Pearls of Islam Reminder Series

First Impressions
By Azharhussein Janmohamed
When we arrive at university,
many of us will have
preconceived ideas or
stereotypes about different
people and cultures. However,
it is important for us to be
open-minded and not to draw
conclusions about people until
we know all the facts. Below is
a story a friend shared with me
recently that highlights the
importance of being non-
judgmental. It is a reminder for
us all.
An old man was sitting with
his 25 year old son in the train.
The train was about to leave
the station. All of the
passengers were settling down
in their seats. As the train
started to move, the young
man seemed to be lled with a
lot of joy and curiosity. He was
sitting on the window side. He
put one hand out of the
window, feeling the passing
wind. He shouted, "Papa,
seeall the trees rushing by!"
His father smiled and admired
his son's feelings.

Beside the young man, a

couple was sitting and listening
to the conversation between
the father and son. They felt a
little awkward because of the
childlike attitude of the 25 year
old. Suddenly, the young man
again shouted, "Papa, see the
pond and the animals! The
clouds are moving so quickly
with the train! The couple
watched this young mans
behaviour in embarrassment.

It started raining, and some of

the water drops touched the
young mans hand. He was
lled with joy, and closed his
eyes, shouting again, Papa its
raining, the waters so
refreshing! The couple
couldnt help themselves and
asked the old man Why dont
you visit a doctor and get
treatment for your son?

The old man said Were just

coming from the hospital now,
as only today, my son got his
eyesight for the rst time in his
life.

The moral of the story, as

posted by the writer, was
Dont draw conclusions until
you know all the facts.
THE PEARLS OF ISLAM
REMINDER SERIES
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Pearls of Islam Reminder Series
You Are Never Alone

By Aamir Shamsi

Times will come in the life of a
believer where we will be tested in
this world whether it is through a
"loss in goods or lives or the fruits
(of your toils)" [2:155] but we must
always remember that we are
never alone and that we should
and need to turn to Allah in these
times.

Trials and tribulations can not only
change the course of your life but
also make you feel very down and
lost. Nothing remains the same
and although an oxymoron, those
who have been in such a situation
like I have will understand when I
say life can be consumed by
emptiness. Although it is
important to understand the many
reasons why calamities befall us
and how to cope with them, we
must never forget that we will
always have the one that loves us
more than a mother loves her
child (Muslim) close by to bring
some solace to our hearts. In
order to bring about this comfort
we must make du'a, build a
connection with Allah and believe
that everything that happens is for
the best.

'XD

Du'a is the weapon of the believer
for it can change the fate of our
lives. And it is for this reason, as
well as the fact that it shows our
need for Allah, that it is highly
encouraged in Islam. So we
should ask our Lord to alleviate
our pain, to make things easier
and to grant us peace and
happiness with His decree, even
though in some situations it is
extremely difficult to accept what
has happened and to want to
move on from it, for it is only He
that has the power to make things
better.

Connect with Allah

As the creation of Allah, we are all
connected with our Lord through
our souls. He is our provider, our
sustainer and our support. But it is
our responsibility to nourish this
connection for "Verily in the
remembrance of Allah, do hearts
find rest" [13:29]. We can do so by
reciting Quran, reading our salat
with concentration and regular
dhikr. The stronger our connection
with Allah the greater the comfort
our hearts will receive for it is then
when we truly feel Allah's
protection over us and this will
make the difficult times that much
easier for us.

Everything that happens is for
the best

Allah loves us so much that
everything that happens that is
not a direct result of our own
actions is for the best for us - "but
it may be that you hate a thing
which is good for you, and it may
be that you love a thing which is
bad for you. Allah knows and you
know not" [2:216]. Having this
belief at all times and being
thankful for all that comes your
way is a real test of our faith but
also an undeniable fact. If
adopted in our mindset it will ease
our pain for we will understand it
is for our best and so the true
believer would not want it any
other way than what Allah sees
best.

All the above can be summarised
with my favourite du'a that one
should regularly recite:
"Hasbunallahu Wa'Nimal Wakeel"
Allah is enough for me and
there is no better to look after me.



"When you feel all alone in this world
And there's nobody to count your tears
Just remember, no matter where you are
Allah knows, Allah knows"
- Nasheed by Zain Bhikha
!
!
Monday 31st October 2011 4 Dhul - Hijjah 1432 Volume 4 Issue 1


!
!
O you who have believed, if there comes
to you a disobedient one with information,
investigate, lest you harm a people out of
ignorance and become, over what you
have done, regretful.
The Holy Quran 49:6