INSOMNIA

Bismillaah
Subhan'Allaah here is a poem that was sent by a sister....
May Allaah [swt] give her ease and sukoon in her heart. Ameen.

Trying to sleep but my eyes open wide
With voices whispering from every side
Battles in my mind and nowhere to hide
a futile resistance against the rising tide

Thought after thought taunting my soul
As this constant barrage takes its toll
Eating away slowly now a gaping hole
My mind going crazy and out of control

I search frantically and fail in despair
For something elusive which was always there
Something tossed away without a care
its prolonged absence I can no longer bear
Peace of mind I no longer possess,
A nightmarish life I must confess
So much hardships and so much stress
A constant companion is pain and distress

Tossing and turning all night long
miserable and sad -everything is wrong
what is life? and where do I belong?
Millions of questions and all answers gone

My heart is riddled with grief and sorrow
And with these thoughts my tears flow
All hope lost my heart sinks low
Without a care what happens tomorrow

Finely balanced on the edge of a knife
I see the stranger who lives my life
an emotionless tyrant causing havoc and strife
A corrupted soul where ignorance is rife

My whole world is hypocrisy and lies
And no more goodness do I recognise
Everything I possess I begin to despise
And this voice inside, I hear its cries

Of a promise made before the days of old
In a meeting with my lord - I am told
That forever in my heart, tawheed I would hold
A promise broken for a miserable price sold

This murmuring voice so long ignored
To delay it further, I can not afford
So this mission of truth, I have taken aboard
With conviction my shield and truth my sword

An uphill struggle an eternal fight
Battle-lines drawn between wrong and right
Returning to my lord, I head for the light
Submerged in Salah is my only respite

Lifting my hands to my lord I pray
'let ignorance go and let faith stay
Through your mercy show me the way
Give me guidance so that I can obey'

With an open heart I read the Quran
I discover my Creator's will and plan
Word of my Lord, a guidance for man
Missing pieces restored now I am one

Content and happy, no more tears to weep
Content and happy, I fall asleep
Peace and happiness with faith running deep
Peace and happiness - forever to keep
 
 "Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction."

 [EMQ - Ar R'ad - 13:28]

Friendship

As we walk our path of life,
We meet new people everyday.
Most are simply met by chance.
But, special ones are sent our way.

These become special friends
Whose bond we can't explain;
The ones who understand us the most
And shares our joys and pain.

A special friend, who makes me see,
that what a wonderful life we have
no matter the ups and downs,
That our true happiness is to worship Allaah [swt] above.

This Friendship contains understanding,
in the best and righteous way
So, even we are miles.....apart,
To keep us strong we pray.

Their presence enhances us
With a warmth felt in the heart.
Indeed we thank Al-Mighty Allaah [swt]
That this friendship was created from the very start.

This friendship becomes a passageway,
When even the miles disappear.
And so, these special friends, God sends our way,
Remain forever near.


By Annonymous

The Virtues Of Fasting In Summer

 In the name of Allaah, Most Gracious,Most Merciful

By Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali

Ibn Rajab commented on the virtues of fasting in the heat in 'Lata'if al-Ma'arif'
[P. 272-273]:

"...And from the acts of worship whose reward is multiplied during the heat is fasting, and this is because of the thirst that one experiences in the mid-day heat.

This is why Mu'adh bin Jabal expressed regret on his deathbed that he would no longer experience this mid-day thirst, as did other early Muslims.

It was related that Abu Bakr would fast in the summer and not fast in the winter, and 'Umar advised his son 'Abdullah on his deathbed: "Try to obtain the characteristics of faith," and the first one he mentioned was fasting in the intense summer heat.


And al-Qasim bin Muhammad said that 'A'ishah[ra] would fast in the intense heat, and he was asked: "What drove her to do this?" He replied: "She would take advantage of the days before death." And some of the righteous women would choose the hottest days and fast them, saying: "If the price is low, everyone will buy," meaning that she wanted to do those actions that only a few were capable of due to how hard it was to do them, and this is indicative of the high aspirations these women had.

Abu Musa al-Ash'ari[ra] was on a boat, and he heard someone calling out: "O passengers, stand up!" And he said this three times. So, Abu Musa told him: "How can we stand up? Don't you see where we are? How can we stand up?" So, the caller said: "Let me tell you of a rule that Allah made upon Himself: whoever makes himself thirsty for Allaah's sake on a hot day has the right upon Allaah [swt] to have his thirst quenched on the Day of Resurrection." So, Abu Musa would search out the days that were so hot that one would feel he was being cooked, and he would fast those days.



