Category Archives: Stories
Being the First to Greet — from the Malfuzat of Khwaja Uthman Haruni (ra)
The following is an excerpt taken from Session 12 of the Anees ul-Arwah–The Malfuzat of Khwaja Uthman Haruni (rehmatullahi alyhe)–as recorded by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (rehmatullahi alayhe):
He said, “On the topic of greeting (saying assalam alaikum), the Blessed Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said, “When one of you takes leave of a gathering then greet. Greeting is an expiation for past sins. Angels desire forgiveness (with their Lord) for the one who greets. The one who greets after rising from a gathering has the Mercy of God upon him. His good deeds and lifespan are increased.”
“Upon the tongue of Khwaja Yusuf Chishti (may Allah shower His mercy on him), I heard that he who greets when departing from a gathering earns the reward of one thousand virtuous acts, one thousand of his needs are fulfilled and he is cleansed from sin to such a degree as the day he was delivered from his mother’ s womb. A year of his sins are forgiven and a year of virtuous acts are written to his book of deeds. Additionally the reward of one hundred greater and minor pilgrimages (Hajj and Umrah) are recorded for him and one hundred trays of mercy are showered upon him.”
“Hazrat Ali (may Allah ennoble his face) always wished to be the first to greet the gathering of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when joining or leaving but the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) would always out do him in it (he would greet first). Greeting is the way (sunnah) of the Prophets (may peace be upon them all), but all of them were first to greet others.”
At this, the master completed his words of wisdom and became engrossed in his dhikr with the people and the one in need of his prayers having left–all praises to God for that (lesson).
Translated by Sharaaz Khan
11 Rajab 1432 Hijri
The Purest of Lineage: A Convert’s Story of Honor and Degree (Part I of II)
February 1, 2004 / Dhul Hijjah 1424
Volume 1, Issue 4
The following is a story of a convert to Islam who is soon to find that her purpose in life is more than just being married in a noble family. With all the trials that inter-cultural marriages create, this mother is to face the greatest trial of her life. This is a story of sacrifice and honor – a story that highlights the fact that not only those born in Islam can be raised to the highest of degrees and honor, rather Allah Almighty bestows these attributes upon whomever He chooses. This story highlights the importance of embracing those who come into the fold of Islam by those already in it.
I was born in England but my soul was lost. My culture, my surroundings, day and night, everything was a stranger to me. I was not sure what I wanted. From a very young age, I used to wait for a handsome Arab prince who would sweep me off my feet and take me away on his horse to a distant land in a castle where no one could see me except him. Yes, I was living in Newcastle, England waiting for some stranger. Then, one day, a friend took me to a party where people from all cultures were invited. It was there that I met Asif, a young man from Punjab, Pakistan. He belonged to a huge closely-knit, feudal and deeply religious Syed family (descendents of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)). One day, Asif proposed. In complete awe I thought to myself, “Perhaps God has gifted me for my modesty.â€Â We married without delay and I was called Maryam thereafter.
After I recited the Kalima Shahadah (the oath that a convert takes before entering the faith of Islam), I faced tremendous opposition. After a few months we discovered that a baby was on its way. It was the happiest time of my life. Allah blessed us with a beautiful girl. Asif named her Sana (which means ‘to glorify’) and said, “My daughter was born to glorify Allah.â€Â We had three sons after Sana. We were living our lives according to the ways prescribed by Allah and His Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him). Our life was an example of Paradise on Earth.Â
One day Asif’s mother suffered a stroke and he needed to return to Pakistan immediately. His father was a true Muslim who sacrificed his years for Islam. It was this that gave me the encouragement that his family would accept me as their daughter-in-law. It was about the same time that the truth of Islam penetrated my heart and I accepted Allah and His Beloved Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) from my innermost core. In these days Asif felt increasingly helpless and sorrowful. I thought to myself, “If we were true to our belief, then why was it that we had to hide our marriage?â€Â Maybe Asif didn’t want to lose his family. One day Asif’s elder brother Zahid came to take us back. He said that they were aware of the marriage and that now we should go back because Asif’s mom was ill and she wanted to see the all kids. So we moved to Pakistan. Sana started wearing the Chadar (a long shawl that is wrapped in a manner to cover the body and hair) and started learning to read the Qur’an from a Maulana (a religious scholar). When my father-in-law sat with Sana and talked about the Qur’an, many questions arose in my heart: Had Allah chosen me for this task? What is the purpose of my life? I started reading many books and my father-in-law taught me about the Qur’an, Fiqh (Jurisprudence) and Islam. He was a complete book in his being. One day, my mother-in-law died from a heart attack and after a few days my father-in-law also died and this beautiful chapter of my life was closed forever.
