Eid Mubarek!

As Salam Alekoum!

Eid Mubarek to you all <3 Sorry for not posting sooner has some issues with blogger ._. May Allah make it a year of happiness and propsperity for all, and may He bestow upon us with the best Iman in our hearts so we all meet in Janna. Ameen.

Peace and Love <3

Alekoum el Salam

Arafah 2010

As Salam Alekoum

This time last year, I was in Arafah. I was sitting on the carpeted ground in our camp area, leaning my back on my mother's legs whom was sitting on a chair (she can't sit on the ground due to leg pain). I spent the day reflecting on my life, conversing with Allah with Duaas and thanks, and reading Quran. I remember also eating lots of those yummy salted crackers to keep my energy up lol.

It's been one whole year Subhan Allah. I'm fasting today, and I am experiencing severe nostalgia lol. May Allah bless me, and all you dear readers, with Hajj and the chance to be in the sacred place of Arafah.

Spend the day in doing thikr. As the saying goes, make your tongue moist with rememberance of Allah. Reflect on your life, make Duaa and give thanks =)

‘The best of supplications is the supplication on the day of ‘Arafah and the best which I and the Prophets before me have said (is):



La illaha illa Allah wahdahu la shareeka lah, laho almulku wa laho alhamdu wa hoowa 'aala kuli shay'en qadeer

‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs all praise and sovereignty and He is over all things omnipotent.’

Perfect Balance

As Salam Alekoum

I was browsing through Huffington Post when I come across an article titled "Why are you here? A new theory may hold the missing piece". A few paragraphs from the article really caught my eye:

"... According to the current paradigm, the universe, and the laws of nature themselves, just popped out of nothingness. The story goes something like this: From the Big Bang until the present time, we've been incredibly lucky. This good fortune started from the moment of creation; if the Big Bang had been one-part-in-a-million more powerful, the cosmos would have rushed out too fast for the galaxies and stars to have developed. If the gravitational force were decreased by a hair, stars (including the Sun) wouldn't have ignited. There are over 200 physical parameters like this that could have any value but happen to be exactly right for us to be here. Tweak any of them and you never existed."

"The story of evolution reads just like "The Story of the Three Bears," In the nursery tale, a little girl named Goldilocks enters a home occupied by three bears and tries different bowls of porridge; some are too hot, some are too cold. She also tries different chairs and beds, and every time, the third is "just right." For 13.7 billion years we, too, have had chronic good luck. Virtually everything has been "just right." "

I just don't understand how someone can be OK with believing that the whole universe was created in "luck". The perfect balance of life, of the interactions of species, of little mathematical formulas in nature, of the Moon's giving the ebb and wave of the sea, of the dead seed becoming a live plant just with water, with everything, screams loudly to me of the existence of a force greater than anything in this universe ... of the existence of Allah.

image source

Anyway, the new theory that is presented in the article, called Biocentrism, does not say that this is all happened randomly and that we are merely lucky for it all. Instead it says that rather than the universe having had created life, life created the universe. Our conscious minds is what creates time and space, and that they are not physical objects. You can read the principles of the theory from the wiki link.

I like how the theory says that life created the universe. I know that the scientist behind the theory is referring to us humans with the world (life). But from what I see, saying that life created the universe admits that there was an intelligent force behind the creation of our world. That it is impossible for it to all have been random coz the odds are beyond the word high lol. And I guess you guys know what that intelligent force is to me =)

Anyways, this post is not a self-reassurance for me on my faith in Allah, because I find assurances in my daily life, al hamdulillah. Instead, I just wanted to highlight the specific paragraphs in the article coz I liked their wording, and to let you guys know in what other ways people who don't believe in Allah try to justify and make sense of this world.

Wa Alekoum el Salam <3

Journey to Happiness 1 (Paradise)

Salam Alekoum

Lecture given my Amr Khalid in Arabic, and translated to English.

In the name of Allah[1], The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful, praise be upon Him, and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah (SAWS[2]). Welcome and Ramadan Kareem.

Our program this year is quite different from all the previous ones. It is “A Journey to Happiness”. We will go on a trip for thirty days; thirty days of moving from place to place. We are shooting in Lebanon; among the mountains, the sea, and the rivers. We are living the journey, that’s why we did not film in a studio because we want to feel the sense of the trip. The goal of this trip is happiness. How to be happy in this world? Today, people are suffering from problems, sorrows, pain, disease, financial distress, delayed marriage, delayed employment, fatigue, etc. Can we, with ideas, with faith, with a new way of thinking, with a stronger moral, overcome many problems and face the financial and material problems that we were unable to face previously because we had a weaker soul. This is what our program is about this year. Multiple recipes, an integrated package and not separate recipes. Seven sets and if you live by them you will live happily.

However, today's episode does not speak about any of this. We will not talk about any of the seven sets. The first episode is the introduction. In our first episode, we will only deal with two words: “journey” and “happiness”. Before we begin the journey that we will launch tomorrow, by Allah’s will, we just have to agree on these two words.

Pay close attention because this will be the base for all our coming talk! I would like, first, to ask all young men and women watching us to start by preparing a notebook. We shall call this, “The Notebook of the Journey to Happiness”. We will write so many things but let's start with the word, “journey”.

What do I mean by this word? I mean your journey and mine in this life. Let us agree on a basic fact about this trip. It is a short trip; a very short one, in fact. I have to mention this because I will speak to you later about death, problems and pain, so, at the outset I must remind you that it is very short. The trip is not as long as you see it, or as portrayed and exaggerated to us.

There is an idea that says that a man lives in five stages:

* Stage 1: The Creation Stage: When Allah created all before the start of all mankind, He said what can be translated as “And (remember) as your Lord took from the Seeds (Or. sons) of Adam, from their backs, their offspring, and made them bear witness concerning themselves, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said, ‘Yes indeed, we bear witness.’ (So) that you should not say on the Day of the Resurrection, ‘Surely we were heedless of this,’” (TMQ[3], 7:172).

* Stage 2: The Generation: From your earliest grandfather down to your mother and father, and then to you when you arrive in life.

* Stage 3: Your Life in this World: The 60 to 70 years you will spend here.

* Stage 4: The Grave: The life of the isthmus, which we do not know anything about. The grave is either one of the gardens of Jannah or one of the pits of hellfire.

* Stage 5: The Hereafter: Jannah or Hell, jannah by Allah’s will.

