A series of (un?)fortunate events.

A memory from high school...

   I'm still confused whether I'm actually fortunate or unfortunate. Could it be a blessing or a curse. Or, could it just be an early premonition about my imminent death?
   Well, to start...
I lost my bag. How stupid of me to leave it in class? YES, I was (or probably am) stupid. Frankly, that day wasn't really so good. It had a bad start. Then, it became worse with headache - which ruined my basic judgement and cognitive skills until I lost any intention to socialize. I never did go to the morning assembly. I thought I'm starting to catch something - maybe. I made my way to the sick bay and asked the clerk when the trip to the hospital is. "Around nine". I thought that if I have to wait until nine to go to the hospital - I'd rather bear with it and go to class. I went to class, put the bag on the table (or I think I did), took my books and left. Soon, I started to look my bag and couldn't find it. First, I was in denial. Then, I finally accepted that it’s lost. Honestly, I felt a loss. The thing is, inside the bag was my laptop, my 320 GB external hard drive, my 8 GB thumb drive, a new DVD, my mp3 player, along with the other things that I can't remember.




   Then...
I trip at a set of stairs as I was on my way to my room. The stairs were made from concrete, old and rough. I hurt my knee and scratch my right arm. I went to hospital the next day to check my knee. After a standard x-ray, the doctor said that I didn't crack my patella. Later that night, after Maghrib, I felt that my left eye really itched. I looked at it in the bathroom mirror and saw that it was red. Again, I went to the hospital and had it checked. It was an eye infection.




   To think of it...
The events that happened to me really made me think. Losing my laptop proved that my parents really loves me. Losing something so valuable showed me to something that was priceless. To have my mother even look at me after what I've done - I just feel like crying. And you know the thing about boarding schools and how they handle contagious diseases. They send patient zero (which is me) back home so the disease won't spread. That gave me an early holiday, hehehe.... Only when you're facing with crisis, you tend to appreciate what life has to offer. And in this case, Allah had planned something better.




On the other hand...
Losing my laptop                      = temporary (or even permanent) memory loss
falling when climbing the stairs   = degrading of basic motor skills
eye infection                             = failing of immune system




Allah knows, I just might be dying... hehehe....




P.S.
Just let it go ... Wan.....

When you're in despair

When you are hurt by the people who share blood relations with you, recall Yusuf [alayhi salaam] who was also betrayed by his brothers.

When you find your parents opposing you (in the Deen) recall Ibrahim [alayhi salaam] who was allowed to jump into a blazing fire by his own father after the king Namrud ordered him to.

When you are mocked and abused by your own relatives just because you adopted the Deen over duniya, recall Rasulullah [sallalhu alaihi wa sallam] who faced the same.

When you are stuck in a problem and unable to find no way out recall Yunus [alayhi salaam] who was stuck inside the belly of a whale.

When you fall ill and your whole body cries with pain, recall Ayub [alayhi salaam] who was more ill than you.

When you see some physical fault in yourself, recall Musa [alayhi salam] who could not properly speak.

When someone slanders you, recall Aisyah [radiallahu anha] who was also slandered throughout the city.

When you feel lonely recall how Adam [alayhi salaam] felt when he was created alone at first.

When you can't see any logic in what's going on and your heart asks why this is happening, recall Nuh [alayhi salaam] who built the biggest ship without questioning..

SubhanAllaah.  Always say ALHAMDULILLAH

Thank ALLAH for everything you have.

The Root Cause

From the above "Hadith" it is clear, that the abandonment of the act of "Amir bil maruf wa nahi anil munkar" (enjoining the good and forbidding the evil) has usually been the root cause of "Allah Ta'ala's" anger and displeasure and His eventual wrath. And if the "Ummat-e-Mohammadiah" be- comes guilty of that neglect and omission, the punishment to he given to them will be more severe than to the earlier people, because they would have failed to recognise their exclusive obligation and neglected to fulfil the sole mission in their life. For this reason, the Holy Prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has enjoined the act of "Amir bil maruf wa nahi anil munkar" (enjoining the good and forbidding the evil) "as the essence and the pivot of the faith of Islam" and the abandonment of that act as the cause of decay and decline of the faith. In the "Hadis" of Abu Saeed Khudri, (radi Allaho anho) it is mentioned: "When anyone of you witnesses the commission of evil, he should use his hands to prevent it; and if he has not the power to do this, he should use his tongue; and if he has not the power to do even this, he should use the power of his heart; and this last represents the weakest degree of faith." 

