Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem

A MERCIFUL GOD?

Catastrophes, hardships, difficulties bring out our real selves - the heroes and cowards crouching within, the faith or hypocrisy in our hearts. The bigger the test, the clearer is the result. Natural disasters, in particular, are a massive test. Bodies are battered, beliefs are shaken, lives and destinies are changed forever.

Yet a greater catastrophe follows. While people lose their lives and limbs, some start losing their faith and questioning the mercy of God. They ask how God, Who is supposed to love us more then seventy mothers could kill so many innocent, poverty-stricken people, how he could kill innocent children, how He could destine so many to a life of disability and pain. "Why did it have to be that young man who just got married, why the old widow, who was going to see her grandchildren?" they ask. "Why do this to poor people who already had so many troubles in life?" They begin doubting Allah's Wisdom, Justice and Mercy.

Man remains a hasty creature, judging situations and others superficially, mistrusting everyone. He even has the audacity to sit in judgment on his own Creator, The Most Merciful Ar-Rahman. He forgets the countless manifestations of His mercy in his own life, His wisdom in guiding his way in life, His justice that has not yet been completely manifested. For the benefit of doubting hearts and uncertain souls, let us examine the proof of our Merciful God.

AT OUR WEAKEST AND MOST VULNERABLE
If we only consider our own lives, we can find enough proof of the Mercy of Ar-Rahman.  From the time He designed us intricately in our mother’s dark wombs, till the time we emerged as incapable, weak infants in an unknown world, it is Ar-Rahman Who fed us and took care of our most private needs through a miraculous system inside the mother’s body. After leaving that security, it is He Who teaches the infant to suckle, it is He Who educates him from the start and enables him to survive in this world. None other than The Merciful sustains even those who are born with a disability. Many a times it is He who saves a child from fatal hazards that surround him that no parent can foresee or prevent.He is the One Who puts mercy in the heart of the mother so that she sacrifices her sleep, appetite and life to bring forth and nourish a child- not just amongst us sensible humans but even among wild animals. 
The Messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us, “Allah has divided Mercy into one hundred parts, and He kept ninety-nine parts with Him and sent down one part to the earth and because of that one single part, His creatures are merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoof away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it.”   
                                                                                  (Sahih Bukhari)

Had it not been for this parental love, no new life would have been able to survive.

Then as we grow older, Ar-Rahman gives us the ability to express ourselves in words and those who cannot speak, in many other ways. He teaches us how to walk, love, eat, laugh, cry, and feel a rainbow of different emotions at exactly the time when we require these faculties. He teaches us to strive from the start and to understand that experience and knowledge come with pain, that walking cannot be learnt without falling. 

HEADY YOUTH AND ITS FOLLIES
Then as we enter youth, it is Allah who patiently bears our newfound rebellion and our transgressions, waiting for us to return to Him. Is it not His overwhelming Mercy that even after sinning for a lifetime and living  a life of ingratitude and rejection for years, when at last His slave does turn to Him in repentance, He greets him with open arms and wipes out his past forever? Not only that, if His slave does righteous deeds, He replaces his sins with good deeds. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us that if a person takes one step towards Allah, He takes 10, if a person walks towards Him, Ar-Rahman runs to him. He rewards a believer’s good deeds by 10 or 700 times or more but never multiplies the punishment of a single sin, rather He rewards him even for an intended sin which his slave refrains from doing. This same Ar-Rahman, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us, is happier at the return of his repentant slave than a man who loses his provision-laden camel in a desert and when he is completely despairing of life, he finds it again (hadith).

Even parents disown or write-off a constantly disobedient offspring, they reach a point where they never want to look upon such a child again, but not Ar-Rahman. His love and mercy exceeds a mother’s love for her child. He hates punishing His slaves more than any parent would and he gives them many chances and warnings so as to avoid the Great Punishment. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us that He waits for His slaves who err in the morning that they might repent in the evening and descends to the lowest heaven in the third part of each night, calling out, “'Who will call on Me so that I may respond to him? Who is asking something of Me so I may give it to him? Who is asking for My forgiveness so I may forgive him?” (Bukhari and Muslim) He accepts repentance until a person’s last breath before he sights death.

