#and people are their best selves in Jannah

[whattblackparadise]

.

[hellosarabrinasarab]

projecting anger

it become a debate in my head, about how to properly show anger. in psychology, we were taught that we should express our emotion, because that's the healthy way. but, to be truth, i rarely see my parents angry, in-the-best-way-that-angry-can-be-understood-as-angry-toward-me. i rarely hear them raising their voice, or that's as long as I can remember. or, in the opposite, i'm just too numb to recognized that, that was my parents angry to me.

either way,

which is why, showing anger, was a difficult task to me. even, in my religion, tells me that :

"Laa taghdob walakal Jannah"

Janganlah marah maka bagimu surga

so, there is a bunch of reasons that tell that i should not angry or get angry to people.

and then, a friend of mine, share to me about how she yells on whatsapp (literally texting harsh reply like 'ya iyalah', speak about that, do you think that the word 'ya iya lah' is harsh? or just mean? anyway, the text itself really project how angry she was), to someone who she worked with (her subordinate to be axact), and in her opinion, that is necessary in order to release our anger and also keep our selves healthy.

i'm on the opposite.

I think, yelling, to someone who makes mistakes to us, doesn't really help, or probably it should help the one who make mistake to know that they're wrong and that they should make it right. But, we could still doing that in a kind way. in a wise way.

yelling or doing something that really show our anger in front of the one who makes us angry, in my opinion, is just related to us showing anger itself. it's about let the feeling out. it is healthy, for the one who feel the emotion of anger itself. but, i doubt, it will for the opposite side too.

that is why i don't really agree with that statement of my friend.

and then there is this saying in islam that,

"if you're angry and you are standing, go sit down. if you are sitting and still angry, go drink water..."

it's showing us how to behave when we get angry, and none of that telling us to go yell.

and then today, i come across this video.

the video itself, doesn't really connected to my topic here, so i'll just screen capt some parts of that.

This is johnyy haris who tells the story of how he quit of mormon church. and that decision should hurt his family, because his family was all in the mormon church.

but johnny tells us, eventhough his family was hurtful, they didn't project that onto him.

it really gave me an insight, that, being anger, expressing anger, and not showing or project anger to the anger's object itself, are possible.

people do that, people live like that, and people can go on do that.

that's an add to my reasons of not being angry to people.

[tros-for-dinner]

[TROS re-write: in this version, the secret Finn has been keeping throughout the movie is that he doesn’t want to kill for the Resistance either, and he wants to save the stormtroopers. Poe remembers his failure in TLJ and his secret in this movie is he’s afraid he’s not a good leader and he’s going to mess up again. After freeing Rose (instead of Chewie) from the star destroyer, escaping by the skin of their teeth, and crash-landing the Falcon on Kef Bir (Endor’s moon, I had to look it up), the team meets the colony of escaped troopers and decide to spend the night recuperating.]

Poe finds Finn at a distance from the fire, staring at the flames without seeing them. Poe sits beside him on the bench, a strange apprehensiveness fluttering through him. He’s never seen Finn this withdrawn.

“What is it?” he asks quietly. His worry intensifies when Finn blinks back into the present, to Poe, then glances away. “We made it out okay,” Poe tries to reassure, making a stab in the dark. “We all made it out okay, Finn. You don’t have to keep worrying.”

Instead of replying, Finn sighs, heavily, and Poe is startled to see tears well up in his eyes. Automatically, he reaches out to grip Finn’s shoulder, try and provide some reassurance. Finn reaches up to grip Poe’s hand but still doesn’t look at him.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” Poe implores. It hurts more than he could have imagined when Finn still doesn’t look or move to speak.

“Can I, though?” Finn finally says, almost too quietly to hear. 

When Poe realizes what Finn said, his jaw drops and it’s on the tip of his tongue to retort - What is that supposed to mean?! - when a mirage of General Organa appears in his mind’s eye, glaring at him for being so undiplomatic in such a sensitive situation. He swallows down his retort and fishes at length for what he needs to say.

“All I know,” he eventually says carefully, “is that you need to talk to someone, and if you would be more comfortable talking to Rey, I will get up right now and get her.”

Finn sighs again, but it’s different. “No,” he says, and squeezes Poe’s hand, “you’re the one I need to talk to.”

Finn sighs again, shaking his head. “What do you remember…from Crait?”

There’s a lot of things he remembers from Crait, but before he can reply, Finn sighs again. “Rose said to me, after our failed bombing run, ‘we have to fight to save what we love’, instead of, you know, killing what we hate and…I’ve been thinking about that nearly every day.” He sighs and shifts in his seat to throw his head back and look up at the stars. “Have you ever talked to Rey about the Force?”

“Not really,” Poe says, trying to keep any negative emotions out of his voice. Religion isn’t really something he puts stock into, as a general rule, and it’s really unnerving to see objects move under unseen power when they’re supposed to be stationary.

“I don’t have the Force. Not like Rey does. But…” Finn trails off, visibly thinking. “The Force is like standing in a river: I can feel it pressing on me, swirling around me, but I can’t see the currents in the water.”

