In the pursuit of knowledge

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, Alhamdulilah. This week has been one of gratitude and learning patience. As parents there is no manual on how to handle different situations you find yourself in with regards your child. Some techniques work for one child but has no impact on another. This week we had to speak to our eldest about his behaviour. Unfortunately he repeated the same behaviour the very next day. We changed tack; less shouting more trying to understand what prompted the behaviour. We tried to listen and alhamdulilah the rest of the week went smoothly. I haven't kept up with my reading commitments this week although I listened to about 40 minutes of audiobook. It is difficult to stick to listening a book at a time. If I am listening to a book that is trying to convey ideas it is difficult to always be in the right frame of mind for it every time particularly with children all around. I am also a fan of the Inquiry podcast on the BBC. Please recommend any ...

Bismillah Rahmani Raheem Alhamdulilah I am back after a very long hiatus. The past couple of years has been extremely busy. We are now a family of five (alhamdulilah). I just returned from my brother's wedding in Nigeria. It was a beautiful ceremony and it was great to connect with long lost family, siblings and parents. So much love and barakah.  Still on maternity break and really enjoying it. Allah truly makes things easy. When I was about to have my third child I was worried how I (and we) will cope. My second child was going to turn 2 a few months after the third child arrived. We live in an area with no close family nearby and neither my mum or mother-in-law would be able to come to assist us. I spoke to my big sister who I always speak to in times of need. I call her when I need a voice of reason; a voice to direct me back to my lord. She is someone I trust to help me get out of my head and be grateful. We all need someone like that in our lives.  Her w...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, Subhanallah it has been four months since I last blogged. I have had quite a busy and interesting time of late. I have been busy with a course which has caused much contemplation and reflection of my life, where it is at the moment and where I would like it to head. Contemplation and reflection is something I hope to incoporate into my life at least on a weekly basis. Recently I listened to a short reminder which mentioned that we are not grateful for the creations of Allah that surrounds us. We have gardens in which beautiful flowers grow, we take a deep breadth and the fragrance fills our lungs but we take it for granted that the flowers grew there. If we took time out to contemplate on our Lord, His creations and our lives then we will be people who are grateful. If we don't reflect and contemplate then we live our lives as if there is no purpose to it, we drift and allow circumstances and events to carry us as if we don't h...

Bismillahi rahmani raheem. Alhamdulilah. I have had an interesting few weeks. I have been guided and the darkness that threaten to overwhelm me as been lifted by the mercy of Allah. May Allah enable us to be of those who return to Him always and may He not cause us to die in a state which He is displeased with us. Ameen. From the occurrences of the past few weeks and life in general is the importance of keeping good company, this cannot be underestimated. Subhanallah what joy is felt in the heart when you are surrounded by happy and positive people. Why are they happy? The connection they have with their Lord is strong and special and they know that although they don't have the power to bear their burden Allah (subhanallah watahala) will take care of it for them. As you observe them you see them content with their faces bright and their demeanour relaxed. You look at them and you wish to feel the same and have the same connection with your Rabb. Although you might not have ...

Asslam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, I hope and pray this post meets you in the best of health and eeman. Alhamdulilah. Glory be to the one who sees and hears everything. The Lord of all that we see around us, that we have knowledge of or are ignorant of. The past few weeks have been very busy, exciting and stressful (to a lesser degree). Lots of travelling and visits from family members. Alhamdulillah. Lots of self-discovery and reconnection with loved ones and those whom Allah has bound to me through blood. May Allah (subhanahu watahala) enable us to be able to please HIM in every action and draw closer to HIM through ways which HE loves. Ameen. I am excited about a few courses I am due to start online. Read lots of testimonials from others on it and I feel I need every help I can get to boost my eeman and draw me closer to my Lord. Alhamdulilah I have been able to let go of a major distraction in my life. I found it wasn't allowing me to be productive a...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, Today is the 18th of Ramadan 1435. Subhanallah it has been over a year since I last wrote a post. I really cannot explain why I have been away from my blog for so long. Perhaps it is laziness, being more busy in my personal life (mis-management of my time) or the fact that I have been writing almost daily in a paper journal. Life has carried on as normal, people have died and others born. I moved to a different city, started a new job and got carried away with what has been going on in my little world. Alhamdulilah this ramadan has been progressing well and the main goal I had before ramadan is on track. I was excited for ramadan to start. Immersed myself in preparing before hand, reading articles and personal experiences from various sources online on how to ensure you have a productive ramadan and alhamdulilah it has been so (search for productive muslim website). I do not pretend that there haven't been hiccups along the way. ...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu. I hope the blog meets you in the best of eeman and health. I watched a programme on TV a few weeks back about Muslim reverts. The presenter was at a loss as to why more British women where coming into Islam from as she put it a “liberal” society to a religion where you “can’t drink”. The presenter describes herself as a modern British Muslim. I kept wondering what being a modern Muslim woman meant. To her being modern included being able to work, loving fashion, leaving your hair uncovered, drinking and going out. Lately I have found the word “modern” to be annoying especially when used alongside veiled Muslim women and integration. I do not know if this word has crept into the Muslims speech due to the pressure we feel to show that we are perfectly capable of integrating into our communities and to show that Islam is not at odds with the British way of life. Why does covering the hair or face and not drinking or going dancing in th...

