MOVING TO NEW BLOG HOST

Hello, dear readers and followers.

Haven't posted here in so long, and even then, quite sparsely. Had troubles with the sign-in mechanism, among other obstacles I've faced in connection with this blogger host, hence I've opted for another blogsite altogether, after searching and experimenting for some while.

Have transfered all that is contained here, as well as adding more. Found with the new bloghost that I'm able to file in multiple blogs within one main blog address, without having to log out of one and checking into the other. All are accessible (for me as well as the visitor) from one main page, similar to any website. A very nice program.

The blogspot host was nice while it lasted, and it was an excellent spring ground from which I learned the essence of setting up and maintaining a blog. In fact, if it weren't for the ease of the program available via blogspot, I most likely would never have learned how to set up or maintain a blog, seeing as how many of the other systems available are a bit more intimidating.

I thank all who have patroned this site, and hope that you will eventually come to visit my new blog conglomerate: Balqees' World: www.balqees59.wordpress.com

--Balqees Mohammed
May 25, 2010

Updating-More to Come Soon

Assalaamu alaikum warahmatAllahi wabarakaatu!!

Welcome all!! Wow...it's been so long since I've even visited my own blog. Terrible?? Well, I've just been so overwhelmed and busy with so many other things...life, writing, obgligations, etc.

Hmm...ever hear of a blogger ignoring his/her own blog? Well, there's always a first for everything.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still alive and kicking...and have lots of articles (a year's worth, in fact) to upload for updating this blog...and hope (pray) to keep it updated more regularly in the upcoming months as well.

sorry for the long absence...and have fun reading the updated articles. Enjoy...learn...explore. And if you have any questions or look for some sort of debate, well, will try to oblige to that as well.

-balqees.

THE YEAR OF SADNESS

THE YEAR OF SADNESS



It was once said that "no man is an island". And how true that is. None of us is alone. No matter where we come from, or what we develop into, we have a web of our social contacts—whether family or non-family, who are important to us and to whom we are also important.

For the more fortunate, as we grow older, the web not only increases in size but in strength as well, as we interact with people throughout our lives, strengthening the bonds that bind us.

Yet in abiding by the very nature of this earthly life itself, we are bound someday, after the many typical and probable ups and downs of life, to face the great and even terrifying hardship of having to endure the loss of any one (or perhaps more) of our beloved. For, as it is said many times throughout Allah's Book: "every soul shall taste death". (s. 3, v. 185)

This life is a testing ground by which Allah separates the hypocrites from the true believers. And the requirement for one to be a true believer is that he believes in and submits himself to Allah's will, and that he loves Allah and His Messenger more than this life and anything in it, including the fruits and pleasures of this life.

If any of us were given two plots of land to choose from on which to build a home to live in-one dry desert land with no trees or life, the other full with the life of fresh greenery from a plentiful source of water—which would you most likely prefer? The analogy could be applied to our final eternal abode—the choice between heaven and hell, the choice between an eternal abode of bliss and ever-flowing rivers or an eternal abode of torment and thirst. Most of us immediately would respond "Yes! I want eternal bliss! A residence beside which flows a non-ending river."

But how to attain that? The road to achieving this ultimate goal is not an easy road. We will find many obstacles along the way, which serve to either strengthen us and prove our faith, or to weed out the weak hypocrites.

Allah says: "And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits…" (s. 2, v. 155).

Then it goes on to reassure us of the reward for patience:

"…but give glad tidings to the patient. Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return." (s. 2, v. 155-156)

It goes on to describe those who are patient, and further stresses their grand promise of reward (and surely, Allah does not relent on His promise):

"They are those on whom are showered with blessings and forgiveness from their Lord, and they are those who receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones." (s. 2, v. 157)

It is never easy to be remaining in this life after someone you love has had to take his lone trip to the Lord. Throughout any trial we may pass, it is helpfully reassuring to realize and remember that we are not alone in our pain, that we have not been singled out for our loss. Although it does not relieve us of the pain, it is helpful for us to perhaps tolerate it better and hence move forward into a new "normal" for our life to realize that others have in the past and are also simultaneously going through similar or perhaps worse hardships than what we ourselves face today.

Prophet Mohammed(SAAW) had a very difficult year in the beginning of his reception of the message of Islam. To back up even further, his whole life was one difficult obstacle followed by another, beginning with his orphaned state at a very young and tender age. This all served to strengthen him and prepare him for his mission to come, all the while giving us invaluable lessons by which to mold our own lives.

The most difficult time that he(SAAW) passed through came to be known as "the year of sadness". It was at this time in history of the Arabs that there had not yet been established the practice of numbering the years for the marking of the passage of time, as we know of it today. This practice did not truly begin for the Arabs until the event of the formal migration of the Muslim Nation to Madinah. Before that, the passage of time in terms of years was marked by giving the year a name, identifying it by a particular outstanding event that occurred during the year, such as the year of the elephant, the year in which prophet Mohammed(SAAW) was himself born. Such goes for this year which occurred early in the prophet's mission, "the year of sadness". It was during this year that his first wife, Khadijah, and his uncle Abu Talib, both died. Khadijah supported him with her resources of money and reputation when he himself had little or nothing. She reassured him and was a constant comfort to him when all others forsook him. She was the only one of all his wives that was blessed to produce for him children. She was the first, second only to Mohammed(SAAW) himself, to accept the message of Islam-the first of all Muslims to join the prophet(SAAW) in humble submission to Allah in prayer. He also suffered the loss of his uncle Abu Talib. After the passage of his grandfather who raised him since his orphanage at the tender age of six, Abu Talib ever so lovingly took the young Mohammed(SAAW) into his heart and home, giving him equal, if not better, treatment than his own children. It was Abu Talib who often interfered with protection for

Mohammed(SAAW) and his early followers when the local Meccans (particularly the Quraish, from which Mohammed himself descends) began not only to reject them and their message, but also to persecute them for their religious preference. And yet for Mohammed(SAAW), the passage of his beloved uncle Abu Talib was a double blow. Not only did he die, but it is recorded that he died refusing to pledge allegiance to Mohammed(SAAW), refusing to state the declaration of Islamic faith. This proved to be immensely difficult for Mohammed(SAAW), who remained with his uncle through his last breath, witnessing the heart-breaking refusal of his uncle to state the declaration of submission in Islam.

As if these two losses of the two closest persons to Mohammed(SAAW) was not enough, he also suffered the humiliation of rejection from the people of Taif. When he realized the high instance of rejection among the Meccans and the rise of the persecution of the new Muslims at the hands of the Meccans, Mohammed(SAAW) took to spread his message to the people of Taif, in the hopes of better reception. Not only was his message rejected, but he was humiliated to be literally chased out and back to Mecca by the people of the region taking to throwing stones, etc.

A strong and overwhelming wave of depression set down upon him. The arch-angel Gibreel (AS) presented himself unto him, offering to destroy the region (i.e. the Taif area) by pounding the two mountains together, destroying all life between them. We are told in the Quran that Mohammed(SAAW) is a mercy to the world. Out of his Islamic nature of mercy, he refused the option of his deserved revenge, stating of his hope and prayer that there might eventually emerge believers out of that region. With his rejection at a chance for revenge, he also mercifully saved all other life from death and destruction.

It was shortly after these incidents which caused the great sense of sadness in the prophet's heart that the chapter of the Quran titled "Yusuf" was revealed. The tafseer of this chapter tells us that one of the important and outstanding qualities of this chapter is that is a source of healing for those overwhelmed with sadness. Hence, it is an excellent therapy for healing for one who is inflicted with great sadness to recite or listen to beautiful recitations of this chapter.

Patience is an essential quality of which we are promised great reward. It is not an easy quality to acquire. It takes strong dedication and determination to attain. But it is indeed humanly possible, with the help of Allah.

We are told in the Quran: "O you who believe! Seek help in patience and prayer. Truly, Allah is with those who are patient." (s. 2, v. 158)

Perhaps the surest way to attain patience in particular at the time of tragedy or calamity is by humbling one's self in submissive prayer to the Creator. The prophet(SAAW) used to request of Bilal-the first mu'addhin of the Muslim Nation-to pronounce the call for the prayer when he felt so overwhelmed by the sadness afflicting him in that year of extreme sadness. He found a solace in the prayer that he could not find elsewhere in any other situation.

In taking his(SAAW) excellent example to heart, we too should seek that same solace in prayer and communication with our Creator.

After having gone through two recent tragedies in my own life-I can vouch for the fact that indeed the prayer and remembrance of Allah much is the only way to pull yourself through it with any sense of sanity and hope left in you.

Several months ago, my father died of lung cancer. When I last saw him two years ago on my last visit to the US, saying our goobyes at the airport as I was ready to make my way toward the plane to bring me home to Saudi Arabia, I had this odd pang strike my heart-a premonition, if you will-that I shall never see him again. The sensation was so strong that I could no longer look him in the eyes. And I know he felt the same thing, even though he never mentioned it to me. He avoided me as strongly as I avoided him. When his illness, which had temporarily peaked off after the initial rounds of combined chemo and radiation, suddenly took a turn for the worse, I immediately made arrangements to travel in hopes of seeing him one last time. Oh, how I wished and prayed and willed for that premonition to be a false alarm-silly women's intuition. And it did seem so at first. Even thought the final test results were still several days away, and the Dr. himself had not mentioned about the urgency of his condition, I just knew that his life was spiraling away. Fast. Everyone in the family seemed so optimistic-especially Mom. Hindsight tells me now that she really sensed it too-she was just apparently in denial mode, out of the fear of the depths of sadness she would be in once left for the remainder of her life without him. It was only one week from the time I sensed the urgency of his illness and made my reservations until that final date of flying. But it was never meant for me to see Dad once more-nor for him to see me. My flight was scheduled on Monday. Dad passed away on Sunday morning, only ten minutes after I talked to him one last time-telling him how I loved him, reminding him of God, and letting him know that it's OK now-OK to let go. Didn't want him to be facing his last breath and thinking about me. He had already said his official goodbyes to everyone the day before, and had even mentioned my name to them all, telling them to tell me that he was sorry that he would not be able to wait for me before he had to go.

