True stories »Happiness came alone

This is my story. About the love that came alone.
Three years ago I was 23 years old and very unhappy. I had just left a
rich, non-committed manwho wanted to marry meand gave me everything
Ineeded.
But one day, April 1 it was and just like in a joke I left him. There
was a reason and quite a serious one. He wanted to own me. Leaving him
meant losing my job (because I worked for him), my love, my comfort
and money.
Another man helped me leave him; he was the third man in my life. I
was madly in love with him. I simply adored him.Two months after we
began dating, his ex-girlfriend called him and told him she was
pregnant. He went crazy. He began behaving weird. He didn't know what
to do. Go to her or stay with me. At the end, he left me.
I cried myself out. For months and maybe years.
I started dating other men and hurting them. For only a year I went to
bed with 5 men and left them in the worst possible way. I made them
cry and beg me.
I felt nothing. I was the cruelest being in the world. My heart was
broken and I found no meaning of life. But at a certain point I calmed
down. I forgot the man that left me. He married that woman he left me
for. I lost him forever andI knew I needed to move forward and to go
back to normal, to somehow save my soul.
Weird enough after this so called balance, Paco appeared. I was at a
bar and he approached and started talking to me. We spent our time
together until 4 am and we couldn't get enough of each other. It was
hard atthe beginning. He had just been abandoned by a woman he was 5
years with. So he was being mean to me. But I knew best what he felt
and waited for the moment he would reach that calmness that I felt and
everything will be perfect. Yes, I waited for him to go through that
same hell I did, through the same agony for the unrequited love and I
don't feel sorry about it. Because now I have next to me the man I can
rely on totally. I love him and I cannot imagine my life without him.
We have our wedding planned in 3 months time, exactly two years after
we met. And I think that happiness comes alone tous, without looking
or crying for it. The only thing we need is to be at peace with
ourselves.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Khabbab ibn al-Aratt - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

A woman named Umm Anmaar who belonged to the Khuza-a tribe in Makkah
went to the slave market in the city. She wanted to buy herself a
youth for her domestic chores and to exploit his labor for economic
gains. As she scrutinized the faces of those who were displayed for
sale, her eyes fell ON a boy who was obviously not yet in his teens.
She saw that he was strong and healthy and thatthere were clear signs
of intelligence on his face. She needed no further incentive to
purchase him. She paid and walked away with her new acquisition.
On the way home, Umm Anmaar turned to the boy and said:
"What's your name, boy?''
"Khabbah."
"And what's your father's name'?''
"Al-Aratt. "
"Where do you come from?"
"From Najd."
"Then you are an Arab!"
"Yes, from the Banu Tamim."
"How then did you come into the hands of the slave dealers in Makkah?"
"One of the Arab tribes raided our territory. They took our cattle and
captured women and children. I was among the youths captured. I passed
from one hand to another until I ended up in Makkah . . ."
Umm Anmaar placed the youth as an apprentice to one of the blacksmiths
in Makkah to learn the art of making swords. The youth learnt quickly
and was soon an expert at the profession. When he was strong enough,
Umm Anmaar set up a workshop for him with all the necessary tools and
equipment from making swords. Before long he was quite famous in
Makkah for his excellent craftsmanship. People also liked dealing with
him because of his honesty and integrity. Umm Anmaar gained much
profit through him and exploited his talents to the full.
In spite of his youthfulness, Khabbab displayed unique intelligence
and wisdom. Often, when he had finished work and was left to himself,
he would reflect deeply on the state of Arabian society which was so
steeped in corruption. He was appalled at the aimless wandering, the
ignorance and the tyranny which he saw. He was one of the victims of
this tyranny and he would say to himself:
"After this night of darkness, there must be a dawn." And he hoped
that he would live long enough to see the darkness dissipate with the
steady glow and brightness of new light.