The shortest of them is your life in this world. The 60-70 years, while the Creation Stage was too long, and the grave, we do not know its duration, and jannah? ... It's infinity. So life is too short and the world that follows it is too long. We were taught in mathematics, that if any number is divided by infinity the result is zero. If you live in this world for one hundred years and possess all its treasures and enjoyed them, when you divide it by infinity, you will get zero.

In this world no one will continue to move up. Everything has to go up and down. The Prophet (SAWS) had a camel named al-Qasswa’ which no camel could outrun. One day, a simple Bedouin came with his camel and beat al-Qasswa’. The Companions were indignant. The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) told them that Allah asserts the rule that everything in this world which goes up must come down. The whole world does not equal the weight of a mosquito’s wing in Allah’s calculations. If this world, with everything in it, is not equivalent to a mosquito’s wing, then what do you; with all your possessions add up to? Let us see this world for its true value. No matter what your pains, sorrows and sufferings are in this world, see them in their true size.

This is the first fact that we will agree on: All the pain and sufferings, wealth and appearances are there for a short period. The short journey is not worth the sadness. No matter how great is your pain, it will pass.

The second word we will agree on is: “happiness”.

Let us agree that there is no full happiness in this world; there must be discomfort and pain. In fact, every movement in this world is done in search of happiness. The search for funds; money is only papers but its value comes from its ability to bring more happiness. Same goes to love, children, glory, reputation, etc. Complete happiness is only in jannah. Our movement and acts in this world is only a test for us, as Allah says what can be translated as, “to try you, whichever of you is fairest in deeds” (TMQ, 67:2) to see who deserves it and who does not.

As long as we talk about happiness, let us imagine that we have entered jannah. Imagine that you are now on the Day of Judgment, and you passed successfully all the required stages. Now you are passing on as-siraat[4] and you crossed it safely. You are now at the gate of Jannah. They once asked one of the followers, “When can you be assured of entering jannah?” He replied, “When as-siraat is behind you. If it is behind you, then you are one of the people of jannah.” Try to imagine the shape of the gate, its size, color. Imagine the company around you: the blessed Prophet, his companions, the previous prophets, and the angels. The angels will greet you and welcome you, as VIP visitors were welcomed in this world. The greeting of the angels at the gate of Jannah is different. As Allah says what can be translated as, “And the ones who were pious to their Lord will be driven in hordes to the Garden till when they have come to it, and its gates will be opened, and its Keepers will say to them, ‘Peace be upon you! You have been good, so enter (into) it eternally (abiding)’” (TMQ, 39:73).

Try to imagine such a reception at jannah. Now let us see in any of the rows in front of jannah you are standing: Front or back? Imagine yourself standing in the back rows, and the Prophet (SAWS) comes to take your hand to the front ones, next to him (SAWS) because you were one of those who cared for orphans and he (SAWS) told us that he who will do so will be very close to him in jannah. Or because you were an ethical person, as he (SAWS) is reported to have said that the closest one to him on the Day of Judgment will be the one with the finest ethics. Then you find yourself in the front rows despite your late arrival and due to the goodness of your acts.

Now everyone stands in front of the gate waiting for it to open, and here comes the Prophet (SAWS) to open it. He (SAWS) knocks at the gate and the jannah’s gate-keeper refuses to open except to Prophet Muhammed (SAWS) as Allah (SWT) commanded him. The gate then finally opens. Try to imagine the scene. The Prophet (SAWS) is reported to have said that the size of the gate to Jannah when opened equals the distance between Mecca and Syria!!! Jannah itself is equal to both the skies and earth, so imagine the size of its gate. Try and smell the fragrance of jannah. The Prophet (SAWS) is reported to have said that the smell of jannah can be detected five hundred years away.

Now you are standing at its gate, and it is open. Before entering, Allah, The Almighty will address the people of jannah and offer them four things: to be always well, and never fall sick; to be always youthful, and never age; to be always alive, and never die; and to be always happy, and never be sad again. The word grief is erased forever; you are only left with happiness. Then before entering you will go through a river called, “The River of Life”. This is the real “life”. You will wash in this river and the malice in your heart is taken away. There is no longer anger, hate, or envy, only love and peace and goodness and tenderness. Then you enter jannah.

Imagine Allah (SWT) is calling to you and telling you that He has prepared for His righteous slaves, what no eye has seen; what no ear has heard nor the heart of man ever did imagine. We usually associate our expectations of a gift with the one offering it. For example, if you are promised a sum of money by a child you will expect it smaller than if it is promised by a bank manager. The sum expected from a president is larger. Now, what can we expect if Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, The King of all Kings is the one offering this gift?

Note that the order of the senses: eye, ear then heart is significant, because what you have seen is less than what you have heard about and for sure you have neither seen nor heard as much as your mind or heart has conjured up in imagination. Also note that Allah does not say that He ordered the angels to prepare it, He prepared it by Himself for those entering jannah. What is prepared by the Almighty? How great can it be?

Imagine yourself taken by the hand of the Prophet (SAWS) to be shown to your palace. He (SAWS) is holding your hand because he is happy with you and your good deeds which were shown to him by the angels every Thursday during your earthly life. Imagine that your palace is in front of the palace of the Prophet (SAWS); you are the neighbor and companion of the Prophet (SAWS) in jannah as a reward for the short journey (life) when you were tired but endured it and its pains patiently. The Prophet (SAWS) is reported to have described the jannah’s palaces to have a brick of gold and a brick of silver, they are held together with musk and their floors are made of pearls and their roof is the throne of The All-Merciful. The Prophet (SAWS) described the combs of the dwellers of jannah as made of gold, their sweat as musk. They are inspired to praise the glories of Allah, as we are inspired to breathe. Then imagine the space of your palace in jannah. The Prophet (SAWS) is reported to have said that the one occupying the lowest rank in jannah has a palace so big that he will walk a thousand years without reaching its end. The Companions then asked him (SAWS) if this is the lowest ranking then what about the highest ranking? He (SAWS) replied that the highest ranking looks directly at Allah (SWT) morning and night. Allah said that wherever you will look in jannah you will see blessings, you will become a king. You were poor and weak but it was just a short journey, you are today in complete happiness, blessed and with a great kingdom.

The sweetest thing that will happen in heaven is when Allah speaks to you and tells you that He is pleased with you then asks you if you are satisfied with Him and with jannah. Imagine this and you ask Him to look upon His Face, and imagine that all blocks are torn down and that you can see Him as you can see the full moon. The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) says that this is the greatest pleasure they are given in jannah.

