Shab-e-Miraj

Shab-e-Miraj

Shab-i-Miraj means the night of Ascent. It is the blessed night when the Holy Prophet of Islam was spiritually transported to heaven and he reached a high stage of nearness to God Almighty which is beyond ordinary human comprehension. The Ascent took place on 27th day or Rajab, 2 years before Hijra. The journey was not with a physical body but was a vision of the highest type. On the way the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, met Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and some other Prophets. The purpose of the Ascent was to confirm the high status of the Prophet of Islam, a position which all Muslims believe, is impossible to attain by any other human being. It is related that even Gabriel, the Angel who was accompanying the Holy Prophet remarked at one stage, 'I am forced to stop here. I cannot go any further, but you O Messenger of peace and friend of the Master of the worlds, continue your glorious ascent.'

It is also related that the Holy Prophet continued his journey until he reached very close to the Throne of God Almighty and attained the utmost nearness to Him. After having drunk fully at the Divine fountain of spiritual knowledge he came down to impart the knowledge to mankind.

It was on this journey, that five daily prayers were made obligatory upon Muslims.

Celebrations:
According to popular belief, the Miraj or Spiritual Ascension took place on 27 of Rajab. On this day, in some Muslim countries the houses and streets and specially the mosques are decorated with colorful pennants and buntings, and at night they are well illuminated by means of electric lights, candles or even oil lamps. As evening approaches the worshippers assemble in the mosques and engage themselves in glorifying the Lord and in singing hymns in His praise and in praise of the Holy Prophet. Public meetings are also held generally after Isha Prayer in larger mosques where speakers throw light on the spiritual status of the Holy Prophet, and various aspects of his life. The story of his spiritual ascension is narrated in detail. After the meetings sweets are generally distributed. Muslims of means give money in charity and also distribute food among the poor. The devoted ones spend the whole night in the remembrance of God.

The seed of goodness in men's heart"

One day when Ahmed came home from school he was so sad. What's the matter? asked his mother. I'm confused, he said. About what? asked his father. You see, today my teacher was telling us about the benefit of working for Allah and taking care of our parents, he said. What do you mean? asked his father. You know giving dawa and learning about Islam, he said. Ahmed if you want to leave to study you should do it, said his mother. And don't worry about us, we'll be fine Insha Allah, said his father encouragingly.

So, after some days he made up his mind. I think I'm ready to leave, he told his parents. Masha Allah, I'm so proud of you, said his father. And may Allah bless you and makes you strong, said his mother. Ahmed left after Zuher salat. He was sixteen at this time. He was scared, cause he never traveled alone before. He asked Allah to help him. And Allah doesn't leave His servants alone.

Ahmed traveled all over the world to learn about Islam. He met many great scholars of that time. He became famous with his knowledge. He teached many people all over the world. He went back to visit his parents once in a while. They were very happy to see him like this.

One day Ahmed was sitting in the Masjid. He was reciting "Sura-al-qa'f". He heard someone was crying. He looked around him. A man was sitting there. He walk toward the man. What's the matter brother? he asked him. I'm a sinner, the man said. I haven't touched the quran for years. I did many other bad things, he said. Will I be forgiven? asked the man.

Ahmed smiled at the man. Ahmed asked the man, "Have you not heard what Allah says in the glorious Quran:

'Say: O 'Ibaadi(My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deed and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah forgives all sins. truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful' [al Zummer 39:53]?"

The man looked at him with joy, with his eyes filled with tears. Then he bade farewell and left.

No matter how big the evil is, there's always a seed of good in men's heart. If Allah has His Mercy on us, it will bear fruit, Insha Allah.

This seed seems to always fight in our heart, even when it's cored with desire. When Allah wills the good for His slaves, He cause the light of goodness to shine our hearts. He guides us to the right path.

Allah says in the Glorious Quran:-

"And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam; and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast close and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky" [al-Anam 6:125].

