Ascension!

صلوا على النور الذي عرج السما 

 يا فوز من صلى عليه وسلما

Through the heavens they rode, from a blessed place, to a blessed place, to place beyond time and space. They arrived at the heavens and they found the gatekeeper al-Ridwan, sat by its door. They knocked.

"Who is it?" asked al-Ridwan.

"Gabriel."

"Who is with you?"

"Muhammad."

"Was he sent for?"

"Yes!"

"Welcome! What a beautiful person has now come onto us!" [Bukhari & Muslim]

And al-Ridwan, who had been created in a sitting position, and having never stood for another before, stood now for his master.

May prayers of peace be upon the light of Allah, who journeyed through the heavens and penetrated every celestial body of light, to meet with Allah, the Transcendent.

(medical update)

Bismillah.

Exam time is looming! 3 weeks from today, in sha Allah - prayers are as always, welcome. I haven't actually done much medicine this year (what's new?) but it's been a friendly enough year comparatively; we saw babies being born, met doctors who actually wanted to teach, and got to chill with brilliantly patient little kids with horrible diseases. Tabarak Allah.

If medicine has shown me one thing, it's that God's majesty and beauty are not opposing realities, but are in fact - as with all of His attributes - One. 

Syria 5.

This is what Syria means to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him & his family and grant them peace.

Let us read and weep.

And then perhaps, raise our hands.  

Syria 4.

 Imam al-Nawawi in his Tibyan:

I have seen the people of our land, Damascus (may God Most High protect it and preserve it, and all other lands of Islam), concentrating on reciting the Mighty Quran: studying, instructing, reading, and learning - in groups and individually. They spend enormous effort in this - day and night (God increase their desire for it and for all kinds of obedience), desiring thereby the pleasure of God, the Possessor of Majesty and Honour.

(Translated beautifully by Shk Musa Furber.)

 Allahumma ameen, ya Rabb!

direction & potential

From the sincerity of our teachers:

Everybody has a different wijhah or direction: some people take to worshipping constantly, others in the service of others (khidma), some take to studying, others just read; the pathways to Allah are multiple, so long as you strive in goodness. (Sh H)

When you don't know what to do:

You do very well to follow your heart and search for your niche. Ask Allah Most High to enlighten you in your choice, choose what you do best and consult for a better decision. Imam Nawawi for example studies anatomy for a while or medicine, then left it as he knew if was not for him. Similarly Imam Suyuti said he never quite took to logic or maths but shone in language, tafsir, hadith and law. (Sh GFH)

May Allah (most gracious) illuminate our hearts, and enlighten our decisions!