#may all make us all from the people who says alhamdulilah that allah kept his promise and let us live in jannah and enjoy every inch of it

[heavierthanlaila]

﴿ وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُ وَأَوْرَثَنَا الْأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَاءُ ۖ فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ﴾

[ الزمر: 74]

[rest-in-being]

A Special Ramadan

“Alhaumdulilah first Ramadan coming, beginning in your country. Mubrak, Kareem Mubrak insha’Allah, Ramadan Kareem. And insha’Allah blessed one this year, special Ramadan. It is every time special but this time it is very different. People they are not used to this situation but Mu’min they are all time, must be connecting heart with Allah ﷻ. No difference between time – everything it must be acceptable for us. But because we are coming not for dunya - for Akhirah. And it is normal for human being to leave everything and for nobody to stay in this world. So mu’min they are knowing their situation. They must be not afraid or anxious or sad. Everything coming from Allah, His giving, we cannot take. And this big lesson for whole human being who they have mind they must be happy not be sad from situation. Allah ﷻ put all of them in house not let anybody move anywhere so who is looking after dunya, after material world also they cannot do anything. They are tied. Allah tied everybody. Especially in Ramadan, Prophet ﷺ was saying Shaytan they are tied and kept tied and they cannot do anything.

But now Allah ﷻ He tied everybody and this Ramadan maybe it is in whole world less sins can be done because everywhere closed, these bad places; casino’s gambling, other places drinking. All they’re closed so this Ramadan it will be insha’Allah most blessed one. So we are thanking Allah He create us Muslim and is most important thing He is happy with us insha’Allah.

So Ramadan Prophet ﷺ was saying it is most happy and most blessed month. Prophet ﷺ saying in khutba, shadow of months Ramadan coming. There is one night it is better than thousand months in this month and everything you do, every farz you make or you pray or you do from farz, seventy times it is acceptable and reward in Divine Presence of Allah ﷻ. And everything you do for this, most of people, Muslim, they are giving zakat in month of Ramadan because seventy times it is reward because it is farz also so it is seventy times. Every time you can give zakat but for not forgetting once a year you make it in Ramadan and it is rewarded as seventy times. And to give iftar for each one Allah ﷻ forgive you and you make you to be in Jannah. This is Prophet ﷺ words, his words and good tidings for us and especially also night praying, day of course fasting all people.

Every tarawih also. This year maybe they cannot go to mosque but they can pray in their homes and with family. Some of them they said to do live, but in live you cannot follow imam only what you do – you read by yourself. But you cannot follow imam because this also many people they are asking and especially they said some ulema saying it is acceptable, not acceptable. Of course we are knowing it is not acceptable. But we are following Shariah and we know but maybe to be more easy for them they can follow but not niyyat jamat. They may follow by themselves, they read by themselves, they make tarawih insha’Allah.

And Alhamdulilah for what happen in these days the most important thing to be give sadaqah insha’Allah. Sadaqah it is most protection for us. They said put in your mouth something, you put in nose something. It is not as effective as Sadaqah. Sadaqah it is very important and these days also it is showing of Mahdi عليهم السلام insha’Allah. We are hoping because Prophet ﷺ he was saying about these days it is big problem, big trouble coming in end of the world but also he give tiding for people to stay in their houses if anything and alhamdulilah we are staying in house. We are following even when we are staying, intention staying house, following order of Prophet ﷺ, his order. Allah reward us for this also. Alhamdulilah we are missing our people but alhamudlilah we are know they are safe and must be more strongly following Tariqah, Shariah. We have plenty of time so we are thanking Allah for this. Alhamdulilah we are sitting in our house, not sitting in hospital, so we must thank Allah for this. It is big ni’mah and He is giving our provision. We are eating, drinking, insha’Allah we fasting also.

