A Witness to Your Life

When seeking a marriage partner, remember, a husband or wife is not
just some pretty face that you get to admire or possess, or show off
to your friends.This person is not a checkbook, a status symbol, a
servant, or a household maid. This is notsomeone that you'll see fora
few minutes each day after work, and take to dinner parties.
You could marry someone only for looks or status then find yourself
miserable, harped on, arguing every day, lonely within your marriage,
or abused. All you rich and attractive people don't take offense – you
might be perfectly lovely and sweet – I'm just saying thatappearance,
wealth and lineage are no guarantee of happiness, and if you focus on
those factors to the exclusion of the soul, then you will likely find
yourself mismatched, brokenhearted and forlorn.
A spouse is someone you abide with for the rest of your life, even
when you are wrinkled and bent. Someone to hold you when you're sad,
to support you when you're tired, to cool your foreheadwhen you're
sick, to share in your joys, tell jokes and play frisbee with;
someoneto pray with in the still morning hours, and struggle with to
achieve Paradise.
This is someone to be a witness to your life, to know you intimately
and recognize your worth as a human being (not that we need someone
else to affirm our value – but it's always nice to be recognized and
seen). Someone to love you unceasingly, like a great river, even when
you disagree. Someone to see your faults, and keep on loving you.
Make sure your priorities are in order. Look past the surface. Connect
with the person's soul. Find someone who will make you smile, and with
whom you will be happy to share this strange journey we calllife.

Poem: Nothing, Only Love

He comes to you with barbs in his skin
and blood on his cheek.
He comes with eyes of loam and gold.
He comes to you again andagain,
as a youth and a man.
He has never forgotten you.
He comes with burns on hisback
but standing straight,
hiding his scars and his shame,
wearing a half-thawed grin.
He has never stopped thanking you.
He comes with no answers,
with nothing, only love,
a heart like a sun,
and a soul like an African rain.
Will you open your arms tohim
and hold him so tightly
that when you let go
he falls down laughing
happy to be alive,
happy to be a father and a man,
happy for you
and for the first time, yearsago
that he heard your voice
like the whisper
of a summer wind?

Dua’ for one who is sick

7. - "Allah Who is in heaven"
It was narrated that Abul-Darda (may Allaah bepleasedwith him) said: I
heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings ofAllaah be upon
him) say: "Whoever among you suffers some sickness, orhis brother
suffers some sickness, let him say: 'Our Lord Allah Who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name, Your will is done in heaven and on earth; as
Your mercy is inheaven, bestow it upon the earth. Forgive us our sins.
You are the Lord of the good. Send down Your mercy and healing upon
this pain' ; and he will be healed."
- Narrated by Abu Dawood(3892); classed as saheeh by al-Haakim in
al-Mustadrak (4/243) and as hasan by IbnTaymiyah in Majmoo al-Fataawa
(3/139).7
It was narrated from Ibn Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that
theProphet (pbuh) said: "The one who visits a sick person who is not
dying,and says seven times in his presence, 'I ask Allah the Almighty,
the Lord ofthe Mighty Throne, to heal you' , Allah will heal him from
that sickness."
- Narrated byAbu Dawood (3106); classed as saheeh by al-Nawawi in
al-Adhkaar (p.180) and by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
While reciting these ruqyahs over someone, forexample your sick child,
you should wipe your hand over his face, chest and stomach, as the
Prophet (pbuh) used to do,and you should sit near your child's head so
that you will be breathing overhim as you recite the page. There is
nothing wrong with blowing lightly onto his face with alittle saliva
while doing that.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: "The ruqyah comes from the heart and mouth of the
one who is reciting ruqyah, so if it is accompanied with some of his
saliva and breath, that will have a stronger effect." - Zaad al-Ma aad
(4/164).
Over and above all that there must be sincerity towards Allah in the
du'aa, and sincere turning to Him and humility before Him, and one
should seek out the times when prayers are answered, for when a person
raises his hand to Allah in du'aa, Allah is reluctant that the person
should remain empty-handed. Do not be hasty in seeking a response, for
Allah may delay the answer for a reason that is known to Him, so you
should be patient and have certain faith. Remember that the Prophet
(pbuh) said: "Call upon Allah when you arecertain of receiving a
response, and rememberthat Allah does not answer a du'aa that comes
from a heedless heart."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (3479);classed as hasan byal-Shawkaani in
Tuhfat al-Shaakireen (68) and byal-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah
(594)./