Khabbab did not have to wait long. He was privileged to be in Makkah
when the first rays of the light of Islam penetrated thecity. It
emanated from the lips ofMuhammad ibn Abdullah as he announced that
none deserves to be worshipped or adored except the Creator and
Sustainerof the universe. He called for an end to injustice and
oppression and sharply criticized the practices of the rich in
accumulating wealth at the expense of the poor and the outcast. He
denounced aristocratic privileges and attitudes and called for a new
order based on respect for human dignity and compassion for the
underprivileged includingorphans, wayfarers and the needy.
To Khabbab, the teachings of Muhammad were like a powerfullight
dispelling the darkness of ignorance. He went and listened to these
teachings directly from him. Without any hesitation he stretched out
his hand to the Prophet in allegiance and testified that "There is no
god but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and His messenger." He was
among the first ten personsto accept Islam .
Khabbab did not hide his acceptance of Islam from anyone. When the
news of his becoming a Muslim reached Umm Anmaar, she became incensed
with anger. She went to her brother Sibaa ibn Abd al-Uzza who gathered
a gang of youths from the Khuzaa tribe and together they made their
way to Khabbab. They found himcompletely engrossed in his work. Sibaa
went up to him and said:
"We have heard some news from you which we don't believe."
"What is it?" asked Khabbab.
"We have been told that you have given up your religion and that you
now follow that man from the Banu Ha shim ."
"I have not given up my religion"replied Khabbab calmly. "I only
believe in One God Who has no partner. I reject your idols and I
believe that Muhammad is the servant of God and His messenger."
No sooner had Khabbab spoken these words than Sibaa and his gang set
upon him. They beat him with their fists and with iron bars and they
kicked him until he fell unconscious to the ground, with blood
streaming from the wounds he received.
The news of what happened between Khabbab and his slave mistress
spread throughout Makkah like wild-fire. People were astonished at
Khabbab's daring. They had not yet heard of anyone who followed
Muhammad and who had the audacity to announce the fact with such
frankness and deviant confidence.
The Khabbab affair shook the leaders of the Quraysh. They did not
expect that a blacksmith, such as belonged to Umm Anmaar and who had
no clan in Makkah to protect him and no asabiyyah to prevent him from
injury, would be bold enough to go outside her authority, denounce her
gods and reject the religion of her forefathers. They realized that
this was only the beginning . . .
The Quraysh were not wrong in their expectations. Khabbab's courage
impressed many of his friends and encouraged them to announce their
acceptance of Islam. One after another, they began to proclaim
publicly the message of truth.
In the precincts of the Haram, near the Kabah, the Quraysh leaders
gathered to discuss the problem of Muhammad. Among them were Abu
Sufyan ibn Harb, al Walid ibn al-Mughira and Abu Jahl ibn Hisham. They
noted thatMuhammad was getting stronger and that his following was
increasing day by day, indeed hour by hour. To them this was like a
terrible disease and they made up their minds tostop it before it got
out of control. They decided that each tribe should get hold of any
follower of Muhammad among them and punish him until he either recants
his faith or dies.
On Sibaa ibn Abd al-Uzza and his people fell the task of punishing
Khabbab even further. Regularly they began taking him to all open area
in the city when the sun was at its zenith and the ground was
scorching hot. They would take off his clothes and dress him in iron
armor and lay him on the ground. In the intense heat his skin would be
seared and hit body would become inert. When it appeared that all
strength had let him, they would come up and challenge him:
"What do you say about Muhammad'?"
"He is the servant of God and His messenger. He has come with the
religion of guidance and truth, to lead us from darkness into light."
They would become more furious and intensify their beating. They would
ask about al-Laat and al-Uzza and he wouldreply firmly:
"Two idols, deaf and dumb, that cannot cause harm or bring any benefit..."
This enraged them even more and they would take a big hot stone and
place it on his back. Khabbab's pain and anguish would be excruciating
but he did not recant.