Salam alaykum, Found this article online. It was the reminder which I needed and provoked some thinking on my part. I pray Allah enables us to continue to ponder HIS mercies on us and be of those who draw closer to HIM. Ameen. A Delayed Response - Coping with Adversity - Islamic Articles - A2Youth.com

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, I hope this post meets you in the best of eeman and health. Alhamdulilah the snow has given way to the wind and a little bit of sunshine. Everyone was excited for the start of 2013 yet tomorrow heralds the beginning of February. Some have found that it is not easy keeping to their new year’s resolution. Others have been successful in achieving the goals they set out for themselves. How wonderful is Allah (Subhanahu watahala), His knowledge encompasses everything. That which happened in the past, what is currently happening and that which would not happen but Allah knows what it will be if it did happen. If we truly believe this then that should make it easier to be less stressed about our current state of affairs. It should be easy to put our trust in our creator. People are going through difficult circumstances whether it is the loss of income or health, they are not sure what the future holds, where the next meal will come from or whe...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, It has been ages since I last blogged. A lot has happened, really too much to put into writing. Not that I am much of a writer. I have to think of what I want to write for ages before it actually gets on the screen. As I mentioned in an earlier blog I have started writing in a little journal (which I carry around in my handbag). I can report that I am still writing in my journal but not with the regularity with which I first did. I like writing and documenting things I would like to do or achieve now or in the future. I have not gone back to read what I have written but I am sure I will cringe when I read it. Aside from the journal I have not been up to much, I have been trying to read more and listen/attend more Islamic lectures. I have also tried to do this physically and not just procrastinate. I will confess that I find it difficult as there seems to be so little time in the day but we cannot use that as an excuse. It is importan...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu. Alhamdulilah rabbil alamin. I hope this post meets you in the best of eeman and health. Hope the stresses and strains of this world have not overwhelmed you. Inshaallah by holding on to the rope of Allah (subhanahu watahala), following the Qu’ran and the sunnah of the Prophet (Sallalahu alayhi wasalam) this shouldn’t be the case. I recently purchased a little journal (A6 size) to start documenting everyday things that takes place in my life. Although I have been writing in it in the morning as that is the time that is most convenient for me it seems it has helps a bit with de-cluttering my mind as suggested. It mainly contains changes I notice in people around me and how I want to improve myself physically and spiritually. It also contains things I would like to remember to make dua about. It has been interesting to write in this way because I find that by the time I put down what has upset me I am much calmer about the whole situation. Als...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, Alhamdulilah we are blessed to have witnessed the start of the month of Ramadhan. While we have been given the opportunity to get closer to Allah (Subhanahu watahala), to increase in our good deeds others have not been so lucky. May Allah (Subhanahu watahala) enable us to use our time productively seeking only HIS pleasure. Ameen. Al-Bukhaari (1899) and Muslim (1079) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Ramadaan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.”  One of the blessing of the month of ramadhan is the chaining of the shaytan and shayateen, why then is it still difficult to carry out acts of ibadah. The scholars say that although the shayateen are chained they still have some influence although greatly reduced. Also perhaps the fact that we are fasting suppress...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, I hope you are all in the best of health and eeman. We are currently about two weeks away from the month of ramadhan. May it reach us in good health. We should all try to understand the fiqh of the month before it reaches us inshaallah. May Allah enable us to reap the full rewards of this blessed month. I recently had a beautiful sister come to visit me. I last saw her about 2 years ago. Alhamdulilah she is doing well. While we were in the kitchen she gave me a coffee cup to dispose and I put it  aside as it was going to the recycle. She then asks if I recycle, after replying in the affirmative we went on to discuss how some other people find it difficult to recycle. This provided me with a topic to blog about, so here goes: Islam teaches us not to be wasteful or excessive with the wealth Allah (subhanallah watahala) has provided us with. O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessi...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, I hope and pray this post meets you in the best of health and eeman. I cannot believe that it is over three months since I last blogged. It was not intentional I assure you, there has just been various activities going on. How have you fared? How is your eeman and what have you been doing to keep  it at the very high level which we all aim to be at. I have been meaning to blog but was also encouraged when a sister asked for the web address as she wanted to read the latest posts. Lately I find myself missing some sisterly company. During the four years when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree there was such a vibrant Muslim community with sisters who were beautiful inside and out. We met regularly; socially and religiously and I found out that both facilitated your remembrance in Allah (SWT) and you learn a lot more about the deen of al Islam. Since then I have not found a vibrant sisters community spirit...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, I pray this post meets you in the best of health and eeman. I was having a nap yesterday and woke up to a discussion on TV asking if there is any evidence for the existence of GOD. The question is provocative and plain silly. I find that those that don't believe in God always go out of their way to want to disprove HIS existence. If you don't believe that is your prerogative why are you so concerned to disprove my believe in HIM. Inshaallah, stick with your judgement and I with my belief and we would all find out soon enough anyway. They (atheists) also like to portray that they are intelligent and those who believe are lacking intellectually. They are rational and logical and those who have a belief in GOD are lacking in this. What they fail to realise is that there are lots of people who do not see any conflict between their religious belief and their love for science and consider themselves very rational human ...

