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.
He will be the One to assist you 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”
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”.
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.
• This includes our love for God, and God’s love for us.
• “…follow me, and God will love you and forgive you your sins.” (3:31)
Allah loves…
• “those who work with excellence (muhsineen)” (2:195)
• “those who repent and those who constantly purify” (2:222)
• “those who are mindful (of Him) (muttaqeen)” (3:76)
• “those who are patient” (sabireen) (3:146)
• “those who are reliant (on Him) (mutawakkileen)” (3:159)
• “those who are fair (muqsiteen)” (5:42)
Verses and hadith on Love
• “But those who believe are more intense in their love for God!” (2:165)
• “Love God for what He nourishes you with of His Blessings, love me due to the love of God, and love the people of my house due to love of me.” [Tirmidhi]
• “Whoever loves to meet God, God loves to meet him; and whoever hates meeting God, God hates to meet him” [Bukhari]
• “Have no desire for this world, Allah will love you; and have no desire for what people possess, and the people will love you.” [Ibn Maja]
and love of those whose love will benefit me with You
• “‘Abu Dharr, you are with the one you love.’ I said, ‘I love God and His Messenger.’ He said, ‘Abu Dharr, you are with the one you love.’” [Bukhari, Adab]
• “Whoever loves Hasan and Husain, loves me; and whoever hates them, hates me.” [Ibn Maja]
• “None loves the Ansar but a believer, and none hates them but a hypocrite. So Allah will love him who loves them, and He will hate him who hates them.” [Bukhari]
Qadi Iyad on Love
Love is due to one or more of these three things:
Love of the outward perfection
Love of the inward qualities
Love of the benefits which can be gained
These are the reasons for which we love God, His Messengers, and the righteous
Whatever You have given me that I love, please make it a source of strength for me for that which You love.
• We are being taught that the things that we love can increase us in love of God, including our family, friends, and possessions.
• This is a fruit of gratitude (shukr): “A grateful eater is equal to a patient fasting person.” [Ibn Maja]
• This is also a fruit of using our blessings for good. One of the definitions of shukr is using one’s blessings to do good.
Whatever You have denied me that I love, please make it a respite for me for that which You love.
• “But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” (2:216)
• “There is no Muslim who calls upon Allah, without sin or cutting family ties, but that Allah will give him one of three answers: He will quickly answer his supplication, He will store it for him in the Hereafter, or He will divert an evil from him similar to it.” They said, “In that case we will ask for more.” The Prophet said, “Allah has even more.” [Ahmad]
In this series, Hamza Ahmed offers reflections on some of the prayers of our beloved Prophet ﷺ . This prayer is a prophetic prescription for sorrow and grief.
I am Your slave, the son of Your male slave and the son of Your female slave,
Our parents provide for us, teach us, and guide the direction of our lives.
But this duais all about recognising God’s power over us.
Perhaps, then, it is teaching us that it is only God who looks after us, and even our parents are nothing but his servants, and they can only help us if God allows it.
This is one of the wisdoms of the Prophet ﷺ losing his parents and grandfather, and this happens throughout his life.
My forelock is in Your Hand
• Forelock – the hair on the top and front of a horse’s head. The Arabs used this as a metaphor for a person’s character and fate, shu’m al-naasiya, and mubarak al-naasiya.
• God uses this word in the Qur’an: “A lying, sinning forelock!” (Alaq: 16)
“Truly, I have relied on God, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature except that He has hold of its forelock…” (Hud: 56)
• The ego (nafs) is like a wild creature that needs to be tamed in order to be of benefit.
I am subject to Your Decree, Your Decree for me is true justice,
• Decree (hukm) – also carries the meaning of ‘wisdom’ (hikma).
• God’s decree is always wise.
• God is al-Hakeem. Wisdom comes only from him. Questioning his Decree is like saying we are wiser than Him.
• God is al-’Adl (Justice), not ‘Aadil (the Just One). This teaches us that our understanding of justice comes from Him. There is no law of justice outside of Himself that He has to follow.
I ask you by every name that is Yours…
• This is a reminder of God’s greatness. Only He is great enough to name Himself.
• “Or which You have taught anyone in Your creation, or which You have kept to Yourself in the Unseen” – this indicates there are many names of God that exist outside the 99 Names (al-Ghazali).
• We call on God through some names, depending on what we want, but calling on Him with every Name shows how needy we are for every good.
• This is also a way of including the Greatest Name:
It was narrated from Buraydah ibn al-Husayb that the Messenger of God (blessings and peace of God be upon him) heard a man saying: “O God, I ask You by virtue of the fact that I bear witness that You are Allah, there is no god but You, the One, the Eternal Refuge, Who neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.” The Messenger of God (blessings and peace of God be upon him) said: “He has indeed asked God by His greatest name, which if He is asked thereby, He gives and if He is called upon thereby, He answers.”