My kids, especially Sana was the most learned about Islam. She was true to her belief and would be praised by everyone who met her. Our life was peaceful, but I was living a lie. The truth was that, despite all my hard work, I was not able to adapt to the culture and traditions. My God-given freedom was snatched from me. Sometimes I used to wish that I had wings to fly back to my own country. Asif felt this in me and promised that as soon as the time was right, he would send me to England. I knew that he was true to his word. I was not sure of the reason, but every time we intended to go back something would happen and we couldn’t go.
Sana had grown into a young lady by now. I wished from the bottom of my heart that someone in my in-laws would ask for her hand in marriage. All of their sons were mature and stood on their own two feet, but why was it that none of them could see Sana? Asif wanted his daughter to be the pride of this family but this was Pakistan, and not England where I could have looked for a husband for my daughter or she could have found one herself. England was a non-Muslim country, but this was Asif’s own country. Then why was he so worried? In this country, every other home had girls who would go out with boys, dating and shopping and free to enjoy. But all of this was unlawful for a daughter of a converted mother from England. My husband was much concerned about her well being, but no one else cared. All that the in-laws wanted was to find the opportunity to catch my daughter or myself doing something wrong. That would give them a chance to reject us. This worried me day and night. I started reading my father-in-law’s books, which he wrote and that gave me comfort.
It was a cold winter night when my sister-in-law’s daughter got married. There was a strange racket in the house. When I came outside into the porch, I started watching Sana and the other girls applying Henna. Standing next to the window, I overheard a discussion. A lady was asking my sister-in-law about her son, who was old enough to marry and if she had anyone in mind for him. She replied, “Not yet, I don’t know what has happened to all the good, modest girls. It seems that all the television girls have stepped into our homes. They all look like models.” The women asked, “Why Baji? What about Sana? She is beautiful, modest, homely, and knows all the responsibilities? I wish I had a son…” “Stop it!†said my sister-in-law, “I’m warning you that if you ever took Sana’s name… Sana for my daughter-in-law! God forbid!” The lady then said, “Why Baji, she is our family girl…” “I told you to be quiet! Don’t you know that her mother is an Englishwomen! She doesn’t even know the difference between pure and impure. That I will have English blood in my lineage, God forbid, No Way!!!” said my sister-in-law. “But Baji, Sana is your own blood!” exclaimed the woman. “Please put an end to this topic right here and now and remember that this discussion should never enter the ears of Abid. He already talks about Sana all the time” said my sister-in-law. “Baji, I only brought this up because I felt that there isn’t any better girl than Sana. She is a family girl and she will stay within the family and I know that Asif doesn’t want her to marry out of the family. He asked me to find out what was the opinion of his sisters about Sana.” “OK, OK, why don’t you marry her with your own brother?” said my sister-in-law. “If only my brother was up to the mark, he is not even close to her in character,” said this lady. “Yeah I know, these are just excuses. Is she the only one left for us? If you cared so much about her then why don’t you look for someone for her so our honor can remain in tact,” answered my sister-in-law.
