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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Heart Warming Stories. |
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| Maliha |
| 05/20/03 at 09:08:24 |
| [slm] Yesterday Barrella and I were talking, and i told her a funny story about something that happened to me. Her comment made me think of starting this thread, she said "Wow! there are friendly people in America" :-/ Okay that's a rough paraphrase of what she said. Then we got into this conversation how the things that we share are always the negative experiences because: a) They are more sensational! :-X b) They are the ones we tend to remember...over the boring everday niceness of people. So I thought it would be cool to start this thread where we can share little heart warming stories that happen to us everday :-* That passing smile, that nice compliment, that sweet gesture, or even that little baby that grins at you and melts your heart in the process :-* So, let the stories roll.... I gotta think of one myself.... :P Sis, Maliha :-) [wlm] |
| 05/20/03 at 09:09:05 |
| Maliha |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| theOriginal |
| 05/20/03 at 09:46:30 |
| [slm] Okay....I have so many....sometimes they make me want to cry...but we'll do this one at a time... Once, I was running to catch the subway. This was one of those "Oh man I was slacking off, and now I might miss this subway, and if I miss this train, I'll miss my express bus, which means I'll get home in 2.5 hours instead of 1.75 hours, which means I won't have enough time to finish my econometrics assignment, which means I'll have to copy it off this brother tomorrow morning, and i just copied the IO assignment off of him, and mannnnnnnnnnnnnnn I don't wanna do that again!!!!!!!!!!!!!" And so, there I was, running like it was the end of the world. I could hear the subway chimes, which signal the doors opening to let people off, and it was at that time of day when only old or drunk people use the subways, so people were just standing on the escalators. I guess they couldn't read the "STAND RIGHT WALK LEFT" sign that is on every escalator, every 20 centimeters. So I made a judgement call... threw my backpack off the side, and then I jumped. (Yeah I jumped...I know I know..."Haya"...don't say it.) In a split second, I heard the chimes that signal the door closing, and I picked up my now-battered backpack and threw it inside the subway. (LOL...Exam Stress can make you do anything). There was this very young couple (they were like 15 yrs old) standing there watching all of this in amusement. Anyway, needless to say, I didn't quite make it inside the subway. The couple saw the doors closing, and each of them grabbed one door, and started pushing it with all their weight, just so that I wouldn't be left outside without my bag. It was really very funny. Despite their efforts, the door closed on half of me, and 2 of my limbs were still dangling outside the door. In the end, the conductor had to reopen the doors so that all of me could get inside. The funniest thing was that because of me, people who were standing BEHIND me on the escalators were also able to make it on that train. Anyway, after I caught my breath, I thanked the couple profusely over and over again. Even though they were very nice, they must have a weird image of hijaabis in their head now. I'm sorry, ladies. Wasalaam. |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| sofia |
| 05/20/03 at 12:51:00 |
| As-salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah, Awesome thread idea. All help comes from Allah, and in a variety of ways, mashaa'Allah. [I'm still laughing at JustOne's story] I've told this story many times (maybe even here), but here it goes: I'm somewhat of a frequent flyer (usually not anywhere more exciting than from MD to Albany). My first flight after 9/11/01 was like a week or two afterwards. I had never been nervous about flying before, but this particular flight, I was more worried about being harrassed/searched than anything else. Alhamdulillah, didn't have any problems checking in, so I was in the airport lobby waiting, when I notice this older man kept looking over and smiling. Eventually, we all line up at the gate. The old man made sure to stand right next to me, and proceeded to tell me who he was, where he was going, about his family, etc etc. On and on. I put in a few words here and there, mainly thinking, "Cool, dawah opp," but also b/c he seemed like a nice old man (had he been a younger guy, I woulda been waaay more uncomfortable). As we boarded the plane, he said: "I'm going to sit near you so no one bothers you." Awwwww. Granted, there was barely anyone on the plane (ppl still too scared to fly at this time, remember), I was taller than him (altho still a wimp, I know, Saadia), and I've never