A New Beginning

I walked into the doors of LS Regional High School feeling like a new person. I felt as though hundreds of eyes were fixed on me, yet it was merely my wild imagination. My heart skipped a beat and my face flushed, but these signs of nervousness disappeared as people began to say "hey Aziza" like any other day. My fears of being rejected vanished and I felt the same again - well not the same, for I was different; I was now a muhajabah.

Many of my friends knew I was Muslim because I was constantly asked why I wasn't eating during the month of Ramadan. I would explain to them what Ramadan was, but this was all my friends knew about Islam. I had never bothered to educate them further.

Since the last Ramadan, I had been thinking about Islam and my duties of a Muslim more than usual. I began contemplating hijab and thought to myself, "I'll start hijab when I go to college." Why then? Because it would be a new environment, a new stage of my life, the start of a new beginning; it seemed like a good time to make a big change.

As Ramadan passed, I was constantly fighting a battle with myself. I was still pondering over Islam and my life in general. "Four years is a long time to wait (to start hijab)," I kept telling myself. I became distressed just thinking about how long four years was in reality.

I then decided I would start hijab after freshman year was over, so I had the summer to adjust. I would start sophomore year as a new person. "Sophomore year," I thought to myself, "that's still quite a few months away." I was still frustrated and did not want to wait so long to start hijab.

As April began, I thought to myself, "I am going to do it. I am going to start hijab and nothing is stopping me!"

Alhumdulillah for my open-minded teachers. I asked them if they could give me five minutes to speak to the class about what I was about to do: start hijab. They excitedly agreed with warm, encouraging smiles. In each class, I walked to the front of the room and slowly began to talk. I told them about Islam and how it is very important to me. I explained what the hijab is and why Muslim women are commanded to wear it. My peers sat listening, quietly and attentively, amazed by what I was saying. They sat in awe interested in my beliefs. Many asked questions and begged to see what I looked like with a hijab on. I happily put it on to show them. Their smiles showed they approved of it and liked it; they were happy I was going to wear hijab.

My classmates told their friends, who told their other friends, and soon the whole school knew about me starting hijab. People I didn't even know were constantly approaching me and telling me how much they appreciated what I was doing, how much they admired me, how much they supported me and how they wish they had the will power I did. All this before I even started hijab. That following Friday on April 13, 2001, I became a muhajabah for life.

The decision I made that day is one I will never regret insha'Allah. Since then, despite some of the obstacles that were thrown in my path, I have been the happiest girl alive. Many other Muslim girls have told me how I've inspired them and they wish to be more practicing. These positive comments only motivate me to work harder and become an even better Muslim, for these comments show me I am on the right path and insha'Allah will stay on it. I thank Allah Subhana wa ta'ala for the strength to do this, the guidance He has given me, and this personality, which has helped me have these qualities where people respect me, admire me and look up to me. And I also thank Him for giving me the mentality in which I do not care what others think; I solely care what He thinks.

Seeing the World in a New Light

I walked into Pine Street Inn, a shelter for men and women, holding Safiya's tiny hand, hardly noticing that my grip continued to tighten as I walked through the shelter. I had never been in such a place and seen such different people -- people who didn't have adequate clothes, didn't have food, didn't even have a table to put food on, couldn't own a house. I had always imagined what homeless people lived like, but on this trip, it finally came into perspective: it was real.

Noticing dozens of eyes on me, I looked straight ahead, afraid to come into eye contact with anyone. I saw men, young and old, sober and drunk, sprawled across the floor sleeping, or leaning against the walls shouting at us, "helloo ladies." Seeing them frightened me along with the rest of the MAS youth group.

However, as I continued to walk through the shelter with my group and guide, Scottie, my grip on Safiya's hand began to loosen. Earlier I was glad to have a child's hand to hold; it made it seem as though I was protecting her; however, I realized I was just trying to protect myself. Finally, my fears calmed.

My stomach felt queasy, not out of fear, but out of depression. My heart clenched trying its hardest to fight back tears. Unshaven men looked upon us with deep eyes. Their eyes seemed to tell the stories of their lives, stories so powerful my eyes could hardly meet theirs.

