Abu Talha narrates that one day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in good spirits. Joy could be seen on his face. The Companions said: “O Messenger of Allah, today you are in good spirits and joy can be seen on your face.”

“Yes,” said the Prophet, “A visitor came from my Lord and said: ‘When a member of your nation bestows one prayer upon you, Allah records for that person ten good deeds, erases ten of his bad deeds, raises him ten degrees and bestows upon him a prayer like the prayer he bestowed.’” (Narrated by Ahmad and al-Nasa’i)

Nothing pleased the Companions more than to see the Prophet with joy on his face. They could not help remarking on this, hoping to know why this was the case. The Prophet ﷺ explained that an angel had come to him bearing good tidings. In some narrations this angel is named as Jibril, peace be upon him.

The angel’s message from his Lord relates to the reward given to someone who bestows one prayer upon the Prophet. The Prophet ﷺ was overjoyed at what had been gifted to his nation through this simple act. His joy was in what benefited his followers the most – an increase in their good deeds, an erasure of their bad deeds and the raising of their ranks  – all of this multiplied tenfold! But what is even greater, is that Allah Himself bestows prayers upon such a person.

Allah’s Prayers Upon Us

Other hadiths tell us that if we bestow one prayer upon the Prophet, Allah responds by bestowing ten prayers upon us. But even if it is only one, this is more than enough since a prayer from Allah is something that cannot be measured or quantified. Imam Ibn Ata’illah al-Iskandari said that if all the good actions of the whole of creation from the time of Adam to the Day of Judgement were placed on one side of the scales and one prayer from Allah was placed on the other, the prayer from Allah would outweigh all those actions.

This is one of many hadiths that inform us of the benefits of bestowing prayers (salawat) upon the Prophet. When we take a few moments to do this, we recognise the huge debt that we owe our guide and acknowledge our inability to recompense him. We thus ask Allah to do this on our behalf and hope that it brings joy to our beloved Prophet ﷺ.

Jarir bin Abdullah narrates that he was sitting in the middle of the day with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ along with some of the Companions when a group of people appeared. They were barefoot and hardly had any clothing. Jarir recognised them to be from the tribe of Mudar. The Prophet’s face went pale when he saw the state they were in. After everyone had assembled and prayed the congregational prayer, the Prophet stood up and addressed the people. He reminded them to have taqwa and to prepare for their meeting with Allah. Then he exhorted them to give whatever they could in charity: gold, silver, clothing or food, even if it was only half a date.

A man from the Ansar then came with a bag of coins so large that he could hardly carry it. From then on, people came one after the other bringing donations. Soon there were two piles, one of food and one of clothing.

When the Prophet saw this, his face shone with joy. He then said: “When someone establishes a good practice in Islam, they will have the reward for it and the reward of those who later act upon it without this detracting in the least from their reward.  When someone establishes a bad practice in Islam, they will bear the responsibility for it and for those who later act upon it without it detracting in the least from their responsibility.”  (Narrated by Muslim)

It pains the Prophet ﷺ to see members of his nation in a state of destitution and hardship and nothing pleases him more than to see people making sacrifices to help those in need.

When he saw these people in a state of hardship he was greatly moved. The fact that he shared a common ancestor with them – since he himself was a descendant of Mudar – made him treat them with extra compassion. By helping them the Prophet was also honouring the ties of kinship, which was something at the heart of his teachings.

The Prophet ﷺ could have asked Allah to feed and clothe these people in whatever way He wished, but he wanted his Companions to take action. Once the community had come together for prayer, he called upon them to give whatever they could to help these unfortunate people. But he only did this after reminding them of their relationship with Allah – to show them that their belief in Him and awareness of Him dictated that they act in situations such as this. He wanted each person to give according to their means and their intention. So half a date from one man may have been more significant than another man’s gold or silver.

