Briton faces execution

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article1772359.ece

been readin about this guy the whole summer while at work. Its so sad that he lost his whole youth...spent 18 years in prison in Pakistan and now faces death by hanging tmrw. May Allah (swt) make things easy for him and grant him Jannah, also make it easy for his family inshaAllah.

Kind of makes you think that life's so short and hhow we're so lucky to have this freedom to do whatever we want. This guys life's been taken away from him. May he have found some good from all this. Allah (swt) knows best.

Are muslims allowed to be hung in Ramadan? Currently there are 6 Bangladeshis awaiting to be hung in B'desh- but its going through appeal as they say you're not allowed to be hung in Ramadan.

Abu Bakr by Shaykh Zahir CD1

i like the tiny writing!! dunno about the rest of you but my CREATE page only has 'tiny' and 'normal size' but not 'SMALL'!!

Anyway, just listening to Radio Ramadan Leicester...awaiting my beloved Mufti. Just been listening to Shaykh Zahir- CD2 on Abu Bakr. Eco- i think the CD ended out of the blue...it doesn't have the end of the CD....is there anything i can do?!!

ABU BAKR(ra) by Shaykh Zahir. summary of CD2.

Actually, first a summary of CD1 (this will be brief and from the top of my head as i wrote nothing down cos i was ironing dad's and Obz' shirts whilst listening).

1. He was the first man to embrace Islam. When he was born his parents sold him to the keepers of Ka'ba as a gift. He came from the Tribe of Banu Thame (i think) which were in charge of the Ka'ba. Whilst he was growing up around the House of Allah he, on many occasions, questioned the idols. Once he asked them "i'm hungry what food do you have for me?". The idols obviously gave him nothing. He then asked them "i'm thirsty, what do you have for me?". Again, nothing from the idols. Abu Bakr threw a stone at one of idols and it broke. He then figured that if an idol couldn't support itself how could it support him. *oh, the Mufti is picking ahadiths from Adab ul-Mufrad...memories*. Abu Bakr travelled across the Arabian peninsula and questioned many Christian and Jewish scholars. He asked them about the final Prophet and where He would come from. They all replied for him to go back to Makkah as the Final Prophet will come from the Arabs of Makkah. So from the beginning Abu Bakr never worshipped idols. Also, he never fornicated, which was the norm in the Jahiliyyah society of that time, or drank alcohol.
2. When the Prophet(pbuh) got the first revelation Abu Bakr was away. Once he had returned the rulers of Makkah went up to Abu Bakr and asked him whether he had heard what his friend was saying. He was certain that the Prophet(pbuh) was not lying and went straight to him. He embraced Islam straight away at the hands of the Prophet (pbuh). [He was the first man to embrace Islam. Ali was the first child. There is disrepute over who was the first male.]
3. He was one of the ten guaranteed Jannah. Out of the remaining nine, five of them embraced Islam at the hands of Abu Bakr.
4. He was the first (open) Da'ee of Islam.
5. He was the first Khateeb of Islam.
6. Every Prophet shall have a Sahaba as a companion in Jannah. Ibrahim (alai-salaam) will be the companion of Abu Bakr in Jannah. The Prophet's (pbuh) companion in Jannah will be Uthman (ra)
7. In terms of Personal appaerance Abu Bakr was very skinny. So skinny that his trousers would fall form his waist. When the hukm of wearing trousers above the ankle was revealed this rule was not implemented on Abu Bakr as his trousers would not stay up anyway! He was so skinny that his jaw and cheek bones would stand out. He may have been weak physically but in terms of Imaan he had the highest! During the battle of Badr (i think) all the companions were asked who would look after the Prophet. This person would be the one who would have to protect the Prophet (pbuh) until the very end and cannot run away from the battle field whatever happens!! Abu Bakr volunteered for this inspite of his size, subhanAllah.
8. He was very hairy too. Once some people came to Umar(ra) and asked him "who has greater taqwa- someone with a lot of hair or someone with no hair?" Umar knew straight away that they were referring to Abu Bakr and himself, and asked to cause fitna. Umar replied "that the one with more hair has greater taqwa".

