This is part of the story "How I Became a Muslim"...... it is that separate story-telling session I spoke about that features how I met my husband.
Yup. It's a TRUE story. Only the names are changed.....
Here it is:
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Allah The Best Match-Maker
Out there somewhere in the vastness of infinity is The Preserved Tablet (Lahw-i Mahfoos), strictly guarded on all sides by angels.
It is the Divine Book of Allah, the Book of Decree, where the entire story of mankind is written, the contents of which Allah has full knowledge of.
In this Book is recorded the story of two people, a man and a woman, living in opposite sides of the world, thousands of miles from each other, destined to meet and marry....... all because they both had taken Allah as their match-maker.
This is their story........
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Allah blessed Rani with many gifts. In short, she had it all: beauty, brains, foresight, insight, wisdom, a profound imagination, incredible writing talent, a keen sense of humor and compassion. She was systematic, orderly and ambitious. She achieved whatever she set her mind on. Her determination was made of steel.
He wasn’t blessed with brains or talent. His imagination was wanting, his sense of humor, not as keen. He wasn’t systematic or orderly. He was frequently a victim of procrastination. But he loved to travel. And he possessed the only intelligence that counted. Fear of God.
She lived in India, in a land that was full of polytheists, tradition and culture. A land of arranged marriages, where parents and relatives had a big hand in deciding who their daughters would marry. A land where daughters obeyed their parents and preferred their choice to their own. A land where respect and family honor is placed on a high pedestal.
Bob lived in America, the land of opportunity. The land of Hollywood.... the land of comfort, luxury, affluence, prosperity and abundance. A land with high divorce rates, deteriorating family values, where each man looked after his own self interest. In this land marriages weren’t arranged. One had to seek out his or her life-partner without the aid of parents and family members.
Thus he and she lived on opposite sides of the globe. Conditions were such one would declare that it was an impossibility for these two to meet, let alone get married.
But it was ordained that they would certainly meet. Allah had made them for each other.
Hence, how they met and got married can be described as nothing but miraculous.
Rani’s family members though Indian weren’t going to look for a husband for her. They were different from typical Indian parents who laid emphasis on tradition, culture or religion. They were very much westernized and didn’t even care for marriage. For them, it was no big deal if a couple lived together and had kids out of wedlock.
But for Rani, it was a big deal. To her, the concept of having a boyfriend and living with him like they did in the west disgusted her.
She used to read fairy-tales when she was a child and in all the stories, the princess had always gotten married with the man she loved and the story had always ended with them living happily ever after.
She liked to daydream and she never lost her fascination and delight in reading fairy-tales. She wanted the story of her own life to be like a fairy-tale as well......meeting Prince Charming, getting married and then living happily ever after.
But she was a very realistic person. She knew the difference between a dream and reality. She knew that it was going to be extremely difficult to find Prince Charming in the area where she lived. Nobody spoke good English for miles around. And even if he did speak English, what man would be able to impress her enough to make her desire to marry him, she wondered.
She pondered over the problem of finding a suitable soul-mate. Just what sort of man was she willing to marry? And how on earth was she to find one she liked?
She considered men in her town who were rich and wealthy. Nope. She wouldn’t marry any of them no matter how much wealth they had. The last thing she wanted to marry was a snob, someone who was puffed up with pride about his wealth and upbringing. Such men revolted her.
“Don’t care how handsome. And I don’t care how wealthy!” she thought to herself.
She was a college professor and herself earned a good income. She knew there would be men who would desire to marry her just on those grounds. No, she didn’t want those sort of men.
She searched her heart and enquired: “Just what sort of man would satisfy you, O heart of mine?”
Her heart responded, “Marry a man who fears God. For only such a man can be trusted. For only such a man would be faithful to you for eternity.”
She felt profound peace with the reply given to her by her heart. She now had an idea what sort of man to look for. The question was, how was she to go about finding him?
She knew of her family’s unconcern for her marriage. There was no point in turning to them for any help. They would have simply laughed at her.
She also knew that the chances of her getting married while she worked in the town that was far away from the metropolitan city were very slim.... next to nil.
She had to make a fast decision. She didn’t fancy the life of a single woman living in the middle of nowhere, no matter how good the money was. True, it was hard to get jobs in India. People even paid huge amounts of money to secure one. She had got her job without paying a single dime.... or paisa, as they say in India. Her career looked very promising indeed. But let’s not forget she was blessed with insight. She knew what was more important in life. And it wasn’t her job, her career, money, wealth or worldly riches. Her true wealth would be her husband! A God-fearing husband!
