On this mubarak day :)

No word to the wise today of course...

No Wii, Xbox nor PS...

But a Jumuah Mubarak day indeed it is!
Mubarak to the blogger and his bride on their special day. May the Almighty grant you all the best in the road that lays ahead Insha-Allah

Fwd: Jumuah Mubarak!!!

Assalaamu aliakum wa ragmatullah hi wa brakatu

Peace:-)

 

I trust you all are well ONTHIS FABULOUSLY BEAUTIFUL DAY?

 

 

Ps: THE JOKE IS AT THE END... heheehe

Ps2: for those of you who know and fo rthose of your who dont know... Inshallah... i will be getting married on the 26th December 2008. Nikaah at Masjidul Quds Gatesville at 3-30pm. Nikaah is for all... so please do accept this as a persanal invitation to witness me jumping offa n bridge..oops... i mean you are inviteds to witness me nikaah...

Ps3: if any one can get up... please do make your way to Habibia masjid after or for fajr... HALAQA...

PSP: QIYAAMUL LAYL PROGRAMME 20TH DECEMBER 2008... MASIJUDUL QUDS... AFTER EESHA... hope to see you there...

x:box:Di you know?...your brain is 80% water

Wii: Soapies are called soapies beacuase they were the time slot when washing powder soap used to be advertised?... intersting?

 

3million or so 'new born babies' and tale of the million dollar suit...

 

have you ever heard of the expression; ' i feel like a million dollars'?

 

well this morning i felt like a milion dollars... u know that feeling you get when u put on your new suit... and whoosh... u feel like a new man?  you what im talking about?

 

well i didnt buy a new suit... a few weeks ago i took my dirty old suit to the dry cleaners... its my favourite suit .. my power suit... so i wanted to restore it to its rightful oldself. So this morning to my delight ... when i took it out from the plastic bag... and i fitted it on... i stared in the mirror and i thought.. DAmn!!! i feel good. back in in bussines baby!!!

What was a few days ago dirty was now transformed into a beautiful shiny sight for sore eyes...

 

and during this chain of miraculous moments... i was taken back two years... Alhumdulillah two years ago i left the sacred plains of mina... after having performed my hajj... and like many of this years Hujaaj ... who are busy or have now left Mina...  

They leave... like the Sheighte always says... ' Like new born babies.' ... it is part of our faith to have a firm conviction/ belief that if we perform the rituals of hajj sincerely that we are promised that all our sins are wiped away... and the hujjaj return as new born babaies. their dirt is gone. Clean. Skoon gemaak!!!

 they come back cwith a clean clate... shiny and full of purpose.

 

the question many people ask, hujaaj or non hujjaj, how do we keep the 'dirt' off? .. how do we continue or how do we increase and strenghten our imaan?

and as i was wondering i was reminded about the following verses...

Bimillah hiragmaniragheem...

(Surah Baqarah:152.) "Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless favors on you) and never be ungrateful to Me.)"

 

Meaning...  "Remember Me regarding what I have commanded you and I will remember you regarding what I have compelled Myself to do for your benefit (i.e., His rewards and forgiveness).''

In an Authentic Hadith it is reported to have been said... (Allah the Exalted said, `Whoever mentions Me to himself, then I will mention him to Myself; and whoever mentions Me in a gathering, I will mention him in a better gathering.)'

[for the full tafsir... www.tafsir.com ]

Allah hu akbar!!!

 

So as the festive season appraoches ... we tend to go into a festive mode... nothing wrong with that... be merry and festive if you must... but never forget Allah swt... and be steadfaast in your salaah... and rememeber Allah swt much... even whilst you are braiing that peice of meat.. say shukr... and glorify your Rabb for what He has given us... and whatever u find yourself doing this end of year... please do rememebr Allah swt... remember Him in the morning.. and in the evening.. Remember Him when you run out of money and when the wallet is full... good and the bad... and most of all be grateful for what you have been given... because if you are grateful... then with it comes the contentment we all seek...

and always remember ...

 

" Verily in the rememebreance of Allah Swt, do heart finds rest" [ quraan 13:28]

 

Fluit fluit my storie is uit.

 

peace.Love.and the good old fahsion raosted leg with fried patato and gravy source... EID Mubrak!

 

PSSST: THIS IS MY FINAL EMAIL FOR THIS YEAR... I TRUST YOU ENJOYED THE EMAILS...  AND I DO HOPE THAT IT NOT ONLY PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE BUT THAT IT WAS INFORMATIVE... AND YOU LEARNT SOMETHING... so i'll be off for January 2009 ... honeymooning somewhere far from you all..hehehe:-)... so if Allah swt allows i shall return sometime in feb with a whole lot more... stuff to waste yor time. Peace:-)

 

IF I HAVE SAID ANYTHING TO OFFEND OR INSULT YOU.. I ASK OF YOUR FORGIVENESS... AND IF YOU BENEFITTED FROM SOMETHING GOOD... THEN SURELY IT COMES FROM ALLAH SWT... AND MAY HE GUIDE US ALL, AMEEN.

 

Last laugh for this year, inshallah.

