JUST DO IT...

Peace & Blessings upon you all on this beuutiful day of JUMauah!!!

YEs i know i said i wasnt going to send any emails during ramadhaan... but something really beautiful hapened this week and i thought i must share... ok its not the something that was beutiful but rather it was the way it happenend and the after effects of it happening that left a an impression on me... so here goes...

and May Allah SWT protect and guide us.. and keep us sincere and protect us from show, Inshallah...

JUSTdoIT...

Last week we a few brave brothers & sisters gathered to pack ramadaan parcels... Alhumdulillah... the turn out was great... Jazakallah ghair to all who came... what would of taken almost whole day to DO took us 2hrs to pack +- 800 food parcels... ALlah hu akbar... definitely some sort of record...

a breakdown in communication resulted in the transport to deliver the parcels arriving after thur... and so naturally and through fault of thier own... people started to leave... and we were left with +- 600 parcels... and 10- 14 people to load it... we out numbered 50 parcels (weighing +- 20kg) to one man... illequiped.... tired... thirsty ...and a duanting task was made even the more dauntiyinger (if their is such a word?) by the fact that not only had we to load but we had to jump inthe vans... drive to the some 20km and unload all again ... i dont think we even realised it... but we were committed... and made our intention... we were going tosee this out...

B4 i go on with my story... lets turn back the clock... [rewind] some 1400 years and a bit ago... some great muslim warriors also gathered... in a area known as BADR...YOU KNOW THIS STORY???... WELL IF not... they were also outnumbered... illequiped... but their they stood... in the heat of the Arabian desert. armed with their dua... and firmly placing the TRust in the ALmighty... they invoked the praises of their LORd... and ALlhu akbar!!! ... a great victory was had... [fast forward...]

back to the future... 06: 09:08... and in amongst these brave warriors were two young men... the youngest of them all... i observed them... they were their to do a job... and with a steely determination in their eyes... they stood firm ... not giving an inch... giving their all... the way they went about the bussiness was awe inspiring and they... without even knowing it renewed my spirits... in fact all those who helped contributed to lifting me up.. and reminded me why we were their.... seeking to take advantage of this GREAT month... Seeking Allah swt's MErcy and in the process They tuaght me a lesson ... something i will remember for a long time...

But its an amazing coincidence that in this week during taraweeg we read surah An alfal... and tafsir ibn kathir mentions... " Allah states that He creates the actions that the servants perform and that whatever good actions they take, it is He Who should be praised for them, for He directed and helped them perform these actions" --- and that is excatly the point...EVEry victory comes from ALLah swt... Allah's signs and mercies are their ... we just have to open our eyes and do our bit...

And then later that day as i stood in Taraweeg prayers... the hufath read the following ayaah..."

" But those who believed, and worked righteousness -- We burden not any person beyond his scope -- such are the dwellers of Paradise. They will abide therein. "(Quraan 7:42 )... earlier inthe day whilst we toiled... someone mentioned this ayah to me... coincidence????

BEuatiful ... absolutely marveloous...

And as i reminisce about our adventures of last w/e.. and remember those two young brothers in particular... who toiled " with fortitude and optimism " and perhaps they saw " in every difficulty an oppertunity to turn to Allah SWt in rememberence and prayer."

and to quote the closing passages of a book i read..." for Allah SWt is all powerful. HE gives everything. and everything that is happening inlife is happening because of Him and comes from HIM, for no power is there save with ALlah, the MOst High, the great.

Please do not misconstrue what i have said as equating our packing as anything on the same level as what happenied at BADR... NO!!!

ALLah protect and forgive me if i have left that impression... all i am saying is ... that in all aspects of our life the lessons learnt from the Battle of BAdr and the wisdom from the Quran should play a role in shaping our lives...

this weeks LESSON: lets keep Steadfast and perservere sincerely in the path of ALLah swt... and seemingly insummountable odds will be oovercome... all we have to do is BELIEVE IT TO BE SO... and (just) DO IT!!!

think. ponder. do.

PS:Today is Friday, Sept. 12, the 256th day of 2008. There are 110 days left in the gregorian year.
PS2: still packed away...

Peace. Love. ...

Layer jokes... The priest was instructing a class of third-graders at All Saints grammar school.

"There were two brothers, and one of them chose the wicked path of Satan. The brother was evil and corrupt and did great damage to many people, and wound up a convicted criminal in a tiny, dark cell.
"But the other brother studied hard and became a great, rich, knowledgeable lawyer.
"Now, children, what is the difference between these two brothers, who started out in the same place, who together embarked upon life's stormy seas?"
Herman raised his hand and said, "Easy. One of them got caught."