Alhamdulillah. We come from Allah, and to Him is our return. (s. 2, v. 156)

Now, only four months after losing my father, I have lose my precious grandson. He suffocated on the smoke fumes of a fire in the house. Apparently, he tripped and could not get up to run out in time. His own mother and the other grandmother each ran several times into the smoke-filled room in search of him, but they could not find him from the thickness of the smoke. Local fire department personnel who were first on the scene came ill-prepared, to boot. No gas masks, no flash lights, no water hoses or tanks-so they could do nothing to put out the fire nor could they really even do anything to save the victims still trapped in the house. The victims that did get out eventually had to do it all on their own-my daughter-in-law included- by the grace of Allah. The only one remaining was my precious two and a half-year-old grandson. He was found later when the fire was finally doused and someone finally brought a flashlight to the scene. After receiving a frantic call from my daughter-in-law, I appeared on the scene quite early. But I myself could do nothing to save my darling little "Azooz". A terrible turn of events for him and for me-for the whole family indeed. Always, before this, he could rest assured to find safety and security in my arms, if he didn't find it elsewhere. I was always there to provide the comfort, safety, and security that he needed. Even as a young babe, he would calm down and even sleep in my arms when he would cry from everyone else. Although our time together was actually quite short, we connected together on a different wave-length apart from everyone else. But not this time. I could not provide for my darling AbdulAziz the safety and security that he needed. It was Allah's plan that he die so young and innocent-free of a record against him.

Alhamdulillah. Surely, we come from Allah, and to Him is our return. (s. 2, v. 156)

Truly, I am ever thankful to Allah for all things. As for my father, he lived a long and full life. We had many memories with him. He was blessed in that he knew his end was coming, and he prepared for it in his own way as he felt best at the time. He got the chance to say goodbye to his loved ones-something that so many of us do not get. And I had the reassurance that I had my own private time with him on the phone, as I was the last one to speak to him from this world, excepting for Mom. As for my darling AbdulAziz, his death was a real hard shocking blow to us all. Alhamdulillah. But we gather reassurance in remembering that he was taken at a time in his life when he was not yet held accountable for his deeds. He was still an innocent child, therefore guaranteed of the promise of Allah's mercy in the heavens. We still pray diligently for His mercy upon our baby. He was saved from any future torment or failure in this life. And his death itself was a rather merciful death, for he suffocated on the CO, of which it is reported that the victim merely falls into a coma sleep, and then death comes along painlessly. Alhamdulillah.

An odd coincidence-my own daughter-in-law (AbdulAziz's grieving mother) comes from a family originating from Taif. The young woman, as well as the whole family, is a fine practicing Muslimah. She is even a 'hafizah' of the Quran, mashaAllah. And she was raising and training my beloved AbdulAziz in the finest Islamic manner. May Allah bless her with many more fine children, and may He have mercy on my dear AbdulAziz, and may He mercifully heal our aching hearts and fill the great void.

It has been a difficult time, to say the least. For me, this has been the year of sadness.

Of all the trials I have been through in my life, this has been truly the hardest. As a grandmother, I feel the guilt that I could not save my grandson. As a mother, I have had to deal with the guilt and pain of watching my son and his wife having to endure such pain. AbdulAziz was their first-born. A terribly difficult blow. We mothers try to absorb pain for our children. But I could not absorb this for them-which makes it even harder-to stand by and observe their pain-merely aching along with them.

Alhamdulillah. We are from Allah, and to Him is our return. (s. 2, v. 156)

Ah-so true are Allah's words-Verily! In the remembrance of Allah is comfort for the heart!(s. 13, v. 28)

Prepare yourselves for any calamity to come at any time. Don't scream, or rant and rave. Be sad-yes-that is only human. But be aware of the test at hand-be a true believer. Be patient and say: "We come from Allah, and to Him is our return." (s. 2, v. 156)

And then seek patience, solace, and comfort in prayer and remembrance.

For me, I have had to reflect often on the example set for us by our beloved prophet Mohammed(SAAW), when he himself resorted to prayer and remembrance for the healing of his own heart. And to realize that there is no harm in feeling and expressing the sadness, while at the same time appeasing to Allah with words that hopefully please Him.

As we have in his(SAAW) example when his own son Ibrahim died in infancy-one of the companions noticed tears rolling down his cheeks when it came time for the burial. And he commented on that, saying…are those tears, O Messenger of Allah? And he(SAAW) responded something to the effect: "The heart is saddened, and the eyes shed the tears, but we say nothing on our tongues other than what pleases Allah. Surely, we shall miss you, my dear son Ibrahim."

We become sad. That is human. But to be patient and remain calm and remembering Allah and giving praises to Him even at time of calamity, that is the true test.

I only pray that Allah will mercifully bless me and my family with the reward for being patient or trying to be patient at this most trying time. I pray that we will be counted and testified among the true believers. And I pray that we can all take the important lesson to be had from all of this, and that we can apply the lesson to the remainder of our lives.

COUNTING THE PASSING OF TIME

Allah says in His Book: 'It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out for it stages that you might know the number of years and the reckoning.' (s. 10, v. 5)

We see by this that the moon was created for the purpose that we may count the number of years, that we may determine when one year has passed, and the next is beginning.

But why should we count the years? Why should we count the passing of time?

Before the revelation of this verse, the years were not yet counted necessarily in the numerical fashion that we are accustomed to today. At least not yet on the basis of the changing stages of the moon. The Gregorian calendar, as we know it in the Christian and western world, is not based upon the changing stages of the moon. It is based upon the assumption that there are 356 days to the year, excepting leap year, when there will be an extra day.

The Lunar calendar was instilled into the Islamic calculations, because it is based upon the stages of the moon to account for the coming of a new month, and therefore the passing of a year.

For many years, it has been a tradition in the non-muslim world to celebrate the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new year. It has become such an established tradition as to surpass all religious celebration-almost a religious celebration in and of itself. But there are no religious ties to this date whatsoever. It is merely the attraction of the celebratory nature of this date that entices so many people worldwide to its notification and celebration. It has raised to such a status that almost all business and commerce comes to a halt worldwide for the day and perhaps continues on into the day following, such as to allow for recuperation from the parties of the previous night.

It has now come to a sad state that many Muslims worldwide are not only recognizing the passing of the new year (both in the Gregorian as well as the Hijjri calendars), but they have taken one step further to celebrating it, even if only in the sense that they exchange sentiments of congradulations and remembrances on the date of the first day of the first month of the new year.

By sheer coincidence of the closeness of the dates of the two calendar systems this year (the Gregorian and Hijjri), the passing of the old year into the next are very close together this year. And so it become even more confusing to many Muslims, in that they tend to opt to exchange sentiments of congradulations and remembrance at this time.

My dear brethren, many reputed scholars worldwide have announced and recognized this mistake that Muslims are falling into, issuing religious rulings (fatawa) to the effect to remind us that there is no evidence whatsoever that this occasion (the passing of the previous year and the beginning of the new) was something recognized and so celebrated by the prophet(SAAW) or his companions(ARA). In fact, all evidence points away from this, and suggests that it is not something acceptable to celebrate this marking of time. Allah Himself has told us in His Book that He has set up the moon and appointed it in stages in order that we may count and mark the passage of time- the passing of the years, one into the next.

Another grave mistake that many Muslims are entering into by their practice of recognition and celebration of this passage of an old year into the new by exchanging congradulations and remembrances is that they mention, in their greetings to one another, the mention of the assumption (presented in a format such as the one exchanging the greetings has firm knowledge of this statement) that the record that had been going on for the previous year is now being rolled up and sealed, only to be released later on the day of judgement.

This in and of itself is a great danger that the Muslim engages in, by appearing or assuming to know something of the unknown, which Allah Himself has already claimed as His reign alone. There is no evidence whatsoever in any Islamic literature that the record is rolled up and sealed at the completion of a year, and a new record begins with the new year. This claim gives impression that once that record is rolled up and sealed, there is no chance for redemption by seeking forgiveness for sins made during that time of which the record represents. This goes strongly and completely against the teachings of Islam. As long as this world is in existence, and as long as the person has life, then his/her record is still open and in the process of being recorded. Hence there is still chance of the person to do something right to offset the wrongs he has done any time in his/her past.

For us as Muslims, and in following the Hijjri calendar, we have a more important date to recognize with the passing of the new year. The first month of the Hijjri calendar is the month of Muharram. It is the month in which the first generation of Muslims, at the direction of their beloved prophet(SAAW), made their immigration from Makkah, where they were persecuted, to Madinah, where they found solace and recluse and protection and brotherhood. It is also the month in which the 'ashura' (the tenth) occurs. And yet, the prophet(SAAW) never did once celebrate the passing of the old year into the new by the coming of Muharram, nor did he advise his companions to do so either. He merely recognized the passing of time by the changing of the moons, and so noticed when one month changed into the next, and therefore continued on in his life and leading and teaching the new Muslims their religion.

As for Muharram itself, I have already mentioned that it is the marking of time when the Muslims first migrated to Madinah in bulk. And it is also the month during which we witness the 'ashura' (the tenth). This is an important date as well, perhaps at least as important as, if not more than, the coming of a new year.

It is reported that when the prophet(SAAW) migrated to Madinah, he came upon a community of Jews fasting on this occasion. Upon asking about the reason for their
fast, he was told that this was the date on which Moses(AS) led his people out from under the tyranny of slavery under Pharoh, and into freedom. Upon hearing this, Mohammed(SAAW) replied that they (i.e. the Muslims) were more of right and deserving to follow the ways of Moses(AS), and so he began to observe the fast of ashura (the tenth of Muharram), and directed his companions(ARA) to do so as well. At this time, the divine command for the fast of the month of Ramadhan had not yet been revealed, and so this was basically the only fast yet observed by the Muslims. And at this period of time, it was a mandatory fast that Mohammed(SAAW) directed his companions to observe. In order to differentiate themselves from the Jews, the prophet(SAAW) made order that they combine with the tenth either the day preceding (i.e. 9th) or the day following (i.e. the 11th). In other words, the fast of ashura then developed into a two-day fast, not simply one day of the tenth. Then, when the divine revelation later gave directive to the Muslims to fast the obligatory fast of the month of Ramadhan each year, the status of the fast of ashura was released from obligatory to a thing of voluntary nature, of which it remains to this date. Hence, the fast of the month of Ramadhan is an obligation each Muslim owes to Allah yearly, while the fast of ashura is a voluntary form of worship that renders great reward to those who practice it, yet no harm or punishment to those who do not practice it.

