This poem was sent in by one of our readers, dedicated to her late mother (may Allah grant her & her family highest levels of Jannah and barakah in this world)

Dearest Mom in a Million

You have provided for us all your life
Hardly had the chance for being a wife

Dad passes on and left you with us four
A dear Father was there no more

You taught us right from wrong & reminded us of our Imaan
Today, alhamdullilaa we can all recite the Quraan

The difficult role of Mother & Father you played
School & madrassah fees were always paid

You were blessed by the grace of the Almighty Allah
Never failed to display appreciation on your musallah

You cooked, baked & cleaned with all your pride
Your feelings of loneliness you always tried to hide

You so diligently saved for each wedding reception
How beautiful they were with utmost perfection

We know you loved us with all your heart
Never thought the day would come that you would part

How I admire you with all your sabr
May Allah grant you a wide & nur filled qabr

Remember what you never had on this dunyaa
Almighty Allah will provide for you in aakhira

Oh Allah, grant our beloved parents a high place in Jannah
A beautiful place they well deserve Inshallah

We will love & miss you forever

Your lonely hearted daughter

By Nazeema Ryklief

At the center of the Islamic religion lies the Ka‘ba. Uniting the aspects of the divine beauty and the divine majesty, it is ‘a place of resort and safety for human beings’. It lies in a city protected by the prayer of Ibrahim al-Khalil, alayhi’l-salam: ‘My Lord, make this land a sanctuary.’

The Ka‘ba has many meanings. One of these pertains to the Black Stone, which is the point at which the pilgrims come closest to its mystery.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib narrated that when God took the Covenant, He recorded it in writing and fed it to the Black Stone, and this is the meaning of the saying of those who touch the Black Stone during the circumambulation of the Ancient House: ‘O God! This is believing in You, fulfilling our pledge to You, and declaring the truth of Your record.’’

The Ka‘ba therefore, while it is nothing of itself – a cube of stones and mortar – represents and reminds its pilgrims of the primordial moment of our kind. Allah speaks of a time before the creation of the world:
‘when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their reins, their seed, and made them testify of themselves, He said: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said, ‘Yea! We testify!’ That was lest you should say on the Day of Arising: ‘Of this we were unaware.’’ (7:171)
When we visit the House, we are therefore invited to remember the Great Covenant: that forgotten moment when we committed ourselves to our Maker, acknowleding Him as the source of our being. The Black Stone itself is, according to a hadith which Imam Tirmidhi declares to be sound, ‘yaqutatun min yawaqit al-janna’ – a gemstone from Paradise itself.
The Ka‘ba functions, in the imagination of those who visit it on Hajj, or turn towards it in Salat, as the centre and point of origin of all diverse things on earth. It is oriented towards the four cardinal points of the compass. Its blackness recalls the blackness of the night sky, of the heavens, and hence the pure presence of the Creator. Allah tells us that there are signs for us in the heavens and the earth; and recent astronomy affirms that the spiral galaxies are revolving around black holes. A powerful symbol, written into the magnificence of space, of the spiritual vortex which beckons us to spiral into the unknown, where quantum mechanics fail, where time and space are no more.

The yearning for the Ka‘ba which sincere Muslims feel whenever they think of it is therefore not, in fact, a yearning for the building. In itself it is no less part of the created order than anything else in creation. The yearning is, instead, a fragment, a breath of the nostalgia for our point of origin, for that glorious time out of time when we were in our Maker’s presence.

That yearning is the central emotion of Islam. It is of the heart: the heart knows the Ka‘ba’s splendour; the mind cannot understand it: it is, after all, only a cube 12 metres high.

Hence Jalal al-Din Rumi says:

‘The intellect declares: The six directions are limits, and there is no way out.
Love says: There is a way, and I have travelled it many times.’
And later he says:
‘By the time the intellect has found a camel for the hajj, love has circled the Ka‘ba.’

