Get Into Action

From the mound of rubble, a little voice cries
“Please help me”, then it fades and dies

Cries, anguish, tears, there’s despair all around
There’s no face you can see on which hope’s to be found

An old man is seated, next to him is a corpse
It’s his only son, “O please help him God!”

A little girl holding a hand so tight
It’s her brother’s hand who died last night

Blood pouring from wounds, there’s a stench in the air
Towards the sky the dead just stare

It’s freezing cold, people thirsty and starved
No fire or light, its just pitch dark

A baby is crying, it can sense something’s wrong
‘Cause the comfort of its mother’s arms is gone

I sit there and look at the distressing scenes
It seems so unreal on the TV screen

Then all of a sudden I start to weep
That could be my child, that could be me!

The tears won’t stop - it’s like a dam that’s burst
‘Cause something tells me it’s going to get worse

Will things ever be the same? O God we need help
It’s not only their trial, but ours as well

Then all of a sudden, something happens to me
It’s like I’ve been blind and now I can see

No weeping for me! That’s all in the past
Let me get into action and do my part.

ZainabHabib

TURN BACK TO YOUR LORD

"And turn in repentance and in obedience with true faith to your Lord and submit to Him before the torment comes upon you (and) then you will not be helped."

(Az-Zumar: 54)

The need of today is to focus on one's own reformation on an individual and collective level. If we cannot set right the disorder in the world, we can at least correct our own selves.

Let us then strive for our own improvement because the hardships that others are facing today may well engulf those tomorrow who are now mere spectators.

"And fear the fitnah which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong and know that Allah SWT is severe in punishment."

(Al-Anfal: 25)

Hardships & Calamities are a Warning

It is necessary for every heedful eye to learn a lesson from the calamities and disasters occurring in the lives of individuals and nations. To call them a turn of events, natural calamities or merely an accident and to move on can prove harmful.

Allah Ta'ala says:

"And verily we will make them taste of the near torment (in this world) prior to the supreme torment (in the Hereafter) in order that they may return (repent).”

(As-Sajdah: 21)

THE WAY TO AVERT CALAMITIES

"Was there any town that believed and its faith saved it (from the punishment) except the people of Yunus; when they believed we removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the world and permitted them to enjoy for a while (more). "

(Yunus:98)

Consequently, faith in and obedience to Allah Ta'ala is the only way to salvation.

When Disaster Strikes

M o u n t a i n s

Chapter 27- An-Naml [The Ant], Verse: 88- The Holy Quraan

Transliteration: wa taral jibaala taHsabuhaa jaamidataw wa hiya tamur-ru mar-ras saHaab* Sun'Al-laahil-ladhiy atqana kul-la shay'* in-nahuu khabiyrum bimaa taf'Aluun

Translation: "And you see the mountains, you think them to be solid, and they shall pass away as the passing away of the clouds-- the handiwork of Allah Who has made every thing thoroughly; surely He is Aware of what you do".
Shakir's Translation.

After the Disaster

LET US ANALYZE OURSELVES:

 How have I reacted in this present situation? With panic, despair and wailing or with dignity, patience and faith?

 Do I only remember Allah when I face hardships or calamities and once it passes away, do I forget Him?


 What positive change has come about in my life after this calamity?

 Have I started to study what guidance Allah has sent for me in the Quran?

 Has my pace in constructive activities (efforts towards personal reformation, hastening in good deeds) increased?

 Do I still put off good deeds for the next day?

 Have I stopped wasting my time? Have I left idleness, laziness and negligence?

 Has there been any change in my routine (recreation, parties, shopping, useless chatting)?

 Have I started worrying about fulfilling my obligations, acts of worship and responsibilities?

 Have I left moral vices such as backbiting, lying, fighting and breaking trusts?

 What have I done to help my Muslim brothers affected by the earthquake?

 What have I sacrificed to serve Allah's Deen?

 If death overtakes me today, am I ready to meet Allah Ta'ala?

IF WE CANNOT CHANGE OURSELVES, HOW CAN WE EXPECT THE CONDIONS OF THIS WORLD TO CHANGE?

Taken from a pamphlet

Am I Prepared?

I Listened to the explanation of Chapters 21 and 22 of the Quraan today, at the mosque, and they make so much more sense now

"Draws near for mankind their reckoning, while they turn away in heedlessness." (Al-Anbiya 21:1)

"O mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily the earthquake of the Hour (Day of Judgement) is a terrible thing."

"The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant one will drop her load, and shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunken, but severe will be the Torment of Allah" (Al-Hajj 22:1-2)

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet pbuh said, "The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until (religious) knowledge will be taken away (by the death of religious learned men), earthquakes will be very frequent, time will pass quickly, afflictions will appear, murders will increase and money will overflow amongst you." (See Hadith No. 85 Vol 1). [bukari]

Its Allah's mercy in a way to send us these warnings. Its time to prepare!