It is in this vein that I extend my greeting to all in remembrance of these important dates in our Muslim Hijjri calendar-the passage of the Eid Al-Adha, the coming of the new year by the end of the month of Dhul-Hijja and the beginning of Muharram, the month in which our pious predecessors migrated from their lives of religious persecution, and the recognition and remembrance of the first fast of the very first Muslims-the fast of ashura.

I heartily congradulate those who attended and completed their haj-may Allah mercifully accept from you and forgive you and me our sins. I congradulate all of my Muslim brethren on the passing of the occasion of Eid-Al-Adha, even though belated it may be. And I beckon to all to remember this important month in our Hijjri calendar-the advent of the month of Muharram-the occasion in which the first Muslims migrated from the state of religious persecution and humiliation to a state of religious freedom and expression.

Let's all remember this time not by greetings of a happy new year, but by worshipping Allah as He deserves and as our beloved prophet(SAAW) himself did, by observing the fast of ashura, praising Allah, giving thanks to Him, and humbling ourselves in hopes of attaining piety through the fast and remembrance of Him.

THE ESSENCE OF THE HAJ

Many years ago before the advent of Islam, or Christianity, or even Judaism as we know of these religions today, Allah gave the command to His chosen prophet Ibrahim (AS): 'And proclaim to (among) the people of the haj (pilgrimage).' (Holy Quran, 22:27). He followed up this command with the reassuring promise that it (the call) will be answered by the response of people coming from far and wide, literally from the furthest corners and deepest valleys of the earth-walking and riding every possible beast available for travel. This, in a time and age when no such commodity or technological aid such as microphones and speakers existed. This, in a time and age in man's history when methods of determining the passage of time, in terms of months and years, had not yet been deciphered by man. This, in a time and age when there was not yet discovered such devices for providing comfort such as refrigeration for cooling water and preserving food, or air conditioning or even tents-all providing comfort and ease for today's pilgrims. This, at a time and age in which it took many months-even years-to pass over the land and through the hardships it took for the people to reach their destination of the sacred spot known as "Makkah'.

As a great honor of commemoration to Ibrahim (AS) and even greater honor to Allah, millions of people now answer this age-old call. The conveniences of modern travel and accommodation coupled with a major rise worldwide in the monetary station of people has enabled such masses of over 2 million pilgrims to attend the pilgrimage yearly.

This is no small feat, and something which we should not take lightly by forgetting to thank Allah for this great blessing.

Many hardships and tragic obstacles have scarred the pilgrimages of the past. But those associated with the responsibility of ensuring the safety and comfort of the pilgrims-the honored guests of the Most Merciful-have learned the hard lessons of those tragic events. And they have worked long and diligently in making the proper corrections to ensure the safety and comfort of all. Great strides have been taken in this direction by the Saudi Government:

As a precautionary method to preventing the wildfires that have previously taken over the tent city of Mina, gas and even electric cookers have been prohibited, and a system of bringing in food prepared outside or in assigned kitchens to the pilgrims has been established and enforced. Even the very tragic incidents of the stampedes at the jamarat areas (the sites where the pilgrims toss the stones in imitation of Ibrahim's stoning the devil when he was tempted by him) have been eliminated by the construction of multiple-level bridges and enforcement of one-way traffic for this procedure, as well as an enforced orderly admittance from the lanes of tents into the jamarat region.

Nowhere in the world will you witness any such gatherings of nearly 3 million pilgrims gathered at one spot, at one time, dressed in the same bland simple cloth, facing the same direction at one time, all praying essentially for one thing: forgiveness. All asking of One God for admittance into heaven by His Mercy. Pauper, beggar, king, businessman, lower laborer, all standing shoulder to shoulder on the same standing--none outshining the other in the sight of Allah by anything other than their piety held within the depths of their hearts.

Such a beautiful spot and time--the mountain of Mercy on the Day in which He lowers His vast Mercy on the masses!

To repeat the words the pilgrims so humbly and hopefully repeat: 'Labaik Allahumma labaik' (I am here, O Allah-I am here in answer to Your call).

Allah has extended the invitation, and the humble, hopeful pilgrims have answered. They have accepted Allah's invitation to be His honored guests. He is by sure the Most Generous and Beneficial! He has promised His Mercy and forgiveness for those who come to Him, and He never relinquishes on His promise. His only stipulation is that His slaves answer His call.

On this Day of Mercy-the Day of Arafat-we have many multitudes of yearning pilgrims answering His call.

May He shed His Everlasting Mercy upon us all!

THE RECORDERS

We are told in the Qur'an that there are five things explicitly of which the knowledge is with Allah alone. As it says in His Book: 'Verily, Allah, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things).' (s. 31, v. 34)

We are told also that Allah knows full well what is in our hearts, and that this knowledge is also for Allah alone.

However, out of His everlasting mercy for us-His creatures, and His truly Omniscient power over all things and all of creation, He has decreed that a small section of His creation is endowed with an eminently small morsel of His tremendous knowledge and insight. Glory be to Him, in whose Hand is the dominion over all! It is only for Him to decree for anything to be, and it is!

He has granted a portion of His powerful knowledge and insight of the world of the unknown and the unseen to a select group of angels. Of these angels, He has appointed two for every single soul as recorders of their deeds. And He knows full well that these angels are worthy of the grave responsibility not only of recording everything, but as well of delving into their charge's hearts and comprehending and then recording their intentions as well. For Allah has created the angels in differing fashion from mankind-whatever they have been appointed to do, they do so in the most perfect obedience to Allah's directive, and with the utmost dignity and without questioning or hesitance.

It says in His Book: '(Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and one of the left (to note his or her actions). Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).' (s. 50, v. 17-18).

Now, you may say-but what does that have to do with the unknown, or the unseen? What a person does or says has been publicized-at the very least to those constantly around him/her- i.e. the recording angels.

Yes, but Allah also tells us: 'And indeed We have created man, and We know what his ownself whispers to him. And We are nearer to him that his jugular vein.' (s. 50, v. 16)

Yet, still, this above-mentioned verse is referring the knowledge of that which is in our hearts to be with Allah.

But we have indication otherwise, in a hadith qudsi, of how Allah has decreed for the recording angels to have the insight and ability to know what is in the deepest depth of our hearts.

Narrated Abu Huraira (ARA), that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: Allah says:
" Whenever My slave intends to do a bad deed, (I say to the deeds-recording angels): Do not record it against him until he (actually) commits it. If he has done so, write it down exactly as one in his record book. But if he refrains from it for My sake, write down this as a virtue in his favor. And when he intends to do a good deed, but does not actually do it, write it as a virtue for him. And if he puts it into practice, write its reward equal to, from ten to seven hundred times (in his account). (Muslim, Bukhari, and Tirmidhi).

Glory be to Him the Most High, the Most Compassionate, certainly the Most Merciful!!

We see with the evidence of this hadith, that Allah's grand mercy and compassion reaches out to us in such an extent that we are not only rewarded for our deeds ten-fold, but we are even rewarded for merely thinking to do a good deed. As well, not only are we held accountable only one time for a bad deed-but we also receive recorded reward for merely thinking to do a bad deed without commencing to commit it. Glory be to Him-such compassion and mercy.

I pray that we can all find the inspiration to be had from these examples given here, that we may not only form our lives to performing more good deeds, but that we may also be blessed by His mercy and guidance to clear and purify our intentions as well.

May our scales of deeds weigh heavy towards the good.

THE TIME PASSES

Allah the Almighty says (translation of the meaning): ' It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out for it stages that you might know the number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create this but in truth.' (Qur'an 10:5)

Through the usage of these signs that Allah has mercifully given us to mark and know the passage of the years, we have witnessed the passage of yet another year and another Ramadhan. So quickly it has come, and so quickly it has gone.

It seems like only yesterday that we were awaiting the sighting of the new moon to determine the beginning of the fast. And it seems not so long ago that we were witnessing the passage of the previous Ramadhan.

A month has come and gone-the holy month of Ramadhan. A year has come and gone. Many years have passed from each of our lives. And for each one of us, our time to end this earthly life is coming nearer. With the passage of every moment, we come closer. How much closer, none of us knows for sure. But it is without question that with each breath we take in and then release, we become closer at the end.

With the passage of this time, our records are updated with whatever we have done or not done in that time. Imagine if you yourself were to keep a written daily log of your own activities, speech, and comings and goings. What would you find if you were to re-open that daily log for review? What will be found is your record that Allah has commanded to be recorded? What – if anything – did you accomplish in this holy month of Ramadhan? What have you accomplished during this past year since last Ramadhan, or during the previous years?

Allah the Almighty has endowed us humans with the great honor and responsibility of being His vicegerents on this earth. It is our duty to Him that we take this position seriously to make the best out of the time He has granted us. It is our duty to ourselves that we not waste the time granted us on things truly unworthy of our precious time.

I ask again-what have you accomplished in this Ramadhan? Did you review the Qur'an? Did you learn something new? Did you learn the value of patience? Did you learn how the poor feel when they are hungry? Did you help someone out in need? Did you increase your prayers?

If you did any of these or similar acts, then I commend and congratulate you heartily. For that is in part of what Ramadhan is all about, to help return us on the right path towards pleasing Allah and coming closer to Him through the various acts of worship.

And if you did not accomplish any of those mentioned, but spent Ramadhan in the flimsy cares and worries of this life-only fasting in the physical sense without paying attention to your spiritual needs, then I pray for you that you will soon awaken to the starvation that your soul is going through.

For, there is much more to be gained from Ramadhan than the mere accomplishment of the physical fast.

The greatest gain one can find with Ramadhan is the nourishment and maturing of the soul. Feed it with the knowledge and inspiration found only in the Qur'an. Sustain it by your connection to the Creator through prayer. Help it towards maturity by the patience necessary to continue on through a month-long fast.

I bid farewell to this beloved month of ours with the supplication to Allah that He may graciously accept our meager efforts and forgive us our misgivings and mistakes. I pray that if we should not live to witness yet another Ramadhan that He will grant us His Merciful Pardon, for He is the Most Merciful and Gracious of those who grant pardon. I pray also that if He shall grant us a longer life to witness yet another Ramadhan, that He shall bless us with the health and stamina to worship Him as He deserves.