The inhumanity of Umm Anmaartowards Khabbab was not less than that of
her brother. Once she saw the Prophet speaking toKhabbab at his
workshop and she flew into a blind rage. Every day after that, for
several days, she went to Khabbab's workshop and punished him by
placing a red hot iron from the furnace on his head. The agony was
unbearable and he often fainted.
Khabbab suffered long and his only recourse was to prayer. He prayed
for the punishment of Umm Anmaar and her brother. His release from
pain and suffering only came when the Prophet, peace be upon him, gave
permission to his companions to emigrate to Madinah. Umm Anmaar by
then could not prevent him from going. She herself became afflicted
with a terrible illness which no one had heard of before. She behaved
as if she had suffered a rabid attack. The headaches she had were
especially nerve-racking. Her children sought everywhere for medical
help until finally they were told that the only cure wasto cauterize
her head. This was done. The treatment, with a ret hot iron, was more
terrible than all the headaches she suffered.
At Madinah, among the generous and hospitable Ansar, Khabbab
experienced a state of ease and restfulness which he had not known for
a long time. He was delighted to be near the Prophet, peace be upon
him, with no one to molest him or disturb his happiness.
He fought alongside the noble Prophet at the battle of Badr. He
participated in the battle of Uhud where he had the satisfaction of
seeing Sibaa ibn Abd al-Uzza meet his end at the hands of Hamza ibn
Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet.
Khabbab lived long enough to witness the great expansion of Islam
under the four Khulafaa arRashidun--Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. He
once visited Umar during his caliphate. Umar stood up--he was in a
meeting--and greeted Khabbab with the words:
"No one is more deserving than you to be in this assembly other than
Bilal." He asked Khabbab about the torture and the persecution he had
received at the hands of the mushrikeen. Khabbab described this in
some detail since it was still very vivid in his mind. He then exposed
his back and even Umar was aghast at what he saw.
In the last phase of his life, Khabbab was blessed with wealth such as
he had never before dreamed of. He was, however, well-known for his
generosity. It is even said that he placed his dirhams and his diners
in a part of his house thatwas known to the poor and the needy. He did
not secure this money in any way and those in need would come and take
whatthey needed without seeking any permission or asking any
questions.
In spite of this, he was always afraid of his accountability to God
for the way he disposed of this wealth. A group of companions related
that they visited Khabbab when he was sick and he said:
"In this place there are eighty thousand dirhams. By God, I have never
secured it any way and I have not barred anyone in need from it."
He wept and they asked why he was weeping.
"I weep," he said, "because my companions have passed away and they
did not obtain any suchreward in this world. I have livedon and have
acquired this wealth and I fear that this will be the only reward for
my deeds."
Soon after he passed away. The Khalifah Ali ibn Abu Talib, may God be
pleased with him, stood at his grave and said:
"May God have mercy on Khabbab. He accepted Islam wholeheartedly. He
performed hijrah willingly. He lived as a mujahid and God shall not
withhold the reward of one whohas done good."

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Ruling on singling out ‘Ashoora for fasting

Is it permissible to fast 'Ashoora' only without fasting the day
before orthe day after?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said: Fasting the day of 'Ashoora' is
expiation for one year, and it is not makrooh to single out this day
for fasting. Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, part 5.
In Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami it says: There is
nothing wrong with fasting 'Ashoora' on its own. Part 3, Baab Sawm
al-Tatawwu'.
The Standing Committee was asked this question and replied as follows:
It is permissible to fast the day of 'Ashoora' on its own, but it is
better to fast the day before it or the day after it. This isthe
Sunnah that is proven from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), as he said, "If I am still alivenext year, I will
certainly fast the ninth." Narrated by Muslim, 1134.
Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: He meant, along
with the tenth.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.

How can one who is afflicted with calamity know whether it is a punishment or a test to raise him in status?

If a calamity befalls a Muslim, how can we know whether it is a
punishment for his sins or a test to raise him in status?.
Praise be to Allaah.
According to the Qur'an and Sunnah, there are two direct causes for
calamities and trials, in addition to the wisdom of Allah, may He be
exalted, in what He wills and decrees.
