The Virtue of Patience

                             Salam people! So for this months SuperMuslims Magazine's issue the theme was patience. I chose to write about four admirable women and the trials that they endured. Enjoy! Oh and at the bottom of the page you will find the link to the second issue of the SuperMuslim's magazine, SuperMuslims FB page, FB group , twitter, and website, be sure to check all those out!     

                                                       The Virtue of Patience                     

                                                        By: Habiba Ghanem

                  Narrated Anas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.” [Bukhari Book 23 Hadith 389]

                  In our lives we are going to be faced with many difficult problems. Sometimes we are going to think that our worlds are crashing down. This life is a struggle. What we need to have when facing any adversity is patience.  The greatest people to look up to and to use as examples are the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and his companions.

                  Anâs Radhi-Allâhu 'anhu reports that Nabî Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam has said: "From among the women of the world who have reached perfection and who are worthy of following are: Miryam the daughter of Imrân; Khadija daughter of Khuwailid; Fatima daughter of Muhammad and Asiyah wife of Fir'aun" (Tirmidhi)  

                  Do you think that these women were honored with such a title without going through hardships?

Of course not. 

Let’s take a closer look at just a few of the hardships that these women faced.

Khadija Daughter of Khuwalid:

The night when Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) got his first revelation at mount Hira, he ran back to his house shivering, Khadija was there to console him. She was the first to listen to him and she was the first there to support him as he took his role as the Prophet of our Ummah; she was always there for the Prophet (PBUH). This new responsibility was a heavy load and at night when Khadija couldn’t sleep she would pray to Allah (SWT).  To further show her support Khadija became the first person to accept Islam as her deen. When people turned their back on the Prophet (PBUH) and gave him a hard time, Khadija was the rock of support. She would support the Prophet (PBUH) and the believers with her wisdom and money.  Throughout the course of events that took place, Khadija’s faith and love for Allah (SWT) kept growing. Khadija’s strong and loving character captured the heart of not only the Prophet (PBUH), but her character touched and inspired many people to enter the faith of Islam (Malik).

Asiyah Wife of Farun:

Asiyah was married to a cruel man; Farun.  She was among the people who announced their faith to Allah and His messenger Moses. Upon declaring her faith, Farun tortured her. He pinned her to the ground in the scorching sun. But Asiyah’s faith was too strong to be shaken and whenever Farun would look away angels would use their wings to shield her from the sun. Her patience kept her strong enough to endure the pain. Her faith made her turn and pray to Allah (SWT) as she dreamt of her home in Jannah. Farun then gave her a choice; she could either give up her belief or have a boulder end her life. Asiyah refused to give up her belief, she chose to die and asked Allah for a home in Jannah far away from evil (Siham).

   Maryam Daughter of Imran:

Allah provided Maryam with a tough plight. A situation so tough, that her chastity came in to questioning. Her test later became known as one of history’s greatest miracles; the birth of Eissa.  Maryam the daughter of Imran had always been a devout follower. When the angles sent her this revelation, she went in to seclusion.  Her faith in Allah never decreased, even when people started accusing her of adultery and Allah didn’t leave her side. When she went to her clan carrying her child, they started questioning her. But Maryam didn’t reply, she just pointed at baby Eissa. At that moment baby Eissa spoke to the people and declared; “I am the servant of Allah who has given me the Book and made me a Prophet." (19:30) (Siham)

Fatimah Daughter of Muhammed (PBUH):

After her mother’s death Fatimah took on the role as the beacon of comfort to the Prophet (PBUH).  She was also benevolent with the people just as her mother Khadija was. Fatimah was married to Ali son of Abi Talib. They led a life of extreme poverty but despite her circumstances Fatimah never lost her humility.  To make ends meet she was a grinder of corn and he was a drawer of water. One day after they both came back from work exhausted Ali suggested that Fatima ask her dad to give her some of the servants that were captured in one of the battles. When Fatimah and Ali went to the Prophet (PBUH), he rejected their request because other people were more in need than they were. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) later came to their house and told them to recite three things after prayer and before they fell asleep; Subhanna Allah (Glory be to Allah), El hamdu Allah (Praise be to Allah), and Allahu Akbar (Allah is great), for the reward and ease provided by those words are much better than having servants (“Fatimah bint Muhammed”).