The moments come and go; they pass and add up to days. The days turn into weeks and months, which then turn into the passage of yet another year. The years pass us by, and before we know it, a lifetime has passed us by. And what do we have to show for it all?

May Allah have mercy upon us and grant us His pardon.

SEEK THE BLESSINGS OF RAMADHAN

SEEK THE BLESSINGS OF RAMADHAN


Our beloved prophet Mohammed (salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) was promised by Allah that all of his(salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) sins-past and future-were to be forgiven. It was he(salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) who received the divine inspiration of the word of Allah-the message of merciful direction to mankind-what we know of as the Quran. He was the master teacher of our predecessors, the first generation of Muslims. And yet he(salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) was steadfast in his practice throughout the year and increasing in Ramadhan-of the standing for the night prayer and his review of the Quran recitation. He(salla Allahu alaihi wa salam), of all the people of this world, was perhaps in less need of it than others, and yet he still humbled himself to observe such forms of increased intense worship. Out of his own recognition of his own level as regards the Creator, and out of his desire to truthfully be a humble and thankful slave to the Creator.

Then what about us today? Why is it that we have become so pre-occupied with our daily lives that we have grown to ignore the necessities of our spiritual side?

Prophet Mohammed (salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) was a man, a human, and therefore had typical human needs, wants, and instincts as do we all. And yet, he overcame the weakness of his own humanity by seeking Allah's help and guidance to worship Him as He deserves. We have been told directly by Allah that we have in the messenger an excellent exempler. (s. 33, v. 21) We should then observe that example and follow it, if we are truly sincere in our desire to please Allah and reap great rewards.

The prophet(salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) himself told us that although he devoted himself to Allah in various forms of worship such as fasting and prayer, that he did not do it to the extent of extremity by ignoring his own human needs and instincts. He (salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) wisely instructed his companions to take the middle course in life by reminding them that he himself (salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) takes on wives, sleeps, eats, drinks-enjoying the pleasure this life has to offer and attending to his own physical needs and inclinations. He(salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) also instructed his companions to take and imitate of his practice that what they could.

When the holy month of Ramadhan came round, he (salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) was well known to increase his devotion and commitment to those (i.e. prayer and fasting) types of worship as well as other forms. A well-established tradition tells us that although he was quite generous year-round, he was at his height of generosity in Ramadhan, in the hopes of attaining more of Allah's pleasure and seeking His bounties.

We should then take heed of this fine example that our beloved prophet(salla Allahu alaihi wa salam) has set for us, by following his way of increasing in the nightly standing for prayer, recitation of the Quran, increasing in acts of charity and kindness, practicing restraint from physical desires and even anger, and simply bringing ourselves closer to the Creator in many various ways.

Beware of being tempted by the simple and frivolous pastimes of this life that they should not take your time and attention away from that which is more important-worshipping Allah. Take full advantage of the promise of increase in rewards of good deeds during this blessed month.

May Allah accept our fasts and our worship, and may He shed His vast blessings down upon us to be of the guided. Ameen.

MY RECENT ABSENCE HERE

Assalaamu alaikum, readers.

I haven't posted any new articles here for quite a while. Actually, my articles are only monthly. And, as I recall, I missed last month's.

This past summer has been rather strenuous. In late spring, I had news from my family that my father had been diagnosed with severe lung cancer. He went thru the treatments of chemo and radiation, and survived it all pretty well, considering his drastic weight loss before the regimen.

During that time, I was in hectic preparation for my youngest son's wedding in early July. The time was quite bitter-sweet to me, trying to be happy for my son beginning his new life, while all the time coming to realization that my father's life was coming to an end and I could not be there with him at the time.

The wedding went well, and I heard good news from my father and the rest of the family that he had completed his treatments, and was apparently on his way to recovery. So, did not make plans to travel to visit him at that time. After some travel myself nearer home after the wedding, I returned and contacted my family to enquire as to my father's health. Was reassured immediately that everything was OK, they were just waiting on the results from the latest test to reveal to them the condition of the cancer after the regimen of treatments.

After only two days passed, I could no longer wait for the rest of the week for the results of the tests, so called once more, only to find my father's condition drastically falling quickly. In just a period of two short days, he had dropped from the strong father I had heard on the telephone, to a weak old man, suffering from dehydration, because he could no longer force himself to drink properly. They had taken him to the cancer center where he had been treated, for emergency fluid infusions by IV.

We immediately made plans for me to travel at earliest possible date to visit him, which was a whole week away. With summer time coming to an end soon, airlines were fully booked both coming and going. Hard to get a flight at all, and impossible to get anything immediate.

I went to visit him, but he had died the morning before I traveled. I was only able to spend time with the rest of the family, and to be there for his funeral.

Surely, we come from Allah, and it is to Him that is our return.

So, my dear readers...no article for last month, as I was in no condition emotionally for writing at that time.

Now I resume my writing, and I will also be opening up a new blog to air out my personal thoughts on all this, as I feel I need that outlet.

Thankyou for your support, and your patience, and your loyalty in reading my work.

May Allah help and guide us all to that which is best.

Balqees.

THE BEST SUMMER

THE BEST SUMMER


Summer time is here and in full bloom. Some render it as the best season of the year. In much of the modern world, it is traditionally known to be the major school break of the year-a period of 2-3 months which marks the ending passage of one year and the rest before the next year/stage begins. And because of the large percentage of the population out on break, it is also a traditionally wide-celebrated time for weddings.

But one of the more widely-practiced activities of summer time world-wide seems to be that of 'inactivity', rather than activity. In other words, laziness, apathy, and hence non-achievement.

Following is a glimpse of some of the lyrics of a song by Nat King Cole which rated #6 on the charts in 1963:

'Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
You'll wish that summer could always be here'

This song evolved into a world-wide known jingle not only celebrating but even idolizing laziness, and equating laziness with summer time.

Is this the was that we Muslims should view our summer vacation time? Or any vacation time or other 'free' time throughout the year?

Without a doubt, we all-regardless of our religion or occupation or position in society-need a break from the routine and pressures of daily life in order to refresh ourselves for a return to the daily life renewed with the vigor needed to face the challenges that the life presents us with.

Just because our normal daily routine presents us with a change-sometimes a change which comes with it more free time on our hands-does not mean that we should carelessly let that time pass by us without putting it to some good use. In fact, for the Muslim, there is no such thing as 'free time'.

Allah the Almighty says (translation of the meaning): 'Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.' (s. 2, v. 156)

And:

'And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).' (s. 55, v. 56)

From these two verses alone, we find a great lesson to be had-that we do not own our own lives as we may assume, but even our very essence of our souls is for Allah. And we have been created by Him to worship Him Alone. Then how is it and why is it that so many of us are so often careless and mindless of this important fact of our relationship with Allah and our relationship with ourselves?

The prophet Mohammed(SAAW0 was quoted as saying: 'There are two blessings which many people lose: (they are) health and free time for doing good.' (Bukhari, v. VIII, The Book of Ar-Riqaq, pg. 282, #421)

He (SAAW) also said: 'Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler.' (Bukhari, v. VIII, pg. 284, #425).

These two ahadith demonstrate to us the importance of timr.

Summer cannot always be here. Nor can any other time of the year remain for longer than it's assigned period. Time stops for no one. Once a moment of time is gone, it is gong forever.

Someone, ages ago, stated a formidable ideal, that time is money. And as we all know full well in this day and age, it is a basic necessity of this earthly life to have money or some other form of valuable in order to basically live day to day.

But is that all there is to all this? To merely struggle for the day to day existence of this worldly life?

For the Muslim, time is more precious and important than merely having the value of earthly money. Time is essentially an important factor of our eventual salvation and reward with the Creator. Bascially, time, and how we spend it, comes second only to our underlying faith.

For we are to be judged eventually on how we spent our time-in wasteful activities or perhaps in beneficial acts of worship or helping others.

Don't just kick back this summer on those hazy days, wasting your time away in daydreaming or simply lazily lying around, or perhaps even indulging in haram (prohibited) activities. Rather, organize yourself and your time towards benefiting yourself by tending to more acts of worship.

Remember that we have been created for worshipping Him, so let's focus our attentions and set our goals towards achieving just that-worshipping Him and Him Alone!

The best possible summer experience to be had is that which is void of wasted time-that from which you can draw memories of fulfilling achievement in worshipping the Creator and benefiting mankind.

We all tend to actively pursuit our careers or our education in seeking the benefits and riches that this life has to offer. It is now way past time that we should actively pursuit the goal of attaining salvation and a reserved spot in His heaven. And a beginning towards that is proper arrangement of time so as not to waste it, but rather to spend it in acts of worship for Him.

TRULY THE GREATEST HELP

TRULY THE GREATEST HELP

'Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the meeting with)Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.' (Al-Quran, S. Al-Ahzab; s. 33, v. 21)

O slaves of Allah! Do you look forward to the meeting with Allah? Do you have faith and hope in the Last Day? Do you remember Allah much?

If your answer to any one of those questions is a 'yes', then by all means, heed the reminder of this above-quoted verse!

How is it that so many people world-wide claim that they hold a deep and strong love for our beloved prophet(SAAW) and yet they choose others from past and present to imitate their practices and speech?

The most obvious and strongest way to prove your love of someone or something is imitation.

We have been told by our beloved prophet(SAAW) that we will be raised up among those whom we loved in this life.

It is said in the Quran: 'Say (O Mohammed,SAAW, to mankind): 'If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e., accept Islamic monotheism, follow the Quran and the sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.'' (s. 3, v. 31)

Who do you wish to raised up with, or among whose company? Do you truly wish to be raised and finally situated among our beloved prophet(SAAW) and his beloved companions(ARA)?

If so, then it has become truly important and incumbent upon you to study for yourself from the works left to us by renowned scholars of the lives of these important personalities.

And then, once you have learned the important lessons from their lives, then apply it step by step into your daily lives yourselves. Hence, imitating the life and practices of our beloved prophet(SAAW).

Have you come across some difficulties or obstacles in your life? Have you had disappointments or times of sadness and despair?

