"So the shriek seized them at sunrise." (Quran, 15:73)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful Allah

Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah who is Glorious and free from all flaws. He is Praiseworthy and ever Honorable, the guider of the hearts, and the illuminator of the souls. 

يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ
He forgives whom He wills. (3:129)

وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يُنِيبُ
And He guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him]. (42:13)

Truly what is gone is gone, And what is coming is coming, And it is but your actions which will determine your living.

فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِيٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ
So among them will be the wretched and the happy. (11:105)

Some will be in bliss. And some will be in the blaze. So with the righteous and the noble, we hope will be our place.

تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ
Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous. (12:101)

وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الْأَبْرَارِ
And cause us to die with the righteous. (3:193)

Dear reader, Allah the Exalted has made the two sexes, the male and the female. The Lord, blessed and exalted, made each sex each unique to the other.

وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنثَىٰ ۖ وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
And the male is not like the female. And I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge for her in You and [for] her descendants from Satan, the expelled. (3:36)

From the first man, Allah made the first woman, so that he may dwell in peace with her.

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا
It is He who created you from one soul and created from it its mate that he might dwell in peace with her.  (7:189)

Through the conjugal relation between man and woman, a child is born, and the human progeny is preserved. Allah says:

 فَإِذَا تَطَهَّرْنَ فَأْتُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah has ordained for you. Indeed, Allah loves those who are repeatedly repentant and loves those who purify themselves. (2:222)

And:

نِسَاؤُكُمْ حَرْثٌ لَّكُمْ فَأْتُوا حَرْثَكُمْ أَنَّىٰ شِئْتُمْ ۖ وَقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُمْ
Your women are a tillage for you; so come up to your tillage however you decide, and place forward for yourselves; (2:223)

The family constitutes the basic building block of society. Through the family, society is preserved, and humanity lives on.

Yet the Quran teaches the story of the people of Lut, peace and blessings be upon him, a society who had wandered into great immorality, Allah says about them:

أَتَأْتُونَ الذُّكْرَانَ مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ
وَتَذَرُونَ مَا خَلَقَ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّنْ أَزْوَاجِكُم ۚ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ عَادُونَ

Do you approach males among the worlds
And leave what your Lord has created for you as spouses? But you are a people transgressing. (26:165-166)

Same-sex relations threatens the fabric of the society by attacking its primary unit, the family.  Surely in the story of the people of Lut, peace be upon him, is a lesson and reminder for people who have vision.

وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّنَ الْعَالَمِينَ
إِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ شَهْوَةً مِّن دُونِ النِّسَاءِ ۚ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُّسْرِفُونَ
وَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا أَخْرِجُوهُم مِّن قَرْيَتِكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ
فَأَنجَيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَهُ كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ
وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَرًا ۖ فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

And (remember) Lut, when he said to his people, "Do you commit an indecency as no one has preceded you with it from among the worlds? Indeed, you surely approach men with desire, apart from women; Rather, you are a transgressing people."
But the answer of his people was only that they said, "Evict them from your city! Indeed, they are men who keep clean."
So We saved him and his family, except for his wife; she was of those who remained.
And We rained upon them a rain. Then see how was the end of the criminals.}
(7:80-84)
​
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said in a narration: Whoever among you saw an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue; if he cannot, then with his heart- and that is the weakest of Faith. (Muslim, 1:84)

May Allah have mercy upon the people, grant guidance and right mindedness, living lifes as per the divine guidance.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. (16:90)

Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah, who has gifted us the gift of salah. A gift that helps to remember Him, and a command that helps us to connect with Him, the Holy, the King.

وَأَنْ أَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّقُوهُ ۚ وَهُوَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
And to establish prayer and fear Him. And it is He to whom you will be gathered. (6:72)

When Allah spoke to Musa in the holy valley of Tuwa, He said to Musa:

إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي
Indeed, I am Allah. There is no god except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance. (20:14)

And in His honored Quran, He said:

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا
And establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. (73:20)

And He said about His Prophet Ismaeel, peace be upon him:

وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ وَكَانَ عِندَ رَبِّهِ مَرْضِيًّا
And he used to enjoin on his people prayer and zakah and was to his Lord pleasing. (19:55)

The salah is a pillar of Islam, a dividing line between belief and disbelief, and the first thing to be accounted for on the day of judgement.

