Memoirs of a Journey

The Homeless Man and I

Usman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:35:47 +0000

I hope everyone is in the best of health and in the state of increasing Iman. This is a reflection of an event that took place this past Sunday.

I work at at a hotel as a front desk representative and I see some very interesting people. The hotel is elegant and business people and upper class families come to stay. As the guests were coming in and out of the hotel a homeless man walked in. As you know hotels are very particular about outward presence, and amoung upper class people with expensive suits and dresses on a homeless man gives a bad impression of the hotel. He was an old man wearing an oversized jacket covered in dirt. He was obvioulsy disheviled with a scruffy beard and unkept hair. I could smell the awful stench coming from him from a mile away. As he approached me my co worker and I exchanged an uneasy glance, he only asked for a cup of coffee. I was about to say we do not have any coffee when my co worker told him where it was. His old age and weakness from probably not eating in days caused him to almost limp towards the coffee area. After he went I became busy working and checking people in. After ten minutes I saw him sitting in the lobby staring into nothing at all with a cup of coffee on the table. He looked so tired and it seemed if he was savoring the moment he had in a clean comfortable place. Hotels are like homes, mabye he was thinking of a time when he had a home. Mabye he had a loving wife or a loving mother who took care of him when he was a child. I asked my manager what we should do about him. After all he could have had drugs in his pocket or even a weapon. Mabye the kids might get scared and complain to their parents and they would complain about the homeless man. My manager told me to ask him to leave and I said I couldnt do it, I said I felt to guilty asking him. My co worker volunteered, she brought him some cookies and kindly asked him to leave. He probably understood that a posh upper class hotel would never let a man like him stay. He just nodded, and took his cookies and left. He exited the first set of automatic doors and then stopped in front of the second set of doors. He moved to the side to let others in. I leaned over to see what he was doing and why he had not left when I noticed it was raining heavily outside. He was just eating his cookie and waiting for the rain to subside. My heart shattered as I stood in the smell that he left in the hotel. After two minutes he left. My co worker and I felt horrible. Here was a man who was not good enough to be inside a bulding for more than 15 minutes. It was after a long time my heart actually broke.

I began to think what would the Prophet Muhammad (saw) do in that situation. Would he also kick out a homeless man looking for comfort and food. No, he would never have done that! He taught us to take people in and be merciful to them. He told us to feed the hungry and reminded us of how noble that was in the sight of Allah. Our beloved Messenger would have prefered the man’s needs over his own. I thought about all of this and could not help but to ask Allah for forgiveness and to thank him, truly thank from my heart for all the blessing I have. We always say “Alhumdulilah” but we never mean it, that day I meant it. And when I said it from my heart tears welled up in my eyes. I really felt that I had submitted myself to Allah in that moment and I tasted the sweetness of Iman.

These series of events really opened my eyes to how we treat the downtrodden of our communtiy, and the state we are in spiritually. Feeding the hungry and being kind and merciful to them is immensly rewarded by Allah. Thus, next time we see a person in need lets be kind and meciful to them with the intention of pleasing Allah. I pray that Allah allows us all to taste from the sweetness of faith and forgives our shortcomings and enters us all in paradise, amen. The heart needs to beat…and so we stay alive. Wasalaam

Surah Qaaf- Mishary Rashid

Usman — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:22:15 +0000

Salaam, I hope everyone is in the best of health and in the state of Iman. In our effort of returning to the book of Allah, the video below is an inspiring and Inshallah rejuvenating one. The recitor is our dear Shaykh Mishary Al- Afasay. Keep me in your prayers. The heart needs to beat… and so we stay alive. Wsalaam.

He is Close to You

Usman — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:51:33 +0000

Salaam, I hope everyone is in the best of health and in the state of increasing iman. I have not posted anything in a while because I have been busy with what we come to learn as life. I came across something on our dear Shaykh Suhaib Webb’s website, he said, ” You might be far from Allah, but, he is close to you! Turn to him and you will find him. That is so amazing, Subhanallah. That resonated with me so much and I am sure that well can relate to it. So many times we feel distant from Allah and the Quran, but if we just turn around once in a while Inshallah we will benifit. I leave you with this hadith, “I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed”. The heart needs to beat… and so we stay alive. Wsalaam

Abu Bakr’s Address to Madinah

Usman — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 07:04:39 +0000

I hope everyone is in the best of health and in the state of increasing iman. In light of Barack Hussain Obama’s inagural address, below is the address of Khalifa-tu-Rasulilah (saw), Abu Bakr (rd) after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). The great companion embodied his wisdom and leadership in just a few words. His words were very strong and gave people the direction that was so bady needed at the time. I hope and pray that we Muslims living in the west can develop the Iman, taqwa, and leadership that Abu Bakr as Siddiq (rd) had. The heart needs to beat…and so we stay alive. Salaam.

