~ Compilation of my recent FB statuses ~

No one was busier than the Prophet Muhammad (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam), yet he made everyone feel special and fulfilled the rights of all. #AMercyToMankind

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Glory be to Him, who favored us and protected us, who showered upon us His mercy and blessings, and who gave us the greatest gift anyone could ever receive - the gift of Islam.

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The more technology is advancing, the more we are forgetting to 'live in the moment.' It's like our life revolves around the Internet, our mobile phones and our picture galleries. 

We see a beautiful view of the sun set or sunrise, and instead of pausing and marvelling at it's beauty, instead of using that moment as we drive past it to remember Al-Khaliq and praise Him, we on the contrary, pull our our phones, open up instagram, capture the view, add some effects and upload it not for us, but our friends and followers to see and look at. By the time we've done that, the moment has passed, that feeling of awe has too passed, that opportunity to ponder and reflect has also passed.

Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong in taking pictures of the sunset, this is just a personal example of how we don't 'live in the moment.' 

There are so many other better examples I could have given but the point here is, we forget to savour the moment. Every single moment, every 'over the table chit-chat' with our family, every spectacular view, every moment of celebration is precious and is treasured. In those moments, don't let technology distract you from the better things you could be doing right then.

This is a huge reminder to myself before any one of you. It kind of struck me today as I was on my way back from school and saw a beautiful view of the sky, this thought seeped into my mind and made me think.

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Allah will give and give and give, and will not want anything in return. 

Put your trust in Al-Wahhaab <3

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Sometimes Allah lands you in the most strangest of situations where nothing but good comes from it.

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So my expensive Swarovski ring fell into the sink hole whilst I was making Wudhu. (Don't ask!)

Nevertheless, at that point I remembered a very beautiful quote that I had read many times before, but right then it was a perfect reminder...

"And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him."

~ Ibn al-Qayyim

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When the Prophets Uncle, Abu Taalib passed away, He, (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) was extremely saddened. He was deeply pained by the death of his close family member, but more so by the fact that his uncle died a disbeliever. 

It goes to show that guidance is in the hands of Allah. Sometimes the light could be shining through, but a person refuses to look towards it. Our job is to show the path, whether the people walk upon it or not, is upto Allah (swt).

Thus, always plead to Allah for guidance and Istiqaamah.

"O the turner of hearts, turn our hearts towards the deen."

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If the door ahead of you is still open, even a little bit, continue to walk towards it. When the door clasps shut, only then know that perhaps what you were heading towards wasn't good for you. Allah knows what was on the other side. That is the answer to your istikhaarah. 

Until then, keep walking towards your goal, and your aspirations, with a heart filled with complete reliance in Allah. He can make all your dreams come true. 

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No dream is too big because absolutely nothing is impossible for Allah.

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"Did I not tell you, that you would not be able to have patience with me?" [Surah Kahf Reflections]

"He (Khidr) said: "Verily! You will not be able to have patience with me! "And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not?" Musa (Moses) said: "If Allah will, you will find me patient, and I will not disobey you in aught." He (Khidr) said: "Then, if you follow me, ask me not about anything till I myself mention it to you." So they both proceeded, till, when they embarked the ship, he (Khidr) scuttled it. Musa (Moses) said: "Have you scuttled it in order to drown its people? Verily, you have committed a thing "Imra" (a Munkar - evil, bad, dreadful thing)." He (Khidr) said: "Did I not tell you, that you would not be able to have patience with me?"

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SubhanAllah, the story of Musa (as) and Khidr holds so many profound lessons. Even Musa (as), a prophet of Allah, the one who spoke to Allah, struggled to stop himself questioning the actions of someone who was more knowledgeable than him. Just like us, he was human.

Yet, how many of us do this with Allah? The one who has the greatest knowledge of everything, both seen and unseen. The one who knows what thoughts we are harbouring in our minds right now. Just like Musa (as) lost patience with Khidr, we sometimes lose patience with Allah and begin to question His plan and decree, forgetting that He knows exactly what He is doing, as He is Al-'Aleem, the knower everything, the knower of every creature, even of the little ant that scurries under a rock in the darkness of the night.