Whilst the salah involves a set of physical movements and prayers, it is in fact an exercise of the soul, a nourishment for the heart, and a reminder of God.

So remember Him in the salah, and be not of the neglectful. 

The word of wisdom is the lost property of the believer. Wherever he finds it, he is most deserving of it (Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2687). 
An Introduction to Me, this blog and some of my motives.

In the name of the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful Allah.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ


فَفَهَّمْنَاهَا سُلَيْمَانَ ۚ وَكُلًّا آتَيْنَا حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا

​And We gave understanding of the case to Solomon, and to each We gave judgement and knowledge…(Al Qur’an, Surat Al-’Anbyā’, 21:79)

In 2020, I embarked on a Master’s of Project Management with Monash Online. Truth be told, I did not take interest to my studies. I just focused to get through my assignments, and so my team members would not have a negative impression on me. Added to my list of motivation was to set a good example for Muslims.

And it did work. Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) :) Or atleast it worked in the beginning when I was more serious. I got the following praise from one of my team members:

Samet, that is such a wonderful reflection on the semester. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. It was beautifully written and I love the use of poetry and the text from Qur’an.

I agree, the semester was such a deep learning experience for me as well, coming back to university after 30 years.

I was also very fortunate to have such experienced team mates who assisted with such positivity.

Samet, you have such a deep faith which reflects a joyful positivity which shines through all that you do.

Your reflection and gratitude are inspirational, it was lovely working with you. ~Team Member

It was in July 2021, I think I was reading through one of my “essential readings” when it stuck me the real motif for this effort: To benefit Islam and Muslims.

This sudden piece of insight and aim, changed everything. The study became more interesting for me. The study itself became worship, inshaAllah.

For there are many wisdoms, gems, hacks, and benefits from the study of Project Management that can help Islam and Muslims and anyone who seeks benefit. This blog will be about that.

The Prophet ﷺ said in a hadith, as narrated by Abu Huraira:

الْكَلِمَةُ الْحِكْمَةُ ضَالَّةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَحَيْثُ وَجَدَهَا فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا

The word of wisdom is the lost property of the believer. Wherever he finds it, he is most deserving of it. 

Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2687, Daif according to Darussalam, Hasan according to As Suyuti

And with this we will conclude. Blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and his family and companions. And peace be upon the Messengers. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

Resources:

1. The Quran, www.quran.com
2. Sunnah.com — Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, www.sunnah.com
3. Download the Qur’an www.honoredquran.com

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

Alhamdulillah. Praise be to Allah in the first and the last. Who sent a Messenger to the unlettered from amongst them, reciting to them His signs, and teaching them the book and wisdom, whilst they were before that in plain error.

And peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, sent as a bringer of good news and warner, and a caller to Allah by His permission and an illuminating lamp.

Peace be upon you

My coach, Sash from Stronglife, was thinking of what example to give to help me understand. And he gave an example of a farmer who works with his instrument. If his instrument gets dull then his work suffers.

Similarly the body is like an instrument. A strong healthy body will mean that one can live life in a better way.

Indeed the body is an amanah (trust) from Allah, a bounty from Him, a means to perform His service, and one of the essential components of our existence. Allah says:

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ
We have certainly created man in the best of stature (Surat At-Tīn, 95:4)​

The Prophet ﷺ said:

فَإِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا
Your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you and your spouse has a right over you. (Bukhari 5199)

And he said:

الْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَوِيُّ خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ وَفِي كُلٍّ خَيْرٌ احْرِصْ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُكَ وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ وَلاَ تَعْجِزْ
A believer who is strong is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer, and in each there is goodness. Be keen on what benefits you and seek help from Allah, and do not feel helpless. (Muslim, 2664)

I was thinking of a name for a document where I’d compile my thoughts on a healthy lifestyle, simple things like not having sugar in tea/coffee, using skim milk, having vegetables, etc that can make a difference, or maybe even deeper things. I asked my sister for help.

The document ended up becoming a blog, and the blog ended up becoming a Medium article.