This fundamental emotion of the Islamic religion, which is in fact part of the fitra – the primordial human nature, the state of grace into which we were born – is love, mahabba, a painful desire to return to the beloved.
Wa’lladhina amanu ashaddu hubban li’Llah. ‘Those who have faith’, as the Qur’an insists, ‘have the greatest love for God’. (2:165) To know one’s origin is to love it.
This nostalgic yearning to return, to circle back to the point of origin, for which the Ka‘ba is no more than the earthly symbol and reminder, is the most common theme in the splendid and subtle poetic tradition of Islam. Here, for instance, is a poem by the 13th century Turkish poet and lover of Allah, Yunus Emre:

‘We need to serve a King who never may be driven from His throne
To rest within a place which we may ever feel to be our own.
A bird we need to be, to fly, to reach the very rim of things,
To drink that cordial whose joy we never may disown.

We need to be a diving bird, to plunge into the waters’ flow;
We need a gemstone to recover such as jewellers cannot know.

To enter in a garden, there to dwell in contentment’s shade;
To pass the summer as a rose – a rose whose petals never fade.

Mankind must lover be, must ever search to find the true Beloved;
Must burn within the flame of Love – nor burn in any other flame.’

Islam is hence the religion of the Alastu bi-rabbikum: ‘Am I not your Lord?’. We follow the Great Covenant, unlike adherents of previous religions who follow lesser, local, ethnic covenants. The Ka‘ba represents our way of centring ourselves directly on the divine presence, the origin of all manifestation.
We need to ponder the divine wisdom in this. Islam appeared in a time and place where there was no civilisation. If a Quraishite Arab had travelled five hundred miles north, south, east or west, he would have found a developed culture. But Arabia was a pocket of primordial simplicity. And Allah subhanahu wa-ta‘ala chose this vacuum for His final message, the one that would end all previous covenants with Him, and gather the nations of the earth to the restored Great Covenant itself.

One deep wisdom to be gained from this is the fact of Islam’s simplicity. Our doctrine could not be more straightforward. The most pure, exalted, uncompromising monotheism: the clearest idea of God there has ever been. A system of worship that requires no paraphernalia: no crosses, confessionals, priests or pews. Just the human creature, and its Lord. The Hajj and Umra also take us back to an ancient time, as we wear the simplest of garments, and perform primordial rites that reconnect us with the symbolic centre, around the purest building there has ever been. The fast of Ramadan is also timeless: bringing us into contact and continuity with one of the oldest of all religious devotions. In fact, some ulema say that fasting is the oldest religious commandment of all: for in the Garden, the grandfather and grandmother of humanity were under only one instruction: to refrain from eating from a particular tree.

By stepping inside the protecting circle of Islam, the human creature is thus reconnected to the ancient simplicity and dignity of the human condition. Islam allows us to reclaim our status as khalifas: Allah’s deputies on earth.

Reader Submission.

The stories of Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and ‘Eesa (‘alay-himus-salaam) for the 5-6 age range are available as a multi-pack set of five books. Please see the description of each individual book for further details.

The Story of Adam (a.s)

The Story of Nuh (a.s)

The Story of Ibrahim (a.s)

The Story of Musa (a.s)

The Story of Eesa (a.s) 

all via http://www.kalamullah.com/

Once I was in a place where they had a lot of wild pigeons. I asked the people if they could catch such pigeons and they replied, "We can’t, because they are very wild."

One day when I was in a gathering, I went to the window to get some fresh air and suddenly I saw two pigeons. I snatched at them and caught them both. I rushed back to the gathering and asked them, "What is in my hands?"

I had already hidden the pigeons behind my back. They kept guessing and giving wrong answers until I showed them the pigeons. They were amazed and they asked me how I caught two when catching one was impossible? I answered: "They were fighting so hard that their beaks were buried in each other’s skin. They were blind to me. All I had to do was grab both of them from their heads with a single hand."

I added; I wonder how blind we Muslims are these days, fighting on small differences while our enemy is having all the advantage to plot and plan against us as a whole.
We should open our eyes before it is too late.