Insha’Allah this month it is thousand time more reward than other Ramadan. We are asking from Allah ﷻ protection for all of you, for all Muslims, especially Muslim country and to give hidaya for this country who they are oppression, they are doing oppression. Allah give them hidaya. With hidaya it will be good for them and good for whole human being. But, who is not following Islam they don’t have this mercy, they don’t have good intention. Good intention only in Muslim because Prophet ﷺ ordering us for this. Don’t harm anybody and not make people to harm anybody. This is Prophet ﷺ.

It is Nashiha for all our people. InshaAllah many good thing happen. Many blessings happen from Allah. People must be patient.”

-- Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil ق

[23 April 2020]

[rabbigfirlee]

“Sometimes the most corrupt people are the ones who seem the most pious”

I can’t even seem to find the words to explain this because I’m overwhelmed with emotion. But I’ll try. Perhaps this may benefit someone in a similar situation or give another person the courage to speak up, as no one did for me.

Exactly a year ago, on this very day, my stalker came to an event I was hosting at my university. He sat in the audience watching me and I had immediately noticed him but I tried to ignore it while I was speaking. By the time the event ended, around 9 pm, I didn’t see him around so I felt a bit relieved and naively thought that it was safe for me to head home. While I was walking to my car, he cornered me in an isolated hallway. I remember the feeling of fear and confusion. And I vividly remember all the threats.

“I will make your life miserable”

“You don’t know what I can do”

“Do you think anyone will ever take your word over an Imam’s?”

“You’re a foolish little girl”

“Never underestimate someone who works for Allah”

And for what? Why? All because I didn’t return his advances. For five years this man, the Imam of my masjid, had been stalking me and harrassing me. And wallahi there was not even one instance in that five years where I had ever entertained him.

It started when I first moved here. On my very first day in the community, I remember he approached my mother and I and introduced himself which we didn’t find unusual. Then a few weeks later, I started getting random texts from an unknown # and I found out it was him. Somehow he had gotten my number and as soon as I realized it was him I instantly felt strange and would NEVER respond. This would make him angry and in return, he’d message things like “Why don’t you respond?” “Why don’t you like me?” This would happen repeatedly until I would finally respond with an “I’m sorry I’ve been very busy”.

I was 15 at the time and although I couldn’t understand why he would be texting me, I kept telling myself “He’s an Imam, you’re overthinking this!” He then started calling me late in the evening or messaging me during the school day asking if he could pick me up early and take me out. Again, I refused all of these advances but was left absolutely confused by his actions.

At the time, my father had to work across the country and we would only see him once every few months. I was living in a new town in a completely different state with my mother and younger siblings. Wallahi, so as to not burden or add any stress on my mother, I kept my doubts about this man to myself. I kept telling myself that I was mistaken and despite the fact that all of this didn’t make sense to me, that I needed to “make 70 excuses for him”. But again, I was only a naive 15 year old who had a very sheltered upbringing. I saw red flags but my naivety blinded me from the reality of what was going on.

Over the next four years, this man would text my friends while impersonating me (using a texting app), he would show up to places I was at, tell me how everyone in the community, including my friends at the masjid hated me, and just a number of other messed up things. He would tell me that someone did black magic on me and that a jinn was harassing me. I admit, I was naive for believing any of this but I could not understand why someone “of the deen” (as he called himself) would want to hurt me? Any time a brother approached me for marriage, he would intervene and would tell them absolute lies about me (which my parents were later informed of). And the list goes on. The point is, I kept quiet because I was unsure of whether I was overthinking or misinterpreting his actions because in my mind he was an “Imam” and would never do such things for the wrong reasons. Any time I expressed to him that I was feeling uncomfortable or didn’t want him to contact me, he would follow up with a “How dare you question me? Do you know who I am? Wallah, you are a fool. Wallah, you are crazy. Wallah, you will pay for trying to ruin my reputation.”

Other teens, both brothers and sisters, would notice how the Imam was treating me. Any time any of them tried to intervene, he would play the “Man of Deen” card. He would manipulate all of us using his authority and the religion to keep us quiet. He used to threaten some of the brothers my age by saying “I know what you did last night. I have a jinn who whispers things to me” anytime they tried to intervene.

