=D

If Allah wills. :]

Dua is the weapon of the believer.

Whatever befalls a believer is best for him.

Alhumdulillah…

AllahuAlam

Ike, a Blessing in Disguise

Alhumdulillah…

Alhumdulillahi Rabbil A’lameen

All Praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the entire Universe.

What more is there to say than Alhumdulillah?

Ike came, inflicted damage, and left us with nothing. Or so we thought…

May Allah grant those few people who died because of the storm the status of Shaheed. Dying from a natural disaster. Alhumdulillah, green birds under Allah’s throne… eating from the fruits of Jannah… :) what can get better than that?

With Ike came the birth of real life. The life that millions – no billions – of people before us had experienced. Life seemed to slow down. No TV. No Computer. No Lights.

You know it’s amazing how much we rely on electricity. It’s like every single thing we do in life HALTS as soon as power is removed. It’s crazy… but it makes you think. How human are we? Are we just robots… a piece of equipment that fits into this big electrical machine? We are the consumers, the users… electricity is our lifeline. We feed off of it.

And surely Allah Subhana wa ta’ala can take away everything within the blink of an eye. As a test, to see if we will pass or fail. Can one of our vital assets be taken away without us complaining and whining and moping around all day? Would we take advantage of the new opportunities that had arisen?

Ike, Alhumdulillah, you were a blessing in disguise.

Never have I seen a more beautiful moonlit night than the nights after you had struck. Never had the time passed by so slowly… with every minute the possibility of a new adventure. Never had I talked with my family for hours upon hours face-to-face about everything and nothing and anything all over. You brought us back to reality, back to this earth that we live in, this Universe that we glorify our Lord for 17 times each day. “Alhumdulillahi Rabil A’lameen. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Universe.” The Universe that we had forgotten about in our technologically swamped lives.

You humanized us… by taking away everything that had made us into robots.

And now, a week later… we look at you as a small blessing, but we have yet to take heed to your lessons. “Clack clack clack” away on the buttons of our little robot friends. Life is speeding on by since you left… I haven’t seen the moon in a while… the last lengthy conversation I had with a family member was a 2 minute voicemail about the urgent need for Ice at Fast-a-thon…

But it may be that you dislike something which is good for you, and you may like something which is bad for you. Verily Allah knows while you know not. [Surah Al Baqarah:216]

Ike, you were a blessing in disguise.

Alhumdulillah,
-Guildenstern

Anticipation

I anticipate the future… I await what shall happen next.

Isn’t that what we’re always doing? Waiting for something.

A post I made on CY a while ago… but the thoughts strike me again. What are we waiting for?

We’re all either in highschool or University right now… some may have graduated.

I always used to feel like I’m in a transition period. In highschool I felt like I was waiting to graduate so I could finally go to University.

Now that I’ve done a year at University I feel like I’m just waiting to graduate and do the next big thing…. what’s that next big thing? Work? It doesn’t sound too exciting.

Life is what happens while you’re waiting for something to happen.

Interesting concept.

Oftentimes I wonder, when will my death date be…? it’s something I’m not looking forward to.. although in a way I am. InshaAllah we go to Jannah.

So what are you all waiting for?

I anticipate the future…

I feel scared about what I want to do.. and whether or not I will go through with it. Whether or not it is good for me. Whether or not it will be successful. Whether or not my life will be taken.. just waiting for the right time to go through with it.

I don’t even know whether I even should do it. I wonder.

I want to, but can I? Will I? Do I have what it takes?
AllahuAlam

InshaAllah I am successful.
InshaAllah we all go to Jannah

Ameen

Anticipating,
Guildenstern

This Summer..

As I started off this summer, I was really hoping I wouldn’t just waste it.. kinda like last summer.. you know just hanging out with friends, doing useless nonsense, etc.

And Alhumdullillah, just by making that intention, so much has started differently with this summer. First off, I landed an internship with an amazing ophthalmologist, I’m waiting for my research stuff from M.D. Anderson (don’t know if i actually have time for that), I think i’ll be tutoring again this summer for math/science/english… but the coolest of all.. I found a NEW HOBBY.