Related by Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Maja
Ibn Hajr: “This is the soundest of all reports concerning this matter.”
that you make the Qur’an the springtime of my heart,
• Springtime – rabee’ – a reawakening of the Earth. Perhaps this indicates to us that our hearts, even if they are dead, can be brought back to life.
• “And among His signs is that you see the earth devoid of life, but as soon as We send down rain upon it, it begins to stir ˹to life˺ and swell. Indeed, the One Who revives it can easily revive the dead. He is certainly Most Capable of everything.” (Fussilat: 39)
• One of the interpretations – it means the hearts of people as well as their bodies.
and the light of my breast,
• Breast – sadr – one of the principles of tafsir is that when the word sadr is used, it refers to the lower, sinful side of a person: another reminder of humility before God.
• Light is a metaphor for guidance, because things can only be seen with light.
• A subtle indication – we might read the Qur’an but it might not light up our hearts because of our sinfulness – we have to ask God to make that happen.
and the removal of my sorrow, and the departure of my worry.
• Sorrow (ghamm) – sadness in relation to the past.
• Worry (hamm) – sadness in relation to the future.
• A reminder that the cure for these things can be found in the Qur’an. Both in the recitation of it and in the understanding of its meanings.
• The Qur’an explains to us who God is, which makes us trust Him; it tells us stories of the Prophets, which comfort us; it tells us the rules of right and wrong, which give us direction; and it tells us about the Afterlife, which gives us perspective.
In this series, Hamza Ahmed offers reflections on some of the prayers of our beloved Prophet ﷺ .
O God! Give us such fear of You that will come between us and disobedience to You;
• Fear (khashiya) – a type of fear that is a result of knowledge, not an irrational fear, so we are asking for knowledge as well as fear: “Among His servants, only the knowledgeable fear God” [Quran, 35:28]
• “Give us” – apportion or distribute (qism) – khashya is a gift from God, because knowledge is a gift from God.
• “When God wants good for someone, He gives him understanding of religion. God is the Giver, and I am the distributer (Qasim)” [Bukhari]
and certainty, that will make the calamities of this world easy for us to bear
• Museeba (calamity) – literally means an arrow hitting its target •It hurts, but who fired the arrow?
• Calamities are easier to bear if we have certainty in God’s Existence, Wisdom, and Mercy •The Prophets endured the greatest calamities, but they also had the most certainty
Give us fear…and obedience…and certainty
• The Prophet ﷺ linked these concepts together
• Obedience to God comes mostly from having fear (khashya)
• Certainty comes from being fully obedient to God [Imam al-Haddad, Book of Assistance] : “And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our Way” [Quran 29:69]
O God! let us enjoy our hearing, our sight and our power as long as You keep us alive and make them continuous until the end of our lives,
• Hearing and sight are the means through which we learn about God and thus develop khashya
• Power (quwwa) is the means through which we perform acts of obedience, which lead to certainty
and restrict our revenge to those who oppress us, and support us against those who are hostile to us,
• Constantly seeking revenge was the defining characteristic of the pre-IslamicArabs, it leads to a never ending cycle of violence
• That is why it is not in the Muhammadan nature to seek revenge, but where it is sought, it is sought from God
• God is ‘the Avenger’ (Muntaqim) – His vengeance is always just and purifying – it doesn’t lead to escalation
and do not let our calamities be religious calamities,
• Calamities are inevitable •“We will surely test you with fear, and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and fruits; but give good news to the patient” [Quran; al-Baqarah]
• It is better to have calamities that affect our worldly affairs, because all worldly affairs are temporary: “My community is blessed, for its calamities are given to it in this world”
• Worldly calamities should strengthen the soul and increase longing for Heaven
and do not let this world be our principal concern, or the ultimate limit of our knowledge,
• Principle concern (hamm) – literally means ‘worry’ or ‘anxiety’. To be worried and anxious about temporary worldly affairs is a sign of lack of certainty in God
• If we do not have knowledge, we will not have khashya, and we will not have certainty
and do not let those who show no mercy to us rule over us.
• Reminds us that worldly power is in God’s hands
• A just ruler is incredibly rare in this world, the Prophet upon him be peace foretold that just rule would only last in his community for thirty years
• Shows us that it is important ask for good leaders
Summary of Reflections
• Knowledge of God is important in developing fear of Him and obedience to Him
• Our obedience to God is a gift that He gives us
• Calamities are inevitable, but certainty in God is the best way to deal with them, and certainty is developed through knowledge and obedience
• Those who have certainty do not seek to escalate violence and seek revenge for themselves, they know that everything is in God’s Hands
• Those who have certainty would rather have their calamities befall them in this world rather than the Hereafter
• Certainty removes anxiety and fear
• God controls those who rule over us, so He is the one to turn to
Our joy in this world Our success in the next Is with Khadijah the Magnificent And Fatima the Radiant
Khadijah the Magnificent (may Allah be pleased with her) by Tayyiba Ahmad
Allah had chosen and moulded her heart to beat, with every moment, her requited love for the One who created and cherished her. For that love, she was able to see Allah’s beloved, may Allah’s peace be upon him. She heard about a Prophet that was to come, and whilst she did not know who, she was ready to sacrifice all that she had for the beloved of the All Merciful.