For FIVE years this man harassed me. And after the night he showed up to my uni event, I finally decided to tell my parents. I finally realized that I wasn’t overthinking or ‘corrupt’ (as he would call me anytime I tried to question him). When I told my parents, Alhamdulilah they immediately believed me and decided to take things to the masjid. However, of course, the masjid could not act on my words alone and so they had to hear his side as well. In his true manipulative fashion, he said absolutely terrible things about me and my character. He slandered my name and said the worst of the worst things. He had the audacity to say that I came to him for help and that he was acting as an ‘elder brother’ looking out for me. He told people that I was suicidal (!) and wanted to run away with some guy who my parents wouldn’t allow me to marry (WALLAHI this is untrue). And he even spread the rumor that my father would beat me so I was afraid of him (‘which is why I was lying and trying to cover up the situation’ according to him). He knew exactly what to say to convince everyone that I was in the wrong and to save his face.

While all of this was going on, I felt so weak and oppressed. Yes, I had my parents but I felt that people of my community doubted my character and my integrity when I was innocent. It was my word again his. A little girl (though I was already 20 at the time) vs the well-respected Imam of our community. There were days were I could not stop crying and days I could not get myself to eat. I was so stressed and confused as to why this was happening. I was very involved with my masjid and had never given them a reason to doubt me, so why now, when I was coming with such a serious claim, did they turn their backs on me? I felt betrayed, angry, confused, but most importantly, oppressed. And throughout this time, I would make one particular duaa. “May Allah grant me justice against those who have oppressed me”.

There were times where I thought to myself “Maybe I shouldn’t have spoken up and just quietly dealt with his harassment on my own”. I didn’t want to create problems for my family or even for my community for that matter. But I swear by Allah, what got me through was the thought that ‘This could be happening to someone else, who is weaker or doesn’t have the support at home, or the ability to reject his advances. What if it’s an even younger girl? Or a revert?’. I kept telling myself that Allah has given me a voice to speak and a mind to think for those that can’t. It was my responsibility to speak the truth regardless of what other people thought of me, no matter how scared I was. 

While all of this was happening, there was one sister who knew the complete truth about what was going on. She had all the evidence and was someone I had confided in for the previous five years. She was someone I considered my best friend and trusted with my life. And when the time came for her to present the evidence, she was too scared. While I won’t go into more detail, all I can say is that the person whom I would have given my life for, abandoned me and allowed for my name and reputation to be dragged through the mud, despite knowing of my innocence. She knew the truth, had evidence that could ‘save’ me yet she chose to keep silent. She was a witness to all the threats and injustices against me but instead, she hid the truth.

Despite all of this, when even the closest person to me had left me, Allah saved me. Wallahi, things got so bad to the point that I considered running away to escape the stress and trauma. I swear to you that Allah created a path for me where there was none. And not only that, but He granted me an outcome that I could have never imagined. Alhamdulilah. Alhamdulilah. Alhamdulilah. Allah granted me my justice and even more. Alhamdulilah. 

I am sharing this in the hopes that even one of you may benefit from my story. It took five years, but Allah delivered on his promise and granted me ease. Allah answered my duaas and granted me justice against all of those who had oppressed me. I want you to know, if you’re losing faith, struggling, or in a situation that you feel has no solution, then know that Wallahi I felt the same way. I want you to hang in there and keep praying to Allah because I promise to you, He is listening and that after your hardship there will be ease. I have witnessed it myself. May Allah ease all of your worries, struggles, and sadness. May He replace it with His mercy, blessings, and all that is good in this world and the next. Ameen.

The last thing I want to stress is that it is your duty to speak the truth even when it is difficult for you. Someone may suffer the consequences of your selfishness/negligence in a matter as serious as this. As long as you are doing what is right, have no fear for Allah is with you. And even if the whole world were to gather together in order to harm you, they would not be able to if Allah is with you.