THE GREATER CALAMITY

On that Final Day, we will see the complete manifestation of His mercy as in this world He has sent only one part and kept the other 99 parts with Himself. We consider a natural disaster to be the greatest calamity, yet a greater calamity; a more continuous and devastating catastrophe awaits us. That is the Day when we will only have His Mercy to depend upon, for our good deeds can never be enough to repay the debt of His limitless blessings. The Day when the mountains will be shattered and blown away like dust,  when the earth will be shaken to destruction and life will end; then the scales would be set up, the sun would be close, sweat would envelop everyone, thirst would be unbearable and the wait for the judgment, endless. Passing over the bridge of Hell where one slip could mean an eternity in the Hellfire, that is where we will need His Mercy the most. It is this enormous worry that should give us sleepless nights spent in prostration and a constancy in our struggle.

Ar-Rahman will forgive many on that day. He will save many from the humiliation of exposing his sins in full view of others, for many He will allow intercession; many will be removed from the Hell-fire and admitted into Paradise. Only those who constantly denied Allah, the worst of humanity, would be left in Hell. We are told that the raging Hell would call out for more and more, yet Ar-Rahman would silence it with His Foot.


Yet His Justice also demands that those who transgressed His right and the rights of other humans must be brought to account. It is to be borne in mind that while Allah (swt) has said about Himself that “He has inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy” (Quran 6:12), He is also “swift in taking account” (Quran 5:4) and “strict in punishment.” (Quran 2:196)

ALLAH'S MERCY: PARADISE
The people of Paradise would experience the greatest manifestation of Allah’s Love and Mercy. They would have everything that they desire and more. Yet the height of their pleasure would be when they behold Ar-Rahman with their eyes and receive the blessed news that He would never be displeased with them from then onwards.

WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN

So, the warnings, adversities, trials and punishments that come upon us in this world are for our own good. They are also a proof of Allah’s love for us, that He wants to arouse us from our stupor and apathy before it’s too late, He wants to save us from the greater and everlasting punishment by giving us a small taste in this world of what lies ahead.

It’s at these times of shock, trauma and suffering that our heart’s eyes open and we see a glimpse of reality. We discover the presence of a more Powerful Being than ourselves. Hardened and rusty hearts thaw out, eyes moisten, hands extend in supplication and the mercy of Ar-Rahman gathers us in its arms.

COULD WE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT?

Allah says: “Indeed, Allah does not wrong the people at all, but it is the people who are wronging themselves.” (Quran-10:44)

Allah doesn’t punish us immediately for the wrongs we commit daily. He gives us many opportunities and ample time to take heed of his signs, warnings and verses. Were He to start punishing mankind for their ingratitude, there would be no life left on earth.

“And if Allah were to seize mankind for their wrongdoing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving creature, but He postpones them for an appointed term…” (Quran- 16:61)
We cringe and become infuriated when anyone tries to point out our mistakes. Yet lessons from the Sunnah teach us that Muslims suffered losses and setbacks, even during the life of our Prophet (peace be upon him), due to their own actions. The actions of a few Muslims during the Battle of Uhud turned a victory into imminent defeat. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself was injured and many Sahaba died. The Quran taught the Muslims at this point to blame none but their own selves for their losses. Allah told them: “And Allah did indeed fulfill His promise to you when you were killing them (your enemy) with His Permission; until the moment you lost your courage and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed after He showed you (of the booty) which you love.” (Quran - 3:152)

We blatantly do all of the above: disobey Allah and His Messenger’s teachings every day, dispute with fellow Muslims over minor religious issues, run only after worldly gains and have lost all courage before the enemies of truth. We refuse prostrating 5 times a day (whereas Satan refused once and was doomed forever) and still expect no consequence of our actions? How Satan has made our deeds beautiful for us, how he has deluded us, how he has affected our very intellect that distinguishes us from other creatures!

Instead of blaming a non-compassionate God for the problems and calamities in our lives, exactly as Satan did when he said “Because You (Allah) have sent me astray, I will surely sit in wait against them (humans) on Your straight path.” (Quran- 7:16) we should analyze our own actions and blame only our selves for the events in our life.

SEE THE COMPLETE PICTURE

We see only apparent misfortunes such as poverty, disability, death as complete failure yet we fail to see how this could turn into eternal bliss. The blind have been promised Eternal Paradise and its visual treats (as reward for their faith, piety and patience) in return for the misery of not enjoying eye-sight in this world. The poor people will enter Paradise 500 years before the rich. The disabled and ailing will be rewarded for their suffering by having their sins expiated for every pain they go through. 
Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” (Bukhari)

WHY SO MUCH PAIN AND SUFFERING !


People who die painfully, for instance mothers during childbirth or people who drown have been given good news of a grade of martyrdom. Children who die in their childhood (according to one view, even of those who are not believers) are admitted to Paradise. Innocent people who die in collective punishments will be raised on the state of their faith. 
Umm Salamah, the Prophet (saw)’s wife heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) saying: “If sins become apparent in my Ummah Allah will surround them with punishment from Him.” She said: “O Allah’s Messenger! Will they have righteous people among them then?” He (saw) said: “Yes,” She asked: “What will happen to them?” He (peace be upon him) said: “They will be stricken as the people, but they will end up with Allah’s forgiveness and pleasure.” (Ahmed)

We do not look at the entire picture because for many of us, this immediate world is the end of our dreams, goals and the complete culmination of success and failure. We should remember that the similitude of this world and the Hereafter is like the water that wets one’s finger after having been immersed in the ocean, as compared to the entire ocean.


“O mankind! Verily, the promise of Allah is true. So let not this present life deceive you, and let not the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allah.” (Quran)

WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?
The question for us, rather for me is, what am I doing to receive Allah’s Mercy in this world and the next? What share of my time, money, efforts and talents have I dedicated to His cause? What have I gained or lost in this catastrophe? Have I emerged from its debris with a stronger faith, an urgency to do something for my Hereafter, a transformed life? Or have I explained away the event, passed my own judgments, put my conscience back to sleep and resumed my regular life again? If the answer is the first, then for me, this catastrophe has been a test which I have passed and a merciful awakening. If my answer was the second, then this catastrophe has been a punishment for me.

At the end, I have myself to account for.

My Story - From Darkness to Light

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem

THE BEGINNING OF THE JOURNEY

It was in the Ramadan of 1999, that my post-teen life took an absolute U-turn. What I mean is a total spiritual and mental awakening and discovery of myself and the purpose of my life. I owe unlimited thanks to Allah and also the means by which He granted me this favour: Al-Huda.

TASBEEH

Angels, spirits of light

Utter His praise in flight

Through the day and night

Never tiring of this rite.

Birds poised amid land and sky,

Mountains standing firm and high,

Clouds unfolding like cotton buds,

The wind whispering hymns of love,

All praise the One Most High,

Obey His will until they die.

The thunder roars aloud His glory

The rain cries tears of humility;

Trees spread out their limbs in prayer

Leaves tremble from His fear;

Waves break down on the shore

The sun bows down before His Throne.

But who stands perplexed amidst this scene?

Who knows not purpose, plan or scheme?

Who wanders aimless in a world of plan?

Who can find peace nor joy nor calm?

When will he see the signs within?

Hear the speech of the Highest One?

When will he join the obedient ranks?

Surrender his will to a higher plan?
Allah needs us not, 
It is we who depend,
The universe is enough to praise Him Alone,
If we rebel, He can replace us with more.

A TALE OF TWO MOTHERS

We had gone to Jeddah in December 2010 to perform umra. Unfortunately my son fell ill while we were on our way to the haram. When we reached Makkah, his fever grew worse. My brother-in-law who lived in Jeddah, sat with him in the courtyard while my husband and I did tawaf and then close to the sa’i area while we did sa’i.

For the first time, I tried to feel what Sayyedah Hajra must have felt as she ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa, looking for water for her thirsty child. We all perform sa’i every time we do Umra, the men even run between the green lights in imitation of that woman’s endeavor, but we don’t really feel the anxiety and trepidation that must have gripped her heart. I don’t think I ever walked so fast or so continuously in any sa’i as I did that day, as it is quite a long walk. But I knew my son would be crying, sick and waiting for me to return. After every round, I would check my cell phone to see if there was any emergency message from my brother-in-law. I was torn between my worry for my son and the important task at hand, as must have been the case with Sayyedah Hajra. She had to find water and her son was crying all alone.

