The Dog who couldn't Bite

Once upon a time, when I was a kid ... as I remember it: 

We went for a holiday to a hill station. My parents wanted to rest after the journey, while I was all excited about climbing the hills. So, I took permission and went off on my own to the hill next to our rest house. 

It was a small, green hill. I climbed up, and then it was time to descend. There was a dog  there. It started to come towards me. I got scared, and started to run. Knowing me, I probably also screamed. Stumbling downhill, I fell flat on the ground. The dog came upon me. 

Just at that moment, there was a man, clothed in a white robe, praying salah (Muslim contact prayer). He offered Salam, and picked a tiny stone, and threw it at the dog. Hurt, the dog quickly moved away. Alhamdolillah. May Allah bless the man who was there at that moment to help me. 

Goes without saying, I scrambled back down to the safety of my parents. Alhamdolillah.     

The Mosquito who wouldn't bite

 Many years ago, when Dengue was new in our city. 

My son got infected. He had fever and his blood test showed relatively low platelet count. Not very serious, but ill still. 

We have a tiny pond in our garden. There were fish living in the garden. The media was full of scary news about clean still water as breeding places for dengue-spreading mosquitoes. I was under pressure to empty the pond. The fish would have died. I resisted the pressure. 

As I was walking in the garden, I saw a nice, big, black and white striped mosquito sitting on a leaf. I looked at it, and it seemed to look at me. We stared at each other for quite a long time. It didn't seem interested in biting me. Just so you know, generally I'm a magnet for mosquitoes. They are quite eager to feast on me. So, this was strange. 

Alhamdolillah. Nothing happens without the express permission of Allah. I believe that at that time, this mosquito did not have the permission to bite me. Alhamdolillah. 

My son recovered in a few days. Alhamdollilah. 

Mosquito is the first non-human creature mentioned in The Quran in Surah al-Baqarah, ayat 26. Here's how I try to understand the ayat: Mosquito-borne Diseases. 

Nothing can harm without Allah’s Permission

Some years ago, one day, a series of strange incidents happened. 

First, as I was about to get in my car, I was setting something on my mobile phone to listen to, while my brother was standing there to see me off. Engrossed in my phone, I wasn't really paying attention to anything else. A motorcycle, with three young men on it, stopped next to us. One of them jumped off, extended his hand towards me (to snatch my phone?), my brother scolded him, he climbed back on the motorcycle, and they ran away. Much later, I realised that it was an attempt to snatch my phone. Alhamdolilliah, in my mentally absent state of mind, I was protected from the physical and emotional harm of the situation. Alhamdolillah. 

Next, as I drove away, just two signals later, a great wind blowed, such that a large billboard just fell on the road, right in front of and next to me, leaving just enough space for me to steer the car ahead by quickly veering towards the other side. Alhamdolillah, again I was saved from physical and emotional harm. Alhamdolillah. 

There was another third incident that day, yet I cannot remember it. Alhamdolillah for it, and for all the harms that Allah, our Rabb ذُو ٱلْجَلَالِ وَٱلْإِكْرَامُ, keeps protecting us from day and night, throughout our lives.     

Restoring the hand

One day, my right hand turned old. It was wrinkled like an old person's hand. 

I was in my very early fifties.  

It had been a year since I hadn't menstruated. 

Suddenly, I started menstruating. ... and my hand was restored. 

By the grace of Allah, about the time when my hand got wrinkled, we were also having star anise tea for health reasons. Probably had it for a few days, and then left. Later on, I learnt that it has oestrogen-like effects, and helps in menstruation.  

Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ 's Hospitality

فِيۡهِ اٰيٰتٌ ۢ بَيِّنٰتٌ مَّقَامُ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ   وَمَنۡ دَخَلَهٗ كَانَ اٰمِنًا ​ؕ وَلِلّٰهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الۡبَيۡتِ مَنِ اسۡتَطَاعَ اِلَيۡهِ سَبِيۡلًا ​ؕ وَمَنۡ كَفَرَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏ ٩٧

In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it [i.e., the Ḥaram] shall be safe. And [due] to Allāh from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves [i.e., refuses] - then indeed, Allāh is free from need of the worlds.

