The Tree in my Courtyard

Have you ever looked at something not in its best shape, thought to yourself sadly how it will never be whole again and then when you looked at it again after sometime, you were amazed by it’s revival and beauty?

It happened to me few days back. While noticing a lifeless small tree in our courtyard, early in the morning. I paused by it and said to myself, we shouldn’t have cut it down. It was lifeless. No leaf survived. Just a stick, a bamboo, a pole of wood was standing before my eyes, with no sign of the once heavy bushes and greens on it.

A week passed by, and just like that as I roamed in the courtyard, looking at the plants and thinking about my own dilemmas in life. My eyes went towards that corner. There! It was green again. I swear, just like that, there were leaves that were not there before. How Allah how? I was so much surprised that I had to take a closer look. Just one week had passed by hardly, and really? So much had changed? Life was brought back to it. Whereas I had looked at it as something dead now, taken it merely as a piece of wood, it was looking back at me as something new and alive.

And Allah sends down rain from the skies, and gives therewith life to the earth after its death: verily in this is a Sign for those who listen. – 16:65

SubhanAllah, my heart recited. It was Allah’s way of telling me, He is In-Charge of creating and destroying. He is in control of giving life after death and creating something back again from the ashes. It was Allah, telling me, my problems, too shall pass, and the weakness that I felt inside, was soon to be turned into strength. All we have to do in such times, is have faith in the Creator for Whom, nothing is impossible and keep walking towards Him.

I remember inspecting every plant that morning and the next morning and even till-date, every rose that dies, I swear to you, it blooms again. In our courtyard, it is a like a cycle of life and death, and then life again. I look at a flower worn out one day, and in the next few days, it smiles at me once more with a new bud, new colors, new form and more beauty.

What is it if not a Sign of Allah’s Majesty and Glory?

It is He Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living, and Who gives life to the earth after it is dead: and thus shall ye be brought out (from the dead). – 30:19

If you are feeling your emaan has faded or died, and needs revival. Have faith, for it will bloom again. Just like the tree in my courtyard. Exactly like that tree in my courtyard, with Allah’s fine work on you and His Fine infinite Mercy. For it is His supreme ability to create the finest of things.

Ahad Ahad …

Bismillah. It is 2:13 AM here, and what in the name of Allah am I doing here?

Well, I’m sitting on my bed, smiling to my adult self like a child, who is extremely and thoroughly pleased with herself for coming home. 🙂 Before me is my first baby blog, where I have moved back. Did I not tell you I am closing down khanumsays.com the domain? What a relief it has been to come to this decision. Yes, yes,! I cannot explain the happiness and lightness I am feeling in my being for embracing my simple wordpress blog and leaving the giant domain that I had purchased for God knows what reasons. It will be gone by May next year as the package expires. And you know what? After going through such lovely old posts on my original blog, there’s something I would love to share, once again, to commemorate the essence of Khanumsays.

Ahad Ahad… Now posted for the second time. The only post, to be shared twice on Khanumsays.

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Why shed these tears of sorrow?

Why shed these tears of grief? Ya nafsy how soon you forget, After trials come sweet relief

Why turn you from Ar-Rahman? Why yearn for a listening friend? Ya nafsy, do you not remember, On ALLAH (SWT), you must depend?

Have you not read those stories, Of the trials in days gone by, Of the Sahaba beloved by ALLAH (SWT), Who for ALLAH (SWT)’s cause did strive?

Why loosen your hold upon Him? Why fling away, His outstretched Hand? Ya nafsy, do you not remember, Bilal’s Sabr on the blazing sand? “

“Ahad! Ahad!” He cried, While his flesh did drip and burn. “Ahad! Ahad!” He cried, To ALLAH (SWT) alone he turned.

Have you forgotten the firmness of Hamza, As the gleaming swords did fall? With Sabr he turned to ALLAH (SWT), As the Quraish did slice and maul.

Why drown in salty tear drops? How can you dare compare your pain? To that of Yasir and Summayah, As they lay tortured on the scorching plain?

Have you forgotten the charring of Khabbab, As on burning coals he lay? Ya nafsy how meager your suffering, Wherefore do you lose your way?

Why befriend you not Al-Wali? Why not in Salaah to Him complain? Like Job who only to Allah, Turned in all his grief and pain?

Forget you that trials in this life, Cleanse your heart and make it clean? Ya nafsy, why all this sadness? Do you not wish your heart to gleam?

Be patient in all your hardships, ALLAH (SWT) hears your cries of woe. So trust Him and His Hikmah, For He knows best and not you.

