Who to blame for discords in family and friends

Have you, yourself, ever said or did something in the spur of the moment, but regret it right after it happened or even as it was happening - however due to the circumstances do not have the chance to explain or apologise or change it. There are times, we say things or react in a way, we wish we had not. We don't want to. But if we didn't mean to do it, why did we do it anyway? It is from our subconscious mind and syaitan. And insyaaAllaah, both we can slowly overcome, if we habitually remind ourselves and be aware of our words and actions - even if we did not manage to stop it - but we should reflect on it, quickly repent (say astaghfirullah) and TRY our best to avoid it in future. And God knows best. This may also happen to others around us. Always give them this benefit of doubt - that they didn't mean to say or act that way too - most of the time. I believe that everyone has the desire to be good and do good - but sometimes syaitan us off course. Syaitan is human's avowed enemy. In surah Yusuf, Yusuf's brothers were plotting to even kill him, but decided instead to throw him in a well - so maybe someone else will take him away. Like that, Yusuf A.S. was separated from his beloved father for so many many years. I cannot imagine the pain of one losing a child and a child losing his parent. Even then, at the end of it all, Yusuf A.S. forgave his brothers and mentioned of the episode as 'when syaitan had sown dissensions between me and my brothers' (12:100). There is a big lesson for us here. Based on the earlier mentioned consideration and this story of Yusuf A.S. - I also try to have this mindset. When someone among my friends or family does or say (or not say) some thing that may (or may not) have hurt my feelings - I try to remember Yusuf's story. Syaitan has sown it - and syaitan is THE enemy - not our family or friends. With that, it becomes easier to be understanding and to overlook those mistakes and forgive sincerely insyaaAllaah. Then make doa, that Allaah will make us strong and sow love and sincerity in our hearts toward our family, friends and people in general. And that Allaah forgive all of our sins and theirs, for Allaah is Most Merciful and Most Forgiving.

Mary A.S. Mother of Jesus Christ A.S.

There are benefits to understanding the Arabic words of the Quran - even if it's just very basic, i.e. like you have an idea of the meanings, although you cannot translate it word for word. It helps with the Quran memorisation. 

 And then, there are benefits to memorising the Quran with that method as you read those words you roughly or fully understand, again and again, and the message gets to your head and your heart. As we memorise the words, our minds wonder and ponder over the words and the message. 

I don't memorise the Quran page by page from the start. First, I memorised those necessary surahs, or surahs that aids in us trying to accomplish the sunnahs of our prophet S.A.W. E.g. every night we are supposed to read Al-Mulk, so I try to memorise the Al-Mulk in order to better achieve reading it every night. 

After basically memorising those surahs that I want to read regularly, I start to try to memorise surahs that attract me. One example would be Al Qamar - "We have certainly made the Quran easy for remembrance, then who will be of one who remembers?" How apt. This verse, repeated a few times in the surah, attracted me. 

Right now, I am trying to memorise surah Maryam, which is the intended topic of this post. As mentioned, trying to memorise by understanding the words, helps. 

 Now I am at the verses which tells us the story of Mary A.S. when she conceived and gave birth to Jesus Christ A.S. Subhanallaah what kind of a big test she must have been through, to be alone while going through something she is unfamiliar with - pregnancy and the pangs of childbirth up to a point where she wished she becomes one forgotten and forgets. 

 Of course, God inspired her and got her through the childbirth. She was nourished with ripe dates from the palm tree she was under, and with a stream underneath her. "So, eat, drink and cool your eyes (be calm and contented - a nice proverb I would like to ponder and think aloud about, perhaps in another post)". 

Then comes her next big test and sacrifice, to declare to the very next person she meets, of her 'promised act' (nazar) to God, to never again speak to another human being. This is so interesting - the fact that she has to make this declaration to the next person she meets - that would be the last time she would ever speak to a human being, and that would also be her alibi of why she never spoke again - of course this follow up story, was never mentioned or told of in the Quran - it's just something I pondered about and found so measured and wise. 

With this promised act, of course, it would be impossible to defend herself effectively when she goes back to her people with a baby in her arms. 

