Akhirah Edition

TIMELINE

the vision is to understand the deeper meaning of islam and its core value through the study of Quran. to be a better muslim

Akhirah session

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Hadaf people Guest Portugal Guest Eindhoven Converted Polish

Guest oriented sessions

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Alhamdulillah, Allah (swt) has blessed us a beautiful life on the earth and beyond, which we call the Duniya life. We are highly occupied with the elements of this life: family, children, study, job, business, hobby, etc. Certainly, the engagement with these elements keeps us extremely busy on a day-to-day basis. As a Muslim, we believe another eternal life: Akhirat, a life after Duniya. We also believe of accountability, judgement, and reward based on what and how we do the activities in Duniay. Therefore, an ultimate success is the success in Akhirat life. The elements on the Duniya life are the tools to achieve the ultimate success in Akhirat. Although we know this fact (life of Duniya and Akhirat), we tend to forget, a very human nature, the concept of Akhirat. So, we are in need of constant connection to our creator Allah (swt), regular reminder of the proper utilization of Duniya, and the coming life of Akhirat. At the very core of this concept is the connection to Allah (swt). The regular salah (prayer), sadakah, zakat, fasting, etc are the direct means to turn to Allah (swt) and improve the connection with Allah (swt). As a social being, a collective approach is also essential to improve the connection to Allah (swt) and to generate the reminder of Akhirat. In my opinion, we are blessed with an excellent community (HADAF) which helps to remind the Akhirat and improve the connection to Allah (swt). The diverse activities, such as discussions, donations, magazine, give us an excellent opportunity to utilize our time effectively. I am grateful and thankful to Allah (swt) for the communal blessing, Alhamdulillah.

ILLUSTRATION & WRITE UP : SAMIUL HASAN

DISCUSSION

NETWORKING

FOOD

Speaker

Tasty Foods

Happy Participants

Speaker

SOCIAL INTERACTION

KIDS ACTIVITY

FUN

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, May ALLAH guide us all to the right path to achieve the best things in the hereafter (Akhirat). Everyone wants to be in a state of peace and happiness. In this world, we sometimes feel happy, peaceful and occasionally sad, depressed, but it will not last eternally because we all have to leave this earth one day or another. The only eternal place is the Akhirat. ALLAH have described us the life after death in the glorious Quran that reminded us that whatever we do here on earth will be accounted for.

Therefore, each and every action of us as a Muslim should be aimed to please ALLAH. We as human beings live in a community and it is almost impossible to live on our own without the help of others. Therefore, to achieve the ultimate success in the Akhirat we must work together as a community and grow and practice together to please ALLAH. The Muslim Community in Leuven (HADAF), mostly us from Bangladesh, came together to increase our knowledge about Islam and to know ways to please ALLAH. Al Hamdulillah that we came this far in the ultimate goal to please ALLAH and score good deeds (Thawab) which can help us to be in a state of peace and happiness in the Akhirat that lasts eternally. This magazine is a culmination of creative content contributed by the vibrant Muslim Community of Leuven from Bangladesh (HADAF).

In Shaa ALLAH this will remind us more about Akhirat and realign our priority. I want to share a verse from Surah Ahs-Shuraa verse 20.

Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter - We increase for him in his harvest [i.e., reward]. And whoever desires the harvest [i.e., benefits] of this world - We give him thereof, but there is not for him in the Hereafter any share.

- Saheeh International ILLUSTRATION & WRITE UP : MD MUNTASIR ALI

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HASHR

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WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD HASHR

VIRTUE

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EASY DEEDS THAT WEIGH HEAVY IN THE SCALE ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT

ANGER

20 21 23

RESTRAINING ANGER

ISLAMIC TOURISM AND HOLIDAY SELF-REFLECTION

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AKHIRAH

REMEMBERANCE OF AKHIRAH

ILLUSTRATIONS

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THE BENEFITS OF BELIEF IN AL-AKHIRAH (THE HEREAFTER)

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SURA AL-QADR VILLAGE LIFE LEARNING BASICS HADAF NETWORK HADAF FAMILY

25 31 32

AKHIRAH

‘‘O Allah,

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I ask You to grant me Paradise and I take refuge in You from the Fire.

‘‘

REMEMBERANCE OF AKHIRAH How often do we think about akhirah?

