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Types of Veils

You Were My Strength- Celine Dion

For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful baby
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through through it all

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you

You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

---

Yea, old songs... but I still love singing (though I can't sing much anymore), and they keep coming

I learnt this in school

Oh, we ain't got a barrel of money
Maybe we're ragged and funny
But we'll travel along,
Singin' a song
Side by side.

We don't know what's comin' tomorrow
Maybe trouble and sorrow
But we'll travel the road
Sharin' a load
Side by side

(chorus)
Through all kinds of weather
What if the sky should fall?
As long as we're together
It don't matter at all.

When they've all had their quarrels and parted
We'll be back to where we had started
Just sailin' along
Singin' a song
Side by side

(chorus)
Well we've all had the quarrels and parted
We'll be the same as we started
Just sailin' along
Singin' a song
Side by side
Side by side!

It's all over

I woke up with a throbbing headache. What happened last night? Wait.. it's still not morning yet. Have I slept at all? I realised... I hadn't. And suddenly, I had a memory flash. My heart was pounding, and I could feel as if there was a thunder around me, inside me, about me.. What's going on? Oh Lord... all these memories... My mind had captured each image of his, so vivid, I could make out each curve on his face everytime he smiled, or frowned, or showed concern. I could hear him speak, sometimes his words mixed with laughter, and at others, I could tell he was waving his hands in the air while talking. How perfect the match. I remembered each quiet moment we had, especially those when silence rippled across our hearts...
And I was in that state for a long time...

Late afternoon I got a call. 'Mateen... I've been missing you. I've had a very bad feeling about you for a day now, so I prayed 2 nawafil and called you. Tell me what's wrong?'
'Nothing Ma... Alhamdulillah, everything's fine. What could be wrong?'
'Do you think my heart's mistaken?'
'It's all over. I've shed tears, I can shed no more. And I'm leaving it all behind me.'
'It had to be done. This is a test. It's a test. You have to be firm and overcome yourself'.
'Truly, its nothing but a blessing. I'll come around, inshallah'.

Somehow, the day passed, and then Hiba called.
'Listen, it's been 3 weeks now, I was advised not to tell you, but I need to. He's out of my life now. Sometimes, I wake up crying. I have to be strong, but I have all these thoughts. I so wanted to tell you earlier, can't believe it's been so long, Mateen. Will I ever get the fulfillment I want?'
'Remember Hiba- If you feed your strength, it will grow, and eat up your fears. But if you feed your fears, it will become a monster and eat your strength and you with it. It's all over for me as well. Last week, I talked to him. His response to my first statement made me think- Oh Lord, he's talking just like Burj. Burj said the exact same words to you, didn't he?'
'Yes he did. For once in my life, I know how you feel. I wish I could do something for you.'
'I count your presence in my life as one of the biggest blessings Allah has granted me.'
'Mateen, I do too. Thanks for listening'.
'How are you doing?'
'How I'm doing without the person I could worship? Pretty good! You and I hold on to each other like the fibres of a rope. Nothing will separate us inshallah'

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I came across this ad, and was deeply touched. How many of us possess this much compassion, or even come close to it?

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Description of the Righteous

It is related that a devout worshipper by the name of Humam came to Imam Ali (May Allah Ennoble his countenance) and asked him to describe the pious people so vividly that he could almost see them.

Ali responded:

Their speech is truthful; their clothing is moderate; and they walk with utmost humility. They lower their gaze from everything Allah has forbidden. They allow their ears to listen only to that which is beneficial. Their souls accept exposure to trials and tribulations as easily as others accept luxurious living.
Were it not for their appointed term, their spirits would not have remained in their bodies the span of a twinkling of the eye due to their intense longing for their Lord. Because the Creator is magnified in their souls, everything else is viewed as insignificant in their sight. Their hearts are sober; people are safe from any wickedness from them; their bodies are slim [they don’t overindulge their appetites]; their basic needs are few; and their souls are chaste.
They patiently endure the few days they spend in this world knowing that they will be followed by a long, peaceful rest—this is the profitable life-transaction which their Lord has allowed them to enter into. The world desired them; however, they had no desire for it. It imprisoned them, but they ransomed their souls from it [with their restraint and righteous deeds].
At night, their feet are arranged in ranks as they dutifully recite the Qur’an in slow measured tones. If they come upon a verse that stimulates [in them] longing [for the delightful things which Allah has promised] they ponder it, craving to attain them. Their souls soar due to the intensity of their longing for those delights. If they come upon a verse that frightens them [with the threat of Allah’s dreadful punishment] they hear it reverberating in the depths of their hearts. They imagine that they hear the dreadful sounds of the Hellfire in the innermost recesses of their ears. You find them kneeling down [before their Lord], begging to be liberated from the Hellfire.