1Dua’ for one who is sick

What dua' can one say for a person who is sick? For example, a parent
for a sick child? Or for any family member or friend who is ill? Or
even a dua' for a sick person to say for himself?
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has taught us
things in such cases in which there is healing and a lessening of
sickness, as well as reward. That is part of Allah s mercy towards
this blessed ummah and the Prophet's care for it. He is the one whom
Allah described as (interpretation of the meaning):
Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad saws) from
amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any
injuryor difficulty. He is anxious over you; for thebelievers (he is)
full of pity, kind, and merciful. [al-Tawbah 9:128]
Among the things that he taught us are the following:
1 - Reciting al-Faatihah
It was narrated from Abu Sa eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with
him)that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah beupon him)
described Soorat al-Faatihah as a ruqyah, and he approved of the
Sahaabi who recitedit as a ruqyah for the one who had been stung by a
scorpion.
- Al-Bukhaari (2156) and Muslim (2201).
Ibn al-Qayyim said about reciting Soorat al-Faatihah:
"There was a time when I fell sick in Makkah, and I could not find a
doctor or any medicine, so I treated myself by reciting it. I would
take some Zamzamwater and recite it over it several times, then drink
it. I recovered fully by these means, then I beganto do that whenever
I felt alot of pain, and I benefited greatly from it."
- Zaad al-Ma aad (4/164).
2. "Lord of the Magnificent Throne"
The following dua' is givenin "Fortress of the Muslim",to be recited
for one who is ill:
Dua for sickness and ill health
Transliteration: 'As'alullaahal-'Adheema Rabbal-'Arshil-'Adheemi 'an
yashfiyaka.
Meaning: I ask Almighty Allah , Lord of the Magnificent Throne, to
make you well. (Recite seven times in Arabic)
Reference: At-Tirmithi, AbuDawud. See also Al-Albani, Sahih
At-Tirmithi 2/210 and Sahihul-Jami' As-Saghir 5/180.
3 - "You are the Healer"
It was narrated from Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that
when any of us fell sick, the Messenger of Allah (peaceand blessings
of Allah be upon him) would wipe him with his right hand then say: "
Adhhib il-ba's, Rabbi l-naas washfi anta al-Shaafi laa shifaa ailla
shifaa uka shifaa an laa yughaadir saqaman. (Remove the harm, O Lord
of humankind and heal him, for You are the Healer and there is no
healing except Your healing, with a healing which does not leave any
disease behind)."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5675) and Muslim (2191).
4 - Al Mu'awidhatayn (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Naas)
It was narrated that Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
"If one of his family fell sick, the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) would blow over him and recite
al-Mu'awwidhaat. When he fell sick with his final illness, I started
to blow over him and wipe him with his own hand, because it was more
blessed than my hand."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5735) and Muslim (2192).
5 - Bismillah and dua'
It was narrated from Uthmaan ibn Abi l- Aas al-Thaqafi that he
complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) about some pain that he had felt in his body since he became
Muslim. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said to him: "Put your hand on the part of your body that hurts
and say: 'Bismillaah' (in the nameof Allah) three times, then say
seven times: 'I seek refuge in Allah and His Power from the evil of
what I find and I fear.'"
- Narrated by Muslim (2202).
6 - "In the Name of Allah I perform ruqyah"
It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with
him)that Jibreel came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said:"O Muhammad, are
you sick?" He said: "Yes." He said: "In the name of AllahI perform
ruqyah foryou, from everything that is harming you, from the evilof
every soul or envious eye may Allah heal you, in the name of Allah I
perform ruqyah for you."
- Narrated by Muslim (2186).