The Journey Of No Returns

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem.

Alhamdulillah,Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah!!! Finally, someone has increased a year. WOW!!! Many years, many years of my journey in this dunya. Imagine yourself travelling for many years still not reaching your destination, Subhanallah! I dunno about you but for me, that would be very depressing. I'd always be worried about when i'l go back home. What makes this different tho is that we are on a journey, to our eternal abode. To our Rabb, our creator. As rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Be in this life as if you were a traveler/wayfarer on a journey". In this journey, we stumble a lot, and sometimes we fall. But what keeps me going is that I know my Rabb, the most merciful Lord, Allah (subhanahu wa ta3ala) is always willing and ready to pick me up each time I fall. He is ready to accept every one of us each time we turn back to Him no matter how much we think our sins are. His mercy is greater than all our sins no matter how much they are. He sees us through every step in our journey, and each time we get back up, we rise up better than we were when we fell. He puts the obstacles in our way to test us, to see how we would react to them. To see if we would turn to Him, to cry to Him, to beg Him for help. He puts these tests before us, to draw us closer to Him.

Oh yah, I haven't said what makes this journey different. In the former journey I spoke about, you wouldn't want to spend any more time away from your home & family and all that. Well, this one is also similar & different. Just like you wouldn't want to spend too many years without your family, so would you be eager to return to your creator, to reunite with your family & the muslims in Jannah insha Allah. But then again, what have you prepared for your encounter with your Lord? How much (deeds) have you gathered to be rewarded with Jannah? These thoughts make us want to stay in this dunya for a longer time, but we all have limited times to spend before we transit to our second part of this journey, "our graves". As i've learnt, this journey of ours is of 3 stages, just like having three tickets for a long journey. The first ticket is born when a person is born, which is the beginning of this whole journey. This whole life is our first transit in the journey. It is only in this first journey that we have the chance to make decisions on our own and any decision we choose to make in this journey is what determines our fate through out the rest of the journey. What hurts the most about this first journey is that we tend to forget that we are even on a journey. Man gets so absorbed in the sweetness of this dunya that he forgets his true purpose in life. Which reminds me of a story I once came across...

"Once a man saw in his dream, that a lion was chasing him. The man ran to a tree, climbed on to it and sat on a branch. He looked down and saw that the lion was still there waiting for him. The man then looked to his side where the branch he was sitting on was attached to the tree and saw that two rats were circling around and eating the branch. One rat was black and the other one was white. The branch will fall on the ground very soon. The man then looked below again with fear and discovered that a big black snake had come and settled directly under him. The snake opened its mouth right under the man so that he will fall into it. The man then looked up to see if there was anything that he could hold on to. He saw another branch with a honeycomb. Drops of honey were falling from it. The man wanted to taste one of the drops. So, he put his tongue out and tasted one of the falling drops of honey. The honey was amazing in taste. So, he wanted to taste another drop and then another and as a result, he got lost into the sweetness of the honey. He forgot about the two rats eating his branch away, the lion on the ground and the snake that is sitting right under him. Suddenly when the branch broke he remembered all the dangers woke up from his sleep.

To get the meaning behind this dream, the man went to a pious scholar of Islam. The Islamic scholar who interpret the dream said, the lion you saw is your death. It always chases you and goes wherever you go. The two rats, one black and one white, are the night and the day. Black one is the night and the white one is the day. They circle around, coming one after another, to eat your time as they take you closer to death. The big black snake with a dark mouth is your grave. It's there, just waiting for you to fall into it. The honeycomb is this world and the sweet honey is the luxuries of this world. We like to taste a drop of the luxuries of this world but it's very sweet. Then we taste another drop and yet another. Meanwhile, we get lost into it and we forget about our time, we forget about our death and we forget about our graves." May Allah wake us up from the sleep and save us before it's too late. Ameen.


When our time is up, when we die, our second ticket is punched, signifying the end of our previous journey and the beginning of our next journey. This journey begins with our questioning in the grave, when we would be asked "Who is your Lord?" This would be the time many would not be able to respond correctly, except those who truly worshipped Allah in the dunya, during their lifetime. Only they would be able to answer that question correctly, may Allah make us all one of them insha Allah. So many things would happen in the second journey, the resurrection, the long wait for judgement day, the day of accountability, when no man would speak, when only the limbs of the body would speak except the mouth ('cos the mouth is full of lies). On this day, no man would remember his brother, no mother would remember her child. It is "every man for himself". All we are left with are our deeds and Allah's mercy.

Then finally, our final destination, be it Heaven or hell, which would depend on the deeds we've fort in this life. May Allah make us all inhabitants of Jannah (heaven) insha Allah. At this stage, our final ticket is punched, when we go to either Jannah (insha Allah), or Jahannam (wana'udhubillah).

So now it's up to us, while we are still alive, to choose between Jannah and it's bounties in which it's beauty no mind can comprehend and no ears have heard of, or Jahannam, in which the severity of the purnishment, of the blazing fire cannot be comprehended by the minds of any living being.

Allahumma Ajirna minan-naar, Ameen

A HEART Touching Story ♥

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem.

