This is how I feel right now...

Soulmates; Is there 'The One' for you?

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Let me start off first with this ayat from the Quran in hopes that we are always grateful to Him for everything and that we are put far away from those who sin, even if it is within ourselves.

 رَبِّ بِمَا أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ فَلَنْ أَكُونَ ظَهِيرًا لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ

O My Lord! Since You have bestowed favours on me, I will never more be a helper for sinners (28:17).

So, to the topic of the day- 

Does the concept of 'The One' exist in the Muslim vocabulary? How do we make sense of this when Muslim men are allowed to marry up to four wives and that technically, it is forbidden for Muslims to date or see their future spouse before marriage?

Marriage is such an important step that our blessed Prophet (s) spoke of marriage as being `half the religion': `Whoever has married has completed half of his religion; therefore let him fear Allah in the other half!' (Bayhaqi)

This begs the question- Why? 

There's a very simple reason for this. Yes, there is 'The One' for us when we seek marriage with someone... and that 'One' is Allah. 

When I first thought about this idea; it seemed counter-intuitive but then I began to ask myself this: Why do we do anything? We do everything in this world because of Allah and for His pleasure alone. 

Therefore, when you meet someone who reminds you of Allah and who loves you solely for Allah, then you know that this person is therefore right for you. He/she becomes the channel or the bond that helps you escalate your love for Allah through your love for each other. Loving your spouse is loving Allah's creation and thus loving Allah. Furthermore, if your spouse follows the sunnahs of the Prophet closely; the remembrance of our Prophet s.a.w is also another way to build our love for Allah. 

Therefore, do not be swindled by the popularized notions of love professed on Valentine's Day. This [sick] notion of finding 'the one' has not stopped divorce from happening; in fact it has increased the rate of divorce, esp in Singapore. Why? Coz couples realise 'oh, he/she's not the one. Move on'.

‎ 

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect [30:21]

In another entry here, I mentioned that these 'Signs' always seek to return to the source, which is Allah, the Creator. So what does this tell us? Allah's Signs of His love for us is when we feel love for our spouse because He had put it there. But this love belongs to Him and as such, we must constantly remember to return that love to Him; through our daily ibadahs and also through our daily interactions with our family, our spouse, our children.

It's very simple really. Insyaallah, He will guide those who believe.

O Allah, grant the Muslim youth (men) pious and righteous wives, and make from their offspring Muslims who will rise the banner of Islam, and carry the Quran (in their hearts), and who will order good and forbid evil.


O Allah, grant the daughters of the Muslims pious and righteous husbands, and make them pious, obedient (to Allah and their husbands), repentance, not showing themselves (wearing hijjab).


O Allah, grant the Muslim youth (men) the chastity of Prophet Yusuf (AS), and grant the daughters of the Muslims the purity of Mary (Mariam (AS)).


Amin

May this help us in trying times

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

I found this on youtube but looked up the translation somewhere else. May this help us through the trying times. Insyaallah.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSp_LDfq8HQ
 
It's entitled: Bantulah Aku Melawan Nafsu (arabic)-Mawaddah  [Help me fight my Nafsu- by Mawaddah]
 
 
Do help me fight this lust


I had fought my lust every moment

I tried many times yet I failed

I didn't give up and I fought again

But I couldn't afford

I failed at last



O Lord, do help me, make it easy for me

To fight this lust that is destroying me

Maybe I'm not halted to reach You

Please help me Lord

Have mercy on me, don't let me be



Lord, do help me

Have mercy on me, don't let me be, do help me always

I don't give up, I keep on fighting by hoping help from You



Should You let me be on my own

I'll ceaselessly be in the sinful valley

O Lord, lust and satan always irritate me

Everyday they hold grudge on me whenever I want to be diligent to You



Don't leave me alone

Facing satan and my lust

I want to obey You, I want Your Please

Should You let me be, I'll be down then

Lord I'll try again fighting lust by Your help and Your blessing Lord



In this prayer I count on You

Do bestow upon me love and fear to You

As my guardians from my lust

Isn't it Your Promise to Your slaves?



O Lord, help me focus in my prayer

May I could feel Your Mightiness

Till I see everything is small, but You

By that feeling I hope at last I'll be able to fight satan and my cunning lust



Lord, in my prayer, clean up my soul, make feeble my lust

Do save myself, cultivate feeling of slavery in me

Make it stay put for my entire life

Syukur Alhamdulillah for this application!

 

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

I am thankful for the Azan application from SearchTruth because not only does it provide worldwide timing for prayers but it also tells you the direction of the kiblah.

It is very important for people like my dad who works on the ship for most times of the year. I am very thankful that I was able to download this app into his phone and I know that he has been putting it to good use. For example, the other time he was in Korea, it really helped him prepare for the sahur at 3am instead of the 5am Singapore time.


    

    

I really love the app and I really encourage others to download it too since it is for free! But even if it's not, I would definitely download it. May Allah reward the people who came up with this application and may they receive berkahs everytime we use it. Amin.

Death of an influential woman

 "In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Mdm Kwa Geok Choo, otherwise known as Mrs Lee Kwan Yew passed away this afternoon at 5.40pm in her home. See here. Even though she is absent in most of our history books; I feel that she embodies the saying: behind every successful man lies a woman.

It takes a very special kind of woman to understand the difficulties that her husband has to go through as a political leader. She must have kept many secrets and had managed her household well while working in her own law firm.

However, because she was not Muslim, I can only offer my condolences to her family. I don't suppose it is right for me to make doa for her; for she has already returned to the Creator and all is now in His hands to decide.

May she rest in peace.