The first reason is:
Sins and acts of disobedience that the person has committed, whether
they constitute kufr or are no more thanregular sins or are majorsins.
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will test the one who
committed them with calamity by way of requital and immediate
punishment (i.e., in this world).
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): "…but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself"
[an-Nisa' 4:79]. The commentators said: i.e., because of your sin.
And He, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): "And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of
what your hands haveearned. And He pardons much" [ash-Shoora 42:30].
End quote from Tafseer al-Qur'an al-'Azeem, 2/363
It was narrated that Anas(may Allah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"If Allah wills good for His slave, He hastens his punishment in this
world, and if He wills bad for His slave, He withholds from him (the
punishment for) his sin, until He requites him for it on the Day of
Resurrection."
Narrated and classed as hasan by at-Tirmidhi (2396); classed as
saheehby al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.
The second reason is:
That Allah, may He be exalted, wants to raise instatus the patient
believer, so He tests him with calamity so that he will bear it
acceptance and patience, then He will be given the rewardof those who
are patientin the Hereafter, and willbe recorded with Allah as one of
the victorious. Calamities befell the Prophets and the righteous
persistently, and Allah, may He be exalted, made it an honour for them
by means of which they attained high status in Paradise. Hence it says
inthe saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him): "If a certain status has previously been decreedby Allaah
for a person, and he does not attain itby his deeds, Allaah afflicts
him in his body or wealth or children."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3090; classed assaheeh by al-Albaani in
as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, no. 2599.
It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Great reward comes with great trials. When Allah loves a people, He
tests them, and whoeveraccepts it attains His pleasure, whereas
whoever shows discontent with it incurs His wrath."
Narrated and classed as hasan by at-Tirmidhi (2396); classed as
saheehby al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, no. 146
The two reasons are mentioned together in the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah
(may Allah be pleased with her), according to which the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Nothing befalls a
believer, a (prick of a) thorn or more than that, but Allaah will
raise him one degree in status thereby, or erase a bad deed."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5641) and Muslim (2573).
Moreover, in most cases these two causes exist together rather than
either of them occurringon its own.
Do you not see that if Allah tests a person with calamity because of
his sin, and he bears it with patience and gratitude, Allah, may He be
exalted,will forgive him his sin, raise him in status in Paradise and
give him the reward of those whoare patient and seek reward with Him?
When Allah tests a person with a calamity so that he will reach the
lofty status that He has decreed for him in Paradise, his previous
sins are expiated and it is regarded as requital for those sins in
this world, so the requital will not be repeated for him in the
Hereafter. This is what happened to some of the Messengers and
Prophets, such as Adam (peace be upon him) and Yoonus (peace be upon
him): Allah, may Hebe glorified and exalted,tested Adam with expulsion
from Paradise,and He tested Yoonus ibn Matta with being swallowed into
the belly of the fish. But by meansof these tests, Allah raised them
in status because of their patience and seeking reward with Him, may
He be exalted. It was expiation for what each of them had done of
going against His command (blessings andpeace of Allah be upon both of
them).
This proves that requital in this world is not separate from the
requital in the Hereafter.These two reasons are mentioned together in
many saheeh Prophetic hadeeths, such as that which was narrated by
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I said:
O Messenger of Allah, who among the people are most sorely tested? He
said: "The Prophets, then the next best and the next best. A man will
be tested according to his level of religious commitment. If his
religious commitment is solid, his test will be more severe, but if
there is any weakness in his religiouscommitment, he will be tested
according to his level of religious commitment. And calamity will
continue tobefall a person until he walks on the earth with no sin on
him."
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2398) who said: (It is) hasan saheeh.
Nevertheless, one of these two reasons may be more apparent in some
kinds of tests than the other. That may be understood by looking at
the circumstances of the calamity.
