Lilies in glory
Sunday, September 16, 2007
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْءَانُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ(185)وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ
(البقرة ( 185-186
Allah says in the Qur’an:
(The month of Ramadan is that in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, with clear signs for guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful. When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed quite near: I listen and answer the call of every caller when he calls Me. Let them listen to My call, and believe in Me; so that they may be guided aright.)
(Al-Baqarah 2: 185-186)
The blessed month of Ramadan is a great time and a beautiful time as well. We thank Allah that He is giving us another occasion to witness this blessed time in our life. May He help us to benefit from this season of virtues and blessings and may He grant us His love, mercy and forgiveness now and forever, Ameen.
Ramadan is a great month. This is the month of the Qur’an, and in this month is the Night of Qadr, which is better than one thousand months. Allah chose this month and a particular night in this month to grace humanity with His Final Testament, His Last Message, the Qur’an. The moment of this revelation became a sacred moment, and that time and month became an eternal time for us. Allah chose this time, and He has filled it with His countless blessings.
In this month we have a greater urge and desire to do good deeds. This month becomes the month of virtues and blessings for us. This is the month about which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“When the first night of Ramadan comes, the devils and rebellious jinns are put in chains and the doors of hell are closed, none of them remains open. The doors of heaven are open and none of them remains closed. And a caller calls, ‘O seeker of goodness, come forward, and O seeker of evil, desist. And Allah has many (in this month) who will be freed from Hell.’ This announcement is made every night." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 618)
Ramadan is meant for our moral and spiritual training and for the purification of our bodies, minds and souls. This is an annual training program for all believers. It is a special time to get closer to Allah and to seek His blessings and bounties. It is a time to learn taqwa (God-fearing), piety, self-discipline and patience. It is a time to give more charity and become more generous. It is a time to seek Allah’s forgiveness and to forgive each other. It is a time to be thankful to Allah for His gifts and bounties and especially His gift of iman.
I urge you, my brothers and sisters and myself, do not miss any day of fasting and do not miss any moment of the blessed month of Ramadan. This is a very precious time and Allah will give us many benefits if we use it in the proper way.
1. Intention: Remind yourself again and again that you are fasting in obedience to Allah. Be sincere in your intention. You want Allah to accept your fasting. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whosoever fasts in Ramadan with faith and seeking Allah’s reward, all his past sins are forgiven.” (Al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 37)
2. Sunnah: Observe the Sunnah in fasting. Take the suhur meal a little before dawn and end your fast at sunset. As much as you can, try to fast as much like the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) fasted. There was no prayer better than his prayer and no fast better than his fast. Try to follow his way of fasting. That is the most acceptable way of fasting to Allah.
3. Wara` (Avoiding everything haram or makruh): Keep your body and mind very clean. Fasting is not just avoiding food and drink. Fasting is to learn how to avoid bad words and bad deeds. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whosoever does not leave bad words and bad actions, Allah does not care if he leaves his food and drink.” (Al-Tirmidhi 641)
4. Qur’an: Fasting and revelation are inter-connected. Prophet Musa fasted when he received the Torah. Prophet `Isa fasted when he received the Gospel. Prophet Muhammad fasted when he received the first message of the Qur’an. Let us do the same thing. You must fast and spend more time with the Qur’an. Read the Qur’an every day. Try to finish at least one time the whole Qur’an during this month by your own personal reading.
5. Prayer or Salah, Du`a' and Zikr: Pray on time and observe all the prayers. Do not ignore the Tarawih or Ramadan night prayers. Make more extra and voluntary prayers. Do as much worship as you can. Do more zikr (remembering Allah) and du`a' (supplication) for yourself and for others. Repent and seek forgiveness for yourself and for others as much as you can. This is the best time for devotion and seeking Allah’s forgiveness. Seek the Night of Qadr by special devotion during the last ten nights of this month.
6. Zakah, Sadaqah and Generosity: Ramadan generates the spirit of giving and sacrifice. When we deprive ourselves of food and drink we understand and realize well what it means to be hungry and thirsty. We realize the pain of those who cannot find the basic necessities of life.Be very charitable and generous. Give more to help the poor and needy. Contribute generously to useful social and community projects.