What made his face shine with joy was to see a man from the Ansar coming forward with a generous donation. He loved the Ansar dearly and Allah Himself testifies to their readiness to sacrifice out of love for Him: “they give others preference over themselves, even if they too are poor” (al-Hashr, 59:9). He was happy that this man had taken the initiative and that others would follow his example. He then clarified an Islamic principle: that when someone establishes a good practice, they will be rewarded for doing so and they will be rewarded for the actions of those that follow that practice. The opposite is also true, as the Prophet stated.

We ask Allah to grant us the ability to do things that please Him and His Beloved ﷺ and that in doing so we set an example for others to follow.

Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Aqil al-Thaqafi narrates that he came to visit the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with the delegation of the tribe of Thaqif. He said: “When we entered into his presence there was no one that we hated more than him. We entered, greeted him and pledged allegiance to him. When we left there was no one that we loved more than him.

I said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah, did you not think of asking your Lord for a kingdom like the kingdom of Sulayman?’

The Prophet smiled and said: ‘Perhaps Allah has given your companion (meaning himself) something better than the kingdom of Sulayman. Whenever Allah sent a Prophet he gave him a (special) supplication. Some of them used it for something worldly and they were given what they asked for, and some used it to pray for the destruction of their peoples, and their peoples were duly destroyed.  Allah gave me this special supplication and I have kept it in reserve with Him to use as a means of intercession for my nation on the Day of Judgement.’” (Narrated by al-Hakim)

The tribe of Thaqif were the noblemen of the city of Ta’if. When the Prophet ﷺ came to call them to Allah, they rejected him in the most offensive manner. In spite of that rejection, the Prophet refused to command their destruction but rather hoped that they would be guided. If they were not guided, he hoped that their children and descendants would.

The Muslims later defeated Thaqif at the Battle of Hunayn and unsuccessfully laid siege to Ta’if. The tribe eventually sent a delegation to the Prophet to reluctantly announce their acceptance of Islam. The narrator admits that he hated the Prophet when he first met him but during the course of one sitting, that hatred was transformed into love. Instead of bearing a grudge against them, the Prophet welcomed them with open arms. We can only imagine the wise words and the beautiful character that the Prophet showed in order to win over their hearts.

The narrator began to get a glimpse of the Prophet’s status. He began to realise that in front of him was Allah’s Beloved and he could ask whatever he wanted from his Lord. He thought that the greatest thing someone could ask for was a vast kingdom, but the Prophet corrected that notion with a gentle smile. He showed that the greatest thing you can ask for is what benefits people the most in their hour of greatest need. This is one of many narrations which tell us about the intercession of the Prophet on the Day of Judgement.

His mercy surpassed the mercy of other Prophets and he will not be content until as many members of his nation as possible are in Paradise. May none of us be deprived of his intercession on that day.

Umayah bin Makhshi narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting with a man who was eating. The man did not mention Allah’s name and he kept eating until there was only one mouthful left. When he raised the food to his mouth he said: “In the name of Allah at the beginning and the end.”

The Prophet laughed and said: “The devil was eating with him until he mentioned Allah’s name, at which point the devil vomited up everything that was in his stomach!” (Narrated by Abu Daud)

This hadith reminds us of the importance of mentioning Allah’s name before even the smallest and most mundane actions such as dressing, entering and leaving our homes, going to sleep and waking up, and, of course, eating and drinking.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught us the precise etiquette in all of these situations and revealed to us the consequences of neglecting it. When we mention Allah’s name, it acts as a barrier that prevents darkness and evil from entering our lives. Beyond this, it reminds us that only Allah sustains the existence of all things. When we eat, sleep and walk in Allah’s name, those actions take on a new meaning. This is because they are connected to the Divine and are blessed with Allah’s support and care.

