Come To Pray

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

If you don't live in an environment that reminded you of Allah at least 5 times a day, an environment where the call to prayer is made live every few hours everyday, and you are there somewhere unable to hear the adhans and the iqamas, waiting in an elevator, grocery shopping, waiting in line at the ticket box office for a movie premier, waiting in the traffic jam going to work, driving your kids to school, in meeting with your boss or clients, in the gym working out, and everything seem so rush, stressful, and out of shape, how do you occupy yourself with the Most Great? All the things you see around you should occupy yourself with the Creator because they all point to Him.

For starters, set whatever technological device you have to play the adhan when the prayer time comes for Fajr, Dhuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib and 'Isha. Have it in your office, in your car and in more than one location in your house. Definitely on your cell phones, iTouch, iPod. This is more important than your amazing ringing tones, music, pictures, contacts, etc.

When the caller say "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar," (Allah Most Great), at that moment you are reminded that everything you do is for Allah because there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and everything is done according to the sunnah of His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. You leave everything behind and go to pray. What will you get out of this? Real success. The only success is in your prayer. Your boss, your children, your wife, your husband, your mother, your father, your family, your friends, they all are not going to be able to help you in your grave and when you are being asked in the Day of Judgment the first thing--your prayer.

Hadith: "The first thing that will be judged among a person's deeds on the Day of Resurrection is the prayer. If that is in good order, he will pass the test and prosper, and if that is defective, he will fail the test and will be a loser." (Tirmidhi)

Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, said that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to help his family in the house but the moment the prayer came he didn't know anybody.

So of course you will come to pray. When you go to the masjid, you wait for the second call to prayer. At that moment you are reminded again of the Day of Judgment. Everybody will be called to stand before Allah. Everybody are waiting in a row. You hear people screaming. You see people crying, faces black, people being dragged to the Hellfire. Your name will be called.

"Then, when there comes As-Sakhkhah (the second blowing of the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection) — That Day shall a man flee from his brother, And from his mother and his father, And from his wife and his children. Every man, that Day, will have enough to make him careless of others." Qur'an Abasa 80:33-37

"(Some) faces on that day shall be bright, looking to their Lord. And (other) faces on that day shall be gloomy, knowing that there will be made to befall them some great calamity." Al-Qiyaamah 75:22-25

"Verily! they see it (the torment) afar off. But We see it (quite) near. The Day that the sky will be like the boiling filth of oil, (or molten copper or silver or lead). And the mountains will be like flakes of wool. And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition), Though they shall be made to see one another [(i.e. on the Day of Resurrection), there will be none but see his father, children and relatives, but he will neither speak to them nor will ask them for any help]. The Mujrim, (criminal, sinner, disbeliever) would desire to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by his children. And his wife and his brother, And his kindred who sheltered him, And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him. By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell! Taking away (burning completely) the head skin! Calling (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from Faith) [picking and swallowing them up from that great gathering of mankind on the Day of Resurrection just as a bird picks up a food-grain from the earth with its beak and swallows it up]. (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi). And collect (wealth) and hide it (from spending it in the Cause of Allah). Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient; Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him; And niggardly when good touches him;- Except those who are devoted to Salat (prayers). Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers); Qur'an al-Ma'arij 70:6-23

So of course you will stand before Allah now, in prayer, with sincerity and deepest gratitude for Allah has blessed you with the ability to stand before Him right now, knowing that you might not be around when the next call to prayer comes because you might already be prayed upon and on your way to your grave and all doors of repentance have been shut for you.

May Allah grant us success in this world and the next. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

When You Are Cheated

بسم اللخ الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

Like one of my dear friends said, if Allah wants me to have my lost baggage, He will return it to me. Alhamdulillah, last night I received a message that baggage has been found and waiting for me at the airport. They would not send the baggage to my place. But, that was quite alright because the airport is about 15 minutes away from my place (if taxi drivers don't cheat!). So I got a taxi and went to the airport this afternoon with my son and my friend and we got there in good time and only cost us a few dollars Alhamdulillah. When we arrived, I thought it would be a simple show your passport and take your bag deal. No! It was an unbelievably long process--it was almost like flying all over again except there was no aircraft. SubhanAllah.

Up to a certain point my friend and my son had to stay behind. There was a young Polish lady (non Muslim) who was in transit who lost her baggage in Bahrain. She sat waiting and walking around the airport with me to get to our luggage. She was afraid to be by herself. I asked her what she was afraid of. She said Muslim men! SubhanAllah. I said "me too but only those who don't practice." While we were walking outside of the airport building she asked me if I didn't feel hot in my abaya and my hijab. I said no and told her that actually it was cooler for the body covered than exposed. She said she would buy some abayas for herself. We had a long conversation about people. She typed her name and her email address on my phone and asked me to write to her.

It was night by the time we received our baggage. She clearly was afraid to take a taxi by herself and asked if we could accompany her to the hotel where she was staying. We said yes, of course. As we were waiting for a taxi, there was a shuttle marked with the name of the hotel where she stayed. So we waived for the shuttle and it stopped for her.

We then got in a taxi. The driver asked us how much we wanted to pay him. My friend said we followed the meter and so he turned on the meter. Soon I realized that we were going in circles and so did my friend and my son! My friend was quite upset by this time and confronted him. I told her not say anything until we got down and make sure we got off farther away from my place. It took him more than an hour to take us from the airport to my place when it should only take about 15 minutes--with 3 times the regular fare shown on the meter! I asked my friend before we pay to ask him if he wanted halal money, I'd would pay him what was fair, but if he wanted haram money, I'd give him what was shown on the meter.

When we got out of the taxi, I asked my son, who was ready to explode, to keep silent and move away with my luggage. My friend proceeded to the passenger side of the taxi and asked the driver if he is a Muslim. He said yes. My friend asked him if he prayed Maghrib yet. He said no. My friend asked him if he knew what time 'Isha is. He said he didn't know. My friend asked him if he took us on a long route and drove us through the same road more than once. He said no and he swore. So my friend put the first 1/3 of the money on the passenger seat and said to him--"this belongs to you." Then she placed another 1/3 and said "this belongs to her." Then she placed another 1/3 and said, "this is haram for you." He looked at us dumbfounded and we walked away. He drove away. I told my son, who was quite upset by the whole idea that the taxi driver cheated us and I prevented him from "taking action", that it was not our money and it was a good tarbiyah for him and let him think when he heard the 'Isha adhan, which came on as we walked away. Perhaps he would stop and pray at the masjid. InshaAllah. And we forgave him.

May Allah guide him and guide us and forgive him and forgive us. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam