Together

As Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatulluhi wa Barakatu,

I pray that this letter reaches everyone while in the highest of Emaan and in the best of health, Ameen.

Masha Allah, Hajj has come and gone. I always like hearing Hajj stories. They are so touching; they re-ignite a great desire for longing to go. I hope to go one day, Insha Allah   When you see  the images of unity on hajj or just praying at the Haram your heart glows with hope and the reality  that our deen is the Haqq. We can all see the people coming together for one reason or at least it seems this way. We all know that everyone does things for different reasons.  I am not trying to check or guess any one’s intentions. I’m just referring to the images. The picture of a community like setting is what I see. You know, together for a common goal.  Well… as I think about my thoughts and place them on what I call “ Internet paper” and open myself to those who both know me and do not. Thinking about our task as Muslims sometimes appears to be so hard!  It seems like a recurring dream; that is a hope for our successful communities.

 I am not certain if anyone recalls the letter about homeschooling and community. I expressed how homeschoolers need the support and help of each other and the community in a whole.  As we know homeschooling is a constant thing. It is our responsibility, our hope, and dreams for our children lie in all of this. I believe that I am not alone in this but sometimes its looks as if it is that way. Feeling as though, I am in an uninhabited land I know this is not the circumstances, but it definitely feels this way. Trying to keep focus and motivation becomes so difficult at times. You can find yourself in a deep hole you have dug. So much so that you need a rope and pull from those other ‘Ebad (servants of Allah) that are really on this land with you. However, it seems like they do not know or do not want to know. We do a lot of talking, but very little action. Do we know that unity, collaboration, teamwork, and interlocking are wajib.   

   


“And hold fast all of you together to the rope of Allah (i.e. Qur’an & Sunnah) and be not divided among yourselves and remember Allah’s favors on you for you were enemies one to another but he joined your hearts together so that by his grace, you became brethren (in Islamic faith), (Surah Al- Imran; 103 in part)

I would like to ask, why are we so afraid? I do not believe I need to ask because I do know the answer. On the other hand, maybe I am just plain scared to hear the answer. Whatever it must be, success seems so far off- at least for the moment.  

Do we know this?  Yeah we probably do.   Why are we not taking the steps?   Well… something is in our way are: doubt, sin, backbiting, no trust, Personal issues, slander and a list of other things. All of this hurts us (i.e. the adults) but guess what it also hurts: our Today’s Tomorrow, they suffer. They lack at or lose out because we cannot get it together. However, we as adults lose greatly, too.

  
As soon as we are united, we gain Allah’s pleasure and nothing but good can come from this.

"Let there arise out o you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma-ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism forbidding Al Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful". (Surah Al-Imran: 104) 

Shouldn’t this be our focus, our goal for the sake of Allah? When it is for Allah, it gets done (insha Allah) at least that is what I consider. I think that many of us are silently suffering from this disease that I call “A lack of unity.”

We need one another working together to achieve our aspirations. When I think of the word homeschooling, what comes to mind is people: praying, things, secrets, dhikr, smiles, thoughts, forgiveness, love, tears, tough times, sharing, and jokes. As for School: people, thoughts, ‘ilm, exploring, memorization, ideas, experiments, computation.  Then I pause and ask myself as well as you; is this the face of community?                           

             Unity…people   who come together.

"And recommend one another to the truth (ordering one another to perform all kinds of good deeds which Allah has ordained), and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harm and injuries which one may encounter in Allah’s cause)." Surah Al-asr: 3

“Ahl us-Sunnah follows the Quran and Sunnah and obey Allah and His messenger, they adhere to the truth and their most merciful towards the creation”
Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taimyah Majmoo-ul-Fatwaa 3\279

“And be not divided among your selves.” (Surah al-Imran 103)

Sincerely,
Umm Anisa