A Journey to Happiness is a short trip we take to get to the happiness in the hereafter. I do not say we bear the fatigue and misery in this world waiting for the blessings of the hereafter; this is not true, just like those who claim that religion is the opium of the people. In fact, the Prophet (SAWS) never mentioned jannah and the success in the hereafter without mentioning the way of success in this world. Jannah is a means to success in this world and not a drug. To the contrary, the Prophet (SAWS) used jannah as a reform for life. He who walks a road seeking knowledge will be guaranteed an easy road to jannah by Allah; if you want to succeed, learn. Jannah is under the feet of mothers. Pleasing your mother is a road to heaven. He who is patient for losing his eyesight will enter jannah. All these are examples of ways for us to enter jannah through our deeds in this world.

Today we have agreed on these two facts: (1) That life is a short trip, (2) That complete happiness is only possible in the hereafter. As of tomorrow we will start our journey; we will try to learn patience, determination, prayer, get closer to Allah. We will focus on the religious, psychological, spiritual, and mental aspects so that we can face our problems; the material problems being greater. We will solve our problems and be happy in this world on our journey to happiness.

====================================================

[1] The word Allah is the Arabic term for God. Although the use of the word "Allah" is most often associated with Islam, it is not used exclusively by Muslims; Arab Christians and Arabic-speaking Jews also use it to refer to the One God. The Arabic word expresses the unique characteristics of the One God more precisely than the English term. Whereas the word "Allah" has no plural form in Arabic, the English form does. Allah is the God worshipped by all Prophets, from Adam to Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.

[2] SAWS: Salla Allah alayhe Wa Salam [All Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon him]

[3] TMQ=Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an. This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (Surah:Ayah) of the Qur'an. Reading the translated meaning of the Qur'an can never replace reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed.

[4] As-siraat: This word means path or way but in this context it refers to a narrow path that every person needs to cross on the Day of Judgment; a kind of test. Once, a person succeeds in crossing it, he or she is allowed into jannah (Paradise). Success in crossing as-siraat is dependent on many things; among these things are a person’s good deeds and Allah’s mercy.

Podcast

Salam Alekoum

It's been more than a month since my last post. What brought me back here is the fact that I am still getting many visitors from around the world, and also the fact that I do not want this to be another one of my projects that just becomes dust in the wind =) I am still a student of Islam, and this is my (notebook) shared with the world. My apologize for having not updated in a while.

Life has been pretty busy over the past month, one amazing thing is that I am now an instructor at our local University. It isn't really that big of a deal when you really look at it, but it is to me as I would love to one day become an academic professor in computer science (more women are needed as computer science professors!). Alhamdulillah, I hope these are my first steps towards it.

Now to share something with you all. I have been following Nouman Ali Khan's Podcast on Bayyinah as he goes through the tafsir of juz' aama in the Holy Quran. He has now completed the tafsir of juz' aama and has began the tafsir of the 29th juz' = juz' tabraka. Here are the links to the first three podcasts on the tafsir of one of my fav suras in the Holy Quran (Suraat Al-Mulk). Make sure to follow the Podcasts, its super enlightening!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Wa Alekoum el Salam <3

Missing in action

Salam Alekoum

A late Eid Mubarek to all muslims out there in the world <3 I hope it was a wonderful one for everyone, and that they managed to gain back the kgs lost during Ramadhan with delecious Eid sweets haha (I know am one of them =P)

I sort of cut off in the middle of my Ramadhan posting. Let's just say a couple of big wheels started getting in motion in my life, and al 7amdulillah it has all ended well =)

اللهم اهدنا فيمن هديت.. وعافنا فيمن عافيت.. وتولنا فيمن توليت.. وبارك لنا فيما أعطيت.. وقنا واصرف عنا شر ما قضيت.. نستغفرك ونتوب إليك.. ونؤمن بك ونتوكل عليك.. ونثنى عليك الخير كلهُ أنت الغنى ونحن الفقراءُ إليك

Ramadhan links 7

I apologize for the delay with the links today as well as with the (How to deal with Allah) series. In the middle of country hopping again =) Will be back on track soon inshaAllah

Episode 7 of ISR



Chronicle 7 of Dr.Tariq Ramadan

Episode 7 of the Journey of happiness to heaven

Ramadhan links 6

Episode 6 of ISR



Chronicle 6 of Dr.Tariq Ramadan

Episode 6 of the Journey of happiness to heaven

Ramdhan links 5

Episode 5 of ISR



Chronicle 5 of Dr.Tariq Ramadan

Episode 5 of the Journey of happiness to heaven

Ramdhan links 4

Here's an article I read that really moved my heart =)

Episode 4 of ISR



Chronicle 4 of Dr.Tariq Ramadan

Episode 4 of the journey of happiness to heaven

How to deal with Allah (episode 3) - كيف تتعامل مع الله الحلقة الثالثة

As Salam Alekoum

An English translation of the episode:

Have you ever come across an individual, whom after lighting a great fire that burnt for three days without stop, ended up throwing his own son in the fire? Ofcourse not.

In that case, have a look at the following hadeeth

جاء رجل إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ومعه صبي فجعل يضمه إليه فقال له النبي عليه السلام:" أترحمه؟" قال: نعم فقال عليه السلام:" فالله أرحم بك منك به وهو أرحم الراحمين"

A man came to the Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings upon him) and with him is a little boy. The man hugged the child to himself, so the Prophet (Allah's blessings on him) said to the man: "Do you feel mercy on him?" The man said: "yes" The Prophet said: "Allah is more merciful to you than you are to the child, for He is the Most Merciful"

Allah is more merciful than to just throw you in hellfire. Allah is more merciful than that. But how does one deal accordingly with this mercy? How do you deal with Allah when his mercy is upon you?

This is a very important question that we must all know the answer to. But before we do, we first need to ask ourselves: how can we attain Allah's mercy? Glad tidings to you my dear brothers and sisters, for the attainment of Allah's mercy is easy with no hardship, for Allah's mercy encompasses everything. As to his anger, it does not encompass everything. For it is him, Subhanh, who said:

ورحمتي وسعت كل شيء

My mercy extendeth to all things

Surat Al-Aaraf, Verse 156

And this is what suits the Most Merciful, and if it were not the case then indeed we would all be at a great loss.

