Reflections on life and opposites

Recently I’ve been thinking about how life seems to be made up of “opposites or polarities”.

Last week my friend’s mother passed away, two days after that my sister gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. My friend is naturally extremely devastated and saddened, she looks like she never wants to smile again. My sister is naturally elated and so happy that she can’t stop smiling every time she sees her new-born child.

Life and death, two opposites, yet two things that are an essential part of our lives on this earth. It seems that life is filled with these polarities, Life-Death; Happiness-Sadness; Light-Darkness… perhaps everything in life has an opposite.

Interestingly it seems that these opposites are interlinked, thus confirming that its necessity in life. Think about it- if we never experience joy then we can’t understand sorrow, if we never experience sorrow then we can’t appreciate joy. If we have never had happiness then sadness becomes obsolete and if we’ve never seen light then darkness is something we see as natural. Without opposites, things don’t seem to make much sense, do they?

Eternal life may seem like an ideal to some people, but ask a really old person about that and they’ll probably tell you they’d prefer death because life has just become tiring. Birth in itself cannot be extricated from death.  

What I also found interesting when thinking about this is that with some of these opposites, we actually have a choice as to which one we will hold on to. For instance, we can choose whether we want to let light into our lives, or if we want to continue to dwell in darkness. We can choose happiness over sadness, (by focusing on all the favours of Allah for instance). We can choose to make wise decisions instead of stupid ones. Okay, so when it’s our time to die we don’t really have a choice in the matter, but we can choose how we wish to live, and these choices will ultimately determine our final outcomes, not only in this world but in the hereafter as well.

So basically while it saddens me immensely to see my friend in mourning, I know that one day she will be rejoicing life again- and I have to admit that while I’m thrilled to see my sister so elated and rejoicing new life- I cannot forget that one day she will have to face sadness of losing a loved one.

Life just has to be this way, like I said, if we don’t experience both sides of these polarities then we will never appreciate and understand life, and this means that we will never grow. After all, doesn’t Allah Almighty remind us of this in the Glorious Quraan when Allah Most Merciful, Most Gracious tells us that: ‘Indeed after hardship will come ease’. Without the hardship we will never be able to appreciate the ease. SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah) Allah truly knows everything. May Allah Almighty help us to deal with whatever we have to deal with and may Allah give us the gift of appreciation and contentment with whatever situation we are in!

 

All Praise is due to Allah Almighty!

 

Image from here

Could we ever be like this amazing woman?

I came across this article and was so inspired that I just had to share it here. Alhamdulillah this woman had such conviction and strength in faith, and I couldn't help asking myself if I would be able to resist the temptation of fame the way she did... Allah Knows best, but truly there are amazing woman, even in today's time. Anyway, read for yourself and you'll know what I mean:-) The article below was taken from here: Oldest Woman in the World Refused Entry in Guinness Because of Headscarf

Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News - 2013-02-18   A 124 year old Palestinian woman, Maryam Hamdan Ammash was refused entry into the Guinness book of world records because she refused to take off her head scarf and appear on TV. Maryam's family members said that their grandmother who has performed the Hajj (Pilgrimage) five times in her life and performed Umrah ten times refused to commit a sinful act even for getting eternal with entering the Guinness World Records. In an interview with Gulf News, Mahdi Helmi Ammash, a grandson of Maryam said "There have been serious discussions about Maryam entering the Guinness World Records breaking the record of the French Jeanne Louise Calment who lived 122 and a half years. A team of the Guinness team visited Maryam and her family last March to this end" "Armed with official documents including her birth certificate, identity card and other documents, we will not give up our grandmother's right to enter the Guinness World Records for the longest human lifespan even after her death," he said. Sadly Maryam passed away on the 26th January 2013, after she lived for 124 years. Scores of people from around the world attended her condolence session held in her home village of Jisr Al Zarqa'a, near Haifa of the 1948 areas. Maryam who held a Turkish birth certificate and an identity card clearly stated that she was born in 1888 and became undoubtedly the oldest woman in the world. "This fact is beyond doubt and that all officials who paid visits to my grandmother have confirmed it and this is documented with the family", added Mahdi. Maryam was also a very outspoken. When a representative of the Guinness told her that they can make her a well-known personality, she answered with a question: "And will that make me happy?" To which the representative, with a little hesitation, replied that it would probably make her and her family happy. She asked the representative how old he was to which he replied,”43”. She smiled and said, “And most of all, you are not a Muslim ...?"Surprised by her answer the man asked why these issues may be of any importance and what she wanted to say? She said, “You are old enough to distinguish between what is right and what is not. But you are not a Muslim. That means either you are too small to distinguish truth from delusion, or you are an imbecile. Because only a child or imbecile would believe that it will make him/her happy to be glorified among the same mortals like himself. When he risks being thrown into shame in the eyes of the Creator." "So what should I choose?” asked the Guinness representative. Maryam said, “to be glorious amongst those themselves are inglorious or to be glorious amongst the lucky owners of the Contentment of the Creator, me, you, him and all those whom you represent"? The Guinness representative was stumped when Maryam had the final word and said, “Go away and grow up to start thinking if you do not have the answer. And I promise not to die until you get back - she joked at the end". The most surprising fact was that the man embraced Islam in 7 months afterwards. And after another 4 months Maryam Hamdan Ammash died.

