The Boy who tried to escape Death – ch5

Both Ahmad’s parents sat around his hospital bed as he lay there unconscious.

Suddenly Ahmad’s eyes began to flutter, and then after a minute his eyes slightly opened.

“AllahuAkbar! My son! How are you feeling?!” Ahmad’s mother asked as she bent over holding her son’s hands with hers. Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

“…When I saw that car coming towards me…I thought that was it…I was going to die…” Ahmad quietly said.

“How long were you waiting here?” Ahmad asked.

“About 11 hours. We made Salat in this room.” Ahmad’s father calmly said.

“…My parents stayed up for me all those hours and continued their worship too Allah. I can’t even sit down with my parents for a minute without having to do something that Allah hates…” Ahmad thought to himself.

Suddenly tears pored from his eyes. Ahmad’s father cuddled him and asked, “What makes you cry Ahmad?”

“Em…Not sure…Just happy to be alive?” Ahmad answered rather confused embarrassed to tell his parents how he was feeling.

After two days in the hospital, Ahmad was released. His left arm was supported in a sling so the shoulder could recover after the dislocation it suffered. That night while Ahmad lay in bed resting, his friend mo called him up.

“Ah Ahmad! I heard that you are safe back at home, that’s why I decided to call you up.” Mo said on the phone.

“That’s nice.” Ahmad answered.

“Listen Ahmad. Since that night was messed up and you could not go to the nightclub, do you want to come down tonight? I was so angry when you had that accident! You should have seen the girls I chatted up at the club when you were brought to hospital!”

“Mo. To be honest, I really don’t want to go. Say if this is a warning from Allah?”

“Warning?! Are you mad?! Don’t tell me you are becoming an extremist! You know they have the most boring of lives!”

“They may have a boring life now, but they sure have everything when they die!” Ahmad answered.

“Come on Ahmad! We are Muslims! We will go to Heaven. Ok, we might be punished in Hell for a little while, but we will all eventually go to Paradise, so what is there to worry about? Besides, Allah is merciful! He said if you believe, He will forgive you!” Poor Mo spoke without knowledge.

“Hmm. I don’t know. Let me think about it. Surely not tonight as my arm is still in a lot of pain, but tomorrow I will give you the answer.”

“Ok. Don’t forget to call me tomorrow! I have to now sit down in this boring house and listen to my father reading Qur’an. Man! They have such a boring life; I don’t even know how they can smile!”

After the phone call Ahmad sat down on his bed in shock. This is the first time for Ahmad to let down an offer out of fear of what Allah can do to him! Ahmad tried holding back his tears.

“…How can Allah ever love me? Look what I have done. I have never committed a minute of my patience and time for Allah. I have physically hurt my mother and yet she still loves me. How can Allah ever forgive me…?” Ahmad thought to himself.

Another night has passed, and only 4 days until the appointed time of his death.

The next day Ahmad’s arm was still in a lot of pain. Ahmad rejected Mo’s offer in going to the local nightclub that night. Ahmad spent the whole day thinking about life…

Days pass and now we enter the final day of Ahmad’s life…

Nobody knows, not even the angels of death.

The day is Thursday. Ahmad wakes up early after having a bad dream. Fortunately his arm is out of the sling.

Ahmad slowly goes down the stairs and sits at the kitchen table. No-body seems to be at home. He finds his fathers work on the table. He picks up his work to move it to the desk. As he is carrying his fathers work a small diary accidentally falls on the floor. After his father’s papers had been put back carefully, Ahmad curiously opens up his father’s small diary, and there written on the front page are the words of Allah from Qur’an:

“”Oh my servants who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the mercy of Allah. Truly, He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (39:53)”

Ahmad suddenly burst into tears. His hands begin to shake and his vision becomes blurred. He flicks through a few pages and reads the following:

“…I was away from Allah. I sinned against my soul. Far away was I from Allah. I turned to Allah and then fell into sin again when my two sons were born…” Ahmad flicks through more pages and what he reads shocks him even more…

