Sister, RAISE YOUR HEAD!

I have been too scared to write about you, more precisely too ashamed to have abandoned you, a shame that turned into fear, my beloved sisters, but now, it can wait no more. Yes I mean you, O my oppressed sisters in the prisons and you, who are now released yet living the Hell of social taboo, in our merciless societies. Why... you have committed no sin, you have done no wrong, yet those looks of pity and lowness do not leave your pious beings.

From the Greatest of Sins: Being Bored/Ungrateful of Allah's Blessings

Ibn Qayyim States:

“From the greatest of sins which are hidden – and widely practiced – is that the servant is enjoying a blessing that Allah has blessed him with and chosen for him, then that servant becomes bored of it and seeks to exchange it for what he thinks – due to his ignorance – is better for him than it, and His Lord continues to be merciful to him and does not prevent him from this blessing, and He excuses him due to his ignorance and this bad choice that he has chosen for himself. When he reaches the limit in scorning this blessing and his boredom with it overcomes him, Allah removes this blessing from him. So, if he is given what he sought in exchange for that blessing, and he sees the immense difference between what he was previously enjoying and and what he has now been given instead of it, his anxiety and regret increase and he requests a return to what he previously had. So, if Allah desires good and guidance for His servant, He allows him to bear witness that what he had was a blessing from the blessings of Allah upon him, and He causes him to become pleased with that blessing and to give thanks to Allah for it. If his soul then whispers to him to again seek to exchange that blessing for something else, he makes istikharah to His Lord, the istikharah of the one who is ignorant of what is in his best interests and unable to attain them. He turns his affairs to Allah, requesting of Him to help him make the best decision.

Rumaysa Bint Milhan (r.a)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Even before Islam was introduced to Yathrib, Rumaysa was known for her excellent character, the power of her intellect and her independent attitude of mind. She was known by various names including Rumaysa and Ghumaysa, but these were possibly nickna mes. One historian says that her real name was Sahlah but later she was popularly known as Umm Sulaym.

Are You Jealous of What Others Have?

Hasad (jealousy and envy) is among the most destructive emotions which a man may develop toward his fellow human being. With Hasad, a person will wish evil for others and will be happy when misfortune befalls them. The Prophet (pbuh) warned against envy by comparing it to fire that completely burns the wood. He (pbuh) said:

"Beware of jealousy, for verily it destroys good deeds the way fire destroys wood." [Abu Dawud]

O My Future Wife, Stand Strong In The Storm

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

To my future wife, who would conceive my children and educate them with tawheed and akhlaq as exemplified by Rasulullah SAW and his successors who remain upright upon the path of tawheed and jihad. I am writing you this letter so that you will not get disappointed and sad someday in finding a partner like me who is full of shortcomings.

My future wife, I am writing you this letter so that you understand better the road we are going to travel and where we are heading as Allah's creatures who are burdened by the Almighty in this temporal world. So that we will be better prepared to mutually understand, to mutually empathize and to be grateful for what have been outlined by Allah SWT for our family.

My future wife and the future mother of my children, you probably already know what road I travel and what kind of life I want. I hope you will be a companion who is pleasant in this world in order for me to remain istiqamah in the path of the Rasul and his followers. Always making the call of tawheed as the most important thing in life and always teaching people the importance of returning to the main source of our Dien, Islam.

Perhaps later, there will be many trials, hardships and sufferings encountered in wading through our marriage, as human beings we may sigh, cry and could even be cursing the fates. But rest assured, it is all a trial to make us plenary humans and to educate us to remain firm in all weather and conditions.

Allah says: “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient,” (QS Al-Baqarah :155).

My future wife, if one day I still cannot make you every bit happy like any other wives, forgive me. But as a husband, I will always try my best to be the best, providing sustenance which are halal,though not much and fulfilling your rights. So help me realize that even if it is only with your smile.

My future wife, if one day I go far away and will not return for long, look after my properties, spend some of the properties that you have in Allah's cause and fulfill the rights of your brothers and sisters in iman if you are able to fulfill it. And take care of my honor as your husband, unify with the Muslimahs whose hearts are tethered to paradise, who guard their gaze when alone and when with others, so that I can feel at peace for leaving a woman and a mother who look after what are left by her husband.

My future wife, you know I'm not a perfect person in every way. So help me improve it with your advices, your criticisms and anything that can make the obedience to Allah and His Rasul increases everyday. Make our family a family that is ready to accept the inputs from anyone even if it is a small child. Because the truth is not recognized from who is speaking but from what is said.

And lastly, my future wife, make our children one day be like the lion, who are not afraid to defend the truth, not surrendering to circumstances and are always tough in the midst of an offensive storm. Teach them to be an angry man when the truth is humiliated, teach them to fight against any oppression on anyone and educate them to dare to sacrifice anything, even their lives for the honor of Allah, His Rasul and the believers.

Maybe I am expecting too much from you, too demanding on you and asking what might be too heavy for you. But believe me, I as a husband will try to be a good companion, a loyal listener to your inputs and advices, to help each other to continue to be obedient to Allah and His Rasul.

I write this letter with all my weaknesses, all my faults, so that you understand with whom you will navigate this life. So that you will know that a marriage is not always honey and milk. Also so that you will not be a barrier in fulfilling my mission of da'wah, and become the first enemy in weakening my spirit for jihad in the cause of Allah SWT.

Before we meet as a husband and wife, let us always pray the do'a that had been read by the warrior which shook the thrones of tyranny, As-Shaheed Sayyid Quthub:

O Muhaymin (The Guardian), if I fall in love, guard my love so that it does not exceed my love on You.

O Allah, if I fall in love, let me touch the heart of someone whose heart is attached to You,
so that I do not fall into the abyss of a monotonous love.

O Rabbi, if I fall in love, guard my heart on her so that it does not turn away from Your Heart.

O Rabbal Izzat, If I yearn, make me yearn for someone who yearns for shaheed in Your path.

O Allah, If I yearn, guard my yearning on her so that I do not forget to yearn for Your Paradise.

O Allah, if I take pleasure from the love of Your lover, let that pleasure not exceed the pleasure of a munajat in the last third part of Your night.

O Allah, if I fall in love with Your lover, do not let me falter and fall in the long journey of calling mankind towards You.

O Allah, If You allow me to long for Your lover, do not let me go beyond the limits which makes me forget that true love and eternal longing are only with You.

O Allah, You are the All-Knowing that these hearts have come together in the love for You, these hearts have met in the obedience towards You, these hearts have unified in the da'wah towards You, these hearts have united in defending Your Shari'ah. Make the bond steadfast, O Allah. Make the love everlasting. Show us the ways. Fill these hearts with Your Nur (Light) which never ever fade. Comfort our breasts with the blessings of iman in You and the beauty of tawakkal in Your Path.

May Allah hear my do'a and your do'a and unite us in the shade of His Rahmah (Mercy, Grace) and make us a force that is loyal to Him.

From me,
Your future husband