Don't remember any more...alhamdullilah, have managed to remember quite a bit. Any mistakes are my own and anything good from this is from Allah (swt). InshaAllah you guys have benefitted.

Gtg now- help mum with preparing food :( bye mufti.

this week...

alhamdulillah, am starting uni next week.
From next week i shall be studying Masters in Money, Banking and Finance. Boring as it may sound it is what i want to go into inshaAllah. This course also offers a Module in Islamic Banking and Finance (which is what i want to get into really!!)...rather then doing a whole Masters in Islamic Banking and Finance, which is what i originally opted to do. I'll be studying at Loughborough Uni, which I keep being told is great for Finance...i don't care really, i'm just there cos it's the only place that offers a module in Islamic Banking. For those of you who are interested Durham University has a good Islamic Studies/Finance Department but their actual Business/ Finance Dept isn't that great...but Durham Uni overall is amazing....Plus, Anisa will be there!!!

The reason i am blogging so much is cos i have so much free time on my hands. I know...i should be spending it doing something more constructive especially cos its Ramadan but as you all know when that 'time of the month' calls its so hard to do anything!! Stopped reading the Qu'ran so currently am reading Milestones by Sayyed Qutb, as recommended by Ninja. Oh, Ninja is alive ppl- texted her yday and she managed to text back!! Said she's enjoying married life and was ironing her hubby's shirts while he was at wrk. InshaAllah will speak to her when she's less busy...would prefer to see her though so may pop down to London soon inshaAllah. Eco- you wanna come? Have got pretty far but the first chapter discusses the Unique Qur'anic Generation- the generation of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh)- and what puts them apart from any generation created in the history of mankind. The three main points that makes them different from later generations are
i) their only source was the Qur'an
ii) the instructions in the Qur'an were translated into action as soon as they learnt it. They did not approach the Qur'an for the purpose of acquiring culture or information, nor for increasing their total sum of knowledge for the sake of knowledge itself. Instead they approached it to act on what they haerd immediately.
iii) when a sahaba embraced Islam they immediately cut themselves off from Jahiliyyah.
Kinda makes you think why the Muslim Ummah is failing to make a great impact on society....

Eco- hope you haven't just left this book at the back of your shelf or something?!!plus, when do you want to go to Mcr? I was thinking maybe next weekend cos i would have only had one week of uni by then so hopefully not that much work load...

Oh, cos i've been lazy for the past day i thought i'd watch tv. Stopped watching tv during Ramadan alhamdulillah...so thought the only halal channel that i can watch is Islam Channel, so tuned in. New channel called Itihad TV(channel 825) is being released soon too- looks interesting. Anyway, what happened to be on...the Nasheed show. Usually switch off when they keep playing Sami Yusuf but this time it was seven8six *ahem, Eco* and Dawud Wharnsby-Ali and Nazeel's video for his nasheed Rahmanur Raheem (i think). The video is cool. I mean, he's not globe-trotting or anything like Sami Yusuf but the woods seem like a nice place...plus, a few token cute kids thrown in- it was nice to watch i guess. Pink- i promise to record it for you next time but don't actually think our video player works!! You're just gonna have to come round and hope that they show the video when you're here. I guess that'll be on ILo's wishlist for Eid!! (more like my excuse to but his album). Speaking of his album- it's already available in shops *plug* cos they were playing it in the bookshop i shall be working at form next week. Yippee. Everyone has to come to the shop when im working...its the coolest Islamic Bookshop in Bham...maybe except Maktabah further down Stratford Road, cos they have really cool nasheed CDs- mainly Iraqi and Palestianian Jihadi Nasheeds, which i like to blast in my car. Eco- ask Mufti whether it would be permissible for a sister to blast Nasheeds in her car?- don't worry, im not bopping my head too. Hopefully i won't be getting arrested for the contents of my car...

gtg pick up the kids.

taraweeh

second day of going to taraweeh yday- this time i walked! 'After doing wudu and then walking to the masjid one good deed is added and one bad sin is taken away'.

