I Was Looking for a Purpose in Life, I Found Islam

 

I never gave religion much thought growing up. I wasn’t raised in an overly religious family. We would class ourselves as Church of England if we had to fill in any kind of form but that was as far as it went. We only went to church if we were invited to weddings, funerals or christenings.

And like all British children growing up in the 80’s, we were exposed to some of the parables and Biblical teachings in school assemblies and we sang hymns. We would also take part in the nativity play during primary school, but that was as far as it went.

Early Years

Overall, I lived a happy childhood. There were some issues when I reached my teenage years but nothing that swayed me from the life I was living and the path I was going down. At 18, I left home to go to university. Like most university students, I wasenjoying the experience and having a lot of fun. Religion wasn’t a factor in my life.

That is how it remained throughout my late teens and early twenties. If I had to describe myself at that time, I would say I was agnostic. I believed there was some higher power and I believed something had to happen to you when you died, but I wasn’t sure what.

When I left university, I moved down to London, where I lived for four years. Life was fun and my friends and I were pretty much living for the weekend, and that’s how it remained for three of those years in London. We worked hard in the week, we went out to pubs and clubs at the weekend and that was pretty much the routine. It hardly differed.

The Passion of Christ

There were several points in that time that set my path off, but I never connected the dots until much later. I remember one Easter I went home to visit my parents and my mam, and I went to see a film, ‘The Passion of the Christ.” Bear in mind, I wasn’t identifying as religious, but it had great reviews, so we wanted to see it.

Also bear in mind the Easter story is very much indoctrinated in our brains from being children, so whether religious or not, we know it very well. I remember after seeing the film, my mam and I were talking and I said to her, “I don’t believe that Jesus was the son of God, I believe he is important, but I don’t believe he is the son of God.”

We talked about this and what happens after we die. I remember saying, I think whatever we do in this life reflects where we will go when we die. Bear in mind at this point, I knew nothing about Islam.

They Must Be Crazy!

During this time, we were in constant contact with Egyptians who worked with us and we would talk daily on a “messenger” type system.Slowly, I began to feel there must be more to life than working, going out partying every weekend and then having no money to last the week. At the same time, I had just started a job where we had an office in London and we also had an office in Cairo.

Not many months after starting this job, I remember not finding anyone in Cairo to help me with a problem I had with a customer. When I finally found someone, he explained that they were in the month of Ramadan!

I had no idea what Ramadan was, so I started to ask so many questions about it. When he told me Muslims don’t eat or drink from dawn until sunset, all I remember thinking was Muslims must be crazy! Little did I know that the following Ramadan would be my first attempt at Ramadan, Subhan Allah!

More Questions

After this, I started to ask more questions about Islam. All I really knew was what the news had told me and the bad images the media had portrayed, which as we know, are usually one-sided and biased. So, I started to ask the typical questions, that we had ingrained in our minds about Muslims.

“Why do you oppress your women?” “Why do women have to walk behind the man?” (this was a genuine conception of Muslim women that kept popping up). “Why do women have to cover their heads, why can’t they wear what they like?”

I am sure Muslims get very bored of these questions, but they were genuine questions I had. I was recommended some books to read to help me further understand the religion, and so I decided to read more about Islam.

Then I started to read some books, but nothing stood out for me enough to accept the religion as my own. I knew more about it and I realized there was a lot of logical explanation to many things. I also saw how misunderstood it was, but there were still things that held me back.

For instance, I still wasn’t 100% convinced that Muslim women were as “free” as the books claimed them to be. Wearing something on the head just didn’t make sense to me. Why, as long as you are wearing modest clothing? This is an issue I actually grappled with even when I accepted Islam, but that is a whole other story!

The Quran and Modern Science

It made my hairs stand up, and that is when I understood that this had to be the true religion, the word of Allah. In my further readings, I discovered that my beliefs about what happens to you after you die were aligned with Muslim beliefs, and to me it made sense.The book that made most impact was “The Quran and Modern Science” by Dr. Maurice Bucaille. Again, nothing really made me think this is the true religion until I read the whole chapter on embryology. How can a man born more than 1400 years ago have known to the detail how an embryo looks like?

Why would anyone evil or bad go to heaven because Jesus (peace be upon him) had died for their sins? So, if I am a really good person, my reward is the same as an evil person? It made no sense to me whatsoever.

My Shahadah

On the 20th. of May 2005, I took my shahadah over the phone with a Muslim colleague in Cairo. I felt very happy about the decision I had made but I didn’t tell anyone. In fact, for almost a year, very few people knew.

Life as a Convert

Just over a year from accepting Islam, I married one of my colleagues I had met in Cairo. He had absolutely nothing to do with my conversion and he was not the person I took my shahdah with. However, since we have been married, he has been the steady hand that has sheltered me from a lot of things that converts go through.I learned how to pray by myself, and back then there were no apps, so I had to print out the moves and words on paper to study. I attempted my first Ramadan alone though couldn’t complete it fully due to being alone and not really understanding the concept of Ramadan.

Of course, it is with Allah’s guidance that I have stayed on the path of Islam, but my husband has been there every step of the way to pull me back whenever I have strayed and to answer questions that I needed answers too. He has been my rock of stability through this up and down journey of faith.

I Feel Blessed

His family also embraced me and really shown me true characteristics of how Muslims should act with each other. I have been truly blessed by Allah in many ways. And although, this journey has not been easy, I still have questions about certain things, even 16 years on but I know I am on the right path and I know to search and look for the answers to my questions rather than rely on what someone may tell me.

Some converts to Islam have a very hard time but I look at their stories and I feel that I have been one of the blessed ones, that is not to say I don’t have my issues, I do but I consider myself blessed that I have not had to face being disowned by my family. My family have accepted this as they can see I am still their Nichola, and I am happy so as far as they are concerned, they are happy.

Islam is such a beautiful religion. It gets twisted by the media and let’s be frank, by some Muslims. But I will never regret the decision I made because as far as I am concerned, I searched for something that brought a deep purpose and truth to my life and that is what Islam has done.

About Nichola Taylor

Nichola Taylor: BA (HONS) European Studies with German language. Social Media Editor of About Islam and mother to my beautiful little girl.

-aboutislam.net

The Benefits of Hoping for the Best

 

Having hope in Allah The Almighty bears fruit to the following:

• It makes one strive more and exert greater effort in performing acts of worship.

• It makes one even more inclined to be constantly obedient to Allah The Almighty.

• It makes one enjoy drawing closer to Allah The Almighty, and makes one experience the thrill of supplicating to Him.

• It makes one express his servitude to and need for his Lord, and makes him realise that he cannot do without the favours and kindness of his Lord, even for a period that is as rapid as the blinking of an eye.

• Allah The Almighty loves that His slaves ask favors of Him and supplicate to Him; He is angered by those who shun supplicating and asking Him. The one with hope usually supplicates much more than others who are not, and Allah The Almighty is angry with those who do not harbor any hope in the mercy and kindness of Allah The Almighty. Thus having hope rescues one from the wrath of Allah The Almighty.

• Hope is what makes the person enjoy his journey towards Allah The Almighty and the Hereafter; it makes him steadfast upon the path because had it not been that people hoped for Paradise and that their rewards be multiplied, then nobody would have been able to continue on their path towards Allah The Almighty and the Hereafter.

• It makes one increase in his love for his Lord, because the more he gets what he asked and hoped for, the more his love for his Lord will increase and the more grateful he becomes to his Lord – which is one of the implications of the state of servitude.

• Hope makes one reach the state of being thankful; which is what servitude is all about.

• Hope makes one research more into the Names and Attributes of Allah The Almighty.

• Hope is interconnected with fear of Allah The Almighty, because the one who hopes for the mercy of Allah The Almighty and His Paradise will fear that he may not be doing enough to be worthy of them; this is indeed a wonderful relationship between the two different states of the believer’s heart: hope and fear.

• When one hopes for something and Allah The Almighty grants it to him, this encourages him to ask for more and strive harder to please Allah The Almighty, which consequently increases his level of faith and brings him close to the All-Merciful.

• The more hope that slaves harbor during this life, the more they will rejoice when attaining what they have hoped for in the Hereafter, and the best and highest of all causes for rejoicing is seeing Allah The Almighty and attaining His pleasure.

Furthermore, Allah The Almighty wishes that His slaves fulfil the other ranks of servitude, such as humbling themselves before Him, relying on Him in everything, seeking His support, fearing Him, persevering through His decrees and thanking Him for His bounties. Thus, Allah The Almighty decreed that people sin in order for him to fulfil these ranks, so His slaves seek the forgiveness of Allah The Almighty and humble themselves before Him in order to be forgiven. If people did not sin, they would not feel the need to humble themselves before Him or seek His forgiveness, nor would they repent to Him; this is why Allah The Almighty tests people with these sins, in order to purify their hearts by this humility and seeking His pardon. Thus, a very important aspect of servitude is fulfilled.

After the slave sins, he humbles himself before Allah The Almighty, and then begins to have hope that Allah The Almighty will forgive his sin. This results in the slave’s heart becoming more attached to his Lord.

There are three types of hope, two of which are praised and one dispraised:

1. The hope of an obedient person who hopes for the reward from Allah The Almighty.

2. The hope of a sinful person who hopes for the forgiveness of Allah The Almighty.

3. The hope of a negligent person who continuously sins and then hopes for the forgiveness of Allah The Almighty, without exerting any effort to attain His forgiveness. This is a false hope and wishful thinking, which deceives no one but the one who harbours it; it is by no means considered to be real hope in Allah The Almighty. - islamweb.net

10 Hadiths on Remembrance of Allah

 

Which status would be higher than having your humble person appreciated and mentioned by Allah Almighty to a gathering of high-esteemed Angels?

That is only one of the many valuable advantages you gain trough frequent remembrance of Allah (dhikr Allah). The special position of this easy act of worship is frequently emphasized by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who “used to remember Allah all the time” (Abu Dawud)

Reviewing the reward promised for Allah’s remembrance should fill us with pity for all the hours we waste without seizing these amazingly easy opportunities.

The following collection reveals the significance of this beautiful type of worship and the great reward you can reap through it.

Best Deed

1. Abu Ad-Darda’ (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet said:

“Shall I not inform you of the best of your actions, the purest in the sight of your Lord, which raises your rank to the highest, which is better for you than spending gold and silver, better than meeting your enemy so that you strike at their necks and they strike at yours?’ They replied: ‘Yes, indeed,’ and he said: ‘It is the remembrance of Allah.” (At-Tirmidhi)

A Special Status

“Allah says, “I treat My servant as he hopes that I would treat him. I am with him whenever he remembers Me:2. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet said:

if he thinks of Me, I think of him; if he mentions Me in company, I mention him in an even better company. If he draws near to Me a hand’s span, I draw near to him an arm’s length; and if he draws near to Me an arm’s length,  I draw closer by a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

3. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet said:

“The similitude of someone who remembers his Lord and someone who does not is like that of the living and the dead.” (Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet’s Advice

4. Abdullah ibn Busr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that one of the Prophet’s Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah. I am overwhelmed by the so many injunctions of Islam. So tell me something to which I may hold fast.”

The Prophet replied, “Keep your tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah.” (At Tirmidhi)

Abundant Forgiveness

5. Abu Hurairah also reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

He who says, ‘Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdih‘ (Glory and praise be to Allah) one hundred times a day, his sins will be obliterated even if they are equal to the extent of the foam of the sea. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Whosoever says:6. Zaid ibn Harithah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

‘Astaghfirullaha al-`Azeem al-ladhi la ilaha illa howa Al-Hayy al-Qayyum wa atubu illayh

(I ask forgiveness of Allah, the Magnificent, than Whom there is no deity, the Living, the Sustainer of existence, and I turn to Him in repentance,)

his sins will be forgiven even if he should have run away from the battlefield (while he was engaged in fighting for the Cause of Allah, which is a grave sin in Islam). (Abu Dawud and authenticated by Al-Albani)

Huge Reward

7. Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Prophet said:

“Whoever prays Fajr Prayer in congregation, and then sits and remembers Allah until the sun rises, then (after a while) prays two rak`has, he will gain a reward equal to that of making perfect Hajj and `Umrah. [The Prophet repeated the word “perfect” thrice.] (At-Tirmidhi)

8. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said:

He who repeats after every prayer:

Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) thirty-three times,

Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah) thirty-three times,

Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest) thirty-three times;

and completes the hundred with:

La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai’in qadir

(There is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent)

Will have all his sins pardoned even if they may be as large as the foam on the surface of the sea.” (Muslim)

Easy Opportunity

9. Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

He who utters ten times:

La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahulmulku wa lahulhamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli sha’in qadir

(There is no true god except Allah. He   is One and He has no partner. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent),

he will have a reward equal to that for freeing four slaves from the progeny of Prophet Isma`il. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

 

Words That Allah Loves

10. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said:

“There are two statements that are light on the tongue, heavy on the scales, and beloved to the Most Merciful:

Subahana Allahi wa bihamdih

Subhana Allahi Al-`Azeem

(Glory and praise be to Allah,

Glorified is Allah, the Most Great.)” (Al-Bukhari)

About Muhammad Fathi

Muhammad Fathi is the managing editor of the Shari`ah page, AboutIslam.net and a former Imam and teacher at the Quran Institute of America, MI, USA.

-aboutislam.net

Contentment with Allah’s Decree

 

We’re going to talk today about contentment with Allah’s decree; in Arabic we call this al-rida, being content with what God Almighty has given us and being happy with our lot.

What it means is that there is an imaginary family, a fictional family called the Jones family, who live next door to us, or they live across the road or down the street, and according to this idea of keeping up with the Joneses, if the Jones family get a new car, we have to get a new car as well.In English there is a saying “Keeping up with the Joneses.”

If the Jones get a swimming pool, we need a swimming pool; if the Jones’ children go to such and such fancy school, our children have to go to such and such fancy school…

This idea of keeping up with the Joneses can eat away at us. We have to be the same, if not better, than all the people around us.

This attitude to life encourages us just to be envious of other people. You know with this attitude of those people have a better car than we have, why? I want a better car. Those people wear nicer clothes than I do, I want better clothes…

This world of things, of material things, encourages us to judge one another compared to other people and to rate ourselves according to our neighbor.

Well, according to that calculation, if I haven’t got very much, and the people walking past me have got a lot, it’s going to make me very envious, unless we are content, unless we see things in a different way, unless we see all things as gifts, unless we see that everything in this life comes as a gift from Allah Almighty.

You know how at a feast time or a birthday, you open the presents and someone gives you a big gift and someone gives you a small gift, and usually you don’t resent the people who’ve given you the small gift because it’s been given with love. Your mother gives you small gift and your uncle gives you a bigger gift, you love them both very much.

The Gift of Life

So some of us put on the clothes of a King, some of us put on the costume of a poor person, some of us put the costume of an engineer, a teacher, or a housewife… and we play that part. But when the drama is over, when life is finished, we take off the costumes that we’ve been wearing, and we all go back to exactly what we were to start with, everyone equal in Allah’s sight.But if we look at life as gift, we become content with what we have. You know, I was told some years ago, I heard a very beautiful khutbah and the one speaking described this world saying that this world is like a play, this world is like a drama and when this life starts we all put on different clothes.

You know in the mosque, there are no Kings or Presidents and Princes in a mosque. All we have in a mosque are Muslims standing side by side, praying with one another to Allah. One might be a King, one might be a Prince, one might be the road sweeper who cleans the palace and gardens, but we’re all the same in Allah’s sight.

So in this world we have different roles to play. Everyone is the same, everyone is equal in Allah’s sight but people have different roles to play, and Allah has chosen what roles we have.

Before we carry on, we must be very careful when we’re talking about Allah’s plan and His decree, we mustn’t blame Allah for problems that are of our own making.

You know, if there are people in this world starving to death, they have no food, let’s not blame God for that.

There is plenty food in this world, there is plenty food to go around; the fact that some people like to eat beef burgers that require that cows be fed on so much corn and whatever, our choice means that people living in another part of the world don’t have anything to eat. So let’s not blame God for some of the problems that we cause.

Remember Allah Almighty doesn’t make mistakes. When He created one person, He didn’t create him and say: “Oh! I made a mistake with that one”.But yes, in life, people are different; some people are rich, some people are poor, some people are clever, some people aren’t, some people are handsome, some people are not handsome… people are different, but in Allah’s eyes we are all beautiful.

No.

He makes us all just how He wants us to be, and in fact, He tells us in the Quran:

Indeed we’ve created Man in best of moulds. (Quran 95:4)

He doesn’t say “we created some men, some people in the best of moulds, and others we didn’t, we have classes of people…”

He doesn’t say that. He says:

We’ve created Man in best of moulds.

All people are equal in Allah’s sight but all people are different. So like in that drama, some of us wear the clothes of a King, some of us wear the clothes of a poor man.

Contentment as Part of Faith

Muslims believe that when this drama is over, the poor man and the King, if they lived a good life, they both go to the same Paradise, and – as the Quran beautifully describes – they’ll both be dressed in garments of green silk and will be wearing bracelets of pearls and gold and will be drinking from goblets of gold and there’ll be water flowing beneath us…Contentment with what we have is for people of faith.

These are beautiful images, but God tells us very clearly that for all people of faith the reward is going to be great.

So for people who are poor in this world, for people who don’t have as much as other people in this world, we do, for a start, have the promise that after this short time of life (50, 60, 70 years, whatever it is) our reward is going to be extraordinary.

There is something that people of faith can do, because contentment with what Allah wants, as Muslims, we say “Qaddarallahu wa ma sha’a fa’al” (Allah has decreed things as He wanted them to be).

Allah is in Charge

Let’s not forget that Allah is in charge, we’re not. Allah is in charge of this world and He decided things in justice: “I want things to be like this, and I want other things to be like this”.

We don’t have the mind of Allah, we don’t know why He did these things, but we do know that He didn’t need to make us, we do know that He didn’t need to make this world or anything that’s in it.

We do know that He doesn’t need the angels to praise Him, He doesn’t need us to worship Him, He needs none of those things. He‘s is infinite in all His Perfection; He’s perfect in every way, and our praise adds nothing to His greatness.

So if He made us out of love and our minds are not like His mind, He makes someone in this situation and someone in this situation. We don’t understand why, but we do understand that He knows why. “Qaddarallahu wa ma sha’a fa’al.” He decreed something and He did what He wanted to do, Alhamdulillah.So if He made us, well it sounds to reason if He gets nothing out of making us, He can only either make us out of hatred or make us out of love, and from the Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), we see that He made us out of love.

So what do we, as Muslims, do, what do we as People of faith do to try and come to terms with what we have?

One thing Muslims do for example is in all things we say Alhamdulillah in all things: when something bad happens we say Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah); when something good happens, we say Alhamdulillah. And because we don’t look at things as Allah looks, you know sometimes a bad thing happens, and we think it’s a disaster.

Think of a time in your life when you’ve lost a job, you’ve lost a loved one… something seemingly terrible has happened and out of it we look back on it years later and we say “well, it wasn’t the end of the world when that thing happened”.

The loss of a loved one is a terrible thing, but losing a job for example, sometimes you can look back and say “It seemed terrible but actually, it was a start of a new period of my life.”

Practical Tips

And as well, as Muslims for all things we say Inshallah; if Allah Almighty wills it to be so, it will happen.So if we want to be content with what Allah gives us, we say in all things “Alhamdulillah”. We say in all things, as Muslims, “Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim”; In the name of Allah, we do this, in the name of Allah we take a sip of water… we do all things in Allah’s name.

If we can keep those three phrases close to our heart: “Alhamdulillah, Inshallah, Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim” we’ll become people of faith and we’ll begin to see things not with an eye on the swimming pool of the people next door, not with an eye on the car of the man who comes to work and parks next to our bicycle, not next to the people with fancy shoes when we’re just wearing little plastic shoes in our feet.

What we do is we thank Allah Almighty because we see things with the eyes of faith and if we see things with the eyes of faith, we come to realize that all things are made and controlled by Allah.

Allah planned from the beginning of time that I’ll be sitting here talking to you today, it is part of His plan. He doesn’t plan that we do bad things.

He doesn’t plan that I would say bad words to the camera, that’s my choice, but He planned that I’ll be here sitting in front of you.

So, as people of faith, we look to Allah and we are always thankful and grateful and we look to our future where we can rest in His pleasure, finding pleasure in Allah is how we find pleasure in our lives.

(From Discovering Islam’s archive)

About Idris Tawfiq

Idris Tawfiq was a British writer, public speaker and consultant.He became a Muslim around 15 years ago.For many years, he was head of religious education in different schools in the United Kingdom.Before embracing Islam, he was a Roman Catholic priest.He passed away in peace in the UK in February 2016 after a period of illness.May Allah (SWT) have mercy on him, and accept his good deeds. Ameen.

-aboutislam.net

THE KABA – THE SACRED HOUSE OF GOD

 

The Kaba[1]  is the sacred House of God situated in the middle of the Holy mosque in the city of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia.  The black cube shaped box is familiar to people of all faiths due to the images that come out of Saudi Arabia every year at pilgrimage time.  Usually when people see these images, their attention is focused on the black box being circled by hundreds if not thousands of worshippers.  This box is the Kaba.

“God has made the Kaba, the Sacred House, an asylum of security, Hajj, and 'Umrah (pilgrimage) for mankind...” (Quran 5:97)

The Kaba is the holiest site in Islam, and it is the qibla, the direction Muslims face when praying.  It is called the Kaba because of its shape; cube in the Arabic language is ka’b.  Sometimes the Kaba is called Al Bait Al Atiq, or the emancipated house, Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said that this name was used due to the fact that God has protected the Kaba from coming under the control of tyrants.[2]

The Kaba is made from granite taken from the hills near Mecca, and stands 15 meters (49 feet) high, the sides measure 10.5 m (34') by 12 m (39').  Today the Kaba is covered by a black silk cloth decorated with gold-embroidered calligraphy known as the kiswah.

On the southwest side of the Kaba is a semi-circular wall, this represents the border, or al hatim.  Entrance to the Kaba is gained through a door, 2.13 metres of the ground, on the north-eastern wall.  Inside, the floor is made from marble and the walls are clad with marble up to the halfway point between the floor and the ceiling.

Amongst the traditions of Prophet Muhammad we learn that his beloved wife Aisha asked about the wall and the door. She says, “I asked the Messenger of God about the wall and whether it was part of the House [the Kaba]. He said, ‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘So why is it not incorporated into the House?’ He said, ‘Your people ran out of money.’  I asked, ‘What about the door? Why is it high up?’ He said, ‘Your people did that so they could let in whomever they wanted and keep out whomever they wanted. If it were not for the fact that your people are still new [in Islam] and too close to their time of ignorance , I would incorporate the wall into the House and bring the door down to ground level.’”[3]

Verses from the Quran are written on tablets inset in the marble and the upper part of the interior wall is clad with green cloth decorated with gold embroided verses.  Lamps hang from a cross beam; there is also a small table for incense burners.  Caretakers perfume the marble cladding with scented oil, the same oil used to anoint the Black Stone outside.

The Black Stone, an ancient sacred stone, is embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaba, one and a half meters above the ground.  Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said , “The black stone came down from paradise and it was whiter than milk, but the sins of the sons of Adam turned it black”[4]

The scholars of Islam have differed on who built the Kaba. Some say that it was built by the angels.  Others say the father of humankind, Adam built the Kaba but over many centuries it fell into disrepair and was lost in the mists of time, to be rebuilt  by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael.  All agree that the Kaba was either built or rebuilt by Prophet Abraham.

“And (remember) when Abraham and (his son) Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House (the Kaba at Mecca), (saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower’” (Quran 2:127)

Since then the kaba has been rebuilt several times.  By the Amalekites, the tribe of Jurham, Qusayy ibn Kilaab, the tribe of Quraish and several times after the advent of Islam.  Shortly before prophet Muhammad’s mission began the Kaba was built from stones, without mortar and it was not much higher than the height of a man, people had stolen treasure from the Kaba so the Quraish decided to rebuild it and add a roof.

Each tribe collected building materials and worked cooperatively until it came time to replace the black stone. Because of the prestige involved with placing the stone arguments broke out. Abu Umaiyah ibn al Mughirah one of the most senior men said, “O Quraish come to an agreement over that which you are disputing. Let the first man who enters through the gate decide the matter for you”.

The first man, was Muhammad, at that time known as al amin (the trustworthy one).  He suggested that they carry the black stone to its place in a cloak, each tribe holding an edge so that the prestige was distributed equally. The black stone reached the Kaba in this manner and Muhammad then placed the stone in its place The Kaba consists of four corners.  Finally, it is important to understand that Muslims do not worship the kaba or its surroundings.  It is simply the qibla, the direction in which Muslims face to pray,  therefore it serves as a focal point. - islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Adapted from, Mubarakpuri, S. 2002,History of Makkah.  Darussalam, Riyadh.  &  (http://www.sacred-destinations.com/saudi-arabia/mecca-kaba)

[2]At Tirmidhi

[3]Saheeh Muslim

[4]Ibid

Spiritual Lessons From the Story of Prophet Moses

 

Prophet Moses is known and revered as a Prophet in all three Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  In Islam Moses is a Prophet, messenger, lawgiver and leader.

The Quran states that Moses was sent by God to the Pharaoh of Egypt and the Israelites, to both guide and warn them and mentions Moses more than 120 times.

Islam teaches us that he did not introduce a new religion; but rather taught and practiced the religion of his righteous predecessors and confirmed the scriptures of those who came before him, including Prophets Abraham and Joseph.   

His story is told over several chapters and is the longest and most comprehensive story of any prophet in the Quran because Moses’ life is discussed in great detail.

Spiritual Lessons From Prophet Moses’ Story

There are many spiritual lessons to be learned over Moses’ lifetime. However, one lesson stands out among all the others and that is trusting in God. It involves understanding that God will never let us down. There are no circumstance or events that can override that truth. God is the Most Trustworthy and wants us to succeed.

The lessons from Prophet Moses’ life begin when he is a newborn baby.  His mother’s behavior after his birth teaches us to put our trust in God.

When Moses was born, Pharaoh was on a killing spree, slaughtering the newborn sons of the Israelites. Guards roamed the streets, not to protect citizens, but to search for pregnant women.

Moses’ Mother’s Firm Trust

Moses was born into this dangerous and frightening scenario. His mother was a pious and God-fearing woman, therefore in her hour of need she turned to God and He inspired the actions she took to save her son from the daggers of Pharaoh and his guards.

And We inspired the mother of Moses saying, suckle him, but when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and fear not, nor grieve.  Verily! We shall bring him back to you, and shall make him one of (Our) Messengers. (Quran 28:2-7)

Moses’ sister followed the basket from the reeds and watched as the Nile cast the tiny baby onto the shores of Pharaoh’s private beach.  Moses’ mother wrapped him tightly and placed him in a reed basket. She let the basket drift into the current of raging river Nile.

At this point how could Moses’ mother imagine God’s promise coming true?

However, God’s promise did come true and within hours of casting him adrift, Moses’ mother was appointed as wet nurse for her son, who was now considered to be the adopted son of Pharaoh.

… And whosoever fears God and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).  And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in God, then He will suffice him. Verily, God will accomplish his purpose. Indeed, God has set a measure for all things. (Quran 65:2-3)

A Lesson to Learn

When we ask God for help, we must be prepared for that help to materialize from places we could never have imagined. God is able to do all things, under any circumstances, and putting our trust in Him should come as naturally to us as breathing.

However, the life of this world, especially in the twenty first century, continues to trick us into believing that there is something other than God that is deserving of our trust. This is not true, God says that:

This worldly life is nothing but diversion and amusement. Verily, the home of the Hereafter is the true life… (Quran 29:64)

As Moses grew up, it is likely that he understood his origin and knew about his deep connection to the Israelites.

Did he learn to trust God because of conversations with his birth mother? That is something we cannot know, but certainly, when his young life began to spin out of control, he automatically trusted his life to God.

Lessons from his Adulthood

By the time he was a young adult, Moses was known throughout the city because of his connections to the royal house and because of his physical strength. On one particular occasion Moses intervened in a fight between an Israelite and an Egyptian, inadvertently killing the latter.  

Quran tells us that guilt consumed Moses and he asked God to forgive him; yet still fearing for his life, Moses fled the city and migrated to Midian, where he found refuge in a household by marrying one of the daughters and serving her father. (Quran 28:14-28).

Listen to the Chapter:

Moses had walked across the hot desert sands for more than a week with no provisions and inappropriate clothing. Under these circumstances one could expect that the expedition would be doomed to failure. 

But no, here the story of Moses restates the lesson we learned from his mother.  If a believer submits fully to the will of God, God will provide for him from unimaginable sources. God replaces weakness with strength, and replaces failure with victory.

As Moses sunk down onto the ground under the shade of a tree, he called out to God, whom he trusted completely, saying:

My Lord!  Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me! (Quran 28:22-24)

We are never alone, and Moses was not alone when he trudged across the desert, fleeing the only life and land he had ever known. God was with him every step of the way, gently guiding him to the right decisions or correcting his path.

God hears our prayers and supplications, and He answers. Sometimes the wisdom behind the answers is beyond our comprehension, but God desires only good for us. Putting our trust in God and submitting to His will allow the believer to weather any storm, and to stand tall in the face of adversity. 

Difficult Mission

In the dark of night, in the shadow of a mountain, God conferred Prophethood on Moses. God’s first command to Prophet Moses required him to once again trust God and face his biggest fear. That command was to go to Pharaoh.

Go to Pharaoh!  Verily!  He has transgressed (all bounds in disbelief and disobedience, and has behaved as an arrogant tyrant). (Quran 20:24)

Moses understood that God was able to provide him any support he needed for this mission that appeared to be virtually impossible. Therefore, Moses supplicated to God, begging for strength and ease. He also asked God to open his chest, and grant him eloquence, self-confidence, and contentment.

In these brief glimpses from Prophet Moses’ life, we can see that human beings plan and scheme, but it is God’s plans that triumph, they can overcome any achievement, test, or trial. 

The story of Moses teaches us that the torments of this world can only be overcome by remembering God and seeking to be close to Him.

The long life of Prophet Moses is filled with spiritual balm for the believer. At every junction in his life, Moses trusted God and followed His commands without a shred of doubt.

About Aisha Stacey

Aisha Stacey is the mother of three adult children. She embraced Islam in 2002 and spent the next five years in Doha, Qatar studying Islam and working at the Fanar Cultural Centre. In 2006 Aisha returned to university for a second time and completed at Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Certificate in Writing. Aisha is also a published writer in both internet and print media and in 2009 -10 she was the Queensland editor at a national Australian Islamic newspaper ~ Crescent Times.

-aboutislam.net

The Highest Paradise and You!

 

Stop for a moment and think about Paradise, its vast fields, sweet rivers, palaces, foods, and drinks. How would you feel being there in the company of those you love most— enjoying pleasures you never knew before— forever?

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

The Paradise has bricks of gold and silver, and mortar of fragrant musk, pebbles of pearl and sapphire, and soil of saffron. Whoever enters it is filled with joy and will never feel miserable; he will live there forever and never die; their clothes will never wear out and their youth will never fade. (Ahmad)

He also gave us a clear advice, many make themselves miss out on:

If you ask Allah for Paradise, then ask Him for Al-Firdaws al-A‘laa…

Let’s find out how to change your attitude and learn five specific deeds that lead you to Jannatul Firdaws, by Allah’s Will!How real is the Highest Paradise in your daily life? Without knowing, do you have a defeating mindset, and are you thinking deep down: ‘I’ll never reach that level, I’d be happy if I reach Paradise altogether?’

Paradise is One

Even though Paradise is sometimes mentioned in plural in the Sunnah (jannaat), this does not mean that there are several types of Paradise; there’s only one Paradise and this rather indicates its greatness, its degrees and levels.

Umm al-Rubayyi’ bint al-Bara’, who was the mother of Haarithah ibn Suraaqah, came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said:

“O Prophet of Allah, will you not tell me about Haarithah?” – who had been killed at the battle of Badr by a stray arrow. “If he is in Paradise I will bear it with patience but if it is otherwise then I shall weep long and hard for him.”

He said:

O Umm Haarithah, there are gardens in Paradise – according to another report: many gardens – and your son has attained the highest Firdaws. (Al-Bukhari)

Let this motivate you to supplicate for your children and loved ones to attain nothing but the Highest Paradise!

Being Near the Throne: Its Location

The highest of the degrees of Paradise is Al-Firdaws; the Prophet Muhammad said:

…When you ask of Allah, ask Him for Al-Firdaws, for it is in the middle of Paradise and is the highest part of Paradise, and above it is the Throne of the Most Merciful, and from it spring forth the rivers of Paradise. (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Therefore the closer anything is to the Throne, the more luminous, pure and noble it is than that which is further away from it. Hence Jannatul Firdaws is the highest, noblest, most luminous and best part of Paradise; because it is close to the Throne, for the Throne is its roof, and the further away anything is from it, the darker and more constricted it is…” (Al-Fawaa’id, 27)“The purest of all created things, and the most sublime, luminous, noblest and highest in both literal and metaphorical terms is the Throne of the Most Gracious, may He be glorified and exalted. Hence it was fit for Him to rise above it.

Change Your Mindset, Enter the Race!

Who are the people of the highest Paradise, Al-Firdaws? They are the ones who hasten to do good as they are commanded. It all starts with your attitude!

Without realizing, many of us don’t feel worthy or even dare to aim for the best of destinations, which many feel is only ‘reserved’ for the Prophets, salaf and other righteous predecessors.

Wrong- you CAN be part of it all; decide today to change your mindset and consciously enter the daily race from now on!