Source:  Quran Club

Let days go forth and do as they please
And remain firm when settled is the Decree

Don’t be afraid of what happens by night
For the affairs of this world are not to last

And be a man, strong in the face of calamities
And let your nature be that of kindness and honesty

If your faults become too much in front of the people
And you wish that they were to be concealed,

Then know that kindness covers all faults
And how many faults are kept hidden by kindness!

No sadness lasts forever, nor any happiness
And you shall not remain in poverty, or any luxury

Generosity cannot be hoped from the miserly
For no water exists in the Fire for the thirsty

Your provision will not be decreased due to life’s delays
And it cannot be increased due to your haste

If, in your heart, you possess contentment
Then you and those who possess the world are equal

And for him upon whose horizon death descends,
No earth can offer him protection, nor any sky

Indeed, the earth of Allah is certainly vast
But if decree descends, then the world constricts

Let days be the ones that betray you at all times
For no cure can avail a person of death.

Source: http://fajr.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/let-days-go-forth/

The Hajj – The Journey

By Him whose House the loving pilgrims visit,
Responding with ihram at the appointed limit,
Uncovering their heads in total humility
Before One to Whom faces bow in servility.
They exclaim in the valleys, "We have responded to You –
All Praise is Yours, and Kingdom too!"
He invited and they answered, with love and pleasure;
When they called upon Him, nearer came the Divine treasure.
You see them on their mounts, hair dusty and dishevelled,
Yet never more content, never happier have they felt;
Leaving homelands and families due to holy yearning,
Unmoved are they by temptations of returning.
Through plains and valleys, from near and far,
Walking and riding, in submission to Allah.

At the Ka’bah
When they see His House – that magnificent sight
For which the hearts of all creatures are set alight –
It seems they’ve never felt tired before,
For their discomfort and hardship is no more.
Now the eye of the Lover drowns in its streams,
It sees through its tears the goal of its dreams;
Now for Allah, how many tears are issued,
Each one being followed by a multitude?
When the eye perceives the House, its darkness clears,
And from the sorrowful heart, pain disappears;
Vision cannot encompass this beautiful sight:
Each glance returns with greater delight!
No wonder at this, for when the Merciful preferred
The House for Himself, it became most honoured.
He clothed it in Majesty, a magnificent garment;
Embroidered it with Beauty, a wonderful ornament!
The hearts all love the House therefore,
Awed and humbled, in respect and honour.

‘Arafat

Now to ‘Arafat, hoping for Mercy and Forgiveness

From the One overflowing with Generosity and Kindness;
Now for Allah is that Magnificent Standing
Like, though lesser than, the Day of Reckoning.
The Irresistible draws near, His Majesty manifest,
Boasting to His angels, for He is the Mightiest,
"My slaves have come to Me so lovingly,
I’ll be Generous and Merciful, willingly.
I have forgiven their sins, – to this you are witness –
Fulfilled their hopes, and showered them with goodness."
So joyous news! O people of that standing,
When sins are forgiven and Mercy is spreading;
How many slaves are set completely free?
Whilst others seek a cure, and heal will He.
Now Satan is never known to lose such face:
He’s blameworthy, rejected, in utter disgrace.
For he sees a matter that enrage him must:
He flees, slaps his face and covers it in dust!
Such Forgiveness he never did see
As granted by the Lord, and such Mercy!
He built his edifice from every temptation available
Till he thought it was complete, unassailable;
Then Allah struck his building at its very foundation,
So it fell upon him, tumbling in devastation;
What worth has his structure, this evil ploy,
That he does build, and the Lord does destroy?

Muzdalifah & Mina

Now to Muzdalifah, to spend the night

In the Sacred Area, then Prayer at first light;
Now on to the Great Pillar, which they need
To stone at the time of the Prayer of ‘Id;
Now to their tents for the sacrifice prepared,
Reviving the tradition of a Father revered.
If sacrificing themselves were Allah’s demand,
They would respond, submitting to the command;
Just as they’d expose their necks in Jihad
To Allah’s enemies, till these stream with blood;
They discipline themselves, presenting the head for a shave:
Bringing humility and happiness to the obedient slave.