Yet there was a huge difference in our situations. She had put her complete trust in Allah, to the exclusion of all humans, even her husband who had left her in a deserted valley bereft of trees or springs or people. She had remained behind, knowing that Allah had ordered this test so He would come to her help. She had not sat idle waiting for Divine succor to arrive but had shown her determination and need by running from one hill to the next for help. She showed what a mother feels for her child. And then Allah, Whose love for his creatures surpasses that of any mother, sent an angel to set forth a supply of water that has never dried up even after hundreds of years have gone by.

Safa hill in an enclosure today

I was surrounded by throngs of people and Sayyedah Hajra was all alone. I was walking on marble and she on sand, clambering up the rocky slopes of Safa and Marwa. I was in a ventilated, covered corridor, she under the unrelenting, scorching sun. I could drink endless glasses of Zam Zam during my ritual sa’i, her lips were as dry as her sons. My son was lying on a carpet, under the fan with his uncle and brother, with cool water to drink. Her baby was lying alone in the open desert, vulnerable to snakes or dehydration, even death. I had the Ka’aba to look at and remind me of Allah, the multitude of worshippers to give me strength and keep me going. She had the loneliness of the desert, the separation of her beloved husband and no human to give her solace, no idea of the honour Allah would bestow on her, no idea that she was going to raise a Prophet of Allah, no idea of the House of Allah that same son and husband would build.

Yes, we were worlds apart and any amount of effort or sacrifice I could make for Allah, paled in comparison to what that great woman had done. No wonder, then, that Allah ordained that anyone who wishes to perform Hajj or Umra, cannot do so without completing the ritual of walking between the two hills. This is to remember the sacrifice and effort of one woman who agreed to leave her husband, her homeland and everything she loved, to start anew in a desolate valley, where there was neither habitation nor civilization. There she made her home and raised her child and let others build their communities, and there she helped lay the foundations of the centre of Tauheed for all Muslims - the Ka’aba.

Let us not forget that, when we go to Safa and Marwa. Let us remember the lesson Hajra taught us in our own lives. Let us not hold on too tight to all that we love and are comfortable with in this world, because new things come into existence with change. Every new life is born after pain, labour and sacrifice. A new life may be waiting for us only if we let go of the old one, if we stop resisting change, if we put our trust in Allah. So let Allah mould our life according to His plan for we do not know what destiny holds in store for us.

    فَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَمَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

"So whatever you have been given is but (a passing) enjoyment of this wordly life, but that which is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord." (Ash-Shura: 36)

Sri Lanka - the well-kept secret

  Bismillah Ar Rahman Ar Raheem

My recent visit to Sri Lanka was an overall pleasant one. I was pleasantly surprised by the hospitality and friendliness of the people. Though my face cover would turn eyes my way, they would usually be friendly ones accompanied by a smile and often followed by friendly chit chat.

From the moment we landed at the airport, it was a city of sights and sounds. An official spotted us with two kids and hurried us into an office where we were sped through the immigration process.  Sri Lanka is probably one of the few countries left which gives Pakistanis visas on entry. Whenever we told anyone we were Pakistanis they were delighted. Next they sent a man to accompany us and facilitate us right up to our car – which didn’t show up. We would find out later that the people were friendly but quite laid back.  They were not in a hurry to get anywhere it seemed. So we waited for a van driver who said he would be there in 5 minutes but took another 15, so we hired another van to take us to our hotel in Negombo.  Negombo is a sort of small beach-side town with peaceful, uncrowded beaches and it is about an hour and a half drive from Colombo, the capital city. The best way to get around in Sri Lanka is to hire a van with a driver who then takes you sightseeing and shopping. It helps as he knows the directions and timings, he can find good restaurants, he arranges for his own food and bedding. The only problem is the language as the drivers usually do not understand English too well at least as far as we experienced. Also at times we felt that the driver had his own plans to take us to some places that clashed with ours. So make sure you tell them your itinerary clearly and see that they follow it too.

We soon left for the country side where the scenery was breathtaking. Known for its tea production, we saw slope after slope of tea gardens and it actually tasted wonderful too. Waterfalls breaking through the mountains, lakes surrounded with trees and bridges, flowers and fruits of amazing colours, all struck us with awe. We had never known Sri Lanka was such a beautiful country with such diverse landscape.  The hotel staff everywhere was very welcoming, the service at the hotels was also very good.
We specially loved the Hunas Falls hotel near Kandy which was built at the top of a mountain next to a  waterfall and a lake. The lake was surrounded with a walkway shaded with old trees, we were told it had been declared a protected site because of the flora and fauna; there was a well kept garden with lovely flowers and even a golf course and ducks and monkeys to the children's delight. It was a poet’s dream come true.
One problem we had was because of the food. It made me grateful all over again for living in a Muslim country where I can eat whatever I want without worrying about it being halal or not. 