And those foremost ((in Islamic Faith of Monotheism and in performing righteous deeds) in the life of this world on the very first call for to embrace Islam,) will be foremost (in Paradise).These will be those nearest to Allah.In the Gardens of delight (Paradise). (56:10-12)

As-Sa‘di said:

“Those who are nearest to Allah are the elite of mankind.”

Ibn Kathir said:

“Whoever competes in doing righteous deeds in this world and wins the contest, in the hereafter he will be among the first to attain reward and honor.”

Whenever it’s time to pray, rush to it, whenever there’s a chance to give charity, grab it!

Beg Allah to be of the saabiqoon, the first and foremost in doing good deeds, because it means becoming the inhabitants of Al-Firdaws.Action Point:

5 Specific Deeds that Lead to Al-Firdaws

Here are five deeds directly linked to the Highest Paradise; start with begging Allah, the Most High, to give you ability (tawfeeq) to fulfill them.

1- True belief in Allah and in His Messengers

Verily! Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous deeds, shall have the Gardens of Al-Firdaws (the Paradise) for their entertainment. (Quran 18:107)

The Prophet Muhammad  said:

The people of Paradise will see the people of the chambers above them as they see a brilliant star far away on the horizon in the east or in the west, because of the difference in status between them.

They said:

“O Messenger of Allah, will those be the chambers of the Prophets that will be attained by no one else?”

He said:

No, by the One in Whose hand is my soul; they will be men who believed in Allah and believed in the Messengers.

Action Point:

2- Increase your ProstrationsDaily ask Allah to make you live and die upon belief and feel it each time you say ‘ihdinas siraatal mustaqeem’ (Guide us on the Straight Path) in prayer!

Muslim narrated that Rabee‘ah ibn Ka‘b al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“I used to stay overnight with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and bring him water for wudu’ and whatever he needed. He said to me:

Ask.

I said:

“I ask to be with you in Paradise.”

He said:

Is there anything else?

I said:

“That is all.”

He said:

Help me to do that for you by prostrating a great deal.

  Action Point:

Revive the Sunnah of Sajdah Ash Shukr, prostrating when being thankful for a certain blessing.

3- Look after an Orphan

Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

The one who sponsors an orphan, whether it is a relative of his or not, he and I will be like these two in Paradise, and Maalik pointed with his forefinger and middle finger. (Muslim)

All the deeds that have as reward to be together with the Prophet, mean earning the Highest Paradise!

Action Point:

Ask Allah to help you sponsor an orphan(s) throughout your life. Set up a monthly sponsorship, seek out orphans in your community and inspire others to.

4. Memorize the Quran

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

It will be said to the companion of the Quran: ‘Recite and rise in status as you used to recite in the world, and your position will be at the last verse you recite.’ (Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi)

Action Point:The more you memorize the higher you rise towards Al-Firdaws!

Make the sincere intention to memorize one verse a day and become a hafidh. Even if you die, not having completed memorization, you’ll be rewarded for your intention and rise, by Allah’s will!

5. Have Paradise Supplicate for you

Paradise and Hellfire are a reality, and each one of us will meet our destiny in one or the other. Firstly; don’t be satisfied with just asking for Paradise, from now on always ask Allah Al-Aliyy, the Most High, for Jannatul Firdaws bi ghayri hisaab (without having to go through the Reckoning)!

Now, there’s an amazingly simple, five second deed, by which you can have Paradise (and Hell) supplicate for you. The Messenger of Allah said:

Whoever asks Allah for Paradise three times then Paradise will say: ‘Oh Allah! Enter him into Paradise!’ And whoever seeks protection with Allah from the Fire three times , the Fire will say: ‘Oh Allah! Protect him from the Fire! (At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)

Make it a habit to ask Allah the Exalted for Paradise and to protect you from the Fire three times each day, use a reminder in the house or on your smart device) and teach others.

You can say: Allahumma innee as’aluka Jannatul Firdaws ul ‘Alaa bi ghayri hisaab (O Allah, verily I ask of You the Highest Paradise, Al-Firdaws without Reckoning) wa qinaa ‘adhaaban-Naar (and protect us from the punishment of the Fire).

If we truly understood the reality of Paradise and Hellfire, we would make these supplications multiple times a day. We ask Allah to help us to wholeheartedly hold onto this Sunnah habit until our last day and enter us into His Firdaws.

(From Discovering Islam’s archive)

About Khawlah bint Yahya

Khawlah b. Yahya founded SISTERS' PROJECT in 2008, a United Kingdom women's support organization and is a writer for different Islamic organizations and academies. She authored the renown How to Live by the Names of Allah Series, published by the Understand Qur'an Academy, as well as the internationally shared Revive a Sunnah Series. She focuses most of her work on how to translate classic Islamic Knowledge to daily life action. She recently released Personal Lessons from the Qur'an, in which daily life action points are based on Qur’anic ayaat in a way that’s never seen before. You can now purchase the E-book on: dailylifeknowledge.co.uk