My God! These words entered my ears like hot lava. Unaware of this conversation, Sana looked at me, smiled and called, “Come on mama, let me put Henna on your hands”. I wanted to burn the whole house and break everything. What did I not do for this family’s honor? What was deficient in Sana that she couldn’t be the daughter-in-law of this family? My whole body was shaking like an earthquake. I couldn’t breathe. I felt as if I was a boat, which was about to reach the shore but was suddenly pulled back in by a whirlpool. In this state I complained to Allah “O Allah, You know what’s hidden in our hearts, You are my witness that I believed and followed You from the depth of my heart at a time when I was brought up in a non-Muslim surrounding, but still had complete belief in You. I believed that You created every human being for some purpose. If my purpose was to remove a noble Syed away from base and lowly activities while he had everything, to marry him and protect him from a sinful life, then what is the purpose of my life now? I am in Pakistan and his family is not accepting his kids because I was an Englishwomen? Now what is it that’s stopping me from returning to my country? O Allah, show me the right way.”  I felt as if I was surrounded by thick fog and I lost every sense of existence and sanity. I was not sure what to call this state.  My life had changed forever and little was I to know about the trials that my family was about to face and the honor that Allah, by the rank of his Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him), had in store for me!                                 Â
(To be continued …)
 The above story, authored by Ms. Farida Abbass was extracted from Pakeezah Magazine (Pakistan) and translated from Urdu by Fatima Sharaaz Qadri, a founding member of IECRC Sacramento and mother of four young children.
A Gift From Allah Almighty
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Volume 1, Issue 3 (Shawwal 1424)
A favor from Me
Don’t you recognize it?
What is there that is not a
Thank You?
Sura 55, Ar Rahman (Most Kind)
Allah is Wise, All Knowing. What He, Exalted be His Name, says in the Holy Qur’an is 100% true. As Muslims we know this for certain, without a doubt. There are times we may not understand the wisdom in an ayat (verse, sign) but that is due to our lack of knowledge and understanding, not the Wisdom of Allah or the truthfulness of His Word.
In Sura 42 Al-Shura (Consultation), ayat 30, we are told misfortune comes to us due to what we have earned. And our beloved guide, the one Allah chose to clarify the meaning of life for us, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings on his sweet soul, said:
For every sadness, every sorrow,
every ache and pain,
even the prick from a rose,
Allah erases a sin.
This means sadness, sorrow, pain or any discomfort we may suffer, are payments for our sins and we no longer owe a debt for them. Just as we cannot enumerate the blessings of Allah Almighty, we cannot know how many times in a day we think bad thoughts or do bad deeds. Every act of commission without the Command of Allah and every act of omission to the Command of Allah is an act for which we are accountable.
If we remember that our Lord and Master is absolutely free to do whatever He likes and in His Hand is all good, then Insha Allah we would also remember everything that comes to us comes from Him and is good for us.
Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, may his soul be blessed, in his book Futuh al Ghaib, summarizes lessons from the Holy Qur’an:
As for the trial of man – sometimes it comes as a punishment for any violation of law and any sin which has been committed; at others it comes with the object of removing the defects and refining the nature of man and at still others it comes to raise a man in spiritual rank.
Shaikh Farid ad Din Attar, in his hagiological book, Muslim Saints and Mystics, told the story of one of the Friends of Allah (Wali Allah) (may they be blessed) who enjoyed the loving and respectful treatment of his wife and daughter. One day, for no apparent reason, both females spoke loudly and rudely to him. The Friend retired to a private place and pleaded with Allah to forgive him for whatever he had done, or had not done, to cause the harshness they were displaying toward him. Immediately after that private conversation his wife and daughter returned to their normal loving and respectful behavior.
In the late 1990’s in California, a Muslim brother had been out of work for six months and was actively looking for a job that would support him and his family. Finally he was hired, though the pay was a great deal less than he had previously earned. The day before he was to start this position, he slipped and broke his leg. The employer had to find a replacement for him. His friends were more upset than he was. He insisted there is wisdom behind everything and patiently accepted the decree of Allah. While recuperating, he again began job hunting. Not only did he find a job in his field but the pay was much more than the job he lost.
Allah is Great and His Timing Perfect
We should graciously accept and recognize what comes to us is a gift from the Most Loving and Wise Creator. It may be a warning of our disobedience in time to correct the mistake, it may be an atonement for a sin we knowingly or unknowingly committed or an exaltation of our spiritual rank. In any event it is:
A gift from Me
Don’t you recognize it?
What is there that is not a
Thank You?
Khadija J.C. Locks
Sister Khadija is a resident of Los Angeles, CA. She is the author of “The Wealth of the Inheritorsâ€, published by Nuqoosh Press, Lahore, Pakistan. She is currently working on a book on the subject of Islamic stories for children. She is a regular contributor to the IECRC Newsletter.