If, however, we are not conscious of this reality (as is often the case) it is never too late. The key is to return to Allah as soon as we remember. If we forget to mention Allah’s name before we eat, we can say the following supplication when we remember:

بِسْمِ اللهِ أَوَّلَهُ وآخِرَه

Bismillāhi awwalahu wa ākhirahu

In the name of Allah at the beginning and the end

This incident also shows us that the Prophet ﷺ was actually witnessing the unseen. The angelic and demonic realms were unveiled to him. Although they are veiled to us (with very rare exceptions), it is part of our faith to believe that they exist just as the Prophet informed us of them.

Just as the devil is happy to see our actions come to nothing, the Messenger ﷺ laughed and was happy to see the devil’s actions come to nothing. His happiness was always for the victory of light over darkness. In this case, a member of his nation was neglectful even though he was in the presence of the Prophet. But what pleased the Prophet was that he made amends. We can take comfort from the fact that however heedless or forgetful we are, we can always make amends. In doing so, we make our guide and teacher happy. May Allah shower him with blessings and peace.

Every year in the blessed month of Rabi al-Awwal, we should come to know our Prophet ﷺ a little better. In this series, the Prophet’s Smile, we try to do this by looking at the things that brought a smile to his blessed face and at times made him laugh.

Have you ever wondered how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled? Have you ever thought about what amused and pleased him? In this series we look at some of the things that brought a smile to his blessed face and at times made him laugh. In doing so we gain insights into the things he talked and thought about and into the beauty of his character. By gaining a greater knowledge of him we hope to increase in love for him and in turn gain his love and pleasure, which cannot be separated from the love and pleasure of Allah most high.

We begin with a description of the Prophet’s laugh and smile and will then look at various instances recorded in the books of Hadith in which the Prophet laughed and smiled and briefly discuss their significance.

The Companions describe the Prophet’s Laugh and Smile

Sayyiduna al-Husayn asked his father, Sayyiduna Ali (peace be upon them both), to describe how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was with his Companions. He said: “He was always cheerful and smiling, gentle in character.” The commentators say that this does not negate the fact that he is also described as being constantly in a state of sadness out of concern for the wellbeing of his nation. Outwardly he was cheerful, but his inner state was one of sadness.

Sayyiduna Ali went on to say that the Prophet ﷺ would laugh at the same things his Companions would laugh at and would marvel at the things which they marvelled at. He did this to make them feel comfortable and at ease.

One of the Companions said that he had never seen anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ .

Another narrates that since he became Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ would always smile at him when he met him.

Several narrations tell us that ‘his laugh was his smile’ or that ‘most of his laughter was smiling’, which is understood to mean that generally he would smile when amused and only rarely would he actually laugh out loud. The same applies to the Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) who smiles broadly in amusement at the words of the ant (Quran, 27:19).

When he was happy, the Prophet’s face would light up as brightly as a piece of the moon.

When he opened his mouth to laugh, his teeth would shine as brightly as lightning and were as brilliantly white as hailstones.  Imam al-Llahji says that this metaphor is appropriate because lightning strikes very quickly and the Prophet ﷺ would not keep his mouth open for more than an instant. Also lightning is followed by rain, which is a manifestation of Allah’s mercy, and the Prophet’s laughter would invariably be followed by a kind word or a gift or some other manifestation of his mercy. 

Imam al-Busiri perfectly sums all this up in the Burdah:

 أكرم بخلق نبيّ زانه خلق 

بالحسن مشتمل بالبشر متّسم

How noble is the form of a Prophet whose character further adorns him

So full of beauty is he, so full of cheer

كأنّما اللّؤلؤ المكنون في صدف 

من معدني منطق منه ومبتسم

It is as if precious pearls protected in their shells

Poured forth from the treasury of his speech and smile

May Allah allow us to see his blessed smile and may we please him so that he smiles at us ﷺ.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Here we are in the midst of Ramadan and glimpses of our true selves are starting to appear. The cracks are starting to show. The difficulty is that we cannot blame Shaytan, since he is locked away. When we see our stubbornness, laziness, short temper and selfishness, it is from us.