Poe blinks. “I thought you didn’t have the Force.”

Finn shakes his head. “I can’t control it like Rey can, but I can feel it. I always have but I didn’t know how to understand it.” For a very long moment, he doesn’t speak, then: “Getting Rose out, being on that Star Destroyer…I’d forgotten how bad it was but it all came rushing back.” Poe can see tears glimmering in his eyes again.

“How bad what was?” Poe asks, as gently as he can.

Finn shakes his head again, pressing his eyes shut. Tears run down down his cheeks, glinting in the firelight. “The air on the ship is just…unbearable. The misery. The…you’re surrounded by so many people but you’re so alone, all the time. They took everything from us: our names, our selves - and then our lives. They erased us so that only the armor remained. No one can live like that, and I can’t believe I’d forgotten how bad it was. I thought I was the only trooper that ever got out.”

“But you weren’t,” Poe anticipates, and Finn nods, somehow looking even more miserable than before. Poe doesn’t understand. “Buddy, you just gotta celebrate whatever wins we get! It’s great that Jannah and her group got out!”

Finn nods even as his face crumples. “You’re right,” he manages to get out, but then starts to cry in earnest. Poe throws caution into the wind and pulls Finn into an embrace; thankfully, Finn goes willingly and sobs into his shoulder, squeezing Poe tightly in his arms. Poe feels terrible - he’d been so upset Finn was keeping a secret from him just a few days ago. He had no idea Finn was holding on to something so heavy.

“Please tell me what’s wrong,” he pleads, so quietly that he knows only Finn can hear him, as his sorrow winds down and his grip lessens.

“I left the First Order because I didn’t want to kill for them,” Finn says, voice hoarse and cracking around unshed tears. “I can’t kill for the Rebellion, Poe. I can’t do it. I can’t…” he dissolves back into tears, and Poe rocks him like his mother used to even though he feels like Finn punched him in the stomach. Suddenly so much makes sense, and Poe feels terrible that he caused Finn to feel like this.

“It’s okay,” Finn manages to say, and it takes Poe a beat to realize he’s replying to Poe’s unspoken sentiment. “It took me a while to figure and I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“Finn, if you can’t tell your best bud something like this that’s eating you up, I’m doing a fairly crappy job,” he says, and that gets Finn to laugh a bit. “Okay, I’m taking you off gun duty, that’s no problem,” Poe says, even though that is a problem in the grand scheme of things. Maybe he can hook BB up to the gun on the Falcon - Rose and Finn said BB took over an AT-AT on the Star Destroyer to help them escape; bet that was a hell of a show…

Poe realizes that Finn has stopped crying but is now tense in his arms. Poe loosens his grip and Finn pulls away to arm’s length, not looking at Poe.

“That’s not everything,” Poe realizes, watching his reaction. When Finn doesn’t look at him, Poe takes hold of his shoulders and squeezes them gently, trying to hug him without pulling him close again. “Finn, whatever it is, I promise I’m not going to be angry. You are my best friend. I can’t help you until you tell me what you need.”

Finn doesn’t speak for a moment, then he exhales shakily. “I thought BB was your best friend,” he says, and it takes Poe a second to realize the non-sequitur is a joke.

He frowns at Finn even as a laugh is trying to bubble up. Jokes are a good sign. “BB may be adorable but best friend has been you for a while, buddy.”

Finn gives him a grateful - if watery - smile and reaches up to grip Poe’s hand on his shoulder. “I realized,” he says, looking down at his shoes, “when Rose briefed us on the condition of the fleet that taking down the control tower isolates the ships. While the number of ‘troopers has stayed the same, intelligence shows they’re going to skeleton crews as far as officers and command crew go. Isolating the ships from their neighbors would make sure that if something happened to the command crew, the ship would be dead in the water for as long as it took to get the command tower back online.”

Poe squints at him and has to search for a diplomatic response. “That’s the general plan, yes,” he manages to say without it being condescending, but Finn shakes his head.

“Poe,” he says, lifting his gaze to look at the man directly, “the full number of troopers is ten thousand on each star destroyer. Ten thousand troopers per ship, suffering cycle after cycle, and who knows how many looking for a way to escape. The Rebellion shoots them out of the sky without even offering surrender.”

Poe suddenly, viscerally understands what Finn is trying to say. “The command crew will never surrender,” his mouth says automatically even as his brain calculates the consequences of what Finn is implying, as if he was right back in the cockpit of his X-wing in the middle of a dogfight. It’s insane. It’s impossible. It’s something that has never been done before in the history of the Rebellion.

Finn looks him directly in the eyes and grips Poe’s shoulders in a mirroring gesture. “The command crew is outnumbered by troopers ten-to-one,” he says intently, not looking away even to blink. “Jannah told me today that the ‘troopers are still using the same private comm channels as before I got out. Poe,” he says, shaking the man in emphasis, “all we would have to do is cut the ship off, broadcast to the troopers, offer surrender, Poe…”

“How would we get the ‘troopers off the ship?” Poe asks, but he’s already calculated the answer. He closes his eyes. “If the troopers take over the ship, we won’t have to get them out. We just have to support them until we can get everything sorted out.”

