The Long Road Ahead

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِيَ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَن

شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللّهُ

بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلاَ يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُواْ الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ اللّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ

تَشْكُرُونَ

5 2.18

(more…)

O Believers, enter completely into Islam and do not follow in the footsteps of Satan, for he is your avowed enemy. (2:208)

It has been some time since I was last here and was missing you all, so have decided to write a short entry before heading to Jummah. 

The last few days have been really interesting because I have had the privilege of experiencing some sincerity and genuine kindness by an Egyptian brother, the kind of thing, that being here you forget is essential between the Muslims.

Being a Muslim for the West in Egypt, over a number of months you forget about the genuine brotherhood you seem to find in the West. There are some brothers that I love like my own blood in the UK (Chill Out Khanny, Your Inc), and clearly would do anything for them, but I feel that equally brothers I don’t know, or if someone was new to my city, I would do everything I could do help them, and I don’t think I am alone in this. I have seen this amongst other brothers, in that they love the Muslims, for being Muslim, brothers like Abu Abdul Wahab, Abu Ubaydah, Abu Zaynab and Abu Yusuf reinforce in my mind that doing things for the sake of Allah is not confined to the few in the West. As this is our dean, As Allah makes clear; “The believers are but a single brotherhood” (49:9) But here subhanAllah everything always seemed to have an ulterior motive, to the extent until this week, I had just become accustomed to a different kind of brotherhood here. However this week a brother who accepted Islam last year, ‘AbdAllah’ sought to follow the sunnah of Khalil Allah, no, not offer his son in sacrifice, but to be circumcised as an adult. Now, I am sure the brothers can appreciate this would be a fitna in your twenty’s, but subhanAllah, this is what AbdAllah was to do this week, not with an Axe, but in a hospital, but I am sure you will agree, it is still a big deal.  As the above Ayat highlights, he realised that the one thing outstanding in his Islam at this moment was this sunnah, and being from Ahl Sunnah, he arranged for it to be done. But this episode, for me, not only showed to me his strength in doing it, but was the source of my restoration of faith in the Miseries. As an Egyptian brother was really amazing through this whole episode, and seem to remember that we are brothers, and that is something that is greater realised on the limbs than tongues. He took time from his work, spent money from his own pocket (Yes, I am serious for those of you who know Egyptian, An Egyptian Spent Money on a UK brother – No Strings; Send to reuters if you wish) and even cut short his weekend for Abd Allah, May Allah accept from him. This may seem like I am being racist by comments on Miseries, I am not, I love them for the sake of Allah, but until yesterday I had not seen the kind of brotherhood I am used to in the West or should I say in Abi Dunya; Bradford. I have to go, its close to Jummuah, stay well, make dua for us, and remember; ‘O human kind, We have created you from a single pair of male and female, and have divided you into nations and tribes, so that you shall recognize each other (not that you shall despise each other). Verily the most honoured in the sight of Allah (SWT) is the person who has Taqwa (who fears Allah and is Righteous). Allah is all-knowing and well acquainted with all things.’ (49.13)