The remedy for removing Shaytan from our thoughts and actions is easy: dhikr of Allah, But the remedy of refining the nafs is a battle in itself. Much too often, we do not even attempt to oppose it. When we look at the influence it has on our actions and worship of Allah, it can lead to our destruction in this world and the next. The least we can do this Ramadan is to become aware of the urgent need to change and cultivate good habits that enable this. Remember, the nafs has been stubborn for twenty, thirty forty, fifty years of our lives. Bad habits have formed, and they will not vanish overnight.

However, this is the month of Allah’s Mercy and by clothing yourself with the attributes of humility, brokenness and a sincere love of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, He will be the One to assist in being victorious against your lower self. So in these nights of Ramadan, adorn yourself with the attributes of your Prophet ﷺ and ask from His Vast Bounty: “Call upon Me I will answer you”.

Reviving Souls
Women’s Sacred Voices

Stella was a very special person, a star in fact. That’s what her name actually means – a star. After a long journey, she embraced Islam late in her life and developed a deep love and commitment to her new faith. Sadly this didn’t last long as she contracted cancer and eventually passed away.

We were honoured to attend the funeral proceedings in her hometown of Alness, north of Inverness. After members of the Muslim community of Inverness prepared her for burial, the funeral prayer was performed for her and then the hearse carrying her body drove down the town high street. Everywhere people stood out of respect for her, including her colleagues at the medical centre where she used to work. Final respects were paid to her at the graveyard in a moving ceremony attended by many family members and friends. We heard of her numerous good deeds and the people’s hearts that she touched, in particular her regular blood donations.

Her husband, Simo Muhammad, told us of her dedication to Islam: her dogged determination to fast Ramadan in 40-degree heat in Morocco, how she would wake him up to perform the dawn prayer and push him to complete the recitation of the Quran in Ramadan.

This is her account of her journey to Islam:

If any of this offends you, I am sorry. Some of it offends me too but this has been my road to Islam and you just know it has a happy ending.

Hi. As-salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. (Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings)

At the time of writing this, I have been a Muslim for 4 weeks. Islamic understanding though is that I have been a Muslim since I was born 48 years ago – it’s just taken me a long time to find my way back on to the right path.

My Early Years

As a teenager, I still went to church on Sundays, and yes, I did toy with the idea of becoming a nun – apparently that’s quite common – but boys were too much of a distraction. I did, however, go through a phase of wearing all black and wore a big silver cross around my neck

And then God threw a nice little tester my way. I fell in love with, and married a man who unfortunately had his own demons to deal with. We had two good years together and four which were difficult.

I didn’t go to church much anymore but it wasn’t until my maternal grandfather died in 1990 that I fell out with God. It wasn’t because my granddad had died. I accept people die. But I was sitting in church listening to the sermon and thinking “This is wrong. I don’t know what’s wrong, but this is wrong”. In church on that day, in my head, I apologised to God and said “I’m sorry, I’m not going to see you for a while. Goodbye.” Those exact words.

Kind of like a rebellious teenager, I would attend christenings, weddings and funerals and I would stand for hymns but not sing. I would refuse to close my eyes and join in prayers. I also know that deep down I had questions but I wouldn’t actively go and seek answers. I wanted someone to take me aside and tell me what was what. I still respected churches and appreciated them as beautiful architectural structures and I always respected people’s right to follow their religion whatever it may be but I had lost my way and, to avoid the issue, I declared myself an atheist. It was the easy and lazy way out.

Time continued to pass. I have three beautiful, respectful, well-adjusted, polite, funny, well-educated, hard-working children who I love to bits. The eldest from my marriage, the younger two from a long relationship that didn’t work out.

The Long Road Home

I didn’t work for years while bringing up my children. We lived on the Isle of Skye for many years and – well, it was complicated. However, I did feel like I was wasting my life so, in 2002, I decided to study an Open University course. I always regretted not going to uni. The first year of the course was called Humanities. Literature, architecture, music, art …. and religion.