If the one who is affected is a kaafir, then his calamity cannot be
toraise him in status, because the kaafir will have no weight before
Allah on the Day of Resurrection. But there may be a lesson and a
reminder for others in that, not to do what he did. Or it may be an
immediate punishment for him in this world, in addition to what is
stored up for him in the Hereafter. Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Is then He (Allah) Who takes charge (guards, maintains, provides,
etc.)of every person and knows all that he has earned (like any other
deities who know nothing)? Yet they ascribe partners to Allah.Say:
"Name them! Is it that you will inform Him of something He knows not
in the earth or is it (just) a show of false words." Nay! To those who
disbelieve, their plotting is made fairseeming, and they have been
hindered from the Right Path, and whom Allah sends astray,for him,
there is no guide.
For them is a torment in the life of this world, and certainly, harder
is the torment of the Hereafter. And they haveno protector against
Allah"
[ar-Ra'd 13:33-34].
But if the one who is affected is a Muslim whocommits sin openly or is
a blatant evildoer, then it is most likely that he is being requited
and punished with this calamity, because expiation of sins comes
before raising in status, and the sinner is in greater need of
expiation for his sins than of being raised in status.
On the other hand, if theMuslim is a devoted worshipper, obedient and
righteous, and thereis nothing between him and Allah but true
'uboodiyyah (servitude), gratitude, praise, repentance and submission
to Him, may He be glorified, then it ismost likely that this calamity
is a kind of honour and raising in status, and people are the
witnesses of Allah onearth. If they know him to be righteous, then
they may give him the glad tidings of raised status before Allah if he
is patient in bearing the calamity.
But if the one who is affected shows displeasure and panic, then it
cannot be thought that his calamityis an honour from Allah to raise
him in status, because Allah, may He beglorified, knew that he would
not be patient and accept it with contentment. So in this case it is
most likely that it is a requital and punishment. One of the righteous
said: The sign of calamity by way of punishment and requitalis lack of
patience when a calamity befalls, and panic and complaining to people.
And the sign of calamity by way of expiation and erasing ofsins is
beautiful patiencewithout complaining, panic or impatience, andlack of
reluctance in fulfilling commands and doing acts of worship.
The sign of calamity by way of raising a person in status is
contentment and acceptance, peace of mind, and patience in accepting
the will of Allah until relief comes. End quote.
All of this is merely circumstantial evidence that one may ponder in
order to learn something of the wisdom of Allah, may He be exalted,
that is behind calamities and trials. But he cannot be certain as to
which is thecase with regard to himself or other people who are
afflicted with calamities.
Perhaps it is more important than all of these details to note thatthe
practical benefit thatone should think about is that every calamity
and test is good for him and will bring reward if he is patient and
seeks reward with Allah, and that every test and calamity is bad for
him ifhe panics and get angry.If he trains himself to bear calamities
with patience and to be content with the decree of Allah, after that
it will not matter if he knows the reason for the calamity or not.
Rather itis always better for him to concern himself with his sins and
shortcomings and to look for some mistake that he has committed, for
all of us make mistakes. Who among ushas not been negligent in his
duties towards Allah, may He be exalted? If Allah, may He be glorified
and exalted,caused the Muslims to suffer the calamity of many of them
being killed on the day of Uhud, even though they were the Companions
of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the best
of mankind after the Messengers and Prophets, because they had gone
against the command of the Prophet(blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), thenhow can anyone think after that that he is entitled to
be raised in status for anything that befalls him? When Ibraaheem ibn
Adham (may Allah have mercy on him) saw strong winds and clouds
building up in the sky, he would say: This is because of my sins; if I
depart from among you, it will befall you.]
So how about us with allour shortcomings and sins?
And even more important than all of that is that one should always
think positively of one's Lord, in all situations, for whatever comes
from Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is good and He is the
Protector of the pious and Oft-Forgiving.
We ask Allah, may He be exalted, to have mercy on us and forgive us,
to teach us that which will benefit us and reward usfor our
calamities, for Heis All-Hearing and answers prayers.