I am back in 2012, stronger InshaAllah

It has almost been a year since my last post. The Year 2011 has been an eventful year and one that I shall never forget. It had its ups and downs, Alhamdullillah it was a year that I came out saying ShukrAllah.

It has started off with me attending a few Islamic courses organised by the Al Kauthar Institute and it was so nice to be doing this with Zawjaty (my wife). Masha'Allah.

I was unfortunate or fortunate should I say to be made redundant in a role I started a year ago! Just shows that no one can be too sure of job security in today's economic climate, it definitely is unpredictable. With this I had more time to spend with my dear family, ShukrAllah.

It was during this time, that my dear Father became really ill, and was admitted into hospital, later to be diagnosed with renal failure. And over a course of a few days, the family had to make a decision on the very high possible option of dialysis being taken as a means of aiding his kidneys. My father, having agreed to being put on dialysis, was feeling the effects of having dialysis three times a week.

I later secure another role, Alhamdulillah, not the perfect job, this does not exist I had realised after 15 years of working. It simply comes down to taking the right opportunities that present oneself with, that's how to become a winner. InshAllah with Tawwakul it helps aid any decision whether it is job or otherwise, knowing the reason why you are doing the job, activity, linking this back to your deen and more so your aakirah. This I feel gives much motivation.

I have also been privileged to have come across Muhammed Faris - The Founder of Productive Muslim, and he has great practical advice to fulfilling ones potential whether it be Islam, Family, Personal, Community etc. I will Insha'Allah look to providing more resource on this site, based on my experience of the tips from ProductiveMuslim.com over the course of 2012, so again watch this space.

Last year I was blessed to have taken my wife to Hajj, this was to be my second Hajj Alhamdulillah. Please keep your eyes peeled for a post on this magnificent journey of a lifetime, it is not to be missed.

There are only snippets of my 2011 year. Insha'Allah there will be much more beautiful experiences and more importantly E-man Boosts and Appetizers for the year to come.

Awakening to Dumb-bells

Awakening to Dumb-bells

Date: 6th July 2010
This was a remarkable day in many ways, having not had much sleep, missing Fajr at the due time once again; I got up feeling very tired. May Allah forgive me for this and May He increase my Iman and provide me with much Hidayyah to get up for Fajr, Ameen.

It was 09.30 and I had a 10.00 Personal Fitness session at the gym which I only joined for 4 weeks in the lead up to my wedding. This was one of the 1/3 free personal fitness sessions as part of the package. For breakfast, I had bran flakes with strawberry cereal and tea and lead my 5 minute stroll to the gym. Having done that I met Andrew my personal fitness trainer in the gym which after the initial consultation which he took reading of my body measurements and weight, which read as:
Height: 169cm; Weight: 73kg; Body Fat %: 22%; Waist: 92cm; Hip: 98 cm

The stats were not as bad as I had envisaged, though I felt I can work on these numbers in preparation for my big day, my wedding day on 25th July 2010. I was given a run through of 4 main workouts for me to cover. Having done the Bench-press with dumbbells, followed by the squats and dead lift. Having done this in quick concession, we now moved on to the lat pull down, and by this time I was feeling very faint, if anything felt like throwing up big time.

This was so unusual for me, and did not know what to do, so I asked Andrew if I can sit down. Within a space of 2 minutes, my vision became severely impaired, felt like my legs had been swept, and was really feeling like my head had been hit hard. I was almost going into unconsciousness mode drifting back in as soon as someone asked me a question.

Within a short space of time, I had four or five people gathered round me asking me all types of questions (I was later told so could not recall now), ensuring I was not closing my eyes for my own safety. I did not know at a point where I was, what time it was or if it was all a bad dream. My mind was on what will happen to me, and is this my time now up in the dunya, so close to finally going the extra mile to complete my deen, with a special abd Allah has blessed me with, I was feeling like I lost out big time.

I was then “chair lifted” to the consultation room where paramedics came after 15 minutes or so, where they took my blood pressure which was a low 101/61. I was escorted to the ambulance parked on the high street, 15-20 minutes of checkups and was given the all clear by the parameds’. I was given the option of going to hospital for blood tests which I did not take up. I intended to go to see my Doctor to tell them of this episode in the gym.

I went back into the gym to collect my bag, showered went to the steam room for 7 minutes and was on the way home. It was 12.40 by the time I got home. I was shattered; my head was feeling like it had been hit by a hammer, this was the case throughout the whole day. Had some sleep at around 5pm but it did very little good.

I received a text from my better half to be, and the text was number 63 and 64 as part of the 99 Names of Allah Project countdown to the wedding. And Allahu Alum, the Names today were, Al Hayy (the everlasting) and Al Qayyum (the sustainer of life), SubhanaAllah the beauty and irony if one may want to call it that after what happened today.

I came across this quote, on one of my daily reminder mails today:
Ma’n ibn ‘Awn once said

‘How often has a person faced a new day but yet failed to complete it, and how often has a person waited for tomorrow but yet failed to reach it? Were you to look carefully at the matter of death and its paths, you would have come to hate having hopes and its delusions.’

Abu Hatim said

‘The one reason which leads the smart one to place this world in its proper place, abandon relying upon it and seeking that which has been decreed for him of eternal life and everlasting blessing, is abandoning long hopes and remembering that death is something which can come at any given moment. This is because long hopes have forever severed the necks of men just like the mirage… it disappoints whoever places his hope in it, and it deceives whoever sees it

May I take a lesson not to waist idle time, use it wisely, use it to benefit myself and others and always have in my mind, what deeds have I to account for when my time is up. Death may arrive at any moment, so I should not be disillusioned by my environment and my surroundings (and no matter how many kgs I can begin to bench-press!).
For those reading this, InshaAllah may it serve as a reminder to begin right now to start using our time effectively in preparation for the aakirah.
By Abdul Muhid Ali