Aashiek Parker decided to send BRay a letter in his own handwriting to let him know he was still in the game. BRAY opened the
 letter and it contained a single line of coded message:
 370H-SSV-0773H.  was baffled, so he e-mailed it to Uncle Hamied and his aides hadn't a clue either, so they sent it to the rest of Rylands Cricket club .
No-one could solve it at the RCC so it went to the The executive commitee of RCC, then to
 the Chairman and finally back again to the tresurer Mr Bray. Mr Bray confused (as usual) finally asked the Law Society of the Cape  for help. Within a minute, the Law society e-mailed Mr MO Bray with this
 reply: "Tell the Treasurer he's holding the message upside down."
 

 

heheeh:-)

lol.

Peace.

SAMI YUSUF AND THE MOST AMAZING NEW SUPERCHARGED KFC ZINGER BURGER...

PS: http://jumuahmubarak. blogspot.com/

There once was an Indian who had only one testicle [ no names please] and who was given the name was 'Onestone'.
He hated that name and asked everyone not to call him Onestone.
After years and years of torment, Onestone finally
cracked and said, 'If anyone calls me Onestone
again, I will kill them!'
The word got around and nobody called
him that any more.
Then one day a young woman named Blue Bird
forgot and said, 'Good morning, Onestone.'
He jumped up, grabbed her and beat her,
until Blue Bird died.
The word got around that Onestone meant what
he promised he would do.
Years went by and no
one dared call him by his given name until a woman
named Yellow Bird returned to the village after being
away. Yellow Bird, who was Blue Bird's cousin, was
overjoyed when she saw Onestone. She hugged hi and said, 'Good to see you, Onestone.'

Onestone grabbed her, took her deep into the forest,
then he beat her and beat her and beat , but Yellow Bird wouldn't die!

WHY you may ask?

… coz you cant kill two birds with one stone…hehehehehaha lolJ

PEACe & blessings upon you all ...

On this most awesome day of Jumuah i greet you... with peace... and blessings... and pray that the Almighty bestows upon us all His Mercy and Guidence and Love... Ameen.

Life as they say... is a blink of an eye... blink.

the end.

i trust u spent your blink... in the remembrence of the Almighty?

SAMI YUSUF&the most AMAZING NEW SUPERCHARGED KFC ZINGER BURGER...

yes... u guessed it... i had a bite of the new zinger. WOW! its hot... burning hot.. with a delicate taste of ' OHmy gosh" delicious. its a normal zinger... but with more bite. What i liked about it though is the factthat they did not compromise on the taste. the substance of their traditonal 12herbs and spices remains.. but coated in a differenet contexxt. it certainly did leave an indellible impression on me. it stung arite.. but boi... the memory has been created... and the mark has been left.... my tongue felt alive... and important.

As we appraoch the coming days of Dhull Hijja... i cant help but reminincse... and reflect... and all that have stood on the sacred plains of Arafaat will tell.. and all those who return... will undoubtedly inform that the day of Arafaat... is unquestionably one of the most memorable days in a persons life. It is a day when you feel Allah swt's Mercy descending upon you... when one is left speechless... and humbled... for being given the oppertunity to seek out from your Lord his forgiveness and Bounties. the awe inspiring reality of it all is that ... on Arafaat... you realise the simplicity of our Dean. You see its beauty.. and you feel conforted by the fact that out of billions of people... their you stand... their you stand.

ALLAH Hu AKbar!!!

It is commonplace that Allah swt has many names... they our often reffered to as the 99 names of Allah. They are attributes which descirbe the unique qualities of Allah SWt... and allow us in our limited human faculties to try and understand who our RABB is... through these attributes we gain a greater appreciation of Allah SWt... which will hopefully make us better muslims... and attributes which we will attempt to inculcate into our lives... our behaviur. our character.

in the coming days of HAJJ... let us all try to draw a greater understanding of Allah swt and His divine Attributes... after all as someone posed the question to me... How can we say we trully love Him if we do not know him?

... by understanding the attributes of Allah swt perhaps... we could develop within us a greater sense of moral purpose... which will ultimately increase our imaan... and may Allah Swt increase us all in our imaan...

Al Malik ... the only powerful authority on whose support every thing of the universe is completly dependent... refer to sura al muminum: 116

Ar RAzzaq... is the one who allocates and disburses resources for existence .. refer to surah al hashr: 23

Al fatagh ... He who opens the solution to all problems and eliminates obstacles.

The day of Arafaat confirmed these attributes for me ... and gave it a context. it made everything real... This is a special day and a special feeling. For those who'v expereince it... it is a wonderful time... and for those wanting to expereince it... please fast the day... praise Allah SWt... and do good... for those are the things that will obtain Allah swt's pleasure...

ARAFAh...is a day when you realise yuor place in the world and sumbit. You are humbled bythe sheer power of the expereince taking control over you... when the time of wuqoof hits... OH My gosh ... ALLAh hu akbar... u can hear a pin drop... millions of people and yet you can hear a pin drop...!!!!

in those moments your belief in the Kalima... grows and stregnthens...

and if you didnt know it before... Allah is One... Allah is all powerful and in control of everything... and thats when you feel the most alive... yet prepared to die.

