You Are One

The trees and shadows
are black and brown -
I'm afraid to turn around -
then I hear a sound
like a trumpet call,
ringing like the dawn,
orange and clean.
It's the call of the One,
a perfect Quran,
revealed upon a man
and lights the world like a sun.
It shines on my skin
and warms my mind.
I stride through the trees
tall like a woodsman -
no fear now.
You call and I come,
O Allah, As-Salam,
You are the One.

For Every Trouble, Allah Helps You Double

For every setback, Allah has a comeback. For every trouble, He helps
you double. Every day He shows you the way. Alhamdulillah.
Allah does not get tired of you. Hedoes not write you off, or forget
about you, or give up on you. In fact, when you need Him and call on
Him, He comes to you quickly, at speed, rushing to help you:
The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "Allah the Most High
said, 'I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am. I am with him when he
mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself;
and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly
greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand's length, I draw near
to him an arm's length. Andif he comes to Me walking, I go to him at
speed.'" [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
What an amazing, benevolent, merciful God is Allah. He is Master of
all: He could have been capricious, selfish, or destructive, and we
would have been helplesspawns, unable to help ourselves or be helped.
But that is not His nature. In hundreds of verses of the Quran, Allah
Almighty describes Himself as "Ghafurun Rahim", that is One Who
forgives and has mercy.

Advice

I'm often touched by my readers' comments, and I feel grateful to
Allah that I have the opportunity to help people through my writing.
However, I will no longer advise people personally through email or
Facebook chat. I have so many business and personal projects going,
and I also have a daughter to take care of. And I have my own
struggles. I'm doing my best just to walk the path, and raise Salma up
right.
I have to be blunt about another thing: sometimes sisters read my
writing or poetry here and then want to message me privately. I'm not
comfortable with that. Please take my writing as it is: a gift, a
sharing of whatever wisdom I have acquired, and an expression of love
to all. And if you benefit from it then Alhamdulillah.
If you need advice on a marriage or family issue, please to go my
IslamicAnswers.com website and submit your question to the
team.Besides, I really have only one answer to almost any question:
"Take responsibility for your ownchoices and happiness. Live up to
your talents and make something happen. Eliminate 'I can't' from your
vocabulary. Create opportunities. People will tell you 'no': you tell
them 'yes'.
Turn to God for guidance with an open heart and have the courage to
follow what comes, rather thanclinging to your own imagined outcomes.
He will always provide a way out, will always open a door; you only
need eyes to see it, and that comes from sincerity.
Be sincere with yourself above all,because if you're lying to yourself
then you're stuck. Focus on your own mistakes rather than the mistakes
of others, but only in order to learn and do better. Don't bind
yourself with guilt and self-pity. Regret for the past is a waste:
it's gone and you can't change it, so forgive yourself and forgive
others.
Believe in something greater thanyourself. You have a purpose in this
life, a mission, and most likelyyou know in your heart what it is,so
find a way to follow that path, one step at a time.
Guard your spirit from harm but be open to love. Choose compassion
again and again, even when the world makes it hard. Be patient with
your family and friends. Don't hold your love back: you only go
through this world once, so let your love shinelike the sun."
Finito. If this has been helpful, then make dua' for me. Jazakum Allah
khayr, may Allah reward youall.

Poem: Hear Those Who Call

O Allah, hear those who call:
the refugees, the small,
and those who cannot speak.
Hear them and help with blessings from above;
and for me…
give me love.
I know I'm weak.
A life that sometimes weighs
to others would be sweet.
Help the victims of war, and prisoners of speech:
feed them, care for their wounds…
and for me… bring a heart that beats.
For my people in Palestine,
in Syria, in Burma, I weep.
Give them freedom and a new day.
And if there's one stray soul
searching for me, Ya Allah,
then show her the way.
If You think I'm arrogant,
then break me down.
Bring me low to praise You above.
And if You think it's right,
if I've grown as You want me to grow,
if You look inside
and see a soul
sincere as a dove,
new and ready to be born…
then bring me love.