In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Rules:
1) Answer the following questions
2) Post on your blog with link to who tagged you
3) Tag a minimum of three other bloggers and include links to their blog in your tag. Make sure to let them know you’ve tagged them too.
Meme Questions:
1) What Qur’anic verse do you find most inspiring and why? What does it mean to you personally?
فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
So verily, with hardship there is ease. [ash-Sharh, 94:5]
I’m a stressed person by nature; I take things to heart quicker, I get headaches from thinking too much, and I can be very impatient during hardship. When I first came across this ayah I felt at peace. Finding this ayah shifted my mindset of concentrating on the bad moments to being hopeful for that moment of ease. I really believe when we are tested it pushes us to be grateful for those moments of ease that are ever so often ignored.
2) What Hadith (Qudsi or Sunnah of the Prophet salalahi alahi wa salaam) do you find most inspiring and why?
I have two favorite Hadith Qudsi: 15 and 34.
They inspire me because I don’t know what my life would be like if I didn’t do dhikr and if I didn’t have hope that Allah forgives us.
3) Other than the Prophet himself salalahi alahi wa salaam – what Muslim man do you find most inspiring and why?
Prophet Ayyub (peace be upon him) was a man who went through very hard times and still held onto his faith in Allah, increasing in it with every struggle. He was a man that displayed the meaning of patience, determination, and obedience.
4) Who is the most inspiring Muslim woman to you and why?
Sumayya bint Khubbat (Allah be pleased with her). Whenever I was treated badly after my conversion, I reminded myself of the strength of Sumayya’s faith. She gave her life for her love for Allah Ta’ala. What more inspiration do I need?
5) What CONTEMPORARY (i.e., living) Muslim do you find most inspiring and why?
Shaykh Nuh Ha Meem Keller. His story of how he came to Islam is beautiful and very inspiring. To go from a normal American man to a man who has decided to abandon all of the trivial things this dunya has to offer is inspiration in and of itself. To many he may be considered an extremist for his abandonment of many things we are too weak to abandon, but he knows that to live this life in the most fulfilling manner, we must train ourselves to abandon anything that distracts us from the worship of Allah, and the betterment of our souls. It has been a blessing to find him. May Allah protect him and his family.
6) How has Islam inspired you in your daily life?
Islam has brought my life together at a very young age. When all of the teens my age were dating, drinking, smoking, doing drugs, I was ready to settle down in my new faith, find ways to improve myself and get away from all the hype. This whole going green thing has been because of Islam, too. We can’t have good adab if we forget ourselves and the earth.
7) If you could do anything at all to inspire others through Islam, how would you do it?
My main goal in this dunya is to work on myself and my family. I want to offer my children the inspiration and tools they need to help others. I would also like this blog, wherein I share a little bit about my struggles, to encourage other sisters to take a hold of their lives. We need to accept that we are human, try to fix our ill habits, and become healthier human beings all around. We waste our time so often on trivial matters that we lose ourselves and our Iman.
I tag: Abul Layth, Fatimah, Aeryn, and Nadia. And thanks to Aaminah for a wonderful meme.