Laa illah ha illalaa mugumad urasoolulaah...

And may Allah swt... give strenght to our brothers and sisters and May he accept thier hajj and their sacrifice for His Cause, Ameen.

think. reflect. ponder.

Fluit fluit ...

PS: Halaqa ... tomorrow... Habibia Masjid, inshallah

PS2: 21 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!!

ps3: Did you know that the colours red, yellow and orange.. are used in FAst Food Restuarants becuase they are the colours that stimulate hunger the most...

Ps4: HAppy bday Br Hayder

Xbox: You brain is 80% water!!!!

Peace. love... and the new KFC extra charged Zinger

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

ONCE UPON A TIME ...

JABBA needed a few days off work, but he knew the BOSS would not allow him to take leave. He thought that maybe if he acted crazy then he would be told to take a few days off.
So he hung upside down on the ceiling and made funny noises. His co-worker (TAARIQ SHABOODIEN) asked him what he was doing.
He replied that he was pretending to be a light bulb so that the Boss would think he was crazy and give him a few days off.
A few minutes later the Boss came into the office and asked, What are you doing?
He replied, I'm a lightbulb.
The Boss said, You are clearly stressed out. Go home and recuperate for a couple of days.
He jumped down and walked out of the office.
TAARIQ proceeded to follow him, the Boss asked him, Where do you think you're going?
TAARIQ ... replied I'm going home too, I can't work in the dark.

...HEhehehe :-) ...lol

this one always cracks me up!!!

ASALAAM U ALAIKUM WAA RAG MATULLAH HI WA BARAKATU ...

JUMUAH MUBARAK TO U ALL...

may the peace and blessing of the Almighty descend upon you all...

Ameen.

i learnt a few things this past few weeks...

1. if you eat a bowl of all bran flakes every morning... not onlly will you get it all tis morning... but u are bound to give it all... i think they call it ... open bowel syndrome:-)

2. ... always make sure theirs enuf toilet papaer and a istinja bottle on hand... :-)

silence of the lambs

we are nearing that time of the year when your colleagues and friends will ask you... you know i watching CNN and they showed us what u guys do in mecca ... why do you muslims go to that black box in the desert? why do they walk around that black box? why do they walk up and down that long street? why do they dress in white? why do they throw that poles/ walls with small stones? why do muslims sacrifice animals? why? etc...

if you've experienced that please put up your hand...

ok..you may now put it down...

all thier questions are valid... and i suppose we will try our best to answer it in the most informative manner we can... in fact it is our duty to answer it and spread the knowledge of our dean.

so why do we do it?

i suppose the simplest answer to that question is that we do it out of obedience to Allah swt. We do it to complete our faith.

"Circumambulating of the house, [going] between as-Safa and al-Marwa and stoning have only been legislated for establishment of remembrance of Allah on the Earth." (reported in Tirmidhi)

In particularly we slaughter the animals... in commemoration of the willingness of Ibrahim(Abraham) (AS) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Allah. The devil tempted Ibrahim by saying he should disobey Allah and spare his son. But Nabi Ibrahim resisted the temptation... and becuase of his conviction and faith and trust in Allah...he was rewarded... and as Ibrahim (AS) was about to kill his son, Allah intervened and provided a lamb as the sacrifice.

This is why today all over the world Muslims who have the means to, sacrifice an animal, as a reminder of Ibrahim's obedience to Allah.

so i surfed the internet and found this step by step guide to hajj.. and perhaps it can be of help in explainin what will be happening in the coming days.

• DAY 1: FIRST STEP

Pilgrims travel to Mina on 8 Dhul Hijjah (a date in the Islamic calendar) and remain there until dawn the next morning.

• DAY 2: STANDING AT ARAFAT

Pilgrims then travel to the valley of Arafat and stand in the open praising Allah and meditating... praying and seeking the Almighties forgiveness.

At the end of the day, pilgrims travel to Muzdalifa where they spend the night. Pilgrims gather up stones to use the next day.

• DAY 3: STONING THE Jamaraat

In the morning, pilgrims return to Mina and throw seven stones at pillars called Jamaraat. These represent the devil... PLEASE REMEMEBRE they are not THE DEVIL ... The pillars stand at three spots where Satan is believed to have tempted the Prophet Abraham.

Pilgrims sacrifice an animal (usually a sheep or goat).

Pilgrims shave their heads or cut some hair from it and return to the Great Mosque at Mecca for a further Tawaf, walking around the Kaaba. They then return to Mina, where they spend the night.

• DAYS 4 & 5

Pilgrims spend time in Mina, continuation of the ritual of stoning the pillars.

the end.

NOT.

THE MISTAKE ANY HUJAAJ WILL MAKE IS THINKING THAT RETURNIING HOME IS THE END OF YOUR HAJJ...

NO.

IT IS THE BEGINNING AND THE CONTINUATION.

YES THE 5 DAYS OF HAJJ IS THE PINNACLE OF EVERY MULSIM'S LIFE...

BUT IN RETROSPECT...

THE JOURNEY OF HAJJ STARTS WELL BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE COMFORTS OF HOME.. AND CONTINUES... FOREVER.

