My Path

I came across this and it brought bitter sweet memories. It's something I wrote back in 2011. Alhamdulillah for keeping us on His Path admist this chaos called life. So, I thought to share here.....

     I have chosen to take this road that seems so rough to many people.I feel scared too because we are not many on this road.I have to bear criticism,I have to bear insults, I have to bear abuse and neglect. I have to go through fear,hurt and pain but they are only meant to make me stronger.I have stumbled, I have fallen, I have turned to the easy path yet I have risen and turned back towards this path. The other path has many routes and there's so much fun on it. It's filled with pomp, glitter and light but they never last. It feels like the whole world is on that path. However, it's just an illusion, at the end of that road is darkness, loneliness and destruction. 

My companions on this path are few,they are those who can see the light when others don't.They are those who know that relief comes after hardship.They are those who believe in the unseen promise.They are those who call to all that is good and forbid what is evil. They are those who uphold the truth even if their lives are at stake. They are those who pick me up when I fall, give me a shoulder to cry on and remind me of the need to be strong. They do not call me to enjoy all the pleasures offered by this world, rather they call me to prepare for a better life from what this life offers. They offer smiles even when they are in pain, they give even when they are in need.They are strange to others, yet well known to each other. They do not fear the blame of the blamers, rather they fear having to account for whatever they do. They are people who seek for knowledge before action,they are people who fear to show off with that which they know or act upon. Their sincerity and devotion is to a Supreme Power. Their driving force is the hope of getting to a common destination where they shall have an unending reward for all the good they've done. They follow a Book like no other with Speech from no other but the Supreme. They follow the examples of the best man who ever lived; A man who is praised by millions, a man who was known for his humility, for his honesty, for his piety,for his tenderness, for his patience, for his firmness upon the Message he was sent with, for his steadfastness, for his love and for his simplicity (May the peace and blessings of the Most High be upon him). They take lessons from the ways of those who lived with this man and imbibe their ways into their own lives. 

The true beauty of this path lies in where it leads to. It leads to a place like no other,a place free of profanity, a place free of hardships,a place free from obscenity. A place of unending pleasures,of treasures without measure. A place devoid of evil thoughts or action, a place where there's no fear, hatred, envy nor anger. A place where there's no death......... 

Even if this road seems far and lonely,I'll persevere on it. If I fall, I'll rise and continue. The bruises will heal and the pain will go away......... I won't stop until it is said to me; 'Salamun alaykum! For you persevered in patience. Excellent indeed is the final home!' 

"So patiently, persevere for verily the promise of Allaah is true and do not let those who themselves have no certainty of faith shake your firmness"{Surah Ar-Rum;60}

Awkward Questions; Are you a priest?

    Sometimes I wonder why some people ask funny questions. How does one just meet a total stranger and ask questions
 can be borderline offensive?  If the person was  already having a bad day and answered according to his or her mood, they might be seen as rude whereas the questioner didn't even think of the person's mood before asking. Thankfully, I was in a good mood on the night a man came up to me and asked;'Are you a priest?' So, I had taken a stroll down to the shawarma place down the road on one of those long nights the Mister was stuck in traffic, l made my order and sat waiting for it to be ready. Then comes this middle-aged looking man, he sits across from me and the following conversation ensued.
Man; 'How are you?'
Me; 'Fine, thank you sir.'
Man; 'Good'
Me; (looking down at my phone and hoping that ends the conversation)
Man; 'Are you a priest?'
Me; (Inwardly, how can a woman be a priest?) 'I am a woman(obviously), women are not priests.'
Man; 'Women can be priests'
Me; (eyes as huge as saucers looking at my phone) 'Really?'
Man; 'Yes, like women evangelists and so on'
Me; (Yeah, right!) 'I am a Muslim (obviously)'
Man; 'Yes, So you follow Muhammad?'
Me;  'Yes'
Man; 'Have you heard of Jesus?'
Me; (Now, I have an idea where this is headed) 'Yes'
Man; 'Do you believe in him?'
Me; 'Yes'
Man; 'That's a new one, I didn't know Muslims believe in Jesus'
Me; 'We do'
Man; 'So you believe he's coming back?'
Me; 'Yes'
Man; 'You believe he died on the cross?'
Me;'No, he didn't die. His soul was taken up to the heavens.'
Man;  'Really? So what is he coming back to do?'
Me;  'To kill the Dajjal'
Man;'What's that?'
Me;  'Sorry, that's the Arabic word for anti-Christ.'
Man; 'Oh, I didn't know Muslims believe in  anti-Christ too. I have learned something new'
Me; 'We believe in a lot of things. You should read the Qur'an sometime.'
Man; 'Why don't you tell me what's in it?'
Me; 'I have not read the whole Qur'an'
Man; 'But your dressing shows you know a lot'
Me; ' My dressing is not a measure of the level of knowledge'
    Here comes my shawarma. Yay! I wave and head home to enjoy my dinner.
On my way home, l contemplated on whether the man was trying to preach Christianity to me or he was just plain curious. Whatever the case, I hoped that he would really read the Quran and find out more about Islam. I watched a video recently where a Muslim and a Christian were being asked about their religions. While the Christian kept making arguments for the  reality of the crucifixion of Christ and why it was needed to save mankind because 'the wages of sin is death', the Muslim asked why God will need to die for the sins of mankind(since the Christian said Jesus is God(N'audhubillah)? He asked, 'If God died, who will rule the world?' To me, that was a deep answer which will cause one to ponder. Will I have been able to say such if I had been in that Muslim's shoes? I really do not know but that and the 'Are you a priest?' questioner made me come to the conclusion that it's not enough to sit and say I'm a Muslim without at least knowing some of the things that differentiate us from other religions as well as  similarities.
    "The Messenger(Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from His Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each  one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say)"We make no distinction between one and another of His Messengers" and they say, "We hear and we obey. (We seek)Your forgiveness, our Lord and to You is the return(of all)." {Quran 2; 285}
So, have you had any experiences where you were asked questions about your belief? How did you respond? Not just religion but other things we believe firmly in. How's the preparation for the blessed month?