Surely, do not despair of the mercy and blessings of Allah. And never become ungrateful to Him of the endless blessings that He has bestowed upon each and every one of us, regardless of any hard times or trials and tribulations that may befall us from time to time.

Rather, gain strength and fortitude and inspiration from the reminder that even in the face of trials, there is still great blessing to be found and gained.

To prove this point, let us take a look at some of the revelations of the prophet's(SAAW) sayings from the many various ahadith on this matter:

Narrated Abu Hurairah(ARA): Allah's Messenger(SAAW) said, 'A Muslim, male or female, continues to remain under trial in respect of his life, property and offspring till he or she faces Allah the Exalted, in a state that he or she has no sin on his or her record.' (At-Tirmidhi)(Riyadh-As-Saliheen, v. 1, p. 70, #49)

*We come to know from this hadith, that Muslims are special targets of trials, but a redeeming feature of these trials is that Muslim's sins are pardoned through them provided they remain firm in their faith and patience.

And:

Narrated Abu Sa'id and Abu Hurairah(ARA): The Prophet(SAAW) said, 'Never a believer is stricken with a discomfort, and illness, and anxiety, a grief or mental worry or even the pricking of a thorn that his sins are not expiated for him.' (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)(Riyadh-As-Saliheen, v. 1, p. 60, #37)

*This hadith mentions the special grace and mercy of Allah for the Muslims. It relates how Allah turns the hardships and troubles suffered by a Muslim into a means of expiation for his sins. But this is only possible if the believer exercises patience. However, if he starts weeping and wailing instead of showing patience then beside suffering hardships, he would be deprived the reward which lies in bearing them patiently. Thus, he shall have to take the burden of additional sins also.

Two very important reminders for all to remember concerning adversity or calamity (or in more simple lay terms: 'bad times'):

1. Our life on this earth is a series of ongoing tests. These tests act like a sieve to 'weed out' the true believers from the hypocrites. And these tests are a means by which Allah(SWT) helps us to strengthen our faith.

2. Regardless of what we may be going through, others have had to pass through similar and perhaps tougher tests than what we ourselves are having to endure. Therefore, we are not alone in the experience nor are we alone in our pain.

We have been told in the Quran:

'O ye who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere.' (s. 2, v. 153)

The prophet(SAAW) was well-known to have not only close and strong affiliation to Allah, but he(SAAW) was also well known for his strong love of the prayer and high tendency towards the prayer, particularly in times of adversity and calamity.

He(SAAW) would often turn to Bilal in times of adversity or when feeling strong waves of sadness or depression, urging him to make the call to the prayer. Simply because he found such solace and peace and tranquility in the prayer. A virtual escape, and eventual solution to, the problems conflicting and confronting him of the moment.

O, my dear brethren, remember that Satan is the greatest tempter and the reason of much of our feelings of discord and jealousy and discontent in this life. So when you have any of those feelings coming on, then proceed towards the prayer, imitating the practice of our beloved prophet(SAAW).

Even if it is not time for one of the prescribed prayers, then make your intention for a voluntary prayer. And, as has been established as dependable tradition, the first step towards the prayer is the intention, then the cleansing with water (wudhu).

This is a most important aspect towards conquering or defeating Satan and his whisperings.

Remember that Satan was created from fire. And the most effective element in extinguishing the fire is water!

So, once you have performed the ceremonial cleansing itself, you have made the best step towards defeating Satan this time.

Also very important to remember-none of us can conquer Satan on our own. We need Allah's help and strength to do so. So seek Allah's protection always, by saying: 'Aoudhubillahi minash-shaytaanir-rajim' (I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed!)

Take the fullest advantage of this prayer as you seek to strengthen yourself through patient perseverance and prayer. Take the time to recite verses from which you can receive higher and more meaningful inspiration. Contemplate on those verses as you recite.

Take full advantage of the position and action of the sajda (prostration). The Prophet(SAAW) has so wisely told us that the time or position in which we are closest to the Creator is while we are in the state of the sajda (prostration). Hence, he(SAAW) advised us to increase the supplication (dua) at this stage.

While in this position cry your heart out to Allah! Bring your complaints and desires and wishes to the surface! Turn your life and you rproblems over to Allah!

Glory be to Him! He knows all, and sees all! He knows that which is in the deepest part of your inner souls!!

Surely, He knows all of our problems and wishes and desires without us having to admit them.

But, as I have stated before-this worldly life is nothing more than an ongoing test. This world is the testing ground by which the hypocrites are weeded out from among the true believers. And it is the worldly experience which serves as a method of strengthening for the true believers.

Allah(SWT) has given us the guidance and criterion by which to improve ourselves and find the path back to Him. Will we take it?

He knows our innermost desires and needs. Yet He(SWT) wisely refrains from granting us everything till we make the move to humble ourselves and come to Him.

In that is a great lesson to be learned. Will we humble ourselves to ask of Him? Will we be thankful of all the blessings He has bestowed upon us? Will we seek the path that leads toward Him and eternal salvation and utter undisturbed peace and happiness?

Or will we be distracted by the fleeting and momentary distractions of the pastimes of this worldly life?

O, my dear brothers and sisters-take heed, and find true peace and solace for your lives. Not only for this worldly life, but more importantly for the Eternity!

Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer!!

TO ALLAH IS OUR RETURN

TO ALLAH IS OUR RETURN


Allah (SWT) says (translation of the meanings):

'And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives, and fruits, but give glad tidings to those who are patient. Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: 'Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.''(s. 2, v. 155-156).

One of the most difficult things for a person to bear in this life is the loss of a loved one. For sure, we all face difficulty and hardship when we are confronted with the loss of the material fruits of this life, or even with a loss to ourselves by decline in health or disease. But it seems to me that the most difficult of calamity to cope with is to face the life of this world without the continuance of any of our loved ones along with us.

For those of you who have had to cope with the loss of a loved one, you understand what I am saying. And for those of you who have yet to face such a calamity, you will not fully understand until that time may come to you. And as true as this test is part of this worldly life, I pray that each of us will have the strength and fortitude to persevere with patience, and eventually reap the reward promised by Allah. For surely, He never relinquishes on His promise.

There is no loss which is easy for the person to bear. But of all the possible manners of loss, perhaps the most heart-wrenching, and therefore most difficult to sustain, is that of a parent who's child dies.

Due to the most natural procession of events of life, we most generally assume and take for granted that the elder fall weak, ill, and then die before the younger generation. And for the vast majority of cases, this is indeed the normal procession of events.

But this life has no guarantees, and we should not take it for granted nor assume that death will come to the elderly before the younger. Truly, our lives and the length of our lives is the sole knowledge of Allah, and it is with His power and permission that the life continues or ends.

As a mother myself, I can only imagine the sheer heartbreak that one faces at the loss of any of her children.

Several days ago I went to pay my respects to a family of our acquaintance of whom their adult son had only several days previously died. He was a husband and father of four. He had apparently been battling cancer for quite a while. Finally, Allah's decree of the disease won the battle. May Allah shed His mercy upon him.

There is no doubt that he will be missed by many. Although there are several uncles and even their grandfathers present in the children's lives, still there is no replacement for their father. A person may have many children or re-marry any number of times, but we all –regardless of our ages and stage in life-have only one father and one mother. Whenever we may lose either of those parents, there is no chance of replacement.

Yet no matter how hard it is for one to lose either of the parents, still I believe something that is more difficult to deal with in patience is the loss of a child.

As I visited with the family in my humble effort to join them in their sorrow and to gently remind them to remember Allah and be patient, I was touched by the extreme patience and perseverance I recognized in the mother of the deceased. Although she was not adorned with the kohl eyeliner, still her appearance was extremely neat and groomed. And it was not necessarily her neatness which caught my eye so much as the appearance of her eyes-very little, if any at all, residue or evidence of crying. Her countenance was, of course, of serious nature-but obviously not teary-eyed. As new visitors came in, some would make purposeful extensions of remembrance of the deceased and reminding the mother and all others of this natural course in life that we must all eventually take. They would also voice reminders of the importance of patience at such times. Most generally, the mother would simply reply in a tearless
agreement to their statements, and perhaps she would also express praises and thanks to Allah.

Upon conversing with one of the daughters-in-law of the household, I learned that this stance of the mother was not merely a front for the visiting public. Rather, she was this same pillar of strength for the whole family even behind closed doors and away from the on-looking visitors. Whenever she would notice some of the younger ones crying, she would reprimand them-reminding that his death was a mercy from Allah in that he had suffered much from the disease. And she would continue on to remind them that even if not for his suffering, still this was the plan and desire of Allah to take him at this time, so they must all be thankful to Him for all things.

Even in her most private of moments when she was in prayer to the Creator, she was reportedly ever patient, and in true form of a faithful slave-calling out to Allah to shed His mercy upon her beloved son.

Such utter patience at a time of great calamity! Surely, the greatest pain any mother can endure is the loss of a child. Yet, this woman shows us great strength and love for Allah through her patience and seeking perseverance through prayer.

We are taught by the Islamic teachings that the test for patience is at the time of the onset of the calamity, not at a later time. It is easy for all of us, although still painful, to awaken a bit later after the onset of the calamity and then gather our senses towards a patient acceptance of the reality of the loss. But the test for us is at the onset of the calamity-to be patient and accepting of Allah's decree and worship Him with remembrance of Him and thanks to Him.

Verily, we come from Allah and to Him is our return.

I pray that we can all find the strength to be patient whenever we are faced with the onset of a calamity.

'TIS THE SEASON

'TIS THE SEASON…OF SACRIFICE!!

Once again, the magnificient, truly mind-boggling and utterly beautiful, ancient season of haj is upon us. Mind-boggling in that so many Muslims literally from all corners and cracks of the world gather together in this one spot at one time, for the sole purpose of worshipping their Creator. And beautiful in that this once-a-year procession demonstrates so vividly the possibility of unity and harmony of mankind.

To the modern-day Muslims, the haj is basically an exercise in worship by imitating the traditional rituals that our father Ibrahim, A.S.(Abraham) himself performed.

But to mankind in general, and the history of mankind, as well as creation as a whole, it has a more vast and far-reaching meaning.

The haj itself entails the necessity of the individual to embark on this venture, leaving behind all his/her worldly affairs for the time, in order to present himself/herself at the required spots on the required times.

