A comforting ending with Alrahman

Written on 11/28/18

Months ago, I lost my grandmother and began struggling with my faith. Images of facing God were haunting me as I thought of being alone in my own grave. As I was listening to verses from the Quran one day, one particular verse frightened me and shook me to my core. It talked about how every individual will be accountable for their own deeds and will one day meet God alone.

‎وَكُلُّهُمْ آتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَرْدًا
“Every one of them will come before Him alone on the Day of Assembly.” [19:95]

For some reason, that thought made me uncomfortable. I felt an overwhelming sensation of guilt. I could see all my sins weighing on me and couldn’t fathom meeting God while carrying them. The concept of being alone scared me most.

I phoned a friend and explained my discomfort to her, and immediately without hesitation she asked me to read the two verses that precede the verse I was fearful of. “Who does God say will account you individually?” she asked. I read the verses.

‎إِن كُلُّ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِلَّا آتِي الرَّحْمَٰنِ
‎عَبْدًا
‎لَّقَدْ أَحْصَاهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدًّا
‎وَكُلُّهُمْ آتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَرْدًا
“There is not a single being in the heavens nor on the earth except that it must come as a servant to the Compassionate. He counted them and numbered them all precisely. Every one of them will come before Him alone on the Day of Assembly.” [19:93-95]

Who will we return to alone? Al-Rahman, the most Gracious and the most Compassionate. The one full of Mercy. From all the names God could have used to describe Himself in these verses, He uses the one embedded with mercy, grace, and forgiveness. I was speechless, absolutely blown away. Suddenly, the images of loneliness and the heaviness of my sins began to wash away as I thought of the most Compassionate. That one verse that scared me so much has now become one of my biggest hopes and sources of comfort. What a blessing to know the souls of our loved ones and our own individual souls will be with none other than Al-Rahman, the most Compassionate.

#Alhumdulilah #ThankyouGod #Al-Rahman #ChooseMercy

The Mercy in Surah Maryam

How does God address Maryam’s thoughts of not wanting to live in the Quran? How do we cope with being alone when we die? Which name of God is mentioned in Surah Maryam more than in any other chapter in the Quran? How does Prophet Zachariah embody the concept of vulnerability in his heartfelt supplication to God? 

Dive into Surah Maryam with us in this video to see how it beautifully answers all these questions and more :)

https://youtu.be/wp0WMJskPdA

Bringing life after death

Written on December 18, 2018

What do you think of when you see a lifeless tree come back to life again? Or when you witness a withering flower blossom soon after? Or when you notice a branch stripped of every sign of life grow green leaves once again? We are witnessing God. We are witnessing His ability, His wisdom, His precision, His mercy.

God says in the Quran, Chapter 30, verse 50:
فَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ آثَارِ رَحْمَتِ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“So look at the results of God’s mercy, how He brings life back to the earth after its death. Verily the same will bring life to the dead. And He is capable of all things.”

When we examine nature around us coming back to life, we are filled with hope and beauty. Think of a sunny beautiful day in spring just weeks after a rainy gloomy day in winter. The change in life around us is awe inspiring.

Now think of your life. Your death. Your return to God. Suddenly, life after death doesn’t sound as magical. But what if, what if, IT IS that magical?! In this verse, after Allah tells us to examine His mercy in the resurrection happening to the nature in front of us, He compares that to our own resurrection. What if just like the new life in spring we love to see, our lives after death will be just as becoming and just as blossoming?

Perhaps the unseen part is what scares us most. But what gives us hope is His promise in this verse. And in so many verses in the Quran. And in the creation around us. And in the fact that every new leaf growing is a witness to His infinite mercy.

What’s also beautiful about this verse is that God says to look at the remnants or results of His mercy. Results come after something. Maybe after a life full of meaning for you and me. A life full of faith, and hope. A life full of ups and downs, rises and falls, battling the storms of life. But never forgetting that this isn’t our spring season yet. We are seeds being watered. And we will sprout when we return to Him.

May we blossom so effortlessly when we meet Him. Ameen.

Spirituality and nature

Five times a day, Muslims must remain constantly aware of the sun’s position in the sky as it makes its gradual departure from east to west. Isn’t it so amazing that our daily prayers are so inherently intertwined with the world around us? Before the sun rises, we pray Fajr, when the sun is at a certain angle throughout the day, we pray Duhr and Asr, when it sets, we pray Maghrib. When there is a certain amount of darkness, we pray Isha. Allah is teaching us to constantly connect with nature around us while we simultaneously connect with Him, the Creator of everything, from the sun to each of us.

Nothing is created without purpose. This drives us to remember Allah in every change we see in the sun and nature around us, slowly helping us remember Him in every aspect of our lives as our lives also change. As reflected in the physical world around us, there will also be varying degrees of darkness and light in our lives and in our hearts. Through it all, Allah wants us to stay connected to Him, the one constant rope to hold on to. Our spirituality in Islam is so vitally entwined with the world around us. There is a merging, reliance, and interdependence of the unseen and intangible with the apparent and physical.

Allah says in the Quran: ‘Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for those of understanding. Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created this without purpose, glory to You! Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.”‘ [3:190-191]

What is beautiful about these verses is that Allah encourages us to reflect on the creation around us. Watching the sun set, the birds spread their wings and defy gravity, and lightning strike against the pitch black sky remind us of God’s amazing power and vast ability. The world around us is constantly giving us reasons to glorify His names.