You won’t even understand. Whenever I’d do somethng my mom would be like, “Whatever you do, just remember Allah when you do it.” And SubhanAllah this hobby completely encompasses the rememberance of Allah. I don’t know what sort of rant I’m going on at the moment.

But my new hobby is.. CALLIGRAPHY.

 

I bought canvases. Loads and loads of canvases.. and paints.. and like 500 types of paintbrushes transfer papaer and carbon paper.. man the list goes on and on.. 

So anyway.. after fajr, when i come back from my morning run, I just sit peacefully painting different backgrounds and then writing the different names of Allah. I’ve made six so far. I’ll post them up here when I get the chance. I’ve made those six for six of my closest friends.

Becuase of that I started researching the history and background of Arabic calligraphy.. which led me to calligraphy with a Persian influence.. and WOW.. it’s all just so amazing.

Like this holds so much history within it.. it’s a bit mind-boggling.

Anyways, Alhumdullilah my time to waste this summer has, fortunately, been decreasing. I actually went and bought an MCAT book.

Call me crazy.. but I might as well take a whack at itthe practices, right? I still have two years until I can officially freak out and hyperventilate. So i’ll just stare at the book and chill until then.

Anyways, today Guildenstern and I have decided we will go roller blading. We actually decided this many weeks ago, but let me tell you, the search for roller blades was interminable.

We couldn’t find any decent ones. So I settled on buying mens’… the women ones were too — feminine.

Anyways, I hear my mother yelling my name to take my sister to the park.. so I must end this long litany of nothing.

I have no clue what I just posted.. but I hope now that I have some time, I don’t go back to my days of wasting time on blogs/facebook/ CY.

Somewhat beneficial.. but not worth the amount of time I devote to them.

Hope you find success and time well-spent in this day InshAllah.

Ojala que ustedes no pierdan el tiempo..

Hasta luego,

Rosencrantz..

Life goes on…

Alhumdulillah. All praise are due to Allah.

It is only his promises that keep me going… you do your part, and He will surely do His.

Sometimes in life you want something soooo bad, and you wonder… why won’t it come to me? Why can’t Allah just grant me this one thing? I’ve tried to be a good servant, I’ve tried.. and messed up a hundred times.. May Allah forgive me.

Allah why not? Allah please, please Allah.. :L

But it may happen that you hate a thing which is good for you, and may happen that you love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows, and you know not.
[Surah Baqarah:216]

We can plan all we want, we can set ourselves up… but nothing happens without the will of Allah. Allah knows what we know not.

They plotted and planned, and Allah planned too; Allah is The Best of Planners.
[Surah Al Imran:54]

I have trust in you Allah, I have trust in you. I will not forsake you, and I know you will not forsake me. If I don’t get this in this Dunya, then inshaAllah I will get it in the Hereafter.

Allah will grant a way out for anyone who heeds Him, and provide for him in a manner he could have never anticipated.Allah is enough for anyone who relies on Him; Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has granted everything in due proportion.
[Surah Talaq:2-3]

I’ll be patient, alright I’ll be patient. Patient. Patient. Patient…

Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly, Allah is with As-Sabirun (the patient).
[Surah Baqarah:153]

And if I don’t get it.. well.. life goes on.

Oh yaaaaaaa life goes on… long after the thrill of livin is gone…
[John Mellencamp]

Moving on,
-Guildenstern

Ya Taybah :’]

Ya Taybah, my heart aches for you. :(

May Allah Subhana wa ta’ala allow me to return to you forever and ever again. Ameen.

lol this nasheed was the nasheed that all the stuffed camels allll over Makkah and Madinah would start singing when you squeezed them. The kids voices were always so squeaky… back then it was annoying… now it always brings me to tears. :’]

Ya Taybah = Ya Madinah

O Tayba, O Tayba
O cure of the patient
we missed you, and passion has called us to you

As the ship departed, it forgot me
they sailed away and my tears never dried up
they took my heart and my soul with them
O Tayba, you’re the distracted’s love

My direction of prayer (my Qiblah), the house of Allah, I’m patient
perhaps a day will come to visit you
I wonder, Will I be looking upon alkaaba
and being overwhelmed with it’s safety..