Finn shakes him a little and Poe opens his eyes to look at him. “If only a few want to defect,” Finn says quietly, “there are drop-ships they can take out. But I was thinking something more ambitious.”

Poe raises his eyebrows incredulously, unable to verbalize the question. Finn looks right at him, a sort of steely determination mixed with palpable fear. “Me and Rey could break into the command center and force them to surrender.”

Poe’s hands, still on Finn’s shoulders, unconsciously tighten grip. His mind is blank. “That’s…” he manages to speak, but can’t go on. Suicide! his mind shouts but he can’t force himself to say.

Finn’s eyes are pleading, now. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you,” he whispers. “I know there’s so much risk. Poe, before you and I got out, I was a model trooper. I never even questioned the system, I just did what they told me. But the Force brought us together and you got me out, and now it’s time for me to pay it forward. If I could save just one of them, all of this would be worth it, but we have the opportunity to save all of them.” The firelight flickers against the tears in Finn’s eyes. “Poe, I am going to do this, whether you help me or not.”

Poe feels - like gravity has somehow been inverted, maybe. Or he mistook zeroes for ones, or confused some of the switches in his cockpit. The plan Finn is suggesting goes against everything he’s been taught since he joined the war but………

Gazing at Finn’s earnest face, while sitting in a village of rebel Stormtroopers, Finn’s plan feels overwhelmingly right. It feels right in a way that nothing has since the Resistance fled D’Qar, since his failure decimated the Resistance, since the remainder escaped Crait with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the fires in their souls. Poe can almost see the battle plan in his mind’s eye like he read it out of a book: the Resistance’s remaining pilots will do everything they can to distract the command crew while Finn and his team take down the tower and broadcast the revolution to the ‘troopers. If they can get just one star destroyer to surrender, it would turn the tide. If they can get just a few drop-ships of defected troopers, it’ll strike a blow. We are the spark of hope that will light the fire…

“Yeah,” Poe says, squeezing Finn’s shoulders to convey his seriousness, nodding slowly at first, then more emphatically as his mind grows used to it, “yeah, I’m in.”

Hope dawns across Finn’s face, growing into amazement.

“I’ll help you,” Poe says, and can’t stand it anymore - he pulls Finn in close and hugs him as hard as he can. Finn doesn’t hesitate to hug back, burying his face into Poe’s shoulder. Tears spring into Poe’s eyes and then he’s laughing and crying all at once. Finn starts to shake, then they’re laughing and crying together, holding on to each other as tightly as they possibly can.

“You promise to tell me next time you get an idea like this in your head?” Poe asks, buoyant with fear and hope and love, overflowing with it.

“I promise,” Finn answers, and hugs him even tighter.

[questionsonislam]

Is there a market for (physical ) appearance in paradise? If so, how should it be apprehended?

should state that in reality there are two different hadiths from two different sources on the issue of “market for appearances” According to the hadith in Tirmidhi reported by Imam Ali, Prophet Muhammad ( pbuh) said: ' In Paradise, there is a market, wherein there will be no buying or selling, but will consist of appearances of men and women. If a man desires one of those appearances, he will have that appearance.' (Tirmidhi, Paradise 15)

In Muslim, Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: In Paradise, there is a street to which the people of Paradise go every Friday. The north wind will blow and scatter fragrance on their faces and on their clothes and add to their beauty and loveliness, and then they will go back to their family after having an added luster to their beauty and loveliness, and their family will say to them: By Allah, you have been increased in beauty and loveliness after leaving us, and they will say: By Allah, you have also increased in beauty and loveliness after us. (Muslim, Kitab al-jannah 13).

One of the most obvious facts of the universe that we live in is the quality of relativity of facts. This universe is not a place for absolute, precise and sharp distinctions such as either black or white, beautiful or ugly, good or bad, dark of light. On the contrary, there are grades of black and white, beauty and ugliness, the good and the bad, the light and the darkness.

There is a common answer by sound hearts and truthful minds to the question of why this universe was created in this way: This is because the purpose of creation of the universe comes into reality with such grading. This universe was created by an Excellency of Great Power who wants to see and show His own beauty, His absolute and infinite names and attributes; and man that He created to make this secrecy come into existence can only do this in a world of relativity and grading. Because man, as a creature, has his limits as a result of his creation: his knowledge, perception, conception, his will and power are limited. So, he cannot surround and cover the Excellency who created him and the universe with his absolute knowledge, will and power. He cannot recognize and define the reality when he comes across with it in an absolute and limitless form. In this case, in spite of seeing the reality in a definite form, he becomes exposed to blindness out of a dazzling as if our capacity of sight does not increase but our eyes go blind when we look directly at the sun. This is because of this secrecy that The Excellency of Great Power who created the universe and the man, carried out this creation by ‘hiding in the intensity of His manifestation and concealing in the magnificence of His grandeur’, and displayed His names and attributes in a relative and graded form.

This is the very reason why the universe contains these contrasts. The One who created this universe, created it with an extreme variety of mixture of contrasts like good - bad, beautiful - ugly, useful - harmful, perfect - imperfect, dark – light, etc. ; and provided us with the opportunity to get to know His definite names and attributes by means of this relativity.

