the ties of brotherhood and the importance of community. Allahu Akbar.

 

Now, despite this amazing connection between the people of tawheed, there is another reality, which lives side by side to this. It is the most bizarre phenomenon in contemporary Muslim society, and it relates to marriage, or the lack of it.

 

Despite these great relationships, which have emerged through the rise of the Dawah to Islam, there is one type of relationship, which is struggling to find the light of day, and that is the sacred institution of marriage. We live in a time, where even amongst good, let me rephrase, fantastic, practicing Muslims, there is an inability for people to settle and marry. This amazing institution, which builds the very fabric of any society is slowly slowly being eroded. We are finding that there are so many brilliant brothers and sisters, and so many of them single. So many students seeking knowledge, yet unable to find someone to walk that journey to enlightenment with.

 

A wise person once said, ‘the most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved’, and she could not have been more right. We, living here in the West, have the best of material wealth. We have nice BMWs, large homes, highflying jobs, and yet we come home, to, well, to ourselves. There is an inevitable emptiness for the single person, and why wouldn’t there be? We know from the prophetic example the true value in this life of a righteous partner. Walk through the corridors of the Sunnah, and you will find narration after narration calling to marriage and its blessing. Consider the hadith, of the Messenger of Allah, when he, habeebana, said, “This whole world is an enjoyment, and its best enjoyment is a righteous wife” [Muslim]

 

Gentleman, will the 5 series upgrade, fill the void, will the Cabrio, ever be of more meaning than what the messenger himself identified as the best enjoyment? No.

 

Sisters, consider the statement of our beloved, said, “Any woman dies while her husband is pleased with her, she will enter Jannah (Heaven)”.
[At-Tirmidhi]. Allahu Akbar. Jannah. That is right, Jannah on the back of this amazing institution of marriage.

 

So here we are dearest brothers and sisters, and I write conscious many of you are single. As am I (well not for long, wAlhamdulillah), and therefore I call you to something special.

 

For much a time we have been conscious of this issue, and by Allah, many of you have come to us, questioning about what we are doing about this issue and physical crumbling of this gift from Allah, marriage, before our very eyes. I put before you today, the latest venture from your Mercy Mission; Pure Matriomony. This is a project founded upon the ayat, “women of purity are for men of purity and men of purity are for women of purity” (Qur’an 24:26).

 

The focus of this project, simple, to bring together the god conscious in the most noble relationship on the planet. Therefore dearest brothers and sisters, if you are single, make some time from your lives, and take active steps to end your solitude. Free yourself from the shackles of loneliness, complete half your faith and find yourself someone to pursue a road to Jannah on. Pure Mat is a great place to continue your journey, so sign up, and make dua to Allah jala fi’ula to send you a righteous partner who will be the one who takes you by the hand, and treads the path that ends at Firdaus Al Aala.

 

http://www.purematrimony.com/

If You Win The Rat Race Your Still A Rat :(

This week I attended a very interesting networking event in London. It was at a big city professional services firm. It was a very interesting experience, and the invite was much appreciated.

 

One of the things that struck me, while chatting with some of the people there was just how much it takes to maintain and build a career in the top flight. The extremely long hours, the stress, the responsibility, and the out of work demands too made for good understanding for why the offices were so plush!

 

I guess, even if we are not working a highflying city job, I am sure most can relate to the realities of the modern working environment. Its simply one thing after another, and if your unfortunate enough to be ‘between roles’ right now, I am sure the stress is even greater. With this reality, the words of Allah, could not ring more true:

 

“Wealth and children are the adornments of the life of this world.” 18:46

 

As without a doubt it is our attraction to them which makes us busy in paving the way to them. So here we are, struggling on, pursuing the fruits of this world, which have been aptly described by their creator himself:

 

‘The life of this world is but a delusion’ – 3:185

 

With this reality for many of us, when I saw a great opportunity to escape all such things, yet in a way not to compromise your careers or families needs or requirements, I felt I have to share this. As surely we could all benefit from a break from the working life we are in?

 

Vodafone have a program in place to support people to escape dunya (the irony of it, I know) and work with a registered charity for either a period of 2 months in the UK or 12 months abroad, and I think every single Mercy Mission member who has the ability to take such time out should consider it. Its a great opportunity to do something really good without too much sacrifice, what more could you want?

 

Alhamdulillah, this year, Allah has blessed this organisation enormously. Having had the pleasure to play some little role in some of the great projects that you have all made a reality, I would love to welcome a new full time team member, even if it was for a period of 2 months. Our UK full time team would welcome you on board, so if your hungry for a break from the daily grind, feel you can add some value to MM, and have the hunger to put a couple of months into helping create a world where every Muslim is able to live faithfully to their belief, building an exemplary Islamic community that benefits humanity, fill out the application, win a place, and join me.

 

http://worldofdifference.vodafone.co.uk/