Not lost

Dear Lord,
I'd thought I'd forgotten you
But you pulled me back
You pulled me back
Dear lord,
I'd thought you' forgotten me
I was blinded
By worldly deities
Dear Lord,
I thought I was angry with you
But you treated me with love
Dear Lord I cursed the rain, and the struggles, and the heartaches of life
But you showed me mercy
You showed me compassion
Dear Lord,
I'd forgotten the little things
Which where not little at all
I turned my face from you
I'd given up on you
I thought I could make it through
But I was a liar
And I found out all to soon
That their was no good that could come without you
Oh Shaitan, how he called himself my friend?
Oh my whims and desires that begged me to go off
Without a care in the world I strayed
But this world laughed at me
Laughed at me!
They call me in only to laugh at me
Made me their slave only to laugh at me
And still the whispers stayed in my mind
allah ...........allah ...................allah
Until it became louder
Allah ..........Allah .........................Allah
Then it screamed at me
ALLAH ....................ALLAH ......................ALLAH!
Was it you? my conscious? my soul?
I could not bear it
I came running back
Without a care
Leaving possessions behind
I found you once again
And found that you had never lost me
And found that the highest ranking I could ever be
Was to bow my face in the dirt as your slave for eternity

 Poetry :  bint Yusuf

"The Guiding Friends"

Do they not then look up to heaven above them how We have made it and adorned it and it has no gaps?

1 Qaf. I swear by the glorious Quran (that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah)
2 Nay! they wonder that there has come to them a warner from among themselves, so the unbelievers say: This is a wonderful thing:
3 What! when we are dead and have become dust? That is afar (from probable) return.
4 We know indeed what the earth diminishes of them, and with Us is a writing that preserves.
5 Nay, they rejected the truth when it came to them, so they are (now) in a state of confusion.
6 Do they not then look up to heaven above them how We have made it and adorned it and it has no gaps?
7 And the earth, We have made it plain and cast in it mountains and We have made to grow therein of all beautiful kinds,
8 To give sight and as a reminder to every servant who turns frequently (to Allah).
9 And We send down from the cloud water abounding in good, then We cause to grow thereby gardens and the grain that is reaped,
10 And the tall palm-trees having spadices closely set one above another,
11 A sustenance for the servants, and We give life thereby to a dead land; thus is the rising.
12 (Others) before them rejected (prophets): the people of Nuh and the dwellers of Ar-Rass and Samood,
13 And Ad and Firon and Lut's brethren,
14 And the dwellers of the grove and the people of Tuba; all rejected the messengers, so My threat came to pass.
15 Were We then fatigued with the first creation? Yet are they in doubt with regard to a new creation.
16 And certainly We created man, and We know what his mind suggests to him, and We are nearer to him than his life-vein.
17 When the two receivers receive, sitting on the right and on the left.
18 He utters not a word but there is by him a watcher at hand.
19 And the stupor of death will come in truth; that is what you were trying to escape.
20 And the trumpet shall be blown; that is the day of the threatening.
21 And every soul shall come, with it a driver and a witness.
22 Certainly you were heedless of it, but now We have removed from you your veil, so your sight today is sharp.
23 And his companions shall say: This is what is ready with me.
24 Do cast into hell every ungrateful, rebellious one,
25 Forbidder of good, exceeder of limits, doubter,
26 Who sets up another god with Allah, so do cast him into severe chastisement.
27 His companion will say: Our Lord! I did not lead him into inordinacy but he himself was in a great error.
28 He will say: Do not quarrel in My presence, and indeed I gave you the threatening beforehand:
29 My word shall not be changed, nor am I in the least unjust to the servants.
30 On the day that We will say to hell: Are you filled up? And it will say: Are there any more?
31 And the garden shall be brought near to those who guard (against evil), not far off:
32 This is what you were promised, (it is) for every one who turns frequently (to Allah), keeps (His limits);
33 Who fears the Beneficent Allah in secret and comes with a penitent heart:
34 Enter it in peace, that is the day of abiding.
35 They have therein what they wish and with Us is more yet. 

 [The Holy Quran, Surah: Qaf]

Praisest Thee

Oh dear God

My love to thee who is the merciful and kind indeed
Fair and mighty he judge us by deed
Not my color does he care
Or the texture of my hair
It is not the shoes I wear
Nor the language which I speak
For he judge me by my deed

He created one man so long ago
And taught him the knowledge from himself
Bow to Adam so he said
But the Jinn stood tall and proud
And before his lord refused to bow
The Jinn was ungrateful arrogantly so
And fell from grace
To be abhorred


But quietly not he left he promised to make mischief in the land
And behind our ears he whispers thought
But never take our hand in action
We make the choice to follow true
Or fall to lies and pay our due

