The Epitome of Excellence [Poem]

Assalaamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

Sometimes I stop to reflect,
To reflect upon the persona of the greatest man that walked this Earth.
You may have heard many things about him,
Yet, how much of it is the truth?

He was a real man,
called Muhammad.
He is my hero,
A shining example for you and I,
Just please,
stop, and come with me,
take some moments out,
As we experience his life together.

Let me start you off with his childhood,
He was unique from all the other kids,
Blessed, clever, intelligent,
and already so wise.
He was unlike the rest,
He was a child who attempted to do what was best,
helping his uncle in trade,
an upright character of high morale and honesty.

As a young man, he would herd the sheep,
Reflecting upon the creation,
Surely, there must be a Creator?
Of such detail and complexity?

Manhood brought him experience after experience;
He was a man of truth, knowledge and special understanding,
Meditating in the cave,
Sad of all the idols they were worshipping!
O how, if only they could stop their evils and wrongdoings -
and so he would sit and ponder, days after days.

Even before prophethood, he would help the needy,
A brilliant husband to his wife Khadidja,
The best love story you would ever read,
A relationship based on true love, and understanding.
With a heart full of Mercy, he would withhold ties of kinship,
never severing,
Care and concern for the people, was always a priority.

Iqra! Read, yet he couldn't read,
But never did he give up,
persisting through this heavy wahi,
How honoured of a slave he was,
a man chosen to hold the prophecy,
the seal of all prophets,
a mercy for generations to follow.

At Tai'f he bled for this ummahs victory,
Preaching the religion of Abraham private and publicly,
Never harsh, nor cruel nor abusive nor violent!
Rather, kindness, humility, subtle were his qualities,
Tears ran down his faces, as he repeats,
"My ummah!" "My Ummah!"

He married, for the sake of His Lord,
To support those women,
to treat them as they ought to be treated;
With compassion and beauty.
How they loved him,
a shining husband, father,
How you and I should try to be.

When he died,
How sad felt his community,
shaking the hearts of many,
the greatest of calamities!
Abu Bakr reminds that Allah never dies.
So worship Him, and Him alone

A slave of Allah,
whose company was a pleasure to keep,
returned to his Lord, where he chose to be,
in the highest of companionship.

It doesn’t stop there.

He will come on the day of Judgement,
Interceding with Allahs permission for me and you,
for he loves us,
He will beg Allah to shower his Mercy,
on even those who had an ounce of faith.

Now tell me, why i shouldn't shed tears,
when I hear their mocking?
And in Allah we put our trust,
May He unite us in Jannah, with all the Prophets, Martyrs and Saliheen.

Friend or Foe?

In today's day and age we sometimes become confused concerning our "identity" as a Muslim/Muslimah living in the west. We are faced with social and peer pressure which makes us hide our real selves and who we really are - slaves of Allah. Most of the time it's the influence of so called "celebrities" who become our role models, or our companions and 'friends', that try to make you fit in with the rest and make you feel strange or odd. So how do we tackle this issue? How can we revive our inner soldier? How can we fight the strong, evil influence of our peers? How can we once again represent Islam through our actions?

As a teenager living in west I witness many of my dear brothers and sisters being led astray due to the bad company that surrounds them and media influences that 'programme' them. We ask Allah to protect us all. 

First of all, how important is friendship in Islam?? Our Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: “A man is upon the religion of his best friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.” [Sunan Abu Dawud, Book of Manners, Number 4833, Sahih] 
This Hadith emphasis the importance of friends and how much of an impact a friends ideas, character, and actions could have on a person! Truly, Allah (swt) wants good for His slaves and so he sent down the Quran, the profound miracle, and the sunnah as a source of guidance and comfort for us. We should reflect upon the company we keep, those who we sit with, converse with, share our personal thoughts with for Indeed it has a huge effect.

Let's discuss this in light of the Quran, for the there is no book truer than the book of Allah. Allah (swt) dedicated a few ayahs in Surah Furqan to "friendship". Yes! Your Lord is telling us about friends and who we should and shouldn't associate with. 