Subhanallah! Was near tears after reading this ♥ ♥ ♥

A doctor entered the hospital in hurry after being called in for an urgent
surgery. He answered the call as soon as possible, changed his clothes & went directly to the surgery block. He found the boy's father pacing in the hall waiting for the doctor. On seeing him, the dad yelled: "Why did U take all this time to come? Don't U know that my son's life is in danger? Don't U have any sense of
responsibility?

" The doctor smiled & said:
"I am sorry, I wasn't in the hospital & I came as fast as I could after receiving the call...... And now, I wish you'd calm down so that I can do my work"

"Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would U calm
down? If your own son dies now what will U do??" said the father angrily

The doctor smiled again & replied: "I will say what Job said in the Holy Book
"From dust we came & to dust we return, blessed be the name of God".

Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go & intercede for your son, we will do our best by God's grace"

"Giving advises when we're not concerned is so easy" Murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy,
"Thank goodness!, your son is saved!"

And without waiting for the father's reply he carried on his way running. "If U have any question, ask the nurse!!"

"Why is he so arrogant? He couldn't wait some minutes so that I ask about my son's state" Commented the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.

The nurse answered, tears coming down her face: "His son died yesterday in a road accident, he was in the burial when we called him for your son's surgery. And now that he saved your
son's life, he left running to finish his son's burial "

Moral: ------ Never judge anyone..... because U never know how their life is & what they're going through"

This Flame is Nothing

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem.

Amazing story masha Allah. Thought I'd share it with you :)

Qari Muhammad Qayyam (may the mercy of Allah be upon him) related that a great deal of fighting and bloodshed had started prior to the Indo-Pakistan partition of 1947. He said that a very beautiful daughter of a very rich man in a certain community stepped out of her house to visit her aunt, who lived no more than a few streets away. Suddenly a riot erupted as she had gone halfway and she found herself trapped with apparently nowhere to go. She saw a mosque nearby and quickly went inside, sitting in the women’s section. The rioting continued late into the night and this girl did not know what to do.

The custodian of the masjid was a very young student there and late at night when he walked through the masjid before locking up he noticed this beautiful young lady. He was a respectful young man who feared Allah and so politely asked her to leave, saying that if she was found there then both would be dishonored and thrown out. She pleaded with him because of the extreme danger outside and so he agreed that she could spend the night, and sat down to study at the opposite end of the masjid.


The girl was unable to sleep with the events of the day in her mind and so watched the young man sitting studying by candle light at the opposite end of the masjid. She kept watching him and was very surprised at something she saw. From time to time this young man would extend his hand and keep it over the open flame, only withdrawing it when the flame obviously became unbearable. He then would resume his studies and continued this throughout the night until the dawn broke.

The young man called the adhan and asked the girl to leave before the congregation started coming to pray since now everything was calm outside. She agreed on the condition that he tell her why he was placing his hand on the candle flame throughout the night. The young man said that that was his own business and so the girl refused to leave until he told her what she wanted to know. The young man gave in and said, “I am at the age of youth and strong desire. We were alone and my desire was increasing, and although I was studying the shaytan would occasionally put temptation in my heart. Hence whenever I would feel any temptation I would put my hand on the flame and my fingers would burn. I would say to myself that this flame is nothing compared to the fire of Hell.”


The girl left the masjid and reached home, calming her parents’ fears as to what had happened to her. She also confided in her mother that she wanted to marry the custodian of the mosque near their house. She related the night’s events to her parents and said that only such a man with true fear of Allah in his heart can be true to his wife. Only such a man who truly fears Allah can fulfill a wife’s rights properly.

Hence the poor custodian of the mosque earned the daughter of a rich household in marriage. He received this honor not because of his looks but because of his character. Everything disintegrates and turns to dust but character remains strong. Honor is not bestowed because of handsome clothes or beautiful jewelry but because of what is in the heart. Knowledge is only beneficial when it is captured within the heart, and not merely written in books.

True Inspiring Story: An Absolutely Amazing Brother

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem.

An amazing story told by Sheikh Mohammed al-Shahrani. It would indeed melt your heart. May Allah make it beneficial to all of us, ameen.

“…I knew him myself. I knew him, and I don’t say he was from the Children of Isra’il. He was from the sons of this land. He would weep intensely. He would weep intensely, and he would never have the Qur’an recited in his presence except that he would cry, and become humble and soft. He was an amazing, strange person.

He memorized the Qur’an when he was only twelve! However, he was older due to the Words of Allah and his knowledge of Allah, and I don’t place him higher in status than Allah would.

I tell you about him while I have placed a condition on myself that I don’t tell you other than what I saw with my own eyes. The second condition I placed on myself is that I don’t exaggerate in anything I say about him.

He memorized ‘Sahih Muslim’ with me in two weeks. He memorized ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ with my third friend – we were three - in two weeks. Do you realize? I didn’t know that he had memorized al-Bukhari, and my friend didn’t know that he had memorized Muslim. He loved sincerity. He always loved as-Sirri as-Saqti. Do you know why as-Sirri as-Saqti in particular? Because as-Sirri as-Saqti used to pay a lot of attention to sincerity.