“…My little Ahmad, my third son. He is five years old now. It is him who turned me back to Allah. He saw me once watching tv and asked, “If a Sheik came into the room and saw you, what would you do?” I answered, “I would quickly turn off the tv”. My son answered me back, “But baba! Allah is watching you all the time and He is more pure than all the Sheiks in the World!” My mouth dropped. I felt disgraced with myself. I turned back to Allah, vowing to keep my duty to Allah. My wife ‘Aliya also made the vow…” Ahmad continued to read on…

“…My Ahmad has mixed in with the wrong crowd. I see him moving away from his religion. I have failed. My son changed me by the will of Allah. How can I change him? What of my actions will make my son turn back to Allah?…”

Ahmad closed the diary, tears rolling down his face. Ahmad got hold of a pen and paper and wrote down the following:

“My Father. I have read your diary. I changed you when I was a child through my questioning by the will of Allah. Your words of your diary have turned me back to Allah by His will and Command.” Ahmad slipped the page into his father’s diary on the last page he had read.

Ahmad got up and for the first time on his own he performed Wudu. Ahmad put his clothes and shoes on and walked towards the masjid.

Unfortunately little did Ahmad know that Mo, his friend, was going to take the same road as him! Will Mo influence him back to the road to Hell? Can Ahmad influence Mo to the road towards Paradise? Will Ahmad continue on the road he is on?

Chapter 6

The Boy who tried to escape Death – ch4

Ahmad ran down the road towards his friend Mo.

“Yo Ahmad! Where were you?!” Mo called out as Ahmad ran towards him.

“Ah! It’s my parents again! They filled my ears again with all that religious rubbish.”

“Haha! Don’t they have a life? I mean, Allah says He is forgiving, so as long as we believe in Him we will all go to Paradise as long as we don’t harm other people!” Mo spoke without knowledge.

Mo and Ahmad continued down the road towards the local nightclub they usually attend…

Little did they know that a police chase was actually taking place just a few minutes drive away from where Mo and Ahmad were!

Five police cars continued to pursue a stolen car that headed directly towards the road Mo and Ahmad were heading. As Mo and Ahmad joked along the road they heard the sound of several sirens heading towards them.

One hundred meters away from the two, the stolen car traveling at 40mph lost control and smashed into a parked car, skidded to the other side of the road towards Mo and Ahmad…

Mo screamed as he jumped out of the way while Ahmad hesitated. The car kept on skidding towards the two and only managed to knock Ahmad with its side, thumping him with enough force a couple of yards down the road. The side of Ahmad’s body collided with a brick ball and he lay motionless on the ground. Mo screamed as he ran towards his best friend.

“Oh my God! Don’t die on me!” Mo screamed in panic as he tried shaking his body.

Police officers ran towards Mo and pulled him away afraid of him causing more harm on the motionless body of Ahmad.

A few Police officers attended Ahmad while a few others arrested and restrained the criminal.

Mo ran towards Ahmad’s house in a panic. He ran up to the house and frantically hammered on the front door.

Ahmad’s father opened the door in confusion.

“Mo? What happened?!” Ahmad’s father said in a worry.

“It’s Ahmad! He’s had an accident!” Mo screamed out, almost out of breath.

“Bring me to him quick!” Ahmad’s father said as he quickly put his shoes on. Ahmad’s mother quickly followed.

Ahmad’s father and Mo approached Ahmad, and this time he was surrounded by a couple of paramedics.

“Is he going to be alright?!” Ahmad’s father asked one paramedic.

“He is unconscious at the moment and is suffering from a dislocated shoulder. We need to get him quickly as possible to the hospital to give him an urgent brain scan to see for any damage or clots to the brain.”

Tears rolled down Ahmad’s fathers cheeks.

Ahmad’s father and mother approached the ambulance in which Ahmad’s unconsciousness body on a stretcher was in.

“I want to come!” Mo called out to Ahmad’s father.

“No. Just go home and ponder on what has happened tonight and think to yourself why this has happened!” He answered.

The ambulance doors were shut by one of the paramedics, and the ambulance then proceeded to head quickly towards the hospital transporting Ahmad and his worried parents.

All was quiet as Mo stood there, listening to the sirens fade away in the distance, watching police detectives investigate the scene of the accident.