Know that, though you have been shown mercy by your family and loved ones, Allah's mercy on you is greater. He is the one to have initially bestowed them upon you, your friends and loved ones, out of His mercy on you. If you were to collect all the mercy that you have been shown by different people in your lifetime, Allah's mercy would be more and more encompassing. There is no at all that can succeed the mercy of Allah, Subhanh wa Ta'ala. The best of poets out there cannot properly or truley describe even a small part of Allah's mercy, which He has spread to the corners of his Kingdom.

Therefore, Allah has chosen to raise the status of His great mercy in the eyes of His creation. The Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings on him) once said:

لما قضى الله الخلق كتب في كتاب فهو عنده فوق العرش إن رحمتي غلبت غضبي

When Allah completed creation, he ordained in a book that is placed above His throne (my mercy dominates my anger)

Allah Akbar.

Notice how he has kept ths book with Him, over His throne. he could have placed this book in the heavens, or down on Earth upon a certain mountain for example. But he did not do that, and instead kept it with Him, honouring the status of mercy.

So why despair from the mercy of Allah, when it encompasses everything? How will it not encompass you? It is spread out to creations that are worse than you. Recall the hadith of the one who killed 99 human beings, and completed it to 100, and though all this Allah's mercy reached him when he repented. You have not killed anyone, so how can Allah not bestow His mercy upon you?

The entire univrerse from its beginiing to its end is filled with Allah's mercy, as the sea is filled with water and the atmosphere is filled with air. Say what you may of Allah's mercy, it is above and way more than what you say. Imagine what you may of Allah's mercy, it is more than anything you can think up.

One may ask "How can I attain this mercy?" There is nothing standing between you and Allah's mercy but of you to ask Him of it, and He will grant it to you.

مايفتح الله للناس من رحمة فلا ممسك له

What Allah out of his Mercy doth bestow on mankind there is none can withhold

Surat Al-Aaraf, Verse 2

Allah's mercy is so close to you that all you have to do is think of something you would like Allah to grant you, and it will be given to you according to your expectations of Allah. You think of Allah as having mercy on you, it will be granted. You think of Allah as sheilding you away from hellfire, it will be granted. You think of Allah blessing you with the Firdous (highest Paradise) then it will be granted to you. There is no hassle to it, the situation is actually more simpler than you could have imagined. These are not my own words and musings, but are the words of Allah Subhanh. It is what He said about Himself, otherwise how could I know of all this. Listen to Him in the hadeeth al qudasi:

أنا عند ظن عبدي بي فليظن بي ماشاء

I am as my Salve thinks of me, so let him think of me in whatever way he wants

There is no grey area to the matter where one might wonder "will Allah answer my prayers?" No, it is absolute certainty. The Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings upon him) said:

ادعوا الله وأنتم موقنون بالإجابة

Pray to Allah and you are sure of an answer

Allah will end up giving you even more than what you initially wanted. But there is one condition to it, that it be hope and not wishes. What is the difference between the two? Hope comes with action, I hope for Allah's mercy by complying to what he has ordained. As for wishes, they are simple thoughts with no compliance attached to them.

Just consider how merciful Allah is in how, when His mercy is bestowed upon you, you begin to feel it surround you and bring utmost peace in your heart. This on its own is a great act of mercy. Now consider that this is only in duniya (current life). When it comes to akhera (after-life), we have great hope in Allah that His creation on that day will finally witness the greatest acts of mercy that has never crossed their mind before. Forgivness, pardonings, and overlooking acts of sin. We should summn great hope with such a thought. We must also work hard to attain this mercy. This is the condition that Allah has set:

وإني لغفار لمن تاب وآمن وعمل صالحا ثم اهتدى

But, without doubt, I am (also) He that forgives again and again, to those who repent, believe, and do right, who are ready to receive true guidance.

Surat Taha. Verse 86

Comply with the conditions, and welcome the good news of mercy. After having said all this, and brought to light the nature of Allah's mercy, showing how open its door is and how it ends up turning acts of sins in good deeds, pointing out how one could attain it ... after all of this if a person still insists on being disobidient and turning a blind eye on Allah, thus losing Allah's mercy that encompasses all, then he does not deserve Allah's mercy.

How does one get close to Allah's mercy? My dear brothers and sisters if you have reached a status in yout life where you show great mercy to people and are kind to them, then Allah's mercy will truely be close to you. And not only close, but extremely close. The Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings upoon him) said:

الراحمون يرحمهم الرحمن

Those who show mercy will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful.

And if a person does not do that, then he will not be shown mercy.

من لايرحم لا يُرحم

He whom is not merciful, will not be shown mercy (by Allah)

In closing, I would like to ask of all of you with a pleading heart, that we all be together under Allah's mercy on the Day of Judgement. Let us make a pact right now, that we do our best during our life on Earth to attain this great mercy, so we may all, with the permission and will of Allah Subhanh, meet toghether in Paradise, with the prophets and the martyrs and the best of people, for they truley are the best of companions.

Ramadhan links 3

As Salam Alekoum

I apologize for the post being late. I had my hands full today at home <3

Episode 3 of ISR



Chronicle 3 of Tariq Ramadan

Episode 3 of Journey of happiness to heaven

How to deal with Allah (Episode 2) - كيف تتعامل مع الله الحلقة الثانية

As Salam Alekoum

An English translation of the episode:

Our Lord brings down from the heavens many things that are beneficial to us, the very best of which is guidance (heedaya). There is nothing more beautiful than for Allah to guide you to him, because you will not find anyone or anything better for you than Him, Subhanh,

Therefore, if you are of those whom Allah has guided to Him, then I say congratulations to you with all my heart, and I ask Allah to continue blessing you my dear brothers and sisters.

Now, this brings us to the question of this episode:

How do you deal with Allah if he has guided you?

I ask Allah to set you on guidance, to continue blessing until its light is complete upon you. If you are of those whom Allah has guided then I ask to please preserve and maintain yourself on it because you now have something that most of the people on Earth lack. It is guidance ... and the degree of guidance is an indicator of Allah's love for you. Similarly, Allah's love for a person becomes less as the guidance of that person becomes less.

One may ask: "How do I know if Allah has guided me or not?" The answer is rather simple. If you know that the halal is and what the haram is, and you choose to do the former while leaving the latter, then Allah has guided you. If you are guided then you are close to Allah. If Allah blesses you with a guided heart and is with you throughout your days, what else would you want or need after it?

