SOON after Allah guided me I dug myself deep into the teachings of Islam and isolated myself from everyone, including my own family. In the room on my bed, I studied tafsir (meanings of the verses of the Holy Qur’an) on weekends and read the Qur’an and Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) day and night. In addition to the 5 obligatory daily prayers, the late night voluntary prayers of Qiyam and the morning prayer of Dhuha became my best friends. And fasting from dusk to dawn several days a week became second nature. My father became concerned and advised me, “Son, I worry you may be taking it to the extreme.” I still remember his words. I nodded in silence, not wanting to argue or disobey him, but I said to myself, “O father I have finally found the correct path and I want you to join me on this straight path.” After being distant from the right path and finally coming back to it and experiencing the happiness and peace that comes with it, I felt that I was on a mission to adhere to the proper teachings of Islam and to share it with as many people as possible. This is my story… I began writing poetry when I was 8 years old. I grew up in Jeddah and moved to New York when I was 16. Still a teenager, I lacked the wisdom and steadfastness to stick to the Islamic way of life and I was drawn to some of the negative aspects of life in America. I was taken away from the teachings of Islam, and practically lived with gangsters surfing the streets. I got paint-balled a few times, almost got robbed, but I never got into fights because there was some good in me, and Allah was protecting me. I became a rapper when I was 17 and changed my name to “Malevolent” by the time I was 18. The police stopped me often when I was 19 as my last name is ‘Arab’, not surprising that the police never liked me. I returned to Jeddah when I was almost 20, but still I was astray. Skip a few years to 24 and suddenly, my family started losing members of the extended family. Death is a powerful reminder of our being mortals and that the day will come when we will stand before our Lord and will be held accountable for our deeds in this life. Several people from around me were passing away; my friends and relatives, so much so that I believed I was next. All praise and thanks to Allah, by the age of 24 is when Allah guided me. I looked to my right and all I saw was my grave, I looked to my left and all I saw was the Hereafter. In front of me and behind me was nothing but the feeling of death being near. I looked up to the sky and Allah’s guidance was right before me; guidance in Arabic is hidayah. Allah guides whomsoever he wills. If you have been guided then you are blessed, because you have been chosen. Allah chose you from among the billions of people to work for Him, and He chose you to be on His side; to be a source of help, guidance, and inspiration for others. Never forget the day he guided you, and never be deceived by this world’s distractions and forget what He wants from you: to worship Him alone and to build this Earth and help others find the truth. The reality is that this life is short; it is a test from Allah. We have to live up to the examples of the prophets and the companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). But remember, Allah will not help us until we change what is within ourselves, or at least have a strong desire to change and to be better. As the verse in the Holy Qur’an states: {Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.} (Chapter 13, verse 11). You have to want to be guided. Deep inside, you have to be searching for the guidance. Then Allah will open your doors and guide you. You are on a mission!
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 10:58:23 +0000
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