In the face of great adversity these women were confident that Allah would prevail. Their faith surpassed and eased their grave struggles. When you face adversity you need to know that Allah (SWT) will never leave your side, you need to be sure that He will get you through whatever hardships you face. Be patient. Don’t lose faith. This life is nothing but trials; a test that we should aim to pass.

"If you see Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, holding back this world from you, frequently trying you with adversity and tribulation, know that you
... hold a great status with Him. Know that He is dealing with you ...as
He does with His Awliya’ and chosen elite, and is watching over you"
--Al Ghazali

 

                                                  Works Cited

Malik, Fida H. "Khadija." Wives of the Holy Prophet. 2009 ed. New Delhi: Adam and Distributors, 1952. 77-92. Print.

Siham. "The Great Women of Islam." The Great Women of Islam. 28 July 2008. Web. 24 May 2012. <http://jannah.org/madina/index.php?topic=1024.0>.

Umm Yusuf. "Great Women In Islam-Fatimah, Daughter of the Prophet Muhammad - Fatimah Bint Muhammad." A Glimpse Into The Life of A Muslimah. 27 Aug. 2007. Web. 25 May 2012. <http://southernmuslimah.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/great-women-in-islam-fatimah-daughter-of-the-prophet-muhammad/>.

SuperMuslims: 

SuperMuslims Magazine Issue #2:

http://issuu.com/supermuslims/docs/supermuslims_patience

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Understanding the Hijab

                                                          By: Hannah Potter

I used to think that the word hijab was undeniably connected to other words such as oppression, radicals, fundamentalism, and persecution. Why would women want to be covered completely, turning into no more than a piece of cloth, losing any sense of individual identity? I pitied the women who in my simple mind were being controlled by fathers, brothers, and husbands. Living in the “free” world, I was astounded at the fact that the women were so marginalized in the current globalized world we lived in. In short time, I was realized my immense ignorance and began to realize my misunderstanding. Was I to blame for my ignorance? Yes and no. Growing up in rural North Carolina, I had never met and known a woman wearing a hijab, even though we travelled quite often.  My parents took me to a Middle Eastern restaurant in a neighboring city since I was young, but the subject of the hijab was one that never arose. My lack of interactions coupled with being surrounded by overly biased news media in post 9/11 America, I lacked exposure to the other side of the story. However, it took no more than a few books to realize that I was previously mistaken, and that women wearing the hijab were simply women, women who could not be labeled with overarching generalizations, and whose individual lives were simply that, individual and specific to each person.

My reading left me with further questions to understand the women, and their reasoning. I understood at that point that the decision to wearing the hijab was one that people make as a sacrifice to God as a symbol of their devotion. Even with this understanding, I was still not entirely convinced that I truly understood why the women would want to cover themselves, hiding themselves from the rest of the world. There were many questions that needed to be answered until I felt I could be truly accepting of these women. At that point, I respected that the women were making their own decision, but I would never dream of doing the same.

In August, 2009, I traveled to Egypt for six months in my senior year of high school. I lived with three extremely kind, generous, and loving host families in Harem and Mohandiseen, took Arabic lessons, and went to school at Misr Language School. This was a life-changing experience. I not only fell in love with the country, but more importantly the people that lived there. The people were some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Everyone I met was willing to help, welcoming, and overly hospitable. Those people are who inspired me to continue studying Arabic, the region, and the culture, so that I could return again someday. Aside from the newfound 7b or love, I also gained a new perspective on many issues, particularly the hijab.

I met many women and young ladies that wore the hijab.  Two of my host mothers wore it, and several of my new friends did as well. During Arabic class, our teacher would answer our constant questions about it, and her life with it, giving me more and more knowledge and understanding of it. I became to realize that when the comments in the West talking of the hijab as an oppressing tool of men, those same comments are just as oppressive if not more oppressing to the wearers of the hijab. Most women decide to wear the hijab on their own, and by saying it is oppressive is infringing that individual’s rights. Furthermore, I began to see the beauty of the hijab, and those who wear it. One day, I had the beautiful experience of a friend showing me her hair, which had been covered everyday from the rest of the world under her hijab. The beauty of her hair blew me away, and I gained a greater amount of respect of her than the high level I already had in her. All of a sudden, I understood. I can still distinctly remember the pure beauty of her and her hair. Let’s say, I had seen her hair every single day, would I have such a strong memory of her hair now? No, I would have noticed it the first time, and then taken it for granted every day after that. Aside from the beauty, wearers of the hijab appear to have much more respect for their bodies than most other women that I know. They know that they have something special, and that it is worth protecting. Being modest with their physical traits, the women are able to put forth their intellectual, emotional, and mental gifts without being judged otherwise. My experiences in Egypt created a huge amount of respect for the women that make the choice to wear the hijab, and a sense of envy for their tireless commitment and dedication to not only their faith, but to respecting themselves.

