Bismillah, I start my journey back home
In the name of Allah
It has been a long time since I read "The Book" in the way it was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ when he was in Hira, and Jibra’el came with the first revelation …
Upon hearing these words, Our Beloved Prophet ﷺ said this, according to the Hadith in Bukhari
… The Prophet ﷺ added, "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon, he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, 'I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?' Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, 'Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists) has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous." (96.1, 96.2, 96.3)
Then Allah's Apostle ﷺ returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over, and after that, they told her everything that had happened and said, "I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your Kith and kin, help the poor, serve your guests generously, and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones."
The complete Hadith offers more insights and can be read here
But, I want to highlight some words here that speak directly to me, “You keep good relations with your Kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously, and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones.” Truly, this is Islam. When we submit our will to Allah, the first step towards embracing the beautiful teachings of Islam is to have a soft heart. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had a heart that was already soft and receptive, like a fertile soil ready to receive rain and produce fruit. The Quran is the rain that can soften our hearts and bring them to light, but we must first cultivate a soft heart through the actions described above.
I am writing this for myself, but I am posting it online because it helps me stay on track. I am not sure if I will be able to follow through, but I am making another attempt to go back home. I wrestle with my thoughts, remembering the words of Surah Takathur …
There are many translations of this ayah, but to me, it speaks like this: You (Ali) lost the focus of your life ( focusing on other than your Rabb, the same Rabb that commands you to read, just like he commanded Muhammad ﷺ) because of the multitude of options, distractions …
To get back … the first thing I have to do is READ …
Signing off for today.
Ali