The righteous shall do whats right
The wrong shall be punished with great might
They well ask for second chance
But will be granted nothing of the sort

The prophets came to them indeed
So why not follow them in heed
To love thy lord what makes you not
Is it that you just forgot


 














The blessing are abundant so
The food we eat the plants we grow
The children we have
The friends we love
His glory be in what we know

The little things both good and bad
Show you all you need to know
To give you chance
To repent your soul

Frolic upon beauty so bright
But only if thee do what right
Though the pressure great and strong
T’was what call them to stray away

Darkest nights
And brightest sun
All create by the one
The grass that grows
The trees that shade
Should cause man to stop and think

Not one could cause a plant to grow
Though the think they causest so
But if it be that you are

Then try to give the blind man sight

Or try to stop a human death
Or try to go right when he command you left
Control the time with your hand
Make food grow upon destitute land

Then ye know the truth indeed
Understand the will of God
None is better then our lord
He is better to be adored

Upon my rest
I’ll think of thee
The one you save me from my self
The one who strengthens me with health
You rest me down to sleep
And bring me live from the dead

Please lord bless me one more night
To forbid what’s wrong
And do what’s right
So I be among heaven sent
And not among the burning dead

Poetry:  Bint Yusuf

Photos: Ibn Hanif

"The Voice of Nature " consented to share the Islamic poetry of sister: bint Yusuf

Insha-Allah, the Islamic poems of sister bint Yusuf will be shared on "The Voice of Nature". The poems have already been published on the blog "The Guiding Friends".
I hope that the followers and the visitors of this blog will get inspiration from her thoughtful and moving poems. Alhamdullah, I have been consented to publish her poems here but if someone else wishes to publish the poems please inform sister bint Yusuf and get her permission using the contact me page at her blog : www.GuidingFriends.com

May Allah accept her efforts and give her the great reward, ameen.

Ibn Hanif

"And the Sun Runs on to a Term Appointed for it; That is the Ordinance of the Mighty, the Knowing. .."

33 And a sign to them is the dead earth: We give life to it and bring forth from it grain So they eat of it.

 34 And We make therein gardens of palms and grapevines and We make springs to flow forth in it,

35 That they may eat of the fruit thereof, and their hands did not make it; will they not then be grateful?

36 Glory be to Him Who created pairs of all things, of what the earth grows, and of their kind and of what they do not know.

37 And a sign to them is the night: We draw forth from it the day, then lo! they are in the dark;

38 And the sun runs on to a term appointed for it; that is the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knowing.

39 And (as for) the moon, We have ordained for it stages till it becomes again as an old dry palm branch.

40 Neither is it allowable to the sun that it should overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day; and all float on in a sphere.

Translation of the holy Quran , Chapter : Yaseen ,Verses 33-40

Photograph: Ibn Hanif

I WONDER

I  WONDER

 If The Prophet Muhammad visited you,
Just for a day or two.
If he came unexpectedly,
I wonder what you'd do.
Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room,
To such an honored guest,
And all the food you'd serve to him,
Would be your very best,
And you would keep assuring him,
you're glad to have him there,
That serving him in your home,
Is a joy beyond compare.
BUT ...
When you see him coming,
Would you meet him at the door,
With arms outstretched in welcome,
To your visitor?
OR ...
Would you have to change your clothes
Before you let him in ?
Or hide some magazines
And put the Quran where they had been ?
Would you still watch R-rated movies,
On your TV set ?
Or would you rush to switch it off,
Before He gets upset ?
Would you turn off the radio,
And hope He hadn't heard ?
And wish you hadn't uttered,
That last loud, hasty word ?
Would you hide away your music,
And instead take Hadith books out ?
Could you let him walk right in,
or would you rush about ?
AND, I wonder ...
If the Prophet spent A day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing
The things you always do ?
Would you go right on saying
The things you always say ?
Would life for you continue
As it does from day to day ?
Would your family conversation
Keep up its usual pace ?
And would you find it hard each meal
To say a table grace ?
Would you keep up each every prayer
Without putting on a frown ?
And would you always jump up early
For prayers at dawn ?
Would you sing the songs you always sing
And read the books you read ?
And let him know the things on which
your mind and spirit feed ?
Would you take the prophet with you
Everywhere you plan to go ?
Or, would you, maybe, change your plans,
Just for a day or so ?
Would you be glad to have him meet
your very closest friends?
Or, would you hope they'd stay away
Until his visit ends?
Would you be glad to have him stay
Forever on and on?
OR ...
Would you sigh with great relief,
When he at last was gone ?
It might be interesting to know
The things that you would do
If the Prophet Muhammad, in person,
came to spend some time with you.


http://www.themodernreligion.com/poetry/poetry_index2.htm

Photos of Abraj Al-Bait (Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower)

"The Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, is a building complex in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The complex holds several world records, including the tallest hotel in the world, the tallest clock tower in the world, the world's largest clock face,and the world's largest building floor area. The complex's hotel tower became the second tallest building in the world in 2011, surpassed only by Dubai's Burj Khalifa. The building complex is meters away from the world's largest mosque and Islam's most sacred site, the Masjid al Haram. The developer and contractor of the complex is the Saudi Binladin Group, the Kingdom's largest construction company." 