Since being back in America, I have furthered my study of the Middle East, particularly the women living there. Reading different sources, my view of the hijab has evolved even further. I recognize there are women who never had a choice, and do feel marginalized within society, feeling they have no individual voice. The voices of these women should be heard, but I also still hear the voice of those women who did and do choose. I have learned how the hijab can be a liberating force for women, creating a greater free space for them, without the looks or calls of men. It allows the women to be out of the house, making their own in work and school, and other arenas of life. It is a symbol to others of who they are, and whom they represent. Another role I have found in America, is constantly trying to defend the women who wear hijabs to others who may still be in the ignorance I once was in. There is still great misunderstanding about this issue, and I feel it is my responsibility to spread the experiences and knowledge that I have gained.

Reading this beautiful blog has furthered my understanding of those women who chose to put on the hijab. I feel as if I am opening a journal, and reading these women’s innermost thoughts. It deepens my knowledge of the process of transitioning to wearing a hijab, and the emotional journal that it entails. Several friends did express their stories about this deeply personal matter while I was in Egypt, but I feel so privileged to be able to read such a wide range of experiences and journeys through this blog. It has also been a great source to share with friends, so they can have a greater understanding as well. In conclusion, I am grateful for the opportunities and people I have met to have insight into the hijab, and it is a topic that is beautiful, mysterious, and enlightening. 

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You and YOUR Actions...That's it

  

                                      By: Mariam Ghanem

Let me begin by warning you; that this is a rant. Lately I’ve noticed that people of my own religion are insulting me. Comments like, “All hijabis are [explicit], so what difference does it make if I wear hijab or not?” or “I’m a better Muslim than most of the hijabis I know;” are very degrading.

There are so many things wrong with those comments. Before I go any further, let me apologize if my comments come off as offensive that is honestly the last thing I want to do. The first reason that those comments bother me is the generalization. There are about 8 billion people on this planet, many of which are probably hijabis. Those comments insult billions of sisters. No matter how many friends you have on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, do you mean to tell me that you know a billion people? Just because you meet a couple of hijabi sisters who are not fulfilling your idea of Islamic decorum does not mean that ALL hijabis are the same. In the society we live in these days, everyone is struggling for “individualism” and “independence.” What’s interesting is that many of the people throwing these comments are advocating such ideologies as independence, yet they are completely contradicting them with their ignorant comments. We are all completely different from one another so there really is no point in creating such stereotypes.

            This brings me to my next point. As Muslims, we are constantly explaining to the outside world that you must not look to Muslims to learn Islam, rather you should look to Islam to learn Islam. Read the Qur’an and the Seerah, we tell our non-Muslim friends, and learn what Islam is really about. Because of this blind stereotype that is being placed on hijabis, we are doing the exact same thing as people who claim that “terrorism” is synonymous to “Islam”. We are forgetting the basic Islamic teachings because shaytan (Satin) is doing his job and leading us astray. Hijab is clearly stated in the Qur’an:

“And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests.” 24:31 Qur’an

         Yet some sisters use the actions of others as an excuse to ignore what is written in the Qur’an. On the Day of Judgment, you stand alone. You have no one and nothing to speak for you but your actions. So, on the Day of Judgment, that hijabi girl that you claim “isn’t Muslim enough”, will not be there to stand as an excuse for why you chose not to wear hijab. You cannot call on her actions to justify why you chose not to abide by something clearly stated in the Qur’an. You see, in the life we are living now, it does not matter what everyone else is doing because at the end of the day, you are not being tested based on the choices of others.

       Your life is your test. Your choices are your answers. So do not waste your time judging others because you don’t know what is really going on with them. Allah is the only one who has a right to judge, for He is perfection. You are not perfect, and I am certainly not perfect, therefore how dare we judge others for their mistakes when we make so many?

