What Is A Teacher?

Asslamaualaykum WaRahmatuAllah

My umm (mum) was advising me and my brother (we’re both teachers):

“A teacher only has full rights over students, when that teacher wakes up for tahujjud and prays (makes dua) for their students, as a parent makes dua for their child, the teacher is a guardian of their students.
So stand up in qiyaam like the Prophet Muhammad (saw) did for his ummah, for the ulema (people of knowledge) are the waaritheen (inheritors) of the Prophet (saw), and Allah has put the spreading of His deen in the hands of the people of knowledge.”

WaAlaykumAssalam WaRahmatuAllah

Simple Yet So Complex

Assalamualaykum Wa RahmatuAllah

From the Wise Sayings of Luqman

“If you’re in prayer, take care of your heart;

If you’re eating, take care of your throat;

If you’re in another man’s house, take care of your eyes;

If you are among people, take care of your tongue.

Remember two matters and forget two matters:

Remember Allah and death;

Forget any good that you have done to another and any evil that was done to you by another.”

The Ultimate DUH! Realisation.

“A Teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops”

“Teaching is not a lost art. But the regard for it is a lost tradition”

Assalamualaykum WaRahmatuAllah;

So whilst teaching the other day I had the Ultimate “DUH” moment …

I’ve been teaching kids for 2 years minus a few weeks now … Alhumdulillah

So one of my beloved little students who’s 5 has been with me since learning the arabic alphabet from Alif Baa, now MashaAllah she’s on Juzz Amma with complete fluent recitation and a good grasp on tajweed, SubhanAllah the amount of effort this little girl puts in is amazing, when she doesn’t know her dars I can just tell, cos she comes in to class in tears.

Now you can say she cries cos she’s afraid I’ll shout, Unfortunately that isn’t the case, I’m apparently the biggest walk over teacher.
But she cries cos she feels she’s let me and her self down. SubhanAllah I love this child!

I ask her why she comes into class crying:

Child: Apa I dont know my dars
Me: Its ok, you know I won’t shout, let me help you learn it.
Child: No apa its not that, Its because I dont like it when I don’t know it.

SubhanAllah! This love for learning Quran is becoming very rare, How the child finds happiness in every page they advance in Quran.

I ask the child, what do you wish to become when you grow older? She says I want to become and Apa like you.

That bought me to tears … such innocence and love for teaching deen!

That bought on the “DUH” moment …
I thought I have taught this child from alphabet through to Quran, now each time she recites Quran, reads salah all the ajr comes back to me. And she wants to go on to teach so the line is infinite … Woooooooooooaaaaah!

SubhanAllah, We all know teaching is a sadaqah jariyyah but this time the realisation actually caught up with me in real time.

Alhumdulillah! I make dua to Allah that he bless’ each one of my students and the muslimeen with the love of deen, love for the Quran. May Allah grant them barakah in their lives so they may grow up to work for his deen.
May Allah instill in me in the correct adaab, so that I may teach them in the correct manner, and May He forgive me for my shortcomings.

Duas Requested for Me and My students.

WaAlaykumAssalam WaRahmatuAllah

The Seeds Are Sprouting

Allah says in the Qur’an:
“When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me.” [2:186]

The place of duaa is so high to Allah , that the Prophet had said:
“Nothing is more honourable to Allah the Most High than du`a.”
[Sahih al-Jami` no.5268].

He also said: “The most excellent worship is du`a.”
[Sahih Al-Jami` no. 1133]

Assalamualaykum

Alhumdulillah had a roller coaster weekend!
Its started of on Saturday By having to recite in an awards evening organised by the local committee of mosques.
I chose to recite Surah Maryam, the ayaat of the conception of Isa (as) through to his birth.

Alhumdulillah it went really well, its funny I don’t really suffer stage fright but once I actually get up there its kind of daunting.

The evening wasn’t an all an all out dawah event, non-muslims were invited, and I was asked to recite so why miss out on a dawah opportunity! It was received well by the non-muslims as well Alhumdulillah!

There were local muslim female councillors there who spoke about their work in politics and when she asked the crowd (which consisted of mostly under 18’s) who was thinking about going into politics, no one raised their hands! It just doesn’t seem appealing, yet ask anyone if they would want to become Prime Minister it would have been a different matter!

The entire event well Alhumdulillah, and it was beautiful to see the sisterhood between all the sisters, all working together for the sake of Allah :-D

Then today it was the Al Birr Hifz Competition (we were stationed at the girls one obviously!), subhanAllah, some of the contestants were so young, they made me feel ashamed, yet in a way enlightened in the heart, seeing these young muslimahs memorise, showed in reality Allah ’s promise to always protect the Quran. AND it motivated me to pick up memorising again, inshaAllah I’m hoping to enter the competition one day, Make dua for me!!

I met some amazing sisters, friends of a friend, but also sister’s from sunniforum (oh how small is the world!!), I love meeting like minded people and one of the sisters was from Vancouver (Yup my ultimate dream place!), and I could see the mysterious ways in which Allah works, and how meeting everyone is for a reason!

