Dear Allah !

By Zainab Bint Abdur Rahman

Dear Allah, Here I am my Lord,
Standing before You, Praising You,
For the wonders and beauties of nature,
With its scenic charms and marvels;
The almost endless horizons in the sky,
And their far reaching expansions;
The ceaseless succession of day and night
The course of the sun,
The moon, and the great stars;
The world of animate and inanimate,
The continues process of evolution
Of man generation after generation.
And to all of these things,
With which I live,
And with which I immensely enjoy,
You are the Maker and You are the Maintainer.

Dear Allah, in this world,
You are the greatest force in action,
To keep everything in order.
In the beautiful nature,
You are the great artist,
Who creates the most charming
And most marvel pieces of art,
And produce everything
For a special purpose in life
The strongest force belongs to you
The greatest artist of all
And I myself believe in You
And deeply enlightened,
To recognize You,
As the Greatest, Oh Allah!

Dear Allah, it is You my Lord,
Who has made the night for me,
That I may rest therein,
And for the day to see.
Verily You are full of Grace,
And Bounty to your slaves,
You are Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim.
Yet most of us give no thanks,
Such its You my Lord,
The Khaliq of all things,
Lailahailaallah!!!
But I am so weak,
I am so sinful,
Dear Allah forgive me please,
Verily You are Ar-Rahim…

It is You who has made for me
The earth as the resting place
And the sky as my shelter,
And has given me shape,
And made my shape beautiful,
And has provided for me sustenance
Of things, good and pure.
Such it's You, Oh Allah,
The Loving, The Enricher.

Glory be to You, Oh Allah,
The Lord of the worlds!
The Sovereign Lord,
The Source of Peace,
The Guardian of Faith,
There is no God but You!
And I call upon you,
And I give you my sincere devotion,
All Praises be to You, Oh Allah,
The worthy to be worship.

Dear Allah, Here I am my Lord,
Prostrating before you, and fearing You.
Hoping for You to forgive my sins;
All of the wrong doings that I have done,
All of the transgressions that I have done,
All that is wrong because of my weakness

Dear Allah, my Lord,
You gave me enough sensibility,
To recognize my sins and shortcomings.
You gave me enough sensibility,
To know where to turn,
And to Whom should I turn to Guidance
And it is You!
Who is ever prepared to respond
To my sincere calls, and I seek aid.
You are so Gracious and Compassionate
That Your forgiveness, is In-compassing
And Your mercy, All-inclusive.

Dear Allah, my Lord,
When at times that I am down
And you send me trials
And I found myself sobbing,
You were still here to Guide me,
You never left me alone,
You are always with As-Sabirin
You are my rescuer
You are all for me
For you created me!

You gave me life with its purpose
You created me to serve that purpose
Then I can not escape the responsibility
I cannot deny my existence
Or ignore the vital role
That I have to play.
And when you charge me (with any responsibility)
You provide for me,
With all the required assistance
You endow unto me,
With intelligence and power
To choose my course of conduct
And I am strongly commanded by You
To exert my utmost to fully serve
The purpose of my existence.

To You, Oh Allah,
I pray, that I may fulfill
The purpose of life
And realize the goal of existence
Help me to learn,
The creative art of living.
And enjoy the good taste of life
According to Your Divine Guidance
The Divine Guidance that is from You
My life is a trust from You,
And I am Your trustee
Who should handle my trust
With honesty and skill
With mindfulness of You, Oh Allah!
And with consciousness..
Of responsibility to You, Dear Allah!

And in this life, my Dear Allah,
Is likened to a journey.
And I am a traveler,
Passing by the world.
And in this life journey
I am concerned
With only what is of use
For me in the Future Life
I should do all the good that I can
And make myself fully prepared
To move any minute to Eternity.
This is a chance provided for me
To make the best of it while I can
And its time to leave comes

And If You will, my Dear Allah!
I will live, according to your teachings
And I will make it a safe passage
To the Future Life of Eternity.
My life belongs to You
And there is no doubt,
I shall return unto You!, Oh Dear Allah!

You are High and Supreme,
And You are so near to Your slaves
Slaves who are pious and thoughtful.
You answer our prayers and You help us
You love people who love You,
You give me peace and happiness
You give me knowledge and success
You give me life and protection.
You welcome me,
When I want to be at peace
And you never reject me.
You thought me to be good
To do the right
And to keep away from wrong
Because you are good and loving
You recommend and accept
Only the good and right things.
The door of your mercy
Is always open wide to any
Those who sincerely seek,
We seek for Your support and protection.

Dear Allah, Here I am my Lord!
With my sob and with my tears
With my intimate love
And with my solemn prayers
Verily, all praise is due to You, Oh Allah!
We praise You, and we seek aid
We seek Your forgiveness
We seek refuge in You
From the evil in our souls
And sins in our deeds.
Glory be to You, Oh Allah!

And all praise.
I bear witness that
There is no God except You
We seek Your forgiveness
And we repent to You, sincerely
May Your blessings and peace
Be upon us, your slaves
And to the Noble Prophet Muhammad
And upon his family
His companion and all his followers
Until the Day of Judgement.

To My Sisters in God

Jhangeer Hanif

Superstitious! Coward! Old fashioned! are the words that still echoed in her head. Her face was soaked with warm drops that she had shed during the past couple of hours while she had prostrated herself before the Almighty time and again in this interval. She did not know how long she had been up collecting and presenting before Allah the broken pieces of her soft heart which was brutally hurt by the ruthless comments her friends made at the college this morning. She had always been kind to them but they would always pass low comments about her attire and for her fear and concern about the Hereafter. Her only crime was that she could not leave her head and chest uncovered like them and that she could not put on skin tight almost transparent garments. She had always found it hard to show interest in the topics they would discuss. She knew that modesty was her real asset and that inner-purification was the real objective of her life in this world. How could she go against the values that the Almighty had inculcated within herself? How could she undertake to do something that her conscience would vehemently disapprove of? Now at this moment of the dark night when she saw that she could not cope with the situation anymore, she resolved that she's had enough. She must quit going to the college and shut herself up from the rest of the world!

Such an event may take place in the life of many people with little change in the details of the scenario. But they are often led to arrive at the same decision because of the morbidly obnoxious treatment they have to receive for opting to live their lives according to the injunctions put forth by the Almighty. This is awfully ironic, that the world plays so insensitive a role to the sincere feelings of those people who wish to take all of them to the road that directly leads to eternal bliss. It is sad that those who must be respected and given an ear to hear soft words of good advice are mistreated and branded as inferior.

This writer does not have an iota of doubt in his mind that these circumstances are fair and just but his understanding of religion compels him to humbly present the complete picture before all his sisters in God so that they could know that 'quitting' is not what their Lord as well as this Ummah expects from them.

What they must realize is that the unbecoming behavior that their fellow human beings adopt towards their sincere feelings is nothing new and has been so since ages. When we peruse the Holy Qur'an or even study history we find that good souls always had to face hatred for showing unconditional love, hurling stones for offering the Garden of Paradise, and harsh comments for advancing words of wisdom and admonition. This however was their marvelous attribute that they never gave up and remained steadfast unless they either changed the world or sacrificed their lives for the sake of this holy mission. This quality is no doubt hard to imbibe and retain but very desirable for those who undertake to swim in the direction explored by their conscience instead of drifting along in the immoral current with other people. Further deliberation here reveals that while avoiding the circumstances resolves the crisis a person is currently facing for the time being, it allows a minor problem to eventually become a major one. To put it in other words, this attitude would surely permit the evil to entangle each and every person on the face of this earth till no one is left to proclaim the greatness of Allah. It is precisely for this reason that the Qur'an has urged us to assume the status of the exhorter as well as of the exhorted so that the good can flourish and the evil be put in check. The Qur'an thus reads:

Believing men and believing women are friends to each other. They enjoin what is good and forbid what is wrong. (9:71)

Another point that must be understood very clearly is about the nature of the test we are put through in this world. This life is not supposed to be a path adorned with roses that someone would have to tread until death overtakes them. The truth of the matter is that we have no choice but to prick our feet with thorns that have been scattered by the Almighty Himself on our way in the form of financial problems, natural calamities and humans themselves. We, therefore, must not suffer from the illusion that we will win entitlement to Paradise without being tested in this world. This idea has been expounded upon by the Qur'an in the following words:

Did you think that you would enter Paradise without Allah testing those of you who fought hard [in His cause] and remained steadfast? (3:142)

The implication being that when a believer undertakes to combat evil for the sake of Allah, he is not showered with rose petals. On the contrary, he has to face great difficulties and full-blown problems. But if he remains stoical and steadfast, he stands eligible to be blessed with everlasting life in the Garden of Paradise.

As far as the expectations of this Ummah are concerned, they must know that it wants them to become a role model for all women across the world. Everyone knows that there has been much hullabaloo over women's rights in the last couple of centuries and much of the blame was placed on the religion of Islam for violation thereof. Feminists clamorously put forward that Islam hampers the achievements that women can otherwise accomplish in every sphere of life. Although, it is a baseless allegation that the fanatics have placed on Islam in their struggle to renounce every religion that would endorse moral limits, many people have gone astray because what they see in practice also substantiates the veracity of the allegation. Innumerable articles have been written to refute the claims of the feminists. But this alone won't work. We must let the world see that a Muslim woman while observing all the injunctions of Islam can achieve astronomical targets that others would dare not to commence at all.

Obviously, this business necessitates that Muslim women be as daring as to challenge evil in its makeshift safe-haven and as bold as to overthrow all the absurdly fabricated claims of the feminists. They must be creative enough to introduce new chapters in the field of fine arts and as much intelligent as to make revolutionary discoveries in the field of science while keeping the Islamic attributes that make them unmatchable ornament.