The Tawaf of Ifadah/Ziyarah

So when they’ve removed those natural growths,

Completed their rites, and fulfilled their oaths,
He invites them again to visit His House:
What honour and welcome this visit allows!
By Allah, they visit it in so much splendour,
Receiving their rewards and plenty of honour;
There Allah bestows Grace, Favour and Kindness,
Showing Generosity, Mercy and Forgiveness.

Mina

Then they return to Mina, each to his tent,

Every minute wish is granted, and they are content;
They stay there a day, then another, then a third,
They’re allowed to depart early, but to stay is preferred;
They stone the pillars daily after the sun’s decline,
With a slogan of Takbir in the presence of the Divine!
If only you could see their standing there:
Palms outstretched, hoping for Mercy’s share!
"O Lord! O Lord! Knowing as You do
That we hope for no-one, only You!
Then grant our wish, O You All-Knowing,
We pray for Your Mercy overflowing."

The Farewell Tawaf

When they’ve achieved at Mina all their gains,

Once more they fill the valleys and plains:
To the Ka’bah, the Sacred House, by the end of the day,
To circle it seven times, and then to Pray.
When departure nears and they are certain
That the bond of proximity is about to loosen,
There’s only a last stand for a final farewell:
Now for Allah are the eyes that swell,
And for Allah are the heavy hearts that turn
Into cauldrons of desire where fire does burn;
And the passionate sighs whose heat so vigorous
Nearly melts the Lover, ecstatic, rapturous!
Now you see those bewildered, perplexed in the throng,
Whilst others chant their sorrowful song:
"I depart, but there remains for You my yearning,
My fire of grief is raging and burning;
I bid farewell, but longing pulls my reins –
My heart is encamped in Your eternal plains!"
No blame today for saying what you feel:
No blame for expressing what you used to conceal!

Dr. Imad Hasan is a Sudanese Muslim psychiatrist that lives and works in London, England.   He is also active in Daw’ah-and doesn’t take pride in that but rather considers it every Muslim’s duty….A couple years ago, Dr.Imad  published an interesting research “paper” (a 400 page book) titled “Cattle’s Ears”.  The subject of the book isn’t my point of interest right now.

In the introduction of this book, he details an amazing story of who the book is dedicated to.

The Story:

Dr. Imad met Terence Sidney Casey, a 62 year old priest, through his work- the priest needed some quick, medical advice.  The quick encounter became a friendship-as they exchanged ideas, thoughts and beliefs.  The priest admitted to Dr.Imad that in his 41 years of work, he never once taught the idea of the “Trinity”–simply because he didn’t believe in it.  Terence also admitted that he was “haneef” upon the religion of Abraham.

They exchanged books.  Dr. Imad presented Terence with a book about the signs of the prophethood of Mohammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) from earlier holy books.  Terence gave Dr.Imad a Bible with both Arabic and English with a special request:
Terence had suspicions that the holy books had been tampered with and changed, he said, “I’ve always hoped I would meet an Arab who could share their point of view to tell me if the translation of the book has been manipulated in some part.”

They continued their discussions on religion and prophet and the whole time Terence agreed with everything Islam had to offer. Over the next two months Dr. Imad and Terence’s friendship grew stronger and it was definitely a friendship to last for years to come!

Except–Terence was diagnosed with cancer. With only four months to live.

The day that the pair met to discuss their books was one filled with tension.

Dr.Imad: “After what you read, what is your stance on the Prophet Mohammad?”

Terence was silent for what seemed like an eternity, especially as the cancer had now spread through his body, leaving it fragile and weak.  His days were drawing to an end and there wasn’t much time left.

Terence: “Truthfully brother I’ve been searching my entire life for the final Prophet, and I’ve found him now on my deathbed!”