been bothered at an airport before (alhamdulillah) -- he still made it a point to be my "bodyguard" on the flight. Funny thing is, we never once discussed politics, nor did he ask me any personal questions. In fact, he admitted his lack of knowledge on other cultures/religions, and just seemed genuinely sympathetic towards others by nature (I'm guessing he was a regular blue-collar Joe, but obviously not a bigot). After we got off the plane, he noticed something I rarely do and said: "You know, people keep staring at you, and I don't like it," and for the first time, his smile fell off his face. [Btw--most people stare out of curiosity, not hatred, so use it to your advantage]. We must have looked pretty funny: an old white guy and a hijaabi/jilbaabi girl coming off the plane, chatting away. So I tried to make him feel better, but I think he got a crash-course-walk-on-the-other-side coming out of the plane with me, if only for a few minutes. One other story that's pretty recent, but also at the airport: I was waiting for my baggage when I notice this cute lil kid with big glasses looking up at me and asking his slightly older sister: "Is she a princess?" That one was hilarious; I must have seemed odd to him with all my layers. I pretended not to hear him, otherwise would have cracked up in this poor child's face. I think his sister did that for him, though (and no, I do not dress like a princess, in fact, I keep getting yelled at by friends not to wear black at airports. I still do, at times). Mashaa'Allah, cute lil kid. I usually scare them away. :) Too many other stories to relate (since it's kind of like asking for stories about good/bad Muslims; of course they exist! but still a good topic). That first one just sticks out in my mind. |
| 05/23/03 at 10:47:39 |
| sofia |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| Anonymous |
| 05/22/03 at 01:16:20 |
| This is for the post in the Tree of Hope but this forum doesn't show up on Anon posting. Can you please put it in ***************************************************** This is Caraj I actually have two stories. #1) As a single Mom I was always was busy and one of my sons (the oldest) who was about 6 or 7 at the time, he and I were not close and it was an awful burden on my heart. My aunt had driven us to church and they were praying for needs. I tears I privately prayed, telling God I was so sorry for my short comings, asking forgiveness and help to be a better mother. I was in tears.I asked that he help my little son and I get closer. Later after church on the way to the car in the parking lot out of the blue (sort to speak) my son held my hand and looked up at me and said, "Mommy can I sit next to you on the way home? With a very thankful and joyous heart I looked to the sky and said, thank you. #2) I was always taught don't give money to beggers, buy the food or the need so for them as to make sure the money was not spent on tabacco or drink. One day this old man asked me for money so he can get something to eat. I started to walk away when in my heart I was told to stop and help. (I was in a hurry to catch a bus) So I went in a resturant and bough him breakfast and proceeded to the bus stop, about a block short of the bus stop I saw the bus coming and then going before I could get to it. I was so mad (in my younger day I got mad easily) I actually cursed at myself for taking the time to get this man something to eat and therefore missing my bus, sulking, thinking I would have to now wait another hour in the hot Florida sun, maybe 5 minutes later, here comes my bus!!!!! The other was a different bus I just couldn't see the bus numbers and assumed it was mine. Talk about feeling like ashamed and like a fool. When we do his will, he looks out for us. I sure owed a big apology to the Lord. A BIG ONE!!!!!!!!!! We are always looked out for, I learned then I lacked faith. I learned I was selfish, after all if I had to have waited another hour, that was much less a problem than going hungry. Salaam |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| Maliha |
| 05/22/03 at 08:43:56 |
| [slm] awwww...*sniff* your stories are so beautiful :-* Justone you had me rolling :-/ I just thought of one not too sensational or funny, but it really touched me deeply. It was the Friday right after 9/11 (which was on a tuesday right?). So I was on the phone talking to a couple of sisters, who were too scared to go to the Masjid for Jumuah for fear of hate crimes or reppercussions from the wider community. I tried to talk them into it, and actually wavered myself, but thought "dude, if I am meant to die today I would rather do so in a Masjid worshipping Allah". So I went there praying softly to myself. As I approached the Masjid parking lot, it was eerily empty. I guess a lot of people had similar thoughts. Then I saw a couple of Non