Marriage – Is it an Illusion?

Sabirah was a well-mannered young lady. Her parents chose to name her as ‘Sabirah’ – the patient one, because they felt in this world of cause and effect there was much to endure. Although her family didn’t nurture her to be purely Islamic in all walks of her life the amount of intelligence Allah swt had bestowed upon her helped her to reach greater heights as a pious muslimah.

Sabirah was always diligent in her duties as any pious muslimah would be. She was very punctual in her prayers, offered non-obligatory prayers and fasts as well. Was kind towards both young and old; in other wards she depicted the portrait of an ideal young muslim lady.

As intelligent as she was, sabirah was successful in all walks of life. She excelled in her academics was very successful in her career, what more could anyone expect in their lives? Allah had gifted her with a lot of blessings; she thanked him day and night. As she reached adulthood despite all that she had achieved in her life she felt a deep sense of loneliness within. She felt the need of someone to share her life, to guide her on the right path, to love and cherish her for what she was.

By this time her parents had already felt the need and begun their pursuit in search of a suitable alliance for their pious, young and talented daughter. Sabirah was very keen to marry someone who was deeply religious and somewhat educated. But as days passed by things got harder, in a society such as the one Sabirah lived in wealth and pride took precedence over true piety and bashfulness. Many only sought behind big dowries, outer appearance and the like, some even demanded houses and lands in exchange of their well groomed sons, Sabirah remained steadfast, she wouldn’t marry such a crook who wasn’t even strong enough to stand on his own. Proposals came and they went nothing really worked out, Sabirah raised her hands in dua “Ya Allah, Marriage looks like an illusion for the truly pious, please make it easy upon me and my sisters in Islam who truly follow your path” she implored fervently.

Allah swt might or might answer the duas of many like Sabirah in this world, but surely if they remain patient and steadfast as Sabirah he will reward them for their patience and reward them with something better in this life or the hereafter. It is Allah my lord who has said “And certainly, we shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sâbirin (the patient ones, etc.).”

Stress and Anxiety

25 Ways to Deal with Stress and Anxiety

by Abdul Malik Mujahid

Stress is life. Stress is anything that causes mental, physical, or spiritual tension. There is no running away from it. All that matters is how you deal with it. This article does not deal with the factors of stress, anxiety, and depression, nor is it a clinical advice. If you feel depressed, you are not alone. It has been estimated that 75 to 90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians in America are for stress-related problems. This is why it is wise to consult a doctor if you are having physical symptoms of stress. However, here are some tips that can help from a spiritual perspective. Please send us your feedback so that we can improve this article Insha Allah.
Torture. Beatings. Loss of property. The death of loved ones. These were just some of the enormous challenges the Muslims of Makkah faced in the seventh century following their acceptance of Islam in fiercely tribal and polytheistic Makkah.

Detention. Harassment. Beatings. Discrimination. Loss of Job. Profiling. Hate Crimes. Constant media attention. Surveillance. These are just some of the challenges Muslims in America today face, post-9/11. Like our predecessors in Makkah, we have begun to face great stress, anxiety, and pressure, more than ever in our recent history on this continent, although Muslims who were brought here as slaves faced worse than what we can even imagine.

1. Ask Him. He Listens: Dua

Turn each anxiety, each fear and each concern into a Dua (supplication) . Look at it as another reason to submit to God and be in Sajdah (prostration) , during which you are closest to Allah. God listens and already knows what is in your heart, but He wants you to ask Him for what you want. The Prophet said: Allah is angry with those who do not ask Him for anything (Tirmidhi).
The Prophet once said that in prayer, he would find rest and relief (Nasai). He would also regularly ask for God’s forgiveness and remain in prostration during prayer praising God (Tasbeeh) and asking for His forgiveness (Bukhari).

Allah wants you to be specific. The Prophet advised us to ask Allah for exactly what we want instead of making vague Duas. Dua is the essence of worship (the Prophet as quoted in Tirmidhi).

"Call on your Lord with humility and in private: for Allah loveth not those who trespass beyond bounds. Do not make mischief on the earth, after it hath been set in order, but call on Him with fear. And longing (in your hearts): for the mercy of Allah is (always) near to those who do good" (Quran 7:55-56).

2. Tie your Camel: Do your Part

One day Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it. He asked the Bedouin, "Why don't you tie down your camel?" The Bedouin answered, "I put my trust in Allah." The Prophet then said, "Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah" (Tirmidhi).

Muslims must never become fatalistic. Although we know only Allah is in control and that He has decreed all things, we are each responsible for making the right choices and doing the right thing in all situations of our lives. We must take action (link to planning articles on SV). We must work to alleviate the hardships we, our families and our communities face.

Ask yourself the following questions if you are worried about the state of the world: are you part of the peace movement? Is your Masjid part of the peace movement? Are you part of an interfaith group with an agenda of peace and justice? Are you working with a group fighting discrimination? If your answer is no, it is time that you sat down to plan your share of time and money in finding solutions to the problems you face. "Verily Allah does not change men’s condition unless they change their inner selves" (Quran 13: 11).

Turn each worry into a Dua and each Dua into an action plan. That will show your commitment to your request and will focus your energy in the right direction.

3. Remember that human responsibility is limited

While we need to carry out our duty to the best of our abilities, always remember that you don't control the outcome of events. Even the Prophets did not control the outcome of their efforts. Some were successful, others were not. Once you have done your duty, leave the results to Allah. Regardless of the results of your efforts, you will be rewarded for the part you have played.

However, never underestimate your abilities. Understand the concept of Barakah (blessings from Allah) and remember that Allah can and Insha Allah will expand them if you are sincerely exerting your energies for the right path.

4. Leave the world behind you five times a day

Use the five daily prayers as a means to become more Hereafter-oriented and less attached to this temporary world. Start distancing yourself as soon as you hear Adhan, the call to prayer. When you perform Wudu, keep repeating Shahada, the declaration of faith, as water drops slip down your face, hands, arms, and hair. When you stand ready to pray, mentally prepare yourself to leave this world and all of its worries and stresses behind you.

Of course, Shaytan will try to distract you during prayer. But whenever this happens, go back and remember Allah. The more you return, the more Allah will reward you for it. Also, make sure your Sajdas (prostrations) are talking Sajdas, in which you are really connecting to God and seeking His Mercy, praising Him, and asking His forgiveness. (link to Sajda article…ramadan page)

5. Seek help through Sabr

Seek help through Sabr and Salat (Quran 2:45). This instruction from Allah provides us with two critical tools that can ease our worries and pain. Patience and prayer are two oft-neglected stressbusters. Sabr is often translated as patience but it is not just that. It includes self-control, perseverance, endurance, and a focussed struggle to achieve one’s goal. Unlike patience, which implies resignation, the concept of Sabr includes a duty to remain steadfast to achieve your goals despite all odds.

Being patient gives us control in situations where we feel we have little or no control. ‘We cannot control what happens to us but we can control our reaction to our circumstances’ is the mantra of many modern-day self-help books. Patience helps us keep our mind and attitude towards our difficulties in check.

6. Excuse Me! You are Not Running the World, He is.

It is important to remind ourselves that we don’t control all the variables in the world. God does. He is the Wise, the All-Knowing. Sometimes our limited human faculties are not able to comprehend His wisdom behind what happens to us and to others, but knowing that He is in control and that as human beings we submit to His Will, enriches our humanity and enhances our obedience (Uboodiah in Arabic) towards him. Read the story of the encounter of Moses with the mysteries behind God’s decision (Quran: 18:60-82). Familiarize yourself with God's 99 Names, which are also known as His Attributes. It is a powerful way of knowing Him.
"God-there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All being. Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave? He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to aught of His knowledge save that which He wills them to attain. His eternal power overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. And He alone is truly exalted, tremendous." (Quran 2:255).

The Prophet recommended reading this verse, known as Ayat al kursi, after each prayer, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. Once Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, approached the Prophet during a difficult time and he found the Prophet in Sajda, where he kept repeating "Ya Hayy Ya Qayyum", words which are part of this verse.

7. Birds Don’t Carry their Food

Allah is al Razzaq (the Provider). "How many are the creatures that carry not their own sustenance? It is Allah Who feeds them and you, for He hears and knows all things (Quran 29:60)." By reminding yourself that He is the Provider, you will remember that getting a job or providing for your family in these economically and politically challenging times, when Muslims are often the last to be hired and the first to be fired, is in God’s Hands, not yours. As Allah says in the Quran: "And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish His purpose. Verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion (Quran 65:3).

8. God controls Life and Death

If you fear for your physical safety and security, remember that only Allah gives life and takes it back and, that He has appointed the time for it. No one can harm you except if Allah wills. As He says in the Quran: "Wherever you are, death will find you out, even if you are in towers built up strong and high!" (Quran 4:78).

9. Remember that life is short

It's easy to get caught up in our own stress and anxiety. However, if we remember that our life is short and temporary, and that the everlasting life is in the Hereafter, this will put our worries in perspective.

This belief in the transitory nature of the life of this world reminds us that whatever difficulties, trials, anxieties, and grief we suffer in this world are, Insha Allah, something we will only experience for a short period of time. And more importantly, if we handle these tests with patience, Allah will reward us for it.

10. Do Zikr !

"… without doubt in the remembrance (Zikr) of Allah do hearts find tranquility" (Quran 13:28).
If you commute, use your time in Zikr. Pick any Tasbeeh and do that instead of listening to the radio or reading the newspaper. Maybe you can divide it up between Zikr and planning. Personally, I recite the Tasbeeh of "Subhana Allahe wa be hamdihi, subhan Allahil Azeem" 100 times as I drive. The Prophet taught us these two short phrases which are easy to say but will weigh heavy on our scale of good deeds in the Hereafter.