Assalamu alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, I seek the help of Allah and ask for His forgiveness for any sins I have committed, will comit in the course of writing this blog and afterwards inshaallah. I hope you are all doing well. Just been reflecting a little bit and what I discovered even though I was certain of it, is that the promise of Allah (SWT) is true. If we all reflect enough we would find evidence for this promise in our lives. How often have we done something for the pleasure of Allah (SWT) e.g. given to charity and something happens afterwards (perhaps not on the same day or week) wereby Allah has given us more than we initially gave to charity. Even if we think there is no physical evidence that Allah has given us something greater for it in this world we have a feeling of joy and contentment which we want to continue. Also be rest assured that inshallah it has been written for us and it might be what tips the bala...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, I hope this email meets you in the best of health and eeman. I have been clearing up the contact list on my phone. Over the years you accumulate numbers aplenty. Some numbers you don't remember who owns them or what circumstance you came to meet them. Others you discover you haven't spoken to in two, three or more years. Your mind get drawn to the memories and shared adventures. You wonder what they are up to. So I began by emailing one such sister who I haven't been in touch with since 2006 at most. Subhanallah I received a reply immediately, she remembered me and my heart filled with joy that she was ok. She informed me of her lucky escape when the building she worked in was destroyed. Subhanallah. When I started uni as an undergrad (2002) I met a family at jumuah prayers on my very first day. They welcomed me and promised my mum to look after me. I was usually invited to their house for dinner and struck up a strong friendship...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, Subhanallah we are already in mid November, the year has flown by so so quickly. A lot has happened both in our little world and the world at large. I am sure we have all experienced times of joy, excitement and dissapointment. Hope we have all been able to dig deep into our pool of eeman at all times of changing situations and emotions. During the times of joy and success we remembered to thank Allah for His kindness and mercy on us. We remembered that we would have to account to Him alone on how we used all the things we have been blessed with. When dissapointments strike we are assured that Allah would see us through, we turn our faces towards Him and seek His help through dua and patience. We keep our tongues moist with His remembrance and we look at those who are in a worse position so that we remain grateful and not sinful. What does the year ahead hold? No one knows except Allah (subhannallah watahala). We plan, we pray and ...

Assalamu alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, I hope you have all been in the best of eeman and health. I cannot belief the last time I blogged was before ramadhan. How time flies? I hope you all had a successful ramadhan, filled with the reading of the Qur'an, reduction in gossip and back biting and performing lots of tahajjud. May Allah accept from us all our acts of ibadah. Ameen. So have we all come down from our ramadhan high? When we worked hard to try to be so close to our Lord our eeman was high or have we tried inshaallah to keep our eeman at that level. The eeman naturally increases and decreases but what we have to ensure is that it does not dip below a level which would take us away from the fold of Islam. So we keep our five daily salah, and keep our tongues moist with the remembrance of Allah (subhanallah watahala). We try to remember the favours Allah (subhanallah watahala) bestowed upon us and this should inshaallah help to increase our eeman. Also t...

Assalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, I pray that you are all in the best of health and eeman. Sorry it has been a while. Alhamdulilah. I attended a programme recently entitled "Are you well fed?" It was about being a well rounded muslimah who strives to achieve a balance in all aspects of her life, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. While at this programme I discovered that i really was in need of eeman topup (stole that expression from my sister). Following on from this programme I spoke to another sister friend of mine (the first time we met was at an islamic course) and we both chastised ourselves for neglecting our islamic education, sisterhood and eeman topup. Although we all strive to keep up with our 5 daily salah we need reminders which refreshes our knowledge of our Lord, Allah (subhanallah watahalah) and the deen of islam, thereby focusing our minds on the aakirah and make sure we do not get swept away in the sea of the dunya. So if we ...