Muslims standing at the edge of the Parking lot with signs. My heart sank. "Oh great, they prolly are telling us to go home ::) " But there was something strange about them. As I approached closer, I noticed they were actually smiling and not only holding up signs but flowers and candles ??? I approached a bit cautiously at first, and then my heart simply gave way to tears. The signs they carried said "WE SUPPORT OUR MUSLIM NEIGHBORS" and others were like "FROM YOUR NON MUSLIM NEIGHBORS WITH LOVE AND PEACE" :-* They came to guard our Masjid from any hate crimes. For the next couple of weeks our center was flooded with flowers, concern mail, cards and people who came to show their support. We were also flooded with requests to go speak about Islam, candle light vigils were held, interfaith seminars, and people reached out to each other in ways we never even conceived of before. For each week after that, we invariably had one or two Non Muslims gingerly walking into the Masjid, asking to take the Shahada. Subhana Allah :'( Sis, Maliha :-) [wlm] |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| salaampeaceshalom |
| 05/22/03 at 10:08:51 |
| [slm] wow, sis Maliha, your story tops them all so far! Subhan'Allaah that's really good. I've had quite a lot, but u kw, I can't think of any right now!! I've been racking my brains and nothing's popping in to mind straightaway. Oh well, until anything does pop in to mind, [wlm] :) |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| Nomi |
| 05/26/03 at 07:10:25 |
| [slm] [quote] For each week after that, we invariably had one or two Non Muslims gingerly walking into the Masjid, asking to take the Shahada. [/quote] Allah-o-Akbar He it is Who sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religion. And Allah sufficeth as a witness. Al-Fath, verse 28 |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| nouha |
| 05/26/03 at 17:44:44 |
| [slm] maliha..... that made me cry...... soooo beauiful mashallah :-*, heres one on da house.... [] heres my story... i was on the bus from albany to boston with one of my freinds, she got off at boston(to her family) while i had to swtich buses to continue my trip to new hampshire to visit a friend. unfortunetly when we got to boston, the bus i needed to catch right away had just left.... and the next one was in three hours. i told my freind she didnt have to wait with me, to go back to her family whom she didnt see for a long time. so there i was waiting for three hours, when a muslim person who worked at the bus station recognized me as being muslim (alhumdulilah for hijab) and asked me where i was going. when i told him, he said i was waiting at the wrong place, and he made the effort to run to the bus and tell them to wait AND let me get on for free ..... :) alhumdulilah for nice ppl, if it wasnt for him i wouldve missed the last bus trip to New Hampshire..and had to pay :P ...and Allahu Alim after that. wasalam nouha:) |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| nouha |
| 05/26/03 at 17:48:07 |
| salam... looking back at my post... i dont know why it says subhanalah in the middle of my scentence.. it was supposed to say switch buses..... its ok.... dhikr of Allah (SWT) while thinking up stories... its a good thing ;) wasalam nouha:) |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| Maliha |
| 05/29/03 at 09:10:25 |
| [slm] where are the brother's stories??? No one has good memories of others? wuss going on? i thought this joint will be rocking by now :( ah well... sabrun jameel 8) Sis, Maliha :-) [wlm] |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| bhaloo |
| 05/29/03 at 09:34:44 |
| [slm] That was hillarious Just One. Are you sure it wasn't all planned? ??? The jump you took, probably relied on your superior mathematical skills (you calculated at what distance you could safely jump and therefore did it), and the subway door closing on you sounds like a good opportunity for a lawsuit against the Canadian transportation system. Seems a little coincidental. :P But it was a funny story. :P [quote] where are the brother's stories [/quote] *Yikes* hmmm, ok, I don't know if this qualifies but here was an email sent to me some time back: Br. Arshad, All Praises Due your articles have touched the Brothers at KMCC in more way than one. Especially "Strength of a Man" and "Eternal Ink". Charity passes from you,to me,to all the Brothers. One of those Brothers is my husband XXXXXX. He's in prison for a crime he didn't commit and he has a Life+4 year sentence. Your articles that you send have given me much strength during this difficult time in my life. You are the only Muslim on the outside that I communicate with. You see when I joined the Mosque here,Atlanta,the Sisters tried to get me to divorce my husband because of his Life sentence. I refused and they were determined to make