When your heart feels heavy with stress or grief, remember Allah and surround yourself with His Zikr. Zikr refers to all forms of the remembrance of Allah, including Salat, Tasbeeh, Tahmeed, Tahleel, making supplication (Dua), and reading Quran.

"And your Lord says: ‘Call on Me; I will answer your (prayer)…" (Quran 40:60)
By remembering Allah in the way He has taught us to, we are more likely to gain acceptance of our prayers and His Mercy in times of difficulty. We are communicating with the only One Who not only Hears and Knows all, but Who can change our situation and give us the patience to deal with our difficulties.

"Remember Me, and I shall remember you; be grateful to Me, and deny Me not" (Quran 2:152).
11. Relying on Allah: Tawakkul

When you awaken in the morning, thank Allah for giving you life after that short death called sleep. When you step out of your home, say 'in Your Name Allah, I put my trust in Allah, and there is no power or force except with Allah' (Bismillahi Tawakal to al Allah wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah). At night, remember Allah, with His praises on your lips.
Once you have established a plan you intend to follow through on to deal with a specific issue or problem in your life, put your trust in the most Wise and the All-Knowing. "When you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah" (Quran 3: 159).

Rely on Allah by constantly remembering Him throughout your day. When you lay down to sleep, remember that sleep is death. That is why one of the recommended supplications before going to sleep is "with Your (Allah's) Name I die and become alive".

12. Connect with other human beings

You are not alone. Muslims are not alone. We are not suffering in silence. There are millions of good people who are not Muslim with beautiful hearts and minds. These are people who have supported us, individually and collectively, post-9/11, by checking up on us and making sure we are safe. These are individuals and organizations who have spoken up in defense of Muslims as we endured harassment and discrimination.

We must think of them, talk to them, connect with them, and pray for them. Through our connections, we will break the chain of isolation that leads to depression and anxiety.

13. Compare your dining table with that of those who don't have as much as you do

The Prophet said: Whenever you see someone better than you in wealth, face or figure, you should look at someone who is inferior to you in these respects (so that you may thank Allah for His blessings) (Bukhari, Muslim).

Next time you sit down to eat, eye the table carefully. Check out the selection of food, the quality, the taste, the quantity, and then think of the millions of others who don't have even half as much. The Prophet's Hadith reminds us of this so that we can appreciate and thank God for all that we have.

Also remember that the Prophet only encouraged us to compare ourselves to others in two respects: in our Islamic knowledge and level of belief in God (Deen). In these two areas, we should compare ourselves with those who have more than what we do.

14. Say it Loud: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar: Takbirat & Adhan

Find a corner of a lake, go out in the wilderness, or even stand on your lawn at your home and call the Adhan with your heart. While driving, instead of listening to the same news over and over again, say Allahu Akbar as loudly as you can or as softly as you want, based on your mood. Year ago, I remember calling Adhan on a Lake Michigan shore in Chicago after sunset as the water gushed against my knees. I was calling it for myself. There was no one else accept the waves after waves of water with their symphony. It was relaxing and meaningful. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.

15. Pray in congregation (Jamat)

Pray with other people instead of alone. If you can't pray all five prayers in congregation, at least find one or two prayers you can pray with others. If you are away, establish Jamat in your own family. During the Prophet's time, even though the Muslims endured great persecution, including physical beatings, they would sometimes meet on the side of a mountain or valley and tried to pray together. This is a great morale booster.

16. How is your Imam's Dua?

Does the Imam at your local mosque make Dua silently or out loud? Ask him to supplicate with the whole congregation. Suggest Duas for him to make. Ask him to make Dua for other people.

17. Work for the Unity of Muslims

Bringing Muslims together will not only help the Muslims, but it will also encourage you to focus your energies on something constructive versus zeroing in on and consistently fretting about difficulties you are going through.

Invite Muslims from other ethnic groups to your functions. Visit Masjids other than yours in your city. When you meet a Muslim leader, after thanking him for his efforts, ask him what he is doing for Muslim unity. Ask Imams to make Dua for this. These are just small ways you can help yourself and the Muslim community.

18. Sleep the way the Prophet slept

End your day on a positive note. Make Wudu, then think of your day. Thank Allah for all the good things you accomplished, like Zikr and Salat. Ask yourself what you did today to bring humanity together and what you did to help Muslims become servants of humanity. For everything positive, say Alhamdu lillah (Praise be to Allah). For everything negative say Astaghfirullah wa atoobo ilayk (I seek Allah's forgiveness and I turn to You [Allah]). Recite the last two chapters of the Quran, thinking and praying as you turn on your right side with your hand below your right cheek, the way the Prophet used to sleep. Then close your day with the name of Allah on your tongue. Insha Allah, you will have a good, restful night.

19. Begin the Day on a Positive Note

Get up early. Get up thanking God that He has given you another day. Alhamdu lillahil lazi ahyana bada ma amatana, wa ilaihin Nushoor (Praise be to Allah Who gave us life after death and unto Him will be the return). Invest in an audio tape driven alarm clock so you can get up to the melody of the Quran. Develop your to do list for the day if you didn't do it the night before. Begin with the name of Allah, with Whose name nothing in the heavens or the earth can hurt you. He is the Highest and the Greatest. (Bismillahillazi la yazurru maa ismihi shaiun fil arze wa la fis samae, wahuwal Alee ul Azeem). The Prophet used to say this after every Fajr and Maghrib prayers.

20. Avoid Media Overexposure: Switch from News to Books

Don't spend too much time checking out the news on the radio, television or internet. Spend more time reading good books and journals. When you listen to the persistent barrage of bad news, especially relating to Muslims nowadays, you feel not only depressed, but powerless. Cut down media time to reduce your stress and anxiety. It's important to know what's going on but not to an extent that it ruins your day or your mood.

21. Pray for Others to Heal Yourself.

The Prophet was always concerned about other people, Muslims and non-Muslims, and would regularly pray for them. Praying for others connects you with them and helps you understand their suffering. This in itself has a healing component to it. The Prophet has said that praying for someone who is not present increases love.

22. Make the Quran your Partner

Reading and listening to the Quran will help refresh our hearts and our minds. Recite it out loud or in a low voice. Listen to it in the car. When you are praying Nafl or extra prayers, pick it up and use it to recite portions of the Quran you are not as familiar with. Connecting to the Quran means connecting to God. Let it be a means to heal your heart of stress and worries. Invest in different recordings of the Quran and their translations.

"O humanity! There has come to you a direction from your Lord and a cure for all [the ills] in men’s hearts - and for those who believe, a Guidance and a Mercy" (Quran 10:57).

23. Be thankful to Allah

"If you are grateful, I will give you more" (Quran 14:7).
Counting our blessings helps us not only be grateful for what we have, but it also reminds us that we are so much better off than millions of others, whether that is in terms of our health, family, financial situation, or other aspects of our life. And being grateful for all we have helps us maintain a positive attitude in the face of worries and challenges we are facing almost daily.

24. Ideals: One step at a time

Ideals are wonderful things to pursue. But do that gradually. Think, prioritize, plan, and move forward. One step at a time.

25. Efforts not Results Count in the Eyes of Allah

Our success depends on our sincere efforts to the best of our abilities. It is the mercy of Allah that He does not demand results, Alhamdu lillah. He is happy if He finds us making our best sincere effort. Thank you Allah!

Khadija RA

I Implore !!!

I implore to you my lord, with a heart filled with sadness and sorrow, but I also do understand and comprehend the wisdom behind your decisions at least to a level which enables me to be thankful and grateful to you. You are my Allah, you alone do I worship to you alone do I turn for help and guidance. Please help every soul striving in your path, and help them not to be misled by the fitnahs of this world. I am a weak person, very weak indeed, with no strength at all, except by your permission and decree. Being close and obedient to you is always my heart’s desire, please Allah keep me always close to you forever!!! Make that day I meet you the happiest and the most awaited day in my life, and grant me such patience to traverse through this life as a stranger and not to burden any soul by my existence.

When the going gets tough !!!

May Allah swt grant all of us the strength to be better muslims,amen. At times the problems life throws at us seem insurmountable, but Allah swt is always with us. Convincing people who do not believe in the decree of Allah swt seems so difficult, may Allah swt protect us from being one of them. Life can only run smoothly if we firmly believe that Allah swt is always with us, no mountain will look too high to conquer and no problem would weigh us down, inshallah.

At times being just alone and reflecting through everything gives us the inner strength and vision to make the correct decision. I just don’t want to displease my Allah in any decision I make in life,YA Allah please do give me the strength to make the correct choices and to be very close to you always, for verily only in your remembrance does my heart find its peace and contentment. Please do not allow me to live until a day where my imaan would be threatened by the evil forces around me and within, please do lift my soul before such misfortune strikes me, please always guide me on the right path, the path which would take me unto you, amen !

THE MOTHER OF MY CHILD

THE MOTHER OF MY CHILD

By Saleh Ali

I'M NOT A mother. But I've been blessed with a great one for almost a quarter century. That's education enough, at least for one thing: Choosing a partner who embodies the top four qualities I believe a mother must have to help their Muslim children, in the words of the Quran, "grow up wholesomely in the years of their growing" (3:37). So here they are:

1. MATURITY: This trait leads my list because the surest way to guarantee a child won't be reared properly is for it to be raised by another child. A woman of minimum maturity cares for the souls that have come from her womb like the Heavenly blessings they are: Far and away, the most important family responsibility for both mother and father. The wise Woman knows the wellbeing of her offspring comes before her career, social life, even her own needs.