She had already married twice, with children, yet she still waited for a dream to be realised of her marrying the full moon that would become a home for her. Her cousin Waraqa bin Nawfal filled her heart and mind with tales and parables of the ancient scripture, the worship of the One True God and the succession of Messengers sent to assist. She waited for Ahmad, who was still yet unaware of the great mission he had been sent for.
Believing that Muhammad, the son of Abd-Allah may be this elect Prophet, she sent him on a mission of trade to Syria, accompanied by her trusty helper Maysara, who reported all he saw: the singular cloud that shielded his noble body from the sun’s intense rays; the trees whose bows enveloped this weary traveller and the solitary monk who witnessed manifest upon him the signs of Prophecy.
Upon the return of the Prophet ﷺ and his traveller friend, Maysara promptly informed Sayyidah Khadijah of all that he saw. Her heart was moved: this is the awaited Prophet. She requested, through her trustworthy friend Nafisa, a proposal of marriage to Muhammad and he acquiesced, his heart inspired by his Lord.
The wedding was celebrated throughout Mecca, the best of men for the best of women. As they welcomed each child into the family, their home was a cradle of love, mercy and affection. Sayyidah Khadijah was a pillar of support, a heart full of warmth and tenderness to the Prophet. When he returned from the cave of Hira in a bewildered state, he could only request for her to cover him with a blanket. She covered him with the certainty of his Prophethood. Returning to her advisor, Waraqa bin Nawfal, he affirmed the beginning of a new chapter in History, the Chapter signalling the completion of Allah’s message to this world.
She stood by him, with him and for him, when the call was in secret, when the call was made openly. She remained steadfast in her belief in him and her love for him. She endured financial and physical hardship, but her heart continually expanded in faith and loyalty. The Prophet ﷺ never forgot the sacrifices she had made. When love overwhelms the heart, the one who is beloved is remembered forever, engraved as a vivid memory, fresh, ready to be re-opened.
Even after her death and Victory came, he recalled her, pitching his tent near her resting place. She was great and because of her, she became one of the pillars of Islam. She supported Prophecy in its infancy when its new shoots needed the most care. She never lived to see its completion, but she had watered its very root, and poured upon it her love and compassion. For this we are eternally grateful. For this the Prophet ﷺ exclaimed, “She believed in me when others did not.”
She was distinguished by a greeting of Peace from her Lord, a promise of a house made from precious jewels in Jannah. She will always be remembered as Khadijah the magnificent, the perfect woman, a pure soul, the warm-hearted mother to her children and to all the believers, the best of the wives. She will always be remembered as Khadijah, the beloved of Muhammad ﷺ.
Fatima Al-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her) by Tayyiba Ahmad
We can see ourselves reflected in our children, and we see how they mirror our virtues and vices. They absorb the environment they are nurtured in, but also at times possess the very essence of their parents. All the while they are under the care and direction of Allah until they become what Allah wills them to become. Never has this reflection of a parent onto a child been more complete and apparent than Sayyidah Fatima Zahra’s reflection of the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and blessing be upon them both.
She possessed qualities innate within the Prophet ﷺ merely by virtue of being his daughter. The wholesome seed of goodness was planted in her by both her father and mother, and under Allah’s guardianship and great plan, the Prophet ﷺ facilitated her growth. He planted within her the deep love for Allah, having a sense of a great purpose in her life, devotion to the mission that the Prophet ﷺ was given, standing up for the truth, absolute mercy, tenderness and a comfort to those around her. She had embedded within her the necessary qualities that lead to perfection within a human being. She was nurtured upon these qualities by her father, the perfect man, and thus she became the archetype of the perfect woman.
This reflection of her father was passed by her onto her children and their children, and this is what is meant today as the family of the Prophet ﷺ that live on this earth. They are the carriers of the Quran, the embodiment of the Sunnah, and the completion of Prophetic character. They are our ships of salvation.
She possessed every praiseworthy trait of her father, from his mannerisms, his smile, his walk and his character. This led him to say: “Fatimah is a part of me”. What were those distinguishing qualities that gave her this unique place? More importantly, if she visited us today, how much of her will she see reflected in us?
We all have the potential to be a reflection of her, may Allah be pleased with her.
Every time we pray, read the Quran and earnestly supplicate to Allah we are a reflection of her.
Every time we take care of our children’s needs, putting them first, we are a reflection of her.
Every time we consider the feelings of our families we are a reflection of her.
Every time we patiently endure the trials in our families, health and wealth, we are a reflection of her.
Every time we are broken and turn to Allah we are a reflection of her.
When we love Allah and His Messenger ﷺ we are a reflection of her.
Allow her light to reflect in you, for it is none other than the light of Taha, the rising sun and the full moon, that guides to our Lord, the Light of the Heavens and the Earth.