Our prophet, my best wishes, to visit u,
At least once in my life
and near you, to perform my prayers
to praise my Lord, and to recite Qur’an

O Madina, How lucky you are
for the coming of the loadstar
May I have a shelter beside you
Indeed, your light has enchanted us

______________________________________

You always hear people say “The Haramayn felt like my home..”

You can’t understand how true that statement is until you feel it for yourself. SubhanAllah… your heart always feels content there, and when you are far from it, your heart aches. Alhumdulillahi Rabbil Al Ameen.

May Allah Subhana wa ta’ala grant us all the opportunity to visit these amazing cities whereupon the greatest man of all time walked.

Ameen. :]]]

Homesick,
-Guildenstern

Finding Peace

The other day I was sitting with 2 friends, chatting about everything, nothing, and the RB’s spectacular veggie-lunch all at the same time. One of my friends (we’ll call her Fatima) is an older, wiser, and more experienced girl. Fatima started chatting away about the Financial Market, the recent events around the world, Bernackey’s cutting of interest rates, some who-knows-what that did God-knows-what and is now being sued for X million dollars. My other friend (we’ll call her Khadija) and I… after listening for a good 5 minutes, stared at this girl in disbelief.. jaws on the floor. :O

How could she retain all this knowledge? HOW does she know all of this, and HOW are we soo uninformed? Are we stupid?

MashAllah, Fatima is someone I really look up to. She’s a genius. She can speak eloquently, she’s extremely fun to be around, and she’s always helping in the community.. she’s just an all around Awesome girl. When Fatima left for class, Khadija and I sat there for a good 10 minutes feeling like someone had just smacked us with the Stupid Stick. We knew nothing of what she was talking about, we felt so uninformed, un-updated, as if we were living in our own little bubble… we felt like… useless humans.

As I was walking down the stairs of the RB to get to my next class.. I had my head down, thinking about everything I knew, everything I had done, everything I had accomplished… and I came up with a pathetic amount of answers. Why was I of any use? Why don’t I keep up with the world? Why don’t I ever care about my classes that much? Why do I feel content with my certain situation, when I’m not even advancing as a productive citizen of this nation? Why am I such a sucky… human?

As I opened the door to exit the RB, a frown across my face… I looked down and saw a pebble, then suddenly I looked up to see the beautiful trees swaying… then the sky… the magnificent sky. It was my Rabb that created this all, my Creator. I was his servant, and that was my role… to worship Him.

SubhanAllah, upon that exact thought, the biggest grin shot across my face. =) I had only thought about my Lord for merely one second, and my heart felt eons better. Sure, maybe I wasn’t the best news-watcher, student, or human… but I know that there is a bigger purpose, and as long as I strive for that, I can smile all day long. There is indeed hope, at the end of this long, drawn out tunnel. Of course, I’ll mess up along the way, I’ll sin and sin, but I know.. He is waiting for me at the end of the tunnel, his hands out, ready to forgive my every fault.

Alhumdulillah, I don’t have to be the best in this Dunya. As long as I can strive for the Akhira.. my heart is content. :)

And then the Ayah hit me… and everything seemed to make sense.

“Verily in the Remembrance of Allah do hearts find Peace” Quran 13.28

I found my peace, in the rememberance of You, Ya Allah. Grant me the opportunity to continue to remember you, and to continue to find peace. Ameen.

Chunkin a Deuce,
Guildenstern

Childhood

Do you remember back in the day when everyone over 5 feet tall told you “you’re too little to ride that… you’re too young to have a kitty… you can’t do that till you’re older!”

Yadda, yadda, yadda. All it made you want to do was “grow up” faster. Why does everyone call me a little kid? I’m in fifth grade.. pshh.

And then when you were a teeny-bopper going the whole, “I am an adult” route in high school, you were told “Don’t be in such a hurry to become an adult, childhood is so easy compared to adulthood.. savor your moments.”

But no, you were stubborn, and you continued to grow up.