7. Family: Goodness must begin at home. Be very good to your family, immediate family and the extended family. Spend more time and quality time with your family members. Try to have suhur (pre-dawn meal) together. Break your fast together and pray together as much as you can. Do this more at this time. Ramadan should bring you closer to each other. Allah’s special mercy comes on the families that are united, harmonious and peaceful.
8. Good Conduct: Fasting should transform you and should make you a different person. Try to be extra kind and courteous during this month. Forget your quarrels and disputes. Reconcile and forgive. Do not get involved in backbiting, lying, cheating and anything that is wrong. Be very good to Muslims and to all human beings. Be good to your friends and neighbors.
9. Tafakkur (reflection): Think, reflect and plan to improve the moral and spiritual condition of your own self and your family. Think about any wrong things and sins you might be doing and decide to correct yourself. Think about any deficiencies you have in your Islamic observances. Plan to change yourself. Think what you can do for the Ummah and for humanity to make this world a better place for everyone. Think about the life after death and the Day of Judgment.
10. Be cheerful and happy: Ramadan is not a time of mourning or sadness. It is a time of thankfulness to Allah. Do not feel tired and miserable. Feel alert and relax. Take things easy. This time is for your own good. Give the greetings of Ramadan to each other and enjoy this beautiful time.
It is reported in a Hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave a sermon about Ramadan to a gathering that met towards the end of Sha`ban. He said:
Excerpted from islamonline
Ramadaan Mubarak to you all
Labels: Happy Ramadan, Islam
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
here comes the announcment
...............
I TOOK THE CAKE!!
Come on every body, tell me
I won the first prize in the poem contest...Yay!!!
That was unbelievable. I was so anxious and worried about that contest, b'coz i'm not a poem buff and no body ever taught me how to write a poem and told me the rules i oughtta put in ma mind while writing a poem... i just did it like that :)
My classmates wanted to come to cheer me on, but only three of them were able to make it. I was extremely happy seeing them beside me, supporting me before the contest commenced. I wanna thank them so much for that :)
In the contest i wished that the rest of my classmates would come to vote for me,
but you know what?!! After the contest wrapped up, i found it better for me b'coz it means that i didn't win b'coz of the votes the people who know me gave but b'coz everyone including the judges thought that i deserve it, that was terrific!!!
The first participant was me. When the judge said ' The first participant is Salma....' i couldn't stop my hands from shaking while holding the paper and the microphone but thanks God my recitation was very good.
Every participant was allowed to read 3 poems no more. I prepared 4 poems and here's the links for those who didn't read them before:
Oh, tell me night : http://liliesinglory.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html
Scroll down too
Avoid pessimism : http://liliesinglory.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html
Don't forget, Scroll down n down :)
Labels: I won the first prize, My life, The contest result, Unbelievable, Wonderful moments
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Anxiety stricken
For the past week, many thoughts were crossing ma mind and i was so confused. I kept on having the thought of "oh, i should blog about that" but each time i try to write out the feelings and the thoughts of some issues troubling ma mind, i fail. They piled up till it became difficult for me to sleep & to eat. I hided from ma friends as i used to do when i'm depressed so as not to depress them too. If any of my friends calls me i used to pretend -as much as i can- that i'm okay and start to joke and laugh, although sometimes it's so hard.
One day on my way home with my family from a place supposed to please me, and in which i met people i hadn't seen for 4 months-i guess- and whom i used to feel so happy seeing them, The first bunch of thoughts occured to me:
Can short period of time change people's minds and principles ?!!
She changed or is it me?!!
Why i'm no longer feeling comfortable when i talk to her and she's the one i used to consider ma sis?!!
May be she's as she used to be and that's all because of me. I'm the one who tried to be blind to all the differences between me and her and share her everything she likes even if i'm not interested on them at all, talk with her and listen to things i don't actually care about just to keep her as a sis. Now i have my own character, my own intersets and my own perspective for life which is "totally" different than hers. I used to shut up if i don't agree and speak out loud if i agree. I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore and i couldn't be what she wants me to be and that hurts me b'coz that means, i'm losing her as she's somewhat full of pride. I'll try to get along with her as much as i can no matter our differences are and without changing a thing on me. It's so hard to do especially with someone who can't accept the fact that sometimes he/she might be wrong.
