Asma Maryam Ali

As Prophet Musa (Moses), may peace be upon him, stood aboard a boat with his teacher al-Khidr, al-Khidr pointed to a sparrow after it dipped its beak into the water and said, “O Moses, my knowledge and your knowledge have not decreased Allah ’s knowledge as much as this sparrow has decreased the water of the sea with its beak.’

 Allah ’s knowledge, Glorified and Exalted is He, is far greater than what we have or will ever have. Yet He, SWT, does grant us some understanding and insights into His great wisdom, at the right time and place, thereby reassuring us that there is a reason for everything. He, SWT, has designed this world so beautifully and intricately that things come together in ways we could never design nor have imagined. Gifts come to us from the most wondrous places, and trials and challenges in life are the makings of the greatest blessings.  If we have faith in this ‘fabric’–that is, if we have trust in Allah SWT–we might free ourselves from the worries and grief which one circumstance or another may give us, ‘and make pure hope a meadow that we never leave.’

The story of al-Khidr in the Qur’an is an amazing one. One of our students gave us a reminder of it two weeks ago, when I really needed it, and I want to pass the blessing onto you:

 The people asked prophet Musa (Moses), may peace be upon him, whether there was a man more knowledgeable than him. Musa (AS) humbly replied that no one was more knowledgeable. Allah SWT then directed Musa to al-Khidr, who had an understanding which Musa didn’t. So al-Khidr asked Musa to accompany him on the condition that Musa would be patient and not question al-Khidr. Al-Khidr took Musa through a series of events, one in which he made a hole in the side of a ship; another in which he killed a young boy; and another in which he chose, after being refused food by some townspeople, to fix a wall in their town.  In each case prophet Musa became impatient and wondered why al-Khidr would do such things, and in each case Musa was reminded to be patient, until the final case, al-Khidr revealed his reasons by the grace of Allah SWT. He had made the hole in the ship to prevent its goods from being seized wrongfully; he had killed the boy because he would grow up to be rebellious to his parents; and he had fixed the wall in order to protect the property of some orphans, which was hidden underneath it, until the orphans reached the age to claim it.  Prophet Muhammad , may Allah ’s peace and blessings be upon him, said that if prophet Musa, may peace be upon him, had been more patient, he would have learned even more about these situations.

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Should you not gain your wants, my soul, then be not grieved; But hasten to that banquet which your Lord’s bequeathed.

And when a thing for which you ask is slow to come, Then know that often through delay are gifts received.

Find solace in privation and respect its due, For only by contentment is the heart relieved.

And know that when the trials of life have rendered you Despairing of all hope, and of all joy bereaved,

Then shake yourself and rouse yourself from heedlessness, And make pure hope a meadow that you never leave.

Your Maker’s gifts take subtle and uncounted forms, How fine the fabric of the world His hands have weaved.

The journey done, they came to the water of life, And all the caravan drank deep, their thirst allieved.

Far be it from the host to leave them thirsty there, His spring pour forth all generosity received.

My Lord, my trust in Your purpose is strong, That trust is now my shield; I’m safe, and undeceived.

All those who hope for grace from You will feel Your rain; Too generous are You to leave my branch unleaved.

May blessing rest upon the loved one, Muhammad, Who’s been my means to high degrees since I believed.

He is my fortress and my handhold, to my soul, Hold fast, and travel to a joy still unconceived.

~originally in Arabic by Ali bin Husayn al-Habshi

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I froze when I noticed that this site has been featured on the hadithuna homepage :)

This is a great opportunity to point you to an amazing reflection here on bees.

Also check out this article on the effect of radiation on bees, entitled ‘Theory: Cellphone radiation killing honeybees?’

These readings give one a lot to think about mashaa Allah . May God guide us all to what’s best for us.

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I was reading a bit about Khadijah bint al Khuwailid, and I am amazed by her–may Allah SWT be pleased with her. She defies so many preconceived notions we have about womanhood, femininity and feminism, and she transcends my understanding of islam and iman.

She was so strong and independent. She persisted in business after having been widowed. She employed people to work for her and treated them justly. Allah SWT honoured her when she employed Muhammad, the man who was to become the last messenger of Allah , may Allah ’s peace and blessings be on them. 

She recognized the beauty in that man, may Allah ’s peace and blessings be on them. She heard good things about Muhammad and despite being fifteen years his senior, believed that he would be a good husband to her. She inquired about him through their mutual acquaintances and sought his hand in marriage; he happily agreed. She was his first wife and he did not remarry until after her death, may Allah ’s peace and blessings be on them. After her death he is said to have spoken of her as though she was the only woman in the world. He spoke about her and thought about her; he honored and loved those whom she loved; he would not have her legacy forsaken:

‘She believed in me when no one else did. She embraced Islam when people disbelieved me. And she helped and comforted me in her person and wealth when there was no one else to lend a helping hand. I had children from her only.’

She knew the importance of family. He moved to her home where they built a life together; she bore his six children over the years, may Allah ’s peace and blessings be on them. She was their caregiver, their comfort and their companion for twenty-five years, until she died in what was thereafter named ‘the year of sorrow’. May Allah be pleased with her.

She was a pillar of strength for those around her. She believed in Muhammad, without doubt, and resorted to her cousin to verify and reassure Muhammad of his messengerhood, may Allah ’s peace and blessings be on them. She supported her husband, their large household and the believers through harsh persecution and poverty while she was in her fifties and sixties.

She touches me because of the depth of her humanity amidst her trials, her status, her wealth, and her age.

She was a queen amongst men and women.

Where can we find men and women who would live up to her legacy?

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Hope is in you

You the single mother

Fighting for your child

Eating sparsely

But in your choice

To teach morals and love

There is hope in you. 

Hope is in you

You the peace activist

Fighting for life

Facing rejection

But through your pen

Writing, protesting

There is hope in you. 

Hope is in you

You the student

Fighting to be educated

Hardship upon hardship

But in your time

Spent reading, studying

There is hope in you. 

Hope is in you

You the teacher

Striving to educate

Disrespect and depreciation

But in your effort

To teach what you know

There is hope in you. 

Hope is in you

You the human being

Struggling to live

In a painful world

But in your actions

Of kindness and consideration

There is hope in you. 

This is a poem that I wrote when I was 15, and I still have so much hope in You.

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