There is yet a clearer version of the same "Hadis" from Ibnu Masud (radi Allaho anho): It is usual for Allah to so arrange that every Prophet leaves behind a group of his companions who perpetuate His message, who follow it rigorously and pre- serve the holy message exactly in the form in which the Messenger left it. Then comes an epoch of mischief and error, an epoch that witnesses the birth of people who step aside from the path laid down by the Prophet. Their actions are at variance with their proclamations; their activities are not warranted by the holy law. So whosoever arises in defence of Truth and Law, and opposes the miscreants with his hands , is a true believer; he who cannot do this but uses his tongue, is a believer too; and he who cannot, do even this, but uses the power of his heart, is also a believer; but less than this, there is no degree of faith-(Muslim). The vital importance of Tabligh (the task of propagation) has been further emphasized by Imam Ghazali, (rahmatullah alaih) in the following manner: "There can be no doubt that the act of "amr bil maruf wa nahi anil munkar" is that solid pillar of Islam, on which each and every article of faith rests. It is for this very mission that Allah Ta’ala deputed all the Holy Prophets. If unfortunately, it is ignored or forgotten and its methods and practices are given up , one has to say that the very purpose of prophethood is totally defeated and rendered meaningless. Thereafter, the conscience, which is the capital wealth of man, will wither and degenerate. Indolence and dullness of mind will prevail. The highway to vice and arrogance will be opened up and barbarity will spread in the whole world. All achievements of man will become dangerous and even harmful. Human relationship will break down. Civilization will be ruined. Mankind will be reduced to utter moral destitution. But, the vivid realisation of all this will come only on the Day of Judgement, when the entire mankind will be under trial before the Almighty Allah Ta'ala and called upon to account for each and every action." "Alas! Alas! The fear has come true, that which was apprehended is before our eyes. T h e tower of knowledge and enlightenment has been demolished and its benefits and effects have been completely wiped out. Consequently, mutual contempt and humiliation are rampant. Nothing, of the sublime relation- ship between man and his Creator, is left in human hearts; on the contrary, man, like an animal, has become the slave of his passions. Indeed, not only is there a paucity of true Muslims in this world now, but it is practically impossible to meet anyone who is prepared to bear the inevitable privations for the sake of propagating Islam. "Any Muslim who dares to take steps to remove the present state of ruin and devastation, endeavours to revive the act of propagation and comes forward to shoulder that heavy responsibility, will surely rank a s the noblest a n d the most distinguished being among the whole of man- kind." He said this nearly eight hundred years ago, but his statement is very accurately applicable to us today. 

We must ponder and calmly think out what is to be done in these circumstances. There are some well-known causes which seem to be responsible for the apathy and in-difference that prevail today. These are discussed below

The Diagnosis pt. 2

A further explanation and clarification of the above verse of t h e Holy Quran can be seen from the following "Hadith" (sayings of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (salallaho alaihe wasallam). 

(1) It has been narrated by Hadhrat Abdullah bin Masud (radi Allaho anho) that the Holy Prophet (salallaho alaihe wasallam) was pleased to say: 

"Amongst peoples gone by, when somebody committed a sin , the other would reprimand him and would say: "Fear Allah"; but on the following day would befriend him and mix with him as if he had never seen him committing the sin.And when Allah saw them behaving thus , He confounded the hearts of some with those of some, and cursed them through the tongues of Dawood and Isa son of Mariam; and t h i s bc- cause they rebelled against Allah and transgressed His limits." I, Mohammad swear by Him, Who has control over my soul: you must enjoin the good and forbid the evil and force the ignorant wrongdoer into the path of rectitude; else Allah will confound your hearts and you will be cursed, as were some of the peoples gone by. 

(2) Hadhrat Jareer (radi Allaho anho) has narrated that Hadhrat Mohammad (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was pleased to say: "When a n individual of a community sins, and the community, in spite of its authority over him, does not prevent him from sinning, Allah's punishment descends on them even before death, i.e., He subjects them to various tribulations in this very world." 

(3) Hadhrat Anas (radi Allaho anho] has narrated that Hadhrat Mohammad (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was pleased to say, "The Kalimah La ilaha Illallaho always benefits the individuals who proclaim it, and keeps away from them woes and troubles, unless, indeed, its rights are ignored." The companions inquired: "What does the ignoring of its rights mean?" Replied the Prophet: "It means that when sins are being committed openly they do not prevent or stop them." 

(4) Hardhat Aisha (radi Allah anha) says: "The Holy Prophet, (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) came to me and I could read from his noble countenance that something extraordinary had happened. He did not utter a single word but, having per- formed ablution, repaired straight to the mosque. I, too, stood by the wall of the mosque to hear what he had to say. The Prophet of Allah ascended the pulpit and, after the usual holy exordium, said: '0 people, Allah has ordained you to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, lest a time should come when you call and He may not respond, you ask for a favour and He may not grant it, and you call for help and He may refuse'." 

(5) Hadhrat Abu Huraira (radi Allaho anho) has narrated: "Said the Prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam): When my "Ummat" (followers) begin to attach more importance to the world and to regard it as a source of glory, the awe and importance of Islam will vanish from their hearts. When they give up the practice of enjoining good and forbidding evil, they will be deprived of the blessings of Revelation, and, when they begin to indulge in mutual recrimination, they will fall low in the eyes of Allah."