2. KNOWLEDGE: Education, both Islamic and academic (not that these are different), is essential in a good mother. It is not a coincidence that children of highly educated parents often do well in school. My prototypical mother is one who can help the little ones with their academics even when they get to be big ones and go on to higher education.

Moreover, a woman who is well grounded in the religious sciences makes the very best soil for child growth. That old adage about mother being the first teacher is entirely true. During my own childhood, for instance, my mother made an effort to treat birthdays and our many other market-driven holidays just like any other day. I intend to liberate my children accordingly, having freely lived the great benefits of this policy. A good Islamic background does, indeed, have a righteous domino effect on the character of our children and, therefore, the virtue of the family.

Now, Islamic knowledge means more than giving children a laundry list of "do's and don'ts." I was particular when I used the Phrase "religious sciences" regarding a good mother's education, for a mother, like a father, needs to understand how it is that we come to judgments, practices, and jurisdictions from the Quran and Sunnah. In this way, children will not merely accumulate disconnected outcomes but learn the processes by which they are to deduce their own conclusions about moral and religious issues, instead of blindly following a person or group.

3. PATIENCE AND MERCY: I really can't think of more crucial human characteristics than these twin attributes. Mothers facing the frenzied pressures of our tough social environment profoundly need both. It is critical that a good mother refrain from hitting or yelling at her children out of frustration, of which there is much to go around. Children carry the emotional scars of unnecessary and unfair beatings with them in to adulthood and often develop complexes and hold grudges against their parents because of this. Additionally, it is sinful for any of us to abuse our authority in the form of harmful physical or verbal abuse.

4. ROLE MODELING: The mother I envision for my own children is, most of all, a role model, an integrated example of Islam in motion. For it is by this that she will best represent for her children how one lives as a whole human being. It is, moreover, the pre-eminent, most dependable way for her to gain their sovereign respect , on top of the natural feelings they have for her as their mother, which is important. Children should live thinking that their mother is close to perfect. She can't forbid her child from listening to hip hop music, for example, while she sways to R & B or Arabic songs. Part of modeling is also literal: She dresses modestly and carries herself with the dignity a Muslim woman should. This is not only ideal for daughters but sons, as well. The girls learn how they ought to behave and the boys – along with –that –begin to understand what they should really want in a wife, someone whose merits approach the high standard they have grown up with in their mother.

I have no illusions about being able to supplant a mother's role in the life of the children I pray that God gives me. For rearing a child correctly does, indeed, take an exclusive dedication from a "real" woman.

Yet just as mothers grow proud of their children, so too daughters and, perhaps, especially sons, swell with a unique sense of honor when they begin to realize the worthiness of their mother. Soon, they will be looking around to see how other mothers treat their children and comparing it to their own situations.

I ask Allah to grant me, and all my unmarried peers, children of the righteous who esteem their mothers. I know no human being is perfect. But good Muslim mothers (mom!), you come closer to this than any of us.

(Courtesy: Al Jumuah Magazine)

Anger Management

Do you ever find yourself getting more and more angry and frustrated while trying to explain what is bothering you? Perhaps you feel like others are not really listening to you or trying to understand things from your perspective. In such circumstances, you may end up raising your voice or becoming verbally or even physically abusive. Unfortunately, responding in this manner usually decreases your chances of being listened to with empathy and compassion.

Another maladaptive way of handling your feelings, perhaps out of fear of losing control, is to work extra hard at keeping everything bottled up inside. What happens here is similar to what happens when a balloon keeps filling up with more and more air. The balloon will expand as far as it can and then eventually pop. However, if the balloon periodically releases some of its air, the likelihood is it will never reach that point of popping. Similarly, a person who uses assertive communication will be much less likely to become explosive. As one of the eight core anger control tools, assertive communication involves honestly and effectively communicating your feelings while doing so in a non-hostile fashion.

Perhaps most challenging when using assertive communication is to express your feelings without the other person becoming angry or defensive. What makes this so difficult is that people, for the most part, do not like to be criticized. Telling somebody what they did wrong, what you do not like about their behavior, or how they hurt your feelings can very easily trigger a negative reaction.

One of the most effective ways of using assertive communication is by using a technique known as the Compliment Sandwich. The meat of the sandwich (your complaint, criticism, or concern) is surrounded by two pieces of bread (compliments or positive feedback). In order to minimize defensiveness, you would begin with a compliment (the first piece of bread), then present the main message that you are trying to communicate (the meat), and then finish with another compliment (the second piece of bread).

To help illustrate, here is an example of the Compliment Sandwich:

* I have always considered you to be one of my best friends (first compliment/positive feedback).

* So when I heard that you were talking behind my back, I felt really hurt. What I need is for you to talk to me directly and not get others involved (critical feedback).

* You have always been there for me in the past, and I know I can still count on you (second compliment/positive feedback).

As you can see in the aforementioned example, the Compliment Sandwich made it possible for an important communication to be made in a non-hostile manner. By opening and closing with positive feedback, a friendly tone was set and an important message was able to be conveyed. Rather than aggressively attack the other person and risk making matters worse or bottle things up and become potentially explosive, this type of communication allows one to get things off his or her chest without putting the other person on the defensive.

There are, however, a few key suggestions for using the Compliment Sandwich effectively. First, it is essential that your praise be genuine. As challenging as it may seem with some of the more difficult people in your life, you should be able to think of at least two things to say that are both complimentary and sincere. It may take some extra thought on your part, but there is almost always something positive that you can say.

It is also important to avoid overuse of this technique so that your words do not appear to be contrived. Finally, your compliments should in some way be related to the critical message that you are trying to convey. This is necessary in order for the conversation to flow smoothly and to feel genuine.

Thus, the example provided earlier would lose its effectiveness if the compliments seemed to be out of left field (e.g., "I have always admired your dancing ability." and "You are such a terrific football player."). These compliments may be genuine, but have absolutely nothing to do with your friend talking behind your back.

By properly using anger management techniques such as the Compliment Sandwich, one can minimize the potential cost of anger. Health problems, impaired self-esteem, damaged relationships, emotional scarring of one's children, and a drop in productivity at work are all potential outcomes of uncontrolled anger. On the other hand, when channeled properly, anger can have many benefits.

So the next time someone hurts your feelings or offends you, instead of bottling things up or exploding, why not try something new and give a Compliment Sandwich? You might be pleasantly surprised by the results.

About the Author:

Dr. Lyle Becourtney, a New York State Licensed Psychologist and Certified Anger Management Professional, has a private office in Blauvelt, NY in Rockland County. His anger management program provides an excellent opportunity for teens and adults to learn new anger management skills and techniques:

http://www.angermanagementgroups.com/Skills.html

In addition to weekly anger management groups and individual counseling programs, Dr. Becourtney trains other mental health professionals and parents on how to implement a proven discipline program in the home.

Chatting between men and women

Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) was asked: What is the ruling on correspondence between young men and women, if this correspondence is free from immorality and love?
He replied:

It is not permissible for any man to correspond with a woman who is not his mahram, because of the fitnah (temptation) involved in that.

A person may think that there is no fitnah, but the Shaytaan will keep trying until he tempts him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded those who heard of the Dajjaal to keep away from him, and said that a man may approach him as a believer, but the Dajjaal will keep trying until he leads him astray.

Correspondence between young men and women involves a great deal of fitnah and danger, so we must avoid it, even though the questioner says that this correspondence is free from immorality and love.

From Fataawa al-Mar'ah, compiled by Muhammad al-Musnad, p. 96.
Undoubtedly correspondence via chat rooms is more dangerous than correspondence by mail,
but both are bad.

And Allaah knows best.Islam Q&A
---
Ruling on entering chat rooms on the Internet for fun
click here

Du’a And Its Relationship With Destiny

by Shaykh Abû Ammâr Yasir al-Qadhî

The topic of du’a and its relationship to destiny ( qadr) is a very important one, and one around which much confusion exists. Many people ask: “If everything has already been destined to occur, then of what use is du’a, as, if Allah has written what I want, I will get it without making du'a and if it is not written for me, then I will never get it no matter how much du’a I make?”

The response to this question lies in understanding that the outcome of anything is dependent on the performance of the efforts that are necessary to procure it. In other words, it has already been decreed, for example, that a seed will give fruit if planted, but this will not occur unless the farmer takes the appropriate efforts in irrigating the crop, maintaining it, protecting the seedling as it grows, and ensuring as much as he can that the factors are amenable for the plant to give fruit.

So even though a person believes in the Divine Decree, he must at the same time strive all he can to ensure that the desired goal occurs. So du’a is the means that one uses to achieve the desired goal that one has, and this means in no way contradicts the destiny that has been written for that person.

This stance is clarified by the Prophet’s (SAWS) hadith reported by Thawban, that he (SAWS) said:

“Nothing increases one’s life-span except good deeds, and nothing repels Divine Decree except dua. And verily, a person may be deprived of sustenance due to a sin that he does!”[1]

In other words, the performance of good deeds is a cause of increasing one’s life span, so if a person puts in the necessary effort, the results will be achieved, and this is also destined. So both the means to achieve a goal, and the fulfilment of the goal itself, are already decreed.

