Home Sweet Home

[FatimaAsSideqah]

As Salaam Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups, till, when they reach it, and its gates will be opened (before their arrival for their reception) and its keepers will say: Salamun 'Alaikum (peace be upon you)! You have done well, so enter here to abide therein." [Az-Zamar 39:73]

There is no place like Home

A journey started from our nest,

Searching for the way that’s best,

Nothing more beyond a test,

Home is where you’ll find your rest.



From our home we did depart,

Missing home right from the start,

Returning home … a long-lost art,

Home is where you’ll find your heart.



Imagine coming home at last,

Thinking little of your past,

Indulging in awards amassed,

Home is where your check is cashed.



Rivers flowing below your feet,

Of milk and honey tasting sweet,

Some of wine… an added treat,

Never causing ache or sleep,

Home is where these rivers meet.



On lofty thrones raised high upon,

Fine green silk shoulder-drawn,

Gold and silver you will don,

Freshly groomed with no salon,

Home is where you belong.



Mansions reaching to the sky,

Gardens green that never die,

Thorn-less trees appearing high,

Bearing fruits both low and nigh,

Home is where you need not buy.



Every wish at your command,

Within one blink… then in your hand,

Worth much more than a hundred grand,

Without end like the grains of sand,

Home is where you want to land.



Rejoicing with a blessed crew,

From times of old and those of new,

Who struggled hard but always knew,

Rewarded for what they used to do,

Home is where you’ll start anew.



“Peace” will be what you hear,

Far removed will be your fear,

In the midst of those held dear,

A Blessed Face will soon appear,

“Praise to Him” will be your cheer,

Home is where WE ALL should steer.

Our original home in Paradise – Imagine………..YOU MADE IT!!!.....

“WELCOME HOME”

[FatimaAsSideqah]

Parable of traveler

In his own words (peace be upon him)………. "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) slept on a straw mat and when he got up he had a mark on his side. (His companions) said, 'Messenger of Allah, we could make a covering for you?' He said, 'What have I to do with this world? I am only in this world like a rider who seeks shade under a tree and then goes on.'" [Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Masud in at-Tirmidhi #486]

If you left your warm snug home for a long journey through forests, over mountains, and off-beaten roads…….. would you not feel so relaxed when you finally made it back home to warmth, comfort and relaxation?

SWOT

SWOT Analysis – I learned of this business strategy from a college course. It outlined the importance of business planning in order to maximize profits and avoid loss in future revenues. Goal/Vision-setting was the first step, because without one you are moving blindly. Second step is to address your SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) for a tailored fit.

If you set Paradise as your goal/vision --- you can then assess your SWOT

Strengths (hard worker, speaking skills, etc.)

Weaknesses (impatience, temper, etc.)

Opportunities (attend weekly class, help needy relative, etc.)

Threats (bad company, peer pressure, etc.)

Imagine if you were told to wake up every morning drive for about 30 minutes, sit in a seat for 9 hours and do this for 5 days a week for the rest of your life. Would you simply agree?........ most people would need some incentive and a reason to conduct such labor (i.e. $$$...)……. you would probably put very little effort into work if you had no goal or outcome to strive for.

Parable of this life versus Paradise

This Life

- Need Food to survive

- Need constant rest

- Need to take a bath

- Signs of age (wrinkles, weight, etc.)

- Always wanting

- Responsibilities

- Wear & Tear (house, car, etc)

Paradise

- Food as enjoyment

- No Fatigue

- Always fresh

- Forever Young

- Always Getting

- “Recess”

- Perpetual Replenishment

Ease after Hardship

Years of hard studying w/ little sleep = Good grades
Many hours training = strong muscles and a healthy body
Working late in the office = Job Promotion
Strive hard in this life = PEACEFUL BLISS in the end

Ease after Hardship….A general principle in life, school, work … even spousal relationships.

Lesson from the story of Moses and the Magicians

Once the magicians saw the deception in the fallacy of magic (which they had based their life on), they found no shame in recanting and immediately believed in the message of Moses (AS) as it became clear the difference between deception and the evidence of clear logic and distinct TRUTH. Thereafter, they could’ve cared less about the threats from the Pharaoh (see Surah “The Poets” verses 45 – 51). Deception is trickery on the senses (passions, fear, curiosity) but Truth is Logically clear.

A Logical Thought

Paradise is REAL make no mistake……. Everything in this life we live in is temporal and fleeting (illusionary).

The richest man in the world can only eat one steak at a time, drive one car per instance and sleep in only one bed each night.

Furthermore……..Why do we have to eat every few hours? Why do we constantly have to fill up our gas tanks? Why do we tire? Why do trees and plants wither and die? Why must the sun set? The signs are all around….quite simply….Nothing Lasts.

The Logical conclusion arises nothing lasts, yet these processes are repeating over and over and over. Could it all be haphazard?

As the sun rises, it sets………As a man dies, a child is born…….As rain falls, water evaporates……Why such balance? Are we all part of an intelligent design?

If you woke up every morning and found a full plate of breakfast each morning (yet you had no clue where it came from), would you think it a coincidence? Would search for one to thank or simple eat as you pleased?

Paradise is Real, this life we live is the bridge to get there is nothing more, nothing less.

May Allah allow us to see the truth for what it is and see the falsehood for what it is

May Allah allow us to enjoy our lives without losing sight of our purpose of living

May Allah guide us towards a fulfilled life, culminating at the highest level in Paradise …Ameen.