 True enough her people started questioning her, saying her parents were good people and why has she become like this. She could only gesture to the baby in her arms. The people protested and said, 'How can we speak to a baby in a cradle?!' 

 Then another miracle happened - baby Jesus Christ A.S. - a baby - spoke to defend his mother. Can you imagine how miraculous, how so very cute that is?!?! I can't imagine.. a baby, speaking, I'm sure in his baby's voice right? I don't think he'd speak in a man's voice? Allaahu a'lam. 

He declared, "I am the servant of God, and I have been made a prophet. I have been given the scripture and I am blessed wherever I may be, and ordered to do solat (pray) and give zakah (alms) for as long as I live. I am made to be kind to my mother, and not be a wretched tyrant (arrogant, unblest). So peace be upon me on the day I was born, and the day I would die, and the day I would be raised again." 

 What a powerful message coming from a baby. It's something undeniably miraculous, and can only be true. 

God goes on to say, 'That is Jesus, the son of Mary - the Word of Truth, for which they (people then and people until now) doubt.' 

What a beautiful, beautiful story. I am in love with it, I'm so glad I have been able to memorise up to this point for now - and be able to absorb the beautiful story of Mary A.S. and Jesus Christ A.S. 

 That's all I wanted to share and get off of my exhilarated heart and mind from this verses. :) May Allaah let me keep this verses and the verses I have so far memorised, secure in my heart and mind. Aamiiin. 

 I hope all Christians will come to learn of this portion of the beautiful story of Mary A.S. and Jesus Christ A.S. that is not explained in the Bible and find it so very meaningful. May it also be a source of guidance. Aamiin. 

 Have a blessed life all. #quran #muslimliving #muslimlife #jesuschrist #jesussonofmary #quranbookforchristiansandjews #dohashtagsworkonblogger ? #noharmtrying

Of good words and sounds

I prefer songs without words or of words I don't understand. I just want to enjoy God's wondrous creation of a voice or a sound that can produce a reaction to move the heart. There are some songs with words I didn't understand that I have enjoyed, but as soon as I understood what they say, I lose interest, or sometimes I'm even irked. If it is a song, for which I understand the lyrics, then the lyrics should be meaningful. It should either make me ponder about life and struggles, or inspire me to be better, or generate empathy or just a good advice.

At my age, of course human love songs, don't mean much, after knowing what I know now. No, you shouldn't die for love, and love is not all you need.

I am also more sensitive now to what I let into my head. Sometimes I am unable to control, or forget, but when I do remember, I don't want to let empty or imbecile words and ideas invade my mind. We have to be more conscious, we have to keep our minds as clean as possible. Those times when I am unable to control or I forget, I wish I can scrub my brains clean of worthless words or ideas that can endanger the little intellect that God has blessed us with.

But there is a way to 'clean' them. That is to read or to listen to good words or goods sounds a lot more than the little time that we have let those garbage enter. InsyaaAllaah, this can help.

Listening to instrumentals lets you own the song. Since there are no specific words or ideas that are programmed into your mind, you can make of it, what you want to feel about it. Of course the tempo of the songs will have an impact, as such most of the instrumentals that I like and prefer are those of medium slow or medium tempo. Most of the time, I use these sounds to enjoy my coffee break, or when I take a break and look out my window at life or the sky or nature. It's wonderful, subhanallaah.

Of course the most inspiring words or sounds would be that of Quran and the Quran recited in a calm and moderate voice. May the default words and sounds the envelopes my mind, be that of the Quran and calm recitations of the Quran. Aamiin.

The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate

When I first read The Story of My Life - by Ted Chiang, I was wishing he could read the Quran. Because I was reminded of the Quran, when I read it - how the story was not linear, how the idea of past, present and future is interrelated. It actually made me also understand the message in the Quran at a different level - more aware of how the story of what happens in Afterlife is presented - 'as if' it has happened - and it has - because our life is like a block of ice - frozen, and as a human being, we go through our passage of time, before we get to that part. It is mind-boggling, it makes me reflect so much and appreciate the Quran even more. So I had wished I can give Ted Chiang a copy of the Quran translation.

Then I read The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate - and I know, he HAS read the Quran. First, I'd like to note my feelings, when I came across familiar and true ideas of Allaah and a Muslim. Then I will also share what I feel about the whole story.