If someone were to ask: “How can du’a repel Divine Decree?” we would respond, “The fact that you may be ill has already been decreed by Allah for you, as has the fact that you will ask Allah to cure you of this illness (i.e. both the illness and your asking to cure the illness has been decreed). In a similar manner, a person maybe deprived of his sustenance that was decreed for him, since Allah’s eternal knowledge encompassed the fact that this person would perform a sinful deed that would cause the deprivation of his sustenance. All of this, then, is from the decree of Allah, all Glory and Praise be to Him”. There are a number of ahadith that clarify this point. For example, Mu'adh ibn Jabal reported that the Prophet (SAWS) said:

“Caution will be of no benefit against Divine Decree, but du’ a benefits all things, whether they come down or not. I therefore advise you to make du'a, O servants of Allah!” [2]

So no matter how cautious a person is, he cannot escape what is written for him, simply because Allah controls everything, and nothing escapes His Knowledge or Power. However, by turning to Allah through du’a, it is possible to avert something that might have been decreed. Salman al-Farsi narrated that the Prophet (SAWS) said:

“Nothing repels Divine Decree except du'a, and nothing increases one’s life-span except good deeds” [3]

This hadith informs us in no uncertain terms that the only way that we can repel some Divine Decree is through the means of du'a. So it is possible that some unpleasant matter has been preordained for us, but only if we do not make du’a to avert it from us. So if du’a is made, then this matter will not occur or be fulfilled, whereas if du’a is left, the misfortune will occur.

Another narration in al-Tirmidhi also supports this. The Prophet (SAWS) said:

“There is no Muslim on the face of the earth that asks Allah for anything except that Allah gives it to him, or averts from him a similar evil, as long as he does not ask for something evil or for breaking the ties of kinship”. [4]

From this narration, the benefits of du’a are made clear, and its value is understood. For not only is a person rewarded for making a du’a, but it is also a cause of repelling an evil that was destined for him, and in obtaining the good that he was expecting.

Ibn Hajr, commenting on the benefits of du’a, said:
“And the benefit of performing du’a is the attainment of reward by obeying the command (of Allah to make du’a), and also by the attainment of what is asked for, for there is a possibility that the request is dependent on the du’a, since Allah is the Creator of both the effort and result of the effort!” [5]

Therefore, the proper response to the question posed at the beginning of the chapter is,
in the words of Ibn al-Qayyim, as follows:

“The logical consequences of such a reasoning leads to a rejection of all efforts. It can, therefore, be said to a person who holds this view, ‘If the satisfaction of your hunger and thirst has already been destined for you, then it will be fulfilled, whether you eat or not. On the other hand, if it has not been destined for you, it will never occur, whether you eat or not.
“Now, will any sane person agree with all of these conclusions ?” [6]

To summarise, then, Divine Decree ( qadr) cannot be used as an excuse not to make du’a. For, just as one strives to ensure that one attains worldly needs, of food, drink and family, so too must one strive in ones religious deeds to attain the desired goal. Du’a is intrinsically related to qadr; in fact, it is a part of one’s qadr. Allah has already decreed that a certain matter will be granted to a servant, or an evil averted from him, if he makes du’a, so if he were to leave du’a, then the desired goal would not be reached.

Hence why it was the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAWS) to make the following du’a during the witr prayer:

“...Bless me in what You have given me. And avert and turn away from me the evil that has been decreed for me, for verily You Decree (all things), and none can decree against You..." [7]

So the Muslim turns to Allah and prays to Him so that any and all evil can be averted from him.

Additionally, it should be remembered that the concept of Divine Decree is one that a human can never fully understand, due to his limited intellect and finite capabilities. The true Muslim does not delve too deeply into the philosophical ramifications of Divine Decree. Rather, he accepts all that has occurred to him in the past as having been destined for him, and he strives to obtain what he desires in the future (as long as it is permissible for him). Since he does not know what has been written for him in the future, he expects the best from Allah, and does everything in his power to ensure that what he wants is granted him. Just like going to work every day will ensure, if Allah wills, that he gets his pay-cheque at the end of the month, so too does making du’a ensure, if Allah wills, that he achieves his desired goal.

Taken from the Book: Dua: The Weapon of the Believer published by al-Hidaayah Publications

Footnotes

1 Narrated by Ibn Majah #90, and Shaykh al-Albani said in Sahih Ibn Majah (73): “It is authentic without the addition, ‘And verily...’; see al-Sahihah, # 154.”
2 This hadith is weak. It was narrated by Ahmad, Abu Ya'la , and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir, as has been mentioned in Da’if al-Jami’ # 4785.
3 Authentic, reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim from Salman, and is in Sahih al-Jami’ # 7687.
4 Authentic, narrated by al-Tirmidhi from ‘Ubadah ibn Samit, as is mentioned in Sahih al-Jami’ # 5637.
5 Fath al-Bari, 11/95.
6 Al-Jawab al-Kafi, Ibn aI-Qayyim, p. 13.
7 Reported by al-Tirmidhi (# 464), al-Nasa’i (# 1725) and others, with an authentic chain.


Sallallahu Wa Salam ` Alal-Mustafa Wa ` Ala Aalihi Wa Ashabihi Wa Sallim

Sarah – Part 1

Sarah – Part 1

Sarah’s heart was throbbing; it was kind of a relief to know that exams were over. No more schooling, no more term exams, no more competition to weigh her down. But deep down she felt the pain, she knew she had tried hard, but everything was of no avail. The last few months had spelled nothing less than disaster, agony and grief. She had so many expectations, dreams, goals to achieve, but now she felt very empty. The feeling was awkward!

She felt as if the world was falling apart. The only relief was that exams were over “at least I haven’t got to worry about the results for 3 months or so …” Sarah thought with a deep sigh of relief. Although she feared Allah swt, Islam for her wasn’t anything more than her parent’s religion. She used to listen to short lectures during ramadhan at sahr time, she found great relief in them, but still she was far away from believing that Allah swt could change the course of her life. She was someone who believed that hard work would earn her everything she desired in life, but she was wrong; it takes something more than that she thought.

Sarah felt hopeless at times, what could I possibly do with my life? What do I possibly want to be? These questions always lingered in young Sarah’s mind. She had a great ambition, but now everything looked bleak. From her young days Sarah used to be a fighter, a hard worker. She was smart and intelligent. But what life threw at her at this stage of her life, was something she never anticipated, so she was back in block 1, pondering over what could help her regain what she had lost after all that hard work.

She enrolled for a course at a local institute; she was determined to fight back. Make something out of her life. She toiled very hard and came out with flying colours, she was overjoyed. But she knew the reality; the results of the all important exam in the country would have a great impact on her. Many people had a lot of hope in her. She knew it, this made things even harder. She wept alone for hours at times, but nothing would bring back her lost fame, it was painful, very painful.

Her dad’s book shelf had a good collection of Islamic books, although she had won a book or two as prizes in school, she never wanted to read them , unless of course at times, when she was reminded about god by her parents. Sarah’s fingers ran through some books in the shelf, she started reading them. She found great peace and solace in them. She made reading them her hobby; she used to read them whenever she was free or traveling.

Finally the results came; she never wanted to go to school to check them out. She could remember the day when her previous main board exam results were released. She got through with flying colours, it was a pain to even think that she didn’t do well, let alone the results. Her mum finally announced her results silently to her, she felt devastated. Although they were quite good, and would assure her university entrance, she still knew that it was far behind what she had actually aimed for. She wanted to forget everything, but it’s never that easy to forget the things we want to forget, they kind of linger more in our minds.

During this period of time Sarah and her mum took part in some thafseer classes held only for ladies on Saturdays. Sarah enjoyed them because deep down she felt the love for someone who deeply cared about her blooming. This someone unlike others loved her only for the good she did or tried to do, not for what she had achieved or failed to achieve in life.

A Contented Life

Let the days pass as they will
Be content with Allah’s will.
Do not regret what this day’s cast,
For this world’s pains for sure won’t last.
Be a man against fears strong,
Be kind and loyal, all life long.
If in folk’s eyes your faults abound,
And you wish that they be gowned:
Then shelter seek beneath kind acts,
For kindness well all blame retracts.
From enemies hide your weakness
For gloating foes do bring distress.
From misers never seek favor:
In fire there is no water.
Patience won’t reduce income,
Nor fretfulness increase the sum.
Neither pain nor joy shall last,
Nor poverty, nor riches vast.
But if your heart is satisfied
Then you do own the whole world wide.
A man on whom his fate alights
No depths shall save, nor any heights.
Allah’s earth is wide, but know,
That destiny makes it narrow.
Face each day on even keel.
There’s no balm from death can heal.

[Imam al-Shafi`i]

EID MUBARAK !!!

Hope that everyone is having a great time this Eid by Allah swts rahma. I feel extremely elated, as I have managed to finish reading the Quran fully during this Ramadan. This might not be a difficult feat for many, but taking into consideration my abilities and strengths I feel good about it, alhamdullilah.

I feel glad that this Ramadan has given us an opportunity to repent for all the sins we have committed so far,inshallah with the firm intention not to disobey him again. But it’s inevitable that as human beings we fall into sins, we should try to be the best of sinners that is those who constantly repent to Allah swt seeking his forgiveness and mercy. Inshallah he will find all of us among the righteous. Sins weigh our hearts down a lot, but when we sincerely repent we get close to our beloved, and feel the inner strength and joy only that closeness could gift us.

EID MUBARAK !!!

The Importance of the Last Ten Days of Ramadan

The Importance of the Last Ten Days of Ramadan

Amr Khaled

Translated by www.daralislaamlive.com

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In this lecture we will discuss the most important ten days of the year. It is very important that we mentally prepare ourselves for these coming days. How are you going to receive these ten days? What are your intentions? What are you planning on doing? We will be talking about the Night of Al-Qadr (Night of Power) and what we should do. Let's start about talking about how Laylat Al Qadr came about. It is the night that our prophet Muhammad received the Qur'an.