May Allah swt makes us of those who will not only taste the sweetness of this journey... but of those who will strive to inculcate it in every aspect of our existence.

peace

love.

&

the new kfc boxmaster

mmm:p

PS:

Cape Town, South Africa Help
30 Dhul-Qadah 1429 November 28, 2008
Powered by www.IslamicFinder.org Free Azan Software
Day	Fajr	Sunrise	Dhuhr	Asr	Maghrib	Isha
Friday	3:50	5:28	12:35	4:20	7:43	8:53

ps2: did you know?

that South Africa's Total land area = 1 219 912 square kilometres (471 011 square miles)

Ps3: Two animal rights protesters were protesting at the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn. Suddenly the pigs, all two thousand of them, escaped through a
broken fence and stampeded, trampling the two hapless protesters to death... IRONIC... DONT YOU THINK?

psp: No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.

xbox: http://jumuahmubarak. blogspot.com/

wii:

LOVE AT FIRST BITE...

ﺍﻠﺴﻼ ﻢ ﻋﻠﻴﻛﻢ ﻮ ﺮﺣﻤﺔ ﺍﷲ ﻮ ﺒﺮ ﻛﺎ ﺘﻪ

I turst all is well in the world of You... and that this beuatiful day of Youmul Jumuah has brought with it a sense of contentment... i pray that you Allah SWT makes us of those who are content with what HE has bestowed upon us, AMeen.

LOVEat FIRSTBITE...

U KNOW HOW THEY SAY LIFE is like the movies... and you know how in the movies... two people see each other accross a crowded room... the music slows down... the eerie silence and the meeting of the eyes... the couple always tell their buddies... " im in Love" ... and later in the movie... when the couple gets together... they call it ' love at first sight... u know what im talking about?

people often ask me... why do you like nandos so much? And i always tell them.. i dont like nandos... I LOVE it...

[ 1994'ish]... i remember it clearly... a warm summers evening... the family was out and about... we had only heard of this new place that had opened in SEA point [ pre NIGERIAN that is... } ... my father placed the order... A FAMILY pack meal with a 2lt coke... and unbeknownst to us all... the coming moments would shape the very destiny of our future fast food experiences...

YES... the first bite was dynamite... not only becuase it was hot... extra hot... u know us being indian.. we thought we can handle it coz we indians...we like it hot!!!

... with the first bite... my adrenalin rushed... and the tears rolled into the corner of my eyes... the steam blew from my ears.. OH My Gosh... what a wonderfull sensation.. and even though my mouth burned... and me hands were shaking... as i sat their and consumed it all... i knew.. deep down... i knew... life would not be the same...the GOOSH BUMPS said it all... AND THE SHEER THRILL of those initial moments left me dumbstruck ... OH MY GOSH!!!

CRazy/ Beuatifull... thats what it was... SORTA a love at first bite... type of of a moment...

fast forward...[ DEC 2006... ]

their we stood... in the middle of the world ... we were being led into this magical place... we were told by family and friends... keep your head down... and only to lift it at the last moment... so thats what we did... we delayed this moment... this moment that had the potential to shape our lives... the moment many peple had dreamt of... a moment which for many is the realisation of hard work and sacrifice... their we stood.. and at approximately 10-30am... dressed in our ikhraam and awaiting this special moment.... it happened!!!

ALLAH Hu Akbar!!!

at first site.. thier is nothing too special about this square shaped figure... in the middle of the arabian desert... it was a block and draped in a black cloth... nothing amazing... was it?

NO... to see the KAAba just for its physical appearance would be an error.. a misunderstanding of what it symbolises... As i stood there i asked myself why i aint crying like the people next to me... i still do... i thought their was something wrong with me... Gosh i wanted to cry... freakin hell ... i cried at the end of Braveheart... why was i not crying... WHy?

and then i just stood... and waited... and made dua... and stood... and contemplated... and made dua... and relaxed... made shukr...and made dua... and watched my brothers and sisters the world over... and in amongst the hundreds of thousands of people... a peacefule silence descended over me... and the brute force of the spirituall energy that was concentrated into that area took hold of me... and all of a sudden... it all seemed real... and made sense...

and every time i see apicture of the Kaaba... or when i am in sujood... i am instantly transported to the gharaam... it made it REAL... and has given me something money cant buy... its made my salaah even more beuatiful... sujood has never been the same... absolutely AWESOME!!!...

... as i think back to that day...

i dont think i intitailly realised what was going on... and without even knowing it ... seeing the KAAba... and standing in and around the holy precincts of the Haraam... has had such an effect on me that i only truly felt its effects months later ... that day gave a face to it all... it made it it real... and the more i bit into the journey... the more satisfied i became... the sheer thrill of it lefft me dumbstruck... in those initial moments Allah swt's Mercy... and bounties overflowed ... and as the oh my gosh goose bumps crept up my spine... i knew... deep down i knew... that life was not going to be the same...

Crazy/ Beuatiful...thats what it was... a somewhat a love at first sight sort of a moment...

lost in a moment... forever.