Most of us are fully engaged with our worldly lives for the better part of our time on the earth. Our

minds are occupied with thoughts like, “ How can I improve my career? When will I get to build my own house? What will my children grow up to be?” Yes, of course we need to think about these things to survive and be happy in this life. However, in this process we tend to forget about our akhirah, the hereafter.

This is one reason why our worldly lives can be so stressful at times. We lose sight of our real goal, to find peace in our akhirah.

Constant remembrance of our akhirah helps us strengthen our iman (faith) and helps us get closer to Allah. Simultaneously, it makes our worldly lives easier, as prioritizing our goal to secure a good place in our akhirah eliminates all the worldly stresses and negativities. Here are some hadiths to help us remember the akhirah.

Hadith 1

Hadith 2

The Prophet (SWT) said, “O Allah! There is no life worth living except the life of the Hereafter, so (please) make righteous the Ansar and the Emigrants.”

The Prophet (SWT) said: “While I was walking in Paradise (on the night of Mi’raj), I saw a river, on the two banks of which there were tents made of hollow pearls. I asked, “What is this, O Gabriel?’

He said, ‘That is the Kauthar which Your Lord has given to you.’ Behold! Its scent or its mud was sharp smelling musk!” (The sub-narrator, Hudba is in doubt as to the correct expression.)

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 6413

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 6581

Narrated Anas (RA):

Narrated Anas bin Malik (RA):

Hadith 3 Narrated Anas bin Malik (RA):

The messenger of Allah (SWT) said: “Whoever asks for Paradise, three times, Paradise will say: “O Allah, admit him to Paradise.” And whoever asked to be saved from Hell, three times, Hell will say: “O Allah, save him from Hell.”

AUTHOR: MARZIA KHATUN ILLUSTRATION: MARZIA KHATUN

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Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah

THE BENEFITS OF BELIEF IN AL-AKHIRAH (THE HEREAFTER) As

a Muslim, we already know that Akhirah (the hereafter) is one of the fundamental pillars in Islam. It is the belief in the day of resurrection after death, whereby one’s rightful place will be determined by the almighty Allah. All souls will be revived with their bodies by the command of Allah and gathered for the judgment. Every soul will get rewards according to their deeds on that day of the afterlife. Allah says in the Quran:

And for those who reject Paith and deny our signs, there will be a humiliating Punishment.

(Al-Hajj 22:57)

As to those who believe and work righteous deeds, they have, for their entertainment, the Gardens of Paradise. (AlKahf 18:107)

So the matter of living permanently in paradise or hell is highly related to belief in the hereafter. If we truly understand the benefits of belief in the hereafter, it can help us to do righteous deeds. Some benefits of belief in the hereafter are listed down.

“Whomsoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter, We will increase him in his cultivation” (Surah Shura, Verse: 20).

Investment for the long term Belief in the hereafter is the source of strength and hope. All we do in this world is to invest in the hereafter. The more you properly appoint your precious time, the more you will get a reward in eternal life after death. Besides, your reward will be counted bigger than your actual effort even if it is so tiny.

The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed which grows seven spikes, in each spike is a hundred grains. Allah multiplies His reward for whom He wills, for Allah is vast and knowing. (Surat Al-Baqarah 2:261)

Easy to embrace death Death must come for everyone. We know that this world is not our permanent abode and we will return to Allah by embracing death. Fear of death is a common human nature. If we believe that we will get back to life even after death, it will be easier to embrace death. Death is a way to enter another life from this world.

“Every soul will taste death. Then to Us will you be returned.”(Ankabut 29:57) “Death, from which you are running away from, will certainly catch up with you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible (i.e. Allah) and He will inform you about what you did.”(Al Jumu’ah 62:8)

The inspiration for doing good deeds

“And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the house in the hereafter for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious). Will you not then understand?”

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To receive the permission for paradise from Allah in the hereafter depends on the good deeds done in this life. No one wants to go to the hell, rather everybody wants to achieve a beautiful life in paradise. The more good deeds you do, the more you will have the likelihood to enter paradise. In a word, believing in the hereafter is the greatest motivation and encouragement to do good in this world. Allah says in the Quran, Al-An’aam: 32:

In our daily activities, we are wasting our precious time doing inappropriate activities. This leads to the insecurity of receiving good rewards in the hereafter.

Strong faith in Akhirah can prevent us from spending our time on fleeting and trivial things.