"...and let every soul look to what it sends forth for the morrow" [Al-Hashr 59:18]

LET THIS BE A START

All of us Pakistanis are together helping our fellows in pain and endless troubles, and all of us are making use of all the ways in which we can lessen their pain even if we are having to sacrifice. I wish this spirit remains high and doesnt settle down in the next few days. Because no matter how much we do they will need us much and for a long time.

And why should we forget, its not just now after the earthquake that we are seeing all this suffering. Most people in our country are already poor, there are homeless spending their days and nights in the open no matter how fierce the weather is.

There are foodless with big families, because they cant earn enough money, and many even commit suicide due to that.

There are those (actually most in our country) who dont have clean water to drink, because its all contaminated and causes death and disease.

And when they get ill, they cant afford for themselves a proper treatment or even a simple medicine.

Infact, all the suffering that you are seeing now has been there already and on a much larger scale than this quake has caused.

Other than the food and shelter missing, you can imagine all kinds of troubles in store for the poor and weak in our country and all over the Muslim world. Injustice, opression by the rich and poweful, cruelty shown to the women, and lack of all the basic facilities like education, jobs etc.

Isnt all that equally heart aching? we must remain sensitive to this, and not show apathy thinking we keep hearing about this all the time and its just too common.

SO why shouldnt we keep together and united like this and like we have already tried our best to help the quake victims on our own. LETS CONTINUE THIS FOREVER, HELPING THE POOR and THOSE in PAIN. Lets this be a start and make ourselves more organized so we can help properly now and in coming times

Right now i m remided of a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said that anyone of you having any extra thing (that he doesnt use) he should give it to the other person (and not keep it to himself)

Who would remain poor if all of us did this?

Keep Sharing! :)

May Allah bless us all, aameen.

I will put the reference of the hadith later when i find it inshaAllah , i read it in Riyad us Saliheen.

If you are thankful and believe....

"Why should ALLAH punish you, if you are thankful and if you believe ? And ALLAH is Appreciating, All-Knowing"

[The Quraan:4:147]


"And that you seek forgiveness of your Lord, and then turn to HIM. HE will provide for you a goodly provision until an appointed term. And HE will grant HIS grace to everyone possessed of merit. And if you turn away, then surely I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful day".

"To ALLAH is your return; and HE has full power over all things".

[The Quraan 11:3-4]

Friday

This Friday please make special prayers for the earthquake victims and the effectees. And for ourselves, we must make prayers of forgivness, and we MUST offer prayers of repentance, so that Allah diverts His punishment from us, relents to us and shows His mercy.

Aameen.


"Know that ALLAH is Severe in punishment and that ALLAH is also Most Forgiving and ever Merciful".
5: 98.

I still can't believe that the same magnitude earthquake that I survived has destroyed some other cities completely. And I must do something specially as a thanks to Allah for that and for the help of people who are in pain beyong words.

No matter how much we do, it can't make up for the losses they are suffering and will continue to suffer.

Here in Islamabad we couldnt sleep for many nights due to the fear of aftershocks which havent been just a few (a 5.5 aftershock recorded just today morning, and my dad just called telling me his office building has been evacuated coz there are news/rumors for more quakes of high magnitude). We made special prayers during the Taraveeh prayers at the mosque and more nafl prayers for forgiveness and repentance also. And everyone of us must do that as well.

Now although the fear has lessened but its the extreme suffering of the our fellows that doesnt let us rest peacefully. Its heart aching. There are kids, old people, women being taken out from under the debris after days, from the seriously wounded to unscratched. Most painful is to see the kids who have survived but have lost their parents, no doubt they aren't the same anymore, they have plain faces and empty staring eyes.

And then homeless people living under the open sky day and night in cold, withouth tents, clothes, and even water.

Ordinary people are helping a great deal, and both the local and global media are conveying images of the catastrophe, but I m only afraid this fervour would only be initial and the effected people might be forgotten soon, while they will be needing long term help.

Please dont forget them and move on with ur comfortable lives while they will be suffering till the end of their lives. We all know the ways in which we can help, find out more ways even if you have to make little sacrifices. Allah will show mercy! InshaaAllah

I think three kinds of aid is needed, its our material aid, our physical help, and our efforts to help reduce their stress and trauma, and ofcourse their rehabilitation in time. InshaaAllah. There are a million ways we can do that, so get up and do it for God only.

"...`Seek help from ALLAH and be steadfast..."

7:129-The Holy Quraan

`And seek forgiveness of your Lord; then turn wholly to HIM. Verily, my Lord is Merciful, Most Loving.'