So my brotheres and sisters this my humble attempt to encorouge you all to go on hajj/ ummrah... the sooner the better...

wicky wicky... fluit fluit...

HADITH OF THE WEEK:

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 620:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "The reward of the prayer offered by a person in congregation is twenty five times greater than that of the prayer offered in one's house or in the market (alone). And this is because if he performs ablution and does it perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and his one sin is taken off (crossed out) from his accounts (of deeds). When he offers his prayer, the angels keep on asking Allah's Blessings and Allah's forgiveness for him as long as he is (staying) at his Musalla. They say, 'O Allah! Bestow Your blessings upon him, be Merciful and kind to him.' And one is regarded in prayer as long as one is waiting for the prayer."

MAY AllaH SWT MAKE US OF THOSE WHO ARE steadfast in our salaah and let us rememebre the ummah in our duas.

PS: FOOTball tournement sunday... 30th November 2008... inshallah contact Irfaan.. 072 1145 0431.. limited places.. bookings close 24th November,

Ps:2Quote of the day:
'The financial situation at the moment is so bad that women are now marrying for love'

PS3:... this weeks you tube snippet... courtesy of Sparky... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nolNcJ1G7w&feature=related

PSP:

EXTENDED FORECAST: CAPE TOWN

Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue
27 / 14 Wind: Gentle South Westerly	22 / 13 Wind: Fresh Southerly	21 / 13 Wind: Fresh Southerly	23 / 13 Wind: Moderate Southerly	23 / 13 Wind: Moderate North Westerly

Xbox:

Wii:

CHIEFS vs PIRATES

Asalaamu alaikum...

I trust everybody is doing well... and feeling great as this beautiful day brings closer to the people we love... Jumuah Mubarak to you all... May today be the greatest day inyour life... and Mya Allah SWT bless shower His infinite mercy upon us all...

and...if u happy and you know it... hola out a AMEN!!!

So, this weeek proved to be very nostalgic... visiting hujajj not only allows me to reminisce... but it reminds me to be grateful for the Bounties Allah swt has bestowed upon me... Alhumdullilah i was fortunate enuf to be given the oppertunity to go on hajj... and every hujjaj will tell you... the memories live on... and as i listen to the Athaan b4 the hujjajj leave the house... tears roll into my eyes... not becuase of the real possibility that we may never see our loved ones again... but i tear up, and sometimes i cry.... becuase i know where they are going... and what they are going to be feeling... ALLAH HU akbar...

This week is also BIG coz it also sees the SOWETO derby taking place... Everybody jump up off thier seats and give me a Pansula... ok ... JABBA... u can sit down now... :-)

chiefs VS pirates

as i said the derby of all derbies will be taking place ...

a day in which the whole of sSouth africa stands still... and readies its self for a spectecle... a festival of feet... SSSerrious!!!

men, women. young and old... clad in the distinct colours of their team... and with vuvuzela in hand they gather at SOccerCity... and march and chant in unison... until one half of the stadium erupts in joyous delirum whilst the others reflect on missed oppertunities... YES, if you dont know what is taking place this w/e then you are either living under a ROCK, or you dont have a interst in local football. Either or, life goes on... but for 30 miliion people around SA... its argubly the higlight of thier year... a chiefs vs pirates game...WOW... and come 230pm saturday... many people will do little else... and for ninety minutes or so... their hearts will pump... and their feet will pansula.... and the rythym of thier chants will linger... and their tongues will explode.... LADDDUUUUUUUUUMMMA!!! for the lucky 90 000 ppl who will cram into soccer city it will be the realisation of dream... they have saved.. and put in extra hours... just to be able to be part of the SOWETO DERBy... and for those who are not thier or who were too late ... they will regret and they will ask.. why didnt i go earlier to the damn ticket office... SPuit KOm to Late... and if they die b4 the next derby... they would not of experienced the glitz of the occasion...

i know of another derby that attracts an even biiger following... and for those present... the memory and sanctity of this derby is one that will last more than a mere ninty minutes... one that will resonate in your bones for the rest of your life and which will shape perceptions and attitudes and build communities...

One which will be carried in your heart until you are no more... one that will inspire and give hope... and bring peace to even the most restless of souls...

... where grown men shed tears and the mightiest are humbled... and as the ensuing derby builds towards its climax and unravels itself before your very eyes... the purpose of life is revealed to you ... bringing with it a clarity in thought and a vision of what is possible... if only we allow ourselves to be taken by it... to go with it.. to grow toward it ... where people are people... but a whole lot more... where the rigours of life are for once put to the side... and we allow ourselves to give priority to what or WHOM, we all know to be the GREATEST...

" and proclaim to mankind the HAjj. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every ... " [ quraan 22:27]

YES... O people of faith... its the 5th and final pillar upon which our way of life is built... and in my humble opinion... the mistake we make is to view it as the last pillar... leaving it off for late in life...

of course economics plays a role... but i ask the question.. and let us be honest... if we have not been on hajj already... do we really need to spend our wealth on a second home... do we really need the fancy car... do we really? Parents if we have not been on hajj already do we have to spend on fancy 21st b-days and weddings...