Instead of questioning the plan of Allah, have patience and watch his decree for you unfold, for He knows what is best for you.

And to Allah belongs the greatest of examples.

~ A Golden Gem ~

In Arabic, the word 'Fitnah' which means 'trials' or 'tests', is derived from the root word 'Fatanah', meaning 'to test gold.' It refers to gold which is heated, and if the gold is true gold then the act of heating will make it more pure, but if the gold is faulty then heating it will make it perish and disappear.

Similarly, if you are tried with 'Fitnah' (tests or trials) then this same analogy applies to you. Allah is testing you in order to purify you, if you are a true believer then the test will only enhance your imaan and you will come out of it purer than before. This is only for a believer. Nevertheless, for a munafiq (hypocrite), tests only bring out their true colours and cause their imaan to drop or even perish and disappear, just like the gold.

..."Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favour upon you that you may be grateful." (5:6)

Just Believe. [Poem]

Believe,

You are a special diamond,
Being polished to become a glistening jewel.
You are a shining star,
A beacon of light for others to follow.

Believe,
There is always a reason for what Allah decrees,
Wisdom behind everything,
It may be that you dislike something,
And it is good for you.
Or you like something,
And it is bad for you.
Do not despair, for Allah Knows.

Believe,
That you are what you strove to be,
So let people say what they desire to speak,
For you are someone special in the Eyes of Allah,
A humble slave,
Clinging on to His faith,
Holding tight to the rope,
Even in times of insecurity,

Believe,
That you have a huge family,
One Ummah, together as a unity,
Feeling your pain,
Supporting you all the way,
In their du’aas you are remembered,
Begging their Lord to grant you peace,
For He is the Most Merciful to those who show mercy.

Believe,
That Allah is with you, in your life’s journey,
Never will He let you go,
You call upon Him and He will respond,
Now or in the Hereafter, you‘ll see the results,
Of your humble cries,
As you placed your forehead to the ground,
Hurting from deep inside.
So let your tears clear your vision,
And let the pain strengthen you,
Hold strong to your Imaan,
And never let go.

For you will one day see,
The delights and joy,
In Paradise,
Forever,
For eternity.

Just Believe.

How to nurture your vision...

This is not for the new year specifically, rather it's something we should be doing and reflecting on constantly inshaAllah. 

~♥~ 

Be people of vision. As a Muslim we must ensure that we live our life with purpose. Our ultimate goal is to please Allah and enter His Paradise, and this we should keep in our mind, every minute of every day. However, in order to reach that vision, we need to have small goals and aspirations in this dunya that will lead us to our end goal in the Akhirah.

"Use what Allah has given you in this dunya, to build on your Akhirah."

Here are some practical tips on how to nurture your vision:

1) Write down your goals - Buy yourself a notebook. Try to get one that looks eye-catching, bright and funky. The reason why I say this is because in it you're going to write down your dreams and your ambitions in life, so you want it to be something that when you look at it, it reminds you of where you are heading. It reminds you of those things that brighten up your mood when you think about them. Those aspirations you aspire to reach.

2) Make a plan - Now that you know exactly what you want in life in order to please Allah. Make a plan. Set milestones. When do I want to achieve this by? Where do I see myself in three years time? Don't miss anything out. Whether you want to become an author, master the Arabic language, set up a business, launch a dawah project. Whatever your dreams are, write down exactly when you want to do it and take small baby steps each day to get ti that goal.

3) Make Du'aa - This is the most important. Rely entirely on Allah. I remember listening to a talk by Sh Navaid Aziz, and he was saying how he had wrote down as one of his milestones, that in 5 years time he wanted to visit Malaysia and give dawah to the people there. The fifth year came and Allah had granted him what he desired and he didn't even make Du'aa for it. Imagine if he did! Indeed Allah will respond to your call. Want to be married in 2 years? Want to launch a dawah project next year? Write it down and then beg Allah in the darkness of the nights and in the serene mornings to grant you what you want and most importantly, to make it good for you in this life and the next.

I expect you all to be posting pics of your new notebooks soon. 

May Allah give us the life and ability to reach our goals and aspiration for His sake alone, ameen.