Now, I look back upon my childhood… and a longing smile comes across my face. (haha, I say that as if it was centuries ago.)

Back in the day where school was actually a fun place to be, the playground was Heaven on Earth, and the biggest dilemma facing our lives was who could climb the fastest on the monkey bars.

I remember coming home from school… hastily finishing my Homework (yes, as soon as I came home. No, I can’t believe it either), and running outside – roller skates on feet, ready to take on any kid who would dare challenge me.

We were so creative back then. If there was no soccerball, an orange would suffice. If there was no rain, a gardening hose did the trick. If there was no volleyball net, a jump rope between two trees could hold up. We did everything and anything to achieve.. Fun.

I remember, every time I came to my cousins’ house, they would have a new intricately detailed game that they had thought up. First one to the bottom of the stairs wins! But you have to ride this puffy pillow while going down! And.. and – you need to do a handstand and then a flying kick! Oh.. and then hit the top of the ceiling facing backwards all with a cup of water in your hand! Haha… ok not that complex, but something similar. It was always fun, always challenging.. and we were always in a “zone”. At those moments, there was nothing in this dunya more important than completing the game.

Scrapes and bruises were no blemishes, but rather trophies of one’s triumphant battle with the gravel, another kid, or the bicycle. Dirty clothes signified the amount of fun and mischievous-ness that had been played out, and groundings only meant that something really bad -but soooo worth it- had gone down.

We were carefree, we had all the time in the world, and we were… for the most part… very out of tune with what Dunya really is: Hardship.

Now everything has a deadline.

Everyone is always waiting on your submission to continue the project.

Your input is needed, and if you don’t give it, the whole organization will shatter.

You forget that quiz due date, and a non-negotiable zero is sitting in your report.

There is so much demanded from us as we get older. Drama.. Fitnah… Responsibility… they all like to fill up the little breaths of air in our lives. Sometimes I wish I were a kid again… being unaccountable… being carefree…

They were right… Childhood was good.. why did we want to grow up soo fast? Come to think of it, Peter Pan was ingenious… I want to go to Neverland… Sigh.

Every now and then I try to climb a tree, dangle my feet off a balcony, kick a soccer ball… to make me feel alive again.

“Allah does not burden a soul with more than it can bear.” – Surah Baqara

Alhumdulillah. This is our test.

InshaAllah we all go to Jannah.

Reminiscing,
-Guildenstern

Polygamy

The quote below is from somebody’s note on Facebook

Quote:

Much has been made and said about Prophet Muhammad ‘s multiple marriages. There are many who smear the Prophet as a womanizing philanderer, citing his multiple marriages. This is absolute propaganda. As a response to those who malign the Prophet , IF the Prophet were anything of the sort, he would have taken advantage of his youth to do such a thing. But he did not! At a time when it was a common custom to have multiple wives, the Prophet did not marry anyone else while he was with Khadijah.It was only after Khadijah died, may God be pleased with her, that he married other women. Most of these wives were widows, whom the Prophet married to care after them, or they were the daughters of prominent Arab chieftains, so that the Prophet could form a cohesive Muslim society out of a fiercely tribalistic (and barbaric) Arab culture. The smears against the Prophet fall flat on their faces once the light of truth shines brightly upon them.

Granted, polygamy is not very widely practiced amongst the Muslims here in America or other Westernized countries.. but I always find it interesting that so many brothers either joke or talk extensively on the possibilities of having not only ONE wife *which they most likely do not have* but having multiple beautiful young women.

I think, people need a reality check. Follow the footsteps of your beloved Rasul

So quickly, people jump to the Quran and Sunnah to back up their “I can rightfully have more than one” debate. Sure, polygamy is Halal, and sure it is even encouraged in many circumstances.

But do those who are quick to jump to those hadith ever consider the 25 years that the Prophet remained monogamous? He did not marry any other wife during Khadija’s life.. which was the duration of his YOUTH years.

So many brothers, barely passed 20 or 30 love to jump on the “lets look for a second” bandwagon.

I don’t love my wife anymore, I want a prettier younger girl, I fell in love with my co-worker… etc.