One may also ask "Well, how may I become guided by Allah?" You will not be able to become guided unless Allah Himself brings it down upon your heart. If Allah does not bless you with it, then you can never get guided, Allah has mentioned in the Quran on the people of paradise:

وَقَالُواْ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى هَدَٮٰنَا لِهَـٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَہۡتَدِىَ لَوۡلَآ أَنۡ هَدَٮٰنَا ٱللَّهُ‌ۖ

And they say: The praise to Allah, Who hath guided us to this. We could not truly have been led aright if Allah had not guided us.

Surat Al Aaraf, Verse 43

It has also been said by the scholars:

If goodness is one hand, and my heart is in my other hand, I would not be able to put goodness in it except if it is Allah who does it.

I know what some of you may say to me after I mentioned the previous point on guidance: "If this is the case, then what can I do? There is nothing that I can do to become guided" I say to them no, on the contrary there is something you can do. Ask guidance of Allah and he will give it to you. Don't just stand around, with arms folded waiting for guidance to just drop down on you. Our Lord Allah loves you to ask of him so he can give to you:

وَقَالَ رَبُّڪُمُ ٱدۡعُونِىٓ أَسۡتَجِبۡ لَكُمۡۚ

And your Lord hath said: Pray unto Me and I will hear your prayer.

Surat Ghafir, Verse 60

Ask of Him guidance, and He will give it to you. Have a look at the best Sura in the Quran, Surat al Fatiha

إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ

Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help.

Notice that Allah did not say

إياك نعبد واياك نرجو

Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we plead

Nor did he say

إياك نعبد واياك نخاف

Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we fear.

The reason for this, is that you are not able to properly worship Allah unless He aids you and supports you with it. Therefore, you will not be able to be properly guided unless Allah aids you with it. Hence, you should ask Allah of this aid. Also, notice what is the aya after

ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٲطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ

Guide us to the straight path

So you see the beauty of the Quran? So you see the beautiful consistency?

Allah says in the hadith al Qudasi

يا عبادي كلكم ضال إلا من هديته فاستهدوني أهدكم

O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you

My dear brothers and sisters, there is a skill and etiquette when it comes to dealing with Allah in a proper way, because to heal with Him, Subhanh, is different than anything else you have dealt with. Within the etiquette of dealing with Allah is that we are the ones who go to Him and seek becoming closer to Him. The proper way is that we should take the first step, it is not Allah who comes to us. Allah says:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوۡمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِہِمۡ

Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts

Surat Al-Rad, Verse 11

Allah is the Lord and the Master and the Kind ... any king has people coming to him and not the opposite. If you take the first step of going to Allah, Subhanho wa Ta'ala, then Allah will also come to you but with a bigger step, i.e: more closer. Allah says in the Hadith al Qudasi:

من تقرب إلي شبرا تقربت إليه ذراعا ومن تقرب إلي ذراعا تقربت إليه باعا وإذا أقبل إلي يمشي أقبلت إليه هرولة

And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed

Allah Akbar! (Allah is great)

It is then that Allah will bless you with what you need and even more than what you could have imagined. He will not leave you, even though you are the one who went to Him initially. He will aid you and less you and be with you all the time. Except in one situation. If you leave Him ... and if you leave Him then Allah will leave you.

ذَٲلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمۡ يَكُ مُغَيِّرً۬ا نِّعۡمَةً أَنۡعَمَهَا عَلَىٰ قَوۡمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِہِمۡ‌ۙ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ۬

That is because Allah never changeth the grace He hath bestowed on any people until they first change that which is in their hearts, and (that is) because Allah is Hearer, Knower.

Surat Al-Anfal, Verse 53

Be sure that Allah, Subhanh, will not leave you unless you are the one to have left him first.

فَلَمَّا زَاغُوٓاْ أَزَاغَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمۡ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَہۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَـٰسِقِينَ

So when they went astray Allah sent their hearts astray. And Allah guideth not the evil-living folk.

Surat As-Saff, Verse 5

And I know that once any of us tastes the true sweetness of Guidance, he will not want to ever leave it. I swear to Allah, that us humans have not found happiness nor complete peace until we are close to Allah, Subhanh. And the closer we get to him, the more happiness we feel.

A question to you: "Who created happiness?"

Allah. So will He give it to someone whom has steered clear of Him, or one who has been guided to Him?

I ask of Allah to make all of us of the guided ones.

One last point in regards to how we should deal with Allah when we are guided by Him. My dear brothers and sisters, no matter how minute a good deed you do as a result of Allah's guidance, you must immediately attribute this favour to Allah Subhanho wa Ta'ala. In addition, another proper action one must do when blessed with guidance is to spread this guidance to others. Give dawah to Allah, because if you are guided and also invite others to become guided by Allah, then there is no one better than you.

Allah says:

وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ قَوۡلاً۬ مِّمَّن دَعَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحً۬ا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِى مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ

And who is better in speech than him who prayeth unto his Lord and doeth right, and saith: Lo! I am of those who surrender (unto Him).

Surat Fussilat, Verse 33

However, be aware that giving dawah to Allah is an art on its own. One needs to have a pleasant and calm demeanour, to have knowledge, to speak in a caring way, with a smile on the lips.

وَلَوۡ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلۡقَلۡبِ لَٱنفَضُّواْ مِنۡ حَوۡلِكَ‌ۖ

for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee.

Surat Aal Imran, Verse 159

Know that one of the best actions a person can do for Allah's sake when properly guided is to give dawah and to make Duaa for the guidance of others. You spread guidance to them face to face with your speech, then you ask guidance for them with your Master. Just as the Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings upon him) used to make Duaa for us during his prayers and supplications to Allah.

I ask of Allah to join us all with Heedaya (guidance to him), so we may reach the most beautiful place in this universe

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ يَہۡدِيهِمۡ رَبُّہُم بِإِيمَـٰنِہِمۡ‌ۖ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِہِمُ ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ فِى جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
دَعۡوَٮٰهُمۡ فِيہَا سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ ٱللَّهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُہُمۡ فِيہَا سَلَـٰمٌ۬‌ۚ وَءَاخِرُ دَعۡوَٮٰهُمۡ أَنِ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ

Lo! those who believe and do good works, their Lord guideth them by their faith. Rivers will flow beneath them in the Gardens of Delight
Their prayer therein will be: Glory be to Thee, O Allah! and their greeting therein will be: Peace. And the conclusion of their prayer will be: Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!