While studying the different religions, I guess the first chink in the armour broke open. Although my interest was primarily in Literature, the ‘religion’ element caught my interest – particularly Hinduism and Buddhism. With the exception of my rebellious teenager years, when basically I was just a brat pushing boundaries (I never did anything really bad, I was just sulky and wanting my own way all the time) I have always been a peace-loving, slightly hippyish kind of person. I love people. I’m interested in people. All people. My mantra was “We’re all just humans sharing the planet”.

Although Hinduism wasn’t quite what I was looking for (and I did realise that I was looking for ‘something’), Buddhism was a big attraction. It struck me as being so peaceful. Love life, love the planet, love your fellow man. Just chill, man! During this phase, I began to accept some of the bad things that had happened to me in life. I’ve had some pretty rough patches. But what could I do about it? It had already passed. The past has been and gone. You can’t change it. With some deep-breathing and some calming (and totally amateurish) meditation, I let go of hate and the world soon became a brighter place.

I read a lot about Buddhism. I was excited to see the Dalai Lama when he visited Inverness a few years ago. I felt an enthusiasm I hadn’t in so many years. My children bought me a necklace with an Om symbol because they thought it suited their hippy, tree-hugging, slightly off-the-wall mother. People started buying me buddhas. I bought a couple too. But I never said “I’m a Buddhist”. There was no open declaration. People just assumed. Equally, I didn’t argue when people talked about me being a Buddhist.

Buddhism, while still holding my interest, didn’t feel quite right. There was still something missing. I re-opened dialogue with God. I didn’t turn to Him I looked over my shoulder and said “Hi”….. literally. I couldn’t quite work it out yet but I knew that God – the one God – is what is missing from Buddhism.

I was such a crazy, mixed-up kid (albeit in my 40s). No one really discusses religion in my circles but it was assumed I was atheist or Buddhist but I was missing having God in my life and, for me, that meant returning to Christianity. I tried to discuss it but some people just aren’t very good listeners and I really needed someone to just hear me out. It’s been a bit of a lonely road.

Around that time, I attended three funerals in sad, quick succession. I sang the hymns, I folded my hands and closed my eyes and listened to the prayers. I took a tiny step towards God. He took ten towards me. Allahu Akbar!

Are we nearly there yet?

I’m a deep thinker. I read. I research. I keep my cards very close to my chest. I can quietly consider for weeks, months or years – then bam! It’s done. 

Then, one evening, my sister said she wanted to go to Morocco. She usually goes on holiday with our mum but mum didn’t want to go to Africa so I said I would love to go. It sounded nice and hippyish. My children were all grown. I had a full-time job. So we went. I LOVED IT! I loved the weather, the people, the food, the city, the mental traffic system (you have to watch it for a few days before you realise there is actually a system)..

And then, first night there, I was sitting on the balcony, glass of beer in hand, listening to the birds tweeting, when I heard this extraordinary sound. I’d heard it before on TV – usually on some drama where good old British/US Intelligence Agencies and spies are in the Middle-East hunting down Muslim terrorists – but oh my, this was different. This call to prayer. To hear it up close. I put down my drink and listened and I’m getting goosebumps recalling the sound. (The Qur’an asks us to look for the signs). What is so unusual is the conflicting feelings I had of both peace and excitement. I would hear it at what I thought then were just random times of the day. I felt like a child wanting to follow the Pied Piper of Hamlin. I wanted to know what Muslims did when they heard it. Did they stop and pray on the spot? Did they have to hurry to their nearest mosque? Or did they just stand, listen to what was being chanted, and then go about their daily lives? What did they do?!