“O People! I have been put in authority over you and I am not the best of you. So if I do the right thing then help me and if I do wrong then put me straight. Truthfulness is a sacred trust and lying is a betrayal. The weak amongst you is strong in my sight. I will surely try to remove his pain and suffering. And the strong amongst you is weak to me I will – Allah willing – realise the right from him fully. When obscene things spread among any nation, calamities generally continued to descend upon them. As long as I obey Allah and His messenger, you should obey me, and if I do not obey Allah and His messenger, then obedience to me is not incumbent upon you”.

Of Love and Faith

Usman — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 03:17:05 +0000

Salaam, I hope everyone is in the best of health and in the state of ever increasing Iman. I wanted the next few posts to be small but beneficial Ahadith. I hope I benefit from them as much as I want you all to benefit. I would also like some feedback from all the readers. What do you guys want to see more of? What did you like that I have stopped posting? Inshallah, all suggestions are welcome. Keep me in your duas, as I am in much need of them. The heart needs to beat…and so we stay alive. Wsalaam.

Anas (rd) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said ” None of you truly belives (has iman) until I am more beloved to him than his father, his child, and all of mankind. (Bukhari & Muslim)

The Prostration that Led to the Hellfire

Usman — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:14:22 +0000

Salaam, I hope everyone is in the best of health and in the state of increasing iman. This is an amazing story about how shaytan (satan) tricks us into disobedience. This story begs for our reflection. We all kow the attacks of shaytan and we all have been his victim. We all make mistakes, but the best of sinners are the ones who repent. I leave you with this hadith, ” Every son of Adam is a sinner, and the best of sinners are the ones who repent constantly”. (Ibn Majah) Keep me in your prayers as I am in much need of them. The heart needs to beat…and so we stay alive.

There was a man who lived amongst the children of Israel named Barseesa. His worship and devotion to Allah was so great that we call him ‘aabid bani Isra’eel’: the great worshipper from the Children of Israel.

During his time, the King of the land made a call for men to join the army to fight in a jihad against an enemy. Amongst those who wanted to sign up were three brothers, but there was one problem. They had one sister and no other family to look after her. So they decided to go to Barseesa, the righteous man, and ask him to look after her in their absence, as they feared no evil from him.

Barseesa immediately refused their request: he would rather devote his time to worship of Allah. But when the three brothers went away, shaitan came to Barseesa and whispered to him “If you don’t look after the sister, then they will leave her in the hands of someone else, and then her safety isn’t guaranteed.”

So Barseesa changed his mind and took responsibility for the sister while the three brothers left. He left her in a house next to the building in which he prayed and each day he would prepare her some food and leave it outside his house for her, and then she would come and pick it up.

After some time, shaitan again came to Barseesa and suggested “why don’t you go and deliver the food to her doorstep. As it is, she is coming out of the house and everyone sees her, and you can see her inconvenience.”

So Barseesa accepted this suggestion and started taking the food right to the doorstep of where she was staying.

This continued for a while until shaitan came to him again and said “how can you leave the food at her doorstep? She still has to open the door and people see her.” Barseesa again changed his plan and decided to take the food into the house. But that was it, he decide. No further.

So this continued for a while until shaitan came and whispered to him “why dont you ever ask her how she is, at the moment she lives like a prisoner no one ever talks to her.” So now Barseesa started to talk to her, and soon they were smiling and laughing with each other and then passions flared, and then they fell in love, and then Barseesa, `aabid Bani Israeel, committed zina.

The story doesn’t end there because she became pregnant.

Shaitan now came to Barseesa and said “What have you done? If those three brothers come back and find their sister with a child, they will know that you betrayed their trust and committed zina with their sister, and then they are going to kill you. The only way to get out of this situation is to kill the child.” So Barseesa killed the child.

Shaitan came back to him again and warned “Do you think that the woman is going to keep quiet about the fact that you killed her child? The only way you can save yourself from this situation is to kill her too.” So Barseesa killed her as well.

Time passed, and the three brothers returned from jihad and asked for their sister. Barseesa merely pointed to a fake grave in which he had buried some animal bones. So the brothers cried and returned to their home.

However, shaitan came to each of them in a dream and said “that man Barseesa is a liar. When you were away he committed zina with your sister and then he killed her and their child and buried her in such-and-such place. And the grave you were shown is a fake grave with animal bones in it.”

When these three brothers woke up, they were shocked that they had all shared the same dream. So they checked the false grave to find the animal bones, and found the real grave of their sister and her child. When they interrogated Barseesa about it he confessed to everything, so they chained him up and dragged him to the King so that he could be executed. On the way there, shaitan appeared to Barseesa in a physical form and said “O Barseesa, do you know who I am? I am shaitan, and I am the one who has led you along this path. And now I am the only one who can save you.” Barseesa begged for help, so shaitaan instructed “If you prostrate to me I will save you.” So Barseesa prostrated to shaitan and … shaitan disappeared.