Dr.Imad then shared with Terence the ayahs from the Qur’an:

وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُم مَّوَدَّةً لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّا نَصَارَىٰ ۚ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ ۖ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ

“…..and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe are those who say: ‘ We are Christians.’ That is because there are among them priests and monks and because they do not behave proudly. And when they hear what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they recognize of the Truth. They say: ‘ Our Lord! we believe, so write us down with the witnesses (of truth).  And what (reason) have we that we should not believe in Allah and in the truth that has come to us, while we long for our Lord should cause us to enter Heaven with the righteous ones.’ So Allah has rewarded them for what they said ِ  Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein shall they abide forever, and that is the reward of the doers of good.” (AlMaidah 82-85)

By Allah, the priest’s eyes overflowed with tears from what he learned from the Truth! What did Terrance say?  “And what reason do I have not to believe in Allah with what has come to me from the truth, and long that my Lord allows me to enter Heaven with righteous ones!”

Only weeks later, Terence died and left this world.  And the tears did not leave Dr.Imad’s eyes; Terence had left without praying one prayer or fasting one day, but he left with true Iman and belief.

In his will, Terence surprised his family with his reversion to Islam.  The family thus had nobody to pray ‘janazah’ over him, for he was a Muslim! So, they asked the only Muslim they knew, Dr.Imad, to pray over him.  And so, in a small village in West London, Dr.Imad prayed a One-Man-Janazah over Terence, with over 300 people witnessing.  Terence left the book that Dr.Imad had given him and wrote on it: “To my brother and friend Imad, I ask the lord of Ibrahim to bless you and aid you in your work, and to increase your knowledge, and inspire you to write a book that will benefit all people.”

And that is the story of The-One-Man-Janazah.

(Story first shared by: eternallight.wordpress.com)

O you who believe! Answer Allah and (His) Messenger when he (s.a.w) calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart. And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered" Al-Anfal: 24

“No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.”
[Saying of the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him)]

Many years ago, when I worked  at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Ameena who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother Abdullah, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother Abdullah carefully, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister Ameena who needed it urgently to survive..

I saw Abdullah hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes I’ll do it, if it will save her.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to Ameena’s cheeks.

Then Abdullah’s face grew pale and his smile faded. Then Abdullah looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister Ameena all of his blood in order to save her life.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet of Allah [peace be upon him] said:
“He who removes from a believer one of his difficulties of this world, Allah will remove one of his troubles on the Day of Resurrection”
[Hadith-Muslim]

this was sent in via email by one of the MyUmmah readers.

ALLAH KNOWS BEST- A KINGS EXPERIENCE

A story is told about a King in Africa who had a close friend that he
grew up with. the friend used to always accompany the king when he
traveled.The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever
occurred in his life (positive or negative) by remarking, “All praise be
to Allah, Almighty Allah knows best”

One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The
friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had
apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after
taking the gun from his friend, the King fired it and his thumb was
blown off.

Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, “All praise be to
Allah, Almighty Allah knows best”

To which the King replied, “No, this is NOT good!” and ordered his
soldiers to put his friend into jail.

About a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have
known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured the King and took him to
their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake
and bound him to the stake.They were preparing to eat him.

As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the King
was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was
less than whole.They believed that a thumbless person was defective and
accursed. So after untying the King, they chased him out of the village

When the King reached his Palace, he was reminded of the event that had
taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He
went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend.

“You were right” the King said, “it was good that my thumb was blown
off.”
And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. ” I am
very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do
this.”

“No,” his friend replied, “this is good … “All praise be to Allah,
Almighty Allah knows best”

“What do you mean, ‘this is good’! How could it be good that I sent my
friend to jail for a year?”

The King’s friend replied: “Remember that the Almighty knows best and if
I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you(on this hunting
trip).Look, he said lifting up his hands…I have all my fingers and
they would have certainly eaten me!”

‘He knows what is before them and what is behind them: And to Allah go
back all questions (for decision)”
Qur’an: Surah Al Hajj 22:76

Do Not Judge Things or Events by their Immediate Outcome!