Man’s categorization and grading of the things that exist in the universe as for example “very beautiful – beautiful – average – ugly – very ugly” in terms of beauty is owing to this reason. Certainly, even in things that man does not regard as beautiful from one step away, he sees a nice feature that helps him to make the beauty in beautiful things be noticed as a criterion of comparison.

When we look at the world of human beings, we can see the different reflections of the grading that surrounds the whole universe among people as well. Humans are not equal to each other in terms of intelligence or emotion, or in terms of morals or beauty. Between opposites like strong and weak, good and bad, sensitive and insensitive, beautiful and ugly, man displays different oscillations. There are people who serve the whole world as good examples of high ethics, there are also people whose low ethics the whole world avoids. There are people whose power is deemed legendary whereas there are ones who are too weak even to move a single finger. Just as there have been ones whose beauty has been widely-spoken, so too have there been people whose ugliness is well-known.

No disapproval does man show for the eye-catching beauty side of the picture of this grading manifestations. In contrast, even if his mind accepts this wisdom of relativity, his conscience keeps asking questions about the “negative” side of this picture. Since being a wise, good and even stronger person depends on his using his ability and capability well and to some extent depends on his will, it can be comparatively easy for him to answer the question of conscience to this point. However, since especially beauty is not something that can be obtained, then there remains the question “What sin did the ugly people commit?” Moreover, although people are able to better their intelligence, knowledge, manners and their morals by endeavor, beauty is not something that they can obtain by hard work and that they can improve. Plus, surgical operations with esthetic purposes, even epilating eyebrow hairs is not accepted by Allah and His Prophet ( pbuh).

By looking at the history of humankind, even the time in which a person lives, he can find examples of a range of realities which might help them ease the weight of the burden of this question that is disturbing their conscience. For instance, any person can find people whose beauties have turned out to be a catastrophe for them or people whose lesser beauty have become a source of happiness. The number of people who look very good but unhappy is not less than the number of people who are happy with their less good-looking appearance. Likewise, numerous people lacking sufficient development of their some other humanly abilities and skills due to the excessive emphasis on their beauty by their own selves and by people around them. Anyone can encounter people who are defined as beautiful but bad-tempered, beautiful but spoiled, capricious, difficult to get along and many more “buts”; there must be such a great number of people who do not care to improve their mental skills as a result of the emphasis on beauty and self-confidence that beauty grants them that there is an example of expression “dumb blonde” which is widely-renowned. Even though “beautiful” people especially good-looking blondes are not actually lower-leveled in their mental skills and intelligence, it is naturally meaningful that this expression is renowned.

On the other side of the picture where the ones with lesser beauty and even the “ugly” ones are, it is possible to come across with very opposite sights to this. A fact that we are familiar as much as the ones who lose with their beauty is the presence of the ones who benefit from their “lesser beauty”. The ones with “average” beauty, and even the ones who some regard as “ugly” are more worthy of being preferred compared to many good-looking people, based on either their high ethics or good manners. The number of friends that a “not good-looking” person with high ethics has is definitely more than the number of a good-looking but bad-tempered person’s friends. The number of he people whose lack of beauty led them to advance more in science, in art, in spiritualism cannot be underestimated or ignored. In the same way, there must be as many people who are content with the appearance Allah created, and are thankful of not being very beautiful.

In short, neither beauty alone is sufficient for people, nor being of lesser beauty. On the contrary, the life progress of people from good to bad is shaped according to their evaluation of the way Allah created them.

Nevertheless, this fact does not completely remove the question out of a person’s conscience even if it diminishes much of its severity. Firstly and foremost, the presence of people with good looks, intelligence and with high ethics makes this question linger from the point of view of people who have average beauty and who can be considered “ugly” as well.

A less reputed hadith which has been hidden from our eyes (we do not know why) about the life in the hereafter from our Prophet (may peace be upon him) who has been the best example to humanity in terms of both beauty and mind and morals in this world, provides us a permanent answer to this question. According to what we have learnt from this hadith, ' In Paradise, there is a market for the ones who are content with the appearance which Allah created, and who do not rely on their beauty or complain about their ugliness; and for who can find their humanly maturity according to the appearance Allah created in this world and who try to do deeds according to the purpose of their creation will be welcome. There will be no buying or selling. It will consist of appearances of men and women. If a man desires one of those appearances, he will have one of that appearance.

This hadith presents an astounding emotional expansion, relief and profundity to the ones who comprehend the creation of people in different appearances according to the wisdom of gradability in the creation of this world yet envy the appearance of the ones who are better-looking than them, or who regard themselves as good-looking and feel sorry for those who are not.

As this hadith on “market for appearance” sets us to think, in this mortal world, it all comes down to the fact that we should depend neither solely on beauty nor on insufficient beauty. What is essential in this world where we are tested is about beautifying our essence and doing good deeds in order to win Allah’s contentment, the Lord Who created us and this universe.