Mo turned around and headed not towards his home, but to the nightclub where he and Ahmad were planning to go all along.

“…Why should I bore myself at home? No one is going to stop me from enjoying this night I already planned with poor Ahmad…” Mo thought to himself as he headed towards the nightclub…

Chapter 5

The Boy who tried to escape Death – ch3

Ahmad’s Father, Muhammad, sat at the breakfast table staring down, watching the steam from his hot tea rise up into the air. Ahmad’s mother, ‘Aliya, approached Muhammad and sat next to him.

“My beloved husband, what makes you sad?”

“It is Ahmad. I weep for him. I have had a hard life and never had the life of a proper child. I was brought up in sin and I wasted so many years of my life in which I could have spent my timing worshipping Allah. All I ever wanted is to bring up a son worshipping Allah so that I can replace what I have lost and look towards my Lord Allah on The Day of Judgment with my son in my hand and smile towards Allah showing Him, Most High, my pious son whom I have brought into this World with the permission of Allah. Look what we have done! We have only turned towards Allah now in our lives and our son is lagging behind! What if he died now and goes to Hell? How can I live with that guilt…My son, my son!” Ahmad’s father suddenly burst into tears. Ahmad’s mother could not herself hold back the tears and both husband and wife comforted each other.

Two more days have already passed and Ahmad has only seven days to live.

Ahmad lay on his bed, ear phones in his ears listening to music, magazine in his hand, eyes and mind focusing on sinful star signs.

Hours pass. The sun begins to set. Ahmad jumps off the bed and prepares himself for the night out with his friends. He runs downstairs and is immediately confronted by his mother who is blocking the front door.

“Mum! What are you doing?!”

“I am stopping you from leaving the house! It is almost 9:00PM and we are about to eat dinner together!”

“What! I made a promise to Mo that I will meet up with him tonight!” Ahmad screamed.

“It is late and we need to eat dinner. Why is it your brothers and sister are so obedient and not you?”

“Because I have a life and they don’t!”

“How dare you? They worship Allah; they are doing well in their life…Look at you Ahmad! Cant you see what you are doing to yourself?!”

“Move!” Ahmad screamed as he moved forward towards his mother.

With his elbow, he knocked into his mother pushing her over. She fell to the side knocking her shoulder against the wall.

“Ya Allah forgive my son, forgive me son!” ‘Aliya burst into tears holding her shoulder. Ahmad’s father ran towards the front door to comfort his wife. Before he could say anything to Ahmad, he had already run down the street towards his friends. Ahmad’s father sat down holding his wife in his arms, who had already collapsed from the pain and sadness of what her own son had done to her.

‘Aliya stared straight into Muhammad’s eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks, eyes red with pain.

“Why? Why? I will die to save my son for the sake of Allah. He is a part of me and a son whom I love. What he has done to me is like removing my heart from me. I love him ya Allah! Guide him and protect him…” ‘Aliya again burst into tears.

Ahmad’s father could not listen to those words without feeling his heart break into two.

Little did Ahmad know that in Islam whoever harms their mother, Allah sends punishment straight away upon them…

Chapter 4

The Boy who tried to escape Death – ch2

Ahmad lay in his bed fast asleep. The time approached Salatul-Thuhur. Suddenly Ahmad woke up from the sudden shaking of his blankets.

“Ahmad! Wake up!” His father called as he shook him awake.

“For God Sake! Why? It’s only 1:00pm in the afternoon!” Ahmad called out as he stretched around to stare at his alarm clock.

“It’s only 1:00pm?! Are you insane? Almost the whole population is out of bed, and you are acting as it is 6:00am!” His father answered in a shocked tone.

“Why are you waking me up?” Ahmad moaned.

“Because you are coming to the Mosque with me today for prayer. I want you to experience just one Prayer in your life!” His father sternly called.

Ahmad moaned as he struggled to sit up.

“Now, I will be up in two minutes with a cup of cold water to throw over you if you are not out of bed!” His father said as he left Ahmad’s room.

Ahmad stormed off to the bathroom to prepare himself in a fit of rage.

20 minutes later Ahmad and his father were off walking towards the Mosque.

