We Are Being Tested, Take Action

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Before we complain about the situation of Muslims today, we should have a long look at ourselves first. Are we doing anything, anything at all, to help the situation---at the individual level and as a group?

We can do a lot! But many of us talk a lot but no action. They react to situations and after a while they calm down and back to their business as usual. Some fall into despair and think that they cannot do anything. Unfortunately, most of us won't do anything at all, either they are afraid or being selfish.

Allah tests His servants according to their iman. Like the professors, when they write an exam, they would have easy questions that can be answered by the majority of their students, some tough ones that can be answered only by A students and a few that can be answered only by A+ students. These questions will separate between the B and C students, the A and B students, and the A+ and A-. Everyone receive their questions according to their level.

Likewise, if your iman is weak, Allah will give you a simple test. If your level of iman is strong, you will receive a more difficult test.

When Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Allah be pleased with him, put his hands on the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he had the fever, the companion had to withdraw his hands because of the intense heat. He said: "You are going through very severe illness." The Prophet then said that this is because the Prophets suffer double the suffering than everyone else. Indeed, Allah put them through tougher tests because Allah loves them and because they are stronger, greater and better.

We are being tested but how many of us will fail. We have to do our part to the best of our ability and keep doing our part until we meet our Lord. No doubt, there is going to be a lot of struggling and a lot of patience. But there is no victory without struggle and without patience. May Allah save us from being the heedless and make us among the successful and victorious. Ameen.

Why did Prophet Musa, Allah grant him peace, hit the sea with his stick? Because the victory from Allah will not come until you do your part, even with a stick. It was not the stick that parted the sea which allowed the Children of Israel to escape from Fir'aun, it is the Will of Allah.

Allah says, "And We made a people, considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands in both east and west, - lands whereon We sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, and We leveled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which Fir'aun (Pharoah) and his people erected (with such pride)." Qur'an Al-'Araf 7:137

Please do your part. Sign this Petition To Save UCLA's Islamic Studies. It only takes a few clicks. May Allah count this as your good deeds that travel like pillars of light to the heavens.

May Allah increase our iman and our patience and give victory to the Muslims. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Your choice

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Asiya bint Muzahim could have all she wanted of this worldly life, being the wife of one of the most powerful tyrants of Egypt, but she sacrificed all that to be with Allah. In the midst of power and riches, she was able to see and accept the truth in the message of the Prophet Musa, Allah grant him peace. Fir'aun tried to turn her away from the God of Musa but Asiya refused to reject the God of Musa and so Fir'aun ordered her to be tortured to death. He placed her on a device that stretched her arms and legs away from her body but she smiled because she saw her home in Paradise.

"Allah has made an example for those who have iman: the wife of Pharaoh when she said, ‘My Lord, build a house in the Garden for me in Your presence and rescue me from Pharaoh and his deeds and rescue me from this wrongdoing people.’ Qur'an At-Tahrim 66:11

Asiya was included by the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the list of four best women of all times who attained the level of perfection. She was indeed an example of supreme sacrifice. Look at where this got her--home with Allah in Paradise, the eternal abode. How much are we willing to sacrifice to be with Allah?

How much of this world--wealth, beauty, status, glamor, friends--are we taking with us to the grave? If we remember death often, it will help remind us of how small we are before Allah and how much our lives depend on Him. So why are we not busying ourselves pleasing Him instead of busying ourselves trying to please His creations?

May Allah increase our iman and grant us righteous deeds. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

Wassalaam