Ka'b said that Allaah [swt]  Said to Musa: "I made it incumbent upon Myself that whoever is thirsty for My sake will have his thirst quenched on the Day of Resurrection," and others said that it's written in the Torah: "Glad tidings for whoever makes himself hungry in anticipation of the Great Day where he will have his hunger satisfied, and glad tidings for whoever makes himself thirsty in anticipation of the Great Day where he will have his thirst quenched."





Al-Hasan said: "A maiden of Paradise will speak to the wali of Allaah [swt] while he is laying with her on the shore of a river of honey in Paradise while she hands him a glass of the sweetest drink, and she will ask him: "Do you know what day Allaah [swt] married me to you? He Saw you on a long summer day while you were thirsty in the mid-day heat, and He called the Angels and Said: "Look at My slave. He has left his wife and pleasure and food and drink for Me out of his desire for what I have for him. Bear witness that I have Forgiven him," and He Forgave you on that day and married you to me.""



And when 'Amir bin 'Abd Qays went from Basrah to Sham, Mu'awiyah would ask him to tell him what he needed. He refused to ask of him, and eventually said: "All I need is for you to return the heat of Basrah to me to make the fasting a bit harder, as it is too easy in your lands."

Al-Hajjaj was on a journey between Makkah and Madinah. He pulled out his dinner and invited a bedouin to eat with him, and the bedouin said: "I have been invited by One who is better than you and I have accepted the invitation." He asked: "And who is this?" The man replied: "Allaah [swt] invited me to fast, and I fasted." al-Hajjaj asked: "On this very hot day?" The man replied: "Yes. I am fasting it in anticipation of a much hotter day." al-Hajjaj said: "So, eat today and fast tomorrow." The man replied: "Only if you can guarantee that I will live until tomorrow." al-Hajjaj said: "This isn't in my hands." The man said: "How can you ask me to do something now when there is something of the future that isn't in your hands?"

Ibn 'Umar [ra] went on a trip once with some companions, and they saw a sheep-herder who they invited to eat with them. He said: "I am fasting," and Ibn 'Umar said: "You are fasting in heat like this, and while you are between all these plants and sheep?" The herder replied: "I'm taking advantage of my remaining days." Ibn 'Umar was impressed by this reply and said: "Can you sell one of your sheep to us? We'll feed you from its meat when you break your fast, and we'll also pay you for it."
The herder said: "It doesn't belong to me. It belongs to my master." Ibn 'Umar said: "What would your master say if you told him that it was eaten by a wolf?" The herder raised his finger to the sky and said: "What about Allaah?" Ibn 'Umar kept repeating this phrase that the herder was saying, and when he got to the city, he went to the herder's owner and bought him and his sheep from him. He then freed the herder and gave him his sheep as a gift.


And Ruh bin Zinba' was traveling between Makkah and Madinah on a very hot day. A herder living on a mountain approached him, and he said to him: "O herder, come eat with me." The herder said: "I'm fasting." Ruh said: "You're fasting in this heat?" The herder replied: "Should I let my days pass by in vain?" So, Ruh said: "You have used your days wisely, O herder, while Ruh bin Zinba' has wasted his."

Ibn 'Umar [ra] used to fast extra days until he would almost faint, and this wouldn't cause him to break his fast. And al-Imam Ahmad would fast until he was about to pass out, and would wipe water over his face. He was asked about fasting very hot days, and he replied:

"There is nothing wrong with wetting a towel to squeeze the water on himself to cool down with." And the Prophet [saw] would pour water over his head while fasting.

Abu ad-Darda' would say:
"Fast the very hot days in anticipation of the Day of Resurrection, and pray two rak'at in the darkness of night in anticipation of the darkness of the grave."

It's reported in the two 'Sahih's that he said:

"You have seen us with the Messenger of Allaah [saw] on some of his journeys on very hot days, and a man would hold his hand against his head due to the intensity of the heat, and none of them would be fasting except the Messenger of Allaah and 'Abdullah bin Rawahah."

And the narration of Muslim states that Abu ad-Darda'[ra] said: "This was during the month of Ramadan."

When those who fast for Allaah [swt] in the heat are patient despite their intense thirst, He set aside a specific gate of the gates of Paradise for them. This is the gate called Rayyan, and whoever enters through it will drink, and whoever drinks after entering it will never be thirsty again. When they enter through it, it will be locked for those after them, and none will enter through it except them..."

AND THAT IS A GREAT DAY OF SUCCESS

May Allaah [swt] make firm and give us the ability to endure the hardship for His [swt]'s sake, And make us of those who enter through the Gate of Rayyaan.

Ameen