 

And that’s why we should never glorify any human being

The big media story this entire week has been the story of Oscar Pistorius. I’m sure you all must have heard about the story- The famous South African Paralympics champion was arrested last Thursday after his girlfriend was killed at his home. Whether he actually did premeditate her murder, or if it was in fact a real accident no one will ever know. Allah knows best about all things and there’s always loads of speculation and accusations in these types of cases. Honestly I’m not really interested in why he did it, if he did it with intent or if he really thought his girlfriend was a burglar. All of that doesn’t really make a difference to me, but there is something that does interest me about this case...

People have openly and boldly voiced their opinions, there’s disappointment and outrage that a National hero could do such a thing, people feel let down, angry and have even gone so far as to call Pistorius a “monster”. All of this hype really has to make you wonder. I doubt very much that this story would be so sensational if Oscar Pistorius was just another man. In fact, these types of cases are not at all uncommon in South Africa. Every week we read about people killing their girlfriends or wives, police officers who can’t take the pressure and trauma repeatedly make headlines for killing their partners. Not only police officers, but reports of such incidents occur so often that sadly to say it’s reached a point where it’s become rather mundane. Now my intention is not to minimise this event. It’s terrible that a woman got killed, by someone she loved and trusted; but it’s also equally terrible all of the other times it happens! The only difference here is that this case involves “celebrities” and this is the part that I felt I needed to comment on. When we “glorify” ordinary people and begin to see them as these perfect role models then we tend to forget that just like all human beings, they are prone to error, and then when they do make mistakes or show their human weakness, we go crazy and lose our faith in them, but we’re the ones who’ve created a superhuman image in the first place, so it doesn’t make much sense to feel “let down” or “disappointed”, now does it?

Human weakness is not something that is only reserved for us ordinary people. In fact, I would think that those people who are constantly in the limelight are more prone to give in to their human weaknesses. Not only do they have way more pressure than the rest of us, but they also have way more temptations- and you know what they say, “with great power comes great responsibility”- Perhaps when we forget that Power only belongs to Almighty Allah, that’s where we begin to go wrong.

So yes, this whole Oscar Pistorius story is a sad one, it’s terrible really that we should even hear of such cases, but for people to be so outraged simply because they’ve been let down by a “hero” doesn’t make much sense. If we’re going to call him a monster or whatever else, then we should do that to all the men (and women) who commit such crimes. If we’re going to be angry then we should be angry because a woman was killed by someone she trusted, but then we should be equally angry every time this happens. If we’re going to be upset then we should be upset that things like crime, inability for self restraint, anger, and such things are overtaking people, but this should be equally applied to everyone.

The question I leave you with is this: How do we so easily turn the pages of newspapers, (or scroll through the pages of the online newspapers), when the exact same cases occur with ordinary people, and now that it’s a “celebrity” we all make a big deal?  It’s really got to make you wonder what our ideals as human beings really are?

Furthermore, if we glorify a human being and forget that Our Creator is the only one worth glorifying then we will certainly be let down, big time. Even Allah’s beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did not wish for people to glorify him. He constantly reminded people that Allah is the only One who deserves to be glorified and he (pbuh) helped people to turn their attention towards Allah. Remember when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) passed away and the people were extremely sad to the point that they did not wish to do anything, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and reminded people of the verse of the Glorious Quraan in which Allah Almighty says:

“Muhammad is no more than a Messenger: many were the messengers that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? “(Surat Al-Imran 3:144).

After the people heard this they were more at ease and able to go about with life again because they were reminded that Allah Almighty is the only One worth glorifying, and Allah will never make any errors, indeed only Allah is Truly Perfect and human beings can never come close to perfection.

May Almighty Allah guide us all and help us to always see truth, Inshaa-Allah Ameen!

I have found my “Utopia”

It’s exactly a month since I returned from umrah, I guess I can say that things are “back to normal” now. Alhamdullillah my grandmother returned home on Sunday after spending 5 weeks in the hospital in Makkah, and she is doing well. Her recovery is not complete, but Inshaa-Allah in time she will get better, with the mercy of Almighty Allah.