Wa Salaam Alaykum!

Dawn of A New Era

This morning was really cold. It rained for most of the night. I can't pretend to know when the rain started because I was far gone, "Allahumma sayyiban naafi'an, Oh Allah make it beneficial". I woke up feeling excited and I wondered why then I remembered that today is a monumental day is the history of my country.
Although I wasn't around during the time Nigeria gained her independence,  I've heard stories of excited students going to march and waving the green, white, green flag which symbolizes our existence as a Nation.  Green for our natural wealth and white for peace. Some other stories I've heard is how our people stayed back home and made progress.  They didn't have to go through dangerous and illegal sea voyages in the search for a better life. Women didn't have to go have their babies in foreign countries because we had a health system that works.  The standard of education was high and our youths were driven by the zeal to excel.

   We have come a long way from those times. Our people are more enlightened yet so many live in ignorance.  There are a lot more wealthy people yet the lands reek of abject poverty. We have so many doctors but our health system is in a deplorable state. Same can be said for the Judicial and other sectors. Education is no longer seen as a means of empowerment but just something one has to get through.  Quality education is an overpriced luxury. Crime is celebrated,  corruption is seen as 'mere stealing'. Our youth are driven by pop and 'werey (madness)' culture. Suddenly everyone has a talent for any part of the entertainment industry because it is seen as a quick way to wealth and fame. Leadership is no longer for the benefit of the masses but a quick means of amassing wealth that'll keep generations living in affluence. 

      

        This day marks the beginning of a new administration that has promised to bring our nation back to its glory as the giant of Africa and make it even better. They campaigned and promised to bring about change. They made Nigerians believe that all sectors can be reformed by diligence and the commitment to service.
My people were tired of allowing mediocrity to rule over us and supported the advocacy for change. Even those who tried to cause a divide upon the basis of ethnic and religious differences didn't make an impact. Nigerians decided to vote for a leader with a record of integrity and non complacency. Not even his age and questions of his state of health deterred us from wanting to leave the comfort of mediocrity we had found ourselves in. In elections that were the most closely monitored by Nigerians,  General Muhammadu Buhari emerged as our leader for the next four year ruling term.
  
    Now we have a new leader, we are optimistic, filled with hope this dawn signifies the beginning of a brand new Nigeria.  We however have fears, fears that the system has deteriorated beyond redemption, fears that only a miracle can lift this nation from its deplorable state of ruin. Nigerians have been resilient and it's often said that if you can survive in Nigeria,  you can survive anywhere in the world. Now is the time to all work towards  the change we desire by being law abiding and patient. It took us years to get to this state. It won't change magically in one day. A great nation is not just about the leaders but the followers too.  Good people,  Good leaders.  Bad people, Bad leaders. Simple.

Let us pray that our new leader is granted this nation, that he stays true to his promises, that all sectors are reformed and our nation returns to a state of peace and stability. 

May this be the dawn of a new era for us, that anywhere in the world we go to, we'll be proud to hold our heads up and say we are Nigerians.

