forgive

I attacked my friend

He describes how a gang of ethnic Berom Christian men were attacking the area, armed with guns, cutlasses and petrol-bombs.

Vincent – one of few Christian residents – was singled out, and made to go with them, to point out D-Boy’s house.

“They know he is my friend. That is why they forced me to do it. They knew that I am a Christian, and he is a Muslim.

“I am looking for forgiveness,” he chokes.

D-Boy stares straight ahead, listening.

“Don’t do it again,” he bursts out.

“If this thing happens again, don’t put your hand in it. I know you are a good person.”

D-Boy’s parents have forgiven Vincent, and would like to see him again at the family home.

But violent threats of revenge, and fear of arrest, have forced him to move away.

“If I enter the area, they will kill me,” he says.

So whatever thing you have been given – it is but [for] enjoyment of the worldly life. But what is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who have believed and upon their Lord rely

And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angry, they forgive,

And those who have responded to their lord and established prayer and whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided them, they spend.

And those who, when tyranny strikes them, they defend themselves,

And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation – his reward is [due] from Allah . Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers.

[Qur'an 42:36-40]

on this earth day…

…something to ponder.
Anas Ibn Malik (ra) tells us that the the Prophet (saws)  said:

” if the Hour came and in the hand of any of you a Faseelah (a small palm) and was able to plant it before he stands let him do so “

reported by Ahmed (12981), Al Tayalisi (2068), Al Bukhari in Al Adab Al Mufrad (479) and others.

To me, this is a clear sign from our beloved that we cannot take a fatalistic approach to our planet.

Only a finite supply of oil?  Who cares, we’ll be dead before it’s used up!

Dwindling forests as we continue cut down large swaths of trees to feed our hunger for meat meat meat?  Who cares, we’ll be dead before it will matter!

The temperature slowly rising, melting the ice caps so that wildlife loses its’ habitat, and coastal cities are threatened?  Who cares, we’ll be dead before it will matter (and global warming is a crock)!

Or (even worse), Allah (swt) gave us this land to use as we see fit, we’re the owners of it, so we can run it into the ground if we want, nah nah nah nah nah nah.

Allah (swt) reminds us over and over again in His book:

In the heavens and the earth there are certainly signs for the believers. And in your creation and all the creatures He has scattered about there are signs for people with certainty.

(45:3-4)

How should we treat a sign of Allah (swt)?  Would we take a page of the Qur’an, spit on it, crumble it up, find some mud to throw it in and then stomp on it?  Audhubillah!

So why do we treat another of Allah’s (swt) signs with that level of disrespect?  Every sheet of paper we write upon was once a tree, a sign of Allah’s (swt) greatness for everyone to see.  Every drop of water we drink was given to us, to quench our thirst.  We should be thankful for these signs and these gifts, and give them the respect they deserve.

Be thankful for each resource you consume, honor it as a gift from Allah (swt), and do your best to preserve this planet, so that future generations of Bani Adam can marvel at it’s wonders.

Happy Earth Day and thank you Lord for all the blessings that surround us.

the photograph is of  an alpine lake in Olympic National Park, one of my favorite places in the world.  If you ever need to be blown away by the beauty of Allah’s (swt) creation, visit a national park.

sadaqa opportunity! please vote…

…for Feline Rescue.  Help us win a grant from the Animal Rescue Site and Petfinder!   It won’t take but a minute.  This is the organization I give a few hours of my Sundays to.  I scoop litter boxes, clean kennels, and then relax with the kitties.  The rescue specializes in providing rehabilitation and homes for  stray and abused cats.  Once a kitty comes into the organization, it has a home for life.  If s/he isn’t adopted, they stay in the shelter or in a foster home.

I know I have anywhere from 100 to 200 people reading this blog every day, and if each of you click every day, and then asks a few friends to click, we could win this thing!  Think of it as sadaqa that takes but a few seconds each day.  Search for “Feline Rescue” in Saint Paul, MN 55114.

Because we’re a no kill shelter, our space (and resources) are limited.  If we get too many cats, we don’t kill a few to make more room.  Instead, we have to turn cats away.  With this $$$, we could make a huge difference in the lives of hundreds more homeless and abused cats.