As I looked around more carefully, I remembered these men and women were people, people like me. But they weren't like me. They didn't even have the basic necessities of life. I started to feel out of place wearing expensive clothing and carrying a nice purse. God's blessing over me contrasted with the surrounding in which I was. I began to realize how blessed I am.

I realized how much we all take for granted, forgetting to thank God for the wonderful things we've been blessed with. Many of us fail to see the blessings of this life and focus on the negative aspects of life. Visiting the Pine Street Inn reopened my eyes to reality. I remembered how many blessings have been bestowed upon me by God. Things finally started to come into perspective.

After leaving Pine Street, my outlook on life has changed. One would say, "how can a person change from one trip," but in reality, it is quite possible. I can hardly put into words what emotions have been going through me since I left, but my life has been greatly impacted. Before I say "my life is so hard!" I think back on what I saw at Pine Street. Alhamdullillah, all praises to God, my life is more than bearable. The Qur'an repeatedly states, "On no soul do We place a burden greater than it can bear."

Thinking back on everything I saw, I admire Scottie and the others who work there. Whether one is volunteering or being paid for working there, it takes more than just money to get someone to work in a place like that. It takes a heart. It takes strength. Many times we lack this sympathy for others and forget about the world around us. Scottie and those like her deserve a lot of credit for having the drive to help others. "Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day in secret and in public have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve." (The Qur'an 2:274).

"The blessed month"

Wake up, wake up Hamad, his mother said. It's time for sahur.He woke up, but when his mother was out of the sight he went back to sleep again. His mother came into the room again, and he did the same thing again. His mother was angry now, so she decided not to wake him up.

In the morning when he woke up for school, he hardly remembered anything. The kitchen was empty nobody was there.

His mother was feeding the chickens, since they don't have to fast. Where is my breakfast? he asked his mother. There won't be anything to eat until sunset. Why? he asked. Because IT'S RAMADAN, she said.Oh!Oh! how come I missed it, now he remembered everything. He went to school. There everybody in his class did fast. He was sorry for himself.

Their teacher told them about Ramadan. His Islamic studies teacher told them, that you shouldn't sleep too much in Ramadan. You should finish one Quran at least. The door of heavens are open and the door of hell will be closed in this blessed moth. The shaitan and other devels are chained. They can't bother you. So don't be lazy and pray as much as you can.Make a lot of duas especially in the night of power.Hamad raised his hand. Yes? the teacher asked. Which night is the night of power? he said. Allah had hid this night in the last 10 nights, many scholar believes it's the 27th night and others say it could be 29th; but nobody knows for sure which night it is the teacher said. So it could be in 21st,23rd,25th,27th or 29th another student asked. Yes, you are right, the teacher said. They were still discussing when the bell rang.

When Hamad came home from school. He didn't even asked for food. He made wudu and went to the Masjid.It was time for Asar.He read the Quran when he came back.At Iftar he hardly ate anything.After dinner he did his homework and went to the Masjid to pray Isha and Taravi with his father.

Please wake me up for Sahur,I won't go back to sleep, I promise he told his mother before going to bed.Insha Allah, his mother said.

He felt so much peace inside him.

The Idiot

An idiot may be the name given to the ordinary man, who consistently misinterprets what happens to him, what he does, or what is brought about by others. He does this so completely plausibly that - for himself and his peers - large areas of life and thought seem logical and true.
An idiot of this kind was sent one day with a pitcher to a wise man, to collect some wine.
On the way the idiot, through his own heedlessness, smashed the jar against a rock.
When he arrived at the house of the wise man, he presented him with the handle of the pitcher, and said:
"So-and-so sent you this pitcher, but a horrid stone stole it from me."
Amused and wishing to test his coherence, the wise man asked:
"Since the pitcher is stolen, why do you offer me the handle?"
"I am not such a fool as people say," the idiot told him, "and therefore I have brought the handle to prove my story."