Amazing Stories

In order to achieve this great goal of strengtheningthe marriage bond,
and establishing a stable familylife, it is essential to choosethe
right partner in the firstplace!
♥ Among the great Muslim women who are known fortheir strength of
character, lofty aspirations and far-sightedness in their choice of a
husband is ♥ Umm Sulaym bint Milhan ♥, who was one of the first Ansaar
women to embrace Islam. She was married to Malik ibn Nadar, and bore
him a son, Anas. When she embraced Islam, her husband Malik was angry
with her, and left her, but she persisted in her Islam. Shortly
afterwards, she heard the news of his death, and she was still in the
flower of her youth. She bore it all with the hope of reward, for the
sake of Allah (subhaanahu wa 'ta'aalaa), and devoted herself to taking
care of herten-year- old son Anas. Shetook him to the Prophet (SAW) ,
so that he could serve him (and learn from him).
♥ One of the best young men of Madinah, one of thebest looking,
richest and strongest, came to seek herhand in marriage. This was ♥
Abu Talhah♥ - before he became Muslim. Many of the young women of
Yathrib liked him because of his wealth, strength and youthful good
looks, and he thought that Umm Sulaym would joyfully rushto accept his
offer. But to his astonishment, she told him, "O Abu Talhah, do younot
know that your god whom you worship is just a tree that grew in the
ground and was carved into shape by the slave of Banu so-and-so." He
said, "Of course." She said, "Do you not feel ashamed to prostrate
yourself to a piece of wood that grew inthe ground and was carvedby
the slave of Banu so-and-so?" Abu Talhah was stubborn, and hinted to
her of an expensive dowry and luxurious lifestyle, but she persisted
in her point of view, and told him frankly: "O Abu Talhah, a man like
you could not be turned away, but you are a disbelieving man, and I am
a Muslim woman. It is not permitted for me to marry you, but if you
were to embrace Islam, that would be my dowry (mahr), and I would ask
you for nothing more." (Reported by al-Nisa'i)
He returned the following day to try to tempt her with a larger dowry
and more generous gift, but she stood firm, and her persistence and
maturity only enhanced her beauty in his eyes. She said to him,"O Abu
Talhah, do you not know that your god whomyou worship was carved bythe
carpenter slave of so-and-so? If you were to set it alight, it would
burn."Her words came as a shock to Abu Talhah, and he asked himself,
"Does the Lord burn?" Then he uttered the words: "Ashhadu an laa
ilaaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasul-Allah."
Then Umm Sulaym said to her son Anas, with joy flooding her entire
being, "O Anas, marry me to Abu Talhah." So Anas brought witnesses and
the marriage was solemnized.
Abu Talhah was so happy that he was determined to put all his wealth
at Umm Sulaym's disposal, but hers was the attitude of the selfless,
proud, sincere believing woman. She told him, ♥ ♥ "O Abu Talhah, I
married you for the sake ofAllah (subhaanahu wa 'ta'aalaa), and I will
not take any other dowry." ♥ ♥She knew that when Abu Talhah embraced
Islam, she did not only win herself a worthy husband, but she also
earned a reward from Allah (subhaanahu wa 'ta'aalaa) that was better
than owning red camels (the most highly-prized kind) inthis world, as
she had heard the Prophet (SAW) say:
"If Allah (subhaanahu wa 'ta'aalaa) were to guide one person to Islam
through you, it is better foryou than owning red camels." ( Fath
al-Bari)
*(♥)* Such great Muslim women are examples worthy of emulation, from
whom Muslim women maylearn purity of faith, strength of character,
soundness of belief and wisdom in choosing a husband. —

The Strength of Yaqeen in Allah -subhanahu wa ta’ala

He said: "O Maryam! From where have you got this?" She said, "This is
from Allâh." Verily, Allâh provides sustenance to whom He wills,
without limit." "At that moment (there and then/immediately), Zakariyâ
invoked his Lord…" [Surat Ale Imraan, 3:first part of ayah 38]
When Zakariyya Alayhissalam saw that Maryam Alayhissalam got Rizq from
Allah, he immediately made duaa to Allah,having the Yaqeen that if
Allah could provide for her from Ghayb (unseen means) then He
[subhanahu wa ta'ala] could also provide for him what he sought,
despite he being of old age (120+ years) and his wife being barren
(88+ years).
When most people see others with what they don't have, they either
start pitying themselves or they become jealous.
What should our attitude be?
What is the attitude of a Prophet?
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن
لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةًۭ طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ ….
✦"At that moment(there and then/immediately), Zakariyâ called upon his
Lord, saying, 'My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring.
Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.' So the angels called him
while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, "Indeed, Allah gives
you good tidings of John, confirming a word from Allah and [who will
be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the
righteous." He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have
reached old age and my wife is barren?" The angel said, "Such is Allah
; He does what He wills." ✦
[Surat Ale Imraan, 3:38-40]
INDEED WITHOUT DOUBT,
Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) gives, grants, blesses according to one's
Yaqeen (certainty) in Him.

