Ready ?

Assalamualaikum Wa Rahmatulahi wa Barakatu,

A year and a half ago, if I was asked this question I would have answered " What is The Day of Judgement?"

I was so well absorbed into the dunya that the thought of a life after death was, well, not really a thought at all. I always thought that there was life after death, but I thought that after death a new life would start and we would keep being reincarnated into something of an animal or a human being with a better life. As I am writing this, I find myself with a smile as the thought of reincarnation is rather amusing. The thought of a new life beginning on earth after your previous death is a very entertaining thought to say the least! However, I used to think like this, and sadly many people still do.

Life after death? Yes.
But the next life is either in The Gardens of Paradise or in the Hellfire. So which one is it for you? Only Allah knows. You don't even know where you will go but all you can do is prepare for this Day.

Though I just entered into Islam not long ago I already feel the need to up my good deeds and make sure that the scale over-weighs the bad deeds scale. I will tell you this much, though I struggled with different things in my past life, I now have to struggle with new things in my new life. But of course life is nothing but a test and what I like to call a "pit stop". To test us and to keep testing us to see how strong our Deen is and how strong our desire is to meet Our Creator on The Day.

Perhaps if you take everything away from the dunya and put it aside for one minute and just picture yourself on a journey in the desert. You have your camel, the map to your destination, and the pit stops to rest and recover. Along the way you will encounter things that are unnatural and displeasing. You will discover that the weather will not always be to your liking and you may struggle many times during your journey to find a place to sit under the shade to take to a break.

"Know that the life of this world (dunya) is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children… the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment."(Al-Hadid 57:20)

Your journey is exhausting but you keep reminding yourself that the end destination is an island full of pure, sheer beauty. An island where the water is so blue it is almost white from the sun's reflection. An island where there are no worries, nothing unnatural or displeasing. An island where all the inhabitants are of the purest souls and most kind-hearted. An island where you will be taken care of. An island called Paradise.

So would it really be worth it to get lost in the wrong direction?

You're exhausted, struggling to find the food and water that will keep you going, you feel flustered and confused, you are so tempted to just give up on your journey and call it a day. But then you think about the well sought out plan that you had. The plan to arrive at your destination no matter how weak and long it will take, you are not going to give up! Patience and perseverance is what will get you through this journey. Knowing that you are not alone on your journey is your number one motivator. You know that Allah will help guide you as long as you keep seeking refuge in Him and as long as you put all your trust in Him. He will guide you on the right path towards your final destination. Though there will be poisonous animals and heavy rain storms, Allah has told you to ignore everything and continue on because He is waiting for you.

"Verily, the Promise of Allâh is true, let not then this (worldly) present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allâh." (Luqman 31:33)

So, again, would you want to take a shortcut not knowing where it will lead you to? Or would you rather follow the map to your final destination?
Called Paradise.

What is happening to the world today?

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatulahi wa barakatu.

I would like to ask "WHAT is happening to the world today?".
Day in and day out, I hear nothing but bad, I see nothing but evil, I feel nothing but despair.

The only things that keeps me positive and in light of the good things, is my faith in God, my husband, and my beautiful sisters in Islam. Well, that is actually all I need in my life as all the other things are nothing but pollution to ones mind, body, and soul.

 Alhamdulillah for my blessed life.

I have been thinking though, how close we must be to the Day of Judgement. I try to remind myself often, each and every day, that one final moment I will take my last breath on this earth before I die. Before the trumpet sounds, what will I be doing? How will I die? Will I be given good news of Paradise?

These are questions we often bury in the back of our minds, but I really feel as if it should be on our TOP 5 list of priorities. Being a Muslim, we should believe in THE LAST DAY, so why haven't we acted upon it? I have been reading up on a book by Ibn Kathir, and his interpretation on THE LAST DAY (you can also find it posted on my posts) and I pulled only a few Ahadith which are spine-chillingly accurate, to say the least.

'Alî ibn Abi Talib said, "The Prophet led us in praying Salat al-Fajr (the morning prayer). When he had finished, a man called to him: 'When will the Hour be? The Prophet reprimanded him and said 'Be quiet!' After a while he raised his eyes to the sky and said, 'Glorified be the One Who raised it and is taking care of it.' Then he lowered his gaze to the earth and said, 'Glory be to the One Who has outspread it and has created it.' Then the Prophet said, 'Where is the one who asked me about the Hour?' The man knelt down and said, 'I asked you.' The Prophet said, 'The Hour will come when leaders are oppressors, when people believe in the stars and reject al-Qadar (the Divine Decree of destiny) when a trust becomes a way of making a profit, when people give to charity (Sadaqah) reluctantly, when adultery becomes widespread - when this happens, then your people will perish.'"

'Imran ibn Husayn said, "The Prophet said, 'Some people of this Ummah will be swallowed up by the earth, some will be transformed into animals, and some will be bombarded with stones.' One of the Muslims asked, 'When will that be, O Messenger of Allâh?' He said, 'When singers and musical instruments will become popular, and much wine will be drunk.'" (Narrated by at-Tirmidhî)

'Alî ibn Abi Talib said, "The Prophet said: 'If my Ummah bears fifteen traits, tribulation will befall it.' Someone asked, 'What are they, O Messenger of Allâh?' He said, 'When any gain is shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor; when a trust becomes a means of making a profit; when paying Zakat becomes a burden; when a man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother; and treats his friend kindly whilst shunning his father; when voices are raised in the mosques; when the leader of a people is the worst of them; when people treat a man with respect because they fear some evil he may do; when much wine is drunk; when men wear silk; when female singers and musical instruments become popular; when the last ones of this Ummah curse the first ones - then let them expect a red wind, or the earth to swallow them, or to be transformed into animals.'" (at-Tirmidhî)


'Abdullâh said, "The Prophet said, 'Just before the Hour, there will be days in which knowledge will disappear and ignorance will appear, and there will be much killing.' " (Ibn Majah; also narrated by al-Bukhârî and Muslim, from the Hadîth of al-A'mash.)

'Abdullâh ibn Mas'ud said: "The Prophet said, 'Islâm began as something strange, and it will revert to being strange as it was in the beginning, so good tidings for the strangers.' Someone asked, 'Who are the strangers?' He said, 'The ones who break away from their people (literally, 'tribes') for the sake of Islâm.' "

Keeping these prophetic sayings in mind, we should really re-evaluate ourselves and our current situations. Have we really been so caught up with the dunya that we forget to prepare ourselves for our death, and for the Hereafter? We can't actually prepare for our death as we never know when it will creep up on us but by preparing, I mean, have we done the best we could to avoid the punishment of Allah swt? 

Sisters in Islam, young and old. Just as Allah(swt) gave you life, He can easily take it away from you. How will you like to die? In the middle of listening to music, talking to boys, committing adultery, drinking alcohol at a club, dressing like a prostitute, worshipping tv idols, celebrating pagan holidays, or any other thing that the Westerners of today like to partake in. 

Do we know exactly what our duties as a Muslim are? Do you know how to be a servant of Allah rather then a servant of shaitan? Tv, music, parties, is easy to fall into but so hard to get back out of, and I speak on behalf of myself through my past experiences. I am grateful for Islam saving my life, in the dunya and inshaa'Allah the Hereafter.

What are you grateful for? What have you done to show your gratitude to your Creator?

Imagine, the next minute, the next hour, tomorrow, next week was going to be the day that you die. 

What would you want your last actions to be?