[ 3:96-97] "The most important shrine established for the people is the one in Becca; a blessed beacon for all the people. In it are clear signs: the station of Abraham. Anyone who enters it shall be granted safe passage. The people owe it to Allah that they shall observe Hajj to this shrine, when they can afford it. As for those who disbelieve, Allah does not need anyone." [ 3:96- 97]

the tafsir of the above ayaah ... is ample proof incentive to work for your Hajj( www.tafsir.com) ... and as soon as you are able to... go!!!

This journey is premised on sacrifice... so lets do justthat... and sacrifice the luxuries of this world... and as soon as you do... you will open the door to a something more spectacular than you can ever have imagined...

As you may have picked up... the tone of this email has shifted from nostaligia to being a bit more direct and blunt... i do this not to offend any one... and if i do i apologise... i do this becuase i love you all.. and want only the best for you, in this lifetime and the next... i want you to experience the beuaty of our way of life ... what i was so fortunate to have experienced...

As people of faith... we know it all starts with our intention... so if you have not made an intention to go... i say.. make it. once the intention is made...then we follow it up with action...

the point is we need to prioritise... we save for weddings... education... retirement... cars ... and their is absolutely nothing wrong with that... but ask yourself this... what if you are saving for all those things... and you then have enough provision to go for hajj... and you dont go... or you delay it " i am not ready"... " its not my time" " i am not saligh enough" ...blah blah blah... ask yourself... are they good enough excuses? and what if in your state of delay... you pass away... you would of passed away without having fullfilled your 5th pillar... and our foundation would somwhat be incomplete... and we all know what happens then...

So i urge you at the very least to make a sincere intention... and then we put away the first R 10 towards our journey... and before you know it... that R10 has grown to a R100 and before you know it that R100 has grown to R 1000 and before you know it... that R1000 has grown to R10 000... and before you know it... you are drowing in a sea of white... chanting the talbiya .... LABAIk ALLAhummah LAbaik ... " here i am My Lord... at THY service"

and may MAy Allah SWt Guide and protect us All... AMEEN.

think. ponder. reflect.

PS: MSA indoor Football tournement... 30th Novemeber 2008.. contact Irfaan... 073 145 0431... or email me...

Ps2: Halaqa 2morro morning at HAbibia masjid... after fajr...

Ps3: someone wants you to check out this video... not me... some one else... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li4zNSN7FiE

PSP: WALT DISNEY... the creator of Mickey mouse.. is reprtedly afraid of mice... :-)

XBOX: did you know... Turtles can breathe through their butts.

LAFF OUtLOUD... (not too loudly though):

A Free State "Boer" walks into his local bar and to his surprise finds a little Japanese man sitting in his regular chair.
"Kleingat, you sommer sitting op my stoel" he angrily shouts
Before he knows it, the Jap is up and knocks the farmer flying
After the farmer recovers he asks: "What the blerry hell was that?"
"Zat martial art from my country Japan " replies the Jap and strolls off in a stroppy way.
The following day the farmer finds the Jap in "His" seat again.
The farmer goes: "You is alweer sitting op my stoel" and again the Jap knocks the farmer out with some nifty Kung Fu.
On regaining consciousness the farmer asks: "What the blerry hell was that?"
"Zat Karate from my country Japan" and as stroppy as ever ambles off.
Now the farmer is dik die moer in.........
The next day the farmer finds the Jap sitting in "His" chair again!
"So, you is alweer sitting op my stoel. Vat So" and he knocks the daylights out of the Jap with one blow.
The little Jap comes around after some time and asks the farmerwhat was that?

The farmer replies:
"That, my china was a bliksemse Isuzu 2.8 litre turbo diesel bakkie se wheelspanner....also from your country Japan !!!

hehehe... lol:-)

Peace. Love. and the fruits of summer...

BARRACK OBAMA & THE SCRUMPTUOS BANNANA!!!!

Asalaamu alikum wa rag matullah hi wa barakatu...

Peace& Blessings upon you all...

its been an intersting sort of week... i wonder what the world is going to be like post GW Bush?

Is barrack Obama going to be any different?

i wonder?

Politics... very interesting????

Nontheless... life goes on and hujjaj will come and hujjaj will go... but the the GReatness of Allah SWT will never diminish... Jumuah Mubarak to you all... May Allah SWT Guide and protect us all,iA...

BARRACKOBAMA &the SCRUmPTUOSBANNANA!!!!

YES WE CAN!!! this was the slogan that made Mr Obama's campaign trial... and listening to his victory speech and some of his others... he beleives that that change is innevitable... and if everybody puts a little effort into making the change a reality... then anything is possible... and hence his saying...YES WE CAN!!!