Enjoying the honey from a distance

This life and dunya is like a honey pot, and the flies that are
attracted to it are us, mankind. Most of the flies dive straight into
the honey, mesmerised by its sweetness and overcome by its smell, but
they soon realise that they have gone in too deepas they begin to
drown and suffocate in the honey.
But there are some flies who stay on the rim of the honey pot,
enjoying its sweetness from a distance, just a little at a time,
because they know that there is a better place waiting for them, with
more than just honey.
So we should take what we can with caution from our time in the dunya,
enjoying some of thegood and refraining from the bad. There's nothing
wrong with enjoying a cricket match, or other sporting activities, if
it'sonly for one day and obligatory acts of worship are not left out
because of the match. After all, the Prophet (salallahu alayhi
wasallam) allowed A 'isha (radiallahu anha) to watch men play with
spears and he stood there for as long as she was watching it. So
really, nothing wrong with a few fun and games….but just as long as
we're not forgetting our true purpose in life .
(Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversionand
adornment and boasting toone another and competition inincrease of
wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting]
plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned
yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is
severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is
the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.
( http ://bushrabinthashmat.blogspot. com / )
Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) says:
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ
وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ ۖ
كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ
مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا ۖ وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ
وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ ۚ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا
إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
"Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and
adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of
wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting]
plant growth pleases the tillers; then it driesand you see it turned
yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is
severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is
the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion. "
(Surah Al Hadid, 20)

The Three Categoriesof Tawheed Are Defined in the Qur'aan

We have previously statedthat the three categories of tawheed are
taken directly from the Noble Qur'aan. The categories are taken from
many verses, so let us look to some of them now.
The very first chapter found in the mus-haf , Soorah Al-Faatihah ,
mentions all three categories of tawheed . Allaah says [1]:
( All the praise is due to Allaah, the Lord of all that exists )
Here is tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah , as the verse establishes Allaah's
Lordship over the 'aalameen , which means everything except Allaah,
and the Rabb (Lord) meansthe Owner and Controller of Affairs. Allaah
then says [2]:
( The Bestower of Mercy, the All-Merciful, the Owner of the Day of Judgement )
Tawheed al-asmaa' was-sifaat is present in these verses, as Allaah
establishes for Himself the attributes of Mercy and Ownership. He also
establishes some of His Names - Ar-Rahmaan , Ar-Raheem , and Al-Maalik
.Then He says [3]:
( You alone we worship, and You alone we seek help from )
And here is tawheed al-uloohiyyah , as the verse demonstrates the
obligation to single out Allaah with acts of worship, and to seek help
from Him alone.
Similarly, the three categories of tawheed are also found in Soorah
An-Naas , the very last chapter to be found in the mus-haf . Tawheed
ar-ruboobiyyah is found inHis Statement [4]:
( Say: 'I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind' )
And tawheed al-asmaa' was-sifaat is found in His Statement [5]:
( the King of mankind )
And lastly, tawheed al-uloohiyyah is found in His Statement [6]:
( the God worshipped bymankind )
Likewise, the very first command issued in the mus-haf contains the
categories of tawheed [7]:
( O mankind! Worship your Lord who created you and those who came
before you, so thatyou might attain taqwaa . (He is) the One who made
the earth a bed foryou and the sky a mighty structure, and Hesent
water down from the sky that brings forth many fruits for your
provisions. So do not ascribe partners to Allaah while you have
knowledge! )
After mentioning the threekinds of people, the believers, the
disbelievers, and the hypocrites, and then turning His Servants to the
Qur'aan as a source of guidance [8], He followed that up saying [9]:
( O mankind! Worship your Lord! )
This is a general call, a command to the entire creation, to single
out Allaah with acts of worship, and a command to avoid ascribing a
single partner to Allaah. This is tawheed al-uloohiyyah .
Then Allaah comes with tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah , as something to back
up the fact that He deserves to be worshipped alone [10]:
( The One who made theearth a bed for you and the sky a mighty
structure, and He sent water down from the skythat brings forth many
fruits for your provisions)
Aren't these the actions of Allaah, Most High and Magnificent? This is
tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah . Allaah, Most Glorified and Exalted, mentions
it here as a proof and something that leads to tawheed al-uloohiyyah .
Just as He alone does these things, then no one other than Him
deserves worship, rather this is a right that ispurely and solely for
Him, Most Glorified.
He mentions two of the categories of tawheed in these verses. Tawheed
al-uloohiyyah is mentioned since it is the greatest thing sought from
mankind, and tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah ismentioned as a proof for it, and
something that can not be separated from it. He orders all of mankind
with the same order foundin another verse [11]:
( And I have not created the Jinn nor mankind
for any purpose other than worshipping Me )
So He has informed us thatthese two great creations, the Jinn and
mankind, have not been created for a purpose other than worshipping
Allaah, singling Him out with tawheed al-uloohiyyah .
Then He forbade shirk in the last part of the verse [12]:
( So do not ascribe partners to Allaah while you have knowledge )
Meaning that you are not to perform a single act of worship for other
than Allaah, while you know that no one shares in His Ruboobiyyah ,
His Creationof the Heavens and the Earth, His sending of the rain, His
causing the plantsto grow forth, etc. Since you know that no one
shared with Him in these affairs, then how could you worship someone
along with Him?!
Allaah, Most Glorified and Exalted, says [13]:
( And your God is one God, there is no God except Him )
This is tawheed al-uloohiyyah . A god is something that is worshipped,
so uloohiyyah is worship and complete love. The verse means thatthe
one who rightfully deserves your worship is only one, there is no God
except Him, there is none to be worshipped other than Him. Later in
the verse, Allaah says [14]:
( The Bestower of Mercy, the All-Merciful )
This is something from tawheed al-asmaa' was-sifaat , as it contains
proof for two of Allaah's Names, along with His Attribute of Mercy.