As for their days, they are forbearing, clement scholars. They are righteous and pious.
Fear [of Allah] surrounds them, piercing them like arrows. One who gazes upon
them thinks that they are sick. However, they are far from being sick. They are
not satisfied with a minimal amount of righteous deeds, nor do they consider
excessive amount of worship to be great. They see their faults, and they fear that their deeds won’t be accepted. If someone praises one of them, he says, “I know myself better than others [know me], and my Lord is more knowledgeable of me than myself. O Allah, don’t take me to task for what they say, and make me better than what they think of me, and forgive me for those sins which they are unaware of.”
One of the signs [of such a person] is that you observe strength in his religion. His gentleness is accompanied by sobriety. His faith is coupled with certainty. He longs for knowledge. He acts with forbearance. He lives moderately, even when blessed with wealth. He is humble in his worship. He endures poverty with dignified grace. He patiently endures trying circumstances. He seeks his sustenance from the lawful. He hastens to right guidance. He is agitated if he perceives greed in himself. He works righteousness all the while trembling, fearing that his deeds won’t be accepted]. His greatest concern is gratitude. He arises in the morn preoccupied with the Remembrance of God. He goes to bed at night overwhelmed, apprehensive. He rises in the morning overjoyed. His apprehension arises from the awareness of his heedlessness. His joy is caused by the bounties and mercy Allah has showered upon him. If his soul presses him with something he despises, he does not concede [to it] and withholds from it what it desires. The comfort of his eye is that which cannot be eradicated [the reward of his righteous deeds]. His abstinence is from temporal things. He mixes clemency with knowledge, and speech with action. He expects death at any moment. His slips are few [because of his cautiousness and deliberateness in speech and actions]. His heart is content. He is easy-going. He is constantly on guard against assaults upon his religion. His lusts are dead.
His anger is suppressed.
People anticipate goodness from him. They are safe from any wickedness from him. If he is in the company of the heedless, he is recorded as being mindful [of his
Lord]. He overlooks those who oppress him. He gives to those who deny him. He joins relations with those who cut him off. He is far removed from any indecency. His speech is gentle. You find nothing bad in him. He is always a source of good. During calamities, he is composed. In dire straights, he is patient. In times of ease, he is thankful. He does not oppress those he dislikes, nor does he sin for the sake of those he loves. He admits the truth before his witnessing is sought. He preserves all he is entrusted with. He does not hurl abusive names at people. He never harms his neighbor, nor does he insult people when he is experiencing hardship. If he is transgressed against, he perseveres until Allah takes revenge for him. He relies on himself while he himself is a source of relief for others [they can rely on him]. He tires himself for the sake of his salvation, not burdening others in any way. His
distance from those who remove themselves from him is a form of abstinence,
while his drawing near to people is from his gentleness and mercy. Hence, his distance from people does not arise from arrogance and haughtiness, nor is his
closeness to them motivated by cunning and treachery.

Hearing this, Humam dropped dead. Imam Ali said,“This is what I feared would happen to him.”

- From Nahj al-Balagha, Translated by Imam Zaid Shakir

Charles Blondin

In 1851 Blondin was recruited by the agent of Mr. William Niblo to perform with the Ravel Troupe at Niblo's Garden. It was while he was with this company that he devised the show-name of Charles Blondin -- the troupe had two brothers with the last name Javell, and it was thought there would be confusion at the similarity. He chose "Blondin" for the color of his hair. Blondin was with the troupe for several years. On their American tour he found his way to Niagara Falls, and his greatest fame.

Blondin became obsessed with the idea of crossing the falls the first time he saw them in 1858. A year after his initial visit, he returned to accomplish the feat. The stunt was not without controversy. Many people felt that a stunt like Blondin's would trivialize the falls, turning them into a backdrop for a circus act, and should not be allowed.
Blondin's original plan was to string his rope to Goat Island, but the owners supported the opposition and denied him permission. Eventually, Blondin was allowed to string his wire a mile further down-stream and on June 30, 1859, he was the first man ever to cross Niagara Falls by tightrope. A large crowd of 100,000 people watched him walk on a single three-inch hemp cord, 1,100 feet long and 160 feet above the falls at one side and 270 feet at the other. You can read the details of the crossing on page 3 in the copy of the July 4, 1859, Chicago Tribune article.

