The Non Return

Need know I am not returning to Algeria for my 4Th year alhamduilah. Thinking way back to Oct 2005 and mid Ramadan and all the preparations, rushing, tears, shipping, stocking up and leaving all in aid for my departure to Algeria, what i thought was forever. In the first place it was a very hard jihad al nafs (struggle of the dis ires) to leave in the first place, to say salam to the land that is my home, the only home i ever new, to say salam to a life but alhamduilah masha allah i did it as i really wanted it. I was no fool as i knew troubled waters lay ahead but what i got was far more troubled than i could have ever imagine subhanallah. I will be honest when i say i spent 2 1/2 yrs of my 3yrs in tears but they were tears of self realisation and development, tears of pain, tears of happiness , tears for loved ones, tears of in ability, tears of realization, tears for others, tears of shock and disappointment, tears of achievement and tears in the way of my Lord although i my whole life does revolve around my religion Islam anyhow.


What i expected i didn't find what i had hoped never to find i got. I started this blog as i had no one to talk to and i decided i would blog my events and emotions here and i never dreamed to find a sisterhood this way. In a way this blog was to be a relief for my emotions and mashaAllah i do get that.

I don't regret for a moment for going to Algeria and trying it out as i always had a passion for Algeria and wanted to try the whole emigration experience alhamduillah. Things i went in search for in the way of my deen (religion) didn't materise for me so much , this could be due o number of reasons, like location. Goals i had in mind for my family didn't emerge Islam wise not to say there is no deen there yes there is mashaAllah i met the most pious sisters there (native Algerian women) that have a left a lasting effect on my deen mashaAllah. Maybe my own Islamic Standard are too high and i enjoyed to live in this comfortable Islamic bubble we create for ourselves in the UK when in effect the real Islamic world is different.

I belive Allah destined for me to go to Algeria alhamduialh perhaps seeing at how things evolved for me to move to Algeria in the first place...it maybe that Allah wanted to try my eman and maybe He found me steady as a rock... or maybe perfected me till I were steady mashallah... Allahu alim and He is al kareem. All i know is i gain so much from being in algeria , it nourished my existence, hardships were my blessing believe me test after test made me come closer to my lord and feel the beauty of belonging , of being alone, of being helpless, feeling the power and favor of my MASTER Allah subhanoo. Maybe i was not to remain in Algeria that's all, i have come to re-visit the purpose of my time in this dunniyah and why i am here, things and goals i need to focus upon.

At first i was devastated when i realised i have to return, as i didn't want to reclaim a life in the UK , i even looked into moving on to Egypt but this was no answer to my situation. Being away for m the UK has made me appreciate just how blessed we are to live here , those that do, we knock it but really there are many freedoms we can enjoy that others can only dream about. So now i am back i am looking forward to building a new life at first i was not but now i am coming around to the idea, you see my fear was not settling back in as i know i can do that with ease as England is my HOME and being me , Britain is where i feel happy. i didn't want to return out of fear of not being able to let go if hijrah came up again in the future as it was hard enough the first time but inshaAllah i am ready to submit to my lord where ever he has willed for me. My children are all happy about the return and feel very settled here in the UK, so here we are to start over alhamduilah.
The big question is will i return? The Asked knows no better than the asker, i am leaving an open door there.

Make Fasting Different

Fasting is hidden from the eyes of men and unperceived by their senses.

The fasting person's limbs fast from sins; his tongue fasts from lies, base language and false witness; his stomach fasts from food and drink; and his pudenda fast from union. If he speaks, he says nothing to violate his fast; and if he acts, he does nothing to spoil his fast. All his speech is salutary and wholesome, as are his deeds—like the fragrance one smells while sitting next to the bearer of musk. Anyone who sits with a fasting person benefits from his presence and is safe from false witness, lies, base language and wrongdoing. This is the fast prescribed by the Sacred Law, not simply abstinence from eating and drinking. Hence, a sound hadith states: “When someone does not refrain from speaking falsely and the action that springs from it and from ignorance, God does not need him to refrain from food and drink.” [Bukhari, Adab, 5597; Ibn Maja, Siyam, 1679; also in Bukhari, Sawm, 1770, without the word ‘ignorance’] And in [another] hadith: “Some who fast obtain nothing from it but hunger and thirst.” [Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 8501, with the ending ‘And some may tand for prayer at night and receive nothing from it but sleeplessness.’ Also in Bahyaqi, Shu`ab al-Iman, 3542, with ‘standing at night’ mentioned first.]

True fasting is when the limbs fast from sin and the stomach fasts from food and drink. As food and drink can break the fast or spoil it, so sins can cut off its reward and spoil its fruits, as if one had not fasted at all.