So she took a very bold step towards this end. She shocked everyone by resigning from her job. People thought she was crazy. She didn’t care one bit.
She went back to her home town and made preparations to go to Mumbai. During this time, she would go up to the terrace and look at the stars. She would then say to herself, “My Mr. Right is out there somewhere. I don’t know who he is. But God surely does.... God knows exactly who he is and what he is doing right now. I put my trust in God and wait for Him to lead me to him.”
Her brother had a flat in a suburb of Mumbai. She went to stay there. She had pictures of herself taken, responded to advertisements in Times of India and she got herself registered in a marriage bureau in Mumbai. Then she returned to her home town, for the city life of Mumbai didn’t appeal to her. She was most definitely a country girl.
…............. to be continued.
Last edited by Flame of Hope; 05-31-2011 at 08:15 AM.
Marriage is not everything in this world there are plenty of good people in this planet that didnt end up getting married. There are also prophets that didnt get married. All i wanted to say is that we all have to be aware of people's feelings and we should realise that we belong to an islamic community which is suffering amny trials and afflications today the last thing any brother or sister lets say from any of these countries is to marrry on the basis of Beauty and Materialism All i said is that True Love is Unconditional just like Mothers love.
And many people today dont end up getting married its not a big deal because what matters is the good things you do in this world even if they are little emphasis on beauty is not important, because it is not by your hands it is by Allah's hands and just as it is a blessing that would make you grateful it is also a test that should make you cautoius.
Kit/Kat are not realistic figures i hope you already acknowldege that my friend
I never said / wanted to give the impression that she was celebrating her family's atheisim all i was saying is that being born in an athiest family is not as bad as having your limbs cut off - this was my point.
Also i never questioned her or her husbands goodness , they probably are way better than i am- personally speaking but i was saying that she only gave Materialistic and Physical descriptions about her and her husband which didnt feel right to me.
Peace - Salaam
yes madam i acknowledge the error from my side, thanks becoz of you i enjoyed reading the story again and found my error
The HIGHEST accomplishment I can achieve in this worldly life is to be a TRUE MUSLIM. (me)
But I'm one of those people who thinks that chapter II shouldn't have been written in that way.
format_quote Originally Posted by peace_maker
Reading that sorta sounded phony for me. I mean a computer in Heaven.... computer is man-made.... And making up the Angels... You could've written it as though Rani was thinking or something...
format_quote Originally Posted by peace_maker
Just my point of view, since you're unoffendable and all. Anyways waiting for more...
lol. Of course! Of course I'm un-offendable.
I think people are entitled to their opinions and I respect their right.
As for chapter II being phony.... it's pretty much clear what is phony. Kit, Kat, the All-Wise computer, the dialog between Kit and Kat..... this is all phony. I don't expect ANYONE to believe that they exist. It's clear that these things are figments of my imagination. I am not deceiving anyone I hope into thinking that these angels are for real. lol. But the information given by the angels is true:
For example:
1. This story was written 50,000 years ago. It was Allah in all His wisdom who wrote it all in the Book of Decree. This part is definitely not phony.
2. Rani is every bit the way she is described. This is the way that Allah created her. And those were the thoughts and feelings in her heart the night she was on the terrace. Not phony.
3. Allah responds to those who put their trust in Him. Not phony.
4. Allah chose Bob for Rani, in response to her du'aa. Not phony.
5. Bob is also every bit the way he is described by Kit and Kat. Not phony.
The truth is clear and what is phony is clear. I chose this method of telling the story instead of just giving bare, plain facts. I could have simply narrated the story as it happened.... Bob went to Mumbai, Rani too went to Mumbai. They both went there to marry someone else but they ended up meeting each other. They got married 5 days after meeting each other. End of story.
How does that sound? lol.
And yes, sister Asiyah..... while the angels Kit and Kat are invented, the information that they provide about Rani and Bob is true.
October 5 is the day when I first met my husband....
October 11 was the day I got married to him.
Last edited by Flame of Hope; 06-04-2011 at 11:45 PM.
It is pointless to watch other people's houses crumbling when our own house is in need of repair and attention.
Bob was still learning how to travel by the local trains of Mumbai. Rani told him she would ride in the ladies compartment. She instructed him to get off Bandra station.
Bandra arrived and Bob got off. Rani easily found him because of his height.
