Pre-FOL Preperations

"...The attitude of the unknown and unnamed Ansari girl who readily agreed to be the wife of a physically unattractive man was an attitude which reflected a profound understanding of Islam. It reflected on her part the effacement of personal desires and preferences even when she could have counted on the support of her parents. It reflected on her part a total disregard for social pressures. It reflected above all a ready and implicit confidence in the wisdom and authority of the Prophet in submitting herself to whatever he deemed good. This is the attitude of the true believer."

Read about the story of Julaybib, radiAllahu anh.

Freedom or "Freedom"

Apparently after years of 'oppression,' an increasing amount of women are coming out to enjoy their America-given-'freedom'. To do what, you ask?

Drive. (Which would also include learning to drive...I hope, anyway.)

Let me just make something very clear from the get-go. I really don't care that women drive, and I personally dont think that it is forbidden in the Islamic religion. HOWEVER, have you seen some women slowing down the parkway because it takes them like forever to change lanes, or slow down toooo much when they want to take an exit (and the exit is still like a mile-and-a-half away). Just today on my way to the masjid, I saw an auntie backing up on a really busy street...like right in the middle of the road. I wont mention the deluge of comments she got from people, but suffice it to say that they described her driving perfectly.

So the point I'm making is that many women are horrible drivers (as are many men...but women more so). But is that reason enough to forbid them from driving? Yes. Religiously? No.

One issue that irritates feminists all across the world is their 'freedom to drive'.

The recent article on BBC about Afghani women wanting to drive got me thinking. What exactly is freedom of driving? I think the 'freedom' which they've adopted from the intense Western influences creeping into...um, rather bombarding their minds, isn't really freedom.

This is how I see it.

These women want the right to go grocery shopping, to go to the bank, the right to pick up the kids from school and drop them to Sunday school, and to go buy their school supplies, and drive them to the doctor's, and fill-up the prescription, and so on.

That's all "freedom."

This is freedom: having the right to tell your father, brother, son, or husband to take you to do whatever you want!

So what are you holding on to?

This has got to be the most touching (true) story I've ever read.

Bismillahir-rahmanir-raheem

ENGLISH: the Letter & Amr Khaled's comments

“I am a Lebanese girl, a daughter to a Muslim father and a Christian mother. I lived in Lebanon the first 10 years of my life before migrating to Australia with my parents to be the end to all my relation with the Middle East. I am 22 years old now. With my moving to Australia my relation with religion ended completely. All I know is that I am a Muslim, and that’s it. I do not know how the Holy Book (the Quran) looks like, I don’t know what Surat Al-Fatiha is, and I don’t even know how to pray.

Religion doesn’t even encompass any importance in my life. My father left my mother, before I entered university, and each married others. Both my parents then left Australia, leaving me alone, without a family or siblings, and without any information on my grandparents back Lebanon. I lived by myself, so I had to work to provide for my living. I went to university in the mornings, and worked at the bar at night time. I had a boyfriend, in the Western meaning of the word, and didn’t leave anything from the forbiddens/sins (il-Haraam), I did not do, without feeling embarrassed or ashamed, for I was totally Western. I only knew very little Arabic.

Because I am very pretty, I entered a beauty contest in New Zealand, and won the title of the town the contest was held in. I am now getting ready to compete in the major beauty contest in New Zealand. I became the cover girl (model) of improper (unrespectable) magazines. During this time, I was visiting a Lebanese family in Australia. I watched an episode talking about chastity/virtue, and the site address was on the screen. (http://www.amrkhaled.com). I had a severe breakdown when I was watching, as if that episode was directed at me (talking to me). So here I am writing to you to ask you whether it is possible for The Divine to accept. Can my God accept me and can I return to God?”

Amr Khaled’s comments: “I received this letter and said to myself Subhana Allah the human soul no matter how low it goes, it longs to God. It’s like how the stomach longs for food, the soul longs for God.” So I wrote her back telling her that of course God will accept your repentance and I directed her to some tapes on the repentance.

She called me after two days saying “I repented to God, and left my boyfriend, and won’t see him after today)”
Two days later she called and said: “I want to learn how to pray”
Two days later she called and said: “I want Quran tapes” So we sent her through DHL AL-‘Ajamy, Mishari Rashid, Al-Madina readings, and all my tapes.
She became silent for a week (i.e. they didn’t hear from her for a week), then she called saying that she gave up her Beauty title.
Then the surprise came four days later when she called to say that she wore the scarf/ veil.

The story does not end here. Several days after her news of wearing the scarf, she said that she had been feeling severe pains in her head, so went to the doctors to get it checked. The doctor told her that she had cancer in her brains and her days are few.

This girl will enter the operation room in Australia next Friday to undergo an emergency operation to her head with only 20% chance of succeeding, according to the doctors over there.

That was what the doctors said, but for her, she sent saying what the scientists fail to say, namely: “I am very happy to be meeting God. I am happy that I repented before knowing that I was sick. I don’t know if my father and mother will know of what happened to me, as they don’t call me but rarely. But I repented only three weeks ago, and have sinned/ disobeyed God for twenty years prior. I pray to God to accept me from the people of Heaven, and if I lived, to serve Islam through this site, for this site was my window to Islam.”

Comments: Pray to God with me to cure her, and the rest will be next Friday, Insha Allah. ……
Sarah, 22, passed away, and the prayed on her the Friday prayers and buried her today in the Muslim cemetery in New Zealand.

Immediately before entering the operation room, Sarah sent me a short note saying: “I lived far away from God for 22 years, but I repented 3 weeks ago. But I witness you, that I repented to God, left my boyfriend, working in the bar, and the beauty contest. I wore the scarf, and was consistent with my prayers. I witness you, that I did all this for my God, and I don’t know of any Muslims, but you and this forum, so please pray to God to be Merciful on me and Forgive me. And pray to God to Guide my mother, for she doesn’t know anything about me.” – Sarah

Please dedicate as much effort as you can in good deeds from Hajj, and Umrah and Sadaqah (charity/giving alms) and praying, and dedicate it to Sarah. Have you seen with me God’s mercy on his creations, and that it’s written for her to die at that time, but that God has written for Himself to be The Merciful, and let her seek forgiveness, and leave all sins just three weeks before passing away.

{Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him/her who has a heart or gives ear while s/he is heedful} -- verse 37; Surat Qaf.

All I can think after reading this is: how much wealth, power, influence, fame, and freedom do WE have? Probably not much...but STILL we hold on to whatever we have SO dearly that some of us don't register the concept of giving it up for the pleasure of our Creator and Sustainer.

This sister had everything that can be desired and she had the ability and freedom to experience any desire left unfulfilled. But she gave up that freedom, that wealth, power and fame to attain the pleasure of Allah swt.

So I ask plain and simple: What are you holding on to?