This world is a mixture of right and wrong, good and bad things. It is very easy for us to involve sinister deeds. But the person who is concerned about the welfare of his eternal life repents as soon as he does so. In this way, he can build his behavior with truthfulness and sincerity.

Proper utilization of our time

Seeking repentance and shape our behavior

O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, “Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things Competent.” [At-Tahrim 66:8]

Akhira’s faith also helps us to build good relations with our neighbors. On the Day of the resurrection, we will be asked about our responsibilities as neighbors. Moreover, maintaining social relations is one of the highest scales of Islamic values. It is also a part of our faith.

Healthy relation with our neighbor and relatives

Abu Hurayrah reported that the messenger of Allah observed: Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should treat his neighbor with kindness and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his guest.

Those who believe in Akirah do not dare to create unrest in society because they are aware of Allah’s punishment on the day of judgment. Sometimes they may be attacked by unjust people but they try not to take revenge and forgive as well to prevail peace in the society.

Peace in society

Allah stated in the Quran that the intension of a Muslim in this life is to seek the life of hereafter by doing good deeds:

But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world, and do good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allah likes not the Mufsidun (those who commit great crimes and sins, oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupts)( Al-Qasas 28:77)

Summary

AUTHOR: FERDOUS BEGUM

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The benefits of belief in the hereafter is limitless. Only a few points are mentioned above.

From the above discussion, we can say that it is very important for us to have faith in Akhirah and continuously repent to Allah. Allah has the highest knowledge and that is why He keeps the day of resurrection to judge the deeds of our life. Allah will not do injustice to those people who work hard in this temporary world to seek Allah’s love. Everyone will receive their desired reward. Just think what the social structure, ethics, values, and customs of this world would be like if everyone in this world believes in the hereafter and acted accordingly.

٢ HASHR

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD HASHR

One universal truth is that we all are born, and we shall all die.

Regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, and identity at any point in history, this has been a driving force or core motivation for humankind. However, what happens after death is contested and debated fiercely. Perhaps there is nothing after death. Maybe this is all that we have. Or will we be reincarnated into another shape?

Will our lives continue in a different dimension? Will there be a trial of faith involved in this process? What is certain is that none of us has the ultimate proof of events. Testing and quantifying the non-physics domain with tools from the physical domain would never provide clear understanding. At best, you can only describe this part with philosophy. Your life would be profoundly shaped in whatever context you think would happen after your death.

Therefore, so many theories since times immemorial have tried to address this question. Islam addresses the issue quite vividly.

Moreover, this is instilled as a fundamental belief of being a Muslim - belief on the Day of Judgement. This is one of the central messages which Mohammed (PBUH), and every other Prophet before him came with. The description is available, both in the Quran and Hadis. It is upon the believer to accept that and act upon it.

?

AUTHOR: GOFRAN AND ASIA

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Ponder on this thought for a bit. I will come back to this point at the very end of this writeup.

Let’s first have a brief recap of what we know about the resurrection day. We believe that we will step into the realm between this world and the hereafter once we die. Allah will later resurrect us on the plain of Assembly (Ard al-Hashr). It is the place where Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said it is flat. There is nothing on the ground except for the creation of Allah that he called to this place.

A person will only be able to occupy the place that she/he is in.

They will be completely stripped of all titles, stripped of all clothes and stand barefoot. Ayesha (R) asked, “O Messenger of Allah, will the men and women look at each other?” The Prophet said, “The matter will be too serious for them to notice.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6075, Sahih Muslim 5107). From that, we believe that everyone will be made to stand as equal in the sight of Allah. There would be no translator.

It would be just you, your creator and your deeds. On the day of judgement, we believe that either you have the mercy of Allah or the Justice. Even the disbelievers would not have injustice committed towards them. Allah will test every individual alone. Every person will be questioned separately.

Coming back to the question, what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word Hashr?

Is that a scary thought? Is that a thought where we are deeply concerned about what will happen to us?

Surely, it is right to imagine that. Undoubtedly, Judgement Day is going to be the most challenging step for any of us. However, there is also another side of it. In this world, we can only strive for equality, equity, and success. I see the Judgement Day as a day of the equaliser. Only on this day, we will stand in front of God stripped of all titles to perceive true equality, equity, and success. We get to stand with everyone we have known and not known, from the first person to the last .

Most importantly, we get to meet our creator. “Verily we belong to God, and verily to Him do we return.” Is it not a completion of a great circle and a journey?

