LEARN TO WRITE IN THE SAND

A little story, one that people may have heard...

Sometimes people do things that are really painful, things that make us wonder and think about all the horrible things we'd love to do to them. We sometimes go to extremes to try and cause pain to people without realising that at times we hurt ourselves more...

The story is about two friends, one of which contained wisdom and understanding.

The story tells us that two friends were walking through the dessert. At a specific point of the journey they had an arguement and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE

They continued walking until the found an oasis (fertil spot of water in the desert), where they had to take a bath. The friend that got slapped started drowning and his friend saved him. When he recovered from the fright, he wrote on a stone:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE

The friend who saved and slapped his best friend asked: "why, after I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you have written on a stone?"

His friend, smiling, replied: "When a friend hurts us, we should write it down in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness take charge of erasing it. And when something great happens, we should engrave it in the stone of the hearts memory, where no wind can erase it."

So my friends, let us take learn to forgive and forget... let us learn to write in the sand.

GRATITUDE

Salaams,

Just a thought that hit my head which i would like to share... I'm sure many people have thought the same thing, but this is another wake up call to remind us of reality.

Well, my mum has fractured her ankle and is unable to do the daily chores that she would normally do.

So anyways, the house needed a little cleaning up, nothing unusual. But recently, i've been having nose bleeds and have been feeling really weak. So this made it a little difficult for me to do all the rooms... When i managed to somehow complete the rooms i was totally shattered.

But thenm, while i was lying down, a thought went through my head... how many of us really take things for granted, specially our parents.

We expect them to be there and do the daily chores, not considering the pain or suffering they may be going internally... We wake up in the morning and expect to find the food ready, we expect our things to be there for us, everything in it's place and the house neat and tidy...

But have we ever truly appreciated our parents? I wish we could all say yes without that pause...

This is one of the few reasons why the Qur'an tells us not to even utter the word "uff" to our parents... This is one of the few reasons why the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said that we can never fulfil the parent's right upon us even if we lifted them on our heads to perform their Hajj....

So may Allah grant us the wisdom to understand the right's of our parents... and give us the ability to be grateful for all the things they do for us.

Aameen...

GUIDING THE YOUTH

Who are the people guiding our youth? Who is teaching our kids their rights, limits and boundaries? Where are our youth gaining their characteristics and morals from?

I pray to Allah that the answer to the above questions was: "Parents", "Ulamaa", "Islamic Teachers" and "Qur'an & Hadeeth".

And not: "school teachers", "college friends" and "text books"

When we walk into the Masaajids we will see the front rows are full... But who are they filled with? The older generation!

When we look at the assembly of people in a Bayaan (lecture) what percentage will we find of youths?

Is Islam a religion to be practiced when one reaches an old age? Does Islam overlook the actions of a person just because he feels he is not 'ready'? Will only the old have to answer for their deeds while the younger generation is free to leave?

What is the contemplation of the Muslim generation? What goes through their mind? What are the calamities awaiting the younger children each time they step into a school? Finally, whose responsibility is it to guide these children?

We will see that in our society, especially in some areas, that the older generation is practicing Islam very steadfastly. However, through the midst of this steadfastness and practicing they seem to forget that they are also responsible for their offspring and younger generations.

How many parents are aware of what occurs in government schools? How many parents are aware of what their child is doing with their friends? How many parents know where their child is while they are praying in the Masaajids.

Indeed, non can doubt the reward of spending one's time in the Masjid and spending one's time in the path of Allah. But similarly, non can deny the responsibility upon a parent to guide his child nor the responsibility of saving them from the hell-fire.

Allah Subhanahu Wa'tala states in the Qur'an:

"O people who believe, save yourselves and your family from the hell-fire"

From this verse Allah denotes that one is primarily responsible for his own actions and safety. A person has the foremost responsibility to safeguard himself from the Hell-fire. But along with this, Allah Ta'ala has also pointed out that a person is responsible for the safety of his family too.

Each person has been given a responsibility in Islam. In accordance to the position of a person the responsibility will be given.

The Prophet's were given the responsibility of their nation, their people. The kings and leaders are given responsibility over their countrymen. The father and mother is given responsibility for their children and offspring.

The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has said:
"Stay alert! Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you will be questioned in regards to your flock"

From this narration it is clear that each person carries a responsibility; a responsibility that one will be questioned about on the Day of Judgment.

Therefore, it is vital that parents do not turn a blind eye to what their children are doing in regards to their religion. Let us not be ignorant of the saying of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam to the nearest meaning that 'a time will come when a person will sleep as a Muslim and wake up as a disbeliever, and he will wake up as a believer and sleep as a disbeliever'.

May Allah save us all... but if we let our children be brainwashed by the western society, if we are carefree of the people who are feeding our children with 'knowledge'... then surely we will be responsible for their Imaan...

It is a thing to ponder! Can we really say we really tried? I believe it is time that we, the youth, woke up and realise that we are the future, the people who will be the one's that will need to uphold Islam.

May Allah save us all and give us the understanding and ability to train and bring up our younger generation in the light of Islam... Ameen.

I pray to Allah that the youth that are reading this are safeguarded from the disasters of society. But I urge each and everyone to spread the word, and try to make a difference...

The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has said:

"Whosoever sees from amongst you, something that is disliked (in Islam) then he should change it through his hands (ie. by action), and if he not able to do so then through is tongue (ie. verbally), and f he not able to do so then through his heart (ie. by acknowledging and accepting that the deed being done is bad) and this (form) is the weakest of Imaan (ie. the minimum requirement)".

Wa Maa Taufiqu Illah billah

Wasalaam