Read more at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraj_Al_Bait

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_hotels_in_the_world

Please click the photos to see them in larger size.

   

Abraj Al-Bait 

 

Abraj Al-Bait (Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower)

Photos : Ibn Hanif

Photos of Minarets of Al Masjid Al Haram

There are eleven minarets  in Masjid Al Haram (including the two under construction Minarets ). Some of them can be clearly seen in these photos.

Please click to enlarge.

 Notes about 3rd Photograph:  (center) Two Minarets over the King Fahad Gate of Masjid Al Haram

(Right) Minaret  over the King Abdul Aziz Gate of Masjid Al Haram

(Left)  Two Minarets over "Al Umrah" Gate of Masjid Al Haram

Minarets over King Abdul Aziz gate

 two under construction minarets

Minarets over King Abdul Aziz gate (with moon in the center)




Right: Minarets over "Al Umrah" gate
Center: Minarets over King Fahad gate

Left: Minarets over King Abdul Aziz gate

[Note : The photos are "Copyright Free" therefore all Muslims are encouraged to use them on Islamic sites, Books, Magazines etc.  If appropriate please don't remove the words "Courtesy: VoiceofNature.Net". For those who need the photos without watermark please use the contact me form to get the photos free of charge.](Photographs by Ibn Hanif )

رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ العَلِيمُ

"The example of the birth of Isah ( Jesus) in the sight of Allah is like the example of Adam......"

There came the time when angels said: "O Mary! Surely Allah has exalted you purified you, and preferred you for His service over all the women of the worlds.[42] O Mary! Be obedient to your Lord, prostrate and bow down in worship with other worshipers."[43]

O Muhammad, this is the news from the Unseen which We are revealing to you. You were not present with them when priests of the temple cast their pens to decide which of them should be the guardian of Mary; nor were you with them when they argued about it.


When the angels said "O Mary! Allah gives you the good news with a Word from Him that you will be given a son: his name will be Messiah, Jesus (Jesus Christ) the son of Mary. He will be noble in this world and the Hereafter; and he will be from those who are very close to Allah. [45] He will speak to the people in the cradle and in his old age and he will be among the righteous."[46]
Hearing this, Mary said, "O my Lord! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" He replied, "Even so, Allah creates however He wants; whenever He decides to do anything, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is![47]

Allah will teach your son the Book, the Wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel[48] and send him forth as a Messenger to the Children of Israel with this message: 'I have brought you signs of my appointment from your Lord. I will make for you the likeness of a bird from clay; I will breathe into it and, with Allah’s leave, it will become a living bird. I will heal the blind and the lepers, and raise the dead to life, by Allah's leave.

Furthermore, I will tell you what you have eaten and what you have stored in your houses. Surely these are the signs to convince you if you are believers.[49] I am appointed to confirm that which is before me from the Torah and to make lawful to you some of the things forbidden to you. Now I have brought you the signs from your Lord, therefore fear Allah and obey me.[50]

In fact, Allah is my Lord as well as your Lord, therefore, worship Him; this is the Right Way.'"[51]

When Jesus found out that they (most of the children of Israel) had no faith, he asked: "Who will help me in the cause of Allah?" The Disciples replied: "We will help you in the cause of Allah. We believe in Allah. Be our witness that we are
Muslims."[52]



Then they invoked Allah and said): "Our Lord! We believe in what you have revealed and we follow Your Messenger. Please count us with those who bear witness."[53]


The unbelievers among the children of Israel plotted against Jesus and Allah also devised a plan to raise him up, and Allah is the best in planning.[54] Allah said: "O Jesus! I am going to recall you (from your mission) and raise you up to Myself. I will clean you of those who rejected you and exalt your followers above the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return and I shall judge those matters in which you have been disputing.[55] Those who are unbelievers will be punished with severe punishment in this world and the Hereafter; they shall have no helpers.[56] As for those who believe and do good deeds, Allah will pay them their full reward. Allah does not love the transgressors."