“Ahmad, I cannot believe you are so angry with the thought of standing before Allah!” His father said as they walked together.

“I could be at home playing my computer; instead I am tiring myself out by having to stand for 10 hours in boring prayer!” Ahmad moaned.

“Are you crazy? No Prayer lasts that long, not even half of that time! Now pull yourself together because the way you are storming down this road seems to me you are suffering from constipation!”

“Dad! Those people must have heard! Yet again you embarrass me!” Ahmad yelled.

“Embarrass you? The way you are composing yourself on this street is humiliating me, your father…Right here we are, now behave yourself for once!”

Ahmad and his father entered the Masjid. His father carefully observed Ahmad as he performed Wudu while trying to teach him the proper steps of performing it.

Ahmad finished the Wudu with the sudden expression on his face seeming as if he had been working all day hard labour!

They both entered the Prayer hall and found a place in the front row. The Muadhdhin called out ‘Iqamah and everyone rose to stand in Prayer before their Lord. They all begun the Salat together with the Imam, and Ahmad stood before his Lord for the first time in his life…

During the Prayer his father heard sounds of sobbing to the left of him! It was his son! A small smile appeared on the fathers face while a sensation passed through his body with pure intentions of happiness that father and son stood side by side before their Lord in humbleness.

After the Prayer Ahamd’s Father looked towards his son and smiled.

“Mashah’Allah my beloved son! You see? Is there anything more beautiful than Prayer? You even cried to Allah!”

“No, no, no! I cried because I just realised that I left my mobile at home and I promised to call Mo.”

“WHAT! You ignorant little…” His father held his composure.

“You are telling me you cried because you let your friend down, while feeling NOTHING every time you let your Lord down? Let me tell you something! Allah has no need of you or any of us, so you better start acting like you need Him, because one day you WILL need Him!” His father quietly yelled.

Ahmad’s father got up and stormed outside and stood beneath a large green beautiful tree. He stared towards the ground and cried. The tears rolled down his cheeks and dropped to the floor out of fear and love towards his son.

That day neither father nor son spoke to one another.

Another day gone, another day closer to Ahmad’s death. Nine days remain…

Chapter 3

The Boy who tried to escape Death – ch1

Ahmad was a teenage boy at 16 years of age. He had two older brothers and one younger sister. His parents were ones of excellent religious character who tried their best to raise their children to the standards of Islam. It was religion first then education second. They hated when other Muslim friends or family asked their children about their education without first being asked about their religious duty to Allah being performed.

Sadly Ahmad attached himself to the so-called glitter of life. He would not pray while running off to the cinema with his friends while spending time hours and hours a day talking about girls. When his parents realised of what Ahmad was doing they sat him down one evening for a very important Islamic talk.

“Ahmad, my dear son. You know I love you from the bottom of my heart. I am your father who wants best for you all as you are all my children, my flesh and blood.” His father said to him in a saddened tone.

“I know.” Ahmad answered without emotion.

“Ahmad. By Allah, if you don’t like school you can come and work with me as long as you turn back to Allah.” His father said.

“Dad! It’s ok! I am 16! I have a long life ahead of me! I promise I will be good in the future!”

“My child. Did you control the timing of your own birth? Did you decide your own bodily features?” His father asked.

“No!” Ahmad answered.

“Then can He who brought you to this Earth without your consent at that exact time, take your soul at an exact time without your consent?” His father answered.

“Yes. But dad I know, I feel in my heart I will not die now!”

“My Son, before your birth you did not know that you will be born and on what time, therefore you do not know when you will be taken back to Him and at what time.” His dad again answered.

“I love Allah and that is enough for Him to forgive me!” Ahmad answered.

His mother began to cry and joined in the discussion.

“By beloved son, can a parent be satisfied with a disobedient son though the son declares their love for them?” His mother asked.

“No!” Ahmad answered.

“Then the One who created the whole Universe, the supreme, the irresistible cannot be content with His slave upon creation who disobeys Him despite such a slave saying that he loves his Lord.” His mother answered.

“You show your love for Allah by obeying Him and his messenger (salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).” His mother continued.

“Mother! Why is life like this? Why must I do this and do that! I don’t want to live my life in boredom trying to avoid almost everything!” Ahmad yelled out.