Once we can agree with Him and make him content with us, He will welcome us to His paradise where the “market for appearances” is and provide His men and women with the beauty which He did not bestow in this world due to many reasons.

How joyful are the ones who do not take their beauties as an excuse for forgetting or who do not complain about their ugliness and who render their spirituality with good deeds and deserve to be customers of the market for appearances.

[islamicrays]

I'm tired. He is tired. We were both hungry. The kids were loud.... anyone who has been married for awhile knows where this is going, right?

I'm going to show you what Fearless Vulnerability looks like in turning around a grump-session!

My husband told me dinner was ready. I wasn't feeling well so he took over making dinner and getting it on the table. Relieved, I finished something off for work I needed to get done.

But then he called me a second time. His voice sounded irritated.

I got irritated.

"Why is he calling me like that?" was my knee jerk reaction thought.

Instantly, I checked in with my feelings. Why did I feel so upset?

I'll tell you why.

I could have just sat there with my reaction to the tone of his voice.

But instead I recognized my strong reaction was because I felt guilty having asked him to take care of getting dinner on the table. I felt guilt sitting in my chair "doing nothing" because I wanted to take care of my family.

No...that's not quite it.

I dug more....

I was feeling guilty because I was at a conference for several days and then worked all day yesterday. (Serving my lovely clients from this beautiful WOJ community may I add!)

I hadn't been there serving them for several days in a row.

Here it comes. WHOOOOOSH. Another wave of guilt.

Forget the fact that I am with my family everyday and homeschooling two of my four kids but parenting all of them!

No...guilt says that taking a few days break from that for a conference makes me a terrible wife and mother.

Shame on me!

Ugh.

Ok, so there was the next layer of truth. I wasn't done yet.

I finally came to the table but instead of responding with my layer of truth I realized another feeling was coming to the surface.

Hurt.

I was feeling hurt that he didn't just recognize how tired I was and how I wasn't feeling well. I felt hurt that he would speak to me with a tone of voice that sounded judgy and irritated.

I mean.. I was coming!

But guess what....

GUESS WHAT!!!

Ladies, I want you all to pay attention to this.

Because everyone I coach gets stuck right there. Right there in their feelings and knee jerk reactions.

Let's look at the facts on the ground:

1) My husband took care of dinner.

2) My husband invited me to the table.

So far, we've got two actions that show love and support. No comments about me not cooking, not helping, about me sitting, or even working. Zero. Total acceptance and obvious recognition that I was tired.

Ok....but what was that tone of voice? I had such a strong reaction to the tone! I couldn't help the initial reaction.

When I finally told him that my feelings were hurt from his tone of voice and that I was now also swimming in an ocean of guilt his response was, "I didn't even realize how my voice sounds. I'm tired myself. It was a long day. I'm sorry. You've nothing to feel guilty about! "

Oh.

Why am I not just *knowing* that?

"I just wanted you to join me at the table so we could all eat together. That's why I called you the second time."

Yeah, the knife in the heart moment.

Why, you may be asking, didn't I, the "master relationship coach" over here not just know all of this automatically?

I'll tell you why.

I.Am.Drop.Dead.Exhausted.Today.

It's just one of those days and I admit I didn't get enough sleep last night.

When I'm tired, I am not my best self.

When ANYONE is tired they aren't their best selves, right?

I fell asleep on my coach while my eight year old was reading to me out loud from Charlotte's Web. I never sleep in the daytime. Even when I want to take a nap, I usually can't.

But today, I knocked out for 20 minutes waking up in a groggy grumpy state.

But you know what I did do even while feeling groggy and tired?

I worked Fearless Vulnerability.

I held my feelings and thoughts accountable. I honored how I felt, and I also explored my reactions.

After a few minutes, I told me husband not just my hurt, but my guilt, my doubts about myself - all of it. I resisted responding to just the knee jerk feelings.

Imagine if I didn't check in with myself and be fully honest about what was going on inside of me. Where could this dialogue have gone?

What might it has turned in to?

Two tired, hungry people.... not being vulnerable with themselves or each other.... <-- that has the potential to be a disaster.

At the end of the day, the entire "dinner drama" of my night lasted a few minutes, was solved with a conversation, but mostly the realization that I need some solid sleep.

Yes to the SLEEP!

Few things to learn:

1) Never underestimate the power of being tired or hungry to bring out the grumpy side of yourself or your spouse.

2) Make space foe each other to not be perfect all the time.

3) Apologize when you've hurt someone even when unintentionally.

4) Fearless Vulnerability is a method that asks you to fine 3 levels of truth. In many situations of conflict, there are often 3 truths happening within you all at the same time. Know them and. you can resolve things much faster and more effectively.

5) Be gentle with yourself. I am not perfect. I know that. What matters is that I work hard to *be* my best self as often as I can.

6) Everyone has different sensitivities. What irritates you might not irritate your spouse or any other women in our WOJ community. Honor your feelings. Don't judge them or compare them to anyone else.

7) Rahmah is important in a relationship. Life is long and the journey is hard and some days are just those kind of days.... Have gentleness with each other, give each other some space, and start over the next day.

