The Diet Pepsi

When you think of making dua, what do you usually have in mind?


It's probably something huge isn't it?



"O Allah give me jannah"


Allah is indeed *Al Mujeeb* (The one who responds)


But do you ever think that the one whom you ask for Jannah can also provide you with-


You guessed it right.



Diet pepsi.



What I am about to narrate may seem like  quite an ordinary tale void of adventure, but it was one of the most miraculous experiences for me, personally. And I hope you can see the miracle in your own diet pepsi as well.


So my tale begins on an ordinary night out with my family. We were on our way back home from shopping, chilling in the car, when my soul began to crave for that can of artificial sweetness.



Diet pepsi.

So like any normal child, I requested (*cough* demanded*cough*)  that my father buy me one.


And guess what happened?


He refused.


It was getting late.



My soul cried out in protest. If my inner feelings at that time had words, it would sound something like this.



"But I MUST have it! I haven't had it in sooo long"



I tried asking him again.

Guess what happened?


He refused. Again.


But this time, my inner feelings found words. Not just any words, but these ones.




"O Allah, give me diet pepsi!"



Yep. I actually made that dua. Thanks to training of learning Asma ul Husna(The Most beautiful names of Allah), Al Mujeeb in particular, I found myself making dua to Allah for something as small as diet pepsi. It is said that the salaf used to make dua for shoe laces if they broke.





And no, I didn't get the diet pepsi that night. Sorry to disappoint you.





And I forgot about that dua.

I went home, diet pepsi less.




Guess what happened next day?



My brother asks me (He NEVER does this) for some cash so he can buy snacks. I agree on the condition he buys something for me as well.

And in a hurry I tell him:


"Diet Pepsi"


He comes back, the diet pepsi is in front of me now. It's open. I take refreshing sips.



Nothing. Still nothing.



And like a strike of lightning, everything falls in place.



This is no ordinary diet pepsi!!


It's an answer to my dua!


My heart melted.

My Rabb responded to the silliest dua imaginable.


But that's the catch, it wasn't silly for him.

He paid attention to it and gave me a diet pepsi that I took delight in!
Alhamdulillah! Allahu Akbar!


That was soo loving of Him. I felt my imaan rise tremendously.


I felt more eager to make Duas and had even more hope in the Duas that seemed huge.

In duas for jannatul firdaus, where I can have rivers of pepsi, in sha Allah.


So make dua for that mountain dew, 7 up or whatever your favourite fizzy drink is. If you don't like any, you still get the drift.


As for the peeps going


"But you basically ordered the diet pepsi, how can it be from Allah?"


I have a few questions


Who created me and my brother and has control over us both?

Allah.

Who put the thought in my brother's head to  buy snacks?

Allah

Who made me absent mindedly say "Diet Pepsi" ?

Allah

Who gave me the money to buy diet pepsi?

Allah

Who made it possible for the diet pepsi to be at the grocery shop?

Allah.


So alhamdulillah and Allahu Akbar!






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Al Kahf

Oh what to speak of the book of Allah

Light upon light from the one true ilah

From among its gems is this bright one

A light between two Fridays, if you recite it then, you would have won

Beginning with a story of wonder

For three hundred adding nine years, did the youth slumber

He is able to do all things is your lesson

When you seek refuge with Him, miracles He will make happen

Firmness in the truth in the youth is a blessing

So when young, the pleasures of the world, stop chasing

Then comes the story of the boastful one, full of delusion

Never will his wealth end was his illusion

With pride he talked about being greater to his companion

But Alas! There came upon his gardens a destruction unlike any in the dominion.

Don't disbelieve in the resurrection 

That's your second lesson

The tale of knowledge is what comes third,

I will not give up traveling until I find what I seek, from Musa (a.s) it was heard

Until he found what he sought

To have patience, he was taught

Three mysterious actions

First In a ship a defect was made

Second "An innocent boy you have killed," Musa (a.s) said

Third an inhospitable town's wall was rebuilt free of charge

Musa's (a.s) impatience now growing large

An explanation was given by Al Khidr for each

First a King who seized by force every ship, did he teach

By rebellion will oppress the boy his pious parents was second

A better child Allah will replace, closer to mercy , on that he depends

Third a treasure beneath the wall he wanted to protect

It belonged to two orphan boys, righteous was their father, so did Rasulullah (s.a) regret

That Musa (a.s) could not have more patience

So this is the explanation, fascinating equations

Now comes the story of Dhul Qarnain

Established on the earth he was, power from Allah did he gain

Travelling and coming upon a people

"We are oppressed by a people given to evil"

Asking for his help and protection from them all

Dhul Qarnain with the help of men built a wall

"None can scale it except for when the promise of my Lord will come to pass"

Ya'juj and Ma'juj, a sign of the day of judgement, on the earth they will fill up and trespass

So goes the stories in this bright one

If the oceans were ink, the words of your Lord would not end is another lesson

A light between two Fridays, if you recite it, you would have won.