[Al-Quran 3:97, Translation: Saheeh International]

December 2006 

We went for Hajj with a group. Our accommodation was in Azizia, a little away from Makkah. 

We were provided conveyance for manasik of the Hajj, but other than that, we were to arrange our own transportation to Haram and back for prayers and tawaf. 

The first day, a few of us got together, hired a taxi, and went to Haram in the afternoon. By the time we reached there, the prayer rows were already formed till outside the gates of the mosque. I think it was a little before Magrib prayers. We prayed the obligatory prayers. Our team members decided that it'll be best to return the next morning for tawaf as there seemed no way to get inside then. I commented that it'll be hot. 

Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ is so sweet, so kind, so hospitable, so amazing, so wonderful, ... :the next morning, as we were leaving Azizia, it started to drizzle. By the time we reached the Haram, it had stopped raining, but there was a cloud cover. We entered the Mataf and started to do tawaf. Then, we sat in the Mataf area, with a grand view of the Kaaba, and waited there till Zuhr prayers. All this time, the cloud cover remained. Alhamdollilah. 

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I also wanted to eat a local delicacy. Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ knew it wasn't healthy for me, so that craving was not met. Alhamdolillah. 

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I also had worries about how I'll manage long hours without going to the toilet during the Hajj manasik, especially the night at Muzdhalifah. Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ was most kind, and made it all easy for me. I didn't even need to go to the toilet in Muzdalifah. Alhamdolillah. 

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Not used to walking long distances, I was also worried how I'll cope and keep up with everyone. Alhamdolillah, I had to walk long distance only twice: once for only twenty minutes when we were returning from Muzdalifah in the morning, and that also because our bus was stuck in traffic, and it would take two hours to reach the same distance. The other was a stroll as our team members decided to walk back to Azizia from Jamarat after our first day of pelting the stones. Alhamdolillah. 

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Our group leader had counselled us that there is great rush at the Jamarat, so its best if women don't go. I had accepted it. As I was sitting, in Azizia , a sister; one of our team members, came and asked me if I wanted to go. Surprised and delighted, I rushed to the bus, and asked my husband (who was already in the bus) if I could come. He consented. Alhamdolillah.  

At the Jamarat, we encountered hardly any rush. Out group leader advised us to walk past the pillar, and pelt the stones from behind. There was no rush there, nor any pushing / tugging. Alhamdolillah, we were able to perform all the manasiks. Alhamdolillah. 

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So many people perform Umrah and Hajj every year, and so many wonderful stories and personal experiences are related each year. How amazing is our Rabb?  

Ya Allah, thank you. Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you for all the details, all the ease, all the comforts, all the wonderful moments, everything, and everyone. Thank you for making our Hajj extra-special. Kindly forgive our mistakes, sins, and shortcomings. Please accept our Hajj. Please be well-pleased with us. Aameen.  

Menstruation

While I was still in my forties, and menstruating regularly...  I realised that I had never really kept count of the Ramadhan obligatory fasts that I had missed, nor of the extra fasts I occasionally kept during the year. So there was no way of knowing how many of my total obligatory fasts were still due.  

I started counting the obligatory Ramadhan fasts that I had missed since I entered adulthood. So, that would be approximately seven days every year. Then, I added to the total the four months of Ramadhan of my four pregnancies / lactation. The total came to around one year. Hmm... 

I started to keep fasts as often as possible, and give fidya whenever I could. Many months passed. Now only two months remained to the next Ramadhan. Also, an almost equal number of fasts also remained. 

I wanted to complete the balance before the next Ramadhan. However, there was one hurdle. Two monthly  periods would reduce the count by fourteen days. What to do? 

I had recently understood that its not right to 'kill' progeny, and had given up contraception. 

I also did not want to get pregnant. 

I didn't want to take pills to interfere with the menstrual cycle. 

I didn't know of any other natural way of avoiding menses. 

I prayed. I asked Allah to forgive me for thinking such things, and I asked for His help to complete my fasts. I admitted I didn't know how. It was a passionate, informal, monologue. 

Guess what? 

Allah ﷻ responded. 

Allah  سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎  accepted my prayer.  

I didn't menstruate the next two months, and thus was able to complete my count a few days before the next Ramadhan began.