So the other day whilst driving home... i saw this bannana i had my lunch box... ... i had ignored it all day long... to lazy to peel the damn thing... and to be honest it looked a little banged up.. abd black spots allover... i was going to leave it their ... BUT THEn i picked it up... and began to peel the fella... WOW... the smell it gave off was... for a lack of a better word... intoxicating!!! And no sooner had i bit into it... another WOW!!! ... my tongue had never felt so alive... ... sweet... sweet... delicious... and oh so scruptuous!!!

and as i sat there enjoying my bannana.. i thought to myself... what if i didnt take the effort to peel away the skin... i would have missed the oppertunity to embrace this sweetest of sweet bannan's...

i then i thought of President Obam's statement..." Yes we can!" ... if we want to see results we gonna havta put in the effort... And then i was reminded of the lecture by a sheigh in his Lives of the prohets series... and more particularly the story of Prophet Moosa (AS) ... when Moosa (AS) was being pursued by Fir'oun... and he came up to the SEA... and all hope semed gone... and then Allah SWT ordered him to hit the Water ... and well we all no what happened next...

Bismillah hhiragmanniragheem...

" 77. And indeed We revealed to Musa: "Travel by night with My servants and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken nor being afraid.'') [ Quraan: Surah Ta Ha: 77]

the learned sheigh goes on to explain what the significance of Moosa (AS) striking the sea was... for certianly Allah Swt didnt need him to Hit the sea... if Allah Swt wanted the sea to part... Allah swt could of done it... The sheigh explains that the reason for that was to show us that we all have to put some effort in if we are seeking change... and do good... if we are seeking Allah Swt's help... We have to give our all.. AND place our trust solely in Allah SWT.. and we have to do it with YAQIN.. a certain conviction...

whatever we are faced with inlife...their will be times of uncertainty... and fear... when our human insticnts tell us that NO WE CANT... AND ALL HOPE SEEMS LOST... but we need not fear rejection or persecution or failure... we need not be shy or embarrased ... we cannot turn away from who we are... and what we still have to do... We are muslim...

so work hard... and place your TRUST IN ALLAH SWT... AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW!!

"YES weCAN" ...

So i guess the next time you eat a bannana ... think..ponder... and if you want... reflect upon the signs that Allah SWT.. has provided for us.

wicky wicky...

fluit fluit...

http://jumuahmubarak. blogspot.com/

ps: HALAQA TOMMOROW MORNING, HABIBIA MASJID AFTER fajr.

ps2: MSA INDOOR FOOTBALL TOURNaMENT 30TH NOVEMBER 2008... LET ME KNOW WHO IS INTERSTED AND DETAILS WILL FOLLOW

ps3: origin of Guy Fawes day... This "Gunpowder Plot" occurred two years after King James I (of the "King James Bible" fame) ascended to the throne. A group of English Catholics, of which Guido Fawkes was a member, decided to kill the King because it was felt he had reneged on his promises to stop the persecution of Catholics. To this day, it is the law in Britain that a Roman Catholic cannot hold the office of monarch and the Queen is still Supreme Head of the Church of England... coutesy of http://www.voiceforthevoiceless.org.za/guy_fawkes.htm

PSP: According to recent studies, the star-watching town of Sutherland in the Northern Cape is one of the most geologically stable places on Earth, yet it has a 66-million year old volcano, not yet officially extinct.

Wii: General Motors South Africa will be the only manufacturing site outside of the United States to build the Hummer H3 vehicle.

Xbox:

FORECAST SUMMARY:
Friday : 13/ 20	Cloudy Wind Fresh Southerly Sunrise: 05:39 Sunset: 19:18
Saturday : 16/ 20	Clear skies Wind Fresh South Easterly Sunrise: 05:38 Sunset: 19:19
Sunday : 27 / 13	Clear skies Wind Moderate South Easterly Sunrise: 05:38 Sunset: 19:20

Peace. Love/ and a bananna and bar one waffle... mmmh:-)

THE TORTOISE& THE HARE

aSALLAMU ALIKUM WA RAG MATULLAH HI WA BARAKATU...

WOW!!!

What a gorgeous day.. alhumdulillah... the sun has come out to play... and we bask in the favours that our Lord has besotwed on us... ALLAH HU AKbar!!!

THE TORTOISE& THE HARE

Once upon a time there was a tortoise and a hare... the hare was forever boasting how he could run faster than anyone else, and always teased the tortoise for its slowness. Then one day, the irate tortoise answered back: "Who do you think you are? There's no denying you're swift, but even you can be beaten!" The hare squealed with laughter...

[blah blah blah... you all no the story of what happened next... so lets fast forward...]

... As the sun started to sink, below the horizon, and the tortoise still gave his all. He had been plodding towards the winning post since morning, and was scarcely a yard from the finish. At that very point, suddenly the hare woke with a jolt from his fitful sleep and gazed around searching for the tortoise... . He could see the tortoise a speck in the distance and in a panic... away he dashed. He leapt and bounded at a great rate, his tongue lolling, and gasping for breath. Just a little more and he'd be first at the finish. But the hare's last leap was just too late, for the tortoise had beaten him to the winning post. The Tortoise had won!!!

The hare was left tired and in disgrace, he slumped down beside the tortoise who was silently smiling at him.

THE END.

This age old tale has entertained and amused many a generation... and has remained a firm favourite with young and old.

why?

well to remind us all... it teaches us humility and respect.

it shows us the danger of Pride and Arrogance... it one thing to believe in your abilities but another to belittle and mock.

