The Story of Habib al-Ajami

Allow me to share one of my favourite stories. This story was extracted from the book, ‘Tadhkirat al-Auliya (Memorial of the Saints)’.

Habib al-Ajami was a Persian who settled in Basra and studied under the authority of Hasan Al-Basri – an Imam, scholar and judge of his time.

Habib Al-Ajami had a house in Basra on the crossroads. He also had a fur coat which he wore summer and winter. Once, needing to perform the ritual washing, he arose and left his coat on the ground. Hasan of Basra, happening on the scene, perceived the coat flung in the road.

“This ‘Barbarian’ does not know its value,” he commented. “This fur coat ought not to be left here. It may get lost.” So, he stood there watching over it. Presently Habib returned. “Imam of the Muslims,” he cried after saluting Hasan, “Why are you standing here?”

“Do you not know?” Hasan replied, “That this coat ought not to be left here? It may get lost. Say, in whose charge did you leave it?”

“In His charge,” Habib answered, “who appointed you to watch over it.”

I would be lying if I said I didn’t find the innocence and care-free demeanour displayed by Habib, quite humourous. It tells a refreshing tale of trusting Allah (SWT) in everything and in doing so, being free of worries. Especially worrying about our affairs in this world.

‘Tadhkirat al-Auliya’ relates amazing stories of the saints. They lived their lives with complete trust in Allah (SWT) and the firm belief that He always fulfils His promises to His servants. They lived without attachment to this worldly life, knowing well, that we are created for an everlasting life.

I highly recommend that you all give it a read 😊

Touched by an Angel

You wouldn’t know her by her firm hands or the scars on her tummy, not even the tiny blob of mashed veggies wedged in her hair. It’s her selflessness, her patience and her unconditional love that gives it away. She is… a mother.

That caring voice you hear warning you, belongs to her. The white lie that remedied your tantrum came from her. That squishy hug you received took no effort from her part. She is the goopy-glue that holds her family together, ensuring that things are always running smoothly. That’s the beauty of a mother; she’s always, always giving.

From the very first moment her eyes meet her newborn, she falls in love. A love that gives her the energy during those sleepless nights, a love so strong she can see no harm come to her bouncing baby. “She becomes the protective force field called Mum.”

She masters the “crazy” eyes, the baby voice and the zoom-zoom of the flying spoon. Mothers give everything to please their child, to see them smile, to hear that giggle. It’s almost as if she’s been doing this all her life.

Got a problem? Need advice? Looking for something?  Mum’s got the answers. Google ain’t got nothing on her. From running errands and playing carpool to combating homework and tantrums she possesses strength that would amaze you.

What can’t this woman do, you ask? She can’t appreciate herself, that’s what. She doesn’t understand her worth. She won’t see herself as the gem that she is. The truth is… there’s no one in the world that could take her place. She’s incredible.

A mother is a blessing unto all of us from Allah (SWT). Her status, in Islam is of high calibre. With all the sacrifices she makes, we can understand why Jannah lies beneath a mother’s feet. To the mothers out there, smile… you’re doing a superb job! For those of you who have lost your precious gems, it’s not too late… You can always fill her Qabr with the light of prayer.

Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Qur’an to pray for our parents, “My Lord, be merciful to them as they have brought me up in childhood.” (Surat al-Isra’, 17: 24)

The world without our parents, especially a mother- the beautifully wrapped gift given to us by our Creator- would certainly be a dull place. So I raise my hands in du’aa and thank Allah for making my life a whole lot brighter.

Dedicated to my mother, who brought up six pretty awesome children and is still at it 🙂 

Written for muslimommy.com 

For the pleasure of Allah…

It’s that nagging feeling you’ve tried to push to the back of your mind. It’s the same old question that leaves you feeling uneasy every time. You’ve tried to feed it with simple answers but no matter how hard you try, it resurfaces hungry for more. We’ve all reached that moment at least once in our lives, the dead-end that forces you to ask, “What is my purpose?”

As Muslims we have the answer embedded into our system, one thing, and one fulfilling way of life; to worship Allah. We know this, from the first time we learnt about the five pillars of Islam. We watched our parents pray their salaah on time and with devotion. We observed the peace that enveloped our homes when the beautiful Qur’an was recited, mesmerized by the words we didn’t even understand.  We hoped that one day we’d be able to reach such a spiritual level and when the time came for us to perform all our duties to the Almighty, we stepped up and till today are doing just that but like every wish or goal there comes a moment when you yearn to do more. Then comes the inevitable mind-boggling question, “Why was I created?” to worship Allah of course.

This got me thinking, if I were meant to only worship Allah by performing my prayers and engaging in remembrance of Him then surely I could have been any creation known to man. From insects to plants to the animals, they all worship Allah. But I was created as a human being, with intellect, conscience and emotions. Just listing those has me feeling grateful to my Creator. Alhamdulilah.

How can I go on living a mediocre life when I’ve been blessed with all these bounties? I owe it to my Creator to live a life using my gifts and talents because He gave them to me for a reason. I am the way I am because with my unique abilities I’m meant to make a difference and play my part in the world instead of fading into the background. And from the millions of different creations, Allah has blessed me as I am and still gave me Islam. There’s a reason for that, there’s a reason for everything and when you put your trust in Allah, you can conquer pretty much anything with His help.

With the right intentions and for His pleasure only, I believe we can do what we’ve been created for. After all, the only status and recognition that truly matters is from Allah. He made us human to give us that chance and when I think of it like that I know He loves me, He loves us all. And I pray He is pleased with me for taking the first step to an extraordinary Islamic life.