Make Fasting Different
fasting during the lunar month of Ramadhan, which has several goals that the Muslims must strive to achieve with his heart and by his actions. These goals are as follows:

1. Achieving At-Taqwa, that is, the fear from Allah. Allah said, what translated means, "O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious)." [2:183]. Hence, fasting is a means to achieve At-Taqwa. In fact, all acts of worship and Tawhid are methods and means to achieve At-Taqwa, as Allah has said, what translated means, "O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqun." [2:21]

2. Acquiring the rewards of Allah. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated that Abu Hurayrah related to the Prophet, that he said, what translated means, "Allah the Exalted said, 'All the deeds of the son of Adam are his, except for As-Siyam, for it is Mine and I will reward for it.'"

3. The Prophet also said, "The Sa-im has two happy moments: when he breaks his fast he is happy, and when he meets his Lord he is happy because of his fast." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. About his saying, "When he breaks his fast he is happy," and Imam Muslim's addition, "Because of his breaking his fast," Imam Al-Qurtubi commented, "It means he is happy because his hunger and thirst have ended, since he is allowed to break his fast. This happiness is natural and this is apparently the desired meaning. It was also said that his being happy is because of his breaking the fast, means that he has fulfilled his fast, and as a culmination for his practicing the acts of worship. His saying, 'And when he meets his Lord he is happy because of his fast,' means he is happy because of the rewards for fasting and its complete awards.'"

4. As-Sawm purifies the soul and helps it acquire the habit of obeying Allah and His Messenger by defeating the desires of the heart. Fasting teaches refraining from following the desires because the soul of the Sa-im becomes obedient to Allah's commands. Also, Satan has a stronger hold over the souls that often obey the desires. When the soul abandons its desires, it will become more difficult for Satan to have a hold on the heart.

5. Being saved from the Fire, for the Prophet said, what translated means, "And Allah has those whom he frees from the Fire, and this occurs every night (meaning in Ramadhan)." [At-Tirmithi & ibn Majah]

6. Ash-Shafa`ah (the right of intercession). The Prophet said, "As-Siyam and the Quran will intercede on behalf of the slave. As-Siyam says, 'O Lord! I prevented him from food and obeying his desires in the morning. Therefore, accept my Shafa`ah on his behalf.' And the Quran says, 'I prevented him from sleeping at night. Therefore, accept my Shafa`ah on his behalf,' and they will be accepted as intercessors.'" [Ahmad, Al-Hakim & Al-Bayhaqi].

7. Having the sins forgiven. There is no doubt that fasting directs to having one's sins forgiven and erased. The Prophet said, "The five prayers, and from Friday to the next Friday, and Ramadhan to the next Ramadhan, are erasers for what occurs between them, as long as major sins are avoided." [Muslim]. Also, the Messenger of Allah said, what translated means, "Whoever fasts Ramadhan with Iman and Ih.tisab, will have his previous sins forgiven." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]. Imam Ahmad and An-Nasaii added the following to the above narration, "And also what will occur later on (meaning future sins, as well)." "With Iman" entails fasting while believing with the heart in the obligation of fasting during Ramadhan. As for Ih.tisab, it means that one anticipates the reward and his fasting is therefore only for the sake of Allah and not to imitate his people and community or for any other worldly gain.

My dear friend

Thank you so much for these lovely flowers , so very kind of you, carring and kind you are mashaallah this is for you
Friends
Friends smile at you.
They like your face.
They want to be with you
Any old place.

Friends have fun with you.
Friends share
They’re glad when you’re happy---
When you’re sad, they care.

If you’re a friend
Then you care, too.
That’s why your friends
Are glad you’re you!!!

Aloo Bangan (Baby Auberguines)

You can use regular aubergines, I just happened to have baby ones.

Aloo Baingan
Potatoes chopped into ½ inch dice 1 cup
Aubergine chopped into ½ inch cubes 1 cup
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 clove garlic grated
½ inch piece ginger grated
½ tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
Salt to tatse
Coriander to garnish
Oil 1 tblsp

Chop the potatoes and auberguine and keep in water.
Heat oil add cumin seeds. Then add chopped onions and sprinkle a little salt. Fry on medium heat till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a min.
Add turmeric powder, red chili and coriander powder and fry for a min
Add chopped tomatoes and fry till oil separates from the masala.
Add the potatoes, mix well and put ¼ cup water, cover and cook for 5 mins. Add the brinjal and cover and cook on low heat till done. There should not be too much water, only enough to cook the vegetables.
Sprinkle garam masala and green coriander.

Serve hot with rotis and dahi