My Muslim husband

Also on that holiday, I met a man who worked at the hotel. He is now my lovely husband. I feel totally blessed that he is in my life. In Islam, there is a belief that Allah has created you in twos. We have both since said that when we met, we bonded. It was that simple. It was like we already knew each other. We are so similar in our thoughts, our tastes, our humour, our personalities, that he’s not just my other half, he’s the other half of me. When I returned home, I was heartbroken. I felt like I was in mourning. I wrote to him just to say hi. He wrote back. As our relationship slowly developed, so did my interest in Islam which I had touched upon briefly during my studies.

Islam. In my part of the world it’s the religion you don’t speak about. This religion you only know about through the media. The religion that allows men to beat their wives and never let them see the light of day. When George W. Bush declared a War on Terror, you knew he meant Islam. I never hated Islam the way you were expected to do – I just didn’t have any real understanding of it. I had only crossed this path briefly as part of my studies. In Morocco, about 97 or 98% of the population is Muslim. I could not equate the lovely people I met there with media-Islam. And, for the record, there is so much love and respect shown between the husbands and wives that I met – there’s no need for shows of open intimacy, you can just see the affection in a shared look or a smile. And the wives were far from beaten or submissive!

Out of curiosity, I downloaded the Qur’an onto my kindle and began to read – and read. By the time our relationship had reached the point where we were communicating by email every couple of days, I had questions. Because we were writing, I could ask a whole question without being interrupted. He read my questions and answered every single one. His family were celebrating Eid al-Adha. He wanted to share it with me and sent me loads of photos – and answered my questions. The meaning behind this Eid seems strikingly similar to the Harvest festival.

After a year, and a lot of discussion, we decided we wanted to spend our lives together and marry. I returned to Morocco and met his family who were funny, kind and respectful – and I knew, without a shadow of doubt, that I had been duped by Western media into forming misconceptions about a beautiful religion. My husband’s family invited me to attend a dawn prayer on Arafat Day just before Eid al-Adha. Of course, I was happy to go along for the experience. Praying outdoors at dawn with thousands of Muslims was incredibly moving.

In Morocco, I learned the greeting, As-salaamu Alaikum – hello – but it’s not hello, it’s peace be unto you. Peace. Really? Is this what I’ve been searching for? Islam?!!  But I’m a white, Scottish woman struggling with Christianity! How can this be?

A brief sidestep into alcohol

My family likes whisky. We’re whisky drinkers. A good dram. A fine malt. For me, undiluted – no water, no ice. And in the pub, a nice cold lager. Or Baileys. We used to party hard back in the day, at regular big family get-togethers. Thing is, as a bit of a rebellious individual, I wouldn’t touch alcohol until I was 16 years old. It was openly encouraged but I would sulk when the drinking began. I thought it was pointless. Why would you drink it if it was just going to make you fall over, be sick and wake up with a headache? But I eventually gave in and got stuck in to vodka, or cider, or rum, or brandy…. basically whatever was going. As I got older, my alcohol consumption became a little more refined and I stopped drinking the alcoholic drinks I didn’t like – because before then, if it was in my hand I would drink it. “See me! I’m Scottish, I can drink anything!”

In my last days of alcohol, I would not drink at home – only at the pub, or out for a meal, and it would only be lager or whisky. During my holiday in Morocco, I would just drink small glasses of beer. After I met Simo’s family, and once we decided to marry, I stopped. That was it. No problem. I didn’t miss it and quite frankly, I was quite glad to see the back of hangovers and lying in a spinning bed. My child-self jumping up and down and hollering “I told you so!” For my hen night, I had once last blow out – a farewell to alcohol. Now I don’t get invited out anymore because apparently sober people are no fun. At a traditional wedding I was invited to, and also at my own wedding in Morocco, everyone was eating and laughing and dancing and basically having a great time – and not a drop of alcohol was had. My husband has never drunk alcohol and has no interest in ever trying it.

“So you converted for your husband!”

I hear you declare. “Because he told you to. Because he forced his wife to become a Muslim. Yes?”.