He was very good in school, and in fact excelled in it. He would only sleep between the time he got home from school until Dhuhr time. After ‘Asr, he would attendhalaqahs. After Maghrib, he would attend the lessons of the scholars. After ‘Isha’ until eleven, he would study for school. From eleven – every single day – he would pray all night until Fajr.

I am not exaggerating! He is from our own sons, from our country!

Whenever he would read the Qur’an, he would cry. I would read that when some of the Salaf would read the Qur’an, they would pass out. I know the dispute among the scholars on this, but I have never seen this with my own eyes except from this youth. We would pray the Friday prayer, and the imam would recite:
“And the inhabitants of Hell called out to the inhabitants of Paradise ‘Give us a drop of water!’” [al-A’raf; 50]
And he fell down on his head, and we thought he had died.We prayed one night at my house. I pretended that I was asleep in order to see what he would do. He came over and motioned with his hand over my eyes (to see if I was awake). He woke up at eleven, and I would sleep and wake up, sleep and wake up – and he would be standing in a rak’ah and I wouldn’t see him go down. He would then bow and I wouldn’t see him come up.On a different night, he would read the Qur’an. When he got to this verse, in front of me:
“Indeed, it is Hell, taking away the skin of the head!”
[al-Ma’arij; 15-16] he cried and passed out. I woke him up, and he got up and made ablution and prayed. When he got to the verse:
“Indeed, it is Hell, taking away the skin of the head!”
he again cried and passed out. I woke him up, and when he got to it a third time, he recited it and passed out again and didn’t wake up until the call for Fajr prayer.
He would recite the entire Qur’an every three nights in secret while praying at night, and would do so every seven days openly during the day. I am not exaggerating, as he would do this in front of me. And by Allah, he would remember Allah in a single day more than 12,000 times! I counted them myself while sitting with him - 12,000 times! I would ask him: “Why?” He replied: “I don’t want Abu Hurayrah to have done more than me.” He had jealousy, jealousy when it came to worship!
He was only seventeen at the time, when he was at this level!I didn’t know what to say about him! Whenever he would come across a text to memorize, I would say: “I challenge you to memorize this.” He would say: “Don’t challenge me!” I would try to fire him up, and say: “I challenge you!” The next day, he would come and recite the text to me as if it were just his name. If he made just three mistakes, he would not consider himself to have memorized it. Three mistakes!This was a person who would repent! If only you knew his sin! I will tell you later what his sin was.If we lost hope in a youth – we would give da’wah to someone and lose hope in him, we didn’t know, and I am speaking about myself and Allah Knows best about others - he was someone whose supplication was answered in front of seventeen people who bear witness to this, in more than one incident.If we lost hope in a youth, we would tell him to go and give him da’wah. By Allah, after just two days, this person would be guided. He would walk with him for just two days. The first day, the second day, and he would then be praying in the first row! Whether he was a smoker, a drug user, etc., he would become upright right away by the Permission of Allah. This is blessing! Blessing!One day, he would pray behind a scholar in the southern region who you know of who would elongate the prayer. So, he would elongate it, following the Sunnah. He would lead the people in prayer, and a man came and hit him on the back with a stick while he was bowing, in front of me. After the prayer, he looked at him and asked: “Why did you hit me?”He replied: “You have whisperings! You make us pray too long!”The imam replied: “You are healthy! You are healthy!”The man replied: “How do you know I’m healthy?”This youth then raised his hands to Allah – as soon as he raised his hands, my heart stopped – and said: “O Allah, take away his health until he knows its value and prays properly in front of You!” It was the ‘Asr prayer, and I swear by Allah that this man didn’t pray Maghrib with us. He was at home, laying in bed. After a few weeks, I saw him and said: “Fear Allah! The man is at home in bed! I ask you by Allah…” He said: “My brother, I didn’t mean to do this!” I said: “Ask Allah to cure him.” By Allah, the man prayed with us the next prayer!In the Haram, he would wear thick glasses. I am telling you that this is a repenter from our times! I know him! He is my friend! I am greater than him in age, but he is greater than me. I don’t place him in status higher than where Allah has placed him.They were in the Haram, and he was wearing glasses, and they bothered him. He said: “I can’t go to Palestine one day with glasses.” So, he went to the well of Zam Zam in front of the people – they were seventeen people – and he took off his glasses, took the Zam Zam water, said: “O Allah, make it a cure for my vision,” and drank it. He then said: “Allah is the Greatest!” and threw the glasses away in front of everyone! They wanted to test him, and they pointed to a clock that nobody could see, they asked him: “Can you tell us what time it is?” He said: “The time is such and such.” Exact! He would read the Qur’an…his vision was returned 100%!Indeed, it is supplication! “…and if he asks Me, I will Give him.”
The incidents are many, but the time doesn’t permit me to tell them all.