There're other thoughts that made me (and making me) so anxious, but this couple of days am feeling better and don't wanna talk about them so as not to pull the scar and bleed again.
Well, let's say some good news, Tomorrow there will be a celebration in the Egyptian-American center and a Poem Competition will be held, I participated and i've to say 3 poems. I'm still unsure of which of my poems are the best of the worst :S so that i can say them in the competition. Frankly, i was kinda hesitated and i thought to back out from the competition BUT it's not me..As long as i believe that one doesn't lose when beaten but when retreat...
Honestly speaking, i'm still nervous, Your duaa's for me dear bloggers :)
Labels: Anxious, my thoughts, Poem competition
Sunday, August 12, 2007
You're my cuppycake :)
You're my Honeybunch, Sugarplum
Pumpy-umpy-umpkin, You're my Sweetie Pie
You're my Cuppycake, Gumdrop
Snoogums-Boogums, You're the Apple of my Eye
And I love you so and I want you to know
That I'll always be right here
And I love to sing sweet songs to you
Because you are so dear
Labels: Cuppycake song, Cute, Fun, Kids
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Forgiveness
The keys to its doors aren’t difficult to find. Some may own one or more of these keys but don’t have the courage to go and open the doors. Others might have no idea about these keys and think that ignorance is the easiest way.
Thus it’s important for us to re-inculcate the value of forgiveness in our lives. We should think and ponder first, do we really know what forgiveness is? What’s the importance of forgiveness? And how to inculcate the value of it in our lives?
Forgiveness is the mental, emotional and/or spiritual process of ceasing to feel anger, resentment or indignation against another person for a perceived offence, difference or mistake. Forgiveness is the cancellation of the conditions in the mind that are blocking the full flow of love or life energy independently of the behavior of others. It’s an act of will…Yeah, forgiveness is a sign of strength “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”~Gandhi.
Actually forgiveness is important for several reasons. if anyone of us desires to be forgiven for his/her offenses and mistakes he/she must learn to forgive others. If one seeks forgiveness from Allah, he should learn to forgive others. If one desires that Allah overlook his weaknesses, he should learn to overlook weaknesses of others.
Obviously there’re 2 aspects of forgiveness: Allah’s forgiveness and human forgiveness.
Allah’s forgiveness as Allah is the most forgiving and is the original source of all forgiveness : Hadith Qudsi: Allah the Almighty, has said: O Son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O Son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O Son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins as great as the earth, and were you then to face Me ascribing no partners to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.
Human forgiveness: You can find that whenever possible, the Qura’n makes it clear that it’s better to forgive another than to attack another. The Qura’n describes the believers( Muslims) as those who “They avoid gross sins and vice and when angered they forgive.” (al- shura 42:37)
To forgive a friend , to forgive a colleague To forgive your siblings, To forgive your relatives: your aunt, uncle your cousins who have broken ties with you.
Set yourself free, Confront your emotional pain, shock, anger and grief.
Be aware that being forgiving is a courageous act on your part. It has nothing to do with whether the other person can admit they are wrong.
Remember that “Forgiveness is a powerful yet challenging tool that will support and honor you, even in the most extreme circumstances.
Forgive
Labels: Forgiveness and Peace, How to forgive, Islam, Liberate yourself, Our lives, Virtues of forgiveness, Who's the strong
Saturday, July 28, 2007
أول خطوه تخطوها في أى طريق رسمه لك عقلك, مهدته أفكارك وكشفت خيالاتك الى أين يؤدي بك غالبا ما تكون أصعب خطوه. نعم فأفكارك لا تسطيع وحدها تمهيد مثل هذا الطريق. تظن أنها قد مهدته وحدها فتخطو خطوتك الأولى فاذ بك تتعرقل و تتعرقل و كلما ازداد الايمان وولدت عزيمه و اصرار كلما تمكنت من الوقوف و السير برغم الصعوبات و المعوقات.