Imagine on the Day of Judgment finding these kitties there being asked by Allah (swt) about the good that you did for them:

This is my sweet Mekash, who’s kennel I clean every Sunday.  She is a huge love bug, but is not a fan of other cats, which is probably why she’s still at the shelter after nearly a year.  If you sit in front of her cage on a chair, she’ll hop out on your lap and knead away.  She was abandoned in a carrier at the door to our shelter.

This is Rajaa,  the office Queen.  She’s a senior girl (over 10 years old, can’t remember her exact age) who’s also an only cat kinda gal.  She lives in the office and sleeps on top of the copier.

This is my beautiful and immodest Abigail (and the bottom of my skirt).  She has some issues with her back hips, so she will waddle around with the most adorable gate.  When you pet her, she melts in your hands and rolls over for a belly rub.  I’d love to adopt her, and we’ll see if she’s still at the shelter when we move apartments this summer.

This is Bobby, one of the shelter’s lifers.  He’s a manx (ie naturally has no tail) and a polydactl (meaning he has more toes than most cats).  He also has sever stomach troubles that can cause him to be very grouchy.  He was rescued from the street, and has his very own room at the shelter.  We let him out with the other kitties during our shift, but has to make sure that he doesn’t feel the need to pick a fight with anyone.  This is Bobby’s domain, we’re just visitors in it.

This is Brutus, one of our newer shelter residents.  He was in the med room for quite some time, as he also has stomach issues.  Since they’re not resolved, he has to stay in his kennel most of the day, so he doesn’t eat food that will upset his stomach.  But, during the shift, we let him out and he’s the world’s happiest kitty.  He is HUGE, probably close to 30lbs.  But, he has this adorable, high pitched squeaky meow.  When you pass by his cage, he gives you this puppy dog look and just begs you to let him out.

In the background of the pic behind the door, you can just make out Socrates.  He’s a FeLV positive boy.  FeLV is pretty contagious, so he can’t interact with other cats.  At most other shelters, he’d be killed, no questions asked.  But at Feline Rescue, cats with terminal illnesses are given a place to live and thrive.  We also have a separate room for kitties with Feline AIDS.  Two of the 3 FIV+ kitties were actually adopted just a few weeks ago.  Here’s a close up of Socrates:

And finally, this is Gin Gin, one of the “shy” kitties.  The 4 of them, mom and her three kittens (who are all now full grown cats), used to live in Socrate’s room.  They would huddle at the end of the room, and hiss whenever anyone came near.  In the last month, all but Rococo have been venturing out, and will even let the occasional person pet them.  Now that they’ve been moved into a general population room, they’re forced to interact with other cats and are starting to come out of their shell.  Gin Gin in particular will approach you if you’re sitting on the floor (bonus if you have treats), and will allow you to pet her as she saunters by.  She looks like my Squeaky:

dear self…

…just in case you’ve forgotten, the Prophet (saws) has told us that:

The first thing people will be accountable for on the Day of Judgment is Salat.  Allah (swt) will say to His angels (even though He already knows), “Look at My servant’s salat.  Were they complete or not?”  If they are complete, they will be written as complete. 

If they are not complete, Allah (swt) will say, “See if My servant has voluntary salat.” If he has them, Allah (swt) will say, “Complete his obligatory salat shortage with his voluntary salat.” Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in the same manner” (Ahmad,  Abu Dawud, and An-Nasa’i)

charges filed in halal market shooting

Two somali (muslim) teens have been charged as adults for the murder of three east african (muslim) men in last week’s halal market shooting.  While there was speculation that this was something more than a robbery, the criminal complaints allege that Ahmed Shire Ali and Mahdi Hassan Ali entered the store wearing masks and yelled “this is a robbery.” 

Anwar Salah Mohammed (may Allah have mercy on him) entered the store, interrupting the robbery and was shot.  Osman Jama Elmi and Mohamed Abdi Warfa (may Allah have mercy on them) were both shot shortly there after, Mohamed while attempting to catch the shooter, and Osman while trying to call the police.

