Assalamu alaykum,
as my kids grow older, grow as well in Islam, I realize more and more how important it is to believe and live by Islam.
Today we went to the doctor as my little one is not well, hamdulillah. As we were waiting for the doctor to call us, my baby was approached by a child of around 1 year old. The little boy got stranded in my pushchair and fell on the floor. Quickly the father came over to see what happened. Me and another sister went over and said ' bismillah'. I looked at the sister and she looked at me, I guess we thought the same 'We are Muslims, hamdulillah!'. While the father of the child was concerned about the well being of his child and checked that his boy was 'all in one piece', me and the sister we called unto our Lord and together exclaimed 'Bismillah!'.
That was a good Islamic lesson and a reminder for my kids to reflect upon. Of course the father of the child was right to check on his child and to make sure he was ok, but as Muslims we first think of our Lord and call upon Him for help in any matter, no matter how big or small.
The child was ok in the end. Hamdulillah.
Everyday, I try my best to teach my children about Islam and I pray to Allah they can one day be successful Muslims in this dunya and specially in the akhira. Amin.
It's hard for us, living in the West to fully appreciated 'Islam as a way of life'. I hear more and more sisters leaving to go abroad, go back to Islamic countries where they came from, or the husbands were born, or where their fathers/mothers originated. I can see their happiness when they talk of their everyday life, their blessings right in front of them...their Iman is intact! While in the West, we struggle more and more everyday to keep safe our Iman and our kids', theirs it is getting stronger and stronger.
They hear the call of five daily salah, we hear music coming from the cars i the streets and racists abuse, they pray in the Mosque everyday, every prayer, we pray at home and wish that one day we can pray in the Mosque if not all the prayers but at least the Friday one!
I don't like for me kids to live in the West as I can see my struggles...if i could choose I would go abroad. Insh'Allah one day.
For now I have to do my out most best to up bring my children in Islam and keep on making dua'as.
4 comments:
Sister,
I came from Malaysia where there's majority of muslim. Where there's mosque everywhere but yet empty. We had muslim around us, relatives, friend, stranger wearing scarf and hijab yet scared more for losing their job rather than the day of judgment.
People from my country when they came here in UK, they pray at home not at the most although the mosque was always full here in UK. Because although in Malaysia they heard azan five times a day, they feel tired to go to mosque or mosque only the place when you retired.
My beloved country is so called muslim country but I feel ashamed my self for the state of muslim there. You went to Mecca, you can see thousand of people smoking although it's clearly state in the big sign board you can't smoke.
Sister, for me being among non muslim people and in western, made me more think and worried and this encourage me to have a thought more about deen and my children. Rather than being in so called muslim country yet I can't even work there because I'm wearing a veil. I used to work with non muslim here in UK. Nobody ever ask me to open my veil.
Yet in Malaysia, people still can't accept it and think you are too extreme even some of my friends that wearing veil and work but have to open their veil in work place.
I think, it doesn't matter where we are. The important is how we build our iman. But, I feel like being among muslim but didn't practise islam is more difficult than being in non muslim country. In UK I can tell my children don't follow this and that because they are non muslim. May be there are muslim not practicing, but you see more of non muslim. When I was in my country, it's so hard because plenty among relative and friends that not wearing hijab yet you teach your children the important of hijab for muslim.
When my eldest daughter was 3 in Malaysia, she ask me why my cousin don't wear hijab yet she an adult and muslim. It is difficult to answer why muslim themselves don't practice. I find it so easy to teach my grown up children now to practice islam in UK than back there in Muslim country unfortunately.
Assalamu alaykum sister Ummi,
welcome to my blog! Jazak'Allahu kheiri for taking the time to leave such an important and long comment, mash'Allah!
I do agree with what you said and I can see what's happening in the Muslim countries. Yet, I do firmly believe that it's the niyyah that counts.
If I leave to go to an Islamic country, my intentions is not to be at home and getting lazy but to be with my brothers and sisters and to be within those who belive in one god, Allah!
Islamic countries are not the best option for Muslims, yet again non-islamic countries are not an option either. The difference is that we 'CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE', forgive the capitals there. It certainly would be easier for me to walk down the street in a Muslim country and pray my 5 daily salah in the Mosque. My kids could learn Arabic and Qur'an everywhere, and I could buy halal food everywhere.
Yes, there is good and bad and as you said in the so called Muslim countries you see Muslim smoking and doing things against the law of Allah (subhana wa t'Ala). But it's us to make the difference, we should get united, get with the ones that are more close to Allah.For me that i was born and brough up in a non-muslim country would be certainly an experience to be tried.
Insh'Allah one day...
I appreciate your comment and find it so beneficial to get into this kind of conversation where more points of view can be shared.
So jazak'Allah kheiri dear ukhti.
Salam sister,
Jazakallah for the chance you give me to share. I'm always love to share. I do understand how you feel. After I came back from hajj, I keep thinking to go and stay there doesn't matter how it is. The feeling, the mind and the environment. Than my hubby said, there's more than 120 thousand sahabah, only 10 thousand been buried in Baqi', madinah. Others grave yard scattered all around the world.
I know how hard it is. When I live in Coventry, I don't feel anything. But as now I live in North east among non muslim community, I don't feel belong to. I feel very much lonely here. But, there's a family live about 20 mins from us, they stay in non muslim village about 18 years now. They have so much difficulty before, now, they have shop and b&b there. Than he brings some of his family to live over there. He used part of his B&B for Jamaat prayer 5 times a day. Masya Allah. It does make you feel happy how a small place with full of non muslim , you can still find a place to pray.
It is hard, but may ALlah choose us to be the role model for others to accept islam. Insya ALlah.
Jazak Allah kheir for such a thought provoking post ukhtee.
Ummi said: I think, it doesn't matter where we are. The important is how we build our iman.
I totally agree with your entire post. I am a Westerner so I may be biased though ;). I enjoy being a walking, talking, working example of Islam here in a non-Muslim country. I call it passive Dawah. I believe there are pros and cons to living in all countries. I would definitely like to go to a Muslim country for the learning possibilities but I'm sure I would not want the move to permanent. I would like to come back to the West and share what I learned with other Muslimahs.
ma'a salaamah,
ha
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