Surat Yoonis, Verse 9-10

Ramadhan links 2

As Salam Alekoum

In the Shade of Ramadhan episode 2



Dr Tariq Ramdhan's Chronicles part 2

The journey of happiness to heaven episode 2

How to deal with Allah (Episode 1) - كيف تتعامل مع الله الحلقة الأولى

As Salam Alekoum

I have chosen a series to translate to English for my fellow Muslims out there with whom Arabic is not their language. The show is titled (How to deal with Allah), and is given by a young sheikh named Mashari Al Kharaz.

I apologize for any short comings in my translation. Please free to point them out if you come across any <3

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All Praise goes to Allah, and His peace and blessings are on His Prophet Mohammed and on his family and companions.

How do we deal with Allah? This is probably one of the most important questions we ever come across in our life. Though we live with many things in our life, the most important thing in this universe to us is Allah, Subhanho wa Ta'ala. You will not be able to find anyone more kinder to you, more nicer to you, nor the best to you in dealings than Allah Subhanho wa Ta'ala. The odd thing with all this is that we do not feel this, even though Allah deals with us everyday in different acts of kindness. He covers our sins, He blesses us with great joy, He is merciful to us, He grants us many bounties ... just the simple act of having water to drink is a great kindness of Allah. And throughout all of this, He does not wait for anything in return from us, for we do not have anything that He, Subhanho wa Ta'la does not already have.

So why does Allah do all this for us? Because he is the Affectionate one, with whom there is no limit to his affection. He is the kind, with no end to his kindness. We are the ones who are in need of Allah, while He is independent of us:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلۡفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۖ وَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلۡغَنِىُّ ٱلۡحَمِيدُ

O ye men! It is ye that have need of Allah. but Allah is the One Free of all wants, worthy of all praise.

Surat Fatir, Verse 15

So if the one who deals with us is the Greatest, the most Merciful and the most affectionate, there should be a way for us to deal with Him properly also. I am not talking about the general dealings with Allah such as prayer and thikr (remembrance), but there are specific and minute actions that we need to be aware of, so we deal with Allah accordingly to how He deals with us.

So how do you deal with Allah if he covers your sins? If Allah has covered your sins then you should accept this great gift. You might ask yourself though: "What is this gift? And how do I properly accept it?" Allah might also take away this cover after a period of time, however there are certain dealings, if done properly, will make sure this cover stays with you even on the Day of Judgement.

You speak to people everyday in a certain way, but you do you properly speak to Allah? There is a proper way to speak to the Almighty, and when perfected will lead to Allah giving you what you ask for and perhaps even more.

Have you ever wondered, how do I deal with Allah when he is angry? Allah's wrath is great, and if it befalls anything it destroys it. So if Allah is Angry with me, what should I do? There are certain actions that Allah loves of his slave to perform in order for His anger, Subhanho wa Ta'ala to dissipate. And t's not only tawbah, but there are other actions as well. On a side note, Allah Subhanho wa Ta'ala is satisfied quickly, simple things makes him satisfied with His slave. Hence, we need to know how to deal with Allah properly when He is angry with us.

Alot of people have the idea that once they have attained the satisfaction of Allah with them, that their mission in life is complete. This is a misconception. You should be just as concerned about how to deal with Allah when He is satisfied with you as your concern for when he is angry with you. Reaching the satisfaction of Allah is one step, and the continuation of this satisfaction is another step on its own. But how does one actually know whether Allah is actually satisfied with him or not?

Then there is a higher step than satisfaction only, and Allah does not bestow this except upon a few. It is the attainment of Allah's love so you become Allah's beloved and this love spreads to the heavens with the Angels and spread to the Earth so people love you. But how do you deal with Allah when you have attained such a status?

People always love to visit the place of their beloved, and Allah has placed on this Earth his house, the Mosque, where his beloveds may flock to Him and stand between His hands in prayer and submission. How does one deal with Allah when he enters His house? I know of a certain individual, whom after having learnt the secrets of how to properly enter Allah's house, has said "I swear to Allah when I implemented the actions, it was as if I am entering the Mosque for the first time" (meaning his perspective and attitude changed).

A human being, throughout his lifetime, will go through certain situations and with certain people where he will feel shy. There is nothing out of the ordinary with this. The odd and amazing thing though is that Allah sometimes is shy of us! I myself would not have learnt of this had I not read a hadith of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah upon him). How does one know if Allah is shy of them, and does one deal with Allah in such a situation?

This and other questions mentioned previously are some of the topics that will be covered with our show (How to deal with Allah). We always hear of books and programs and training courses that revolve around the topic of how to deal with your husband or wife, how to deal with your children, how to deal with your boss, with customers, etc. But we have not heared of one that revolves around the topic of how to deal with Allah.

We first presented this topic in a lecture about a year ago in Kuwait city. We were surprised that the number of attendees reached over 35,000 men and women! This is the biggest gathering for a lecture in Kuwait's history. It happened that during this lecture, two Arab non-Muslim girls passed by the area where the lecture was happening. They heared the words being spoken, and both started gathering. They walked up to us and made their intentions of wanting to enter Islam known. The news reached me inside the Mosque where I was giving the lecture, and I immediately gave the good news to the gathering. (The video of this lecture gathering can be seen starting at minute 8.22)

And now the question: How do you deal with Allah? What is the answer to this question? I am sure that this answer, without exaggeration, will change your life completely with Allah's will.

So what is the answer? Keep watching the series for it =)

As Salam Alekoum

Ramadhan links 1

As Salam Alekoum

A series that I greatly enjoyed last year is back again, and with a wonderful start =)



Dr Tariq Ramadan's chronicles for the holy month, here's part 1

And finally, Amr Khalid's show for Ramadan this year is called (The journey of happiness to heaven). It's in arabic, but am sure an English translation will be coming soon on Amr Khalid's site in the future for those intrested inshaAllah =)

Ramadhan goals

As Salam Alekoum

Ramadhan has been announced tomorrow in Malaysia =D Al 7amdulillah that we have been given another chance to see through this blessed month, and I would to extend my congratulations to Muslims all over the globe with the coming of Ramadhan <3



I love the idea that is being presented in the previous video, as it resonates true with what I am thinking also. I have written up my list of Ramadhan goals about a week ago, and I have it open in front of me right now, considering the different means by which I will achieve them all inshaAllah.