May Allah (swt) see that justice is done here and on the Day of Judgment, ameen.

sickness

cat dies after being left glued to minnesota highway

Quinn, who opened the animal rescue center nearly four years ago, said that the remote location of where the cat — without tags or identification chip — was found has her convinced that he was purposely glued to the road. “I think some kids did this,” she said.

She said Timothy’s nose was glued to the surface and he lost “layers of skin” from elsewhere on his body when removed.

The “extremely stressed-out” cat was treated by a veterinarian, only to die the next week, Quinn said.

Play happy over the rainbow bridge Timothy, and inshaAllah on the Day of Judgment, you will get justice.

The Prophet (saws) said, “Whoever kills a sparrow or anything bigger than that without a just cause, Allah will hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment.”  The listeners asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is a just cause?” He replied, “That he will kill it to eat, not simply to chop off its head and then throw it away.” (Nisai, Hakim)

janazah…

…today for Mohamed Abdi Warfa, Osman Jama Elmi and Anwar Mohammed, the three brothers killed on Wednesday. 

inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon

Oh Allah (swt), forgive them any transgression and shower His Mercy on them.

Oh Allah (swt), give their families comfort and patience in this most difficult of times.

Oh Allah (swt), allow these killers to be brought to justice, and rectify the crookedness of our community.

ameen

Somali community shaken by violent tragedy <— As an aside, this divide in the muslim community here is really bothering me.  As a minnesotan, I’m shaken by this.  As a muslim, I’m shaken by this.  As someone who lives next to a little corner grocery store that is all too often the scene of lawlessness, I’m shaken.  Heck, as a human being, I’m shaken.

Relatives of Abdifatah and Mahad Warfa say the two men escaped the violence in the Horn of Africa, only to be brazenly shot to death in a corner store. A third victim is also believed to be an East African refugee.

The cruel irony of the men’s fates is rippling throughout Minnesota’s East African community. Mahad Warfa wasn’t supposed to be at Seward Market and Halal Meat when the shooting took place. It was his cousin, Abdifatah, who worked at the Franklin Avenue shop. Mahad paid him a visit with some tea, said a distant relative, Mohamud Noor.

“He brought the tea to his cousin, and he just came to stay with him until he closed the shop,” Noor said.

halal market shooting

I just drove by here yesterday afternoon and was thinking, hmmm, this neighborhood doesn’t look so bad, maybe a potential place to move.  Close to work?  Check.  Masjids?  Check.   Halal food?  Check.  Co-op?  Check.  Hippies?  Check.  Vegetarian restaurants?  Check.  Ah, my people!  Now if only I could find some tree hugging vegetarian muslims…

Yeah, now not so much.  The unofficial word from the police is that it was a robbery gone wrong, but rumors abound, of course, in that no robbery has gone this bad for as long as anyone can remember.  Check the comments here to see some underlying tension here in the TC between “us” (aka white people) and “them” (aka black somalis).

inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon

3 men shot to death in south Minneapolis 

Police did not identify the victims of the shootings at Seward Market and Halal Meats, on E. Franklin and 25th Avenues, but Abdirizak Bihi, director of the Somali Education and Social Advocacy Center in Minneapolis, said they were Somali immigrants, cousins who had pooled their money to buy the market.

“They come from a well-known family in the Somali community, a hard-working family,” Bihi said. “This is very shocking.”

One of the victims, he said, has seven children.

…

“We don’t know what to make out of it,” he said. “Somehow, if it involved gangs, then people could somewhat understand this. But it now looks like … law-abiding Somali citizens are falling victim to this violence. … Makes me feel like no one is safe out there. … This is completely out of character for the community.”

As word of the shooting spread, Bihi said a woman called him to express sorrow.

“She said it’s unfortunate that we fled from violence and here we are trying to make our dreams come true. And then the violence follows us here.”

From Minnesota Public Radio:

The Twin Cities has seen an uptick in recent years in Somali-on-Somali killings, but mostly related to street gangs or retribution. Hindia Ali’s brother, an Augsburg College student, was gunned down two years ago while working as a youth mentor. The triple slaying, she said, is another hit for her community.