The Prophet said,

“The matter will be too serious for them to notice.”

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Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 6075, Sahih Muslim 5107

٣ VIRTUE

‘‘THE NIGHT OF AL-QADR (DECREE) IS BETTER THAN A THOUSAND MONTHS’’

SCALE SUBHANALLAH

33

POWER

99

TIMES OF ALLAH

SADAQUAH MAKING DUA

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HELP

If we have money we need to thank Allah If there was no trees we should be dead but there are trees

We live in homes but some people does not

Why we say Alhamdulillah - Because On the planet Earth there is oxygen so we can breath

Allah gives us things

There is water on Earth so we can drink

ILLUSTRATION: ADIYAN

beloved to Allah, which is performing religious obligations and duties. However, there are texts which speak of specific deeds which will weigh particularly heavy in the doer’s scale on the Day of Judgement. Few of these deeds that are easy to practice but weigh heavily on the scale on the Day of Judgement are listed below with Hadith.

Remembrance of Allah by saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah: This is the deed that will weigh most heavily in the scale or balance. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘As (PBUH), narrated that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said : “Allah will select a man from my Ummah (nation) before all creatures on the Day of Judgement, and He will display to him ninety-nine records, each of which will be as long and wide as the sight can reach. Then He will say, “Do you deny anything from this? Have those who recorded this wronged you?” He will say, “No, O my Lord.” Allah will say, “Do you have any excuse?” He will say, “No, O my Lord.” Allah will say, “Rather you have a good deed with us, and on this Day you will not suffer from any injustice.” Then He will bring out a card; on it will be: “I testify to La Ilaha Illallah (None has the right to be Worshipped but Allah), and I testify that Muhammadur-rasulullah (Muhammad is His servant and Messenger). Then Allah will say, “Bring your scales.” He will say, “O my Lord, what is this card (supposed to do in comparison) with these records?” Allah will say, “No injustice will be done to you.” Then the records will be put on a scale and the card on the other scale, and the records will become light and the card heavy, as nothing is heavy (when compared) with the Name of Allah.”

AUTHOR: SHANAZ PARVIN

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The greatest thing to make one’s scale heavier on the Day of Judgement is doing what is

‘‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allah”

EASY DEEDS THAT WEIGH HEAVY IN THE SCALE ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT

It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (PBUH), that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, “There are two words that are beloved to the Most Merciful, light on the tongue, and heavy in the Scales: Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi, (and) Subhan Allah Al-‘Atheem (Glory and praise be to Allah, glory be to Allah, the Great).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (PBUH), that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said: “There are two deeds that a Muslim does not do regularly but he will enter Paradise. They are easy but those who do them are few; saying Subhaan-Allah ten times after every prayer, and saying al-hamdu Lillaah ten times, and saying Allahu akbar ten times. That makes one hundred and fifty on the tongue and one thousand and five hundred in the Balance.

And saying Allahu akbar thirty-four times when going to bed, and saying al-hamdu Lillaah thirty-three times, and subhaan-Allah thirty-three times.

That is one hundred on the tongue and one thousand in the Balance.”

[Ahmad, Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasaa’i] Good character: It was narrated on the authority of Abu Ad-Darda’ (PBUH), that the Prophet ( ‫ )ﷺ‬said, “Nothing is heavier upon the scale of the believer on the Day of Judgement than good character. Verily, Allah hates the vulgar, obscene person.” [Abu Dawood, At-Tirmithi and others] Attending a funeral until the burial is completed: It was narrated on the authority of Ubayy (PBUH), that the Prophet ( ‫ )ﷺ‬said: Whoever attends the funeral until the prayer is offered and it (the body) is buried will have two qirat (of rewards). Whoever attends the funeral until the prayer is offered will have one qirat (of reward). By the One Who has the soul of Muhammad in His hands, a single qirat is heavier than Mount ‘Uhud. [Ahmad].

‘‘Subhaan-Allah ”

Regularly reciting adhkaar after the obligatory prayers:

‘‘Al-hamdu Lillaah ”

Remembrance of Allah by Saying Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi, Subhan Allah Al-‘Atheem:

Narrated Abu Ad-Darda’ (PBUH),:

“Nothing is heavier upon the scale of the believer on the Day of Judgement than good character. Verily, Allah hates the vulgar, obscene person.”

