Alvida Yah Shehre Ramazan

Ramadan is coming to an end. What shall I weep for... for the departing of the most beautiful month or for not making the most of it.. not as much as I would have wanted... What shall I celebrate for... for the Eid to say 'Yes, I successfully fasted and prayed and I am now free from sin, InshaAllah'

But Eid for me... marks the going away of a month I love so much and Eid for me is so sorrowful till I actually say Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar and the Eid takbira's ring in my ears... The month does not end the praising of my Lord, but in truth, we shall continue doing so... till InshaAllah next Ramadan and there our hearts will joyfull welcome the Shehre of Ramadan... Allahuma haza Shehre Ramadan

And inshaAllah I shall live between these two praying, waiting, preparing for next Ramadan.

Take Time To Pray

I got up early one morning and rushed into the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I didn't have time to pray

Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier came each task;
"Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered. He answered, "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn't show me. He said. "But you didn't seak".

I tried to come into God's presence, I used all my keys to unlock;
God gently and lovingly chided, "My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish but I had to take time to pray.

By Mohammed Sharay Ali.

Lailatul-Qadr

As the last ten days of Ramadan approach I can't help but wish that I return back to my childhood days. The days where we wouldn't fast but then we started fasting and started competing with each other as to how many fast one did.

It started with 15 when we were 7 years and then 18 and then 20 and then 22 and then all 30 by 11 years. On Eid, gifts would be given to children who fasted more than 20 fasts. Unlike one mulasaheb from India came and said that children are not obligated to fast and one should not entice them with gifts. He announced that 'those gifts' were given just like that. LOL well whatever. I think it was a real good habit of encouraging children to fast because once they come of age and they have to fast, it's nothing new. It's norm.

I also miss Laylatul-Qadr. Commomerated on the 23rd Night of Ramadan Kareem, we would hurry for iftar and there is a break of two hours where people get to rush back home, were their finest clothes, get their finest tasbhi and masala, women would gorge themselves with all the gold they have and children would show off their pretty new dresses. It was a fashion parade.

Later on as I grew up, I realised that Lailatul Qadr didn't start at 10.30 pm where all the faithful gathered to pray the whole night. It starts with the maghrib prayer, from sunset to sunrise!! we wasted precious moments from around 6.30 to 10.30 pm. Ok may until 8 its ok where you have prayers and iftar but the whole thing of going home to get 'Fancy Dressed' seemed material and irrelevant to me.

So I wore my 'best' dress at maghrib itself to be ready for the night of power. I would take my Quran Shareef and after Iftar, when people rushed home again, I sat in masjid or markas and read the Quran. I saved around 2 and 1/2 hours of worship.

Contrast this me to the 10 year old me. I used to look forward to Lailatul Qadr, the night the Holy Book of God was revealed, (and i never thought of it like that) I looked forward to my packet of imported chocolates and nuts and I looked forward to eating them all night long and to play with the other kids in the compound of the masjid. The Golden rule for the night was only one: DON'T FALL ASLEEP else you will not get the blessings.

I miss decorating the masjid after iftar before 10.30 pm when everyone would come. I miss the colorful paper and the Posters with Names of Allah, I miss twisting party paper and writing the surah Al-Qadr on the wall of Masjid. I miss all of us friends rushing to see how beautiful the masjid was decorated or competing that they ACTUALLY new how to read Surah-Al Qadr.

I miss those innocent days. When I was 5 and I slept coz I couldn't keep awake. But i boasted the next day that hey, i was awake till 2 am!! I miss not going to school the next day but sleeping and feeling all googy and foogy.

Yes, But most of all, I miss the innocence. I miss my state of mind and my state of heart that I had as a child. Where I knew who was my God and my Messenger and my present leader.

Where I did not read so much history of Islam or did not question some and trouble over some, where i was blissfully ignorant of life, of men, of greed, of calamities, of hardwork, of expectations, of responsibilities

and yes, of the importance of the Night of Power.

For it was days of fun, days looked forward to meeting friends in the masjid, of play, of prayers... and of chocolates till Eid.

For the adult me, is just too serious.

I passed

I just saw my results and I passed!! Phew! I thought i was gone in one or two or all finance subjects but like a miracle, I passed.

My grades are not so great but hey, I passed!!! What else would have I wanted?

and i got a 93% on my rural marketing documentary. the one thing that I actually worked hard and achieved.

Allah Taala gave me the formula of life. I discovered it when i was in High school

Amount of reward you get = Amount of hardwork you put in.

I remember how much I put in my documentary and I see the fruits.
I have always, Alhamdullilah seen it in all the subjects that I have put the effort.

I am very glad and very thankful.

Another plus is that I passed my first year M.A in Journalism exams too. Not so great marks. Average I would say. That shows that the board is quite strict on the marking. I put in around 10-12 hrs (which is 4 hours of good studying and 1/2 hour of great studying). But I have come to a formulae for it..
Read one chapter a day.. not only will i enjoy my studies but my the year end, I will be able to 'Revise' and not 'Discover' what my subjects are.

But now.. main thing on my agenda is getting a job. So pls pray for me that I get a job that is good for me.. for my faith, my world and my hearafter. its so scary and i don't want to compromise on my faith. I haven't so far and InshaAllah, may I never see that day.

Ramadan Mubarak to one and all. Please do remember me in your prayers.

This blog will be winded up soon.. its still open as I have to conclude my thesis and then finally, my life as a MBA student will be over and done. And then what? is the multibillion dollar Qs :)

Allah Hafiz.