No. I have a mind of my own and I know how to use it. Also, Allah is still testing me – because of current immigration rules, my husband is still in Morocco and I am 2500 miles away in Scotland while we jump through government hoops to meet visa requirements. We use a free text service to communicate – and boy, do we communicate! I have never had a relationship with ANYBODY – male or female – who I have talked with so much and on so many subjects and with whom I have felt so much accordance. During any discussion about Islam, he has always said there is no obligation or compulsion for me to become a Muslim. We can be Christian and Muslim together. It was purely down to my own relationship with God.

Hearing that first call to prayer made me sit up and think “Oh hello, what’s this?” and, certainly, it was meeting my husband that instilled in me the need for further research. Even before we married, my interest had developed into “This is right!”. Out for a walk together one day, we were discussing Islam and I asked him to recite the shahada for me so I could hear it. He said it and I thought, “Oh, I can’t become a Muslim because there’s no way I’ll remember that!”.

Back home – brought together by Allah, married by law, and separated by the British Government – I bought a paperback English translation of the Qur’an to read while waiting for my husband. I also bought ‘How to Pray’ and ‘Welcome to Islam’ –  both written by Mustafa Umar.

I trawled the internet and became so confused. My husband advised me to stay off the internet and read the Qur’an. Just read. So I did. He said he knew by my nature and my thoughts and feelings and actions that I was already a good Muslim. I pretty much knew by then that I would take the shahada.

(The Qur’an asks you to look for the signs). I was at work one afternoon. I still had How To Pray in my bag. I had read it from cover to cover several times. It’s a small book – doesn’t take long. Suddenly, I heard a chance conversation between one of my colleagues and Muslim man who works in the same building discussing languages. I rudely interrupted (I apologise) and asked if he would help me with some pronunciation and showed him the book. He was happy to help. My brother in Islam has offered me advice and answered questions. I told him I was thinking about becoming a Muslim but I needed to be sure that I was doing it for me and not because my husband was a Muslim – so if my husband was not in the picture, is this still what I wanted? I think I already knew the answer. He invited me to meet some local Muslims during Islam Awareness Week. I also asked if I could see inside the mosque and he arranged for me to meet some lovely sisters and brothers there.

That night, speaking to my husband, I told him I was ready but I didn’t want to do it without him. We share everything. We share our days. We share the funny moments and our problems. He tells me about the surprisingly heavy rainfall they had in Morocco … I tell him about the surprisingly warm sunshine we had in Scotland. I have wandered around a supermarket, taking photos and asking what he wants me to buy (Do you like this juice? Do you need new razors? That kind of thing). So sharing something as life-changing as shahada was really important.

My name is Stella and I’m a Muslim

The conversation basically went like this:

(me) I know there is no obligation for me to revert but I want to. I’ve been practicing shahada in my head. But I don’t want to say it without you. Do you understand what I mean?

(he) You want me to be with you when you say it?

(me) Yes.

(he) I’m with you, my wife. I’m always with you. Do you want to say it now?

(me) Yes.

(he) I’m here with you. Say the words.

And I did.

7 April 2014: 01:09am  Ashadu an la ilaha illallah wa ashadu anna muhammadan rasulu’llah.

(he) So you are a Muslim now. That’s great. Welcome. You are a Muslim.

(me) Really?

(he) You are the best Muslim. That’s such a big thing you did.

Three weeks later, in a hall across from the local mosque, at a celebration to welcome me to the community, I publicly recited shahada

I have A LOT to learn but I am back on the right road and a new journey has begun.

Epilogue

It was a long struggle as the government kept raising the earnings threshold which meant Stella was working three jobs at one point to earn enough. But eventually Simo made it to Scotland and they lived happily together for a few years.

Then came the sad news that Stella had been diagnosed with cancer. She eventually passed away on 2nd September 2021 at the age of 56. Her funeral took place on 7th September.

Our condolences go to Simo and all her family and loved ones.

Please pray for Stella and her family and recite Fatihah for her.

We ask Allah to make her grave a garden of bliss and give her a high rank in the hereafter.