Rani caught an auto rickshaw and when they reached Mc Donald’s she expected Bob to pay for the fare. But Bob didn’t have any money on him left except a Rs. 500 note. At that time, Rani had no idea about his financial state. She took the Rs. 500 bill and got some change. Then she handed the fare to the rickshaw driver.
Now they were all set to have their lunch at Mc Donald’s. Bob didn’t know they had a Mc Donald’s in Mumbai. He was glad to see it. He loved junk food!
They chose to sit at a table away from the main restaurant. And they talked.
Rani was full of questions. “Why did you pick me?” she asked.
“I was given a photo album,” replied Bob. “I was told to select three women. I looked at your photo and I thought you had green eyes.”
“Green eyes!” exclaimed Rani. “My eyes are brown!”
“I know,” said Bob. “But at the time, they seemed green to me. Your eyes caught my attention. So I picked you.”
Rani wanted to know more about Bob. What he did for a living and how he ended up in Mumbai...
Bob proceeded to tell Rani his story. He had come to Mumbai to meet a girl called Diana. He had intended to marry her but it had not worked out.
“So you came all the way from America down here on a wild goose chase?!” said Rani incredulously.
Her heart went out to him in sympathy. “You don’t know anyone here, do you?” she said. “You are a perfect stranger in this land and have nobody to help you get around!”
He looked like a nice guy. There was a simplicity about him. He was nothing complicated. He also wasn’t anything like the American men she saw in Hollywood movies. He wasn’t sly nor cunning. She could also tell that he was not quick-witted or possess great manly skills to charm a woman.
On the contrary, she realized with great amusement, it was she who was trying to entertain him! That wasn’t a problem for Rani. Her wit never failed her.
They both enjoyed their lunch together.
Rani knew it would be soon time for her to go home. But she didn’t like the idea of not seeing Bob again. She wanted to be of some help to him.
“I know you don’t have any friends here,” she began. “You are more than welcome to come and visit me if you like.”
Bob showed interest. “I don’t know if you will be able to get there,” she said. “I’m not sure if you know how to travel around in these local trains. You would have to travel across to the Central Railway line and then catch a train that comes to the station where I live.”
Rani got out a piece of paper, drew a map with directions and handed it to him.
“When would you like to pay us a visit?” she asked.
“I’ll come tomorrow,” he said.
“Okay, tomorrow then. I’ll be waiting for you at the platform.”
They left Mc Donald’s and headed toward the railway station. They boarded a train that went to Dadar. Here they both got off. They had to part ways here. Rani had enjoyed herself much that day. And she liked Bob. Of course, not to marry him. She was going to marry Dennis. Still, Bob was a nice person. It didn’t hurt to have him as a friend. And she thought her family members would like to get to know him too.
They said their good byes and Rani went on her way back home.
Her thoughts were full of the day’s events and Rani wondered about the next day..... would Bob really come to visit her? Would he be able to board the right train?
She hoped he would.
…........ to be continued.
It is pointless to watch other people's houses crumbling when our own house is in need of repair and attention.
There was excitement in the air that morning. Rani had informed her family members of her meeting with Bob. He was going to be paying them a visit that day. Her sisters and brother went with her to the railway station to wait for Bob’s arrival.
He was late.
“Are you sure you gave him the proper directions? He knows where to get off and which train to catch?” her brother enquired.
“Yes, I wrote down all the directions on a piece of paper, step by step instructions...” responded Rani.
As the seconds ticked by, Rani wondered if Bob was really going to come. A sense of disappointment was about to fill her when suddenly her brother exclaimed, “Wait! I see him!”
There was no mistaking that curly black hair and the tall figure towering above the heads of men who had just got off from the local train that had arrived.
It was a thrilling and novel experience. Someone from America coming to visit Rani’s family. Someone who looked a bit like Will Smith.
People looked at Bob with greatest curiosity. It wasn’t everyday they saw American strangers walking around on the railway platform.
Rani’s parents were home and Bob received a warm welcome.
Rani’s mother went about instantly to fix lunch. She was going to prepare a special dish. Chicken rice, Singapore style.
Rani hoped that Bob would like one of her sisters. But Bob didn’t particularly seem interested in talking to them. They didn’t interest him at all.
Her sisters gave Rani the hint that Bob wished to speak to her. So Rani took Bob to the balcony. They sat down and made themselves comfortable. And they began to talk.
