As Salaam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
Here are some photos of Sabah praying. We bought her a pink prayer rug yesterday, because this Ramadan she has really taken to the salaah. On most mornings, when she’s not sleeping over at her grandparents house, she wakes up and prays fajr along with Zahira or me.
As Salaam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
This is a photo of Sabah and Dhuha in February 2008:
As Salaam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
Alhamdulillah, Yesterday, Dhuha was formally diagnosed as having Autism Spectrum Disorder. The diagnosis came as a surprise to me after months and months of foot dragging and still with some outstanding tests (blood, urine, eye) to be done. I am not happy that my daughter has autism but I am happy that with a diagnosis she will get even more help than she has been getting. For my wife and I, it’s about getting Dhuha the best possible help as early as possible.
Zahira was telling me about a conversation she had with a woman that works with autistic children; this woman remarked that in her view Allah made these children autistic because if they didn’t have this problem they would be perfect. This is exactly how I feel about Dhuha. She quickly finds her way into the hearts of anyone she comes across, with her wonderful smile and beautiful eyes. To know her is to love her.
Ya ar-Rahman, ya ar-Rahim, be merciful to Dhuha, her family and the believers on that Day when we need Your mercy the most.
As Salaam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
Ramadan Mubarak dear Muslims! I am a few hours into my first fast and alhamdulillah I feel great.
I love you all for the sake of Allah. Have a great Ramadan and if you have a chance make a special duaa for my family.
As Salaam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu
As Salaam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
The blessed month of Ramadan is fast approaching, Alhamdulillah. This will be, Insha Allah, my 10th Ramadan as a Muslim and my 6th with my family. When I first started fasting Ramadan neatly corresponded with December and now its straddling the summer and the autumn. For those unaware the shift in dates is owing to the fact that the lunar year, which the Islamic calendar is based on, is 11 days shorter than the solar year. Ramadan itself is fixed as the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Yesterday, I thought a lot about the up coming Ramadan and how I would make the most of it. I use Ramadan each year as a way to recharge my spiritual batteries, refocus my worship, and dedicate my life, wealth and death to Him.
Ramadan is something truly special. It teaches us to restrain ourselves from our more animalistic lowly desires of food and sex and makes the path to fulfilling our higher desire and greater need of worshiping our Creator.
The relationship between man and his God is set right. We are not His rebellious and ungrateful children, as the Jews and Christians think. We are His slaves, His creation, and we are entirely dependant on Him and He is free of any need or want. Nothing highlights this fact like an empty stomach and a dry tongue.
Once, I was explaining Ramadan and fasting to a kaffir co-worker when a man who overheard our conversation approached and said, ‘what did you say?’. I repeated that in Ramadan we are not allowed food, drink, or sex during the daylight hours. He replied, ‘I’m never going there!’.
Another time, I was sitting in the coffee shop with two friends reading Hadith and discussing Islam. In that conversation, I said that fasting helps you to restrain your lower desires of food and sex. A man who overheard shouted out, ‘those aren’t the lower desires, they’re the higher desires!’.
Such is the state of men in America. These lowly animalistic desires have become the central focus of their lives, which has led to the moral decline and wretchedness of the place.
Oh Allah, give us the strength to take full advantage of this blessed month, a month which You have prefered above all months. Oh Allah, give us the ability to stand, bow, prostrate and sit throughout the nights worshiping none but You. Oh Allah, feed the poor, the orphaned, the sick, the homeless, and the traveller; guard over the weak and oppressed. Oh Allah, we are truly and wholly dependant on You, there is no god but You, all glory belongs to You, all praise belongs to You, there is nothing greater than You.
Oh Allah, bless Muhammed, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, like you blessed Ibrahim, alayhi sallam, and bless the family of Muhammed, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, like you blessed the family of Ibrahim, alayhi sallam.
May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon our noble prophet, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, his family, his companions and all the Muslims.
Ramadan Mubarak my dear Muslims.
These photos were taken by my father in-law on the 5th of August 2009.
Sabah:
Dhuha:
Abu Bakr:
Abu Bakr and Mum:
It occurred to me that I hadn’t informed my readers that we all recovered from swine flu. It was a rough sickness that hit Dhuha and I especially hard. The day I wrote about it was towards the end of our illness. Dhuha spent about 40 hours in bed and then the following two days crying and acting abnormally attached to other people, unwilling to adventure around the house and play. I still have a lingering cough but I am fundamentally healthy.
Sickness can be a blessing as it often reminds us of our impending death, which in turn reminds us of the need to seek forgiveness and renew our devotion to worshiping Allah ta’ala.
All Praise and Thanks belong to Allah, who gave me the opportunity to be ill and to seek forgiveness and then made me well again.
Recent Comments