The pilgrim needs to travel to Makkah, perform the circumambulation round the kaaba; walk/run between the hillocks Safa and Marwa; stand (i.e. be present) at the plains region of Arafat on the Day of Arafat; camp out that night at Mizdelifa; campt for 2-3 nights at Mina; and then perform once again the circumambulation round the kaaba. As well as offering the sacrificial animal, for those who it is incumbent upon, and throwing the pebbles at the assigned stations on the assigned days.

Of these deeds and rituals, the most important aspect is the presence of the hopeful hajji at the Arafat plains region on the Day of Arafat. As has been recorded in various ahadith, the prophet(SAAW) mentioned: the haj IS Arafat. Thereby indicating the jurisdiction that for those not present within the boundaries of the Arafat plains sometime before sunset on the Day of Arafat, then they have not attained the performance of the haj. Even thought they may attend to all other rituals of the haj. Without the presence at Arafat at the right time, there is no haj.

And although many people prefer to term this presence at Arafat as 'standing at Arafat', it is quite acceptable that the people may sit (whether on chairs, the ground, or even their vehicles), or even lay down for a time.

And it is also fine and acceptable that those present at Arafat take a meal, and drink to their satisfaction during their stay. In fact, as according to the prophet's saying, those present at Arafat on the Day of Arafat, are not to fast. It is a sufficient form of worship that they are present at Arafat for that holy, important, day.

Allah (SWT) has told us, in His Book, that He has created us for nothing other than worshipping Him. And although there are many pleasing aspects of this life within the realm of the permissible and legal status, we should not let those worldly pleasures distract us from what He has created us for, and that is to worship Him.

The observance of the haj, or the participation in the haj, is one of the five pillars of Islam. And although it is required of a Muslim only once in his/her life (as per the individual's ability to meet the requirements/qualifications for it), it is considered highly as the culmination or high peek of status of worship. This is basically due to the sacrificial nature of and surrounding the haj and it's season. Even for those Muslims not attending the haj, there is still the high value of sacrifice surrounding this season.

One of the important traditional practices associated with the haj is the offering of the sacrificial animal. Before proceeding, we should remember that Allah(SWT) has told us that it is not the blood of the sacrifice, nor the meat, which reaches Him. Nor is He in need of that blood or meat. But it is the piety of the worshipper offering the sacrifice in His name, which is the benefit and goal of the whole act.

The tradition of offering the sacrificial animal began with Ibrahim, A.S. He received a vision, which he correctly understood to be a divine directive, to sacrifice his own beloved son.

To better understand the value and importance of this act, we should think in more detail of the particulars in relation to the situation.

Up until this time, his wife was barren. In other words, he had no children as of yet. He and his wife both were getting on in years, so naturally, the natural hope of them having children dwindled as their ages rose.

Along their travels through the earth, Ibrahim and his wife Sarah passed through Egypt for a time. And upon their exit from Egypt, the king of Egypt presented Sarah with a slave girl as a gift for her. Sarah in turn offered this very same slave girl to her beloved husband. Ibrahim did not reject, and so he co-habited with Hagar (the slave girl) as well as with his wife Sarah.

When it became known that Hagar was pregnant, Sarah could no longer contain her jealousy. It was one thing for her to know of and even witness her beloved husband with another woman. But to realize that this other woman should be blessed with child while she remained barren, this was too much for her to bear.

And so, at Sarah's insistence, Ibrahim, A.S., took Hagar and her infant son, Ismael, to the desert valley region which we know as Makkah today. But at that time, it was not only desert, it was virtually deserted as well, excepting for the tribes of the surrounding region and the traders who occasionally crossed the paths of this region in their travels from Yemen in the south to Syria in the north and back.

As Ibrahim turned to leave his fostering family behind, Hagar naturally made a pleading move in questioning objection to this turn of fate. And when Ibrahim made no reply, but rather silently and determinedly moved along his way, she realized that this was of divine decree. So, she, in turn, became resolved in peace to the fate encrued upon herself and her beloved infant son. It was shortly after this, that her desperate search for water became the source of the traditional practice of the 'saiee' (running/walking) between the two hillocks of Safa and Marwa. And the greatest blessing out of this one event itself is the still-vibrant and productive well of the zam-zam water. For it sprout out of the ground as the crying baby Ismael pounded his heels to the ground during his crying.

As Ibrahim left his family behind, he supplicated Allah the Almighty to protect and provide for his family, which He evidently did. Ibrahim returned to visit them years later, when the lad was approaching adolescence. He had received a vision that he was to offer in sacrifice, his precious first-born, who was until now his only son. Making him even more so precious. Yet even if a person has many children, all are precious in their own right.

He informed his beloved son, who was still essentially a child even by standards of that time, of the vision which he understood and took seriously as divine decree, thereby necessitating it's obedience. Yet this foresighted and truly amazingly patient child, rather than crying out of fright, simply replied with the greatest of trust to his father: 'O father! Do as you deem the right thing. And you will find me in patient obedience.'

Such an honorable way to respond for this child, who was destined to be a prophet as well, not only the son of a prophet!!

So, Ibrahim took his son out a ways from the people, and proceeded in his preparations to sacrifice his first-born, as yet his only-born. He even made measure to instruct his son to face downwards so that he need not look into his son's face as he did the act.

As his truly razor-sharp knife was lowering on Ismael's throat, a beautiful ram appeared from utterly no where. And Ibrahim was immediately divinely informed that this ram was sent to him by divine order as the replacement for his son. Such a great and blessed replacement indeed!!

Hence, Ibrahim proceeded almost immediately, out of joy, relief, and thanks for Allah's blessing and mercy, to sacrifice this beautiful animal. And in doing so, Ibrahim was divinely informed that he had fulfilled the covenant and passed the important test that was presented to him.

In the end, he did not sacrifice his own son, killing him with his own hands, but a ram instead. But it was as if he had truly sacrificed him, for he proceeded steadfastly every step of the way in progression towards that goal. And Allah, in His everlasting and all-encompassing mercy, sent to Ibrahim the gift of the ram instead. Providing for him a way out, that he may retain his beloved son, while at the same time, and more importantly, fulfilling Allah's command to offer the sacrifice

To this day, whether attending the haj themselves, or remaining in their homes across the globe, Muslims celebrate the remembrance of this ordeal by offering their own sacrificial animal. And they give thanks to Allah for the uncountable blessings He has bestowed upon us all.

Ibrahim passed the test. He was truly willing to sacrifice that which he was commanded to. That which was perhaps the most dear to him in his life.

Are you ready truly to sacrifice for Allah when the time comes? Will you pass the test?!

Prepare yourselves always for the test. Seek Allah's help and strength. It surely will not be easy, as it was not easy for Ibrahim nor for Ismael.

'Tis the season…for sacrifice.

For the true believers, that is year round, not merely seasonable. So let's work to be classified among the true believers, and take the important lessons to be had of this holy season, and apply it to the rest of our lives the whole year through!!

THE SUCCESSFUL WINNERS

THE SUCCESSFUL WINNERS


Ah, the blessed holy month of Ramadhan is now past. Yet another year has trickled by us. And it is time now that we all reflect upon this past month, and examine for ourselves-asking truthfully-what-if anything-have we gained out of this ever-important training period?

In the Arab world, there is a common jingle of greeting that is frequently broadcast on the television and radio channels. It is quite a short and simple tune-yet quite rich and deep in it's meaning. The Arabic words go like this: 'Wa min al-Eideen, wa min al-faizeen, inshaAllah'. And it is repeated throughout the days of the Eid on various broadcastings. And you will find this phrase a common greeting among the people as they greet each other in the celebration of the holiday. The meaning is quite touching: 'May you be of those who live to witness another Eid, may you be of the winners, by the will of Allah'. A beautiful sentiment indeed to greet your fellow brethren with.

It is quite simple to understand the first portion of this greeting, for it is quite obviously self-explanatory. 'May you be blessed to witness another Eid'. It is a supplication to Allah to grant you more life to live to witness yet another Eid. A tender and touching supplication asking Allah to grant the person (whom you are greeting) to mercifully grant them more time in order to more sincerely repent for their sins, and more time to do more for the sake of Allah, seeking His pleasure and reward with Him.

The second portion of this greeting is a little more deep in it's meaning. The words themselves are quite simple and clear: 'May you be of the winners (or the successful)'. And as goes in the song as broadcast, a chorus of different voices follow up with 'inshaAllah'. We all are quite familiar with the phrase 'inshaAllah', which means 'God willing'. But as for the phrase: 'may you be of the winners (or the successful), it is a common greeting and supplication repeated much throughout the days of Ramadhan and increasing in the people's repetition of it as Ramadhan comes to a close, and throughout the days of the Eid. It is a supplication in which we ask Allah for success in our efforts of worshipping Him through the month of fasting. And a manner by which we ask of Him the ultimate blessing of attaining His pleasure by having our meager deeds accepted, and hence becoming a member of the exclusive club of the winners-one of those preciously and divinely blessed souls which attain the blessed abode of the eternal bless of Heaven. Surely, that is the ultimate goal of success and winning. That is the ultimate and beautiful description of 'fa'iz'.

So it is with this humble attempt to explain to all reading of this common and short yet potent Arabic phrase, that I myself greet all at this opportune time of the celebration marking the closing of yet another blessed Ramadhan-May you be blessed to witness another Ramadhan and Eid, may you be blessed to be among the winners! InshaAllah! I greet you all from the deepest depths of my heart-min al-Eideen, wa min al-faizeen, inshaAllah.

May Allah grant you His mercy and guidance that your deeds of worship be accepted, and that your mistakes and sins be forgiven, and may you attain the much greater mercy of His pardon, by which all memory and record of any bad deeds are not only forgiven, but all traces erased!

May you and your loved ones be of the successful winners who have learned the important lessons to be had from this holy month. May you be of the winners who have learned the importance of self-discipline in all manners of your life and at all times-not only of abstention from food and sex in the daylight hours.

May you be of the successful winners who have learned the importance of reading the Quran daily throughout the year, and applying it's teaching in your day to day life. May you be of the successful winners who learn the Quran by heart and for whom the Quran will be a companion in the grave and a protection from Allah's anger.

