Thursday, March 15, 2007
(Is it just me or is it hard to reflect at all until the baby is in bed?)
The death of My Grandfather.
As I sat reading Tafsir Suratul Baqarah late one night, 3 weeks ago, my sister rang with the news of the death of my grandfather.
"And (remember) when We took a covenant from the Children of Israel, (Saying): Worship none but Allah (alone) and be dutiful and good to parents, and to kindred, and to orphans and (the poor), and speak good to people and perform As-Salaah and Give Zakaah....."
The explanation on how to be good to the relatives, included Gifting them, visiting them and making du'aa for them when they are alive and dead, it was after reading this statement that I received the news. SubhanAllah. How great is the Mercy of Allah that I was able to read the guidance, literally seconds before the calamity.
I went to see my father as early as I could the following day. He kept repeating one sentence over and over again, "I never did enough for him'. As far as I was aware My father did so much for my Grandfather, in fact he probably did more for him in terms of supporting him and looking after him than all my aunts and uncles put together. And that is more than I've ever done for my parents. Yet, in his opinion - it wasn't enough....
"Making du'aa for them when they are alive and dead..."
My grandfather is probably the closest relative to me who has returned to Allah. In my 24 years of living I have only known 3 other people to die. Therefore, I'm ashamed to say praying for the deceased has never been high on my agenda of things and people to pray for. It was my younger sister that reminded me or rather she asked me 'What about praying for my grandmother (my father's mum, or My Nana - (My mums father) who had both passed away years before. My grandmother had returned to Allah before we were born. I remember as a child my dad had said a prayer for her, and I probably said 'Ameen' after his. That is the last I remember of praying for her. Just because we didn't know them, my sister reminded me, " do they not have rights upon us?"
Before Its too late..
My neighbour Sadie is an elderly lady who lives across the road from us. Since we moved to this house she has been the only neighbour to visit us and told us if we ever needed anything to give her a shout. And when the whole Niqaab fiasco was going on in the media, she told me to "ignore it all and stay strong."
A few weeks ago I realised that I hadn't seen her for a while, and my husband also mentioned the last time he saw her he recalls that she looks very tired. It was on the back of my mind for weeks that I need to call in on her. Weeks! SubhanAllah. Are we so engrossed in our day to day lives that we forget to give people their rights?
Early one morning last week, I awoke to a voice outside shouting, "Nan?" Her grandson was knocking on her door, shouting her, throwing small stones at her window. But there was no sign of her.
As he carried on for over half an hour my heart began beating and I thought the worst had happened. And I had been to busy to visit her.
After another looong ten minutes of his knocking - a tired looking Sadie opened her door to her grandson. I text my husband with relief that she was alive. Alhamdulillah. He told me to visit her ASAP as soon as her grandson leaves.
Too caught up in life again, it wasn't until the next morning that I went to see her.
How easily we forget...
Al Kauthar Institute and Al Maghrib Institute
It is in my opinion and the opinion of a friend of mine who has also attended a few of the AlKauthar Institute courses that the Alkauthar and Almaghrib institutes are indeed a revolution.
Throughout the Years of attending lectures, and circles and listening to lectures and reading etc. Rarely do we get knowledge along with good practical tips on how to apply this knowledge in our day to day lives in today's world.
SubhanAllah.
After returning from 'The real Deal' I find myself lost for words on how to describe it, shocked at how easily we can fall into Ribaa, and we have all indeed been touched by the dust of Ribaa, and hopeful that I am slightly more clued up at what is permissible and what isn't in trade and commerce.
It was very much different from my study of commercial Law at university - which as far as I can remember focused mainly on how to get out of our contracts or rather - 'exemption clauses'
I know some people are of the opinion that such courses may lead us to become our own judges - which would be very dangerous, I think I have come away from the course feeling quite the opposite.
Alhamdulillah the sheikh (may Allah preserve him), provided us with a good foundation on the basic principles of transactions etc in Islam, that which is clearly permissible and impermissible - essential knowledge to have since we all deal in in the most basic forms of transactions in our daily lives.
Its strange that we wouldn't really think that 'The study of the Fiqh of business transactions' would increase us in or make us feel stronger in faith, but I found the course successful in providing a balance between hope and fear of Allah, The Almighty.
It provided hope for us that there are indeed halal alternatives to what is haram in trade and commerce, It also increased us in fear - that we may fall into that which is impermissible, hence we will always return to the scholars for our legal rulings based on our own situations.
I would strongly recommend everyone who can do so to attend the upcoming courses, The Mark of a Jurist - Qawaidul Fiqh 101 and The price of Salvation - All about the Fiqh of Zakat.
Visit www.alkauthar.org for more detail.
Places are Limited!!
No comments:
Post a Comment