“Ahmad! She is your mother! Show respect! Not only that, but show respect to your creator who gave you life and gave you a wonderful mother who loves you! There are ways to have fun in Islam!” His father said sternly.

“How is Allah merciful when He sends people to Hell?” Ahmad yelled.

“Are you still alive?” His father asked.

“Yes!” Ahmad answered rudely.

“Then is that not an example of Allah’s Mercy keeping you alive after you insulting The Most Gracious?” His father replied.

Ahmad was lost for words. He got up and stormed up to his room.

“You are all so boring! Why can’t we be like other religions who say enjoy life to the max? I am ashamed to be who I am!” Ahmad yelled as he stormed up to his room.

Poor Ahmad, little did he know that the final count down of the last 10 days of his life had just begun…

Chapter 2

Drugs

by Shaykh Ahmad Ali

This Eid…

They had their haircuts the night before Eid and then hit town to get some nice new clothes for the night out they had planned for Eid.

It was going to be wicked, they were going to look sharp and fresh and the ladies of Birmingham would be flocking around them that night! Imran brought himself some Louboutins, a new aftershave and Riz spent 400 on a blazer from Selfridges, when he had gotten home from the haircut before he left for town his mother had asked him to take her shopping. He told her he was busy and instead called her a taxi so she could go herself. “Got things to do enit ammi flipping hell always doing my head in” he shouted as he left, slamming the front door, and leaving home. His mother was single, abusive husband had finally left her after years of torment. He had met another woman and was undoubtedly ruining her life too.

The boys went home and showered then prepared for the big night out. Imran had rented out an M4 for the weekend and they were going to drive it even though they planned to drink the night away. They left home, for the last time ever.

It was 2am and the boys were intoxicated. In a heaving club where they’d managed to pull 2 friends who were visiting Birmingham for the weekend. Riz slurred to them that they were going to take the girls on a mad cruise and showed photos of the car they had hired, the girls thought wow these boys have money and were taken by the idea. 30 minutes later and Imran was doing 120mph down a road where the max speed was 40mph. The girls had been dropped off as they were scared of the way Imran was driving and Riz was vomiting in the passenger seat as he’d drank too much.
It was a cold night and the crunching impact sent a shockwave through the icy still air as they smashed into a brick wall trying to avoid the roundabout they had suddenly approached. The occupants of the car died instantly that night. Intoxicated.

Family unaware, as their blood spilled into the street and people slowly began to gather. Later, as their bodies lay cold on metal beds in the hospital morgue it was their families who screamed, it was their families who suffered, they cried and prayed because of the way they had died.

Blood tests indicated alcohol and cocaine. Imagine that was you, planning your night out and you died. It doesn’t have to be a car crash, or even if you’re drunk.

Imagine you die doing something displeasing to Allah? Be scared and repent before it’s too late. This Eid please don’t let this status be about you. Drive carefully and remember the angel of death could be coming for you….. #Share

Ramadan Fever

The heat is on! Once a year a dramatic change occurs in the Muslim community. Once a year Icky baby and the Sams becomes Brother Iqbal and Sister Sameera. Off come the baggy jeans, the Nikes and the Raiders cap. On come the yellow Shalwar Kameez (clothes most Pakistanis wear), out goes the brylcreamed hairstyle which glues on that terribly uncool Towpee (cap) and in comes the miswak in the top pocket, making you look like something like “Karachi cops”.

It’s during this HOLY month of Ramadan that we ditch the daytime raves and frequent visit to the library (and we don’t mean for the reference section) and begin to act it out. Icky baby becomes temporarily religious.

It’s a sort of spooky feeling. The Mosques are full and you feel good. Good cos’ you’ve done your bit for the year. One by one you scratch the days from your Ramadan timetable that your dad brought back from the Mosque-and then-thank crunchie it’s Eid.

Eid Mubarak!

The Mosques again becomes museums for the old and for those deprived “ACHA BACHA”- a good baby. The crease-free shalwar kameez comes off and comes the baggy jeans, whilst the libraries reopen for “business as usual”. Just 11 more months of “freedom” to go before the smelly breath season come back with a vengeance.