But most of all it teaches us the lesson that when the chips are down... we dig in and we fight. Give our all. use what gifts Allah SWt has bestowed upon us as individuals to the best of our ability and to show thanks for it. NOT to be arrogant... and boastful and full of Pride.

Those vices will cripple us not only as indivduals but as a community. And we will rot from the inside out...

In the week i was listening to surah Luqmaan.. and an ayaah stood out fr me.. so i went to read the Tafsir... Bismillah hiragmaniragheem... Allah SWT... tells us in the Quraan {31:18}: " 18. "And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster.'' ... the tafir of this ayaah is quite clear as to what is meant... do not turn your face away from people when you speak to them or they speak to you, looking down on them in an arrogant fashion. And do not be boastful, arrogant, proud and stubborn. Do not do that, for which Allah will hate you.'

instead we are encouraged to speak to people with kindness... and if we dont have anything good to say the at the very least meet them with a smile.

Unless of course you want to be humiliated!

I think not.

Think. Ponder .Reflect.

PS: Halaqa tommorow morning after fajr... gates ville masjid

PS2: Qiyaamul layl promgramme 9-15pm... gatesville masjid.

Ps3: happy anniversary to Brother Niyaaz and fatima... time flies...

PsP: thul Qada has arrived... Mubrak!!!

PSP: October 31st 1941 Mount Rushmore is completed

Wii:

XboX:Did You Know, It is impossible to lick your elbow... ok who just tried to lick their elbow..hehehe..lol..:-)

Peace. Love. and the new double breast nandos buger..mmm:-p

One day ... Brother James into work, and both of his ears are all bandaged up. Mr Allen GRay says, "What happened to your ears?"
He says, "Yesterday I was ironing a shirt when the phone rang and shhh! I accidentally answered the iron."
The boss says, "Well, that explains one ear, but what happened to your other ear?"
He says, "Well, jeez, I had to call the doctor!"

DEATH & TAXES...

Asalaamu aliakum wa rag matullah hi wa barakaatu...

Peace & Blessings upon you all... i trust u are well and had a gr8 jumuah thus far...

DEATH& TAXES...

the thing about life is, DEATH.

A grim statemnet if ever their was... i agree. ( THATS why this weeks email is written solely in black). But the truth is usually blunt and to the point.

Not many things are certain to happen... but the DEATH... innevitably we all will taste it. whether its our own Death... whether a loved one... even the death of a Stranger will will touch us... and leave a feeling of "oh my gosh" resonating through our bodies... chill up our spine ... you know what i mean...

the initial reality is a devastating blow... almost paralysing... when the news breaks we are left numb... we mourn the loss of our loved one... we cry becuase that what we do and we reflect on the passing of a life... and we are reminded... that this life, as beautiful as it is... is a mere blink of an eye compared to the next... the question is... what are we doing to prepare for eternity?

So what are we doing to prepare?

As human beings we tend for the most part to look at things in a context... to try and find meaning... Islam offers a context for everything... Afterall its not simply a relligion... but rather a way of LIFE... and its relevance is to be found in everything and everywhere...

bismillah hiragmaanniragheem...

كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَتًا فَأَحْيَـكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

28. How can you disbelieve in Allah seeing that you were dead and He gave you life Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return.)

last week as i cut and pasted the above verse...little did i know that its relevance would jump out at me and not only give a context for me... but it would define the relevance of why i tend to send emails to the people closest to me... people i care for... yes .. i do.. care... for ... u ... i said it. breathe... smile:-)... for last saturday a cousin of mine passed away... and whilst typing my email last week i had absolutely no idea that he would...

and it goes to show that as hard as we ttry to understand certain aspects of life... we simply dont possess the faculties to understand every thing. The unseen .. is the domain of the Almighty... and us being people of faith... we simply give ourselves over to the factthat ... : "HE gave you life... and then He will give you death ... and He will once again give you life ..."

The thing is that through the pain and the uncertainty and the grief.. somehow it is very importatn to remember that Death is something Allah Swt has ordained... and it is part of our Dean ... Allah SWt says in Surah Mulk ... Bimillah hiragmaanir ragheem ...

1. Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion; and He is Able to do all things.) (2. Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving;[ Quraan 29: 1-2] ... i suggest you read the tafsir of these ayaat .. it will put into perspective... what we all should be striving for...

The is nothing that puts life into perspective like Death.

all we can do.. or hope to be able to do when death comes our way... is to be prepared to put our trust in Allah SWT...

by prepared i dont mean for our actual Deaths... but i think you all know what i mean...

we have to do all we can do.. and say what needs to be said.. and strive to do all that we can... and make sincere our intentions... becuase we we just dont know when.

and thats the point.

Nothing in life is certain. Except death... and taxes!!!

so lets prepare for Allah Swt has promised ... "And give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous good deeds, that for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)... [2:25]"

think. ponder. reflect.

By the way... the verse also gave me more meaning as my cousins wife gave birth... to a healthy baby Boy, UMAR!!!... mAY aLLAH SWT GUIDE AND PROTECT HIM AND may He guide and protect us all, inshallah

a further example of how Allah swt... gives life...

fluit fluit my storie is uit...

PS: halqa tommorow morning habbia masjid after FAjr, inshallah.