Over all it was such a beautiful weekend, working for the sake of Allah through most of it! You can’t get time spent better than that!! SubhanAllah, and bonding together in the way only muslimah’s can, the power of sisterhood!

May Allah grant us all the ability to carry on working for His deen.

May He accept from us our humble efforts and prayers, and grant us what He befits best for us.

May He keep our intentions pure and only for His sake.

May He increase us in Ilm and bestow on us deeper bonds of brotherhood, as He did upon the Ansaar and Muhajireen.

May He grant us all Jannatul Firdous.

Ameen

Please keep me in your duas in these blessed days and the days to come.

If anyone wishes for special dua’s especially for Ramadan please just leave a comment.

WaAlaykumAssalam Wa RahmatuAllah

So to fulfill our needs and wants, we must call on Him. Making Du’a to Allah , is a recognition of our weakness and His greatness. The Prophet had said: “Ask Allah for everything, even the lace of your shoes. If Allah does not provide, it will never be available.”
Tirmidhi

And let not there be anyone who says: “… my Lord won’t answer my prayer, because of this and that.. or because of so and so..”. No! Indeed Allah is the Most Generous King. Is there anyone who met a king, and praised and glorified him, and then asked, yet the request was not granted? So what about Allah , the King of the Heavens and the Earth - who has total control over your life, your wealth and your future. Why would He not grant you your request? Indeed, our beloved Prophet had said: “Verily your Lord is the One modest and Generous, and when His servant raises his hands to Him in supplication, He is diffident (in some wordings, shy or hesitant) from returning them empty.”
Abu Dawood

Mother

Assalamualaykum

A friend of mine left the following poem as a comment. I believe it deserves more than that.

This is the reflection of a sister who recently lost her mother.

May Allah (swt) instill in us the correct respect and love for our parents. Ameen.

Mother

I first saw light
my eyes blinked and opened
within your womb

In pain and distress
I entered life

You touched death
when I took my first breath

So small
I could lie, squirming and stretching
upon your gentle hand

Through tiredness and concern
I grew and learned

I found safety on your lap
a love that never fades

In later years I stood
and challenged you
rejecting your authority

But I returned.
where else to go
but to the one who knows me so well

Here I am again
a mother now
and you are gone

Your memory shines in my mind
I speak to mind
as you did to me

Arms outstretched
to collect broken fallen life
a haven
eagerly awaited

A lap, on which to rest
as I found comfort in you

Now I close my eyes
and feel your loving arms
hold me tight

Every word, kiss and kindness
is never lost
it shines in my being
and reflects onto mine.

It is not usually until we grow up and have children of our own that we truly appreciate the love and nurturing we received at the hands of our mothers….. may Allah have mercy upon them.

“Mum, you are so far away from me, yet in my heart, my dreams, you are always near.”

My Ultimate Dream

Dreaming is FREE

Talking is FREE

Making Dua is FREE

(Ustad Muhammad AlShareef) 

Assalamualaykum

Those of you who have joint DiscoverUlife By Ustad Muhammad AlShareef, know how he encourages us to talk about our dreams.

So here goes …

Firstly my ultimate dream is to go to a place where they are in need of ustads, and to help teach the Ilmiyyah course, until graduation of Aalimahs who could carry on the work. If such a call had not been answered by Aalimahs of the subcontinent such Ilm would not be so widely availble in the UK today.

Secondly, for many years, I’ve always wanted to teach in a place where there is a great need of Ilm, a place where there are Muslims who are in need of it, to start up madaaris, to teach women and children with a husband who would be willing to help do the same for the males of the community.

I had never thought exactly where this place would be or how I would go about it, but about a year back my father took a trip to Vancouver, Canada. He saw that there are muslims, but they did not have madrasah’s etc where children can go to learn and where sisters could also learn.

With that I learnt of Jamia Aisha Siddiqua opening in Toronto, and the need for female ustads there also.

Finally I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do.

so my ultimate goals:

• Marry a sincere muslim who is willing to spend a life working for the deen.
• Teach in Toronto until atleast the 1st Graduation , where upon after they will have their own Aalimahs to be able to carry on the great work.
• Go to Vancouver and set up a strong Muslim community insha’Allah .

I make dua Allah keep my intentions sincere, and I ask the few who come across this blog to make dua for me also insha’Allah .

WaAlaykumAssalam

Giving Nasihah (Advice)

If it is not truthful and not helpful, don’t say it.

If it is truthful and not helpful, don’t say it.

If it is not truthful and helpful, don’t say it.

If it is truthful and helpful, wait for the right time.

Assalamualaykum

Above is the most concise nasihah I’ve found on giving nasihah (ok thats confusing!)
I’m sure you get me though.

I think there’s a fine line between “giving nasihah” to some-one and plain “telling” them something. At times nasihah ends up sounding judgemantal (connie ;-) ), plain rude or boistrous. I personally don’t take well to being told what to do, when told in a rude or inconsiderate way, so I don’t expect others to listen if I boss them about.