“Nobody wants to hear someone who has a business and gets killed in their business,” Ali said. “So this is a very sad night for the Somali community and something we don’t even need right now.”

Many customers said the market was clean and well-maintained, and the workers were friendly and always quick to help their patrons. Still, there have been signs of trouble at the Seward Market. The front door was repeatedly smashed and boarded up over the past few years.

The store is just one of several small East African businesses and independent merchants that have revived this stretch of Franklin Avenue. The Seward neighborhood is a diverse, middle-class area southeast of downtown known more for its food co-op than crime.

Just steps away from the news vans and the crowds, one man stood quietly holding a lit purple candle. John Wright lives just a few blocks away.

“I just wanted to, however small, express some gesture of support and prayer for peace and healing for the Somali community,” Wright said. “It just seems like one tragedy on top of another for them lately. They bring a lot of vibrant culture and diversity to our area, and they’re a real asset to our community, and it’s heartbreaking to see what they’re going through right now.”

Wright said he wishes he knew his Somali neighbors better so he could express his condolences with words. But for now, a lone candle and a prayer would have to do.

MashaAllah.  It was well below 0 (that’s farenheit for ya’ll overseas, so imagine it being frigid, windy, snowing and -25C), and this man, a non muslim, stood out with a candle in support of muslim murder victims.

I wish that muslims who rant on and on about the evils of the kufar and “amrikkka” could meet some of the average minnesotans I see on a day to day basis.  Yes, this country has problems.  Yes, our foreign policy and the wars we’re prosecuting suck.  But despite the malcontents, so many people just want interact with their neighbors, no matter what their color or creed, and live their lives in peace.

paradise inshaAllah

Allah (swt) tells us that:

Certainly will the believers have succeeded:

They who are during their prayer humbly submissive

And they who turn away from ill speech

And they who are observant of zakah

And they who guard their private parts

Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they will not be blamed -

But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors -

And they who are to their trusts and their promises attentive

And they who carefully maintain their prayers -

Those are the inheritors

Who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will abide therein eternally.

Qur’an 23:1-11

It is related by Urwah bin Zubair (ra) that Umar (ra) said, “This Surah was revealed in my presence and I myself observed the state of the Prophet (saws) during its revelation. When the revelation ended , the Prophet (saws) remarked, ‘On this occasion ten such verses have been sent down to me that the one who measures up to them, will most surely go to Paradise’. Then he recited the initial verses of the surah.” (Ahmad, Tirmizi, Nasai, Hakim).

How do you measure up?  Yes, I’m sure we could all stand to be more attentive in our prayers, inshaAllah we’re giving zakat, alhamdulilah we’re faithful to our spouses, but…if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve been to other websites today, and have encountered ill speech.  I know I have.  The internet is full of it.  

As much as there is benefit in this medium, it is also a tool of Shaytan.   We’re freed from the inhibitions we may have when interacting with people in real life, and feel free to slander, backbite, put down and mock whomever we encounter.  Would you say it to their faces?  And if you encountered it in real life would you stay and listen?

Why then do we put up with it online?  Again, a smack on the upside of the head for myself as much as anyone else who is reading this.

would you rather…

…die of a terminal illness or die suddenly?  A take off from this thread on LI.

Re: terminal illness – you could be in a lot of pain for a very long time, and your quality of life deteriorates.  That sucks (which is an understatement, having witnessed my uncle’s slow decline).  But on the other hand, you have time to say goodby to your loved ones.  I still kick myself that I didn’t spend more time with my grandfather before he died.  My sister and I had lunch with my grandparents every weekend during college, but the day before he passed, I was preoccupied with something else and had my head in papers the whole time.

And, most importantly, you have time to make tawbah and get yourself right with Allah (swt).

Of course, we should be making tawbah every day, but be honest, how many of us do any serious reflecting on our actions?

I guess the best way to live your life is as if every day was your last.  Make sure you have no messy unfinished business in this dunya or with your Lord when you go to bed at night.  Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today.