You know, one day I asked him about his sin. When did I ask him? One day, he recited the verse:
“On the day when some faces will be brightened and some faces will be darkened…”
[Al ‘Imran; 106] By Allah, he cried to the point that my heart was as if it was being torn. I said to him: “The Messenger of Allah said:“The worst of people is he who is asked by Allah and is not responded to,” and I ask you by Allah: what makes you cry like this?” I want to cry like him, people! I want to feel the happiness he felt!

He said: “I committed a sin in my life.”

I asked him: “What is this sin?”

Do you know what his sin was? You will laugh at yourself. I will explain it to you. He said: “When I was in second grade, I went into a store and took a cookie and ate it, and the Fire is more deserving of a body that is nurtured on what is forbidden (i.e. he ate a cookie that didn’t belong to him).”

He died. He died, may Allah have Mercy on him, when he was only twenty. He died because of a stray bullet that someone fired accidentally while playing with a weapon. A bullet was accidentally fired and entered the body of this youth, killing him. He died as a righteous person, and I assume him to be such.

He died, and it was all over.

However, his life didn’t die. And by Allah, were it not the fact that he asked me by Allah to not reveal his name, I would have revealed it…”

The video link(الشيخ / محمد الشهراني قصة شاب صالح)
A Touching Story of a Boy

THE TEARS OF FINDING THE TRUTH THROUGH THE INTERNET.

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem.

The following story occurred on the Internet through one of the chat programs (Freetel) in January 1999. It is a real dialogue between a Christian and a Muslim. The story centers on Derek’s realization of today’s Christianity and his subsequent conversion to Islam. This Christian-Muslim dialogue has been edited for readability and for the clarity of its message.

‘Abdullaah: Hello there! How are you man?

Derek: Hello! Well, how are you?

’Abdullaah: I’m fine and you?

Derek: I’m fine, thanks.

’Abdullaah: Where are you from?

Derek: I’m from L.A. (Los Angeles).

’Abdullaah: The land of Hollywood!

Derek: Well, that’s right. Have you ever been to L.A?

’Abdullaah: No, never. Why are you calling yourself ‘Black Magic’?

Derek: It’s just a nickname, man!

’Abdullaah: I see.

Derek: Where are you from? Are you an Arab?

’Abdullaah: Yes, I am from Saudi Arabia but I’m in Qatar now. What is your name?

Derek: My name is Derek. What’s your name?

’Abdullaah: My name is ’Abdullaah.

Derek: What does ’Abdullaah mean?

’Abdullaah: ’Abdullaah means the servant of Allaah and it is the function of each individual on the face of the earth to serve Allaah according to what Allaah wants from us. By the way, Allaah is the proper name of God.

Derek: How do we know what God or Allaah wants from us?

’Abdullaah: All of this is outlined in the Quran and the Sunnah (traditions and approved actions of Prophet Muhammad, . These are the two major sources of guidance in Islam. Could you please tell me more about yourself? How old are you?

Derek: I am 19 years old, black and very much interested in knowing more about Islam. First of all, what should a person do or believe in, to become a Muslim?

‘Abdullaah: Very easy brother, you just say that there is no one worthy of worship but Allaah and Muhammad is His Messenger, and you become Muslim.

Derek: You mean Muhammad is his apostle? But as a Christian or non-Muslim, this sentence is not enough to make it clear to me.

‘Abdullaah: O.K. Allaah sent Muhammad, , as His last Prophet and Messenger and revealed the Quran to him as the final revelation to mankind. Allaah said that He perfected His religion and called it Islam (see Quran 5:3). Islam means peaceful submission to the Will of Allaah.

Derek: I see.

’Abdullaah: Yes, and unfortunately, most Christians don’t know or they deny that the coming of Prophet Muhammad, , is foretold in their scriptures (See Deuteronomy 18:18; 21:21; Psalms 118: 22-23; Isaiah 42:1-13; Habakuk 3:3-4; Matthew 21:42-43; John 14:12-17, 15:26,27; 16:5-16). Muslim theologians have stated that the person who is described by Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention to come after him (in the above verses) is Muhammad, .

Derek: O.K. Fine, but why was there a need for another Prophet after Jesus and another revelation after the Bible?

’Abdullaah: All of the Prophets came to teach their peoples the Oneness of God. In the case of Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention he was only sent as Messenger to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (see Matt. 15:24). What happened was that all of these Prophets were not well received by the majority of the people. For instance, they started tampering with the teachings of Moses and Jesus, may Allaah exalt their mention (see Quran 2:79). That is why Allaah sent Muhammad, , with the last Message, (i.e., the Quran), to bring all of mankind back to the belief in and worship of One God, without partners or intermediaries.

Derek: Is the Quran similar to the Bible? I mean, what is it composed of?

’Abdullaah: The Quran came as the last code emphasizing the same pure monotheistic teachings of Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention defending all the previous pure teachings of monotheistic beliefs and clarifying who Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention was and who his mother was, showing that they were no more than great people.

Derek: O.K then, how can we be sure that the Quran has remained the same since the time of Prophet Muhammad, ?