Blondin made many more trips across the gorge during the next year and became popularly known as "the Prince of Manila" (the rope he used was made of Manila.) Each time, he thrilled larger crowds with more exciting acts. He balanced a chair on the rope an d stood on it. He took pictures of the crowd while he balanced on the rope. He cooked a meal on a small portable cooker and lowered it to amazed passengers on the Maid of the Mist below. He crossed blindfolded, in a sack, on stilts, and trundling a wheel barrow. On August 17, 1859 he increased the risk by carrying his manager, Harry Colcord, across on his back. When the Prince of Wales visited in September, 1860, Blondin carried his assistant, Romain Mouton, across and performed antics on the way. The prince, like other spectators, was left breathless and asked Blondin never to do it again. Imagine the Prince's reaction when Blondin offered to carry him across on his back or in a wheelbarrow!

Who is Charles Blondin?

Masjid Madness

Praying taraweeh @ Masjid Toronto has become quite a challenge. If you can actually keep your khushoo amidst crying children, boys charging up and down the stairs, screaming girls, and women who find the only time to chat is when the prayer starts... then you must be quite rare!
Every day we have a different strategy for dealing with kids. Today I decided Sawitri and I would pray alternatingly so that we could supervise the women and kids @ all times.

The basement was surprisingly empty today, so I decided to take the kids on a trek down the elevator. Of course, the kids have now learnt that getting into the elevator means that as soon as the doors open, they have an unlimited license to scream.

And there are all sorts of kids. One little girl apparently suffers from socksomania (taken from kleptomania)- she'd just yank a sock off her sister and run away with it. Another boy would just want to hop on one leg for as long as he could, then fall down and restart. This one grade 4 girl just loved telling the Who-Ate-Who story: There was a bear who ate the lion. And the lion ate the rabbit, and the rabbit ate the cat, and the cat ate the donkey. And then there was a tiger who ate the eagle, and the eagle ate the duck... Another little girl was given a pedometer by her mother earlier in the today, so she was jumping as much as she could to see the electronic display number go up. The boys were pulling off each other's sweater, and the elevator was screaming to be released. One particular baby just liked to run after any moving human. At witr time, I was trying to quieten a few girls, when one of the sisters asked me, 'are you the baby sitter? Or did you decide not to pray taraweeh today?' 'I'm helping out the Masjid board...' 'Mashallah sister, you have so much patience. I'd just make the kids sit left and right. May Allah bless you with 4-5 children'
Umm... not too sure about that!

It's kinda sad that I heave a sigh of relief when the first 10 rakahs are over- Great, most of the kids and women will be gone by then!

There's a Hero- by Mariah Carey

There's a hero,
If you look inside your heart,
You don't have to be afraid of what you are,
There's an answer,
If you reach into your soul,
And the sorrow that you know will melt away.

And then a hero comes along,
With the strenght to carry on,
And you cast your fears aside and you know you can survive,
So when you feel like hope is gone,
Look inside you and be strong,
And you'll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you.

It's a long road,
When you face the world alone,
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold,
You can find love,
If you search within yourself,
And the emptiness you felt will disappear.

Lord knows,
Dreams are hard to follow,
But don't let anyone tear them away,
Hold on,
There will be tomorrow,
In time you'll find the way.

Companionship

The water of ablution was trailing down my face, as I hurried to join the congregation. I managed to squeeze into the second row, and the Imam said his takbir. I folded my arms, and said the dua...
I could hear the words of the sister next to me, she was loud.
I know her..
I met her a year ago...
And I lost my concentration thinking about her fate.
She narrated her brief story to my mother a year ago. She must be about 41 now, I thought to myself. She told my mother that she was single, and this shocked mummy. Of course, mummy had to ask her why, and she simply mentioned that she always sought a righteous man, but her parents never looked outside their
culture, and she never found anyone.
Wow... time flies! Forty years... and haven't found the right person? That's quite scary.
A few days ago, as we were all exiting the mosque after night prayers, she asked me which way I was headed. "I'm walking on Dundas", I responded. To which she said under her breath, her face turned away from me, 'I'm going home.. all by myself. No one's walking that way. Maybe one day I'll find someone to go with me'.
I could only make a silent prayer for her @ that point.

Children of Hope

Children Of Hope is hosting a telethon and radiothon over the long weekend. Their goal is to raise $100,000 for the education of 200 Earthquake orphans in Pakistan currently being taken care of by SOS Villages Pakistan. This money will be used towards their school tuition fees, uniforms, shoes, backpacks, full course textbooks, and school operating costs.

The telethon will be braodcast as follows:

Saturday October 7, 2006 from 10am to 11am on Eye on Asia (City TV)

Sunday October 8, 2006 from 10am to 11:30am on Eye on Asia (City TV)

The radiothon will be a live broadcast as follows:

Sunday October 8, 2006 from 9pm-11pm on 100.7FM

If you are able to watch or listen to these shows, then call into the toll free number 1-866-398-7588 to make your donations during the broadcasts.