When Allah has said that shaytan is an awoved enemy to you and we dont understand all his little ways that he uses to trap us, why open the door for him…

Mishary Al Afasy Nasheed

Usman — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:19:06 +0000

Salaam, I hope everyone is in the best of health and in the state of increasing iman. The past few posts have been packed with information and a lot knowledge that begs our acting upon it. So this post will be light and will be entertaining. This is a new nasheed by our dear shaykh Mishary Al Afasy. Keep me in your duas as I am in much need of them. The heart needs to beat…and so we stay alive. Salaam.

Eid Mubarak

Usman — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:36:56 +0000

Salaam, I hope everyone is in the best of health and in the state of increasing iman. Eid Mubarak to everyone all across the world. I hope everyone remembered to fast yesterday as it was the day of Arafah. The sins of 2 years are wiped out!!! Subhannallah that is amazing.

I ask Allah to accept the Hajj of all the people who went, I ask Allah to accept their duas. I ask Allah to accept the good deeds of all the brothers and sisters who made use of these 10 wonderful days, as these are the most beloved to Allah. amen

I ask you all to pray for me as I am in much need of your prayers. It is finals week for us, so pray for me for that I do good, inshallah. The heart needs to beat…and so we stay alive. Salaam

The Days of Hajj

Usman — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:44:00 +0000

Salaam, I hope everyone is in the best of health and in the state of high iman. I am very pleased to announce that the blessed days of hajj are upon us. Good deeds done in this special time are the most beloved to Allah. Therefore we must take advantage of them by fasting, reciting quran, extra voluntary salah, etc. This is another grand time that Allah has blessed us with so that we can come closer to our Lord (swt). Ibn ‘Abbaas reported that the Prophet (saw) said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than these ten days (of Dhul-Hijjah).” The people asked, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah?” He said, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2/457). In another Hadith narrated by Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar, he reported that the Prophet (saw) said: “There are no days greater in the sight of Allaah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this time recite a great deal of Tahleel (”La ilaaha ill-Allaah”), Takbeer and Tahmeed.” (Reported by Ahmad, 7/224; Ahmad Shaakir stated that it is saheeh). Fasting on the day of Arafah is very much encourged by the Prophet (saw), It was reported from Abu Qutadah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) was asked about fasting on the Day of Arafah. He said, ‘It expiates for the sins of the previous year and of the coming year.’ Narrated by Muslim. Now we do not have an excuse. So if fasting the 10 days is hard, then at least we should take advantage of the day of Arafah. If we do not fast on the other days we still can recite Quran, do nawafil, etc.

Allah (swt) has sworn by these ten days, they have a lot of significance! We must read about their virtues and then follow up and act on what we have learned. May Allah help us to make the most of these wonderful days. All of the people who are going on Hajj, we ask you to keep us in your prayers. May Allah accept your Hajj and make it a means for you to enter Jannah. And May Allah give us the tawfeeq to make the Hajj. amen.

By the grace and tawfeeq of Allah (swt) I had the distinct honor of making the Hajj 2 years ago, and saying the least it was an amazing experience. I took some pictures when I was their, the video below is from my speechless journey. My camera was horrible, so some of the pictures are choppy and bad quality. So enjoy anyway. Keep me in your prayers, as I am in much need of them. The heart needs to beat…and so we stay alive. Salaam.

“Oh son of Adam Were you to Call Upon Me”

Usman — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:19:17 +0000

Salaam, I hope everyone is in the best of health and in the state of increasing iman. Allah says in the Quran, Oh mankind, you are all fuqarah to Allah, but Allah is rich, worthy of all praise (35:15). It is our obligation to reflect on that verse. We are in a state of constant need of the help of our Lord. Nothing can happen without his permission. As we rely upon our Master he Aza wa jal advises us to call upon him for our needs. In a hadith Qudsi related in Sahih Al Muslim, Allah calls us to show our destitution to him, he says, ”O My servants, all of you are hungry (needy) except for those whom I feed, therefore seek food from Me so that I may feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked (need clothes) except for those whom I provide garments, therefore seek clothing from Me so that I should clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day and I am there to pardon your sins, therefore seek forgiveness from Me so that I should grant you pardon”

Reading the last part brought much happiness to me because Allah said directly to me and you that he is here to pardon our sins. He says just seek forgiveness so that I can forgive you. Therefore me and you must take advantage of the mercy of Allah and start building a relationship with him, because our place is not in this world, but it is surely in the next…in Jannah, inshallah. Keep this humble slave in your prayers, as I am in much need of them. I leave you with this, ”Allah the Almighty has said: ‘O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me, and hope in Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds in the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I shall forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with an earthful of sins and were you then to face Me, without having associated anything with Me, I shall grant you an earthful of pardon.’” The heart needs to beat…and so we stay alive. wsalaam.

(the video is the shaykh reciting the hadith)