jumuah mubarak ...

asalaamu alaikum

Alhumdulillah by the grace of the Almighty its a new year ... Muharram Mubarak.

ALL WE NEED IS LOVE ... 

One of the amazing parts of travelling ... is in fact your return.

Seeing your loved one's stand at the airport waiting for you... smiling ... subughanallah... its priceless.

I found it overwhelming... heart warming and one of life's understated pleasures ... Alhumdulillah for family. They LOVE you in spite of your faults and cherish you in spite of your weaknesses... it truly is a blessing.

Amongst the many benefits the journey of HAJJ teaches you ... is the realization that the gel that keeps people together is the LOVE they share. 

Before marriage i was only one type of Love i was exposed to... the love of parents and siblings. 

The Love of parents and the Love by parents are subtly different ...

A parents love for the child knows no bounds ... its a surreal feeling ... something which you only truly appreciate when you yourself are blessed with a child... but one which is not dependent on that blessing [ of having a child] because its a natural inclination to the parent... especially the mother ... that provides such joy that no words can truly describe. That feeling you get when your son wraps his hand around your finger ... or when he smiles with such purity ... the heart has no option but to skip a beat.

Love for your siblings is another natural feeling ... similar to the love of parents ... you don't really know why you love your brother but you do... its in the blood i suppose... and when you introduce your sister to a friend or colleague ... " that's my sister" ... is usually followed by a smile as broad as Table Mountain ... 

And then theirs the Love for your wife ... or wives :-) ... the love spouses share is quite unique ... i cannot say i loved my spouse prior to marriage ... because i didnt really know her. We chose to limit contact until after the nikaah .. only discussing necessary things which would provide some comfort in our decision to get married. Thus I only got to know my wife after NIKAAH/ Marriage. I remember at the time of my nikaah ... as soon as i had uttered those precious words ... a feeling of tranquility gripped me ...a special feeling ... and at the time i had no idea what it was ... but it sure felt good. As they say ... knowledge is power and with knowledge comes perspective... i Always thank the Almighty for steering me away from the girlfriend boyfriend practice which has found favour in our community ... and looking back i find it rather peculiar that this practice is so popular and even more strange that our communities allow it to continue as if ISLAM allows it...

 ... Admittedly i did think of it ... and on one occasion i was nearly bitten by it ... never following through on it ... Some would say i chickened out ... i choose to think of it as devine intervention .,. 

It is very easy to succumb to it ... especially when one is surrounded by it ... one naturally inclines to it ... thinking it to be the best practice ... 'just because everybody else is doing it ' ... but hindsight is a gift ... and i treasure the fact that i was steered away from it. Alhumdulillah. 

So, having experienced the above, my mind was even more blown away by the fact that when one reads the below Ayaah ... you realise that Marriage is not just a means to an end if you know what i mean;-) ...

 it is a responsibility ... a pleasure ... and a gift. 

"    21. And of His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, so that you may find tranquility in them; and HE places LOVE and MERCY between you. In this are signs for people who reflect." 

In my limited understanding ... [ an this is not a tafsir] this ayah means that you don't have a choice to love or not to love your spouse ... Allah swt places that Love between the two of you naturally... it can be 1% or 50% ... the trick is to maintain that love and work at it... improve it. 

How? 

by elevating your love ... to an ibaadah.

NO. i dont mean you must worship your wife!!! BIDDAH! Astagfirullah ... NAY ... 

 

One of the most fulfilling experiences in my recent journey to Makkah and Medinah ... was the fact that it provided the wife and i an opportunity to connect with each other on a whole other level. That connection and re-connection in the context of HAJJ makes one feel that the love between you and your spouse is elevated ... and somewhat spiritual. 

AND with every visit to the Rhoda or every completed circuit of the tawaaf... the HAJJI feels the connection with his spouse getting stronger... you feel quite literally and figuratively closer to her ... Subughannallah ... it simply takes your breathe away.

