The Beauty in Silence

TV off
door shut
all gone
silence reigns

crickets sound
heart stills
darkness gains

rhythmic beat
God's praise
creation sings

There is a beauty in silence...

Nobody's home and I'm having organic Kashi crackers that Sana left behind with nutella. No one's home and for a change the walls of this house are experiencing silence. I don't want to disturb them so I type lightly and choose to keep the lights off. It's only the light of this screen that is blaring through the darkness. The crickets outside (and perhaps other creatures as well) are humming their song non-stop which is making its way through the window screen on my left and into my ears, entering my heart. There is a calm I feel, a peace. If I close my eyes and simply repeat 'Allah,' I can feel the heaviness upon my eyelids lifting.

When we are amidst Allah swt's Creation that is in utter and complete obedience to Him, doing exactly that which is ordained for it, then and then alone are we really 'at home'...and it is a wonderful feeling, not to mention a much needed serenity in our lives. May we make the most of these moments (be they in silence, amidst nature or in good company) so that we may find ourselves just as much at peace when there will be no one around, and in darkness we shall lay still-ameen*

When Tragedy Befalls

My heart feels very heavy. I casually asked an old friend how she was doing after over a year, via email, and her reply froze my stare at the screen in shock, only later to be melted by a tear.
...

There is a lot going on in the world. People, as close to us as an easy phone call or email away, are suffering all around us. When the Light of deen first entered my heart, I felt very strongly that life could never be bad for a Muslim for even in trials and tribulations lay good! ‘Truly amazing is the affair of the believer. His affair only contains good. That realization only occurs for the believer. If he is blessed with good he thanks God and in that there is good. And if he is afflicted with difficulty he patiently endures and in that there is good.' (Sahih Muslim #7425)

However, I have recently been thinking a lot about how we all need not just a reminder of the Hikma behind trials, but more importantly, a helping hand through the trying times. Even with the knowledge that Allah swt does everything for the best, you often need the help and support of family, friends and people from the community to get you out of difficult situations you find yourself stuck in…to get you out of your suffering. Offering this support and help should be at the forefront of our minds as we interact with people.

Imam Dawud Yasin said at a retreat I recently attended, “feed people and open up your houses.” It’s time for us to open up our hearts and reach out to those who are suffering, lonely, tired, depressed, hurting…(and you will be surprised to find many such amongst us!) be it even in the smallest of ways, and alleviate their pain the best we can. It’s time to get back in touch with the world that exists outside of our own bubbled routines, the world that Allah swt has chosen to put us in the midst of, for a reason.