me. They said I needed a Wali and I told them Allah was my Wali,but that didn't stop them. They got more Sister's involved and even their husbands. So I was more or less forced out of the Mosque because they wouldn't let up. Now I stay to myself and communicate with my husband and his roomate only. I have no Sisters where I live that I can talk too. I manage a small apartment complex and my tenants are Hispanic. So that is why your articles mean a lot to me. It keps me from being totally alone with no Brothers and Sisters in Islam to help me during my times of trial and tribulations. You are the only person I have confided in about any of this. People in society don't know how difficult this is or they just don't care. I went to your friend's site,jannah.org,and she had a article written by a Muslim that was incarcerated. What he wrote was true. Muslims in society do not want to communicate with Muslim inmates. I know because I have tried to get them to write my husband to no avail. And they do not want to accept a Sister who is married to one. What I have learned about Islam I learned from my husband and from web sites,so my knowledge is limited since I don't have a lot of time to read off the Internet. I don't want to take up any more of your time,but I did want you to know that we appreciate the knowledge that you pass on to us and may Allah's Blessings be upon you for all that you have done during our time of need. That is a sign of a true Muslim and I thank you. As-Salaam Alaikum, NOTE: KMCC is a prison located in the easter part of the united states. ;========================================== |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| theOriginal |
| 05/30/03 at 04:52:10 |
| [slm] SubhanAllah... There is this brother in Toronto who deals with Muslims in prison, and everytime he comes to give a talk at our school, I end up in tears.... Some of the stories are so heartbreaking.... :'( Wasalaam. |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| Nomi |
| 06/01/03 at 23:17:15 |
| [slm] all Can i add something in here on behalf of a friend ?! .... what did u say ?... i can ... thanks ... here i go :) Naeem Butt, a friend along with his 6 other friends were on a dawah trip to meet few muslims in Canada, they parked at a rest area on the freeway for Magrib prayer, bro Naeem called the "Adhan" call for prayer, when he just started saying the Adhan a truck driver started walking towards him and by the time Adhan ended he was on him. The driver asked bro Naeem about the song he just sang !! (driver was obviously a non) as Naeem and friends were already getting late for salaah so they requested that guy to stayfor 5 minutes, so he did. After the salaah they hardly talked to that truck driver for 10 minutes, explained to him that Allah [swt] sent Muhammad [saw] as the last Messenger to Mankind with the final scripture and that they were offering one of their five daily prayers after that song (Adhan), and that driver took his shahadah... Allah -o- Akbar All of them were dressed in shalwar qameez with those caps and imamas, and no their outlook wasn't an obstacle in spreadin the message of islaam Asim Zafar PS: unfortunately i seldom wear shalwar qameez and cover my head but something inside me keeps telling me to go for that climb !! |
| A house built by faith |
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| Mohja |
| 06/03/03 at 00:32:36 |
| [i]I just came back from the volunteer meeting at the Islamic Center of Nashville and i can't tell you how excited everyone was from all the congregations to be joining hands to do something good and learn about each other in the process. This particular jewish lady was amazing, she kept saying that she had no idea we had so much in common and that she'd been reading about islam and came to learn the prophet [saw] as an amazing peace maker. Subhan'Allah. She actually wore a scarf out of respect, she was so anxious lest she offends someone. When you see people like these you can't help but be hopefull :)[/i] New Habitat project draws diverse groups [url]http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/03/05/33585002.shtml?Element_ID=33585002[/url] By BRIAN LEWIS Staff Writer Anna Sternheimer has been on the social action committee of The Temple, the Reform Jewish synagogue in Belle Meade, for decades. At 94, the native Nashvillian isn't in shape to participate with the latest project, but she came out yesterday afternoon to show her support for an upcoming Habitat for Humanity house that The Temple is going to build with two other congregations — the Belle Meade United Methodist Church and the Islamic Center of Nashville. Members of the state General Assembly and government workers also will build the house. ''I've lived a long time, and I've seen many problems in this city, and I'm glad that we're able to give back