Wa Salaam Alaykum!
 

No Light, No Fuel!

So, I had not fully understood how

negatively the fuel scarcity was affecting
all activities until I decided to go get my
hair done last week. Previously,  I had discovered a lovely beauty parlor and the nice Muslimah who owns it told me I could come in at any time and be assured of privacy though it's not run strictly for Muslimahs. 

The style I wanted required making use of the hooded dryer and when I made my request,  the stylist looked at me as if I had grown horns. "Aunty no light, no fuel". Me, "Toh! What will we do now?"  Inwardly, I asked myself, " Which kain question you dey ask the girl so? You want make she turn water to fuel?".  

 

Remembering that air drying is better for the hair, I opted to air dry, #TeamHealthyHair. Our version of air drying was achieved by making use of the hand fan aka 'abebe'. 

Thinking that was the end of the struggle,  I headed home happily only to get home and discover that PHCN had not restored power supply all day. "Haba! Nepa, why now?". Well, they seemed to hear me because power was restored for about 10 minutes after which all my 'pleas' fell on deaf ears.

    Two days later as I tried to make wudhu, the tap made that mocking sound of sucking in air telling me that we had run out of water. Now, it was no longer 'No light, No fuel' , 'No water' had also joined the mantra. So, the water management exercise began. Who keeps water at home? There was just a little that was stored and I began wishing I had a large drum to store water whilst my neighbor who has one just didn't think it necessary to store water. By the next day, water was completely exhausted. Sachet water was reserved for wudhu and cooking. How then was one expected to take a shower or get 'number two' done?. The one mai ruwa in the neighborhood was AWOL. Obviously,  he couldn't get water too so how will he sell what he doesn't have?. I called up my good friends living close by and luckily, water was still being sold in their area. Maashaa Allaah! Armed with kegs in the car trunk I opened the gate to prepare for the journey to water and right there outside the gate was the most beautiful sight I had seen in days! A mai ruwa's truck stood there in its full glory with black twenty five litre kegs of water telling me not to bother going anywhere. Seriously,  I didn't know whether to cry or scream with joy.  "Verily,  after hardship is ease." 

  SubhanAllaah!  The little things we take for granted. Presently, there are places affected by drought with no near end in sight. May Allaah grant them ease soon, Aameen. Like the hilarious yinklezdimplez said in one of her serious moments,  these times are a reminder to be humble. Many people had money to purchase fuel and some even purchased at up to five hundred naira per litre but at a point, there was no fuel to purchase.
  There are people whose daily struggle is to have those things we consider basic. How often do we thank Him?  How often do we lend them a helping hand?
  Our nation is in dire need of His Mercy. Poverty is evident in so many places whilst some live in so much excess. May Allah grant peace to this land soon, Aameen.
How did the fuel scarcity affect you?

Wa Salaam Alaykum!

Who Do You Love?

  When I was younger,  I used to hear the saying ," Show me your friend and I'll tell you what type of person you are." I didn't quite grasp the meaning until years later when I came to know that friendships and relationships can greatly influence the decisions we make. Friends can knowingly or unknowingly bring a person towards goodness or lead them astray. In the end, it all lies in the hands of an individual to choose a path.

  Being a Muslimah, when I was less conscious of the obligations of the religion it was easier to make friends and keep them but with religious consciousness came the realization that not every friendship is safe. Some friends (including Muslims) would not accept that you are the same person just thinking,  acting and dressing differently.  For some, the dressing is the first turn off and it quickly dawned on me that not everyone wants to be seen with a person who walks around looking like a religious brand. You are then cut off completely,  accepted as you are, ignored or teased endlessly.
It's okay to be teased, ignored or even cut off. The ones you should be concerned about are those who criticize everything you say or do and label you a religious bigot. Being around such people often can lead to endless arguments and rifts that are best avoided. If you are not yet steadfast upon an aspect of the deen, their actions can influence you to leave it completely.

  Let's take an instance of a person who has just learned that music is haram and is trying to leave it but has close friends who don't hold the same opinion and do not accept it. What happens when they are frequently together and music is always played? Music is so hard to leave if you love it and such person may end up just seeing it as harmless again (I've been there!).
Another example, A Muslimah has friends who wear the headscarf and glam it all up with tight clothing and excess make up. She has just learned and is accepting that hijab is not synonymous with tight clothing. Then comes the low days when proper hijab is just too hard and she just feels like she's not cut out for it. In come her dolled up hijabi friends, I'm guessing without them telling her to take off her loose clothing,  seeing them alone can make her do it (Again, I've been there!). There are various situations from free mixing,  working in riba based institutions,  free mixing to haram relationships, the list goes on.