I have never been to Paris or Barcelona ... but Makkah and Medinah certainly has to rank as one of the more romantic cities of the world... absolutely Amazing ... The motivation to go on HAJJ or journey to the holy lands ... should not be limited to my advice in this email ... but rather ... it should be seen as a one of the many benefits of undertaking this rather AWESOME journey... FOR HAJJ STARTS and ENDS at home ... 

NOW i want you to contemplate on the following...  imagine sharing a meal with your wife ... and during your meal she passes her your cup ... and you search for the very spot on which she had moments earlier placed her lips on ... you drink from it knowing that you had read up and researched that our noble messenger SAW had in his interaction with his wives ... especially Ayesha R.A. drank from the very spot his wives drank ... ROMANTIC DON'T YOU THINK? ... This is just one manner in which our beloved messenger SAW maintained his love for his wives ... NOW imagine you did that ... in the very precincts where Rasoolullah SAW did it ...  MIND blowing indeed.

Contemplate a bit further ... whilst walking the streets of Medinah in and around the gharaam ... you decide to walk faster ... so your wife tries to play catch up ... and passes you by... so you speed up and this cat an mouse adventure continues all the way from the Gharaam ... to the hotel room ... If we understood that ISLAM is a way of LIFE and that the seerah and sunnah are mechanisms which will take us closer to Allah SWT then one cannot help but get a glimpse of the Prophet SAW racing and playing with his esteemed spouse ... ISLAM is not merely a spiritual religion ... it is all encompassing ... BODY MIND and SOUL...

... subughanallah ... if that does not motivate one to go visit the holy precints of MAKKAH and MEDINAH then i am not sure what else would ... 

reading it in a book and then going out trying to emulate the experience will leave one with goose bumps ... now imagine how one would feel if you implemented this practice in and around the holy lands of Makkah and Medinah... AWESOME!!!   

What a feeling!!! 

This feeling is not limited to married couples ... Alhumdulillah ... 6years ago ... i experienced it with my brother and my mother besides me. Standing on Arafaat with your elder brother knowing all he has done and still does for you ...it leaves ones mesmirised knowing that the prophet SAW shared an amazing brotherhood with his companions ... and walking with your mother between Mount Safah and Marwah ... leaves one embarrassed and in awe of her and what she has done for you... further ... one has to treasure and perhaps re evaluate your relationship with one's in laws and what they must have done for your wife and her siblings... 

LOVE and LOVING these important persons will never be the same after you have been on this journey... and in the same breathe ... life cannot be the same.  

now take all that i said above and transpose it on the following statement ... how much do you value the kaalimah: " laa illah ha illal laa muhamad durasoolullah" 

what level of love does one have for it and for Islam? ... do we really feel the emotion when uttering it ? 

As one of the Ulemah reminded us on our trip ... take one moment and imagine what life would be like without the Kaalimah in your life ... imagine for one minute that you are not a muslim... [ And All praise and Glory is unto Allah swt ]... Subughanallah ...  the love we have for our prophet SAW ... and for the Our creator ... has to occupy the greater part of our overall Love we have to give ...  what the journey does is it amplifies your connection to the kaalimah... and enhances its presences in your heart. 

The trick is now to hold on to it ... nurture it ... and maintain it... an accepted hajj plays its part in assisting you in doing so.

Another thing i was reminded about on my travels... is that by loving your spouse or parent or friend ... simply for the sake of loving them is all good and well...  

however ... if we love them for the sake of loving Allah swt ... then we elevate that love to a whole new level ... we elevate that love to an Ibaadah. 

So if anyone is wanting to experience LOVE LIKE this then ... go ahead ... go for hajj ... and dont use the excuse that you not ready ... just do it!!!  www.sahuchajjregistry.org.za  

So this new year ... we should not short change ourselves ... love a little more ... love for the sake of loving Allah swt ... and you will feel the barakah in that love ... and dont be shy to tell your loved ones so... and if you think this can only be achieved if you have been on hajj... NO! ... it is something we can implement before, after and during 
HAJJ ... HAJJ is just a reminder ... of what we already know ... and amplifies our 

THINK AGAIN!!!  