  

"On the Day a man will flee from his brother, And his mother and his father, And his wife and his children, For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him." 80:34-37 Qur'an

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Live Like You are Dying

Salams people,
               Allah (SWT) has blessed me with an awesome opportunity to write for the SuperMuslims Magazine. The following was my article for the first issue. At the bottom of this page you will find a link to the SuperMuslims; magazine, group, page, twitter, and website. Be sure to check all those links out, and be sure to read and spread the magazine, there are a lot of great articles! =)

                                                                 Live Like You are Dying

                                                                    By: Habiba Ghanem

On the authority of Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took hold of my shoulder and said, ‘Be in the world as if you were a stranger or a traveler along the path.” And ibn Umar would say, “If you survive till late afternoon, do not expect [to be alive in] the morning. If you survive till morning, do not expect [to be alive in] the late afternoon. Take from your health before your sickness and your life before you death.” (Recorded in al-Bukhari)

Before I continue further I must admit two things:

1.       I don’t want to be a hypocrite and I need you to know that the things that I am about suggest are things that I am still working on myself.

2.       This article was actually inspired by a song that I heard on the radio “Live Like We’re Dying.”

Now, I am about to say something and I don’t want you to freak out. Please don’t think that I am some sort of pessimistic person, but beware what I am about to say may come as shocking… We are all going to die! Ok, so maybe it wasn’t as shocking as you expected but I bet it is definitely something that most of us block out; dying is a scary thought. But the thing about death is that it is inevitable. Sooner or later we are going to die.

Now think of your life, your daily routine. Can you do more to get closer to Allah (SWT)? Chances are we can all do things to improve our relationship with Allah (SWT). I want you to think of some of your countless blessings, who else can provide you with these blessings but Allah (SWT)? Do you thank Allah for those blessings? Do you show your appreciation? All it takes is one simple word; ElhamduAllah. Always remember Allah (SWT), and a great way to do that is through tasbeeh. To get rewarded for your actions you should have sincere intention. I was at a Productive Muslims seminar, and the founder of the website; Mohamed said that, “In Islam we are rewarded according to the power of intention. Intentions should be the bedrock of our goals and actions.”

What’s stopping us from being better people? Our friends? Family? We can’t put the blame on just those people. Think for a moment of the millions of things that you really wanted and wouldn’t stop fighting for until you got them. Our problems are in ourselves. Sure our families or friends might be an influence but deep down you know that if you set your mind to something you won’t rest until you get it. Let’s start being better!

             Let’s start with prayer. Why does shaytan occupy our minds while we pray? It’s because we are too busy concentrating on worldly things, we forget the reason of our existence. Yasmin Mogahed wrote in her blog; "The heart is like a cup. The more you fill it with love of Allah, the less room there is for dunya.” When you pray how many thoughts cross your mind? We must try to block those thoughts out. We need to REALLY pray. I am telling you all this but I am telling myself too. If for some reason you are up late, how about you pray two raqaa of Qiyam Layl. Also, why don’t you start praying some of the sunnahs?

                We need to get to know the Qur’an, the words of the Divine. The Qur’an has the answers to everything but sadly we don’t take the time to understand it. I am so ashamed that I recognize lots of songs and I can sing along to them but I don’t know many ayas from the Qur’an. So let’s start reading Qur’an. Start with at least one page per day and work your way up. Try listening to Qur’an before you sleep.

There is so much that I don’t know and there is so much for me to learn. For example, I don’t know the months of the Islamic Calendar, so I am going to make sure that I learn them. What do you want to know more about? Let’s educate ourselves about our deen. Try to once in awhile go to a lecture, or watch a lecture off the internet.

Let’s for a moment take a look at a bigger picture; our ummah. As a whole what is stopping us from being as great as we once were? I always remember what Moez Masoud says about this issue. He says that it’s the lack of faith. With faith we are strong and without it we are weak; the more that we turn away from religion the weaker we become. The ummah needs to reunite, we need to stand hand in hand and help our brothers in sisters that are suffering. But in order for us to achieve that we must start with ourselves. "ان الله لا يغير ما بقوم حتي تغيروا ما بأنفسكم" ( سورة الرعد : 11) (“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” Ar-Ra’d:11)

The clock is ticking, every step you take and every move you make pulls you closer to your departure from this world. Ask yourself; the step that I am taking now, is it one step closer to that straight path or one step away from it? Let’s all help each other in becoming better Muslims. Take these suggestions step by step, you don’t have to start them all at once. Keep in mind that whatever hardships we face in this world won’t matter, what matters is the next life; the eternal life. I remember Moez Masoud saying that this life to us will be like nothing but a fleeting dream.