*does your fast break when you have ill-feeling towards someone or some group of ppl?*

there was less ppl at taraweeh prayer yday. I think its cos it was a school-night or something. One thing that is annoying me a little but obviously its not a big deal is that the women won't stand shoulder-to-shoulder...maybe im just used to Ambrose during Taraweeh prayer?!! Plus, i guess its cos the aunti-jis need space for when they sit down and do sajuud...they're all mashaAllah very healthy. They all look and dress the same too- maybe they're all inter-bred and from the same family?!! Astaghfirullah, look at me slandering. Anyway, won't be going to the masjid for a while now :( And its not because i had a telling off from Bods- "in Hanafi Fiqh women shouldpray in the corner of their homes"- she forgot to add "...for there is greater reward"!! Yeah, i know this. But i wished to go against it yday for reasons that i thought were better for my imaan. Allah (swt) knows best. Everything is so black and white for her that i leave her to it.

Eco- could you go to Mufti's place and ask him these questions? cos i feel bad ringing him just before iftar and obviously its magrid time after 7pm. Im not sinful am i if i go against this ruling...its not haraam...
Also, ask him is it ok for girls our age to pray sitting down?- i can make 70 excuses for one or two of them but half a dozen can't have back/leg/knee problems?!!

anyway, 'truly in the rememberence of Allah do hearts soften'. This masjid that i go to is mashaAllah beautiful so it makes it nicer to read there. Plus, the mic in the sisters' side sounds echo-y...reminds me on Makkah. This is number two on my wishlist...i yearn to go to Makkah. At times like this i am so up for temp-marriages!! Eco- you have to come do iftar with me one day...it will be full of oily stuff but the taraweeh prayer is worth it. The first reciter is great mashaAllah and he's only 17 or 18 years old. I think he's the best out of the three but i think im biased cos i know who he is. *Is it asking too much to want future hubby to have good qirat?*

gotta go grocery shopping while mum is sleeping- poor her she has to wake up early and drop off kids to school. She's decided not to cook today- instead we're having meat curry from yday that nobody eat cos the alternative was fried food.

Still don't know where im going to uni :S ....will let you know by the end of the week inshaAllah.

first of Ramadan

just a quick update on the first day of Ramadan yesterday. Well, what more is there to say but alhamdullilah it went ok...easy really. Woke up for sehri with my mama just cracking us up with stories about random stuff- hopefully laffing does not invalidate your fastin?!! Mama left for Luton in the morning with iftar time being while he's on board RyanAir- apparantly they were making a fuss about him taking dates and bottled water on board. Anyway, he managed to get home safe and sound to Germany.

Oh, what did happen to me in the morning is what makes me hate 'muslims' or 'Pakis/Bengalis'!! I've had this experience before and i wonder whether muslims take this month seriously at all?!! I've been around ppl who don't fast, have them in my family, but this is next level!! So it goe like this- some guys rings for my parents at 11am. Both were out so i told him to ring back. His voice sounded familiar so he asked me how i was doing just to make conversation. He asked me if i knew who he was and i obviously replied 'yes' but neither of us said who he actually was. He then asked me what i was doing- may Allah (swt) forgive me but i was watching Lizzy Maguire with Amani. He didn't seem to know who Amani was...which was strange...he couldn't have forgotten her name already?!! Anyway...i then asked him what he was doing and where he was?....he then replied that he had the wrong number. I was so embarrased!! Thank God he couldn't see my face. I was about to put down the phone when he asked me my age. Stupid me replied. Then i said bye and was about to put down the phone when STUPID-him asked me for coffee. What?!! Did he not know what day it was?!! What...did he forget?!! I just said no...couldn't be bothered t give him a half hour lecture on what this month is about, like the last time i got asked out over the phone during Ramadan!

