Summer 2011: Lessons Learnt

and relearnt:

1. there is no place like home
2. one should never ever take advantage of somebody's sharafat
3. he who remains silent is saved
4. it is possible to "gain" a loss in the long run
5. the most valuable asset of a mumin is his Imaan
6. what matters at the end of any interaction with any non-muslim is shahadah
أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمد (صلي الله عليه وسلم) رسول الله
7. bottomline of any dialogue is that Allah Is Great. الله أكبر
8. your suhbat can make or break your peace of mind and heart
9. i can never get tired of having roti
10. ghaza in need is chicken saalan indeed, always
11. seafood is marvellous
12. we can never truly appreciate the merit, impact and importance of adhan in our lives
13. Allahu Wali-yul-mumineen
14. a major cause of american mediocrity is tv.
15. the fazeelat of Sunnah is enormous, regardless of who's following it.
16. Allah Takes Care
17. Allah's Way Works
18. a lot of things start working positively and automatically if trust is put in the right place
19. my failure to do something good is a combination of lack of ability, acceptance and confidence
20. a smile and good manners can do wonders
21. personal, private, public plans should be happily dismissed in front of providential Will.
22. arrogance is the scariest and worst thing
23. i am afraid to even think about the consequences of he who is insolent towards the Deen of Islam
24. every muslim has a home: masjid
25. i do not miss LUMS as much as i thought i would
26. dinky is cool
27. i will always enjoy race games
28. sunlight, sunshine and sunray, all mark the start of my happy day
29. Allah is Wayyyyy Above and Beyond what we humans can think, imagine or perceive

to be continued as and when more lessons will be recollected

From Beverly Hills to Makkah Inspirational Journey of Sheikh Hashim Ahmed 8:30 pm, Tuesday April 5 2011, LUMS SC-4

"I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah"

i recently had the privilege to learn this beautiful ayah in the Holy Quran

He said: "I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah and I know from Allah that which ye know not... Surah Yusuf (12:86)

and what came to my mind was the urge we have to call, email, sms, go to a friend's home as soon as we see some trouble or face it. and sometimes the friendship is so deep and so intense that if one friend doesn't share with another, there's a chance of mistrust, distance development and quarrel. it's a modern notion of friendship, a modern approach to venting out your feelings, of having "a shoulder to always cry on", but one needs to step back and read this ayah, and see what Prophet Yaqub (as) [Jacob] said to his sons. Prophet Yaqub had lost his beloved son Yusuf (as) [joseph] forty years ago, and now when his sons came to tell him that they lost another brother in captivity (father’s second favourite son Bin Yamin [Benjamin]), he said “I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah”… 

SubhanAllah!what an exalted, zabardast, beautiful integrity of a man that Prophet Yaqub was. That for forty years he had been patient and kind, not breaking ties with his sons, and at the same time not whining or complaining to the world or to God. He just quietly kept persevering, his heart heavy, his eyes constantly numb. and the maximum his humility allowed him to say was this > I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah”…  .although he was all justified to vent out anger. he needed email consolation, telephonic inspiring talk by a friend, and a shoulder to cry on more than anyone of us ever, but he didn't take support of anyone. he used the crutches of mercy and hope and expectation and positive thinking about Allah, made Allah his Best Friend and shared only stuff with him. shed some weight of his heavy heart in front of Allah only. Cried out of longing amidst the hope in front of Allah only. He knew what Allah could do and what He Did, that's why he complained of human feelings we all have of anguish and distraction to Allah alone. 
We on the other hand have the Book of Allah with us, in which Allah is telling us to put faith in Him , trust Him, take Him as our Confidant, as our true Best Friend, and it's a tragedy that we look for consolations from here and there. as a teacher of mine says it, we sell ourselves short. 

Bas this was on my mind, and i pray one day i can also come close to thinking that in at least one matter of my life, i completely complained of distraction and anguish to Allah alone. Atleast one....

Remaining true to the Amaanah by Allah..

Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed 

on

Being an Ameen

on 22 January 2011

Broadcast from Birmingham

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10399817/Being%20An%20Ameen%20-%20Sat%2022%20Jan%202011%20-%20Birmingham.wma

LUMS through my cam lens

this is outside the library where i have been lost and found most of the time at lums. this pic was taken during the mid terms week (october 2010). there's something beautiful about this mess on the racks. i never lost something from here.=)













when it starts getting cold and you just want to have a warm cozy time sitting outside the academic block on a brick sill, with the masjid minaret clearly in view. at 12 noon, the sun is at your back and it shines on the lums masjid in front of your eyes some 20 yards away. this pic was taken in november 2010

















chucky and most likely her little kitten. to be honest i am not sure if chucky is a male or female but i would like her to be a female. i will confirm with someone on college or maybe with chucky and update on its gender asap :) this is outside the superstore.














when the going gets tough: this was taken at the ground floor in the academic block. when people around you annoy you, and you become parasitic on your own self, and when courses and grades are low, you look at this light pouring on the floor from the glass 2 storeys above, and smile.

LUMS Masjid wallpaper