My husband made a joke of my routine of interviewing the waiters before every meal about the ingredients of the food. We were told later that certain restaurants and hotels had halal certificates which they often displayed too and it was okay to eat from there. We also heard that others claimed they were halal just to sell their product. But then I would also worry about the hidden ingredients in the chocolates and desserts (those served on the Sri Lankan Airlines actually turned out to be ‘unfit for our consumption’ when I asked the air hostess, which obviously won me a green signal for quizzing people to my hearts content lol). Again a wave of shukr would  sweep over me that in Saudia, we don’t have to see pork and liquor every time we go out to eat or every time we open a hotel fridge. That is why in spite of people’s surprise and disbelief I think Saudia is a great place to live. It gives Muslims the freedom that is curtailed elsewhere-the freedom to protect our iman, to eat halal food, to protect our eyes from haram sights, to pray in a masjid when it is time no matter where you are or what gender you belong to and to cover our bodies and faces, to feel comfortable in a segregated environment and so on.

Sri Lanka has four religions that are practiced by its people, the main one is Buddhism (70%). Next comes Hinduism (15%), then Christianity and Islam (7.5%). One of the hotels we stayed at, had this place built at the back with a statue of Buddha, Hanuman and Jesus in each compartment. You could choose your own god to worship. I think they had a fourth empty compartment with some kind of prayer mat kept there. Jokes aside, it made us think how unique Islam is from all other man-made or man-altered religions, as Islam has no statues, idols or pictures to worship. It completely negates the concept of false gods, of worshipping the material and the superficial and focuses on the sublime and the Divine.

It was disturbing to see so many statues in almost every street, of Buddha, of Christ and Mary and then the multitude of Hindu idols on their temples. I felt an almost physical ‘najaasat’ when  I looked at these idols, symbols of associating partners with Allah.  I kept telling Abdullah how these people considered these idols as god, one way or another, because he had heard about idols in the stories of the Prophets but had never actually seen any. He would keep asking ‘but why?’ And I really don’t know the reply. How can anyone see the breathtaking and humbling beauty of the Sri Lankan landscape around them and then attribute it to these idols or to any other creation. I told  him many people don’t know that there is only one god and we have to tell them because no Prophet is going to come now.

The weather was a pleasant surprise as I found it quite nice spcially in the countryside. It was not terribly humid or rainy like Malaysia so even in the abaya, I did not feel hot. In the mountainous areas, it was even a bit chilly. The people seemed simple and humble in their living. However, staying at a hotel we witnessed photo shoots for brides and several weddings which seemed to be elaborate affairs. I think they were mostly Christian weddings with bridesmaids and all. But the majority of the people wore simple clothes, following simple lifestyles it seemed. Their houses looked modest as well as their food. They started their day very early and everything started closing early in the evening. So if you want to shop or visit parks, don’t wait till too late.

We passed several convent schools and I started thinking how Christians still follow the pattern of keeping their church with their school. They have opened such church-based institutes called convents all over the world. Their standard of education and discipline is usually high so even Muslims happily send their children to study there. We Muslims too used to have our schools and madrassahs as one but over the years they became separated and now the gap between religious and secular education is huge.

We travelled to a lot of places like Kandy where the Botanical Garden was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. They had huge well-maintained gardens, gigantic bamboos, palm trees, ferns, beautiful ancient trees and an orchid house.

   






                     

There was one tree that was more than a 100 years old, that was as big as a house. It has spread to an area of 2500 sq meters and its branches have to be held up by props. Below is a picture of the tree that looked like a boat from afar or a house.

a view of the tree from afar



 

a view of the tree from inside, branches held up by props





 







It seemed they take great pride in preserving nature.  We visited a refuge for elephants that was a very different experience. They gave us a guided tour showing us elephant skeletons, telling us about the different elephants they have in the place. The elephant sanctuary keeps elephants that are too old or unwanted and they treat them when they are sick. People give them donations too. Elephants eat an enormous amount of food, they need to be bathed every day for which they had a small army of men. We also rode an elephant which is a very uncomfortable ride even though it’s so big. We thought it’s probably the first time an abaya-clad woman would have been seen riding an elephant.