In the end... all we need is LOVE ... but then again what do i know AND ALLAH SWT KNOWS BEST!!!

Think... ponder ... reflect ...

PS: if i said anything that has offended anyone or incorrect .. then know it is from me and shaytaan doing ... and if anything is beneficial from this mail... then know it is from Allah swt.

PS2: NO hearts were broken in the making of this email. or so i think..lol:-) 

PS3:  It is the duty of every Muslim to perform the Hajj, at least once in their lifetime if he has the means to do so. Hajj is a fardh and should be performed as soon as the chance arises.

XBOX: fun fact: the average human being will eat about 60 000 tons of food in his/ her lifetime. that's the weight of about 6 elephants. 

Peace. Love. and a bowl of cocoa pops... mm:-p

Jumauah Mubarak

Assalaam u Alaikum Wa ragmatullah hi wa barakatu 

Peace and blessings upon you all... 

AN THE OSCAR GOES TO ...  [ i shall reveal later in this email ]

i remember when i was younger ... MNET was just making its presence felt in my home. Sunday night movies... KTV ... supersport ... what else did a youngling need!!!

and of course that last sunday of February/ first sunday of March ... how we all waited with bated breath to watch the crem de la crem of the award ceremonies... the OSCARS... wew were made to believe that this was the night the stars came out to play ... it was billed as if it was the most important event of the year .. the glitz the glamour the phtographer gather... the perfect smiles and the long winded speeches were the winner always runs out of time... thanking everyone including GOD ALMIGHTY. 

... for me i was entranced by the grandure of it all . . . the scale of the operation ... and i am sure we were all anticipating will your favourite win? would thier be an upset? 

and of course the hosts... the MC's who steal the show with the witty one liners and comedic talent... Billy Crystal... Chris Rock ... Elle De Generes ... the list goes on ... the commonality is that they were comedians ... they would make you laugh whilst the movie of the year made you cry and the lifetime achievement award made ppl nostalgic... everything rolled into one.What the movie connoisseurship told me is that the movies are their to inspire and transport you to another world. to escape and let your imagination run free. 

i dont watch the oscars any more. i dont really have the time.

 i hardly watch a movie at the cinema nowadays. except the on the odd occasion when we find a baby sitter:-)

but i rather do enjoy life...

I did however watch a fantastic movie the other day: " the son is rising " and it got me thinking about life ... priorities and GOD almighty. 

and i thought to myself ... wow!! wot a movie ... 

as i stood thier watching this movie unravel before my very eyes i thought gosh this movie has it all ... drama, intrigue, action, comedy ... 

it started off quietly ... somewhat quaint as if it was mimicking a silent movie of the days gone by ... however quietly it woke up ... mellowing along into a hearty gut wrenching family flick tugging at your heart strings. Then out of nowhere ... a TSunami hits ... and the once docile movie bursts into life ...  full of action and colour ... and with its spralling adventure... the scenes unfold to wreak havoc and leaving trial of devastation in its wake ... [ Of course it was great that i was watching it in HD smart TV] ... eventually as the movie winded down  realised that this was no ordinary movie... it was a love story ... dramatically interpreting life and the lessons it holds ... 

it inspired me and still does ... to live life full of energy and strive to live life from cradle to the grave.

of course ... the above is my metaphorical illustration of observing my son from the time he wakes up to the time he falls asleep... and all the emotions that goes with it.

and to answer my earlier question : An the OSCAR goes to ... My parents. to All Parents out there.