Let's go back to the past and see what the first laylat Qadr was like. The prophet Muhammad said that it happened while he was in a cave praying to God and remembering Him by looking at God's creations. This was perhaps one of the nights where the Prophet was closest to God. That night the angel Gabriel approached him and covered the entire sky. Wherever the Prophet looked he found Gabriel filling the sky. Gabriel said to him, read. The Prophet replied and said that he did not know how to read. Gabriel then took Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) and hugged and pressed on him so hard the Prophet thought he was going to die, and then finally Gabriel let him go. Gabriel repeated himself and told our prophet Muhammad to read. Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) gave him the same answer and said that he could not read. Gabriel then once again took Muhammad, hugged and pressed on him so hard that he though he was going to die then let him go. Again, the angel repeated the command and told Muhammad to read. Muhammad for the third time gave the same answer and once again. Gabriel repeated his action of hugging and pressing. Muhammad was so afraid that finally he asked the angel what he should read. Gabriel answered and said for Muhammad to read, "Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous." And then Gabriel disappeared.

Why did things start like this? Why didn't the angel just speak to Muhammad and tell him gently that he was going to be God's messenger? The cave where Muhammad prayed was far away and it was difficult to climb to and reach. The situation was even made more difficult because Gabriel approached Muhammad at night and not during the day, "Verily, We have sent it (this Qur'an) down in the Night of Al-Qadr." Why did God subject Muhammad to all of this? The beginning had to be strong and powerful because the task that Muhammad was up against was not easy. We also must try to start the night of Al- Qadr the way Gabriel started it with Muhammad. This is a serious matter and we are approaching the most important 10 days of our lives. None of us can guarantee that we will live to see the following Ramadan.

Think about the most important day of your life. Was it the day you graduated? The day you got married? No, the greatest day of your life is the day when you are written to be from the people of Heaven. The Night of Al- Qadr can give you that.

What can we gain from this night and from the last 10 days of Ramadan? We do not know for a fact that the Night of Al- Qadr is on the 27th of Ramadan, but we do know for sure that it is amongst the last 10 days of Ramadan.

There are four main benefits to the Night of Al-Qadr:

1. "The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months." Worshipping Allah in that one night is better that worshiping him a thousand months. A thousand months is 83 years and 4 months. The average life expectancy of the Prophet and his followers was about 70 years of age. So worshiping Allah in this one night is better than a lifetime worth of worship.

2. Supplication in this night is accepted and granted. This is for several reasons, one of the reasons is that in this night, "Therein descend the angels and the Ruh (Gabriel) by Allah's permission with all Decrees." It is a night filled with mercy and the angels are all around. Don't forget to supplicate and make duaa that Allah keeps you away from the hell fire and gives you a place in heaven. Make sure you also supplicated for Muslims all over the world, as well as for yourself and family.

3. On this night all of your past sins are forgiven. Can you imagine? Everything that you have done in the past that was wrong gets erased and you start a new page. Scholars have agreed that all of the sins, no matter how great, can be forgiven on this night. This means that some of us will go to the Eid prayer with souls that are whiter than our gowns. These worships in the last 10 days must be done with the intentions of obeying and pleasing Allah, it is not enough to just stand there or read Qur'an without knowing what it is that you are reading or what it is that you are really saying while you are praying.

4. In this great night it is possible for us to be freed and liberated from the hell fires. This is not limited to those of us who are the most righteous or trustworthy, but it is possible for anyone to achieve this. This is a month where the beginning is merciful, the middle is forgiveness, and its end can help us become liberated from the hell fires. The reason for this is that most of us enter Ramadan with many bad deeds in our scale that may create a huge gap between Allah and us, so we need for the beginning to be merciful. This mercy then leads to the middle of the month, which is filled with forgiveness, which in turn takes us to the last ten days of the month. We are like workers in a factory; we work so hard and are given our wages at the end of the month. We all need to work for our wages, and do our best work throughout the entire month. If you can just imagine something with me here, some of us have done so many bad deeds and are walking down a dangerous path, a path away from Allah's instructions. We have so many bad deeds' that they have formed imaginary chains around our necks. These chains so long and in the end, they lead to hell. So then the Night of Al- Qadr arrives and Allah finds us praying and worshipping him, in this night we can be liberated and freed from this chain. Remember, once you are freed, you will never be chained again. Once you are freed you will start changing and you will not walk down the same path filled with mistakes again.

Do you see why these last ten days are important? On these days, the Prophet used to liven up these nights. Each one of us in these last ten days should come up with a personal schedule to liven up our nights and please Allah. The Prophet use to stay up all night worshipping Allah. He also woke up his family in these last 10 day. These days are for both genders so women should also be up all night worshipping Allah. What should our schedules include?

1. The Taraweeh prayers. We should attend to these prayers with all seriousness and not miss a single night of it.

2. Read Qur'an. Have you already finished reading it? If yes then why not finish it again in the last 10 days? If you have a lot of work or a lot of studying then read as much Qur'an as you can and continue studying or working. Just because it is Ramadan doesn't mean that students should fail or that people should go to work in the morning half asleep. We need to learn how to coordinate in these last ten days and it really is not as hard as it may seem. It just needs determination and good time management. Eat a little less, sleep a little less, concentrate more and do not waste any time. Do not waste any precious minutes and Allah will be by your side to help.

3. The Tahajod or Qiyam prayer. This prayer does not necessarily have to be done in the mosque. You can pray it on your own, with your friends or family in your own home. Give it a try; you can even finish the Qur'an in these prayers. Have a set of goals that you can achieve daily. How much of the Qur'an do you want to finish per day and you achieve this by also reading Quran during the Tahajod prayer. If you set a goal and your mind to it you can achieve this. You do not have to spend the night praying, just do what you can. If you can aim at praying from 7 to 9pm and again from 2 to 5am that would be wonderful, then you have livened up your night. And if this seems like too much then just do what you can and Allah will help you.

4. Charity. It is important that you give charity and it doesn't matter how rich or poor you are. You can give money, food, your old clothes, or whatever it is that you can offer.

5. Connect with your relatives; call your uncles, aunts, grandparents, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, cousins and second cousins. This will help you build a stronger familial unit and only help increase the love and care that you have will all those related to you.

At this point we have two more things to discuss. Firstly, and this is very important and we must try to implement today, before the first of the last ten days of Ramadan. Through Gabriel, Allah revealed to the Prophet which night is the Night of Al- Qadr. When the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) learned of the exact date of this night he became so happy and left his home and wanted to inform his followers. When he arrived at the mosque however, he found two men quarrelling at which point the Prophet actually forgot the date. What can we say? A quarrel between two men wasted our chance of knowing exactly when this great night was going to occur. Of course there is a moral behind this. Allah did this to show us that a simple fight between you and your brother can make you forget this night as well. That is why we all need to connect with our relatives. We need to forgive each other and rekindle lost or severed ties.

Let me tell you an interesting story. A man gave his brother 60,000 Egyptian pounds for a business that they could start together. The made arrangements, came up with the proper paperwork and pretty much agreed on everything. A couple of days later the brother called and said that he did not take any money. The 60,000 pounds were the man's life savings, and no matter what he did the brother still denied taking any money. The man then thought to himself, should he cut off ties with his brother or choose Allah? And he knew that Allah's mercy does not fall on those that cut or severe ties with their relatives. His choice was not between 60,000 pounds and Allah's mercy. The man then called his brother and told him that Allah ordered us to connect with our relatives, so forget about the 60,000 pounds and that he does not owe him anything. That night the man saw a vision of his sleep. In this vision, the Prophet told him to go and perform a Umrah with him. The Prophet then took him and then went around the Kaaba (tawaf). Then, days later, the brother called and gave the man his money back. We all need to forgive so that we can be forgiven.

Secondly, be aware of and stay away from disobeying Allah in the things that you do. And if there is something wrong that you are doing, which you keep doing, then stop and repent. If a guy and a girl are in an unlawful relationship then end it and repent before the last 10 days. If you are a girl who insists on not wearing the hijab then repent, how is that you want God to forgive all your sins when you insist on disobeying Him. If you are a man who insists on watching movies or shows, or Internet websites containing unlawful material then stop and repent. When God looks at you and wants to forgive you but finds that you insist on disobeying Him, He will then give this forgiveness to someone who is more deserving. Repent and leave the sins and get on the right path, the path of Allah.

The above is advice that we should all try to implement. We should do this along with the proposed schedule of worship, supplication, prayer, Tahajod, charity and reading Qur'an. Don't forget that the rewards are great. The reward is that your supplication will be granted, you will be freed from that chain that is leading you to the hell fire, your past sins will be forgiven and your reward will be greater than a thousand months of worship.

Here is another word of advice: whatever you learn from this lecture go and teach it to someone so that you can help guide someone while you are also helping yourself.

Ramadhan Mubarak

Ramadhan Mubarak to All! Sorry for the belated wishes on my blog ! But I have always prayed and asked dua for all. May Allah SWT answer everyone’s dua(s) this ramadhan Ameen. Allah SWT knows my own dua this ramadhan, may Allah swt give it to me if its best for me , Ya Allah or else pls give me the courage to bear the pain. I sometimes question my love for Allah swt, many a times I have strayed from his right path, but each time I fail I repent to him, pls ya allah give me the strength to always stick to your path and always be very close to me, never ever leave me alone, not even for a moment as small as the wink of an eye.

Allah swt has always showed me the right path despite me being a sinner, always straying from his path. I feel very low at times about my sins. But one should never despair of Allah swt’s rahma, he is very merciful & compassionate and knows the deepest of secrets in our hearts. Whenever I feel sinful I listen to the lecture series from sheikh yasir qadhi “oh Allah forgive me”, it pacifies my soul and infuses new strength and hope into it.