 

So although things are pretty much back to normal, my longing to return to Madinah continues. (I’d love to go back to Makkah as well, but Makkah is very different from Madinah). I know this makes me sound rather greedy, but perhaps being greedy for this can’t be helped. So let me tell you more about my connection to Madinah and then you’ll understand why I just long to go back.

 

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines the word “Utopia” as follows:

“An imagined perfect place or state of things” (2008: p. 1593)

 

I have to tell you that I have found my “Utopia” in Madinah Munawarrah, only it isn’t imagined, it is actually real, and you’ll only believe me if you go there yourself. 

 

Here are some words I wrote one early morning as I sat outside the Masjid because I had my period. Although being in the state of menstruation meant that I was excused from prayers, I couldn’t stay away from the shining white Masjid. The magnificent nur (light) attracted me towards it and my heart longed to be near there, so I went with my mum and sat outside, but this in itself was such an amazing experience:

 

The Masjid which is usually magnificent is superimposing in the early morning hours, with the sky still dark and the air fresh, it seems to be illuminated, radiance emanating from it. Women come in drips and drabs initially, and then the crowds begin to come, groups and groups of women intently walking, on their way to perform the Fajr prayer, obedient to the order of their Lord. It’s early in the morning and its winter in Madinah, but children can be seen happily running around. One little boy chases a cat which was walking around outside the Masjid- the cat runs and then stops with the little boy stopping close by. I sit and watch all this and am reminded that this is the only thing in the world that makes sense. One of the only places where the transient world means nothing, the material world becomes immaterial. There are no problems, no worries, no stressors, no deadlines, nothing! There is obedience to Allah and nothing to divert one’s attention from the ultimate goal! ALLAHU AKBAR , I have found my Utopia and I am at Peace!

 

Those were my words then, and these are my words now, looking back at my time in Madinah:

 

The purple sky, that’s what stands out for me- My mother and I both agreed that we had never seen the sky purple anywhere else. The purple is so intense that it moves you, just a little while after Fajr, it turns purple, but the purple only lasts for a while, so you are fortunate if you see it. With the purple sky comes the PEACE. Peace seems to be surrounding the entire City and what can we expect, of course there is Peace, after all this is the place of the Beloved of Allah!

 

The winter breeze was welcoming, it wasn’t cold at all for those of us who are accustomed to much colder weather. In fact it was pleasant and comfortable. On the streets the people selling things sit and wait for customers; they’ve formed a support system so one lady easily leaves her goods in the care of another when she needs to go somewhere. There are many things to buy on the streets of Madinah, but you have to be careful not to get carried away, because the things are cheap and you can easily end up buying something unnecessary. Nonetheless I don’t think it can be a waste, everywhere you go shopkeepers rcall out “Madinah Barakah”, meaning that there are blessings if you buy from the people of Madinah.

 The children playing happily outside the Masjid of the Prophet (pbuh) echo the adults feeling of "no care in the world". Children are safe to play as they want to and it is accepted that play is an important job for children.

 

But the cherry on the top, the gifts of all gifts, besides being able to send salutations to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) so close by, which is a gift in its own. The gift I’m talking about though is the real piece of heaven on earth.

 

It is reported in a hadith something to the effect that:

ABDULLAH B. ZAID AL-MAZINI (ALLAH BE PLEASED WITH HIM) REPORTED ALLAH'S MESSENGER (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) AS SAYING: THAT WHICH IS BETWEEN MY HOUSE" AND MY PULPIT IS A GARDEN FROM THE GARDENS OF PARADISE.

 

This place is known to us today as the “Rawdatul Jannah”. It is a small place next to the grave of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and everyone wants to get a chance to spend some time there. I have been for umrah twice before and each time that small place was extremely crowded. Women and men get different times to go and so the previous times I found myself engulfed in “waves” of women. I did not even have space to perform one prayer because if I tried to go down in prostration I had women knocking me over from every direction. This is by no means an exaggeration. But this time, Alhamdullillah this time was so peaceful. I had time to pray as long as I wanted to, ladies were given time to sit there till 12:30am. There were empty spaces and the atmosphere was so calm and relaxed, honestly I wish everyone can experience the peace and tranquillity that we found in the Rawdatul Jannah this time. This is indeed a piece of heaven and my words do not do it justice at all. Once again you have to experience this to know what I’m talking about and I pray that anyone who wants to experience it is given the chance to do so.

 

One morning I was walking back to the hotel at 1:00am. I just came from the Rawdatul Jannah and thought there’d be other ladies walking in the same direction but there was none. The street was completely deserted. Initially I panicked- I’m from South Africa after all and here people can’t even walk in the streets in the early evening without getting mugged, robbed or worse, raped. So yeah, naturally I panicked a bit. But the walk to the hotel wasn’t that far and then I reminded myself that I was in Madinah and my panic disappeared. Alhamdullillah I don’t remember ever feeling as safe as I did in Madinah.