   It becomes difficult when the friends who affect our religion negatively are those we hold close to our hearts. A man once asked Allah's Apostle (Peace be upon him) when the Hour will be established. Allah's Apostle (Peace be upon him) asked him what he had prepared for it and he said, 'I haven't prepared for it much of prayer,  fasts or alms but I love Allah and His Apostle.'  Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) said, 'You will be with those whom you love.'  SubhanAllaah!  Our journey to the Hereafter is even linked with the people we hold close to our hearts.  Therefore,  our relationships are not to be taken with levity because a lot is attached to them. This also brings to mind the verse in Suratul Zukhruf where Allah The Most High says , " Friends that Day will be foes one to another except Al Muttaqoon (The pious)."   What is the use of a relationship if it will lead to enmity on the Day of Judgment?  Don't get me wrong, I don't mean all friends should be cut off. Rather,  choose wisely and know when to draw the line. If you have the ability to be a constant reminder, do so with kind words and good actions.  Let your friends learn that which is good from you. Be careful not to come out as condescending,  learn the proper manners of correcting people.  Make duaa for them in their absence. If all these don't work and you find yourself slipping, limit your interactions to ensure the safety of your nafs (soul). However,  do not forget to keep making duaa for them.

And from the words of the best of us is, "The example of a good companion (who sits with you)  in comparison with a bad one, is like that of the musk seller and the black smith's bellows (or furnace); from the first you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell while the bellows burn your clothes or your house, or you get a bad nasty smell thereof."  {Bukhari}

So, tell me how have you handled being different from your companions? Would really love to hear from you.
   

Wa Salaam Alaykum!

When We Forget

    It's been almost two years and this little space of mine has been devoid of activity.  The sad truth is I cannot explain why. There are times I picked up my pen, wrote a single line and stopped.  Other times, I wrote it all in my head and forgot. Blame it on this wandering mind of mine. It would not be sincere to say it won't happen again because this subconscious of mine sure works in overdrive, over thinking even the smallest of affairs. Wallaahul Musta'an.

      As humans, we are prone to getting so engrossed in our daily lives and all that  surrounds us which sometimes makes us forget our purpose and the race towards it. For Muslims, it may be hard for us to know when we slip into that state of forgetfulness.  After all,  we heed the call to prayers, fast, abstain from evil and so on.
Have you ever stopped to think of all those times you observed salah whilst your mind was busy preparing for work or cooking Amala, Ewedu and Buka stew before you remembered that you've lost concentration?  How many times have we attended gatherings of knowledge, nodded our heads to the teachings but returned home empty? Acts of ibaadah (worship) can sometimes become monotonous and rather than find the spiritual uplift that comes with completion,  we just tick check on our to do lists. This phase can happen to any of us but problems arise when it becomes the norm instead of just a low moment. Being unmindful of these low moments can lead to a constant state of negligence resulting in hard hearts. May Allah save us from such, Aameen.

'Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and He will remember you in times of adversity. ' Those were a part of the words from the best of mankind (Peace be upon him) to one of his sahaba (companions).  If the sahaba (May Allah be pleased with them) who had practised the best Islam were told to be mindful of Allah,  then we are in more need of a constant reminder because we live in times where so many distractions are present.
An important lesson from these words is that we should not wait until we are in dire straits before checking the state of our hearts and reviewing our relationship with Ar Rahman.

  So, how do we avoid falling into a monotonous state of worship? As the narration goes, 'Actions shall be judged according to intentions.' The first thing we should check are our intentions by remembering always that whatever we perform of worship is done solely to seek the pleasure of Ar Rahman.
Next is constantly remembering Allah. Our morning and evening duaa,  dhikr after each salah, recitation of the Quran will contribute to making us aware of how are faring. Dhikr should be made while being aware of what we are saying and asking. Learning the meanings of the duaa we make will help with that awareness.  "Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest."

 

 The Prophet of Allah taught us to always  say in our final tashahud: "Allahumma a'inee 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ibaadatik ; Oh Allah help me remember You, to give you thanks, and to perform Your worship in the best manner."  This is a reminder that we can't do it all on our own without the help of Allah by making duaa.  Seeking His Help to keep or hearts firm upon goodness, to constantly remember Him and to not fall into negligence.

Allahumma ya muqallib al quloob,  thaabit qalbi 'alaa Deenik; O Turner of hearts, make my heart firm upon your religion.

Wa Salaam alaykum!