Then they let us give them a bath which my youngest son thoroughly enjoyed until the elephant drenched him with his trunk. However I would not recomend the bath as we dsicovered that the water was quite dirty. They have a special language for commanding the elephants which has been transferred from generation to generation and that is what the elephants understand and obey. Each elephant has a separate ‘mahut’ or caretaker who is the only one who can control it. There are two elephant sanctuaries: Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage with 80 plus elephants and Millennium Elephant Foundation with 6-8 elephants. Both are in the same area about 45 km from Kandy and it would be a good idea to visit both as you can feed

milk to baby elephants in the first whereas you can ride and bathe elephants in the second one.

Next we visited a herbal garden where ayurvedic herbal medicines were prepared. An ayurvedic ‘doctor’ from Kandy was present there and he gave us a guided tour, showing us the different trees and herbs that are grown there organically for the preparation of the medicines. So at times certain medicines may not be available because the plants are obviously seasonal. He also showed us their ‘classroom’ where lectures are delivered to students and I immediately thought of my teacher who also taught us in tents and parking lots  

and wherever the need arose so I took pictures of this classroom. Next he showed us the medicines telling us their benefits and method of use, even giving free demonstrations on us. They had medicines for cholesterol, migraines, varicose veins, all kinds of pains, skin care, etc. He also showed us letters in English and even in Arabic sent by people who had used the medicines and had benefited or wanted more. I am not too sure if there are ethical issues with Ayurveda as this knowledge is believed to be of divine origin and traces back to the sages of India.

At Nuwara Eliya,  we stayed at a rather grand hotel which had been converted from a British Governor’s residence to a hotel. The dining room was supposed to have a dress code such as no  shorts or slippers were allowed and it was a formal affair. We were trying to keep the kids as quiet as possible however the tables next to us had a large group of Indians who were laughing loudly and joking with each other. My husband had to go out for something and one of the men stood up and said something very loudly about being thankful for not being a  Saudi (everywhere we went, people mistook us as Saudis because of my abaya.



a riding facility nearby the children enjoyed

 Everyone at the table burst out laughing and some even looked at me.  I got up and went to the head waiter; my anger had just crossed the danger mark and was still escalating. I complained to him about the gentleman’s behavior rather verbally and walked out of the dining room. There I met the Manager of the Hotel who was a Muslim and very friendly and I complained to him of this insulting behavior. He promised to look into it and asked me to give him a written complaint. I took it as an opportunity to do dawah and wrote an eloquent complaint. I wrote that it wasn’t just a personal insult since I’m not even Saudi, but I wanted to complain against this intolerance world over about the Muslim dress and practices.  I often feel disturbed by the fact that in spite of our beliefs, we are tolerating different and often repulsive ways of dressing and eating, whereas our practices are not tolerated in the same way. Yet, it is the Muslims who are labeled as intolerant. After returning home, I received a letter of apology from the hotel management and the fact that they lodged a serious complaint and warning with the group who had been misbehaving. We also saw  the Temple of the Tooth next to the Kandy lake, which is supposed to have the
holy tooth relic of Buddha inside it. We only saw it from outside (as our guide informed us that I would not be allowed inside with my face cover) and the gold roof is supposed to have 6 kg of gold leaf used in it. It is the holiest site not only for the Buddhists in Sri Lanka but the world over.  

One thing we really wanted to do but could not due to limited time was going on an animal  safari . Sri lanka has several National Parks  and we were interested in Yala National Park as you can go on a safari and spot leopards, boars, crocodiles and if you are lucky a black panther or two.  But the way we had planned our trip, we were quite far from the park and with 2 small kids, postponed the idea for now.  In fact we did not know that Sri Lanka has quite a fair share of natural and historic spots that need at least a fortnight to explore so we could not go to Sigriya and a few other famous spots.                     

After returning to Colombo, we visited the Colombo zoo which wasn't very clean but where the elephant show was really amazing to watch. Children tend to enjoy zoos irrespective but do make sure to visit the zoo at a time when the elephant show is on as it is the best part of the zoo. It was amazing to see these huge creatures sit  and stand on chairs and even do a head stand (or sajda as I liked to call it.)

