I Know A Man

Once upon a time in my little world, I

woke up daily to see his smiling face.

Don't get me wrong, there were days

when the look on his face was stern. I

should know because I was a lot of

trouble while growing up. This didn't

stop him from loving me or loving us

all. That was his way, his heart was

made of gold and had nothing but love

for all.


It was he who first taught me the

meaning of selflessness not by speech

but by action. He never was one to

discriminate. In his eyes, everyone was

the same, whether rich or poor.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says; “O you who believe! Fear Allah and speak a word that is right. He will set right for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great achievement.” [ Sûrah al-Ahzâb : 70-71] 

His Messenger (peace be upon him) also said : “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak a good word or remain silent. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his neighbor. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his guest.” [ Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim ]

Even before I learned this from the

Quran and hadith, I had learned it

from his actions.

I could go on about him but the words

will never be enough and my eyes are

filled with tears and this screen is

blurry. I cry just like I do now every

time I pass by that pedestrian bridge

at Charity bus stop, you know that one

in front of the Armed Forces

Resettlement Centre? I cry because I

remember the first time I climbed it,

it was with him holding my small hand

in his for my first day in secondary

school. I cry because I remember a

dark night that I cried in my sleep and

didn't even know it. But he heard me

and came to me and found a remedy

for my tooth ache. I cry because I

remember how he always had a

listening ear and I know he can't hear

me again. What I have is memories and

I will keep them forever in my heart.

Memories of a great man, whose living

touched the lives of so many. An

honest man, a kind man, a good man

whose kind is truly hard to find.

You may wonder why I used 'know'

instead of its past tense 'knew' in the

title. It's because even though he's no

more, this heart of mine will know him

for as long as Ar Rahman permits it. I

called him Daddy. The father of my

heart, a father like no other.

P.S- Whenever our hearts ache due to the pain of losing our loved ones, let's always remember to say a dua for them as well as give thanks to Allah for making them a part of our transient stay on earth. Loss is painful, May Allah grant solace to everyone who has suffered the pain of loss.

Awkward Questions; "Don't You Feel Hot?"

  Nigeria, especially Lagos is not best the place

to be presently. Is it the endless queues

at filling stations (I saw the longest

queue ever over the weekend

and I nearly wept for those in it. They

were even given tickets! *sighs*)? The

almost non - existent power supply? Over

priced food items? I could go on but let

me stop here. Oh! I forgot the main

reason for this post which is the heat or

should I say  THE HEAT? At least that is

not one we can blame the government for

except if we want to talk about improper

waste management, pollution, green

house gases, ozone layer depletion etc

but this is not the place for that. We can

however bemoan the fact that the power

supply and lack of fuel for our

generators is making it difficult for us to

cope with the heat.

  So, I'm not one to go out often as I

find pleasure in solitude but going for

classes and other essential outings can't

be avoided which is why I was out that

day and met another one of those people

who don't seem to enjoy minding their

own business.

  "I'm sorry to ask but don't you feel

hot in that?", she asked. My mind was 

thinking, "Aunty, what is your own na?

Can't you see as this sun is shining? Is it

your hot? Somebody cannot even wear

black in peace again? Na market I come

buy o!" But the well mannered person in

me smiled sweetly at her and responded,

"I feel the same amount of heat you

feel." She goes, "That's not true."

"You be thermometer? , ' That's my 

subconscious again but I pay no mind to

it and politely respond, "Maybe I used to

feel very hot when I just started wearing

it but let's just say I'm used to it."

"Better. So, why did you start wearing

it?"  At this moment, I want out of there

but the store owner seems to be taking

forever and I decide to indulge her

more, "Because it's an obligation."

She asks, "But not all Muslim women wear

it. Why's that?"

"Maybe they don't know about its

obligation."

She seems to be in thought for some time

and asks again, "You're still going to

cover your face, right?"

I give her my best smile , "I'll love to"

then revel in the look of horror on her

face.

"By then you won't have friends again",

she says. I tell her I have friends who

already cover their faces and she 

concludes that it's marriage which made

them do it. To correct that assumption, I tell her that

most of them were unmarried and were still

schooling when

they started. She has no response and

the store owner chooses that time to come

out with my items and chips in rudely "Na

that one go make you see Muhammed or

Allah?"

"Actually, yes." I respond, asking for my

bill. His rudeness made me decide not to

buy the other things I needed from him.

Now, the lady has found her voice and

asks, "So, you'll cover your face when

you're married?"

"Actually, I am married. Have a nice

day." I smile and leave her with her

thoughts.

 Later, I recall the exchange and reflect

upon my response and why, despite the

scorching heat, women choose to cover as

legislated. I would have given her

the popular response found on the

internet about the Fire of Hell being

hotter but that's cliché and would not

have portrayed my true reasons. These

verses of Ar Rahman come to mind, "And

march forth in the way (which leads to)

forgiveness from your Lord, and for

Paradise as wide as the heavens and the

earth, prepared for Al Muttaqun ( the

pious ). {Suratul Al Imran;133}

I realise that the store owner in a way

was right. Yes, we fear the Fire of Hell.

We fear the punishment of our Lord but

one thing we love more is to gain His

pleasure and see His Glorious Face.

The Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa

sallam) said, “When the inhabitants of

Paradise enter Paradise, Allah will say to

them, ‘Do you want Me to give you

anything more?’ They will reply, ‘Have

You not made our faces bright? Have You

not brought us into Paradise and moved

us from Hell?’ Allah will then remove the

Veil and they will feel that they have not

been awarded anything dearer to them

than looking at their Lord.”

[Sahih Muslim]

To my sisters who choose this path and

know it's not just about the cloth but

something deeper, I pray Allah continues

to make it easy to follow His dictates

without question and that on That Day,

we will be among those about which it was said,

"Some faces that Day shall be Naadirah

(shining and radiant). Looking at their Lord (Allah)" 

{Al-Qiyaamah :22-23}

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!