And (remember) the Day when the Zâlim (wrong-doer, oppressor, polytheist) will bite at his hands, he will say: "Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger ( Muhammad SAW).[] (27) "Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a Khalil (an intimate friend)! (28) "He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (this Qur'ân) after it had come to me. And Shaitân (Satan) is to man ever a deserter in the hour of need." (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi) (29

In this ayah Allah is talking about the wrongdoer who will appear on the day of Judgement full of regret and remorse. He will chew at his hands due to the grief he is feeling and he will curse himself and wish that he hadn't taken "so and so" as a friend. Why? Because this 'friend' of his led him astray even after Islam was proclaimed to him! Allah (swt) revealed these ayahs as they relate to an incident that happened at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). There were two friends, Uqbah ibn abi Mueet and Ummayyah Ibn Khalaf.  Both of these men were enemies of Islam, however Ummayyah was a severe enemy and was very harsh in nature, his friend Uqbah however, was a generous, hospitable and personable man who had a habit - that whenever he went on travel, on his return he would hold a feast. He would gather a group of people together and serve them food. There was one occasion when the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was amongst those that were invited. The meal began and everyone starting eating, besides the Prophet. Uqbah, being the generous man he was, insisted to the Prophet to eat. The Prophet refused and said he would not eat until Uqbah declared that "That there is none worthy of worship but Allah an Muhammad is His messenger". Uqbah felt bad, how could he invite a guest and let them leave without eating? And so he accepted this statement. 

Word got round and soon reached his best friend Ummayyah, who approached Uqbah and who ignorantly said: "How could you leave the religion of your forefathers?!" Ummayyah in response told him there was no such thing and that he only accepted because he felt bad. But Ummayyah would not believe him, and told him to prove this and so he ordered him to spit inthe face of the Prophet in public. And so this unfortunate man, Ummayyah went and did what he was told.

So Allah revealed an ayah regarding Uqbah! That he will stand on the Day of Judgement chewing harshly at his hands, wishing he never followed his friend! SubhanAllah! Islam was penetrating in the heart of Uqbah! Islam was presented to him by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) himself, yet he refused and followed the way of his bad friend.

The interesting thing about this is that in ayah 28 Allah says that the man will say,  "Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a Khalil (an intimate friend)!  - Here Allah uses the word "Fulaan" meaning "so and so". Allah uses this to give it a more broad application, that the ayahs are not referring only to Uqbah but to us aswel. We have all been in some situation where our friends have had some kind of influence on our ways, thoughts or actions, and some may be in a position now where they are slipping away from the deen due to their friends pulling them away and encouraging themto do the wrong. If you are, just remember Islam is a complete way of life, a beacon of light, a treasure that should be protected and valued. If you are around friends that are taking you away from this treasure then leave them, for their company is dangerous. Find people that will motivate you, help you, and work with you to be the best in everything. Help you to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, to wear the hijab, to grow the beard! Make friends with those who inspire you to become BETTER! That remind you when you forget! Because they are the friends that will hold your hand on this journey of life till you both re unite in Paradise, inshaAllah!

Remember who you are, a precious pearl. An honoured slave of Allah. Seek out good qualities for this life is but a temporary abode. Spend time with people who aim high, who don't make you feel uneasy about yourself, who have the same vision as you.

Remember your strange, and being original is better than being a copy!

May Allah grant us righteous company in this life and the hereafter and may he keep us on the straight path, aameen.

The Perpetual Giver

Not once has He not heard,
The call when I called.
Not once has He not seen,
The tears that dripped from my anxious eye.
Not once has He neglected,
The prayers of my silent heart,
Within the deepness of the night.
Not once did He not forgive,
My sin, when I wept out of regret!
Hoping for his forgiveness,
Repeating the words that He sent.
Not once did He withhold the provision - when I disobeyed him,
Far astray I went!
Out of his infinite Mercy did He continue to give,
To provide,
To sustain,
To love,
To protect,
To forgive!
The perpetual giver,
The everlasting provider,
O Lord!
Guide us to your Jannah!
Save us from your punishment!

The Stranger In The Corridor [A short story]

A short story with a meaningful lesson...

It was 5 minutes till the end of college. Marwa walked along the corridor feeling tired and flustered. It had been a long day and she needed to go home and rest for a while before her 1000 duties were to be fulfilled.  

A group of teenage girls at the end of the corridor, were talking about what was on TV the night before, giggling to each other – giving the occasional ‘high five’ and gracelessly sneering at the girls who walked by.  Marwa looked up at the girls giving a smile as she passed them. Despite her small effort of kindness they looked to each other and let out a very loud and insulting laugh. One of the girls started sniggering at her Jilbab. “Eww how she can wear that big bag!” she laughed to her friend. 

Her frustrated looking friend turned back to look at Marwa, “I know! Isn’t she so extreme? She was probably forced to wear it!” Again, they both burst into a fit of laughter. Hurt by their sarcastic comments, Marwa carried on walking feeling a sense of sadness. How could they mock at her religion? Her dress? Her liberation? All these questions were occupying her mind. Didn’t they have any shame in saying such blasphemous things, she thought.  Marwa would have certainly said something, were it not that she remembered the ayah in the Quran “And the slaves of the Most Merciful are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply with mild words of gentleness.” And so she remained calm. Whispering to herself “Allah is with the patient" or “glad tidings to the strangers.”