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Reference: Abu Dawood, At-Tirmithi and others

٤ ANGER

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Illustration of anger management from Ahnaf

ISLAMIC TOURISM AND HOLIDAY Halal travelling is getting considerable ground across the world. Nations that are mainly dominated by Muslim population are at the forefront of promoting Halal travelling while the remaining nations, where a noticeable population are also Muslim, have been trying to create a whole different segment of tourism that fits Islamic laws.

By definition, Islamic tourism has a completely different meaning than

the conventional one. Its primary objectives are unifying Muslim religious beliefs and discourage the concept of mass tourism and mass leisure activities. For most Muslims, travelling is about exploring the world in various terms e.g., history, society, and culture - to gain knowledge and appreciate the beauty and miracle Allah almighty has left abundantly worldwide. In essence, it is the journey itself that matters the most than the destination. Muslims are encouraged to take slow pace travel and at different stages during the trip. The travellers are expected to learn anew and enhance knowledge so that an individual can consider elements present in society to make a better decision or judgement.

Another primary focus of Islamic tourism is sharing knowledge and wisdom with others who otherwise cannot travel far and wide. Therefore, people who can afford to travel are the messengers of knowledge and expertise that they can carry forward to their society for betterment. It is essential to note that the expertise should not be used as a tool for exploitation on the people who are ill-equipped to judge right from wrong and vice versa.

AUTHOR: S.R. MAHMUD PHOTOGRAPH: SALMA BEGUM

Islam makes travelling much more bearable with countless relaxation on standard rules and regulations. It signifies the importance of travelling for necessary purposes and offers flexibility so Muslims can enjoy both being out and fulfil his/her religious duties. However, flexibility does not allow Muslims to bend rules that are not permitted in any circumstances.

Muslims are still required to fulfil the obligation of 5 times prayer a day, albeit in short form. It keeps the connection with the almighty alive and purposeful, so Muslims are constantly under the impression that Allah sees and knows everything.

Muslims are obligated to ensure food consummation remains conservative and must also be Halal. Consuming halal meat has multi-fold benefits, including what matters with health and hygiene. Therefore, Muslims are also expected to promote the concept of Halal consumption when on the move.

Drinking alcohol and substances that are normally prohibited will remain prohibited during a person’s travelling. Muslims should be cautious about acts associated with illegal substances, including serving, storing, and selling.

Gambling, even if as entertainment, is not permitted. Often, on trips, Muslims tend to play various games where betting is involved. Islam strictly prohibits betting or the exchange of goods in the relation of gambling and try out one’s luck.

Adultery is also strictly prohibited. Acts that involve physical contact with non-permissible individuals are Haram. Muslims should be cautious about contacts outdoor where there is a possibility of exposure with non-permissible individuals. Modesty is required at all times - for both men and women. Aggressive attire that exposes non-permittable surfaces of the body is an offence in Islam.

The emergence of tourism will continue to grow and as Muslims go out and about to far world, it is often a possibility to sway away from the rules and responsibilities of Islam. Muslims should always keep in mind that regardless of the distance one has travelled from “home”, Allah has full awareness of what an individual does or think. Muslims should also take travelling as a purpose for life, not for luxury and lush. Personal enrichment, individual and collective development can help a true Muslim to be wise and sensible.

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Making connections with a site is also important. The impact of an important place can bring significant changes to human behaviour, attitude, and emotions. When Muslim visits to Islamic holy places that include Mecca and Medina, they can almost certainly connect with these significant locations. There is an undeniable desire for most Muslims to visit these holy places at least once in a lifetime and, if possible, many more. For many Muslims, visiting holy places is a part of tourism that can linger around for life.

SELFREFLECTION

I

studied engineering, having in mind that I will eventually work in the field wearing engineering caps. The word ‘Academia’ was totally alien in my mind back then. When I first heard someone wanted to be a teacher after studying engineering, my young mind was like “ why would someone do that!” Fast forward, Allah’s plan was different. I ended up being a teacher after engineering study. Alhamdulillah, I don’t complain about this. Looking back, ‫زو‬this position gave me some unique experience I would otherwise never have and Alhamdulillah, I am really grateful to Allah for that. I would like to share some realization I had in a spiritual sense.