We ended up choosing the name “The Good Farmer”. The name plays on the tool analogy my coach gave (see above), and also because we’d be talking about vegetables its a play on the meaning farmer. A farmer reaps crops and we hope to reap results on living a healthy life, losing weight, and pleasing Allah, glorified and exalted.

I hope you follow me and keep up to date with the future articles. And all praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
They said, “Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.” (Al Baqarah, 2:32)

Resources:

1. The Quran, www.quran.com
2. Sunnah.com — Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, www.sunnah.com
3. Download the Qur’an www.honoredquran.com

Wicked words are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked words; and good words are for good men, and good men are for good words. (24:26)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Alhamdulilah who has favored man 🌸. He has been kind to him and lavished him with his seen and unseen blessings. He has made easy for him the way, and provided him life and provided him a stay 🌏.

Therefore, man should find pleasure to listen and obey Him. And He finds lessons in His surrounds and within himself. And even at the furthest horizons and the ends of his sight, man sees proofs of Allah's most beautiful names and lofty attributes. 

Successful is the one who hearkened the messengers, and listened to their call. 

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ
And do not be like those who say, "We have heard," while they do not hear. (8:21)

Dear believers, know that wicked words 🔥 are for wicked men, and good men are for good words 🌱. 

الْخَبِيثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَالْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَاتِ ۖ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَالطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ
Wicked words are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked words; and good words are for good men, and good men are for good words. (24:26)

Know that good words bring about the pleasure of the Lord, blessed and exalted. They cause reconciliation 💟 between people, bring joy to the hearts, increase mutual love and is an integral part of good character.

Through it, relations are mended, rewards are gained, paradise is attained, and people are invited to the path of God 🛤️.

Avoiding evil words and speaking with caution is part of Taqwa (God caution).

وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يُكَفِّرْ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِ وَيُعْظِمْ لَهُ أَجْرًا
And whoever is cautious of Allah, He will expiate for him his misdeeds and will magnify for him reward. (65:5)

Dear believers, know that there is wisdom 💡 in silence. And know that a person will be saved for being silent. 

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), what will save us?” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ لِسَانَكَ وَلْيَسَعْكَ بَيْتُكَ وَابْكِ عَلَى خَطِيئَتِكَ
“Restrain your tongue, let your house be enough for you, and weep for your sins.” (Tirmizi, 2406, who said it is Hasan)

The Prophet ﷺ further said:

مَنْ صَمَتَ نَجَا
Whoever is silent, he is saved.(Tirmidhi 2501, Hasan - Darussalam)

And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, further said:

مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ
Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should speak what is good or keep silent. (Bukhari, 6136)

Therefore, I advise myself and you to practice silence where appropriate, to speak good words, and to fear Allah in your speech. And the good end is for the pious. And peace be upon the Messengers. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. 

Alhamdulillah, who gives a good life to His righteous slaves.

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ طُوبَىٰ لَهُمْ وَحُسْنُ مَآبٍ

The ones who have believed and done deeds of righteousness will have Tuba [goodness] and a beautiful return. (13:29)

And truly enjoyment of gratitude to Allah is greater than the enjoyment itself.

And truly blessedness is for the one who comes close to Allah through righteous deeds and purified intentions.

And truly the latter is better than the former.

And what is with you will deplete, but what is with Allah will remain.

Haya (shyness/modesty) is a part of faith in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

الْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ

Haya (shyness, modesty) is a branch of faith. (Bukhari, 9)

Shyness is often seen as a weakness in man. It is seen as an antithesis or opposite to confidence, courage, manliness, and assertiveness. 

However, a person can have all of these, yet still be modest and shy.

Think of the brave public speaker, who is confidently debating, yet remains shy to look at women in the audience. A lady who asks a scholar about sexually explicit questions yet does so in writing because of modesty. A man who feels like watching haram movies but for his shyness of Allah watching and the angels recording, he resists the temptation. And so on and so forth. 

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

الحياء لا يأتى إلا بخير

Haya does not bring anything except good. (Bukhari and Muslim, Riyad as-Salihin 681).