May you be of the successful winners who succeed to instill in their children and all those with whom they come in contact the love for Allah and Islam, and the drive to help others.

May you be of the successful winners who will not forget and pass over the tender beauty of standing up in the late hours of the night in prayer, as the rest of the world sleeps, asking your Lord His forgiveness and pardon and mercy and blessings and guidance and much much more. May you be of the successful winners who will continue to practice the late night nafil prayers throughout the year.

May you be of the successful winners who will be blessed to witness yet another Ramadhan and Eid. May you be of the successful winners who will have the chance with more of this earthly life to repent to Allah and to do more for Him and His cause.

May you be of the successful winners who have learned a higher degree of patience so that if and/or whenever any trials come along your way, you will be patient at it's onset, so that you will attain great reward from Allah for that patience, as He has promised.

May you be of the successful winners for whom the prayer is not a chore, but a blessing from which they desire never to part.

May you be of the successful winners who devote their lives and their energies to working for the cause of Allah always.

May you be of the successful winners who concentrate consistently upon worshipping purely for the sake of pleasing Allah, and not to be seen by their fellow man.

May you be of the successful winners whose sincerity is sure and deep and for Allah alone.

May you be of the successful winners whose ultimate abode is paradise, the upper level of firdaus, and who are blessed to ultimately witness Allah.

And I humbly ask all reading to please not forget this humble sister of yours from your prayers as well. For verily, I am also in dire need of your prayers and in need of Allah's mercy and generosity!

May we all be of the successful winners! Ameen!

THE REPORT CARD

THE REPORT CARD

It's that time of year again. The spring frosts are over. The blossoms and fruits of the new season are all blooming and growing. The major wedding season of the year is once again creeping upon us. Students of all levels are in a feverish preparation and cramming review in anticipation of the final exams of the school year.

The long break of the summer is almost here!!

We all look forward to summer vacation. As students, it was a well-deserved break after a year (the school year being in all actuality only 9 months) of hard-and much of the time-monotonous work. And now, as parents of the newer batch of students, we also look forward to the summer in grand anticipation as a break from the tug-of-war job of waking unresponding adolescents in the mornings, and constant reminding and nagging for them to study in the evenings.

For all the generations concerned-parents and children alike-the summer break is a well-deserved vacation. The icing on the cake after a year of long and hard work.

And a very famous precept as to the quality of enjoyment of that hard-earned vacation is the end-of-the-year report card. The final accumulative results of the whole previous year's school work is the grand opener to set the mood for the upcoming months of the summer vacation.

If the scores are good, then everyone is happy, and summer vacation kicks off with a bang. But if the scores are poor, then that sets the atmosphere for tension, anger, and the promising threat of the onslaught of punishment of some sort.

But forget about school for a moment. Let's look at the much wider and excessively more serious picture of life and our relationship to the Creator.

He has given us a Book of Directive Guidance. He has mercifully sent to us fine exemplary role models in the long historical procession of prophets and messengers. And we ourselves pass through an ongoing test. This whole earthly life is merely a grand succession of tests.

And so what will our final grade be?

On that infamous Day to come-do you suspect you will be handed your report in your left hand or the right? Do you suppose you will be presented with the report in front of you or behind your back?

On that Day of Reckoning, there will be no chance to return to re-do things. Nor will there be a second chance for a re-make on any of the tests. Nor will there be any cheating on the resulting grades. What you will see of the results will be your fair share of what you deserve in accordance with your performance in this life.

Prepare yourselves well, my dearly beloved brethren! In this day and age, with the grand advantages we have to achieve knowledge and awareness, there is little excuse for not knowing the truth and the guidance. Seek out, learn, and then implement that Divine Guidance. It is within easy and affordable reach of us all, if only we will make the effort.

Make the best use of the time and blessings and forturne you have been granted in this life. Seek Allah's help, His guidance, and His protection from Satan, deviation, and laziness. And pray for His mercy that you will find solace and promise in a good passing report, in order that your eternity shall be spent in happiness and tranquility.

THE INFERIORITY COMPLEX

THE INFERIORITY COMPLEX


Ever have that awful feeling of inferiority to those around you? It is quite common to so many of us at least once in our lives. That sense that you are an under-achiever in the midst of a group-regardless how large or small-of truly marathon achievers. Successful people, professionals at whatever it is that they do.

Not that I have necessarily grown into a fat-head about myself any my meager achievements in my adult years-still it has been more or less a lifetime since I have had that gut-wrenching feeling of extreme inferiority in any group setting.

Perhaps it was a good humbling experience. Or at least a wake-up all to my inner self to vividly remind me that I still have much work yet to do if I really wish to make my mark remain on this world and to give some real substantial value to my life.

I am essentially an alien in a life and society that is basically as alien to me as I am to it. But in spite of the natural born alienity, I have grown into the Arab life and society as much as it has grown onto me. Although born to and raised by Americans with no Arab roots nor blood-still I have become so innately Arab not only by association of marriage and acquired nationality, but also by the fact of my inclination towards the Arab nation due to my Islamic beliefs-seeing as how the desert of Arabia is the birthplace of Islam.

And even though I am obviously an alien in this society in more ways than one-still I have become more or less a 'celebrity-type' alien, you might say. I only use the term 'celebrity' for lack of better and more tasteful a term. By this term I mean that I am rather well-known-if not first hand, then by word of mouth-in this rather tight little community.

In the larger more metropolitan cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, the presence of a westerner in the midst of Arabs is not so uncommon. Nor is it really in our region of the south-Assir-at least not so in professional circles such as the health care sector, etc. But even in the view of the fast development of this region and it's growing modernistic trends, still this particular region of Arabia holds fast to it's original puristic Arab roots and associated traditions. So to see an American who has not only converted to Islam and marry into one of the local tribes, but who has as well not only adapted to but has also blended into the fabric of this society, is a note-worthy thing indeed. Hence the simile of the 'celebrity' status.

I have been blessed to have the ability and conviction to adapt myself to this society in all possible mannerisms to the extent that the only true revealing things about myself are those things I cannot change-namely my skin tone, and my height. Other than that, and my family name, of course, there is little to notify any stranger that I was not born and raised in this society. There have been many occasions when I have succeeded in fooling even the most savvy of Arabs into thinking-although admittedly questioningly-that I am also naturally an Arab.

Now, back to the topic at hand-achievement and under-achievers. Which one do I fit into? I guess it depends upon which vantage point you are looking from, and what determining factor is the subject of the achievement. Kind of like the phrase 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. For depending upon the topic of the scale, I can easily fit into either group-perhaps much as nearly any person of this world.

There I was-exepting for my husband and my son-sitting in a room full of strangers. And each one of them-my husband included-was not only an achiever, but an expert in his/her field. ( I have excluded my son out of this description basically because he has not yet finished his college time nor has he entered into the work force to determine his own field of expertise.) True professional to the letter of description. And it was humble lil' ol' me-the muslimah completely covered, the housewife, the mother and grandmother, the college-drop-out, the alien who has adapted to life in the muslim world-who was the center of their attention, their filming, their eventually-to-be-internationally-broadcast interview. Rather a sense of overwhelm engulfed me, to say the least.

I mean, what of my life's story could possibly be so interesting to captivate these people's audience and a future international audience of countless many? The fact that I was attracted enough to Islam to literally leave the only world and family I had known since birth to embark on the adventure of carving out a new life and world for myself? Or perhaps it was my choice in changing my name? or perhaps it was to learn that although differences are notably present in both societies (American vs. Saudi) that the change did not phase me? Or perhaps it was to learn that even though I'm a stay-at-home wife, dress in full hijab, don't drive, etc.-still I feel I have all the freedoms in the world? Or perhaps it was to learn that I'm not judgemental about the muslims who are not so strict as I am in their practice?

To tell the truth, I was rather nervous for the interview. And while sitting there and then afterwards as well, I thought about the whole thing, and felt rather small in the midst of all those professionals who were focusing their attentions on me. But then I came to realize something else as well…I'm not really an under-achiever after all. There is always room for improvement, which I hope, with the help of Allah, to accomplish eventually. But I am certainly no under-achiever.

Perhaps I don't have a college degree under my belt. And I don't travel unless I have at least my husband or one of my sons along with me. And I don't drive nor even will I ride in a taxi alone. Nor do I study or work outside the home. And I cover in complete hijab when I go outside my home. But those are my choices as a free woman.

And so-as I said-I have come to realize I'm not an under-achiever after all. Why, I'm a Muslim convert from Christianity. I've learned how to pray the Muslim prayer, and many other things important for a Muslim to implement Islam into daily life. I've learned how to read, write, speak and understand Arabic. Not a simple task indeed. I've borne and raised 3 lovely children into fine adults-all practicing Muslims themselves. And I have also been blessed with 4 adorable grandsons-who I have a part in their training as well. On the home front, I've developed into a rather proficient cook, helping my husband promote himself in many business circles by entertaining much through the years. Many a business deal was either attained or attracted or realized over our dinner tables. I've also pushed myself, with much yearning, to learn more of Islam from the sources-not only to enrich my own life and that of my family's-but reaching out world wide over the internet-helping fellow Muslims to better learn their religion as well as helping some non-Muslims come to Islam.

And my work is not yet done. In fact, I feel I've just begun.

Another interview anyone?

Perhaps I'll do better next time. For I've come to the realization-I'm not an under-achiever.

By the grace of Allah, and with His Divine help, I've accomplished much. Much more yet to do, of course. But I have been blessed to accomplish much in my life so far, and hopefully more yet to come. My degree? Why-of course!! A PhD in mothering, general teaching & coaching, with an accompanying MS in the field of wifery and all that is associated to it. I'm still working on my doctorate on that one.

My profession? You guessed it! None other than a professional wife/mother/grandmother!! And quite a satisfied one, at that.

THE HIJAB-WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO WEAR IT

THE HIJAB: An Explanatory of what it is
And how and why to wear it


It has become a trend quite evident in today's world that there is much question or controversy over the hijab, or the head-dress that the muslim women wear. The basic question is to it's validity as an obligation by muslim women to wear it. And the secondary question is whether or not they should follow this practice.