The thought of being a stranger aroused her mind. How honoured are those who stand out amongst the rest. How unique. How special.  I may not “fit in” but if Allah is pleased with me who cares?! I love who I am! 

Marwa smiled to herself and walked out to the foyer area. However, to her surprise, the girls had surpassed her whilst she was absorbed in her deep thoughts and again stood there, blocking her way.  Marwa looked at them in the eye, cleared her throat and addressed them in a calm manner. “What is it that’s so funny?” she asked sternly. 

Again, their immaturity shined through, and so one of the girls spat at her face. The girl besdis her pulled at her scarf, the other pushed her with her hand and insulted her religion. Marwa patiently walked away, constantly reminding herself that Allah was watching. He knew, and that's what mattered.

She began to recall the time the Prophet Muhammad (saw), when he entered Ta’if and was ridiculed and humiliated and stoned till he bled by the children of that village. Imagining this scene increased her longing to meet the Prophet (saw), but brought her heart to ease, as she acknowledge her test was very similar to that of the Prophet (saw)'s.

The girls had recently began to mock Marwa more and more. When she started the school, she was the only one who wore the Hijab, Jilbab and Niqab. People saw her as strange when she would leave the classroom to pray, or even when she did something good, they found it weird and thought something was up. But Marwa knew she had to be stronger.

She hurried out of the school doors, smiling a big smile.  “Alhamdulillah” she said to herself; even though she was deeply hurt, she breathed in the fresh air of the beautiful spring’s day. At that very moment, she felt like a warrior, courageous, honoured, dignified but best of all she felt strange. This is who she was. She was not going to change for anyone. If Allah was pleased with her, then she had no need to feel so sad. For she believed truly that there is no obedience in the creation when it is disobedience to the creator. For that she would fight and in that she would find peace and reassurance.

Meet the traveller! [An introduction]

Assalaam Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakauhu  So, who exactly am I? I am a deeply curious Muslimah and Islamic Psychology student, who was born and raised in the UK and currently still residing here. I am an avid writer, blogger and aspiring author who is the midst of publishing her first book, Alhadulilah. My passion for children, world peace, religion, psychology and writing is what led me to setting up this blog. Through this means, I hope to write to inspire hearts, touch lives and educate by means of the pen. The more I learn about by beautiful faith, Islam - one the greatest gifts in my life, the more I always amazed and intrigued. Islam, the religion of peace, provides me with the perfect tools and guidelines as I travel on the road of Life. I've been running this blog for around two years. It all began when I realised that so many thoughts entered and left my brain in the day that I couldn't keep up with them all! Thus, I decided to set up a blog whereabouts I could store my daily reflections and ponderings that perhaps another person may be inspired by or benefit from.  Writing down on random pieces of paper didn't quite do the job for me, as I would end up losing papers or scribblings things down in my journal, which most of the time, I struggld to make sense of after. This blog is a place for me to portray the beauty of Islam and how it impacts my life. Its to share my personal experiences and lessons that I learn through everyday encounters and especially through life experiences. Its a place for me to ramble on about my dreams, goals and ambitions, and its also here to give you an insight into the life of a veiled Muslimah. As many fail to see beyond the veil, I feel its my responsibility to show the world the truth of how Islam liberates women. There are two reasons behind why I chose 'Al-Musaafirah' as the name for my blog: 1. Due to the beautiful narration of Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wasallam): On the authority of Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took hold of my shoulder and said, ‘Be in the world as if you were a stranger or a traveller along the path.” And ibn Umar would say, “If you survive till late afternoon, do not expect [to be alive in] the morning. If you survive till morning, do not expect [to be alive in] the late afternoon. Take from your health before your sickness and your life before you death.” (Recorded in al-Bukhari) 2. Secondly, I am someone who frequently becomes consumed with Wanderlust. I have a dream to travel to different parts of the world to explore and marvel at the beauty of Allah's creation, as well as absorb inspiration and ideas from the surrounding beauty that may help in my writing!

Travelling allows one to experience different cultures, meet different people, and allows you to truly reflect and ponder over the wonderful and diverse creation of Allah.

Word of warning: You may find ALOT of repetition on my blog, but hey, everyone needs the same reminder over again some times. :) 

Extra info: I am obsessed with babies, so beware of finding lots of cute, kiddy reminders on here as well as my aspirations of motherhood. 

See, I've already began rambling. If your still curious, check out my archives to see all my previous posts and musings. 

I hope it inspires and benefits ya'll.

Peace :)

- Your fellow traveller