Keep us in your du'a! Thanks for being here and letting me be vulnerable with you too. ❤

I know I've got plenty of formally or currently sleep deprived ladies on here! If you totally understand what I mean by "those kind of days..." send me some love with some ❤️❤️🙌🏻🙌🏻

Via Wives of Jannah

[lightup0nlight]

The Regret of the Pious Believers on the Day of Judgment

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is Al-Adl, the All-Just. Thus on the Day of Judgment, Allah will treat each and every single one of us according to what we did in this dunya.

🌸 Allah says in the Qur’an: “And you (all) will be in three groups (on the Day of Judgement). So {Ashab Al-Maymanah} - how (fortunate) will be those on the Right Hand! And {Ashab Al-Mash’amah} - how (unfortunate) will be those on the Left Hand? And {As-Sabiqoon} will be foremost - these will be those nearest (to Allah).” [Surah Al-Waqi’ah 56 : 7-11]

Allah sets us a vivid scene. On the Day of Judgment, we will all be separated into three groups. Two groups will be in Jannah, and the other group will be in the Fire.

As for the group who will enter the Fire, is the one whom Allah calls {Ashab Al-Mash’amah | the Left Group} for they are the ones who will receive their book of deeds in their left hands.

And as for the groups who will enter Jannah, they are the ones whom Allah calls {Ashab Al-Maymanah | the Right Group} - those who will receive their records in their right hand, and then there is a group of a greater rank than them whom Allah calls {As-Sabiqoon | the Foremost}.

Who are {As-Sabiqoon}? They are those who respond quickly, promptly to the Commandments of Allah, and they are the ones who will be the nearest to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala - may Allah make us of them, ameen!

🌸 Allah says in another ayah: “Then We gave the Book (the Qur’an) as inheritance to such of Our slaves whom We chose (the followers of Rasulullah ﷺ). Then of them are some who wrong their own selves, and of them are some who follow a middle course, and of them are some who are - by Allah's Leave - foremost in good deeds. That is indeed a great grace.” [Surah Fatir 35 : 32]

Even in Jannah itself will have vast, different degrees for its inheritors. Allah mentions 3 general groups in this ayah:

The first group is of believers who had a mixture of both good deeds and sins (but Allah forgave those sins). This is actually the lowest rank in Jannah.

The second group is the middle rank - they are those who abandoned everything that is haram, fulfilled all the obligatory acts of worship in the shari’ah, but did not do voluntarily ‘ibadah.

And the highest rank in Jannah are those who raced with one another to do good deeds - both the obligatory and voluntarily ‘ibadah, and they kept away from all that is haram. It is this group whom the scholars mentioned will enter Jannah without hisab - subhana Allah!

In this dunya, society tends to ‘group’ people depending on their economy status, on how successful they are. But Allah reminds us that in the Hereafter, there are even higher and greater degrees that we should all aspire. This is why Rasulullah ﷺ advocated us to have high aspirations!

🌸 He ﷺ said: “So, when you ask Allah, ask for Al-Firdaus which is the best and highest part of Paradise.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 2790]

See how Rasulullah ﷺ did not tell us to ask Allah just for the entrance of Jannah, or just the lower level of Jannah - but ask for the highest! Know that when a person asks Allah with sincerity and with determination, Allah will make it easy for him to attain what he asks for. So ask for Jannatul-Firdaus!

🌸 Allah says: “On that Day (in the Hereafter) will man remember, but how will that remembrance avail him? He will say: Alas! Would that I had sent forth (good deeds) for (this) my life!" [Surah Al-Fajr 89 : 23-24]

Ibn Kathir rahimahullah said that the regret mentioned in this ayah is felt by everyone - not only the disbelievers, not just the sinners, but even the pious believers.

Indeed, among the regrets of the pious on the Day of Resurrection, even though they have been secured with Jannah, is that they did not do more good deed when they could.

So I write to remind myself foremost, and then to others, that we all should find the means to increase our good deeds as long as we have the opportunity to do so. The real measurement in the Sight of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in determining our eternal ranks and degrees is not our wealth, not our status, not our popularity, but our good deeds. So be eager to do good deeds for the sake of Allah.

Allahumma, allow us to taste the sweetness of iman that will facilitate us to do good deeds for Your sake, and make us all inheritors of Jannatul-Firdaus Al-A’laa, ameen. 🌸

[nights-days]

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Naveed Ahmed - Who was Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Spoken Word

..May Allah reunite us with him in Jannah...