Rani hadn’t bothered to make herself look nice for Bob. She had on plain clothes and no make up. But Bob didn’t care. He had made up his mind. He was convinced that Rani was the woman he had been waiting for all his life.
Rani found Bob to be very interesting. There were some things she learnt that really amazed her. It was Bob’s journey in search of a wife. It had started ten years ago!
“Ten years!” she exclaimed. There was no mistaking the honesty in his voice. That, and the fact that he was a deeply religious man, judging from the Bible he carried with him.
Rani wanted to know about his beliefs. When he told her, she was impressed. Very impressed indeed.....particularly with the fact that he had spent the best years of his youth in abstinence, keeping himself chaste for just one woman! Whoever had heard of such a thing so fantastic as that?! And how amazing too, that he should come from a country that was notorious for promiscuity!
Still, the thought of marrying Bob didn’t strike Rani. She had simply made a friend..... a really nice friend.
Therefore she was quite shocked when Bob proposed to her out of the blue.
“Will you marry me?” he asked.
“Of course not!” blurted Rani. “How can I marry you?! I hardly know you! I just met you yesterday!!”
She then proceeded to tell Bob of the reason why she was in Mumbai. She had come to meet a man named Dennis. And that was the man she was going to marry.
There was an awkward silence after that.
Rani’s mother announced that lunch was ready.
They had lunch and the day passed by quickly.
It was then time for Bob to say good bye and return to his hotel before it got too late in the night.
“Why don’t you come tomorrow too.... that is if you don’t have any other plans?” said Rani.
“I will,” said Bob.
“You know how to get here now, right?”
“Yes, I’ll be seeing you tomorrow.”
“Good night!”
“Good night!”
….................. to be continued.
Last edited by Flame of Hope; 06-05-2011 at 03:13 AM.
It is pointless to watch other people's houses crumbling when our own house is in need of repair and attention.
Is that why you married him? because he is an American?
And because he is 6ft tall?
Since when does hieght really matter?
id have to ask you a question- so if you husband wasnt a 6ft tall man and didnt make you feel like little beautiful thing you wouldnt have married him? sorry but thats the impression ive got.
I think it's Flame wish. You can't question her. Not only her, but anybody, they have all the rights to pick their spouse of their desire, whether religious, good-looking, healthy or wealthy.
As far as I know Flame, she's strongly against prejudice and stereotype.
Last edited by peace_maker; 06-05-2011 at 03:21 PM.
The truth is clear and what is phony is clear. I chose this method of telling the story instead of just giving bare, plain facts.
I completely agree with you. I know everything you described about Rani and Bob are true. I enjoyed that part very much too. I was only saying that the heaven is absolutely not imaginable, it's beyond our thoughts. Nevermind, I didn't mean to criticize, if you understand.
Now! Let's get to the latest update...
Comment on part V- I loved the green eyes part.
Comment on part VI- Cool! I mean, mashaallah. He looks like Will Smith!
I think it's Flame wish. You can't question her. Not only her, but anybody, they have all the rights to pick their spouse of their desire, whether religious, good-looking, healthy or wealthy.
As far as I know Flame, she's strongly against prejudice and stereotype.
Salam sis
I totally agree with that, besides anyone can choose based on their looks, not just the attitude since nowadays there are too many fake people, trying to be kind & all,
We cnt go inside one's intention and besides Drug users, killers etc can be very opposite if Allah wills.
As for me, westerns have less appeal in my eyes,
but i would twist my head to an Arab men & women (during my teenage, now im getting old, 25 & retired lool)
& alhamdollelah Allah bless me with one, one with goood look and best at heart, my husband who got mad at me once in 5 years, always very patient!!!.... (a big shout out to my sweetheartt!!! can I do that???? this thread spreads lots of luuvv!!! suweeet )
Last edited by Riana17; 06-05-2011 at 04:59 PM.
The HIGHEST accomplishment I can achieve in this worldly life is to be a TRUE MUSLIM. (me)
It seems there is too much idle speech going on in this thread, especially between opposite genders. We must remember to keep our posts focused - comment on the story if you wish, but beyond that there is a limit that should be observed. I will re-check the thread to see if some posts need deleting.
Another very important reminder is, for all those reading a real-life story like this, please remember to mention Allaah (swt)'s Name when you see something that you like, as this is the teaching in Islam to prevent evil afflicting the other person. So say things like 'Masha'Allaah', 'May Allaah bless you' and so on.
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