’Abdullaah: Allaah Himself has guaranteed that He would guard the Quran and keep it free from corruption (see Quran 15:9). Hence, the real and pure words of Allaah are found in the Quran which was revealed in Arabic, the language of the people of Muhammad, . Since then, not an iota has changed. This is unlike what has happened in the other religions. For example, if you look at the Bible you find a lot of versions; the name Bible itself is indicative of those changes because Bible means a collection of books from different writers.

Derek: But didn’t God call it the Bible?

’Abdullaah: God calls the Scripture revealed to Jesus “Injeel” in the Quran, for which the closest name in the Bible would be the word Gospel. The Bible was written many years after the time of Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention in a language that was alien to Jesus — it was Latin Vulgate, a language that he never spoke. Isn’t this strange? Interestingly, most of what was written in the New Testament was authored by Paul, who, according to James, the brother of Jesus in the Bible, had a polluted mind because he changed and contradicted most of the teachings of Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention.

Derek: I think you know more about Christianity than the Pope does!

’Abdullaah: You are wrong by saying that I know more than the Pope. I have simply investigated the Bible with an inquiring mind, which is something that all Christians should do.

Derek: Is there any English version of the Holy Quran?

’Abdullaah: There are many translations of the meanings of the Quran. The Quran was revealed in Arabic, which means that the words of Allaah are in Arabic. The translations are the words of human beings relating to the meanings of the Quran to the non-Arabic speaking masses.

Derek: How does the Quran define God to mankind or how does the Muslim perceive God?

’Abdullaah: God is the One and Only True God, and the Creator of all. He does not beget nor is He begotten. He is unlike His creation in every respect. He is the All-Knowing, The Powerful, The Merciful, The Irresistible, and The King of kings.

Derek: But it is somehow difficult for me to perceive God as being the same as His creatures.

’Abdullaah: You are absolutely right to have difficulty perceiving this, because human beings have a limited capacity. This is why Allaah sent revelations to His Prophets and Messengers to tell us who He is. So if you want to know who God is, just read the Quran.

Derek: Christians believe that Jesus was sent for the salvation of all mankind. If this is not true, then the foundation of Christianity is faulty. Right? What do you think?

’Abdullaah: That’s correct. The Christians of today are following what Paul taught and also tend to follow what the priests tell them to do instead of following what Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention said.

Derek: Kindly explain the concept of salvation through the crucifixion of Jesus.

’Abdullaah: In Christianity, the Doctrine of Original Sin is the reason that there is a need for salvation through Jesus’ crucifixion. However, this doctrine was invented by Paul and it is strongly negated in the Old Testament (see Ezekiel 18:20, Jeremiah 31:30, Deut. 24:16). This doctrine is an attempt to escape the responsibility of righteousness with the belief that punishment is given to someone else to release us from our burden of sins (see Ephesians 1:7, Romans 4:25, 10:9,Corinthians 15:21). In the Quran, every soul is responsible for its own deeds, good or bad (see Quran 74:38, 41:46, 3:25, 6:154).

Derek: What about the crucifixion itself? ’Abdullaah: The Bible says Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention cried out in a loud voice beseeching God for help on the cross: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46) Does that sound like Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention to you? Derek: No, then what about Jesus’ appearance to his disciples after the crucifixion?

’Abdullaah: Jesus didn’t die on the cross nor was he resurrected. If he were resurrected, then he would have come to his disciples in a spiritual body. As shown in Luke 24:36-43, he met them with his physical body after the event of his alleged crucifixion. In the Quran, it says that Jesus was not crucified, but it was someone else who was made to look like him (see Quran 4:15,58).

Derek: How did the story of the crucifixion of Jesus get into the Bible then?

’Abdullaah: Once again, Paul was responsible (see Timothy 2:8 and Romans 5:10).

Derek: Well, I very deep in my heart, believe that God can never look like His creation nor does He do what they do. What I believe is that God is the Perfect One who is very much different from everything we see or touch. In other words, I think the writer can never look like his book.

’Abdullaah: You are right. There is nothing comparable to Allaah (see Quran 112:4). The Prophets came with a very clear message to worship God alone, without any partners or intercessors. However, Paul took pagan beliefs and practices from the Romans and mixed them with the teachings of Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention. Consequently, Paul was mostly responsible for elevating Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention to the status of Son of God (see Acts. 9:20) and god.

Derek: Yes. Now I remember. The first Commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord.”

’Abdullaah: You’re right. That’s in Mark 12:29. Moreover, the Quran confirms that God is One (which means): “Say He is Allaah, the One and Only (God).” [Quran 112:1]

Derek: What you are saying makes perfect sense. This is just incredible! You mean that for almost 2000 years what the Christians have been following is wrong?

’Abdullaah: Yes, especially their misunderstanding of who Jesus was.

Derek: Oh my God! I’ve been deceived! Really, I feel religiously raped. I have been fooled simply because I followed blindly the religion that I was born with and didn’t take care to investigate it thoroughly. But still inside me there is something holding me back from accepting Islam, even though Islam is clearly the True Religion.