Anyway, apart from that little hiccup the day went swimmingly. Cleaned the house- inshaAllah will get reward for the hard work. Did lots of missions picking and dropping ppl off places- this is what happens when you have a car. Couldn't find a place nearby to read taraweeh....or a place that accomadates women but alahmdullilah have found one now. Does it make a difference if the masjid you pray at started the day after you did...can you still read taraweeh at that masjid?

gtg- iftar in 10mins. Mums cooked kichuri (mushy rice) today- yummy!!!!

week so far....

really...i just can't be bothered. But with my readership at two ppl i think i owe it to them to write on my blog.

14th September 2006- Omar + Mimi's milad at the 'Bia Lounge (wedding Lounge)'. First time at the venue- very nice and very near the Bengali mosque. Omar's Sheikh came to do a talk to the Bengali community (plus, other friends and family). Alhamdullilah women will be women...they couldn't stop talking so couldn't really hear him but my dad was impressed by the Sheikh (Sheikh Aftab Faisal Siddique, i think) so for that im happy. InshaAllah others benefitted from the Shiekh- look forward to seeing him at other talks.

15th September 2006- been lazy since i've been home and after waking up for fajr i sleep for another 5 hours!! went to see Amani in her school assembly today. She won 'Star of the Week' for this article thing she wrote. She looked so cute going up on stage. Nabeel was in the assembly too but think he was embarrassed to see me, mum and Bods there!! Went to enrol for the Tajweed course at the Amanah centre (bordesley Centre)...also starting Arabic. Weekly Friday circle was great- chance to meet up with sisters- there are so many reverts mashaAllah. Had to take the kids class this week which was a bit scary cos i had nothing pplaned. My sister usually does this class but she is now officially taking leave from that role and i have been offered it- dunno yet whether i will take it. Kids between 5-10 cute but hard to entertain for 1and a half hours!!!
















Weekend- didn't really do much except contemplate on whether or not to put up my batik painting and my mirror. Contemplate is all i did...
played in our garden too...and took pics with my amazing chinese impractical umbrella.

18th September 2006- woke up late for my Tajweed class at 10 so decided to go to the one at 1pm instead. The teacher seems nice- she made us read aloud in class so she could see how 'bad' (or good) we are. Used to feel nervous and shy before but now don't really care cos need to sort it out!! There was a revert sister ther who kept staring at me but then asked whether i had a sister...she knew Bods and said we looked exactly the same and could pass off as twins- yeah whatever!! There was other revert sister there too- gonna befriend her cos she's so cute. She's this big black girl but has this timid voice. Gave her a Abdul Hakim Murab CD that i happen to have in my bag about 'Dunya' or something.

19th September 2006- been waiting all afternoon for Tasha to come round. Some ppl really are bad at time keeping!! By the time she came Nad had finished work so she came round too. Showed off my new room and offered to do Nad's room in the future. Also went to 'Knowledge and Wisdom' bookshop in the morning- the woman there offered me a job but said the pay wouldn't be all that. I don't care cos i'm always there anyway; they prob don't make that much money anyway; its not that busy so i can just study; and may Allah (swt) reward me for semi-volunteering work at this place. Dunno when im going to start, just need to know when im free.

20th September 2006- decided to go see Eco in Leicester. Had to take my Mama(from Germany) there too to see my other Mama, who lives in Leicester. Eco's place is so cute. Its a very cosy flat- with a spare room for guests like myself. Her hubby wasn't there so i stayed. She cooked biryani for me, which was so yummy ;P Also got insured today!!! Went to see Dhadi in the morning too-- she's not feeling too good :(

21st September 2006- Eco left me alone in her flat while she went off to some hedge-project-thing. Walked it to my relatives house, and found my second cousin there too. She's so funny and random and is so the gossip to us cousins- she knows what's happening with who and where. She decided to let me know that my weird cousin from London who keeps 'accidently' ringing me fancies me and has done since we were 8 years old!! What bollocks!! Anyway, i figured ages ago but the only thing i can do is ignore him...like i have been my whole life anyway. Went to see my Mama again at work before we left Leicester. The restaurant he works at (Shimla Pinks) is so nice- was offered food but i refused like a stupid fool. Mama kept us up half the night with his funny stories. Think i've blogged about my funny family before but i have to say Boro Mama is the funniest out of all the siblings. Him and his family are planning to settle in the UK from GErmany this year...so excited!! Boro Mama also told us how my Nana wasn't going to give my mum away to my dad because of the village my dad was from- they were higher class and all that!!