The list is long, but here are some points from it:

• Work on having the best Kushoo during prayers (Al 7amdulillah the series I linked in my last link has been an excellent help with this)
• To memorize a large section of the Quran
• To spend my days reading and listening to an array of lectures (have built my library, just a few pieces missing that will be filled in the coming days inshaAllah =))
• Qeeyam al Lail and lots of Quran reading

In addition to a list of goals, I have written out a list of things I will make Duaa for. Ramadhan is the month of Mercy. It is the month where Allah may forgive the sins of His worshipers and give them a clean slate to start with. It is our chance to redeem ourselves, and to increase our Eman and Taqwa.

Get yourself a piece of paper and a pen. Sit down and think, what would I like to achieve by the end of the thirty days. How do I want to improve myself, what would I like to ask of Allah, what do I need in my life. It need not be a long list of goals, just set something realistic for yourself so you may start slow and power onwards as time goes by.

May it be the best Ramadhan for all of us in terms of our Ibada, inshaAllah =)

As Salam Alekoum

Anniversary Reflection

As Salam Alekoum

Today is the one year anniversary of my blog =) Warning: following post contains tracings of mushiness.

Image credit lifeshadows

Subhan Allah, one whole year has past, and it has been an amazing one. Al 7amdulillah, this blog has served has my gateway to speak my thoughts about my religion, for me to share my excitement with fellow readers as I delve deeper into Islam, and for me to just simply share my love for Allah, all his prophets (peace and blessings on them all) and the religion of Islam. I have asked Allah to give me success in my endeavour, because I really do take it seriously as I want to make sure to not offend or insult or share wrong information, but instead share the beauty that is in the Quran and Sunna. I have made to Duaa to Allah several times for my current endeavour (and future planned endeavours) to be a success, and I ask Him, Subhanho wa Taala, the same again. Ameen.

Reflecting on the past year personally ... I have completed my University life and got my degree successfully, I have come back, found a job that I enjoy, and I am going to spend the first week of Ramadhan with my family in Malaysia, rather than on my own in New Zealand like last year. However, Al 7amdulillah, the greatest thing to have happened to me for sure is the Hajj trip when I first got back home from NZ. I thank Allah for having made the whole thing possible so easily. Like I said in my post about the trip, it was a jihad, but the sights you see and the emotions you feel during it is beyond indescribable. Lol, I'm tearing up right now, thinking about it. Praise be to Allah for having granted me this blessing, and inshaAllah I will be granted the blessing of another Hajj trip in my lifetime. One important thing I have learned in my past year is that the power of Duaa truly is great, and the blessings that we have been granted with is endless.

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا

“[...] and if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them,”

(Surat Ibrahim - Verse 34)

In terms of reflecting on the blog, it started out as a portal for me to just share material I have come across about Islam, i.e: videos, audio files, etc. I suppose it still is somewhat such a portal, but I have also been typing up my own material. I rather enjoy that, as it gives me a chance to use my brain for thinking hehe =P To reflect, as Allah has commanded us to ... to research, to read, to share myself with you my dear readers.


I hope that this blog has benefited people out there, and will also continue benefiting inshaAllah. To all my returning readers and followers: Thank you for putting up with the ramblings of a random Muslim girl =)

Haha, sorry if I started becoming a little formal up there, it's just me simply pouring out honest thoughts. Praise be to Allah, for blessing me and fellow Muslims with Islam.

رَبَّنَا لاَ تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ

"Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Granter of bounties without measure"

(Al Imran - Verse 8)

As Salam Alekoum

[Links]

_The new Ramadhan Issue of Modest Beautiful Muslimah is out.

_Brother Suhaib Webb gave a lovely lecture on how to welcome the coming month of Ramadhan. Here's the transcript of part 1 and part 2.

_Must read: How to Taste the Sweetness of Prayer, by sister Jinan Bastaki. I realize that alot of us out there have problems with Kushoo during prayers (I admit that I do as well) . It's a series, and I have just gone through the first two parts, but its worth dedicating a whole afternoon to improve your state during Salah (and your Iman ultimatly, inshaAllah)

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII | Part XIII | Part XIV | Part XV | Part XVI|Part XVII | Part XVIII | Part XIX | Part XX | Part XXI | Part XXII | Part XXIII | Part XXIV |Part XXV | Part XXVI | Part XXVII

_Another good read, what with the rise of people glorifying such things: Who is your favourite Celebrity?

_You know how I am a big fan of brother Nouman Ali Khan's tafsir series (podcast here)? Well, I got directed to a blog that has transcripts of the lectures given by brother Nouman =) InshaAllah it will benifet many people out there.

_Finally, a poem that I really loved, taken from verbage =)

[Source ~ Unknown]

I asked for Strength:
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom:
And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity:
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage:
And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love:
And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors:
And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted;
I received everything I needed.
My Prayer has been answered.

Reminder

On our road trip back to Kuala Lumpur after spending a few days in Langkawi Island (which was beautiful mashaAllah ... and days there were fun al hamdullilah), we parked at one of the highway rest stops to stretch our legs and grab a light lunch.

I walked through the food stalls at the stop, when my eyes happened to linger on this Quran aya, hanging on the wall of a stall. Took a snap of it with phone camera

{And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out, and He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is ((Allah)) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion}

Surat Al Talaq, Verse 2 and 3.

I stopped short, staring at it ... Subhan Allah and Al Humdulillah it served as a wonderful reminder for me =)

[Links]

As Salam Alekoum!

I am gonna start a new segment on the blog with awesome stuff I've come across during my surfing of the Islamic websphere =) Here goes!

• Productive Muslim have a new segment coming up that will help those of us out there that just need a little push to do our very best during the coming Ramadhan. This will include audio lectures, tips and tricks and support also. Sign up for it right here at ProductiveRamadan.com.