’Abdullaah: Your last comment shows that you are a Muslim not a Christian and if you really love God and His Messenger Jesus may Allaah exalt his mention you will follow Islam and Prophet Muhammad, . Break this barrier inside you and come back to the way of your ancestors. You are now free because you are looking for the Truth and our great Prophet Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention told us that we should look for the Truth and the Truth will set us free. So you will be a free man as soon as you accept it. Be strong enough to accept Islam as the Truth, without any hesitation on your part and you will taste real freedom and real happiness that you have never tasted before.

Derek: Frankly, I am concerned about the negative way Islam and Muslims are shown in the media. In the West, there is a stigma attached to being a Muslim and I’m not sure I’m ready to live with that stigma.

’Abdullaah: This is why I have chosen to tell people about the right picture of Islam.

Derek: Then, what is the right picture of Islam?

’Abdullaah: The right picture of Islam is conveyed in the Quran which is exemplified by Prophet Muhammad, . The reality is that it is not fair to judge a religion by the actions of its followers alone, because there are good and bad followers in every religion. The correct thing to do is to judge a religion by its documented revelation from God and the Prophet who brought that revelation.

Derek: I see. I agree with you, but I’m still concerned about the reaction of my family and friends if they know that I am a Muslim.

’Abdullaah: Brother, on Judgment Day, no one will be able to help you, not even your father, mother or any of your friends (see Quran 31:33). So if you believe that Islam is the true religion, you should embrace it and live your life to please the One Who created you. Be an illuminating torch for them. Do not delay your coming to Islam. If you die before becoming a Muslim, then it’s too late (see Quran 2:132, 3:102, 3:85). So grab this opportunity now. You can only remedy this pain inside you by becoming a Muslim and being able in the future, God willing, to come and perform pilgrimage (Hajj).

Derek: You are very wise man. I want to say that when I sometimes see on the satellite, especially in the season of Hajj, people of different colors and different races sitting side by side and praying to God, I feel a pain deep inside my heart and I feel something urging me to talk with someone to know more about that great religion that can gather all the races in the same place. Thanks to you, I have found that person. So please help me become a Muslim!

’Abdullaah: Brother, let us take it step by step. First, enter Islam by saying: I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and Messenger. I bear witness that Jesus is His Prophet and Messenger. Let us say this again: I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and Messenger. I bear witness that Jesus is His Prophet and Messenger.

Derek I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and Messenger. I bear witness that Jesus is His Prophet and Messenger

’Abdullaah: By the way, Jesus’ name is not Jesus. It is a Latinized name. His real name is ‘Eesaa. Now you will say the same thing in Arabic, the language of the Quran. I will transliterate for you: Ash’hadu an laa ilaahaa illallaah, wa ash’hadu anna Muhammadun rasoolullaah, wa ash’hadu anna ‘Eesaa ‘abdullaahi wa rasooluhu.

Derek: Ash’hadu an laa ilaahaa illallaah, wa ash’hadu anna muhammadun rasoolullaah, wa ash’hadu anna ‘Eesaa ‘abdullaahi wa rasooluhu.

’Abdullaah: Brother, say Allaah is the greatest because you are a Muslim now. You are not a Christian anymore. You are in the House of Islam. If I were with you, I would hug you as my brother in Islam. How do you feel now? A burden has been removed from you and you feel like you are so light. Isn’t this right?

Derek: If you were with me now, you would have seen my tears reaching my neck. You are a great brother. I feel that I have just come to life. This is exactly how I feel from now. I don’t have to listen to the words of the priests in the church, who knowingly or unknowingly lead people astray. I hope to be a good servant of Allaah.

’Abdullaah: You know what came out of you was disbelief and it was replaced by belief. You are so clean now, because when someone embraces Islam sincerely, Allaah forgives all of his past sins. So, go to an Islamic center that has Muslims from all over the world and announce your Islam there and continue to learn more about Islam from them. In addition, find a book on prayer in Islam and practice it. This is essential. Now after you are through with me, you must take a shower to purify yourself from previous wrong beliefs. Remember to stay away from bad company and be with righteous Muslim people. Also, beware of those so-called Muslims who call to nationalistic ideas or racial thoughts, which are rejected in Islam. I love you as a brother in Islam and I hope one day I will see you and hear your voice.

Derek: I will for sure do what you have asked. And tomorrow I will go to the Islamic center. Thank you for showing me the Truth. I will do my best to meet people who know about Islam for sure. May God help you guide more and more people to the true word of God. There is no God but Allaah and Muhammad is his Apostle … Well it is as difficult for me as it is for you to leave you.

’Abdullaah: Well brother, you will not leave me for a long time. I will soon be with you through my supplications, God willing. Pray for me, brother.

Derek: Well, I thank you, I love you although I do not know you yet. But it is enough for me to remember that one day, a very dear man has picked me up from the mud of life. Please teach me another Islamic word in Arabic so as to make use of it in the Islamic center.

’Abdullaah: As-Salaamu ‘Alaykum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh and Astaghfirullaah.

Derek: What do they mean?

’Abdullaah: May the Peace, Mercy and Blessing of Allaah be upon you. This is used as a greeting to all Muslims. The last word means, Allaah forgive me. Well, I have to leave you now but be sure it will not be for long.