These are the last few days of ramadhan, the time to ask for protection from the fire of jahanam and also a very good time to seek Allah swts forgiveness for all our past sins. It’s also a good time to make new resolutions for the year ahead, to be better Muslims. I myself have a list of 10 or more… Oh Ramadhan once you leave us we will miss you a lot, you are like an angel who comes down from Allah swt with glad tidings and hope for everyone. You give us such tranquility in your presence, your absence will be painful, and especially not knowing whether I will meet you again makes it harder…

Anyway lets inshallah make the most out of this ramadhan. Use it as an opportunity to get closer to the one who loves us a lot, and also as an opportunity to start a life in accordance with his beautiful revelation unto mankind. May Allah swt forgive all our sins and make us pious people who will always lead a life in accordance with ISLAM. Ameen.

The Teacher - Part IV

Salim met the teacher's angry stare with a look of both regret and longing. He began awkwardly, "If you knew why I did it you-"

"Don't bother," the teacher said, interrupting him. "I don't care why you did it. When this elevator opens I am going home and you and going to find a new teacher."

"I don't want a new teacher."

"I don't care what you want." The teacher turned away and sniffed. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Why are you crying?" Salim asked in a way he hoped was gentle and inoffensive.

"I'm tired and upset and I'm stuck in an elevator," the teacher said wearily, "Why shouldn't I cry."

Salim drew a breath and held out his hand, as if making an offering, "But you don't have to be upset, and it's not so bad being stuck here. Someone will come and open the doors, until then, please don't cry."

Another tear rolled down the teacher's cheek regardless of Salim's advice. Salim put his hand back in his lap, and after contemplating it for a minute, he shifted on the elevator floor so that he was facing his teacher. "Please, why are you crying? Is it because you are angry with me? Please tell me."

The teacher wiped her tears away with a corner of her scarf and Salim quickly handed her the silk handkerchief he had initially offered her. She took it without looking at him and dried her eyes, and dabbed at her nose with it.

"I am crying," she said slowly, "Because I am mad at myself. I am mad at you, and I am mad at this stupid elevator."

"There is no reason why you should me mad at yourself," Salim said with a touch of admonishment in his voice. "And you shouldn't even be mad at me, I had a good reason for what I did, and I caused you no harm. Now the elevator," Salim said, trying to dispel some of the stress in the air, " Even I am mad at the elevator."

The teacher said nothing. He scooted a little closer to her and said quietly, searching her face, "You know why I did it, don't you?" The teacher flushed and looked away from him.

"You know then." he said, licking his lips anxiously, "Will you still be angry with me?"

"Leave me alone," the teacher said weakly, "Go back to your corner and stay there until the doors open."

A mechanical clicking noise came from somewhere beneath the floor of the elevator.

"No," Salim said, scooting a little closer, his eyes glittering with excitement. "Listen. I know why you are crying. You do not have to be upset. I am not a bad man. I have an excellent career and I-"

"You have nothing I need," the teacher interrupted sternly. "Now go back to your corner."

Salim drew himself up indignantly, "Nothing you need! Do you not need a house? A life? A man who will-"

"Nothing!" she said, raising her voice suddenly. "That is enough Mr. Umari, go back to your corner and stay there!"

"You're not teaching me any more, correct?"

"Correct," the teacher said through clenched teeth, struggling to control her anger.

"So if you are not my teacher then I do not have to obey you." The teacher's eyebrows shot up in surprise and Salim smiled. "You are not the teacher anymore and I am not Mr.Umari. You are Angela and I am Salim."

"I didn't give you permission to use that name," the teacher said, her lips pressing together tightly when she ended her sentence.

"I do not need permission.," Salim said, matching her tone. "There is no student and no teacher, only man and woman. Now Angela, you must tell me. Am I not a suitable man?"

"Fine," the teacher said, turning suddenly to face Salim. "You want to know? I'll tell you." She held up her hand and began counting off her complaints on her fingers. "You're a professional liar, you drink, you smoke, you don't pray, you don't give a damn about your own religion. You're still in the dark ages Mr. Umari, as far as human spirituality goes, you're still a damn cave man. There, I said it, are you happy now?"

Salim blinked and shook his head as if trying to shake off the teacher's outburst. "But, but," he stammered, "Surely you must be joking. You are American, you know what life is about, and I can give you a good one!"

"To hell with your life," she said, and then laughed wryly at the irony, "Yes, to hell with it. I don't know if you even believe in accountability, so I'm not going to make a fool of myself by talking about heaven and hell, but I know what my life's goals are, and none of them involve any of yours, or you, or any men like you. Ok? Is that clear?"

Salim sat dumbly, staring at the floor. The elevator shivered and the lights flickered again. Suddenly, alarmingly, it dropped for a few terrifying moments and then came to a jarring halt. The doors had still not opened. Salim looked up to the ceiling in alarm and swallowed against the lump of nausea in his throat. The teacher had her eyes closed and hands grasping the brass rail above her. Salim opened his mouth and drew a shaky breath. There was a harsh grating noise and the elevator jerked suddenly up and then down again.

"Oh God..." Salim said shakily.

The teacher opened her eyes and took her hands off the brass rail. "Look," she said, her anger replaced with urgency, "Look, I need to apologize for insulting you. Don't hold it against me, please."

Salim had wrapped his arms around his middle and was rocking back and forth with his eyes closed, trembling. His breathing had become irregular.

"Oh no, don't panic!" the teacher said, standing up and taking Salim by the arm. "Stand up," she said, and she made Salim stand and bend over with his head between his knees. "Breathe gently, there. Good."

Salim closed his eyes and forced himself to inhale. The elevator doors hissed and opened half of an inch, and when Salim looked up eagerly, he could see a vertical section of gears and wires lining a wall of cement between floors. He stood up immediately and forced his fingers into the crack, and began pushing against the doors. As he grunted and strained, the teacher sat down again and held her cupped hands out in front of her face, praying.

Salim groaned through his clenched teeth and pushed the door harder. It came open another two inches, and then the entire elevator shuddered and Salim pulled his fingers out just as it began moving again. The wires showing between the open doors scrolled upwards and out of sight at a progressively faster speed, and Salim was lifted onto his toes by the force of the rapid descent. Faster and faster the elevator fell, and the lights went out. When the elevator struck the ground with a deafening crash and a shattering of glass panels and a crackling of electric wires, Salim lost consciousness.

Salim dreamt he was swimming in a tremendous pleasure garden, and in the immense blue pool, hundreds of other people were laughing and frolicking. Some of them were sitting by the pool and feeding each other fruit. One woman was laughing gently as she leaned onto another man's neck. Salim turned and reached out with his arm, and began swimming. He had taken only a few strokes when he realized that something was wrong, he could not feel his fingers in the cool water.

Salim lifted his arm from the water and stared at it in horror. His right hand was missing, not cut off, but decayed off, rotted off, and greenish-brown veins and arteries dangled lifelessly from the stump of his wrist. Salim turned to the other swimmers for help, and saw that the man swimming next to him was trailing a sightless eye through the water from a gaping socket. A woman floating beside him was missing her jaw, and her teeth and blue tongue hung straight out from the bottom of her face. Everywhere Salim turned, he saw people laughing joyfully and rotting alive. Salim put his remaining hand to his face and found that he had no nose, only a moist, oozing cavity between his eyes where it had once been. He screamed. And screamed, and screamed.

He was still screaming when he awoke on the elevator floor, and he coughed and gagged on his own blood, and then screamed again. Salim rolled over onto his side and was immediately struck with overwhelming pain. In the thin shaft of light that was shining through the crack in the elevator door, Salim watched blood drip onto the floor from the tip of his nose. He held out his hands in front of him and nearly screamed at the sight: his right hand was crushed, the skin and muscle and bone all mangled together in an oozing, shockingly painful mess. Salim shuddered as a wave of pain washed over him again. When the wave subsided, Salim turned over onto his elbows and knees and crawled forward.

He found her, still sitting cross-legged, her scarf still wrapped neatly around her head, though shards of glass and debris were scattered all over it and nestled in the folds that lie over her chest. In his confused state, Salim thought she might be sleeping with her chin resting on her chest. He tried to say her name, but he couldn't hear himself mouth the words. He couldn't reach out and shake her, so he crouched before her, bleeding and shuddering, until the shaft of light in the elevator widened and several silhouettes entered through it.

In the days and nights that followed, Salim was seldom conscious, and his sleep was disturbed with the same frightening dreams of the pleasure garden. Between dreams he had vague ideas of doctors and nurses and needles, and of a relentless cycle of pain, and then numbness, and then pain again, followed by numbness.

Two and a half weeks after the elevator had come crashing down from Salim's private office to the company headquarters on the 31st floor, Salim regained consciousness, and Robert arrived not half an hour later.

He laid his hand uneasily on the rail of Salim's bed. "How do you feel old chap?" Robert asked softly.

"I don't know," Salim said, his throat raw from the tube that had been pulled out only a few minutes ago. "My hand, it hurts..."

Robert averted his eyes and self-consciously pulled his own hand back into his lap. "You haven't got it anymore Salim, they had to take it off..."

Salim raised his arm unsteadily and stared desperately at the bandaged stump. That's right, his hand had hurt so much. He remembered seeing the bloody pulp above his wrist, and then getting onto his elbows and knees and crawling towards...

"My teacher!" Salim croaked, starting from his pillow, his voice grating harshly in his throat as he groaned and tried to lift himself with his remaining hand.

Robert leapt to his feet and pushed the button that called the nurse and tried to subdue Salim at the same time. "Calm down, calm down! You must rest Salim, the doctors say you're barely alive as it is now. Stop thrashing about or you'll undo everything!"

