No Escape

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

For 9 months (more or less) we live in comfort and warmth of our mother's body, small and cozy. When we came to this world, it was a completely different world, a big open space. It was a difficult transition. We cried! But soon we get used to this world. Some get too attached to it. Here we will spend our lives for a time.

Soon, sooner than we think, we will face death. There is no escape. At that time we are aware that we are leaving this world to an unknown world, al-barzakh. The ones who have been busy building their lives for this world will hate leaving it, but the ones who have been busy building their mansions for the next life will welcome the angel of death.

Living in the grave is another story--it can be easy or it can be very difficult. May Allah has mercy on us.

Whenever 'Uthman ibn Affan, Allah be pleased with him (the son-in-law of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, third righteous Caliph, one of the 10 being promised Paradise) came near a grave, he wept so much that his beard became wet. Someone remarked to him that when he mentioned the Garden and the Fire he never wept as much, and he said: 'I heard the Messenger of God, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "The grave is the first of the Hereafter's stages. If one is saved from it then what comes next is easier, but if one is not saved from it, then what comes next is ever harder."

Next, we will find ourselves crawling out of our graves. The sky cracking, the moon knocked out of its orbit, the sun is over our heads, the stars are falling, the mountains exploding, the ocean is catching fire and burning, earthquakes everywhere, people are running around as if they are drunk. This is the worst stage and we will need tranquility!

"...The day that men shall be like scattered moths, and the mountains shall be plucked wool-tufts. Then he whose deeds weigh heavy in the Balance shall inherit a pleasing life but he whose deed weigh light in the Balance shall plunge in the womb of the Pit. And what shall teach thee what is the Pit? A blazing Fire!" Qur'an Al-Qari'ah 101:4-11

"As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honor and bounties, then he says (in): "My Lord has honored me." But when He tries him, by straitening his means of life, he says: "My Lord has humiliated me!" Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity (i.e. you neither treat them well, nor give them their exact right of inheritance)! And urge not one another on the feeding of AlMiskin (the poor)! And you devour inheritance all with greed, And you love wealth with much love! Nay! When the earth is ground to powder, And your Lord comes with the angels in rows, And Hell will be brought near that Day. On that Day will man remember, but how will that remembrance (then) avail him? He will say: "Alas! Would that I had sent forth (good deeds) for (this) my life!" So on that Day, none will punish as He will punish, And none will bind as He will bind. (It will be said to the righteous — believers of Islamic Monothesim): "O (you) the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction! "Come back to your Lord, Well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing (unto Him)! "Enter you, then, among My (honored) slaves, "And enter you My Paradise!" Qur'an Al-Fajr 89:15-30

May Allah gives us peace and tranquility in this life and the next. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

The Path Of Knowledge

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The terror of the Day of Judgment is beyond the scope of our limited human experience. But, Alhamdulillah, my children and I had a small glimpse of it yesterday. The place was crowded with people. The noise was unbelievable. You see some people crying and moaning, some people kept knocking at doors, some screaming and yelling, some moving fast, some pushing and impatient--children and adults alike. The place was hot! My children and I were sweating profusely. One of my children was complaining about BO (and I asked him what is BO-it stands for Body Odor. So I learned a new acronym, alhamdulillah).

I remembered 'Arafah. All I could do while waiting for my children was asking Allah to relieve those people and ease our journey. Indeed, the path of knowledge is not easy, otherwise everybody will do it, this is only the beginning, but the reward is eternal bliss by mercy of Allah--I reminded my children. Afterward, we stopped by a perfume store and I bought my sons some nice musk and they said they wanted to carry sticks following the Prophet's sunnah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and I bought that too.

He whose good deeds are heavy on the scale pan has eternal bliss. He whose good deeds are light in the scale pan will fall into Hell's deadly embrace.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

ٱلۡقَارِعَةُ (١) مَا ٱلۡقَارِعَةُ (٢) وَمَآ أَدۡرَٮٰكَ مَا ٱلۡقَارِعَةُ (٣) يَوۡمَ يَكُونُ ٱلنَّاسُ ڪَٱلۡفَرَاشِ ٱلۡمَبۡثُوثِ (٤) وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ ڪَٱلۡعِهۡنِ ٱلۡمَنفُوشِ (٥) فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتۡ مَوَٲزِينُهُ ۥ (٦) فَهُوَ فِى عِيشَةٍ۬ رَّاضِيَةٍ۬ (٧) وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَفَّتۡ مَوَٲزِينُهُ ۥ (٨) فَأُمُّهُ ۥ هَاوِيَةٌ۬ (٩) وَمَآ أَدۡرَٮٰكَ مَا هِيَهۡ (١٠) نَارٌ حَامِيَةُۢ (١١)

The Clatterer!
What is the Clatterer?
And what shall teach thee what is the Clatterer?
The day that men shall be like scattered moths,
and the mountains shall be like plucked wool-tufts.
Then he whose deeds weigh heavy in the Balance
shall inherit a pleasing life,
but he whose deeds weigh light in the Balance
shall plunge in the womb of the Pit.
And what shall teach thee what is the Pit?
A blazing Fire!
Qur'an Al-Qari'ah (The Catastrophe) 101:1-11

May Allah bless our lives in this world and the next and save us from the pits of Hell. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam

What is in your basket?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

How time flies! That's what we say usually when we are having fun. But nowadays, time flies regardless whether you are having fun or not. Reminder: This coming Friday is our next monthly khatm of the Qur'an, please complete your recitation of the Qur'an before 7pm Friday April 16 inshaAllah. We will read the last juz together after Maghrib and du'a afterwards. InshaAllah.

It feels like it was just yesterday we did our March khatm. SubhanAllah. This is indeed one of the signs of the Judgment Day is near. Do you know what will happen on the Day of Judgment? Read Surah Al-Waqi'ah--it is a good reminder inshaAllah.

"When the Terror descends (and none denies its descending) abasing, exalting, when the earth shall be rocked and the mountains crumbled and become a dust, scattered, and you shall be three bands -- Companions of the Right (O Companions of the Right!) Companions of the Left (O Companions of the Left!) and the Outstrippers: the Outstrippers...Qur'an Al-Waqi'ah/The Imminent 56:1-10

What have you prepared for this? Are you still not praying or praying the same way you prayed 10 years ago or a week ago? Are you still fighting with someone or holding grudges? Are you still thinking about buying that big house?

Your "work" in this life will never end. Your to-do basket will never empty. And it will still be something in that basket even on the day you die. The difference is what you fill your basket with. If you fill your basket with the world, then you will be terribly sorry when that day comes.

"...The day that men shall be like scattered moths, and the mountains shall be plucked wool-tufts. Then he whose deeds weigh heavy in the Balance shall inherit a pleasing life but he whose deed weigh light in the Balance shall plunge in the womb of the Pit. And what shall teach thee what is the Pit? A blazing Fire!" Qur'an Al-Qari'ah/The Catastrophe 101:4-11

May Allah help us remember, praise and worship Him well, and let us be steadfast in the right path all the time. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

Wassalaam