Derek: Assalaamu ‘Alaykum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh and Astaghfirullaah for being astray from the Truth all those years. May God bless you. You have occupied a great place in my heart and I will never forget you. Bye and talk to you later. Your brother in Islam, Derek, but I will call myself ‘Eesaa from now on.

’Abdullaah: O.K. ‘Eesaa. I will leave you some final words of inspiration. Certainly, the ultimate goal of every individual is to be in Paradise forever. This reward of Paradise is too great to not have a price. That price is true faith, which is proven obedience to Allaah and following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, . This is the road to Paradise. Let’s stay in touch! Assalamu Alaykum!

Derek: O.K. Assalaamu Alaykum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh

YIKES!!!

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem.

So basically, I was doing some deep frying yesterday. While I was trying to remove the ones that were done frying from the pan, the pan began to slip gradually and before I could hold it to prevent the oil from pouring, It poured on the floor and missed my leg by just veeeery few inches, though little drops fell unnoticed on my leg. Though I prevented the entire oil from pouring, The first thing that came out of my mouth was..."why does this always happen to me?" Astagfirullah! As soon as I realized what I said I asked Allah for forgiveness. I realized how ungrateful I was being. My mind kept telling me, "This is the 4th time in your life that Allah is saving you from being severely burnt by hot oil and yet You still question him? astagfirullah!" I've realised how lucky I am to be untouched by the steaming oil. I can't even imagine the pain I would have gone through if it actually poured on my legs. ALHAMDULILLAH! This got me thinking of some verses from the Qur'an:

And when your Lord announced: "If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe." (Surah Ibrahim, 7)

Allah makes an example of a city that was safe and at peace, its provision coming to it plentifully from every side. Then it showed ingratitude for Allah's blessings, so He made it wear the robes of hunger and fear for what it did. (Surat an-Nahl, 112)

I also found out that ingratitude to Allah is also termed as kufrun-Ni'amah (disbelief manifesting itself in ungratefulness for Allah's blessings or favors), though it does not exclude one from the folds of Islam.

May Allah protect us from any form of disbelief and keep us in the deen of Islam until the last breath escapes from our lips, ameeen!

Who Is Most Generous?

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem.

Subhanallah! These stories always make me smile every time I read them. They transport me back to the past make me forget the fact that i'm living in the present. ^_^ Here's another beautiful story I came across.

Haitham bin 'Adi related that three people got into an argument beside the Ka'abah; they couldn't agree as to who was the most generous person of their era. The first claimed that it was 'Abdullah bin ja'afar; the second said it was Qais bin Sa'd; and the third said it was Arabah Al-Aousah. When their argument became more intense and when their voices were raised to the level of shouting, a man said to them, "Why does not not each of you go to his companion and see what he will give to him, and through that test a correct judgement can be arrived at." The first man went to Ibn Ja'far and said, "O son of the cousin of the Messenger of Allah, I am a traveler who has run out of resources and who has no means by which to continue his journey." At that moment, Ibn Ja'far was on his mount; he descended from it, and said, "Climb it, for it is yours, and all that is on it is yours also. Take what is in the bag and do not betray the sword, for it once belonged to 'Ali." The man returned with the camel to his companions, and they found 4000 dinars in it and other things as well, and most excellent of all, the sword of 'Ali. The second man then went to Qais bin sa'd, and he found him to be sleeping. However, his female slave was there and she asked, "What do you need from him?" He said, " I am a traveler who has run out of resources and who has no means to continue his journey." She said, "What you need is easier than waking him up. Here is a bag, and in it is 700 dinars; there is nothing else in this house. But go to the stables and take for yourself one camel and one slave." Sa'd later said, "You should have woken me up, so that I could have given him thst which was sufficient for hum" Yet he was so pleased with what his female servant did that he freed her. The third man went to 'Arabah Al-Aousah, and when he reached him he found him to be leaving his house, heading in the direction of the mosque for prayer. He was leaning upon two slaves because he was blind. The man said to him, "O 'Arabah." He said, "Speak." He said, "I am a traveler who has run out of resources and who has no means by which to continue his journey." 'Arabah said, "...Take these two slaves." He said, "I will not do so." 'Arabah said, "If you do jot take them, then I will free them in any case. If you wish, I will free them; and if you wish, you may take them." After being without the two slaves, 'Arabah continued to find his way by leaning on the wall. The man returned with the slaves to the other men; the deeds of all three were praised, yet they decided that the most generous of them was 'Arabah Al-Aousah, for he gave all that he owned.

MASHA ALLAH! ^_^ ♥ ♥ ♥

Allah's Complete Justice And Mercy

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem.

It is related that a woman went to the prophet Dawud (a.s.w.s) and said, "O prophet of Allah, is your Lord an opressor or is He just?" The prophet replied, "Woe unto you, O woman, He is the All-just, who never oppresses. What is your story?"