Salim dropped back onto his pillow, exhausted from his brief struggle. "You must..." he said breathlessly, "...you must tell me...please, how is she..."

A nurse came in holding a wrapped syringe and a small glass vial. She opened the syringe and then stabbed its tip through the top of the vial, drawing out its contents.

"You must promise not to get all worked up when I tell you Salim, or I won't tell you at all."

Salim did his best to nod earnestly, though it sent bursts of pain through his skull.

"Alright then," Robert said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He drew a breath and held it for a second. Then he released it, saying, "I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you. She didn't survive."

Robert turned his head and continued talking as he stared into the space above the window. "I can't remember the technical word for it, something about the brain being struck from the impact, the doctors said she never felt a thing. I'm so sorry Salim."

Hot tears welled up in Salim's eyes and escaped, burning paths from the corners of his eyes to the pillow beneath his head. The nurse slipped in next to all the tubes and wires connected to him, and then emptied the injection into the canula of his IV.

Salim's mouth lay opened in abject misery. Tears flowed freely from his blood-shot eyes, even as the sedative spread through his body and his eyelids grew heavier. Robert stayed watching him until the fingers on his remaining hand stopped twitching and his breathing grew less harried. When he thought he was finally asleep, Robert leaned carefully over Salim, and then watched in surprise as a large tear welled up in the corner of his closed eye and ran down his face.

"Poor chap," Robert murmured as he walked out the door, "Crying in his sleep."

The Teacher - Part III

Salim arrived at his office and accepted a handful of messages from his secretary on his way to the elevator. As he waited impatiently for the doors to open on his floor, he read through them. There were five, and they were sorted in chronological order; 8:45, message from Robert. 8:52, slightly angry message from La Rosa, 9:10, message from potential client, 9:15, message from a mechanic. And the last one, 9:18, was a message from his teacher. Salim looked at his watch. It was 9:35. She must've called when he was en route to the office. He read the message hastily.

"My apologies," it said, "I have to cancel class for today. I will call you when I can come." Alice always took messages verbatim, and as Salim read the note, he tried to hear the words as his teacher spoke them. In his head they sounded toneless, ambiguous, possibly benign or possibly angry.

The elevator doors opened and Salim walked slowly to his office and sat down at his desk. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his mobile phone, cycling through the directory and looking for her number. He found it and hesitated before pushing the button. What if she was angry with him? What if he had been too forward in the car? He placed this thumb over the button that would cause the number to be input and the signal to be sent. He knitted his eyebrows together and pressed it.

The phone rang, once, twice, thrice.

"Hello?" It was she who had picked up.

"Hello, this is Salim," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I just received your message. I am hoping everything is well?"

There was a pause at the other end of the line. "Hello?" Salim said again cautiously.

"Yes, everything is fine, thanks," she answered. "I just can't make it today, sorry."

"May I help with anything? A taxi perhaps?"

"No, thank you. A taxi will not be necessary."

"Pardon my asking," Salim ventured, "I hope you will not mind, but may I ask if there is any problem?"

Salim thought he heard the scratch of breath blown across the receiver. It could have been static, he was not sure.

"There is no problem at all, thank you."

Salim twirled his pen in his free hand and then said, "Then why can you not come?"

Over ten seconds of silence followed. Salim cleared his throat. Then he heard the sound again, it could not have been static. It was definitely a breath of some sort.

"I'm sorry," the teacher said slowly, "I just don't feel up to teaching classes anymore. I'm tired these days. If you don't mind, I'd like a vacation."

"Of course, of course," Salim said right away, "A week? Two weeks? When will you return?"

"I'm sorry for not making myself clear the first time," the teacher said. "But I would like to postpone classes with you until further notice."

Salim put his hand quietly on his forehead and said, "One moment please." He put the phone down on the desk and exhaled loudly. Then, as he was staring at his desk in perplexity, his eye caught the fourth phone message, the one from the mechanic. It read: "Tell him that I tried to keep it a secret but she's very persistent and I'm sorry. Tell him I'm sorry, ok? There was nothing I could do about it." After the last line Alice had penned a few dots and a question mark in parenthesis, which was her way of signaling her confusion.

Salim picked up the phone quickly. "I..."

"Yes?" his teacher said tonelessly. Now Salim realized that her voice was calm but angry. How could he have missed the exasperated sigh earlier?

"Listen," he said, dropping all pretense of formality, "Can you please come to my office? I think we must talk in person."

"I would rather not," the teacher said.

"Please," Salim said, "You must, please, I shall send the driver for you in ten minutes, ok?"

After a tense silence she said, "Fine," and hung up. Salim rang his secretary and had Taylor sent to the teacher's house. She would be arriving soon, it would take less than twenty-five minutes altogether. He had much to do in that time, and had to hurry to accomplish it.

He quickly called La Rosa and made the proper apologies, and set a time for a longer, uninterrupted phone call later in the afternoon. He phoned the potential client and convened a council of their secretaries to arrange a meeting some time next week. He stuffed the other three messages in his desk and in doing so, spied his bottle of Scotch. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long draught to settle his nerves. Then he rushed to his bathroom to brush his teeth, and to shave, which he had not done yet.

He emerged from of the bathroom with his jacket in his arms and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and stopped in his tracks. His teacher was already sitting in the chair on the opposite side of his desk. Taylor must have done some very fast driving. Either that or time had passed much faster than Salim expected it to.

She did not turn around when he stepped into the room, but stayed in the chair, erect and motionless. Salim felt his stomach quiver suddenly. He drew in a breath, called upon all his mental resources, and walked past her to his desk and into his chair, still with his sleeves rolled up and his jacket still over his arm. He sat down without looking up at her right away, contemplating his lap. After a few moments, the teacher said, "Well?"

Salim looked up guiltily, embarrassedly, and said, "This is about your car. Please allow me to apologize."

The teacher looked unflinchingly at Salim, the only sign of her emotions being a slight flaring of her nostrils, a rise in color to her cheeks. "What-"

"Please," he interrupted, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the desk. "I know that it was not right of me to do such a thing secretly, but I wanted to make a surprise for you."

"That's not the impression the mechanic gave," she said hotly.

"Oh," Salim said, wilting under the heat. "I am sorry. Please forgive me. I am very sorry."

The teacher put a hand on the back of her neck and shook her head. "I just-" she began, exasperatedly, "I mean, what right- What are you trying, to, to- achieve?"

Salim looked up at her, and he stared sadly into her eyes. She shook her head slightly as he did this and raised her eyebrows, as if asking a question. Salim opened and closed his mouth several times as if to answer, but when nothing came out, his teacher shook her head once more and stood up.

"Wait!" he said, suddenly recovering his powers of speech.

"Good bye Mr. Umari," she said through tight lips. "Good luck with your English studies, and with finding a new teacher."

She turned and walked out of the door. Salim sat in shock, and then bolted up and rushed out into the hall behind her. The elevator doors had already opened and she was just stepping inside of them when he caught up with her, and ran in behind her. She turned around angrily as the doors closed behind him.

"Now what?" she said irritably.

"Please," Salim said, trying to stand at a respectful distance in the limited space of the elevator. "Please, you misunderstand me. I meant you no harm, I did not mean to violate your privacy."

"Then what did you mean?" the teacher challenged, placing one hand on her hip. Salim was momentarily distracted by its curve. Then he blinked and looked up, staring into his teacher's angry blue eyes again, searching them for a sign. That fierce sparkle, was it the hard sparkle of a diamond? Or was it the faceted sparkle of ice? Could the ice melt? Could he make the eyes melt?

As he stood staring, the ice did melt, and a trickle of water leaked out onto the teacher's cheek. "Oh I am so sorry!" Salim said, frantically producing a silk handkerchief from his pocket, "Please don't cry, please, I am so sorry!"

The teacher snatched the handkerchief and turned away, and at that moment, the lights flickered in the elevator and it came to a screeching, grinding halt. Salim stood uneasily with his hand on the brass rail in the compartment.

The teacher looked up to the ceiling, and then to Salim. She pushed the button for the 31st floor several times, and then the button for opening the door, and when at length, nothing happened, she threw the handkerchief back at him scornfully and said "Dammit Umari! Did you arrange this too?"

Salim shook his head innocently and pushed the emergency button. It gave off a wicked spark and a puff of smoke and he leapt back. The teacher also jumped. Salim reached into his pocket for his mobile phone, and remembered that it was still on the desk.

He closed his eyes and turned and rested his head against the cool wall of the elevator. The teacher was standing with her back to him, both hands on the brass railing. They stood in silence for a interminable amount of time, waiting, and finally, the teacher sighed, set down her purse, and sat down on the floor with her legs crossed beneath her skirt and her arms crossed on her stomach. Salim sat down also, and stared meekly at his fingernails.

He cleared this throat and spoke, quietly, because the stillness in the elevator made his voice seem very loud, saying, "I am not a bad man. I am not what you think I am."

The teacher was staring at the elevator door. She said, "So what."

"So you do not have to leave teaching me. I will not harm you."

The teacher raised an eyebrow and turned and glared at Salim "Harm me?"

Salim felt a hot rush of color to his neck and he lowered his gaze. After a while he glanced down at his watch. Ten minutes had passed in the elevator. Salim looked at the ceiling, then at the floor, at the elevator buttons, and then at the door, and when he turned his head slightly to steal a glance at his teacher, who looked like she was resting her head against the elevator wall with her eyes closed, she turned to him and gave him an accusing stare.

"I did not do this!" Salim pleaded, "Please believe me. I would never do anything like this."

"Like you would never do anything with my car?" she was still staring at him.