Alhumdulillah, it is Halal for you… marry a young virgin.. marry a pretty girl.. but then may Allah help the divorced and widowed women, who have been tossed to the bottom ranks of society.. treated like the scum of the Earth.. fending for themselves and their children.

Quote:

“…Marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one…” -Surah 4 Ayah 3

“The best charity is remarriage.”

Venting,
-Guildenstern

Equilibrium

Science. The most groundbreaking and intriguing field, in my humble opinion.

It holds the answers to many of our questions, yet it leaves us awe-struck… and at times, completely lost. Science, I believe, not only facilitates our understanding of the deen, but rather allows us to appreciate the workings of the Artist, the Shaper of Beauty — Al Musawir. The intricate pathways of a g-protein complex working with its mechanisms or just the functioning of the human systems should be enough to prove that there is, indeed, a higher being who runs this universal phenomenon. The one who sets these things in motion. The one who created this.

Coincidentally, as I rummaged through my Chemistry II binder from last year — hands down the best and worst class ever — I came upon a rather tattered piece of crumpled paper. The title said — Le Chatelier’s Principle.

Know what that Principle states? No..? Let me enlighten you, mates..

Le Chatelier, a grand genius of his time, claimed that if a dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changing the conditions, the position of equilibrium moves to counteract the change.

Your thinking… WHAT. DOES. THAT. MEAN..? well lucky for you… I’m here to explain, eh?

In simplicity, if something is added to one side… another element must be added to the other remaining side, in order to get a balance. an equilibrium.. got it? Good.

In terms, this chemical enigma, as many of you see it as, is a doctrine that I believe should be observed in our daily lives. It calls for a balance between different components, and pressures one to find the middle path in between. the route of moderation.

Essentially, this holds as a MAJOR concept in terms of Islam in the twenty-first century. You must admit, dear friend, that many extremes are portrayed in religion today.. especially in Islam.. we see the hardcore religious “fanatics”, if you may allow me to label them, who are strict to such a degree that it defeats the purpose of living life and enjoying the small moments of happiness.. Allah tells us to excel in the dunya and make use of it — you’re not supposed to enter seclusion and live a life without halal worldly enjoyment and pleasure..

Contrarily, we have our folks who be hittin’ up them clubs up in hurrr.. and then after dancing the night away.. missing fajr, zuhr, asr, maghrib, isha.. oh woops — there go all your prayers..

What’s funny is the fact that Islam came as a refinement for the religions that Allah sent down before.. those religions had gone to an extreme.. they deviated from the norm, thus Islam was sent as …moderation.

Do you ever sense that..? I DO. All the time.. you know, I bet you’ve felt those moments as a crazy shock of IMAN RUSH amplifies your mind and soul.. it keeps coming and you got that khushoo goin’ on.. and your full of love in your heart for Allah.. or when you come out of some amazing lecture… or Al Maghrib.. or even after having a conversation with someone about a heated topic in Islam.. you feel the inspiration. the feeling. the zeal. and you’re planning all your life goals out and you decide “Today, I’m going to start being a better Muslim…”

And then.. slowly, yet surely… it all dies down. You return back to your previous ways, and another shock of Iman doesn’t hit you again until go through that cycle again..

What’s my point? Good question. My point is — We need momentum, instead of motivation. Motivation is a feeling that heightens our views and passions about certain things.. but it’s just an emotion. It’s bound to die down, just as all feelings do. But, MOMENTUM… momentum stays with you.. it is the consistency that prevails and leads to the betterment. The two may dwell symbiotically, but the one with a greater benefit is, indeed, momentum. It is the core to fulfilling.. to achieving.

All in all, we shouldn’t be fooled by our emotions.. and surges of Islamic epiphany that only last while they can. Though they are good to an extent.. the temporary nature is vulnerable to die down. Instead, to maintain those epiphanies and the rush of Imaan, the careful maintenance of parity and harmony is necessary.

Ideally, we are searching for a path of balance. of equilibrium. of moderation. In essence, of the Siraat-al-Mustaqeem.

Peace and Blessings.

Sincerely,

ROSENCRANTZ..