slip-sliding away…..

Alhamdullilah – all praise and thanks to the Almighty. Cape Town is being blessed with incredible amounts of rain in recent weeks. Incredible by our standards, because we’ve been struggling through the worst drought in a century. So this mercy from above is much-needed.

This morning, as I went out early, I was struck by how appreciative I’ve become for this water. Not just for the rain today, but the heaviness thereof. It’s really cats and dogs out there today. A type of heavy rain which we so missed in recent years. Down pipes are overflowing, as is our rain tank. Sheets of downpour sweeping across the sky; deliverance of the prayers we made for months and years in this previously parched land where water has become a source of tension and political fights.

Huge puddles and flowing mini-streams….just so much. So much. The Almighty withholds, but is just as capable of giving in abundance. I think of Oman – which recently received 3 years worth of rain in a single day.

Anything is possible.

God’s treasures are unlimited

One of my focuses this month has been learning about the names and attributes of Allah. Advices I’ve listened to this month have also highlighted how this incredible knowledge has been manifested in the experiences of people of the past.

I think of Maryam a.s. (Mary, mother of Jesus) – and how she received out of season fruits directly from Allah. How, when asked where it came from, she reminded her uncle – Prophet Zakariah a.s. – how Allah gives without account. With no limits. Without fear of His reserves diminishing – because Allah could give each and every creature everything they wanted, and it wouldn’t decrease anything from His unlimited treasures.

Yet in this world, we bicker over limited resources and feel threatened by loss….whereas if we were strong enough in faith, we would know that the Source of Sustenance is capable of replacing what we lost with so much more – in this life, as well as the Hereafter.

Seeds of future solitude

My month has been indescribable – in that I can’t really decide if it’s been good or bad. There have been beautiful highs, unspirited extended periods of average-ness, and a lot of frustration with hours and nights spent occupied in things which I wish I wouldn’t have had to face. But we have to experience the troubles and frustrations – the lows – to know, and more fully appreciate the highs.

Unlike last year, this year I haven’t had the opportunity to take time off for i’tikaaf – seclusion during the last period of Ramadaan. But, surprisingly, the seed of wanting to do it properly has been planted. (In previous years, I didn’t ‘camp out’ with others…I just roam to different masjids and try to find solitude and peace away from other people.) I always felt that “someday” I would do it, but had no idea when. And now, I have that yearning to do it properly. I’m reminded, somewhat, of Hajj – specifically Mina – where pilgrims are pretty much camping out, with one small space allocated to you. And it’s yours – to engage in whatever acts of worship you want. Some are sociable and chatty throughout – I’m not one of those – while others just sit on their own doing what they want to, whether that’s dua, Quran, dhikr, or sleep. Or writing.

These days, when free time – especially free time in spiritual seclusion – is so difficult to find, i’tikaaf is the perfect opportunity to break away from the never-ending hamster wheel of life and re-centre spiritually…re-align your soul with its true purpose. Re-connect with the One through non-physical nourishment which is so far disconnected from the hyper-connected streams of social media and human connections.

We all need that kind of break sometimes. And I feel sorry for the females among us – especially mothers – because they can never get this kind of extended period of separation, given the never-ending demands of motherhood. May Allah grant them just as much, if not more, spirituality, though – through whatever they do.

An end to the ceasefire

I recently came across this reminder from Nouman Ali Khan, as well as this talk by Yasmin Mogahed, reminding me of what awaits us come Eid day. It struck me how, in this month, the lack of temptation – whether to do bad things, or just waste time – has been virtually non-existent. And that’s because our biggest enemy – shaitaan and his helpers – have (for the most part) been chained up this month.

But that ends as soon as the moon is sighted for the end of Ramadaan. And we must know that the flood of their whisperings will return. She spoke of Surah an-Naas – the very last surah of Quran – where we are told of the whispering nature of these devils. How effective they are because they will put a thought in our heads – a whisper – then retreat. We’ll think it was our idea, when it was really them trying to tempt us. And they come back again and again. It’s their purpose…their life mission…to misguide us.

So we need to be smarter than that.

And, as the Surah concludes, these whisperings and these devils can be from both jinn-kind and human-kind – so it’s critical that we keep good company. Or at least try not to immerse ourselves in company that will be of negative influence.

Ramadaan’s gifts

Allah is Al-Wahhab – the Giver of Gifts – and for me, one great gift this month has been the re-discovery of the beautiful Quranic recitations of brother Fatih Seferagic. Whether or not the impact of that recitation will remain after this month, I don’t know. But for now, it’s amazing to just soak in the splendour of Allah’s words – recited by a young man, who isn’t a conventional ‘sheikh’ – who that has been gifted with an incredible voice.

I’ve also been intrigued by Nouman Ali Khan’s nightly talks on duas in the Quran – specifically, the psychological foundations to them.

It’s just another of many beautiful advices and gifts we get at this time of year.

And though we will probably not maintain the momentum of taking in such beneficial reminders after this month departs, it’s good to take what we can, while we can. And, insha-Allah, we can try to take at least one positive habit – of listening to such important stuff consistently – so that we will keep benefitting from the rains of mercy that Ramadaan has afforded us.

May Allah accept all your good deeds during this month, forgive your mistakes, and help you to take forward something positive from this month so that – if you survive the next 11 months until next Ramadaan- you live a little better.