Know that whatever is written for you and befalls you, is better than
what you think should have happened. Omar ibn al-Khattab once said: I
don’t care what state I wake up in, good or bad; because I don’t know
what is good for me nor do I know what is bad for me.

Everything happens or comes into being simply by Allah willing it. Allah
only has to say, “Be” and something comes into being.

Anfal, a rich young girl, sat waiting impatiently at the doctor’s clinic to get the results of a medical test. She was in a hurry to attend a party and feared she might be late for her appointment with the hairdresser. She never thought the result would be anything important. It was just a precaution insisted upon by her family.

She had never suffered any serious illness, apart from the odd ache in her never suffered any serious illness, apart from the odd ache in her limbs. Then, it was her turn to see the doctor. She hurried inside to get it over with as quickly as possible. She was surprised to see the doctor look sad and concerned as he asked, “Is this yours?”

She answered, “No, it is my daughter’s.”

She wanted to know the truth and thought that perhaps he would hide the truth, if she told him it was her own. He asked her to have a seat, so she sat feeling somewhat afraid. She looked at him anxiously, as he said,

“Why did not you send a man to get the results?”

Anfal said, “It was on my way so there was no need to send someone else.”

The doctor looked sadly at her and said, “You seem to be an educated girl. You understand the nature of life.”

He stopped talking, and she began to tremble.

She asked, “What do you mean doctor?”

The doctor said, “The result indicates that there is a blood disease.” He looked down at his papers and remained silent. Anfal had to ask him to give her more information. She cried in fear, “Is it cancer?”

He did not look at her, but a cloud of sadness covered his face. It was as if he was sentencing her to death.

She said in a broken voice, “I am finished then.” The doctor knew then that she had lied, but it was too late to hide the truth. He looked kindly at her and said, “I am sorry for you. Why did you lie? Anyway life and death are matters within Allah’s power. Many sick people live long and many healthy ones die.”

Anfal felt as if she were drowning, as if a hard fist was cruelly squeezing her heart. She tried hard to regain her strength and said, “I do apologize. Thank you doctor.”

The doctor encouraged her saying, “Be strong and optimistic. Medical science is constantly progressing. Some of today’s incurable sicknesses can be cured tomorrow I still have hope. Leave me your telephone number.” She repeated the number automatically without knowing what she was saying. Feeling great shock and bitterness, she again thanked the doctor and left.

At home she kept the truth to herself. She did not know how to share it. Anyway, everyone was busy, getting ready for the party. Her mother asked, “Have you been to the doctor? Why did not you go to the hairdresser?” It was just a by-the-way question, needing no answer. She briefly said, “I am not going to the party !”

She went upstairs into her room and locked the door.

She stretched out on her bed fully clothed and listened to her family’s voices, as if they were coming from a far away place. The wind seemed to her to be a funeral sad tune, lamenting her approaching death. The bedroom seemed strange to her as she would be leaving it soon. What about the house? It would not remember her. She was just a guest. Others would take her room and soon forget her. She tried to cry but tears did not help.

She looked around her in pain. Those curtains that she had tried so hard to get, would stay after her. It would not have mattered if they had been made of the roughest fabric, she would leave them for others. She wished she had not troubled herself for such things. She wished she had saved her time and money for more useful things, which could have been helpful to her in her difficulty.

She wondered, “What is useful to me?” She was young, beautiful and rich with everything her heart could desire. Could anything help her and save her from death? She had always longed for an official job with a good salary. She had it, but could it save her from death?

An idea struck her. She hurried to the phone while everyone was away. She dialed the doctor’s number and asked eagerly, “If I travel abroad can I find a cure?”

He said, “There is nothing new abroad. It is a waste of money.”

She put the phone down and sat on a nearby chair.

Her salary would not change matters. She walked through the house’s rooms as if saying her farewells. She paced the small garden and looked at the trees. She whispered, “I wish these trees knew I am leaving them, those stones, walls…I wish these doors knew my hands will soon no longer open them. I wish those flowers, that I planted and watered knew. How often the thorns and hard stones tore my hands!

