Allah

A few years ago, I traveled with some fellow classmates and our teacher to Gatlinburg, TN. We decided to go on one hike to the highest point in the Smoky Mountains called Clingman's Dome. Unfortuantely, we started off in exactly the wrong direction and began heading towards another very high point at the top of Mount Leconte.

Because I had planned out the hike, the distance, and the time it would take us, I was not worried that we got started a bit late at around 11am since we had plenty of time to finish this hike and return well before dark. However, since we were going the wrong direction, all of the calculations were off.

We reached the top of Mount Leconte around 6pm, prayed 'asr, and began heading back down. When we reached a small stream (the only source of water on the trail), it was already getting dark. This was only about one quarter of the way down. We made wudu' the stream and then hiked on a little ways until we found a flat place to pray maghrib.

By this time it was quite dark. We were in the middle of the mountains of Tennessee with only two flashlights and no signs of life around. The stars were bright and abundant. Our teacher began to lead us in maghrib. After Surah al-Fatihah, he read:

الله نور السماوات والارض
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth (24:35).

and stopped. He paused for a long time (much longer than is permissible in salah), but we knew why he was pausing. We all began to cry deeply as these verses which talk about the Light of Allah gained new depth for us. Eventually he moved on to a different surah, but this memory sticks in my mind and forces me to read this portion from Surah al-Nur whenever I'm under the bright night sky.

Via PostSecret

The candle is not there to illuminate itself.

...and then I wept too.

Shukumar stood up and stacked his plate on top of hers. He carried the plates to the sink, but instead of running the tap he looked out the window. Outside the evening was still warm, and the Bradfords were walking arm in arm. As he watched the couple the room went dark, and he spun around. Shoba had turned the lights off. She came back to the table and sat down, and after a moment Shukumar joined her. They wept together, for the things they now knew.

- Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

From bad to good

I had a really bad day yesterday. A student was yelling at me and telling me what a horrible teacher I am. That was the way the school day ended. I was miserable. Then suddenly a verse came into my head that I had heard in the morning on the way to school.

ما أغنى عني ماليه

Allah ta'ala said in Surah al-Haqqah that a person's wealth will not make him rich. I asked a colleague to make sure the meaning was right because it didn't seem to make sense. What does wealth do? By definition it makes someone rich. But that is in this life. On the Day of Judgement wealth will do nothing for a person unless he used it in the path of Allah.

We see this theme coming in hadith as well when the Prophet (sallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said his companions who the bankrupt one is. They responded that it is the one who has no money. He then taught them that it is the person who had prayed and fasted he wronged other people. Then those people whom he wronged will come and take all of his good deeds until he is flung into the Hellfire.

This helped me and lifted my mood. SubhanAllah. The words of Allah are so deep.