22nd September 2006- woke early to go to the Arabic class. Picked up my sister on the way. She was late but didn't mind sitting in her house with her mother-in-law for a bit. The class didn't last very long- just had a mini test to see what level everyone was at but from next week it'll be 3hrs on Friday mornings. InshaAllah won't have lectures then!! Came back and went cruising with my sister and cousin Soha...well, just to Somerfields to get bits and pieces for my mum and to Bods' cousin-in-law's house. She made us somosas and tea. Been driving my car too much now- don't know if i can afford petrol... gonna go to Bhabi's house today. I have to wait till 9pm cos have to pick up Soha from work :(

my new bedroom

the before pictures of my room...

















one wall done...another three to go!!!


My first IKEA job...really simple compared to the other two!! did it all by myself ...no help from anyone i swear. ;P








My room wouldn't be my room without my pink orchid lights!! The best bit of my room is my comfy bed :D

forthcoming room...

finally finished my room...just need to put up my mirror and this batik painting i got from Camden then im done!! Don't wanna say 'i told you so' but I TOLD YOU SO...dad really likes my room even though he was criticising it when i was doing it up!! :p He wants me to my parents room but i know he'll just complain whilst im doing it so i think i won't bother until he makes his annual trip to Bdesh on his own. Plus, he'll have to pay for it...my hard earned money all spent on decorating my bedroom. Can't bloody afford a bed at the moment...any donations are welcome.

...bored!!...

how life has become so boring. I have nothing to do even though i have so much free time. Decided to start painting my room. Don't have a ladder to paint the ceiling so have stopped for a well-deserved break until dad gets the small ladder from the restaurant. Plus, can't decorate until dad has moved the bed- still deciding on whether to have just the mattress or get a futon... Really can't be asked with stuff!!!!!! Needing to escape to Manchester.

Stupid people at Loughborough haven't got back to me. Dunno when Masters starts. Need to get a part-time job. Found a place that teaches BSL- just down the road every Wednesday evening. Drove the car today- still don't like driving!! But realised it may be my only mode of escaping home.

PINK- want it back!

Ninja's wedding

mashaAllah, mashaAllah, mashaAllah Ninja looked so beautiful on Saturday. Trekked it to Rochdale in the pouring rain, with a little hiccup on the journey there ;p but it was so well worth it!! She looked stunning plus, we arrived just in time for food, and i didn't get stressed out with helping out. the event was a civilised one with very good segregation alhamdullilah.. enough about her wedding as i don't know how much i am able to write... but lets just say her hubby seemed pleased to be sitting next to Ninja grinning from ear to ear!

Came home finally yday. This time for good now. Usually when im home from uni for a long period of a time i start counting down the days to get back to uni or whatever happens at home i always have that feeling of 'oh, i'll be back in Mcr soon'. But this time as much as i want that feeling to come I know it won't!! I am trapped in my house forever and even short trip to Mcr go by so quickly. I have three weeks left till i start uni and already dad is on my case... think i might just escape back to Mcr till uni starts. But i gotta paint my room and make it atleast liveable!! Apparantly, according to my sister dad said that i've had my three years of freedom and now i'm totally house-bound...we'll see about that!?!! I guess things never change...

Had job interview today...inshaAllah got this part-time job to fund me through my masters inshaAllah.

last day at work

Last day at work today- and they’re letting me take half the day off. Wish they old me earlier, maybe could have made it to Ninja’s mehndi…on second thoughts trekking it to Mcr again is unappealing even though I have to tmrw!! Eco should be home today inshaAllah- hopefully before I leave to catch my train. Plus, gonna get a present for her parents for putting up with me for the past 8 weeks…what does one get for an elderly couple. They seem to be content with what they have- I’m so bad with presents too!!!

Just over an hour to go- lunch at Reenas’. Gotta put wages in account…