How often I watered those dying flowers. I wish they knew the meaning of my departure. These fruiting trees were tiny when I planted them. I did my best to help them flourish until they grew up healthy and fruitful. Will they know I am soon leaving? Will they remember my days in their company? What about these seats, I used to rest on. Will they miss my presence? Will they be ready for someone else to settle on them? My writing desk felt my writing in tears and in smiles, does it know I am leaving? Will it miss my pen and papers in its drawers? I wish they all knew I am leaving. I wish I had known I was leaving, then I would not have cared so much for this life. I would not have felt proud and arrogant…

Had I known I were a guest in this world I would not have been cheated or tempted by its luxuries…

Had I known this I would have been aware that leaving a simple life is easier than leaving a luxurious one…

Had I lived a simple life, I would not have found it difficult to cross from this world to the next. My family is now enjoying the party…how often I longed for such parties, how much I cared for fashion and hairstyles! Can they help me now?”

Anfal threw herself down on the nearest chair as if she had realized a truth previously unknown to her.

She said, “What shall I take with me? Nothing but the coffin and my deeds. What kind of deeds will go with me on my long journey? Nothing! Yes, nothing!” She remembered her friend Sarah, who used to advise her and guide her to the right path of Allah. She used to remind her of the Qur’anic verse: …and make provision, for the provision is the guarding of oneself. [Al-Baqarah:239]

She had never considered the importance of good deeds. Now she was in need of such deeds to present to Allah. She would stand to give her account, but what would she say? How could she expect Allah’s mercy when she disobeyed His orders? How could she ask for forgiveness when she never even thought of obeying Him in her life’s affairs?

She wished she had read the Holy Qur’an instead of all those cheap novels. She wished she had gained some knowledge of her religion instead of reading film-star magazines. She continued wishing she had done few things, and not done other things. She wished she had not angered this person or that, and had never lied or gossiped about anyone. She wished she had not been proud and despised the poor.

She said, “I wish I could start my life all over again to make-up for my errors and to obey Allah’s orders. I worshipped my desires and ignored my Creator. I wish I could live for a while to make up for my sins.”

She remembered a Qur’anic verse, her grandfather used to recite: Until when death overtakes one of them he says: Send me back, my Lord. Haply I may do good in that which I have left. By no means! It is a mere word that he speaks, and before them is a barrier until the day they are raised.
[surah al-Muminun: 99]

Here she said, “Oh God, I do mean it…” Tears burst from her eyes. She cried bitterly in repentance, not pain. She decided to obey Allah in all His orders if she lived a bit longer. The phone rang and she walked towards it lazily. Tears in her eyes she said, “Yes?”

Someone said, “Can I speak to Miss Anfal?” She knew the speaker. It was her doctor. She said, “Yes, speaking.”

The doctor said cheerfully, “Congratulations my daughter! There is nothing wrong with you. Thank God!”

She was stunned with surprise. She did not know what to say. “No disease? How? You are joking, doctor!”

The doctor said, “May Allah protect me I am not joking. I have just got an apology from the analyst. He explained that there was a mix-up with the names. Your name was written instead of someone else. I have your medical report here in front of me. You are quite well. Be thankful to Allah my daughter.”

Excitedly she said, “Thanks be to Allah, Thank you doctor.”

She put the phone down, feeling as if she was new born. She knew she was safe for a while, but death would certainly come one day. She had no time to waste. However long she lived she was a guest.

The first thing she did was to perform her prayer, which she had neglected for a long time. She promised Allah to obey His orders to pray, fast, and stick to wearing decent clothes. She would also give up whatever Allah had forbidden. In order not to forget this, she wrote the Qur’anic verse on a placard and hung it on the wall. On the other side she wrote a wise saying:

“Repent the day before you die. Because you do not know when you will die, then always be repentant.”
tawbah = the way of Jannah

i got this story from a sister of ours in islam. May Allah rewards her for sharing this, ameen