Eid Mubarak!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah Dear readers,

A dear student of mine sent me this beautiful poem as well as her summation of what we had attempted to learn in our Character Building and Soul Searching Class.

Anything that is good is from Allah, anything deficient is from my own self. It just reminds me of what my own teacher says : "The teacher is simply the traffic cop making sure the traffic is going in the right direction -- into the presence of Allah."

As for my part all I can do is echo what Moulana Rumi said " Don't look at my face but take what's in my hand."

BismillahiRahman-nirRaheem

A Guiding Light  

I was lost and I found you

I was hopeless and you showed me how to find hope through dua

I was weak and you showed me strength through Tahajjud

I was blinded in darkness and you showed me light through seeking knowledge

I said my loved ones are ailing; you said the cure is in sadaqa

I was running off the track and you showed me how to get back on track

I said my children are in pain you said heal them, protect them through sadaqa

I came to you crying and you showed me the place to cry was in front of Almighty ALLAH

I came to you in a panic you said panic makes the calamity worse

I came to you wounded and you said it was temporary

I was looking for a shortcut in life and you said find it in the long rakahs of Tahajjud

I was tangled in this dunya you showed me how to be free

I said my duas need to be heard, you said dollar – a - day sadaqa or what you can afford -
 – and neither your sadaqa nor your dua will be rejected by The MOST HIGH

I was running and you asked me to slow it down

I would be confused and you said WHY??

I had doubts and you provided clarity

I was hurt and you said I would heal

After 6 days of a marathon I used to stop at your tafsir to breathe – now where do I go?
After defeat where do I go?
When I panic where do I go?
When I am lost where do I go to?
When I am wounded where do I go?
When I need you where do I go?

This poem is written as a farewell for Iffath Hasan (Iffath Aunty) for her relentless service to the community character building, soul searching class for 21years. Please free to share.

By: Nusrat Ahmed student 07/22/2014
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Summation

1. I am forgetting I said, cure is in reading a Juz a day, cure for Alzheimer’s she proclaimed

2.Migraine my head is splitting I said Read it daily she said, believe in it, blow on it, for any illness, aches or pains….41 times Surah Fatiha, 41 times Ya Salaamu, 100 time Lahaoula Wala Khuwwata Illa Billahil Aliyul Azeem, of course before and after 7 times Darood she proclaimed

3. I would like to control my Nafs (lower self) I said, follow the Sunnah Fast on Monday and Thursday she proclaimed

4. My Duas need to be fulfilled I said, do it through Sadaqa Dollar a Day or what you can afford but consistency is the key she proclaimed.  ALLAH SWT does not reject Sadaqa and nor your Dua she proclaimed
5. I am afraid of long term illness I said, read Surah Tagabun she proclaimed

6. I need to strengthen my Eimaan develop my sincerity, read Surah Ikhlas 100 times daily she proclaimed

7. I need to protect my loved ones I said, Hisaar (protection through) – Surah Fateha, Ayatalkursi and the 4 khulonce, before and after Darood she proclaimed

8. Haya, modesty I said, avoid mixed gatherings – Do it for ALLAH she proclaimed

9. The purpose of life I said, follow the Sunnah she proclaimed

10. Through her smile, calm voice, persistent on the same issues, same topics, same people, she said it again and again.

11. If you have attained one lesson it is this she proclaimed – use your time wisely

12. Do not buy anything you do NOT need.

14. Treat him (your husband) like a king -- he will treat you like a queen she proclaimed

15. Last but not the least learn to forgive, be relentless in your journey to forgive, be good to everyone especially to your enemies, your foes, people that you have conflict with she proclaimed.

16. Control your tongue the root cause of all evil is not YOU it is your tongue she proclaimed!

This narrative is written as a farewell for Iffath Hasan (Iffath Aunty) to capture some of the essence from her teachings. Please free to share.

By: Nusrat Ahmed student 07/22/2014
Bullet points by Nusrath Ahmed, capturing some of the essence of Iffath Hasan's teachings.