 

So back to my original statement- Indeed I have found my “Utopia”, but like I said it’s not an imagined place, it’s as real as real can be and my heart and soul longs to be there once again, so I pray that Almighty Allah provides the means and opportunity for me to once more set foot in the City of Peace! Inshaa-Allah Ameen!

The Killing of the Imam

I just completed reading a book called ‘The Killing of the Imam’ which chronicles the life of a South African Imam, by the name of Abdullah Haron who was killed in prison by the apartheid police in 1969. The book was initially published in 1978, but was banned in South Africa and it has recently been reprinted. I won’t speak about how horrendous apartheid was, we all know about that already, and the Imam’s story is not very different from many others. He was held in detention by the then security police, for 131 days in which he was relentlessly questioned, left in solitary confinement and eventually physically beaten to such an extent that he passed away because of his injuries. All through this he did not give up the people he was working with and insisted on not giving the police any names. Today he goes down as a struggle hero, and his story has been a motivation and inspiration to many.

 

While reading this book I naturally contemplated on some things. Firstly, we will never know what the capture and the death of the Imam did to his family. Years later the effects of this event is still dominant in their lives. This illustrates how every action has a ripple effect, whether positive or negative and most times people don’t even consider the consequences of their actions and who it will affect.

 
Secondly, the claim of superiority by any person or group of person’s always needs to be looked on with scepticism because those who are truly superior will never show their superiority; in fact they will not even believe that they are superior. The example of our beloved messenger, Muhammad (pbuh) comes to mind once again. There can be no person who is more superior than Muhammad (pbuh), no King, no Prince, and definitely no President. Allah Almighty himself has asserted the superiority of Muhammad (pbuh). Yet this Blessed man never once believed that he was superior nor did he behave in a superior manner at any point. On the contrary he insisted on remaining humble, a slave of Allah who slept on the floor, ate on the floor, stayed hungry for days and gave to others before even thinking of himself. What a perfect example this is for us all. Through humility everyone benefits and everyone is treated with respect, and through pride and arrogance the opposite occurs.

 
These were important reflections, no doubt, but it was the Imam’s assertiveness that his fight against apartheid, (which he regarded as a fight for the people) was the right thing to do as Muslim, that really stood out for me. It was related that Imam Abdullah emphasized the social responsibility of Muslims, how we are supposed to care about others, see to those in need and stand up for the oppressed. He provided charity and assistance to families of those who were convicted and called “terrorists” simply because they dared to stand up against the oppressive white apartheid government. He did this with full knowledge that he himself might be implicated and regarded as assisting “terrorists”; and this is exactly what had happened. When he was arrested his charity work was questioned, his motivation for freedom and equality was questioned, and basically his humanitarian efforts were regarded as “terrorist activity”. But he stood firm, because he believed that as an Imam his duty to the people extended far beyond the minbar (pulpit) and the Friday sermon. Many hailed him as a martyr when he was killed, Allah knows best about everything, but I can definitely look upon this man as a role model for us all.

And then I can’t help but feel saddened by our generation. We have a rich legacy, but we don’t even have knowledge about this legacy. What would people like Imam Abdullah say to us today? How would he feel about our level of apathy and selfishness? I feel like we have been deprived- we do not know the importance of many things, including other people because our lives are mainly virtual and this means that we are mainly individualistic.  We have everything in terms of material things, but we have very little in terms of human morals and values!

Here in South Africa the new generation has been given freedom on a golden platter. We have fooled ourselves into believing that the struggle is over! Yes, apartheid may be over, but the struggle is far from over!  Just the other day a horrible rape of a young 17-year-old schoolgirl occurred here in our country! Not to mention the many more rapes which were reported on subsequent to that. We are losing our youth to drugs and crime. Our streets are filled with beggars, education is dismal- children are in Grade 7 but they cannot read and the literacy rate of the country is so poor it’s embarrassing. These are only but a few of the many struggles we have to deal with.

 How can anyone say that the struggle is over when we have so many battles on our very doorstep? How can we continue to live in our comfort zones when the world is going mad around us? Where’s our sense of caring, our sense of social responsibility? If only we had the outlook and conviction of people like Imam Abdullah Haron, perhaps our country would be better and perhaps we would be able to leave behind our own legacy which could one day be admired and followed by others.  

May Almighty Allah help us all to do what pleases Him, to care about others to the point that we will protect them no matter what, to be a benefit to those around us (because obviously we cannot help everyone). May Allah help us to become aware and awake to the things that really matter so that we too can become people of substance and honour! Inshaa-Allah Ameen

Book Image from here
To read more about Imam Abdullah Haron you can also visit: http://www.iahet.com/