مفتاح الدافع تمثل في أولاد النهاردة و دكتور كسلان و أبوسويلم . شكرا لكم
أما الصبر فمتمثل في اللف و الدواران على ال ح ح ح ح ح ح فين ال ح....دايما مغلباني أهيه ال ح , و ال ررر....فين ال ر ...ادي الر, و الواو... واو واو....لقيتها, و ال ف....ف ف ف ف ف ف....اطلعي بالذوق لنادي أيمن يطلعك. و هكذا في كل كلمه اقعد انادي و أدور على الحروف ....محتاجه صبر جامد والله
المهم ...من فتره مش بعيده سمعت و قرأت ملخص عن كتاب أعجبت به جدا للدكتور ريتشارد كارلسون باسم
"Don’t Sweat The small stuff and it’s all small stuff"
هذا ملخص للكتاب وجدته فأردت أن أشارككم اياه
كيف تستطيع المحافظة على هدوئك في ظل ما يحيطك من ضغط وقلق ؟
انظر إلى الكوب الزجاجي واعتبره مكسوراً: وهذه الطريقة لتتعلم أن الحياة في تغير مستمر ، فلكل شيء بداية ولكل شيء نهاية فكل شجرةتبدأ ببذرة وتعود للتراب ، فكل سيارة وكل آلة وكل شيء سوف يبلى يوما ولا محالة من ذلك
اكتب رسالة عما يجيش في صدرك كل أسبوع لعدة دقائق: لتتذكر كل الأناس الطيبين الذين مروا بحياتك ، وخصص لحظات كل يوم للتفكير في شخص يستحق منك توجيه الشكر إليه
تواضع للناس وتظاهر بأنك الأقل معرفة و ثقافة : وذلك بان تتخيل بأن جميع من تقابله أعلى منك معرفة ً وعلماً ،لأنك ستتعلم منهم شيئا ما ،فالسائق الطائش والمراهق السيئ الأخلاقما وجدوا إلا ليعلموك الصبر ، فتمتع بمزيد من الصبر ودرب نفسك عليه ، وأسال نفسك : لماذا يفعلون ذلك ؟؟وماذا يحاولون تعليمي ؟؟
تعلم أن تعيش في الوقت الحاضر: ولا تسمح لمشكلات الماضي ولا اهتمامات المستقبل بالسيطرة على وقتك حتى لا تستمر في القلق والإحباط
لا تقاطع الآخرين أو تكمل حديثهم: فهذه من سمات الأشخاص المشغولين كثيراً ، والذين لا يدركون مدى الطاقة التي يستنزفونها لأنهم
وأخيرا وليس أخرا ، اعمل لدنياك كأنك تعيش أبداً، واعمل لأخرتك كأنك تموت غداً
Labels: Don't sweat the small stuff, Dr. Richard Carlson, My first post in Arabic, One of my fav books, Our lives
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Yesterday when i was arranging my book shelves in my room i found this piece of paper. I held it and kept on staring at it. I was so surprised that i could remember those moments when i grabbed my pencil and started to draw such a "strange" drawing 2 years ago (Sanaweya 3ama). I could remember the feelings and the anxiety that were trembling my bosom. I could remember my soul which was chained by the disappointment, bounded by the pain and tortured by despair. I could remember myself when i stood up and decided to break these chains and free my soul and beat all my enemies; the sadness, the misfortune, grief and above them all Despair and Disappointment.
I remember that i didn’t find anyone to help me except HOPE.
And finally i remember what it symbolizes. The white circle is the moon surrounded by dark clouds. The white spot above the moon is that person’s dream. This dream is extremely high. it emits small thunderbolt which increases and increases whenever it comes closer to the person who owns it. It shocks the owner’s spirit who begins to fall down and down until the owner is buried under the ground. The owner doesn’t surrender and accept that helping hand -and the only helping hand- which extended towards the owner. It was HOPE’s hand. The dots means the owner still has battles to wage until the owner reaches what he owns .
Labels: Keep going, My sad moments, Pursuing dreams, Stand up tall, Strange drawing, Unforgotten moments