The Diagnosis pt.1

The Creator of the universe, Allah Ta’ala, remains avowedly commit^ that the kingdom and His vicegerency on earth are only meant for the true Muslims (momineen). This is clear from the following verse: "Allah has promised to those from amongst you who believe and do righteous deeds that He would surely make them His vicegerents on earth."

He has also given the assurances that true believers will always dominate over non-believers a d that non- believers will be left without any friend or ally; as is clear from the following verse: "And if these non-believers had given you a battle, they were sure to turn on their heels, and they would have found no protector and no helper." Moreover, it is Allah Ta’ala’s own obligation to grant every help to the true Muslims and it is also His promise that such people will always remain exalted and glorious. This is borne out by the following verses: "And it is our bounden duty to render succour to the true believers.” "And do not give way to despair, and do not grieve, and you only shall dominate, if you are true believers." "And honour is only for Allah, His Prophet (S.A.W.) and those who believe." The above Divine assertions clearly indicate that the way to regain honour, grandeur, exaltation, glory and virtues by Muslims, lies only in their being strictly faithful. If their relationship with Allah Ta'ala and the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) is strong and firm, they are destined to be masters of each and every things on thisEarth. But if, on from the following verse: "And let Time be witness: verily man is in a great loss I except, of course, those who believe and do righteous deeds and who re-join truth and enjoin patience." As already brought out, history proves that the early Muslims had been able to reach the highest summit of

honour and glory, whereas the present day Muslims seem to have moved in the opposite direction. It is obvious from the above verses of the Quran that the first Muslims had attained that high position in life because of the purity and strength of their faith and the excellence of their character. Conversely, the deplorable condition of the present-day Muslims is the result of weakness in their faith and character, the opposite of what their forefathers possessed. There- fore, it will be right to say that today we are Muslims in name only! In this connection, the true Messenger of Allah Ta'ala Hadhrat Mohammad p.b.u.h. had prophesied: "An era will come in the near future when Islam will exist merely in name and Quran will exist merely in phrase." : This is clearly applicable to the Muslims of the present time. In these circumstances, the points which need urgent investigation are:

as the right type of faith, which can have the approval of Allah Ta'ala and His Apostle and which will bring us spiritual and material advancement, is not to be seen anywhere, what will be the means of acquiring that true faith; and what are the factors which have caused the extinction of that faith, and with it the true life of Islam, from our midst?

A study of the Holy Quran clearly reveals that the capacity to maintain the required level of the true faith of Islam, and the ultimate ascendance to exaltation and glory through it, are dependent on the fulfilment of a special task which has been so graciously assigned by Allah Ta'ala to the Muslims alone. It is for this that they have been given, in the Quran, the distinguished position, "Khair-ul-Umam" (the best of all peoples). According to the faith of Islam, the main purpose behind the creation of this world was to establish and prove the Divinity, the Oneness, and the most exalted existence of Almighty Allah Ta'ala, and to reflect His un- limited Powers and boundless Attributes through man, who was to be guided by the light of true knowledge. It was impossible for man to conceive and utilize that knowledge without his first being purified of impiety and obscenity. Only after that purification, is he to be adorned with fine virtues, excellence of conduct and the eventual capacity to act righteously. It was for this purpose of bringing about this purity and power in the ranks of mankind that thou- sands of Prophets and Apostles had been deputed by Allah Ta'ala. The last in the series, came the “Sayyed-ul-Ambia wal Mursalin” (the greatest of all the Prophets) Mohammad (sallallaho alaihe wasallam). It was through him that man reached the high state of development of mind and body leading to the final stage of purity. It was then that man- kind received the glad tidings in the following verse: "And today we have perfected your Religion for you and completed our bounty upon you." The supreme purpose of man's creation had been fulfilled; good and evil had been clearly defined, a complete system of practical life had been revealed, the lineage of prophethood and apostle hood had been terminated, and lately, the duties that were formerly discharged exclusively by the Prophets had devolved as a collective mission upon the "Ummat-i-Mohammadia" (the Muslim people). h This last fact has been clearly brought out in the following verses of the Holy Quran: "0 you (followers of Mohammad): you are the noblest of peoples, in that you have been brought out for (the benefit of) mankind. You enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and you believe in Allah."

"And it is but meet that amongst you there should be a group devoted to inviting people towards righteous- ness and enjoining the good a n d forbidding the evil, and it is only those who do this that prosper." In the first verse, “Allah Ta’ala” has stated the reason why the Muslims are called “Khair-ul-Umam” (noblest of all peoples); it is because of spreading good and preventing evil. In the second verse, He has further clarified that only those people shall be exalted in life that fulfils that injunction. The command does not end here. It is stated in another place that the failure to accomplish this vital task will bring curse and gloom on its assignees. This inference is taken from the following verse: "And those amongst the people of Israel who rejected Allah's commands were cursed by Allah through the tongues of Dawud and Isa, son of Mariam. And the curse was because they rebelled against Allah's commands a n d transgressed the limits and did not desist from the evil that they were doing; and verily it was a grievous lapse on their part