This revelation which We recite to you is full of signs and wise reminders.[58] In fact, the example of the birth of Jesus ( Jesus) in the sight of Allah is like the example of Adam who had no father and mother, whom He created out of dust, then said to him:
"Be" and he was.[59] This is the Truth from your Lord, therefore, do not be of those who doubt it.[60]



If anyone disputes with you concerning this matter (the birth of Jesus) after full knowledge has come to you, say: "Come! Let us gather our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: then let us earnestly pray and invoke the curse of Allah on the liars."[61] Verily this is the absolute true explanation. The fact of the matter is, that there is no god but Allah; and for sure Allah is the Mighty, the Wise.[62] But if they turn away from accepting this challenge, it will be clear proof of their mischief and Allah has full knowledge of
mischief-mongers.[63]



Say: "O people of the Book! Let us get together on what is common between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah; that we shall not associate any partners with Him; that we shall not take from among ourselves any lords beside Allah." If they reject your invitation then tell them: "Bear witness that we are Muslims (who have surrendered to Allah)."[64]




Chapter : A'LAY IMRAN (THE HOUSE OF IMRAN),
The Holy Quran

Jesus declared, "Verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord: therefore serve Him. This is the Right Way."

"O Muhammad, relate to them the story of Maryam (Mary) in the Book (The Qur'an) when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East.[16] She chose to be secluded from them. We sent to her Our angel and he appeared before her as a grown man.[17]

She said: "I seek Rahman’s (Allah’s) protection against you, leave me alone if you are Godfearing."[18] He said: "Don’t be afraid, I am merely a messenger from your
Lord to tell you about the gift of a holy son."[19]


She said: "How shall I bear a son, no man has ever touched me nor am I unchaste?"[20] The angel replied: "So shall it be- Your Lord says: `It is easy for Me. We wish to make him a Sign for mankind and a blessing from Us’ - and this matter has already been decreed."[21]


So she conceived the child and she retired with him to a remote place.[22] The pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree. She cried in her anguish: "Ah! Would that I had died before this, and been long forgotten!"[23]


An angel from beneath the palm-tree consoled her, saying: "Do not grieve! Your Lord has provided a brook at your feet.[24] If you shake the trunk of this palm-tree, it will drop fresh ripe dates in your lap.[25]


So eat, drink and refresh yourself. If you see anyone, tell him: `I have vowed a fast to Rahman (Allah), so I will not speak to anyone today’."[26] Carrying the baby, she came back to her people. They said: "O Mary! You have brought something hard to believe![27]


O sister (a woman from the noble family) of Haroon! Your father was not a bad man nor your mother an unchaste woman."[28] In response she merely pointed towards the baby. They said: ."How can we talk to a babe in the cradle?".[29]


Whereupon the baby spoke out: ."I am indeed a servant of Allah. He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet.[30] His blessing is with me wherever I go. He has commanded me to establish Salah and give Zakah as long as I shall live.[31]


He has exhorted me to honor my mother and has not made me domineering, hard to deal with.[32] Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I shall die and the Day I shall be raised to life again."[33]

Such was Jesus the son of Mary, and this is the True statement about him concerning which they are in doubt.[34] It is not befitting to the majesty of Allah that He Himself should beget a son! He is far above this; for when He decrees a matter He need only say: "Be" and it is.[35].


Jesus declared, Verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord: therefore serve Him. This is the Right Way."36

Chapter: Maryam (MARY)
Verses :16-36
The Holy Quran
www.guidingfriends.com

A promise to the foremost

And those Foremost (in Faith) will be Foremost (in the Hereafter). (10) 

These will be those Nearest to Allah: (11) 

In Gardens of Bliss: (12) A number of people from those of old (13) 

And a few from those of later times. (14) 

(They will be) on Thrones encrusted (with gold and precious stones). (15) 

Reclining on them facing each other. (16) 

Round about them will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness). (17) 

With goblets, (shining) beakers, and cups (filled) out of clear-flowing fountains: (18) 

No after-ache will they receive therefrom, nor will they suffer intoxication: (19) 

And with fruits, any that they may select; (20) 

And the flesh of fowls, any that they may desire. (21) 

And (there will be) Companions with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes-- (22) 

Like unto Pearls well-guarded. (23) A Reward for the Deeds of their past (Life). (24) 

No frivolity will they hear therein, nor any taint of ill― (25) 

Only the saying "Peace! Peace." (26)

[The Holy Quran, Chapter: 56]

Related info also available  here 

A promise to the foremost

"Tell My servants that I am the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful"

"Tell My servants that I am the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful"

 15:49

 (The Verse of  the Koran is embroidered  in gold thread on the Hateem side of the holy Kaaba.)

 

The view of the Holy Kaaba from Hateem side.

Photos:  Ibn Hanif

Photos Showing the Under Construction Area of Masjid-al-Haram

Photos:  Ibn Hanif

A few more photos of Masjid Al Haram (The Holy Kabah)

Minarets over  King Abdul Aziz Gate

  The Holy Kabah (View from Hateem Side)

View from  Maqam-e-Ibraheem side.

Photos captured by :  Ibn Hanif