The thing I enjoyed doing most though was white-water rafting at Kitulgala. We were given life jackets and sat in a raft jumping over the rapids. The water splashed us to the bone and I was so grateful for my abaya and niqab which did not make me feel uncomfortable alhamdulillah. The scenery was one I would probably never forget as the river flowed into a heaven of sorts, a surreal river way surrounded by trees with cloudy mountains in the distance. Subhanallah. The locals showed us the spot that is supposed to be where the famous movie, "Bridge over the River Kwai' was filmed. And the place was truly picturesque to put it mildly. Night fell and it started raining and the last leg of the boatride, we were given the option to swim or rather float in the water. It was amazing specially in the rain and in that place. I just wished as always that the light would have lasted a bit longer so we could have enjoyed the beauty some more. That was one thing I felt amiss that the car rides were so long that the best part of the day was spent travelling and the tight schedule did not leave enough time to enjoy some places.

The shopping in Sri Lanka is good and if you are a woman and a crockery enthusiast (almost synonymous for some) then you will be delighted to know that Sri Lanka is home to the famous Noritake brand. It has showrooms and warehouses (where you can get cheaper stuff I suppose). We got the Dankotuwa brand which is also quite nice. They pack it very nicely for travelers but it takes a while. The fancy dinner set we bought is lying cozily packed in our house of two boys, waiting for a special dinner party where we can use it. So much for women’s collectomania! May Allah forgive us.

Sri lanka is also famous for its gems and batik. We really liked the ODEL retail outlet which had a range of clothes and accessories. Housed in a colonial style building, it has a tempting ice cream parlour on the outside and tastefully decorated shops inside. I got a gift that was bought from the Barefoot outlet though I didn’t go there myself but read good reviews about it. House of Fashion is the place for vacation shopping though as it is a multi story departmental store with clothes, accessories, toys and almost anything else at low prices.

On the last day, at 8:30 am, I had a lecture at the centre in Colombo where they are having the Taleem al Quran weekly online class. I was amazed at how some of the women were so fluent in the local Sinhalese language and I felt ashamed that we had not mastered Arabic yet in spite of its importance and after living for so many years in an Arab country. Many people spend lifetimes in the gulf countries without even thinking of learning the language of the Quran though it is so similar to Urdu.

 Anyways a hall had been booked and a lady had arranged it at very short notice. Yet around 50 people turned up at 8 30 am, the designated time, which amazed me. I gave a lecture along with a Power Point presentation on Anger Management. I had been quite nervous the night before, because I had not met any of these people before, my constant travelling had left me only the last night to prepare and anger management was not one of my strongest character traits to put it mildly. But my husband, always my counselor and best friend had encouraged me the day before, “Just think, DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE THIS QUALITY? It’s the will to improve that matters.”

I was amazed when women came up to me and said that anger was a big problem for the majority of the women there. There were 4 online students and other Correspondence Course students present. I have experienced again and again that you can literally tell the dedicated, regular students apart from the others because of the glow on their faces. As they go through the Quran, juz after juz, their faces actually change and one can see it happen.

The lecture went really well and the people were very responsive.  There were many comments and question and answers. However a group of women who claimed to have studied from the West argued about the validity of the Western theories , I handled them as best I could infact their challenging questions made me think harder and use more logic. But they were apparently just asking questions for the sake of asking, not even listening to the answers. The majority of the women however were very appreciative and said that they had benefitted a lot from the talk.

The highlight of the day was when the one Hindu lady attending the lecture came up to me and with tears in her eyes she said that the thing I had said about ‘always having a choice’ really made a difference to her. May Allah ta’ala bless her with iman and amal-e-saalih. Ameen.

I had not been too sure giving a lecture this time as it was a hectic trip with the kids and extensive sightseeing. We wanted to show the children as many things as we could. But after I did the lecture, I want to share the fact that it was the only thing during the whole trip that gave me the greatest sense of satisfaction and peace. Everything else is temperory and fades away and has regrets or longings attached to it, but truly it is the remembrance of Allah which brings hearts peace. Even if it appears difficult at the beginning, when you do something for Allah, it stays with you for a long time.

(Please note that the views and opinions expressed here are my own observations as a traveller and may not be completely accurate from a local person's point of view.)