So tighten your hold upon Him, Lest He withdraw His outstretched Hand! And remember the example of Bilal, As he lay anchored on the blazing sand.

“Ahad! Ahad!” he cried, While his flesh did drip and burn. “Ahad! Ahad!” he cried, To ALLAH (SWT) alone he turned.

Author unknown

 

Who are the people of Taqwa? (Muttaqin)

1-Those who spend in the way of Allah

2- Those who observe patience and control their anger

3- And those who forgive others out of Love for Allah and in hope to attain His pleasure and Mercy

Assalam o alaikum everyone! Happy fajr and Good morning!

None of the qualities mentioned above are easy to acquire. Especially the 3rd characteristic. How can you forgive someone so easily who has inflicted pain upon you with purpose and aim. People who have wronged us can’t be forgiven so easily. We want Allah to deal with them severely and some of us possibly want Allah to throw them in the hell fire. It’s definitely not an easy task to forgive those who deserve punishment. But what’s even harder is to forgive one’s own self for the sins committed.

How do we do that?

I was up all night and was surfing the internet for some French and Arabic  learning material , I would say half of the night was spent aimlessly, just wandering the streets of internet , but then I came across something useful. I came across Kalamullah site. It’s one great source for Islamic learning. I honestly have used this link for my exams preparation in the past as well. 2 hours ago, I was guided by Allah to watch Nouman Ali Khan’s absolutely emaan packed Khutbah at that website. Who are the people of Taqwa? (Muttaqin)

I cannot explain to you how beautifully Allah speaks to us when we are down, lost and drenched in sins without even being aware of it. He speaks to us even then, in that state of tattered emaan and uplifts our spirits. I almost wept at the concluding part of this khutbah. It feels like this is you, your sins and your story on the table Allah is referring to and trying to console you through this speaker in the video. SubhanAllah! Even if we all gathered together to find peace in this world on our own, we wouldn’t be able to acquire it fully, for the peace given by Allah to His slaves when they remember Him is something incomparable. You find true peace only when you’re re-united with Allah  after doing something bad and repenting on it.

I recommend anyone reading this post, do listen to this 30 minutes and 54 seconds khutbah.

May Allah help us forgive ourselves, forgive others and surrender our hearts to Allah so we can be forgiven by Allah Almighty in return as well. That’s the key I guess, We should let go off our anger and hurt for Allah’s sake. For Allah’s sake alone.

” You need to stay positive, Sir. Don’t freak out! “, Said Oxytocin

New Revelation in stress science. That Oxytocin!

The cuddling hormone released when you hug someone – often known as love hormone, the agent in sexual reproduction is actually not just a emo hormone, its practically your savior from stress. It’s also deals with stress.

Here’s how.

I just came across a very interesting thing this morning. A research in science which points out how the phrase “stress is bad for you” is actually the cause of many deaths and not the fact that you’re a stress patient. Confused? Lemme simplify it for you.

In very plain language it just means that stressing about “stress” is the main problem for your health. Otherwise, having a stress disorder and being positive about it instead of freaking out is what keeps you normal. And not just THAT – but also, dealing with it the positive way , meaning: Believing that stress is literally good for you, actually makes stress good for your health. It won’t harm you if you become friends with it and let it flow in your system. That sounds risky, han? But that’s the truth.

It becomes helpful when you embrace your stress and in return it makes you social. At least it demand of you to become social as a natural defence mechanism against bad health but if you don’t answer to its call by not reaching out to people and go for human bonding. That’s where and how you’re letting your stress kill you. You gotta love it well.

Long scientific story short. Oxytocin is actually not just a cute hormone but a stress hormone which is released when you are under stress as a (Body’s Natural Defense Mechanism) It begins to flow in you and makes you yearn for affection and help.Yeah. That explains why we badly want somebody around or near us to listen to our anxieties and worries when we are stressed. Letting it all out eventually cures us of bad mental health. Next time when it happens, know that its oxytocin telling you to reach out and talk to people when under stress.

Now that you know , stress can be handled as a positive force for your body, you’ll find this hormone helping you tremendously when you help it by doing exactly what its wants you to do. This was just one part I learned. What’s even more cool about this is the part where I translated this research into what Islam teaches us to do about stress. It gives us Exactly the same practical strategy to deal with it.

Oxytocin/Patience: A Mediator of Anti Stress!

And endure patiently, your patience is not but from Allah. (16:127)

So wait with patience for the Decision of your Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish – when he cried out (to Us) while he was in deep sorrow. (68:48)

Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere.  2: 153

And my favourite ayah of all. “And be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient.”  (8:46)  وَاصْبِرُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

Patience (sabr) is often a word misunderstood as an act which is weakening and those of who are weak. In short, if you’re are scared of something and can’t deal with it, you just say I’m trying to do sabr. I’m trying to be patient.