If you are unable to catch these shows and would like to make a donation at any other time, then please go to the website at www.childrenofhope.ca and make a secure on-line donation.

Remember, your wealth only increases with charity, it's Allah's promise.

When facing difficulty...

Allaahumma laa sahla illaa maa ja’altahu sahlan wa anta taj’alu al-hazna idhaa shi’ta sahlan
O Allah, nothing is easy unless if You make it easy; You can make all difficult tasks easy.

Verses to ponder on this week

[But as for you, O believers,] never shall you attain to true piety unless you spend on others out of what you cherish yourselves; and whatever you spend - verily, God has full knowledge thereof.

[Al-Imran 92]

Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving Clear Signs: For them is a dreadful penalty,

[Al-Imran 105]

If misfortune touches you, [know that] similar misfortune has touched [other] people as well; for it is by turns that We apportion unto men such days [of fortune and misfortune]: and [this] to the end that God might mark out those who have attained to faith, and choose from among you such as [with their lives] bear witness to the truth- since God does not love evildoers

[Al-Imran 140]

"...This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor unto you, and have chosen for you as religion Al-Islam..."

[Maidah 3]

"Come, let me convey unto you what God has [really] forbidden to you: "Do not ascribe divinity, in any way, to aught beside Him; and [do not offend against but, rather,] do good unto your parents; and do not kill your children for fear of poverty - [for] it is We who shall provide sustenance for you as well as for them; and do not commit any shameful deeds, be they open or secret; and do not take any human being's life-[the life] which God has declared to be sacred -otherwise than in [the pursuit of] justice: this has He enjoined upon you so that you might use your reason; and do not touch the substance of an orphan - save to improve it-before he comes of age." And [in all your dealings] give full measure and weight, with equity: [however,] We do not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear; and when you voice an opinion, be just, even though it be [against] one near of kin. And [always] observe your bond with God: this has He enjoined upon you, so that you might keep it in mind. And [know] that this is the way leading straight unto Me: follow it, then, and follow not other ways, lest they cause you to deviate from His way. [All] this has He enjoined upon you, so that you might remain conscious of Him.

[Al-An'am 151-153]

Duas for this week

O our Sustainer! Lay not upon us a burden such as Thou didst lay upon those who lived before us! O our Sustainer! Make us not bear burdens which we have no strength to bear! "And efface Thou our sins, and grant us forgiveness, and bestow Thy mercy upon us! Thou art our Lord Supreme: succour us, then, against people who deny the truth!"

[Surah Al-Baqara 286]

"O my Sustainer! Bestow upon me [too], out of Thy grace, the gift of goodly offspring; for Thou, indeed, hearest all prayer."

[Al-Imran 38]

"O our Sustainer! We believe in what Thou hast bestowed from on high, and we follow this Apostle; make us one, then, with all who bear witness [to the truth]!"

[Al-Imran 53]

"We believe in God, and in that which has been bestowed from on high upon us, and that which has been bestowed upon Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and their descendants, and that which has been vouchsafed by their Sustainer unto Moses and Jesus and all the [other] prophets: we make no distinction between any of them. [68] And unto Him do we surrender ourselves."

[Al-Imran 84]

"O our Sustainer! Forgive us our sins and the lack of moderation in our doings! And make firm our steps, and succour us against people who deny the truth!"

[Al-Imran 147]

"God is enough for us; and how excellent a guardian is He!”

[Al-Imran 173]

Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire.

[Al-Imran 191]

"Our Lord! any whom Thou dost admit to the Fire, Truly Thou coverest with shame, and never will wrong-doers Find any helpers!"

[Al-Imran 192]

"Our Lord! we have heard the call of one calling (Us) to Faith, 'Believe ye in the Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blot out from us our iniquities, and take to Thyself our souls in the company of the righteous.

[Al-Imran 193]

"Our Lord! Grant us what Thou didst promise unto us through Thine apostles, and save us from shame on the Day of Judgment: For Thou never breakest Thy promise."

[Al-Imran 194]

"Our Lord! we believe; write us down among the witnesses."

[Maidah 83]

"We have no knowledge: it is Thou Who knowest in full all that is hidden."

[Maidah 109]

"...provide for our sustenance, for thou art the best Sustainer (of our needs)."

[Maidah 114]

Leaving...

What do you when you have to leave behind your most precious possession?
Perhaps the question you should be asking yourself is...
Is it really mine?