11: 91- The Holy Quraan

The earth is not still yet and its been two days after the quake. Everyone plz keep praying.

I have a class now, will be back soon to write more.

Shaken

Its 3rd Ramadan, and a little time ago at 8:52 am we were shaken by a horrible voilent earthquake here in Pakistan. I had just finished posting my previous entry on this blog, and was still on the computer when it started and i just felt lifeless coz it was the strongest quake i have ever felt.

My house was swaying right and left, back and forth, and i couldnt run to go out (i could manage to move only as much to get under this table that i work on, and watch everything vibrate in front of me). Astaghfirullah very frightening it was. May Allah have mercy on all of us aameen.

There are still aftershocks as i write this which will continue for the next few days according to the Met. department. How terrible it must be for the people who are still alive under the rubble, injured and calling for help. May Allah protect them and help them to get out unharmed, and may Allah have mercy on the souls of those who have already died in this. Aameen.

Allah SWT says in the Quraan:

"Do you feel secure from HIM Who is in the heaven that HE will not cause the earth to sink with you ? When lo ! it begins to shake".

........ Then will you know how terrible was MY Warning!"

[Al Mulk-67: 16-17]

It was indeed a big warning for us, should make us think. Allah! You are so kind to give me still another chance. I will be as it pleases You and will remember You all the time. Give me the ability to keep my promises that i keep making to You, Forgive me and have mercy and keep us safe Aameen.

To a Dead Heart

The servant is not afflicted with a punishment greater in severity than the hardening of the heart and its being distant from Allaah. The Fire was created to melt the hardened heart, this heart which is the most distant of hearts from Allaah. If the heart becomes hardened the eye becomes dry [and finds no joy or tranquillity].

There are four matters, when the limits are transgressed with regards to them, which harden the heart: food, sleep, speech and sexual intercourse. A body afflicted by disease does not derive nourishment from food and water and similarly a diseased heart does not benefit from admonishment or exhortation.

Whosoever desires to purify his heart then let him give preference to Allaah over his base desires.

The heart that clings to its base desires is veiled from Allaah in accordance to the strength of its attachment to them. The hearts are the vessels of Allaah upon His earth, hence the most beloved of them to Him are those that are most tender, pure and resistant to deviation.

[A reference to the hadeeth, "Truly, Allaah has vessels from amongst the people of the earth, and the vessels of your Lord are the hearts of his righteous slaves, and the most beloved of them to Him are the softest and most tender ones" and it is hasan. Refer to as-Saheehah (no. 1691)]

The transgressors preoccupied their hearts with the pursuit of this world. If only they had preoccupied them with Allaah and seeking the Hereafter then they would have instead reflected upon the meaning of His Words and His Signs that are witnessed in creation. Their hearts would have returned to their owners (in whose chests they reside) bestowing upon them marvellous wisdom and pearls of benefit.

When the heart is nourished with dhikr, its thirst quenched with contemplation and cleansed from corruption, it shall witness remarkable and wondrous matters and be inspired with wisdom.

Not every individual who is endowed with knowledge and wisdom and dons its robe is from among its people. Rather the People of Knowledge and Wisdom are those who have infused life into their hearts by slaughtering their desires. As for the one who has destroyed his heart and given precedence to his desires then knowledge and wisdom are deprived from his tongue.

The destruction of the heart occurs through possessing a sense of security and negligence. The heart is fortified through fear of Allaah and dhikr. If the heart renounces the pleasures of this world then it will be directed towards pursuing the bliss of the Hereafter and it will be amongst those who call to it. Should the heart become content with the pleasures of this world the bliss of the Hereafter ceases to be pursued.

Yearning for Allaah and meeting Him is like a gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, blowing away the blazing desire for this world. Whosoever causes his heart to settle with his Lord shall find himself in a calm and tranquil condition and whosoever sends it amongst the people shall be disturbed and excessively perturbed. This is because the love of Allaah can never enter the heart which contains love of this world until the camel passes through they eye of a needle.

Therefore the most beloved servant to Allaah is the one who He places in His servitude, who He selects for His Love, who He causes to purify his worship for Him, who dedicates his life to Him, his tongue to His dhikr and his limbs to His service.

The heart becomes sick as the body becomes sick and its cure lies in repentance and seeking protection from evil.

It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty and it is polished through dhikr.

It becomes naked as the body becomes naked and its adornment comes about through taqwaa.

It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry and thirsty and its hunger and thirst is satiated through knowledge, love, reliance, repentance and servitude to Allaah.

Al-Fawaa`id [pp. 111-112] of ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him.[The translation is taken from ‘An Explanation of Riyaadh as-Saaliheen’ Vol. 1, Trans. Abu Sulaymaan and modified.]