Moreover, our beloved prophet (PBUH) also taught us to say certain prayers depending on changes in nature. The prophetic tradition has a specific supplication for when it rains, when the wind is strong, when lightning strikes, during a lunar eclipse, in a drought, during sunrise and sunset. Our religion teaches us to be in touch with the outer world and make it a part of our spirituality.

Being connected to nature can you help you overcome certain stages in your life. Allah says those who remember Him standing, sitting and on their sides. We don’t remember Allah when it’s merely convenient. We remember Him in times of hardship and ease, in darkness and light, in success and in failure. Allah is always there for us regardless, and the sun that is once not visible will eventually rise. Allah is teaching us to be hopeful through His creation.

In these verses, Allah describes those who reflect on His creation as those who understand. When you reflect on the nature around you, you are increasing your intellect. Allah is encouraging us not to let things around us change as we sit and watch, unaware of everything going on around us. As the world changes, so too should we reflect on how we should change; just as the clouds pour down their rain, at times, we need to let go of our grudges and bad habits; just as the moon lights a dark road, we too can light the path for others; just as the gentle breeze brings coolness on a hot summer day, we too can strive to be sources of mercy in the lives of others. These reflections transform these physical realities into meaningful, spiritual realizations that hit deep and lead to changes in our own lives.

I pray Allah grants us the understanding to use the changes of nature to reflect on our lives, build a deeper connection with our Creator and His creation, and strengthen our own spirituality.

 -----

Originally posted at http://www.muslimamerican.com/spirituality-and-nature/

Plant a seed this Ramadan

Imagine planting a seed and carefully watering it on a daily basis. Slowly but surely, after nurturing that seed, you will see it bloom into a beautiful blossoming flower. The end result makes your effort at the beginning worth every drop of sweat you shed.

Ramadan is soon to be knocking on our doors, and as this beautiful month approaches, it is time for us to start planting our seeds. In what areas of your life do you have shortcomings? How can get you closer to God? What changes do you want to make to better yourself as a person and as a servant of your Creator? Plant those seeds now, for Ramadan is a time to water and care for them. With every fast, every sajda (prostration), every donation, every letter you read of the Quran, you are watering your seeds. And when Eid comes, God-willing you will see the fruits and blessings of those seeds come to life.

You may currently be at a low point in your life, needing something to pick you back up, and that’s why Ramadan is so essential in our lives. It’s a chance to repent, a chance to change and get closer to God. You may feel like you’ve made so many mistakes between last Ramadan and now, and that there is no more hope for your darkened heart. This is where the Quran brings out a concept so powerful.

God says in the Quran, chapter 57, verse 16: “Isn’t it time for the hearts of the believers to humble themselves to the remembrance of God…”. Isn’t it time for you and I to prioritize God in our daily lives? The verse continues and says not to become like those whose hearts hardened with time. When you’re lacking in remembrance of your Creator, when you stop praying to Him and asking Him for your needs, a hardened heart is almost inevitable. But this is why the next verse is so pertinent.

God says next: “Know that God brings life to the earth after it was dead. We’ve made Our proofs clear to you so you can understand.” God shows us that a dead land, a land we deemed absolutely lifeless, can come to life once again. A seed you assumed would never be sown now has a chance of becoming a beautiful blossoming flower. When you feel so far from Allah, filled with mistakes, with a heart so dark, know that God can bring light back into your heart, just as He gave life back to the dead land. There is always hope. And God starts off this verse by saying “Know”. Know it like nothing else, believe it, embody it, and let that be your motivation to plant a seed this Ramadan.

Start today and ask yourself : What will you harvest out of Ramadan?

Key to success

Just linked these two together for the first time and not sure if everyone knew this and I'm just now figuring it out or what, but when the Athan (Muslim's call to prayer) is called, it says "Come to success". Then in Surah Almuminoon, chapter 23 of the Quran, the first verse says "The believers are successful", and the very next verse describes them as being humble in their PRAYERS! So here in these two examples are two correlations between prayer and success. When you are so hungry for success but are struggling to attain it, look at your prayers. There's the key to your success and mine. 

رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ

"O my Lord! make me one who establishes regular Prayer, and also raise such among my offspring, Lord, and accept my Prayer". Ameen. 

Darkness and light

What I love so much about the first verse of the 6th chapter in the Quran, Surah Alan'aam, is that it starts off thanking and praising God, the One who created the earth and the One who made darkness and light. 

Whenever I read this chapter, this first verse gets me every time. We thank Allah for darkness as much as we thank Him for light. We need both to exist, and both are essential to our fundamental growth as worshippers of God. Without the dark gloomy sky, we wouldn't appreciate the bright lively light. 

As hard as we have it in times of darkness, we thank Him for that opportunity to get closer to Him, and to grow and realize our potential. No one would strive harder if they hadn't reached rock bottom at some point. And without experiencing such a tough point in our lives, we would not appreciate being in a place of peace and stability. Both shape us and give us the energy we need to realize everything we have is an opportunity to get closer to our Creator, the One who blessed us with both darkness and light. 

"الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ 

All praises and thanks be to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and originated the darkness and the light..."