       May Allah (SWT) guide us all in becoming better Muslims and may He grant us all Husn El Khitam.

SuperMuslims: 

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Al Jannah

Salams everyone,

                So last Thursday I went to a Amr Khaled lecture and I jotted down some notes that I would like to share with you. 

                                                             Al Jannah

                

                 Every word that is said in front of us has some sort of file stored in our brain. In those files are images of those words. It is important for us to remember that our real home is Al Jannah (heaven). This world that we live in is like a transitional flight that should inshAllah (God willing) lead us to Jannah. Close your eyes and let’s start creating an image of Al Jannah.

               

                Imagine that elhamduAllah (Thanks be to Allah) we all passed the test and that we have all been accepted in to Jannah; we passed judgment and now we are on our way to Jannah. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) will knock on the door of Jannah, and an angel will tell him that Allah instructed that angel not to open the door to anyone but the Prophet of Allah (PBUH). The door is now open, and there will be angels standing in rows waiting for us to enter. Imagine the All Mighty Allah calling us “Ahl Al Jannah” (People of Jannah)! Imagine seeing the Prophets, the companions, and all the great women that we hear stories about!

                There are four important things to know about Jannah:

1.       You won’t ever get sick

2.       You will stay 33 forever

3.       You’re eternal; you will never die

4.       You will always be happy never sad, you won’t know what the meaning of sadness is

So now we just walked in to Jannah, and we are all amazed. People will be in awe saying things like; “SubhannAllah” and “Allahu Akbar.” Now imagine Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) showing you your home, telling you that you are his neighbor. You will get to see his palace and the Kowthar River.

You wanna know what your palace is going to be like??? Get this, your palace and the walls are going to be made of gold and silver bricks. The cement holding the bricks together is musk. There are going to be pearls growing in your own garden. You get your own river. And your ceiling is Allah’s (SWT) throne!

Does anyone besides me have goose bumps yet?

Al Jannah is a place where everything you wish for gets granted. In the market place there will be pictures of breathtaking places and if you and your spouse like one of the pictures and wish to go there, you are automatically taken to that place. Al Jannah is a place where all women and men are perfect. A place where everyone will be smiling and no person will talk about the other. Every week one will be more beautiful than the week before it.

It is also a place where you will never be bored; while in this world only few things make us happy in heaven there are millions. Among those things is seeing Allah (SWT). Nothing can compare to that feeling. You will get to see Allah (SWT) and talk him. HE will tell you that he is content with you, He will ask you if you are content with Al Jannah. He will also ask what you wish for and after you give Him your list of everything that you can think of and everything that you want, He will tell you wishes that haven’t even crossed your mind and grant you those wishes because you forgot to mention them. SubhannaAllah.

Now let’s get back to this world.  Amr Khaled said that in this world you spend so much time working and saving up to buy a house that you can afford and with the house you get the key as a present. But in Jannah all you can afford is the key and you get a palace along with that key. Also, to get one meter in Jannah all you have to do is pray two raq3as, compare that to how much you have to pay to get a meter of a house in this world.

Let us use this world as a means to enter Jannah. Without losing foresight of the reason of our existence, let us make this world a better place. Let our good deeds in this world be the reason we enter Jannah.

I really want to go to Jannah… who is with me??? =)

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My "Why? "

                                                             By: Anonymous

 “Man in the early times was naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved and is not regressive. It is the removal of clothes again that is regressive and back to ancient times.” – Tawakel Karmen,

Tawakel Karmen is a female Yemeni journalist. She is also the first Arab woman and the youngest person to be awarded a Nobel peace prize. On top of all of that she is also a hijabi and an inspirational figure.

The quote presented above was Karmen’s response to some journalists who asked about her hijab and how it may “not suit her level of intellect”.

            I can begin discussing my own hijab experiences from two angles. I could begin writing about the struggles that come along with wearing hijab in the West, feeling different in high school, and of clinging on to this piece of cloth for a sense of identity, or I can write about my experiences with hijab in Egypt. Ironically, all my hijab-related experiences made more sense to me in the West than they do now in Egypt. It was clear to me why I was covering myself and who I was doing it for and it was easy to reply to anyone who thought to ask me. The answer was simple, “I’m wearing this because I’m muslim.”