The nature of the job was my duty to judge people, academically. Once I had a really sharp ‫س‬student who was able to grasp every word I wanted to say. Naturally, my expectations grew toward him that he will excel in the exam. When the time of the exam came he did okay but not to my expectation. I was expecting better out of him. I deliberately gave less mark to a question, hoping that he would come and ask me why I did that. Then I will take that opportunity to explain to him what he should do and how to do better in the future. Then I will increase the mark he deserves. Since I have tons of other work to do, I forgot about it. The semester ended, and to my surprise, he didn’t show up! It made me a little mad. My feelings made me think about something spiritual. When we fall short of our duty towards our creator, when we slip through a sin, our creator Allah expects us to turn toward Him. To ask forgiveness and move on. What if we don’t show up to Him? How angry he becomes? May Allah forgive us.

AUTHOR: ANAS PHOTOGRAPH: SALMA BEGUM

One other realization. There is always a group of students in a class who are smart, and gifted. They respond well in the class. There are also some who try their best to respond. I can see their enthusiasm, they work hard. However, I can feel there is something missing in them which the previous group of students had. I don’t know what it is, since it is unquantifiable let’s call this ‘thing’.

The first group of students are full of that ‘thing’. At the time of preparing the question, I try to put a question targeting the first group. Most of the time, both groups fail to answer the question correctly !But I have a very different view on both. I expected more from the gifted students and seeing them fail to answer correctly makes me a little frustrated. Some of them answer but I can clearly see their lack of effort. On the other hand , I just felt happy for the second group even trying despite having that ‘thing’. I appreciate their effort. When I had to give a mark, I cannot express this because in our education system there is no way to value effort. We only give value to the final result. There is no way to value someone’s effort. The second group of students may have invested lots of effort than the first group but ended up failing. Their efforts are not valued at the end.

I was thinking about the experience from a spiritual sense. Many people have the spiritual ‘thing’ which makes it easy for them to walk towards the path of submission. They are gifted. In the path of Islam it seems that they are running way ahead from others. However, expectation from them is also high. With great ‘thing’ comes great ‘responsibility’ . There are also some people struggling in the path of Allah. They walk so slowly in the path of Allah that, from outside it may look they are hardly making any progress. But in reality they are giving their best effort according to the ‘thing’ they possess. This is the main difference. In Islam, the effort is counted regardless of the results. We may never become the super, perfect muslim in our lifetime which is the result. I realized it even more when I was studying Surah As-Shams. I found out Allah did something which He never did anywhere in the Quran. He took 7 swears to mention this information. Usually He takes 2-3 swear but after 7 swears He said:

It means whatever the position we are in right now, those who are in the process of moving forward in the path of purification, they are successful. We may never become pure and Allah is not expecting that final result from us. He just wants us to make progress according to our own capability.

For some, who have the ‘thing’ the speed of progress should be fast. For others it may be slow, but as long as the mechanism of progress is present, he/she will be considered successful inshaAllah.

This also completely takes away judgemental mentaly from us. We may see some muslim brother or sister seemingly unpractising outwardly, but we never know what situation they are in, what struggle they are going through and also the amount of ‘thing’ they currently have. As long as they are in the process of moving forward toward the purification , no matter how slow they are, they will be successful. The amount of ‘thing’ will also increase in the process. Their effort is counted. For the people with a high density of ‘thing’, their lack of effort will be questioned. Allah knows the best. May

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“Successful indeed is the one who purifies their soul” .

٥ ILLUSTRATIONS

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ILLUSTRATION: SURA AL-QADR: SALMA BEGUM

ILLUSTRATION: SURA AL-QADR: SALMA BEGUM

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a

c

Illustration a &b Nusaiba-village life c Rawdia-learning basics

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b

ILLUSTRATION OF HADAF NETWORK: SALMA BEGUM

MARIYAM

JAHANGIR

NUSAIBA

SAMIUL

SABIKUN

RAWDIA

RAMEEN

RAIMA

ARISHA

ADINA

ANAS

HADAF FAMILY

RAISA

MUNNI

SADIA

SHAHNAZ

HASAN AHNAF

PALASH

RITU

MARZIA ADIYAN

SALMA

SHIKHI

ASIA

MUNTASIR

GOFRAN SHOYEB

FERDOUS

MAHMUD HASNAIN

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ROKIB

LOGO DESIGN:

SALMA BEGUM

GRAPHICS DESIGN:

SALMA BEGUM

COVER PAGE DESIGN:

SALMA BEGUM MARZIA KHATUN

EDITORIAL BOARD:

SAMIUL HASAN MD MUNTASIR ALI