She explained that she was a widow with three daughters and that she provided for them by what she would spin with her hands. She explained, "Yesterday I tied what I had spun into a red cloth to sell it in the market place so as to provide for my children. As I was walking, a bird came and snatched the cloth from me and flew away, leaving me with nothing to sell for the provision of my children."

As the woman was speaking to Dawud (a.s.w.s), someone came knocking on his door. He gave permission for them to enter and learned that they were ten businessmen bringing with them one hundred dinars each. They said, "O prophet of Allah, give this wealth to the one that is deserving." Dawud asked them what had brought them to him with their wealth.

They explained, "O prophet of Allah, we were on a boat, the wind was very violent, and we were about to drown when a bird came and dropped a red cloth upon us. In this cloth was some yarn and with this we were able to block the hole in the ship until the winds subsided and we vowed that each one of us would give one hundred dinars in charity.So give that amount to whomever you please." Dawud (a.s.w.s) turned to the woman ans said, "Your Lord does business for you in the Land and in the sea, yet you ask whether He oppresses!" He gave her the 1000 dinars and said, "Spend this on Your children."

Subhanallah! How merciful Allah is and yet we still overlook his favors and complain :( May Allah forgive us our sins and continue to shower his rahma upon us, Ameen.

How Perfect Allah Is!

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem

A ruler from centuries ago, Sultan Suqailah, was an easy sleeper, but one night,he couldn't fall asleep. As the minutes passed by during that night, he tossed and turned, trying as hard as he could to fall asleep. Finally, frustrated after numerous failed attempts, he decided that since he was awake anyway, he would get up and take care of some of his country's business. He summoned for the general of his small naval fleet to come to him, and when he came, Suqailah said, "send one of our ships to Africa, and tell the captain of the ship to bring back news of what is happening there."

Still not being able to fall asleep, Suqailah made his way to the docks later that night. Much to his chagrin,he saw that all his ships were still docked at the harbor. He angrily went to his general and said, "why didn't you carry out the orders I gave you?"

"In fact, I did carry out your orders," said the general. "I sent the ship and it set sail, but one hour after it had departed, it returned. But let us go to the captain of the ship, so that he can give you a firsthand account of what happened."

When they reached the captain, he began to give an account of what had taken place. "We set sail, and though we couldn't see anything because of the darkness of the night, we heard a man's voice calling out, 'O Allah, O Allah, O One Who helps those who call out for help!' We changed course and followed the sound of his voice, and as we drew nearer, we yelled out, 'We are coming to you.' Finally, when we reached him, we were able to see that he was drowning.

We quickly pulled him up to safety. He later told us that his ship had sunk and that for more than a day he was calling out for help, until we came and saved him."

How perfect is Allah, who made the sultan go sleepless in the castle, so that a man could be save from 3 kinds of darkness: the darkness of night, the darkness of the sea and the darkness of loneliness. How perfect Allah is indeed! And none has the right to be worshiped but Allah!

True Story: Place Your Trust In Allah ♥

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem

A man came to the leader of the Believers 'Umar ibn alKhattab and the man had with him his son. And there was no difference (in appearance) between the man and his son. Umar ibn Khattab was amazed with this and said By Allah I have not seen anything as amazing as this. No persons looks so alike as you and your son (as though you are 2 identical crows) And the arabs say that the crows resemble each other the most

The man said: O leader of the believer and how amazed will you be if you knew that his mother gave birth to him while she was dead! So Umar sat up from his seat and changed his demeanour . And Umar used to love amazing or strange news. He Umar said: Tell me!

He , the man, said: O leader of the believers, my wife, the mother of this boy was pregnant with him. So I announced I was going on a journey and she forbade me. From when I reached the door she insisted that I don't leave. She said how can you leave me while I am pregnant and I placed my hand on her stomach and said " O Allah I entrust to you this boy of mine" and continued (on his journey). Ponder upon the Decree of Allah and the man not including his wife in the dua and left. So he continued on his travel as long as Allah Willed.Then I returned and on my door was a plate. And about my son my uncles surrounded me and they informed me that my wife had died. So I said "To Allah we belong and to Him is our return" So they took me to give me some dinner. While I was eating dinner a smoke came from a grave. I said to them what is this smoke? They said this smoke has been coming from the grave of your wife since the very day we buried her. So he (the husband) said By Allah I am the most knowledgeable of men about her! She was a fasting, upright chaste woman, she never accepted evil and ordered the good and Allah will never humiliate her! So he stood, faced her grave. He said and when I reached her grave I began to dig until I reached her body which was sitting and this boy you see here was alive between her feet. At that moment a caller cried out " O you who entrusted Allah with a trust, take back your trust

And the scholars said " and if he had entrusted the mother of the boy to Allah he would have found her as he had entrusted her (alive). But the Decree of Allah proceed and Allah did not decree this dua on his tongue.

Whoever has taqwa of Allah - He will give him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect. Whoever puts his trust in Allah - He will be enough for him. Allah always achieves His aim. (65:2-3)

Say: ‘Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is Our Master. It is in Allah that the believers should put their trust.’ (9:51)

• O Allah we entrust to You our deen. Keep us firm on it until we meet You, ameen!