“Why? Why are you covering yourself?” “You can still be a good Muslim without wearing a hijab.” “When will you take it off for us?” “But you look so pretty with your hair down” “You’re still so young” “Allah will understand”

These are all comments that have been made by some of closest Egyptian friends and I have spent long periods of time pondering their answers.

I can’t count the number of times I have been asked the question “why?” in Egypt. It is a good question, one that does need to be answered sincerely. The frequency with which it is asked has brought me moments of doubt and confusion.

But I tell myself that the answers this question are still clear and to make them even clearer, I will bring in a few very good points made by Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan (a Muslim scholar).

One must, first and foremost, acknowledge that hijab does have countless numbers of social and personal benefits, and it does a lot to honor women (including warming up our heads in this freezing weather) but these benefits will not be argued. Instead of debating all these positive outcomes of hijab Ali Khan argues that a higher purpose exists; one that doesn’t involve explaining “logical reasons”. Once a person believes that the Quran is the word of the Divine, any orders from Allah should be obeyed. This is not to say that one should not question things, questions are an essential in life. However, one should trust that ultimately Allah knows best.

Nouman Ali Khan gives the prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) as a beautiful example to support this point. Allah asks the prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) for several requests. He asked the prophet (PBUH) to leave his family in the desert; obviously a difficult demand. Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) did not react by saying, “You know, I love everything about Islam, except this whole leaving my family in the desert thing”. He never asked Allah for the reasoning behind the demand, or doubted its significance, or even called it “oppressive”. Allah asked, and the prophet obeyed. Then Allah made another request and asked him to jump into a fire, he never said “You know, I love everything about Islam except this whole burning myself alive thing.” Finally, Allah asked the Prophet to put a knife to his son’s throat. Prophet Ibrahim did not say “Well, I love Islam but I also love my son,” the Prophet trusted Allah entirely and without doubt. Of course, in the end, the prophet never had to do this to his son and this is why we have Eid, but you get the point.  Whenever Allah asked the prophet to give himself up or surrender, Ibrahim (PBUH) surrendered. There is a much bigger purpose to Allah’s requests than just benefits and logical reasoning; and that is surrender. We must surrender ourselves wholly to Allah.

I’m not arguing that we should follow blindly, never question anything, and just quietly obey. I’m just answering my Why?, my why I wear a hijab. People are right, I do not necessarily need to be wearing a hijab to be a good Muslim, and my wearing a hijab does not mean I am a good Muslim. However, in the end, I made this choice because I would rather surrender to Allah than to a consumerist society where my looks determine what kind of person I am, or even my “intellect”. I will admit that sometimes I lose sight of what is important in life, I forget where my attention needs to be located, and I spend too much time doing and thinking about useless things. Yet, I am thankful I have a hijab on my head that serves as a reminder and a protector. 

I’d like to end this with a sentence I once read in a children’s book about the prophet Ibrahim’s (PBUH) life: “The moral of the story is that faith in Allah is the only thing that can save a believer in this world and the world to come”.

                         

Forgiveness

                                             By: Habiba Ghanem

**Note from the author** If you are a member in the lovely Help Club, then you already read this entry in the newsletter. If you are a member of the Help Club and this is your first time seeing this then, GO READ THE NEWSLETTER!!!! ..... =D

So here is something I think about a lot, and I say these words in hope to be able to follow them myself. I have a problem forgiving people and I think for anyone there will be times where it’s hard to forgive someone. The truth is, this life isn’t meant to be easy, and sooner or later we are going to get hurt by people whether they are friends, family, or even strangers. Nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. I bet you have made mistakes that effected one person or another. While writing this entry a voice inside of me kept telling me that some mistakes can’t be forgiven, sometimes you can keep giving a person the benefit of the doubt yet they disappoint you. It’s not fun being disappointed over and over again. We set certain expectations and guidelines that someone should meet and when they don’t we get mad them and sometimes we can’t forgive them.

Now, as I mentioned before as human beings we aren’t perfect we make mistakes and when the whole world can’t forgive us no matter how hard we try, Allah SWT does. Think of the mistakes that you make every day. Think of the mistakes that others make. That’s a lot to forgive, yet as soon as you repent to Allah SWT you are forgiven, no matter how small or big your sin was. Sub7anAllah. Allah SWT is the most merciful.

There is no greater force then Allah SWT, and if our Creator keeps forgiving us over and over for the mistakes that we make and the mistakes that we are going to make, then why do we the imperfect human beings let our pride and dignity get in the way of forgiving each other?