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Kingdom

When you sigh with the heaviness of monotony

Remember that there is the sweet release of jannah

Stop searching for the glitter in the dunya

Start finding your treasures in His words

Truly in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest

Rest so sweet, it's stillness like the rock glaciers of the poles

Blanketing in the bliss of peace

Where else will you find your target, o restless one

Where else will you escape to from the clutches of your own insignificance

Because with your Lord, you are something

Something a little more

With your Lord you are moving, towards something definite and noble

With your Lord, it's different,

There is no confusion, no chaos

It's your Lord who sees you

The whole of you

In your incomplete completeness

It's your Lord who gives you

Richness so filling, the water overflowing from its brims

No pettiness of mundane

Just home

Like a traveler in this world,

Like a stranger, even

In this temporary abode

Then in servitude, you will find glory

In the mundane, you will find your kingdom

Your jewels will be adhkar

Your throne will be niyyah

Transforming the petty

To the magnificent

Your reign will be remembered

By the winged messengers of your Lord

So rule with might and power

Not monotonous is the life of an abidh

Rule, for a better kingdom awaits with your Lord.

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Death

Everything has to come to an end

 There's an account for all the rules you bend

Imagine the day your soul will be taken

That day you will remember, so now's the time to be shaken

Either a receiver of glad tidings

Or for the one ignorant of severe warnings

Punishment for you, painful and ever increasing

Oh why didn't you listen, do deeds for Allah that were pleasing?

Imagine a world, full of pain

Stop imagining, and now in good deeds, please gain

Your worst fears coming alive

In an ocean of misery, you will dive

But rejoice, Oh you, the vigilant and the steadfast

Very Well you have done, come to pleasure, forever it will last

As you take your ordinary breaths on ordinary days

Just remember the day when void of breath, will be your air ways

Extraordinary is your abode, o you ordinary one

The ground that you walk on, to get things done

Recite the Qur'an, smile at your brother

Do adhkar, cook for your mother

Go for Hajj, pay the zakat

Don't backbite, increase your nawafil Rakat

Be generous and loving

Be kind and Always trying

When you fall in a sin

To repentance, there is nothing akin

Call to Allah with a passionate heart

Let your words reach it's targets like a pointed dart 

"Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty"

So why don't you add a little something extra to your duty

Not sugar or spice, but everything nice

Mix it all up and let's fight vice

So 

Imagine the day your soul will be taken

That day you will remember, so now's the time to be shaken












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Islam & Science- Transformation of an atheist into a believer
We just need to think of the definition of science to understand why there needs to be serious research in the field of science from an Islamic lens.

If you have any recollection of what you were taught in kindergarten- When you were a child on the fitrah (Innate natural disposition or inclination towards the truth)
You would realize why it's important that this field be explored through a very basic lens that the Qur'an and sunnah offers.

Allah subhana wa' ta'la  in The Qur'an, expects human beings to reflect about the creation of Allah, Al Khaliq, The creator.

And that is exactly what science is. 
the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment*
*Definition of science

Allah subhana wa' ta'la asks us to look at the creation of the heavens and the earth- and to reach the conclusion, the awareness of the greatness of the creator who created such a great creation.

But the present scientific trend expects us to lose ourselves in the intellectual abyss- to lose touch with the reality- and to form no conclusions except one conclusion- That science itself must be made into a god.

This paradoxical belief is what atheists- who claim to worship logic- illogically believe.

The Qur'an abolishes the atheist belief of taking science as a god.

The scientific way of thinking is a means to God, which if it's not supplemented with guidance from the Qur'an and the Sunnah, will lead the human being nowhere.

The human being will be lost in his/her entire life in the intellectual abyss, with little or no care for the true purpose of life- which is beyond science.

We all know how fascinating it is to think about the millions of galaxies in our universe, and the billions of stars inhabiting it.

It almost makes the curious scientific observer of the galaxies and stars- the astronomer- have a spiritual awakening of his own insignificance, and then the biologist- has to remind him of the marvelous nature of his own human body- that as macroscopic; as large as the stars inhabiting the galaxies are; his very own human brain and nerves, his very own blood vessels, are other mind boggling things that can be observed with equal-if not greater fascination.

