Last ten 10 days of Ramadan 2011

Please do watch the video below to keep yourself motivated to do as much as possible during the last ten days insha-Allah. Please keep me in your duas. May Allah swt grant us with the vision of Laylatul Qadr, the night of power and many more baraka-filled Ramadan in our life, ameen, ameen, ameen! It's so sad to see not that many days left till Ramadan leaves us :-(

We are just travellers, heading towards our grave...

Mashallah what a beautiful nasheed by brother Junaid Jamshed. Every bit of the lyrics is so true subhanallah! We are indeed on a journey towards our Lord, whether we like it or not! May Allah swt help us in preparing for the great journey, Ameen. I have copied the lyrics in English for the people who may not understand urdu.

Oh travellers of this world,
Your destination is the grave
This journey for which you are preparing,
Will last for only two days

Since the creation of this world,

Thousands and millions have arrived
No one is left,
They've been engulfed in soil

Do not forget this,
This will be everyone's final abode

Oh travellers of this world,
Your destination is the grave

With your own eyes,
How many burials have you witnessed?

With your own hands,
How many of the dead have you buried?

Of your own consequences,
Why are you so unaware?

Oh travellers of this world,
Your destination is the grave

Those who slept on velvet,
On soil they are sleeping

Kings and beggars alike,
Together they are sleeping

Both are the equal,
This is the effect of death

Oh travellers of this world,
Your destination is the grave

These great mansions you have,
They are of no use

These tall and lofty buildings (that you have built),
They are of no use

Only two metres of this vast earth,
Will be your small home

Oh travellers of this world,
Your destination is the grave

Effigy of soil, to you,
On soil, it is to immerse

One day you have arrived,
Another it is, you have to leave

You are not to stay in this world,
Your destination is to leave

Oh travellers of this world,
Your destination is the grave

This journey for which you are preparing,
Will last for only two days

Oh travellers of this world,
Your destination is the grave

Ramadan journal

Alhamdulillah Ramadan started on Monday 1st of August. Today is the 3rd day of fasting. Alhamdulillah it's going well. I was worried that I may find fasting very hard as I am also breastfeeding my three months old baby. Apart from feeling a bit exhausted and thirsty, I am doing fine alhamdulillah. It just reminds me that Allah swt makes everything easy for us . I am trying to read one juz of the Qur'an ( around 20 pages) every day. I did do this last Ramadan as well but this year I am planning to read the tafseer too, insha-Allah. I still do come online everyday due to my magazine work but don't spend a lot of time online anymore, especially on Facebook :-) Alhamdulillah. Yesterday I went to the local sisters' halaqa, alhamdulilah as usual the talk was full of wisdom. Insha-Allah will blog about it soon insha-Allah. I am listening to talks on-line and trying to learn more about the deen insha-Allah. Through the Ramadan journal I would love to share whatever I am learning, alhamdulillah.

I have been listening to basics of Fasting by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, mashallah. Alhamdulillah I always learn something new from his talk. 1. The crescent moon is not really an Islamic symbol. It was never used during prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wa sallam. Islam as a faith does not have a symbol. 2. Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wa sallam did get married in Ramadan. I haven't seen anyone getting married in Ramadan. 3. When someone is suffering from diseases like diabetes and are needed to have medication on a regular basis, they should not fast as our body has a right on us. Fasting may cause harm so for people in sickness fasting can be even haram (prohibited) subhanallah!

Excessive Love of Food and Drink - By Abdullah Hakim Quick 
Mashallah some amazing facts about our body and the benefit of fasting.

May Allah swt help us to do our best in this precious month, ameen, ameen, ameen.