I was excited when I first saw 'Allaah is the beginning of all things'. [29:19] Whoa - okay.. this is mentioned in the Quran. And then came the story of Hassan, and how he 'prayed to Allaah for the injured to be healed and the dead to be at peace and thanked Allah for sparing him." - what a true Muslim would do.

At this point, and as the story became more intriguing, I can't help saying aloud, 'oh please don't be disappointing!' I was afraid if towards the end of the story, the idea of Allaah and a true Muslim becomes twisted at the end of the story. I read on with anticipation.

'And seeing the boy's tears had reminded him of the Prophet's teachings on the value of mercy...' - okay, still fitting a true Muslim.

'As to how we came to know... I have no explanation except that it was the will of Allah, and what other explanation is there for anything.' MasyaaAllaah.. yes. Please don't disappoint me in the end.

'I swear is shall make good use of these riches that Allah has blessed me with.' Subhanallaah, still on the right track! Relating the good received to Allaah's blessings. Any good we receive is by Allaah's will. And aiming to make use of the riches to do good, is also an idea mentioned in the Quran. [27:19]

'Allah rewards those He wishes to reward and chastises those He wishes to chastise.' [5:18, 5:40, 35:8, and more] MasyaaAllaah.

'you cannot avoid the ordeals that has been assigned to you. What Allah gives you, you must accept.' [10:107].

'after sixty sunrises and three hundred prayers' - he is aware that Muslims pray five times a day.

To my delight and satisfaction, the story ended with the perception of Allaah intact.

The story itself, is amazing and deep in meaning and lessons. And I am impressed at the familiarity of the language and how the words were used in the dialogues. It didn't feel out of place. I remember The Alchemist, having the same type of characters with some learning points as well - however this one, even though it's much shorter, is much more poignant and clear. And the fact that it's shorter and inspiring, makes it excellent, worthy of an award. I am not disappointed at all.

Have a read.

p.s. some sentences from the story that i like/love.
1. I had not expected a learned man to perform a conjuror's trick, but it was well done, and I applauded politely.
2. ... until he was overtaken by death, breaker of ties, destroyer of delights.
3. ... Allah guides whom he wishes to my shop, and I am contented to be an instrument of His will.
4. Coincidence and intention are two sides of a tapestry.. you may find one more agreeable to look at, but you cannot say one is true and the other is false.
5. It is said that Fate laughs at men's schemes.
6. If our lives are tales that Allah tells, then we are the audience as well as the players, and it is by living these tales that we receive our lessons.
7. Nothing erases the past. There is repentance, there is atonement and there is forgiveness. That is all, but that is enough.

*standing ovation*

The mountains shall pass away like clouds

I was listening about atoms many years ago, how it is actually mostly empty inside. It's just empty space and protons moving around in patterns using and causing energy. In that video lesson is says that if we remove all the empty space from the atom, and really consider the actual mass in an atom, the solid building we see, will actually be just like dust, so little mass.

I was immediately reminded of the ayat about mountains at the end of the world :

And the Day when the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and the earth will start in fear, save him whom Allaah wills, And all come unto Him humbled.
And you see the hills/mountains, you deem them solid, flying with the flight of clouds - the doing of Allaah who perfects all things. Lo! He is informed of what you do.

An Naml 27:88-89

This is a wild theory of how I perceive that ayat, after learning about atoms. When the world ends, energy breaks and perhaps the protons will no longer be dancing in the atoms that make up the mountains, and it truly becomes just mostly empty, no longer solid and can fly away like the clouds, and be leveled to the ground. God has also said in other parts of the Quran, that at the end of Time, the earth will be leveled... no mountains or high plains.

God knows best. Subhanallaah.
I'm just always in awe at how advanced and truly deep the Quran is.

Other people may understand the meaning of that ayat to be related to other phenomenons (I saw one linking it to the continents moving/drifting 1-5cm per year).

The amazing thing about the Quran is, it could be that all of it is correct - the truly advanced delivery of one ayat that can mean more than one thing, and all of them true. But one thing for sure, it has never been wrong or contradicting.

The amazing Quran. Alhamdulillaah for this Book.