Is that true? Is that what patience really is? oh yeah?

Well guess what! Here’s the new cool definition for Patience: “It’s the cool act on the block that keeps you positive and head strong!”

 So when wiki says “Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” I say is, you’re totally underestimating this word. When in reality, This word is the synonym for positivity.

Patience is that strong positive attribute and force you can develop inside you that practically makes you 1000 times stronger in front of your anxieties, worries and every type of enemy in this dunya. And that’s EXACTLY why Allah advises us to observe patience when hit by calamity or stress because yeah! He already knows how tremendously powerful you can become when you take the positive approach towards every stressful circumstances.

In a typical stress response,your heart rate goes up, and your blood vessels constrict. And this is the reason why chronic stress is sometimes associated with cardiovascular diseases. Its not really healthy to be in this condition all the time. But in the study, when participants viewed their stress response as helpful, meaning the sweating the anxiety and the increased heart rate, when they viewed all of this as a positive response by believing the faster breathing is actually good. It means its getting more oxygen to your brain– believing all this– their blood vessels stayed relaxed. Amazing! Isn’t it?

Their heart was still pounding but now the cardiovascular profile is much healthier.

 Take a look at the normal and abnormal blood flow below. Once your artery is narrowed and blocked by plaque, you’re at a risk of heart attack. Your heart valves shouldn’t be blocked.

And this is how your heart actually suffers when you’re under stress meaning Impatient. See the constricted blood vessels. But if you stay calm, patient and take things positive way, your blood vessels go relaxed. Even though they are still under stress but it’s not affecting them in a bad way. They are being strong. (I did some editing on this picture to explain it better)

 That’s what new stress science has revealed that how you think about stress matters. It can literally make you experience a great biological change. A positive one born out of a negative state.

So next time when you’re faced with stress about anything, be positive. Be patient. Stress wants you to be patient and positive. Don’t shrug this act of “patience”  off thinking it’s the lame thing or the weak. Be cool. Also Be understanding towards oxytocin. Because Oxytocin helps you reach out for sunshine, for support, for things and activities that are positive and not rot alone in room. It paves way for Patience, and confirms how patience is a Practical Strategy to handle stress. Subhan Allah. Allah knew it all along that is why so much emphasize on patience in Quran.

Anas ibn Malik reported: I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say, “Allah said: If I afflict my servant in his two dear eyes and he remains patient, then he will be compensated with Paradise.” Sahih Bukhari 5329

I think I better consider becoming a Islamic Psychologist.

Ahad, Ahad …

Why shed these tears of sorrow?

Why shed these tears of grief? Ya nafsy how soon you forget, After trials come sweet relief

Why turn you from Ar-Rahman? Why yearn for a listening friend? Ya nafsy, do you not remember, On ALLAH (SWT), you must depend?

Have you not read those stories, Of the trials in days gone by, Of the Sahaba beloved by ALLAH (SWT), Who for ALLAH (SWT)’s cause did strive?

Why loosen your hold upon Him? Why fling away, His outstretched Hand? Ya nafsy, do you not remember, Bilal’s Sabr on the blazing sand? “

“Ahad! Ahad!” He cried, While his flesh did drip and burn. “Ahad! Ahad!” He cried, To ALLAH (SWT) alone he turned.

Have you forgotten the firmness of Hamza, As the gleaming swords did fall? With Sabr he turned to ALLAH (SWT), As the Quraish did slice and maul.

Why drown in salty tear drops? How can you dare compare your pain? To that of Yasir and Summayah, As they lay tortured on the scorching plain?

Have you forgotten the charring of Khabbab, As on burning coals he lay? Ya nafsy how meager your suffering, Wherefore do you lose your way?

Why befriend you not Al-Wali? Why not in Salaah to Him complain? Like Job who only to Allah, Turned in all his grief and pain?

Forget you that trials in this life, Cleanse your heart and make it clean? Ya nafsy, why all this sadness? Do you not wish your heart to gleam?

Be patient in all your hardships, ALLAH (SWT) hears your cries of woe. So trust Him and His Hikmah, For He knows best and not you.

So tighten your hold upon Him, Lest He withdraw His outstretched Hand! And remember the example of Bilal, As he lay anchored on the blazing sand.

“Ahad! Ahad!” he cried, While his flesh did drip and burn. “Ahad! Ahad!” he cried, To ALLAH (SWT) alone he turned.

Author unknown