Prayers

When Zachariyya asks his secret prayer he gets an instant solution, when Yaqub asks for the return of Yusuf, he's made to wait for a long while. Both Prophets. When Musa requests the prophethood of Harun, its again instant. When Maryam cries the pangs of labour again, instant acceptance. Yunus on the otherhand is left in his affliction as a further test. Nuh and his 900 years of pure torture.

In Qur'an examples are given of duas, an understanding of how this works, we're told o ask as Allah swt is closer to us then our jugular vein. He likes us to ask. Every prophet had a different test a different need all fulfilled. I mean Ibraheim and his sacrifice which is re-inacted every year at Hajj. These indviduals and their duas were immortalised. They and their dua lived forever.

I have a dua, just the dua of a normal avergae person, it's nothing surreal, nothing huge, totally possible. For something so natural, why, how, when....make it happen...just like He makes everything else happen...please???

The Love Story

This Saturday I thought it would be interesting to dicuss with 9 year old boys the story of Jesus or Prophet Isa. So at this point we started talking about Mary (Maryam). Amazing character, beautiful example of faith and purity. The question is asked; "Who was the father of Isa?" and the answer amazes me "no one knows not even Maryam". I openly laugh, they all follow, not knowing what mystery they have develved into. So after explaining the basics of Maryam's emmaculate conception. We move on. Isa speaks at birth, his famous quote. They ask questions "Why Maryam?", "why Isa", I slowly answer. We move on, "so how comes Isa has disciples, I have followers on twitter, am I a prophet". Now it gets to the part where I stop being a teacher and I get to have fun (the main reason I wouldn't quit my Saturday job). "Is it true, Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a secret marriage, like Dan Brown found". "Are we allowed love stories in Islam" I respond with a question..."What was the story of Yusuf and Zuleikha, why was she restored her beauty, and why did Allah swt immortalise their love in Qur'an" That's their homework over Xmas to find out why such a forbidden love was immortalised in Qur'an.

There you go guys, I spend Saturday morning corrupting young minds, making them believe, love will solve your future, you just need to follow the right kind of love :)

Friends

Friends are like an extention to your family, you get a choice in them, yet they're enforced. Same school. Same culture. Same insecurities. Same characteristics. Something that binds random inviduals, making them one, you can stay away for many years, yet meet and have spent no time apart. It amazing how random things can make you laugh which no one else understands.

Over the past few years having learnt many lessons in friendship, real friendship, and the fraudulent kind. Having become a false smile and falsified excitement at their appearance, now recognising what makes real friendship. What has been missed, what is real, knowledge is power for seeing what is under all the fake emotion. Witnessing the purity in what is true and what is not meant to last. Flourishing in the security of being free and being who I am.

When I see through your eyes who I am, it is who I wish to be...

Ashura...

...meaning the 10th day...a multitude of emotions and interpretations away...we live out this one day as if it is the Qiyamah we all await, want, dread...yet await. In some sense it is Qiyamah. In another world its a chance to gage and reflect on who or what you are, where you will be this time next year, the year after, in 10 Ashura's time.

It's not just the brutal murder of an Imam, the tyranny of a dynasty, the end of something pure, the beginning of a journey. The same story is told each year, a different message is portrayed, a different meaning derived by each listener. The interpritation based on each persons resonance at that time and moment. Reflecting the past year, occasions come and gone. Each person views the sacrifice of Husayn (as) differently. Not one dry eye.

When I see Ashura, and baring in mind i have seen a few in my adult life, I see the difference between good and evil, perfection and imperfection, I see a character for each person, I see a historical relevance to today for each person. I see why the tears flow. I see how tyrants of today are the same dynasties who killed Husayn (as). I see the same inhumane disires, I see the same lack of mercy, I see the same pain, the same hurt. Where is the Rahma? The Akhlaq of Allah swt, did we forget? Did we not realise its perfection?

I see a daughter, a sister, a mother, all working together in turn forming perfection, showing me the true goal. I see opression, I see pain, I see hurt, most of all I see FAITH.

I wish to live forever, I will walk on this earth with pride, knowing my headscarf is a sign of my alligance to you Zaynab (as).