Since becoming a parent myself ... i have come to realise that children are certainly precious sprouts ... but parents are beautiful diamonds ... to be cherished and revered. just imagine what life was /is/ would be without them ... and be grateful that you have them and for those whose parents have passed on remember the only thing that can benefit your parents in the afterlife is a childs dua { and Allah swt knows best}

i ashamedly ... must confess that no matter how much i may think that i respect my parents ... i have this feeling that i can never really thank my parents enough for what they did and still do for me... I remember the day my son was born 14:01:11 ... 

the first few thoughts that ran through my head whislt holding my son aloft was ...  

1. Allah hu akbar !!! ... All praise is to Allah (swt) Glory be to him and salutations upon his noble messenger Muhammed (SAW) 

2. I Love My parents... i love them even more ... 

3. Gosh my wife is beautiful ...

as i stood in that theatre holding my baby for the first time i know my love and appreciation towards my parents grew exponentially by a thousand times... and my shame also .. coz even though i never meant to hurt them i know that at times i could have ... and probably did. That very thought irks me ... and i ask that you pray for my forgiveness.

A year and 1 and a half months later ... i realise that the above still holds true. 

Today i felt the need to express my thoughts ... and Make a special dua/ pray for my parents ... and all parents out there... and i invite you all to take a minute and do the same. 

the thing is that we would do well to remember that the manner in which we talk and interact with our parents can either make us or break us... whether they are wrong or right is not really the point and we would do well to remember that our ... PARENTS and CHILDREN ... combined with the Remembrance of Allah SWT are a means to attain the pleasure and MERCY of ALLAH swt ... and if we tread correctly it may just pave the way to JANNAH [ Paradise] and Allah swt knows best ...

Throughout the Quraan Allah speaks to us about the High regard one must have for their parents and thus i leave you with a few examples found in the tafsir ibn kathir ... to reflect upon and as a reminder to me first and if you draw benefit from them then know all good is from Allah swt and Allah swt knows best. 

(And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents) (17:23). These two things are often mentioned together in the Qur'an. Allah says here:

﴿وَوَصَّيْنَا الإِنْسَـنَ بِوَلِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْناً عَلَى وَهْنٍ﴾

(And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship,) Mujahid said: "The hardship of bearing the child.'' Qatadah said: "Exhaustion upon exhaustion.'' `Ata' Al-Khurasani said: "Weakness upon weakness.''

﴿وَفِصَالُهُ فِى عَامَيْنِ﴾

(and his weaning is in two years) means, after he is born, he is breastfed and weaned within two years. This is like the Ayah,

﴿وَالْوَلِدَتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلَـدَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ الرَّضَاعَةَ﴾

(The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, for those who desire to complete the term of suckling)(2:233). On this basis, Ibn `Abbas and other Imams understood that the shortest possible period of pregnancy was six months, because Allah says elsewhere:

﴿وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِصَـلُهُ ثَلاَثُونَ شَهْراً﴾

(and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty months) (46:15). Allah mentions how the mother brings the child up, and how she gets tired and suffers stress from staying up with the child night and day, to remind the son of her previous kind treatment of him. This is like the Ayah,

﴿وَقُل رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا﴾

(and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.'') (17:24). Allah says here:

﴿أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ﴾

(give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination.) means, `I will reward you most generously for that.'

﴿وَإِن جَـهَدَاكَ عَلَى أَن تُشْرِكَ بِى مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلاَ تُطِعْهُمَا﴾

(But if they strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not;) means, if they try hard to make you follow them in their religion, then do not accept that from them, but do not let that stop you from behaving with them in the world kindly, i.e. treating them with respect.

PS:  

PS2:What do you call a boomerang that doesn't work?
A stick.
iFOne4OS:  Where do you find a no legged dog?   ... Right where you left him.

PSP: no doggz were hurt during the making of this email ... lol.... :-)

xbox: There are 96 000 km of blood vessels in the average adult body.

Peace. Love. and chilli buster pizza with extra pineapples and garlic from Mehanos...mmm: -p