1. Haya before Allah, knowing He is watching, and the angels are recording protect one from sinning.

2. Haya in the form of self respect, where one feels shy to sin and do something bad, is a beautiful trait.

3. Haya where one desists from unnecessarily asking people for money encourages self sufficiency and is a preventative from begging.

4. Haya where one modestly covers their bodies brings about respectful societies and prevents lewdness.

5. Haya where one lowers his gaze and does not bother, harass and flirt with the opposite gender brings about decency and respect between genders.

6. Haya where one feels shy to indulge in shamelessness brings about the pleasure of Allah.

7. Haya which brings about humility as one remembers his flaws protects one from arrogance.

These are some examples of the benefits and beauty of haya (modesty).

So we praise Allah, for guiding us to beautiful character and manners, and sending us a Messenger who cleansed people from ignorance and wrong traits. 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَيِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ يَسْتَحِي إِذَا رَفَعَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَيْهِ يَدَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهُمَا صِفْرًا خَائِبَتَيْنِ
​
Indeed, Allah, is Modest, Generous, when a man raises his hands to Him, He feels too shy to return them to him empty and disappointed. (Tirmizi,3556, who said it is Hasan Ghareeb) 

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

Man understands value once they lose something. When one's parents die, when one loses his health, when one is no longer safe, they  realize the incredible gifts they once had.

Allah says:

أَفَنَضْرِبُ عَنكُمُ الذِّكْرَ 
Shall We then strike away the Remembrance from you (i.e., take away the Qur'an from you)? (43:5)

This verse should touch the depths of souls for people who love the Quran. For what an incredible loss it will be if the Quran was no longer with us?

The Quran supports man. It comforts him in sadness, consoles him in loss, convinces him to be righteous, and connects him to Allah.

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا
And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together. (3:103)

But one day it will be taken away.

From ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood, who said: “Something will come and take the Qur’aan one night and not one aayah will be left, either in the Mus-haf or in the heart of any person, but it will be taken away.” (Narrated by al-Daarimi with a saheeh isnaad, no. 3209, islamqa.info/en/answers/3096)

Therefore take comfort in the Quran before you cannot. 

O Allah, make the Qur’an 📖 the spring of our hearts and the light of our chests, and a departure for our sorrows and a remover for our distress

“If only I had against you some power or could take refuge in a strong support!"

In the name of the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful Allah.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Allah taAla is truly the Most Merciful and Compassionate. Part of His care is in providing support to the human being, without which he would perish.

He provides the support of the mother 🌸 in the very early stage of life

حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَٰلُهُۥ فِى عَامَيْنِ أَنِ ٱشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination. (Luqman 31:14)

As man grows up, his parents continue to support him in every way, providing him counsel ☀️ and lessons for life.

يَٰبُنَىَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱنْهَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَكَۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ
[And Luqman said:] O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] resolve. (Luqman 31:17)

As man proceeds in life, Allah gives him financial support 💰, enabling him to buy his needs and wants. And He is the best of providers.

وَلَا تُؤْتُوا۟ ٱلسُّفَهَآءَ أَمْوَٰلَكُمُ ٱلَّتِى جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ قِيَٰمًا وَٱرْزُقُوهُمْ فِيهَا وَٱكْسُوهُمْ وَقُولُوا۟ لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا
And do not give the weak-minded your property, which Allah has made for keeping you up, (i.e., as a means of support), but provide for them with it and clothe them and speak to them words of appropriate kindness. (An-Nisa’ 4:5)


As man gets older, he finds a partner who provides a loving support 💖. Like clothing 🧵, that support man in concealing his shame and protecting him from the elements, the spouse supports man in his journey of life, concealing his weakness.


هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ
They are a clothing for you and you are a clothing for them. (2:187)


When man is at loss 😥, he seeks emotional support. To function in society, he seeks social support . In religion 🕌he seeks spiritual support. In wealth financial support. In food nutritional support.

But Allah has provided a most unique form of support. It is a strong support. Something to lean on in difficulty, to heal one in pain, to guide one in darkness, to give one hope in despair and fear in temptation. It is a companion for the chosen, a proof for the devout, and healing for the sick.

O Allah, make the Qur’an 📖 the spring of our hearts and the light of our chests, and a departure for our sorrows and a remover for our distress


(To be continued…)