With the following report, I propose to explain the various forms of the hijab itself, and how it is worn, for those women desiring to wear it, but don't know exactly how to do so. And, to answer the questions by muslims and non-muslims alike as to the validity and necessity to wear the hijab, I shall present the reason for it and the proof that it is indeed an obligation upon each believing woman.

The head-dress covering for the female muslim, or the basic hijab, can come in several different styles of essence of make-up and basic design, each with it's own method of application to adorn. The hijab can easily be divided into 3 basic styles: the khimaar, the triangular scarf, and the elongated shawl-scarf.

Khimaar: This is most generally made up of one piece of cloth, cut in a large flowing circle and going on the bias of the cloth towards the outer circular edges. The upper portion, where there is the opening for the face, is naturally narrower so as to provide a close fit to hug the head and enclose to reveal only the face. The opening of the face is then closed tight either by fixed stitches or perhaps a snap or even a safety pit directly under the chin to ensure a tight fit around the face, preventing it from slipping off the head or revealing the neck and/or ears. The khimaar generally comes in two sizes-small and large. The small will most generally cover the head and heck area only-the end of the material hitting at the upper shoulder line. The more large and complete khimaar is as it's name designates-larger-and flows down on all sides, front, and back, covering the shoulders, chest, and arms-the edges of this garment most generally touch the wrist area, or for the smaller woman, will cover even her hands.

Sometimes it consists of two parts-a small fitted cap or tie-scarf to fit on the head as a cap, and the larger, more draping over-section of the khimaar itself.

To better understand the basic nature of the term 'khimaar', it may help to understand the language itself. 'Khimaar' is a resulting term coming from the root 'khaymah', which means tent. The term 'khimaar', then, refers to a tent-like garment or covering.

Triangular Scarf: This piece is usually of two variants. One is that it is merely a triangular cut, to be placed upon the head and then fixed either by tying or pin at the chin in front. The other variant is a piece of square cloth, to be folded over into a triangle and then fixed in similar fashion as described for the first variant.

For both variants of the triangular scarf, some women sometimes opt to tie it in the back, revealing their neck. With this method of application, only the hair is covered. And yet some women opt to fix it in the front under the chin, yet they tuck in all the remaining cloth into the neck region of their garment, merely only covering the neck and head in quite tight fitting material. In both cases, although this is a form of modesty, still it is not sufficient, for it is not a true covering, since it is in fact revealing, and Allah knows best.

Elongated Shawl-Scarf: This is a piece of cloth usually measuring 1 & 1/2 meters to 2 meters in length, and the width may vary anywhere from 1/2 meter to 1 meter. This style takes more practice and determination to learn to wear as well as to keep in place. But-if it is the wider variety-is more covering than that of the triangular shape.

To get the best final result in covering, it is best to begin with centering it upon your head, before wrapping around, off-centered rather than centered. By this, I mean that the center of it, length-wise, should not be at the center of the top of your head. Rather, it should be off-center, causing a longer tail of the shawl on either the right or the left side-whichever side it is more comfortable and adaptable for you to guide the scarf under your chin and then back up around your head, to fasten in of the remaining outer front edge into the front edge of the scarf that is framing your face (this 'fasten' should be somewhere on the side, approximately in the region of the ear). The other edge (width-wise) of the shawl should then lie flat and form a result of flowing to cover the neck, breasts, and shoulder areas, according to the size of the width of the shawl itself.

Remember that this type of hijab is easier and more frequent to losen off of your head, and so as a result, some women prefer to affix this hijab (as well as the triangular scarf) at it's point of closure (where the two overlapping sides meet and connect) with some sort of a fastener-such as a hair pin or perhaps a hat-pin type. It is most inconvenient, not to mention in opposition of the nature or ideal of the hijab itself, to have to be consistently re-doing your adornmnent of the hijab in public.

The above-mentioned are the basic three forms of hijab. Now, on to the niqab, or the face covering. The strict description of the niqab, as per Arabic language goes, is that it is a veil, or a face covering, which is affixed to the head in some format (such as tied in the back, or closed with a snap or velcroe, or attached via a stretch elastic strap, etc.). And, according to this definition, this type of face covering leaves a slit opening which reveals only the eyes. Depending upon the way the niqab is made, and how the individual wears it, the size of the slit may vary on person to person-some revealing more, while others less.

This niqab is most generally affixed and worn over the underlying hijab (scarf, shawl, or khimaar).

The abaya, or the outer 'over cloak' may take on several distinct designs. The basic two styles is that which is worn from the shoulders, and that which is worn from on top of the head.

For the type which is worn from the shoulders, there are basically two distinctive types. One is that of a more fitted cut, and therefore tight-fitting such as a coat. It may be very loose and flowing from the shoulders down to the floor-but it's very nature of the cut-design of the garment-that it has fitted shoulders, arm-holes and sleeves, makes it fitted and revealing in it's very nature. The second major style within this group of 'shoulder abayas' is that which it's cut is less definitive and fitting, and more square and open, as is the traditional abaya. With each of these abayas, and for any abaya worn on the shoulders, it is imperative that the hijab is worn over the abaya. This is to ensure that there is some fabric over flowing from the neck, shoulders, and chest region. If this shoulder abaya is worn on top of the hijab, with the hijab tucked inside of the neck opening (which, by the way, many women tend to wear it, sadly), that gives a more easy opportunity for onlookers to notice the size and proportions of the woman's upper body. And this is in defeat of the essential purpose of the hijab (in this essence, I mean the hijab of the complete covering-not just the piece of cloth worn on the head) altogether.

As for the abaya which is worn on the head, the basic cut and design of it is more full and flowing and loose-fitting than which is the type worn on the shoulders. This basically holds true even for the latest developments in some of the newer styles which are partially fitted for the shoulders and arms area. Some (the older fashions) of the abayas are completely open down the middle of the front, and only meet at the front, revealing the dress underneath. To cover herself well with such an abaya, the woman needs to manually or physically over wrap the two portions of the front and then hold it in place with her hands as she maneuvers about. Needless to say, the mere logistics of the design of this abaya, and it's lack of fastening to keep the front closed presents more difficulty for the womans as well as the high likelihood that as she moves about, there will inevitably come situations in which she won't be completely covered. The modern abayas of this style have small openings at either side where the natural point of exit for the hands comes. This development in itself is rather new, somewhere in the range of 15 years now. Previously, there was no such opening for the hands at the outer edges. If she wished to keep the abaya on her and to let it cover her in length, then she needed to keep her hands inside, holding the abaya together and on herself from within the inside, creating great difficulty in any maneuverings and interactions with others. Very difficult-if possible at all-to grab hold of a door handle or to handle merchandise or money in the market, etc. Double hard if she had to take care of or handle a child. In most cases, in those days, the women would bring the abaya together in the front at the waist region in over-lapping fashion, then she would flip the lower ends of the abaya over her forearms, bringing the lower edge up to her hips or mid-thighs in a rather hip-hugging fashion. This would serve a double purpose of keeping the abaya together in the front as well as the every important result of freeing up her hands for practical usage. But it would also then naturally reveal whatever dress or pants she was wearing under the abaya, as well as in it's resulting hip-hugging fashion, would of course drag every passerby's attention to her hips. Naturally, not a very good 'hijab' in the sense of covering, for it tends to attract more attention of onlookers rather than what it prevented.

Nowadays, the common form of the abaya worn on the head is one which provides rather wide sleeve-like apertures for the arms, and the two front sections are cut larger than what is needed to merely meet in the middle-rather, they overlap and are fixed to either side by fasteners and ties near the waist region. The under flap is affixed towards the one side by fasteners underneath (inside) and the upper flap is affixed to the other side by fasteners on the outside. Yet another form of abaya has developed-which has been dubbed the 'Islamic abaya'-it is either of one large tubular piece of cloth with opening for the face and neck, resting only on the top of the head (also, of course, openings at the sides for the hands); or perhaps originally open in the front but sewn a permanent seam down the front so as not to open, leaving only the opening for the head.

In each case of whatever style of the abaya chosen, the type that is worn on the head is the last thing to go on over the hijab and niqab. The middle section which lays on the top of the head normally falls about right in the middle of the top of the crown of the head.

Although this type of abaya is perhaps the best choice if one is desiring the most modest and complete form of covering, it is a bit more difficult to properly wear and maneuver about while donning, for it does have frequent tendency to slip off the top of the head to the shoulders. To wear this type of abaya, the woman needs to take frequent attention to adjusting it and returning it to it's resting spot on her head. This is most often true at times of sitting and standing or bending over, or getting in and out of a car. And if she has children or any other load to carry, or needs to move about in manner that requires more physical movements and adjustments, this type of abaya proves to be more of a hindrance than a help. In such cases, it may be more wise and prove easier to opt for the shoulder type and use a rather large flowing scarf or khmaar in order to properly cover her shoulders and chest regions.

As a closing statement, I would like to remind all that the basic purpose and meaning of and for the hijab is to cover and conceal. If the hijab is revealing or perhaps attractive (and therefore a distraction) in any way, then it has not met the goal and requirement of concealing.

The hijab is something that Allah (SWT), has written as a guiding law for all of the believing women. And to disregard it in disobedience is a grave sin. And Allah said:

'And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons or their sister's sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hand possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex…' (s. 24, v. 31)

And Allah knows best in all matters.

I pray that we shall each, wherever we are in the world and surrounded by whatever society, shall find within ourselves the courage and determination to seek Allah's pleasure by implementing His guidance and His commands into our daily lives.

Do not fear the onlookers of the kuffar who may want to somehow intimidate you, my dear sisters, or otherwise pressure you into rejecting the hijab and literally letting your hair down. Nor should you be influenced by those weaker muslims who have, for whatever reason, discarded and all but forgotten the hijab themselves. Do not be fooled by the trickery of those who would claim that to don the hijab is merely a matter of personal choice.

Religion itself is a personal choice. And to pray or not, or to fast or not, etc., is a matter of personal choice also. But before we make the choice to pray or to fast, we know that these are obligatory duties we owe to Allah, and so we perform or observe them in practice. And so is the hijab-a duty we owe to Allah which we should observe and practice. It is obligatory upon each one of us to wear the hijab, as He has so obviously and clearly directed the believing women to do so.

Are you a believing woman? If so, then there should be no question in your mind nor hesitance in your heart to take on the hijab as He has commanded you!