So one might as well wonder, after the astronomer and biologist goes home, when he does something as mundane as drinking a cup of tea, doesn't he feel a pull somewhere inside his very being, asking him to look at those stars again; yet again; and reach a deeper conclusion that none of his human existence might explain?

And perhaps, maybe when that spiritual side of his awakens, he might become aware of greater things in life; such as the human compassion with which his wife made him this tea. And then perhaps; He might feel the warmth of human love for his beloved wife.

But wait! Mr.Astronomer! Aren't you forgetting something? You can't observe, smell or taste compassion. You can't observe, smell or taste love.

Are you going to allow your wife's compassion to defeat science?

Paradox. That's what the atheist feels in his being.


And then maybe; just maybe, as the scientist in him turns into a philosopher; He might recollect his boyhood- in which he solidly recollects a vague sounding name-

God.


And maybe. Just maybe. He will shed that mask of methodical scientist. and become a  boy- who is in desperate need of an all encompassing love, mercy, that even his wife can't give him.

And maybe, just maybe, he will understand that this love and mercy that his being desperately longs for, is too great, is greater than the stars he observed-he observed, but can't worship or pray to- because as a scientist, he knows what stars are made of- hot gases- hot gases can't give him the kind of mercy he needs.

And maybe, just maybe, he will understand why he is not a philosopher, and his desperation will produce tears. Because that's all he is. A boy crying out to the Invisible creator of those mighty stars.

God.


And that was his silent prayer, witnessed only by the All-seeing, the All-hearing, the All-knowing.


And the boy found relief.

Because he became


A believer.



1 comments |
Reach out

Reach out

Hands stretched out

Reach out

Grab the stars above

Reach out


Try thinking out loud

Reach out

To the ones in the darkness of their night

Reach out

To the ones shedding their invisible tears

Reach out

To the Good Ones and the Bad

And the ones in between

Reach out

Because you never know

Who might just grab your handhold


Reach out


And maybe they might just grow tenfold


Reach out


Because beyond it's capacity

doesn't The Creator burden a soul


Reach out

Because there's no problem

Without a solution


That couldn't be found


In the book not young


But not old


In The Book that was send


As the solution

To your problem


As The Cure

for your disease


As The Solace

for your heart


Reach out


Because you might just


End up

Reaching there

Yourself.



Reach out


You now know how easy it is to grab someone's interest.


Reach out


You just need to repeat yourself


Reach out


You now know that it's possible for your soul to be touched without music



Reach out


The words reverberate through your soul without sound


Reach out

Hear that? That's not the sound of music



Reach out


That's the sound of words


Reach out


Ever wondered what the birds sing?


Reach out,

don't wonder too much, that's where the devil comes in


Reach out


Just say audhubillahi minashaitani rajeem


I seek refuge with Allah from Shaitan, the outcast.


Reach out


Thank God for His last prophet and messenger pbuh who was purified from within


Reach out

Because he reached out to you.
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I wish I can show you my face
I wish I can show you my face.


Show you the dark purple eye shadow I am wearing

Oh, not for an evening of fun out with the girls


It's from the sleepless nights I spend crying and praying  on the memory of my dead sons little baby fingers

He is now with our father Ibrahim

I wish I can show you my face

Show you the bright red lipstick I put on


Oh, not for a romantic night out with my man


But from the blow a very courageous man who calls himself a soldier gave me with the edge of his rifle

I  now  smile with my dry lips, whenever I see kindness

I wish I can show you the shine of my glossy hair

Oh, not after using a dove haircare product


But from the greyness of youthful aging..induced by the stress of constant raining bombs and alertness

I now comb it lightly, and smile at the lights that I will have on the day when there will be no lights

I wish I can show you my pearl necklace


Oh, it wasn't a gift from a secret admirer

It was strung around my neck and tightened

When I tried to fight for my innocent husband in jail

I now smile secretly, thinking of joining him at his palace, the palace so vivid in my sleep, I smile so secretly, even i don't know I did, in my sleep

I wish I can show you my butterfly tattoo


Oh, it wasn't done at a parlour in Jersey


It was burnt into my skin with a cigarette when I was lost in the mall without my mommy, by a rich lady

My children now knows, Rich ladies are not mean, because their mother is not mean

I wish I can show you the world

that I live in

Not so that you can save me

But so that





I can save you.
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