Ever noticed how the nasihah of sincere people with beautiful akhlaaq (character) usually has more of an influence? Its a simple conclusion, look to yourself before looking to others, perfect yourself first.

Many a stories have come down the generations that if a scholar or sheikh was asked to give naseehah about a certain thing, they would first look to themselves see if they had the flaw in them, if they did; they would perfect themselves before dishing out the nashiha to others.

May Allah help us perfect our akhlaaq inside and out.

Dua’s sincerely requested.

WaAlaykumAssalam

Carving The Character

 “The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.”

“A man’s errors are his portals of discovery.”

Assalamualaykum

At times I feel as though teaching has been given the wrong name, ever since I’ve started teaching I feel as though I’m the one learning more and more everyday. Understandably I do teach, hence the occupation, but the lessons learnt aren’t lessons of paper but great lessons of life.

I’ve always lived by the simple rule of “don’t do to others what you wouldn’t like done to yourself”, as the hadith goes “Wish for your brother what you wish for yourself”.

Same when teaching, you often might shout at a student, or punish them for misbehaving, and believe me kids really know how to make some-one feel guilty, the looks they can give! I often just have to harden my heart and keep strict.
I’m not a great fan of being the “mean teacher” but at times you just gotta bite the bullet, and be super strict even if it kills you inside.

In the same way in life people often might seem to just hurt you for no reason, but comes the making excuses for  a person, maybe they had a good intention for doing it, and you misread it, but the essence is as Allah (swt) mentions in the Quran that no hurt can come to you except that Allah wills.

Another of my strongest beliefs is that, experience carves a persons character, either for the better or for the worse. With each experience good or bad is the opportunity to use it to make you a better person or the opportunity to become the opposite. There is no better teacher than experience.

True carving of one’s emaan and character is taking some-thing from everything, no person is perfect, you can sit back and cry over the past or get up and use it to improve yourself and the future.
Live by the constant reminder that we’re nothing in this world … Even if some-one does hurt us, are we some major artifact of perfection ourselves? This world is nothing but a Prison for the true believer, what more do you expect from a prison if not hurt and trials? Take a step back and look have I broken a rule some-where along the line?

Its easy to blame others, the hardest step is to take a step back and look at ourselves, the evaluation of our own actions. We ourselves aren’t capable of reaching perfection, so how can we expect it of others?

“And if Allah touches you with hurt, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can keep back His favour; He brings it to whom He pleases of His servants; And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
- Qur’an, surah Yunus; 10:107

WaAlaykumAssalam

Hit the note of the heart

Assalamualaykum;

These are two of my favourite nasheeds. They really touch the heart subhanAllah!

Allah Knows - Zain Bhikha

My Mum Is Amazing - Nadira Ali

Will post more time permitting insha’Allah , Busy with Ramadhan preps at home :-)

Duas Requested

Ma’assalam

For The Love Of Diversity

“There never were in the world two opinions alike, no more than two hairs or two grains; the most universal quality is diversity”

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”

Assalamualaykum WaArahmatuAllah;

One of the greatest highlights of my trip to London, was the finding of so many diverse cultures and people. It was amazing Alhumdulillah.

We never spent a day at home from morning to evening we were usually out, the great thing about the city is you meet so many different people (and you never run into anyone you know!). The main thing I loved the most is how everyone is nice to each other but mind their own business, totally unlike up north!
I did at times find the people to be really rude especially when they knock you then say excuse me! or dont even say sorry!

One of the highlights for the trip was going to Regents Masjid for Jumuah, There was some beautiful Qiraat before the khutbah! Also the meeting of so many sisters from so many different backgrounds! Where I live women dont go to the masjid for prayer, and its mostly a desi area, My mum loved it also, it reminded her of the haramain :-)

The trip was a bit of a trialling expereince though … being a claustrophobic person, being stuck on the tube in between people, and battling through crowds really tried my patience, at times I was ready to scream, can’t imagine how that would have gone down as a Niqaabi on the tube.

That was another thing … Me and My cuz are both niqaabis and its weird how no-body would come sit in the same carriage unless they HAD to … I did kinda get tired of people staring though at times, towards the end of the week we actually would ask what they were looking at … Although people try not to make it obvious they’re looking, but I dunno I guess being a teacher you kinda get used to looking in about 10 places at once, so even if you’re looking elsewhere you know some-one is looking at you!

Apart from that, I was limping for my whole stay in London, I fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle on the first day, I already had an injury before I went! Alhumdulillah Ala Kulli haal, taught me perseverance!!! And I just about got better then we went Ice Skating … I don’t think I need to elaborate here!

Being born and bought up in town life, city life is chaotic, but the fact that people mind their own buisness and that you can actually go to huge beautiful parks, is enough to make me want to move!

Thats all for now …

Oh yea the queen had a Garden Party when we went … more on that later insha’Allah when I get the pics uploaded. Once again JazakumAllah Khair for all your duas … The weather was great on all days execept when we went to the beach! (class or what!)

WaAlaykumAssalam WaArahmatuAllah

PS: This isn’t the first time I’ve been to London … But this is the first Ive truly discovered it!