Born in the year of the Elephant Even as a child he was special it was evident Birth of The Prophet mentioned in the Old Testament Deuteronomy 18:18 that’s your reference

Perfectly proportioned the most handsome, most elegant Impeccable character the most humble and intelligent Compassionate, considerate in speech he was most eloquent Even before he was a Prophet he was a man of great eminence He’s ranked number one in Michael Heart’s book most influential Please refer to the books of Hadith If you need to check his credentials His message is worshipping Allah alone is essential and The Quran and his teachings make up all our fundamentals

On the day of Judgement, we rely on Allah’s mercy and his intercession. His words pearls of wisdom teaching us valuable lessons Liberator of women’s rights he was against all oppression The English language can’t do justice Forgive me for my indiscretions His face was more radiant than the full moon And his sweat smells better than the most expensive perfume The light that shone bright like the sun shines at noon

Follow his example if you want to be Al Muttaqun (the pious) He came to an illiterate nation at a time of desperation He was a real revolutionary who ruled by revelation Seal of the Prophets we wish him peace and salutation Testify he’s the messenger of Allah before our daily congregation

When the Arabs worshipped fire and idols he took them out of Jahiliyya (ignorance) Those were the real dark ages until people started to see clear He faced so many hardships but still he’d persevere And his Dawah is the reason why you see me standing here Even his enemies knew him as As Sadiq Al Amin (The truthful and trustworthy one) They tried to assassinate his character when he spread the message of Tawheed (Islamic monotheism) He tried to invite everybody to Sirat Al Mustaqim (straight path) but most rejected his message and didn’t take heed

Every step he’d take was for Allah and his Deen (religon) Allah split the moon for the Quraish yet they still didn’t believe In fact they tortured the believers What a horrid sight it must’ve been But imagine the status in Jannah of the earliest Shaheed (martyr) They called him a liar, a soothsayer, a madman and a magician They couldn’t swallow their pride and let go of their traditions Offered him power wealth and women to stop spreading the religion But he said even if you offer me the sun and the moon I won’t accept your proposition They threw animal intestines on the Prophet while he was in prostration Even stepped on the blessed neck of the best of all creation

But instead of retaliation he turned to his lord in supplication Inna Allah Ma As Sabireen (2:153), Verily Allah is with the patient He was boycotted insulted treated like an outcast But through the pain and the struggle, he’d still remain steadfast He’s a mercy to mankind it even says in the Quran Surat Al Anbiya verse 107 He even lead the Anbiya (Prophets) in Salah before he ascended above the heavens

When he went to preach in Ta’if, yeah, they pelted him with stones He had blood soaked shoes and he was bruised down to the bone Jibreel (Gabriel) Alayhi Salam (peace be upon him) descended and said give me the command and I’ll get the angel of mountains to destroy all their homes but Allah’s merciful messenger said no and let them be for the land may one day be home to people who believe

I remember these stories in times of difficulty And remind myself that The Prophet had it more difficult than me Even through the slander and the rumours spread by the people of Quraish The Ansar came to know about the Prophets message and his demeanour They accepted Islam and vowed to keep The Prophet safe

So The Messenger Of Allah had migrated to Madinah At that that time it was known as the city of Yathrib He ended their tribal feuds and led the people with justice The land of the dates became the most blessed place Became an even bigger problem for the people of Quraish Because their caravans to Shaam were no longer safe The believers had a home, Islam had a base

He was content in every situation as it is all Allah’s Qadr He even had the help of the angels at the battle of Badr He taught us to love for ourselves what we love for each other And SubhanAllah he even referred to you and me as his brothers I envy the sand that met his blessed feet It’s hard to comprehend how a man could be so humble He’s the perfect example for the likes of you and me He even forgave the people that mutilated his uncle

The Sahaba became human shields for The Prophet When he would make Wudu (ritual purification) They would make sure they catch every single droplet of water that would flow off his blessed body Their actions proved that they loved him more than anybody Islam spread from medina Muslims multiplied in numbers The idolaters in Makkah feared that their days were numbered

And when The Prophet returned to Makkah he could have taken his revenge On the people who use to oppress and torment He could have captured and enslaved them He was in a position of power and surrounded by thousands of brave men What he did next left the people in amazement Rahmatul Lil Alameen (mercy to the worlds) Turned around and forgave them The best leader the best father the best husband the best person Imagine how it must have felt to witness the last sermon Imagine you were there and lent an attentive ear And you had to hear that the messenger of Allah May not be with you the next year.

Indeed, the greatest calamity is when he departed this Dunya We show our love for the beloved by following his Sunnah Insha’Allah on the Day of Judgment We get to drink from his blessed hand 21st century role model he’s not just your average 7th century man May Allah reunite us with him in Jannah And save us from the fire of Jahannam We love him more than our own selves.

Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam (peace be upon him)

[quaintrelle-on-the-loose]

Woman of Faith Diaries: MY FIRST FASTING EXPERIENCE

To strengthen my faith in Him is one of my goals this year (and definitely for the years to come). And this year might has been half way through, but I am still blessed of having the opportunity to finally bring my spiritual growth on the next level. As a matter of fact, this month, I also had my first fasting experience: The Mid-Year Prayer and Fasting.

For three days, I committed to knowing Christ more by spending more time reading the Word instead of blogging and opening my social media accounts.

I spent my idle time at work doing my devotions, and Starbucks has been my go-to place after work as I waited for the Prayer Meets at church every 7PM (from Monday to Wednesday).

DAY 1: "It is by His grace that you have been saved."

DAY 2: "God has an absolute best plan for you."

DAY 3: "Be strong in the Lord and stand firm."

During the last night of the Prayer Meet, a calling has been revealed to me too: it's really time to grow spiritually. And as I leave the Church that night, I came up with a decision to finally commit to this Church that's been a home for me for seven months now.