• My Halal Kitchen has written out an article titled (10 Tips for a Productive Ramadan Kitchen) Though I am not incharge of my own kitchen per se, I still found it to be an intresting read and perhaps it will benifit some readers more than others =)

• The July issue of Modest Beautiful Muslimah online magazine is out. It's called (The Family Issue)

That's it for now =)

As Salam Alekoum <3

Beautiful Duaa for repentance

اللهم إنى أستغفرك من كل ذنب تبت إليك منه ثم عدت فيه، وأستغفرك من كل ما وعدتك به من نفسى ولم أوف لك به، وأستغفرك من كل عمل أردت به وجهك فخالطه غيرك، وأستغفرك من كل نعمة أنعمت بها علىّ فاستعنت بها على معصيتك، وأستغفرك يا عالم الغيب والشهادة من كل ذنب آتيته فى ضياء النهار وسواد الليل فى ملأ أو خلاء وسر وعلانية يا حليم

The following is an attempt at translating to the best of my abilities (and with the aid of Google translate =P)

O Allah, I ask You for forgiveness from every sin I repented from to you then returned to it, and I ask you for forgiveness of all that I promised you of myself but did not fulfil, and I seek your forgiveness of all the work I commited to do for Your face only (i.e for Allah only) but it ended being shared amongst Yourself and others, and forgiveness of every blessing bestowed upon me by You that I used as an aid in transgressing against you, and I seek your forgivness, O Knower of the unseen and truth, of every sin I approached in the light of day and the darkness of night, with a crowd of people or alone, in secret or in open, O Most Patient One on the transgressions of his slaves.

Hope

When we aim for a certain career in life, say a doctor or architect or programmer, we need to first go through a learning process. What I mean by this is that we have to be taught the tricks of the trade, make mistakes (no one is immune to this) and if we are truley commited to our ultimate carrier goal, we would learn from those mistakes to not commit them again and continue onwards. We will be given projects and assignments, tests and exams, to measure the amount of understanding we have and wether we need to improve ourselves and learn more.

Our life on this earth is not really that different. We have our teachers, the Quran given to us by Allah Subhanho Wa Taala, and our Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings upon him. No human being is immune to mistakes (ie sins). The difference however between a believer and a weak believer or a non believer is that we first realize and recognize that what was commited is indeed a mistake, and try our best to never commit them again. We move on by doing better, becoming better people. We must not get bogged down witht the shaitan ensanaring us in his doubt trap of making us believe that we will never be forgiven by Allah.

Allah tells us in the Quran:

قُلۡ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Surat Az-Zumar, Aya 53

Another aya in the Quran that moved me deeply in regards to this issue if from Surat Ghafer (i.e: The Forgiver)

ٱلَّذِينَ يَحۡمِلُونَ ٱلۡعَرۡشَ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُ ۥ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَيُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَا وَسِعۡتَ ڪُلَّ شَىۡءٍ۬ رَّحۡمَةً۬ وَعِلۡمً۬ا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُواْ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمۡ عَذَابَ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ (٧) رَبَّنَا وَأَدۡخِلۡهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ عَدۡنٍ ٱلَّتِى وَعَدتَّهُمۡ وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنۡ ءَابَآٮِٕهِمۡ وَأَزۡوَٲجِهِمۡ وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِهِمۡۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ (٨) وَقِهِمُ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِۚ وَمَن تَقِ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ فَقَدۡ رَحِمۡتَهُ ۥۚ وَذَٲلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ (٩)

7. Those who sustain the Throne (of Allah, i.e the angels) and those around it Sing Glory and Praise to their Lord; believe in Him; and implore Forgiveness for those who believe: "Our Lord! Thy Reach is over all things, in Mercy and Knowledge. Forgive, then, those who turn in Repentance, and follow Thy Path; and preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire!

8. "And grant, our Lord! that they enter the Gardens of Eternity, which Thou hast promised to them, and to the righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their posterity! For Thou art (He), the Exalted in Might, Full of Wisdom.

9. "And preserve them from (all) ills; and any whom Thou dost preserve from ills that Day,- on them wilt Thou have bestowed Mercy indeed: and that will be truly (for them) the highest Achievement".

What is asked of us is that we recognize the sin (admit the mistake), make a reservation within ourselves to never make it again, and ask Allah for forgivness. And even if you do (mistakenly) commit the sin again, do not despair. When Allah, Subhanho wa Taala, created mercy, He created 100 parts of it. He bestowed upon the Earth one part, and left the 99 parts with him. This is the mercy you see between a mother and her child, between loved ones, even between animals with their young. If this is just one part of mercy, what of the 99 parts that will be shown to by Allah to His servants?

Hence, one must not despair at all in this life. In contrast, one must also be mindful of what they need to do in order to be forgiven by Allah. A pearl of wisdom I once heared that explains this quite well is the following:

Fear and hope are like the two wings of a bird. If they are well balanced, the flight will be well balanced. But, If one is stunted, the Right would also be stunted. And, to be sure, if the two are lost, the bird will soon be in the throes of death.

I pray that Allah will bestow upon us all with a mind aware of evil deeds, to bless our hearts with true Eman and to forgive us all for our mistakes.

As Salam Alekoum <3

Update

As Salam Alekoum

Hehe ... well to be honest with you, my dear reader, I am kinda stumped as to how to start this post. My fingers have been lingering on the keyboard for a few minutes as I racked my brain for the best opening, and decided to just talk about what exactly is on my mind right now. I am feeling a bit of shame for having let this place go and get slightly dusty, and so would like to basically tell you a little of what has been going on with me and where I am right now. The past couple of months, I've been juggling three jobs. I will not do that again lol. I came to realize that, even though I do have the skill, love and motivation to do the best in each of them, I still dont have the best time organizing skills nor discipline to complete my tasks as I was supposed to. Also, I ended not doing as well as I know I can in each one of them. I was not very happy with myself. I decided that rather than trying to do as many things as I can at a time, I need to begin to make decisions on what my true capabilites are and hence what I really can achieve in a certain amount of time. Al Hamdullah, it was a good learning experience =)

So now, to the present. I am currently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia =) It's my first real holiday for a looooooong while now, and I am really enjoying myself Al Hamdullah! The malls and shopping in KL is amazing haha. And oh the foooooooooooood I have been spending ALOT of quality time with the bakeries here. Everytime we pass by one I have to step in to it xD Cake Sense has yummy Banana Muffins! Do pass by if you're in the city =P The Mosques are beautiful, every mall has a prayer area with a clean place to perform wudhu and also clean head and body coverings available for the ladies (for those who are not muthajbat) I really liked that it catered to them also. I have not visited any other place other than KL so far, but from my browsing of the different areas of Malaysia its a super gorgeous country <3 We will be visiting other areas soon inshaAllah. Also, I'll be spending the first week of Ramadhan here. I am so looking forward to that =D

As Salam Alekoum <3