Year after year it goes on, almost as a ritual. You know it’s rough. Yet Allah(swt) is Al-Rahman and Al-Raheem as we are told by our parents (who probably also have gone through this). And anyway religion is for the old men in the mosques- with smelly breaths, and beards that sweep the floor everytime they walk from one end of the mosque to the other.

Religion is for those “fundies”(fundamentalists) at school/college, the “weirdoes” who only talk to the opposite sex about the benefits of the Khilafah ruling system or the fallacies of Western ideology such as Capitalism and Marxist Philosophy.(i.e.try saying that in one breath!).

The game
So you go around playing this game. It’s like an endless spiral. You think you’re a rebel or tough-yet you’re just one of the pack- a zombie, conforming to master-plan, when you turn 40s you grow your beard and take your seat in front row of the mosque, invest in a miswak, pack your bags for Hajj, and then everything is gonna be safe!
Well no! It doesn’t quite work like that. The million dollar question is will you ever turn 40?

Game Over
Suppose you die. Just suppose you snuff it before you turn 40? What then? It could severely damage that master-plan of yours. Alright, the chances may look slim yet the stakes are high. Nobody knows when he or she is going to die. Just suppose you’re locked up in a room and there’s no way out. Just suppose there’s a time bomb ticking away in this room. Now if this bomb has “6 days” on it you would probably turn “fundy” and spend all six days reading namaz(salah).

Just suppose the bomb had a “?” on it? What then? That’s exactly how life is!!! A ticking-bomb with a “?” on it, you never know when it’s gonna blow-up. Whereever you are, death will find you. Even if you are in tower built up strong and high!” (Translation of the meaning of the Qu’ran) 30 days or a lifetime? And anyway, even if you do go along with this “dodgy” game, don’t you think your Creator will know your intention? Many people have sussed out Islam as a blind faith or and emotional/spiritual/spooky belief which leaves you contemplating rationally about the meanings of life. Where did you come from? Why are we here? Or the question that puts a dampner on all raves, ” what’s going to happen to us when we die?”

Islam asks us to answer these vital questions and come to a conclusion, the correct one. Islam doesn’t rely on the dodgy culture we are brought up with either from our parents or from the Molvi-Saab(imam). Islam is far from being a “religion” as it is often coined in the media. Islam is a complete system of life- with solutions to all our problems be it for Muslims or non-Muslims. Check out Islam for yourself and free yourself from this shallow zombie-like culture. Before your credits run out!

Word out!
Remember there is no Life or Dignity without Islam. “O you who believe answer the call of Allah(swt) and His Messenger to that which gives you Life.” (8:24)

Rememberance of the people is the disease, and rememberance of Allaah is the cure. Yet how strange is it that we hasten to the disease and not the cure?

Back to Ramadan Menu

What happened to my Youth?

by Ahmed

What has become of my tender youth?
Forsaken to sins and evils is the truth
Given over to pleasure and lust, day and night
Forgive me Allah. I hear and tremble with fright

What will happen to me?
Only Allah does know
In Hellfire will I burn
Or receive the Jannah that I yearn

Allah, from You forgiveness I seek
And make me amongst the meek
Ya Rabbi show me the way
To live my life as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did say

And on my deathbed allow me to pray
The kalima, and have me not go astray
From the Siratul Mustakeem
And in Jannah inshallah my face will beam
Ameen.

Teen Crush

This poem refers to the haram relationships that young Muslims may be ensnared into by the shaytaan.

TEEN CRUSH
by Ahmed

O young Muslim
I hear your story, so grim

You have given your heart
To a teen crush, soon to depart

The time will soon come for it to end
Tears, remorse and regret it will send

Deep emotions of anger and hurt
As you feel like a piece of dirt

But why do you fail to see
Allah has given you this opportunity

To turn away from this detested sin
Repent, and start a new beginnin’

From lewd behaviour become shy
Seeking forgiveness from Allah, do cry

Remove from your heart the lust dirty
And instead put love of Allah in your breast plenty

For this is the path to success
Jannah, the Muslims eternal address!!

Originally posted Sep 8th, 2005

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