The Data Analyst Diaries: F(un) A(nd) B(onding) DAY 2018!

So yearly, the company has this so called "FAB DAY" to allow their employees to have a one-day leave to spend it with their colleagues to have fun and bond --- yes, a team-building activity, in short!

I got to spend my first FAB Day experience with my co-newbies slash my lunchmates --- Joyce, Jannah, Pia, Angel, Cha, and Kervin. For a day (last July 13, yes, Friday the 13th!), we let ourselves forget about data analysis! It was a tiring yet fun (sooo fun) day! It has served its purpose so well, I believe.

First stop: BREAKOUT

We failed. We had a "missed disclosure" and freakin failed (our data analyst selves)! Everyone screaming, panicking, running, and cursing made the experience memorable tho!

Second and Third Stops: SM Megamall (Foodtrips)

We had a lunch at FRANKIE'S. It's always a no-brainer yes for chicken!

We then went and grab ourselves some ice cream at BLK. I enjoyed my strawberry yogurt flavored ice cream with nuts and granolas! ♥

Fourth Stop: LAZER TAG

This game has been the most tiring one (well at least for me). It's so hard and exhausting laughing while crawling! But sure thing, it was a great first time experence too.

Fifth and last stop: BOWLING ARENA

THIS IS WHAT I ENJOYED THE MOST. Definitely!

The last time I played bowling was still way back midyear of junior year in college. It was one of the PE classes that I had to attend. And having to play it again this day with my new found friends made the game a lot of fun.

We decided to call it a day at around 4pm. It was then time to go to the bus terminal to go home.

The Data Analyst Diaries: 5TH MONTH @ WORK

JOURNAL ENTRY // 07.17.18

So last July 12, exactly my fifth month at work, I had my fifth performance assessment with Sir Chad and Sir Melvs. My regularization this coming August 12 was confirmed and already got approved! That's why today, Jannah and I bought three boxes of Dunkin Donut Munchkins and two litres of soda to treat the CA Data Team! :)

☑ BLOGGING CHALLENGE #2

This month, I got another blogging challenge done.

Some of my fave blog entries include these:

Woman of Faith Diaries: The Road to Becoming a Proverb 31 Woman ft. My First VG Outing

How about taking you first to where it all began and how it led to this outing because it really shows how God works and that everything that's happening, and that everyday, is part of a grander plan.

It started at Starbucks. That SB branch at Robinson's Forum. I love chilling at coffee shops. I usually do my so-called "Gutsy Days" (aka the days when I pull my craps together, organize my scheds, catch up with my blog and journal, and plan stuff) at coffee shops because it just feels cozy and that's the mood that I want every time I feel like sorting my life out.

So one Sunday (July 1st if I remember it right), while Jessa and I were busy with our journals, there was this group of three people — two ladies and a guy, sitting and occupying the table beside us. The guy and this one lady left first but the one stayed there and was just reading. While I was about to go to the rest room, I saw that the lady approached my sister and they started talking. When I got back, the lady wasn't there anymore and Jessa told me, "Ate, I got an answered prayer. I just met ate Andy. VG Leader pala sya at magseservice din sya ngayon." Jessa is already a Christian (she made that life changing decision when she was still in college) and a part of a VG in the province. But since she transferred here in Manila (it's been a year already), she'd always planned to be a part of a VG here. And meeting a VG leader was indeed an answered prayer for her. She'd always wanted to continue on growing her faith and me, on the other side, wanted to start anew and really start on committing myself to the Lord.

That night, Jessa and ate Andy met again and talked. She got invited to be part of ate Andy's VG and she also asked her if she has someone who she could connect me with since I wanted to be part of the Church too. That's when ate Lyra entered the picture.

Ate Lyra was that other girl ate Andy was with at SB. And the guy was her boyfriend. And even though we haven't had the chance to personally meet that time, God orchestrated another "unplanned" meet up (again at SB). The next Sunday, while Jessa and I was about to leave SB to attend the 5PM service at Church, we saw ate Andy again. She was with ate Lyra again and that's when we got to finally meet. She got my number and that's when it started. I was thinking that time, "Finally. This is it!"

And that was really it. That's the start of something new (reference to my fave movie of all times lol)! That meeting was followed by another meet or should I say, "outing" and this time, with a bigger group of people. Last July 28, Jessa and I got invited to ate Andy and ate Lyra's VG outing. All their VG members were also there and it was a blast having to meet these Proverb 31 ladies! It was the first time that we got to talk and be with each other but it already felt home. All throughout the days and night (it was a two day and one night outing at Acacia Estates) that I was with them, that's what I've been feeling and that's what's been running on my head — it feels home. I just felt so comfortable with each and one of them and being with them felt like we've known each other for too long. I feel so blessed of having to meet this new wonderful people and being part of this Church community. Of this family. It was a well spent weekend with them all. God has blessed me with new amazing people in my life who I could share my walk with. Who I could share my journey with. I know that God has given me these new set of people because I couldn't do life on my own and I would need all the help and support that I could get as I truly seek Him in my life.