to the community in this way,'' she said. Sternheimer was one of about 150 people who came to the synagogue yesterday for a kickoff celebration for the project, including members of all three congregations and Mayor Bill Purcell, who talked about the importance of affordable housing. ''I wish everyone could have come to the front and seen what this group looked like,'' said Alan Mazer, a member of The Temple who has been instrumental in organizing the groups. ''It was humbling.'' Many noted that especially now — when many people are unsure how they feel about the Muslim community — this project, which starts next weekend, will show the importance of working with different people in the community. Imam Abdulhakim Mohamed of the Islamic Center said he always prays that people will judge other groups of people by the good they do and not by the bad. ''I'm very touched today. I pray that today is not just a kickoff, but a re-establishing of our past, because in the past people were together.'' Chris McCarthy, executive director of Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity, told the people that although Habitat is a Christian ministry, people of all faiths participate in building houses. She hopes that the work of the congregations will inspire others to volunteer with Habitat and get involved. ''This, I think, is just a phenomenal build for the times,'' she said. Just before Sept. 11, 2001, The Temple, the Methodist church and the Cathedral of the Incarnation worked on a Habitat house. Elaine Townes, a member of Belle Meade United Methodist Church who participated before, said she is excited to do it again. She made a lot of friends during the last build. For more information on Habitat for Humanity, call 254-4663. |
| 06/03/03 at 00:45:54 |
| Mohja |
| Re: Heart Warming Stories. |
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| Mohja |
| 06/06/03 at 11:31:17 |
| [i]This article reminds me of my first air trip after 9/11 i was so nervous and expecting to be searched at every airport but subhan'Allah the opposite seemed to happen. People would look at me with my hijab and just smile and be very gracious while at the same time they searched other american people, including a very *old* lady..i felt bad that they had to go through that. [/i] from the June 05, 2003 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0605/p18s02-hfes.html A Muslim family's pleasant surprise By Susan Bruening The first time we went back to the United States after Sept. 11, it was May of 2002. I was a nervous wreck, but maybe not for the reasons you'd think. I remember getting off the flight in Detroit, exhausted and impatient with my two little boys and my 5-month-old, who were equally exhausted after our 24-hour trip from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. When it was our turn to go through immigration, I walked up to the counter, terrified. I handed over five passports - four American and one Saudi, belonging to my husband. For weeks I'd been agonizing over this moment. Would they suspect him of something? Would they interrogate him? Would they lock him up somewhere? What I found on the other side of the immigration desk completely surprised me. A very kind and sympathetic immigration officer took the passports and began to inspect them. He smiled at my two older sons, Abdullah and Abdulaziz, who were lying down on our carry-on luggage, almost too tired to move. When he came to my husband's passport, he checked the visa and asked the normal questions. The whole process took less than five minutes, and then we were on our way to pick up our luggage and meet a very anxious grandmother who would drive us to Ohio. My husband left that June to return to work here in Riyadh while the boys and I enjoyed a relaxing summer with my family. During the month he was there, nothing unusual happened. We had been fearful, waiting for someone to say something to us, to confront my husband with his very Arab features. But it never happened. After all the stories we had read in the papers about harassment of Middle Easterners, we were never victims of it. Flash forward to August. I decided at the last minute to enroll Abdullah, my then-5-year-old, in the local schools. I found a preschool for 3-year-old Abdulaziz. I called the director of a Lutheran- affiliated preschool to discuss his enrollment. I was so pleased with the way she responded when I told her that Abdulaziz is Muslim. We talked about the religious instruction at the school and what would be appropriate for him. The first day of kindergarten, Abdullah was thrilled because he was going to ride the big, yellow school bus. I, on the other hand, was once again besieged with worry. Would the children think his name was funny? Would the parents of his classmates be concerned about a Saudi in the class? I had the same concerns for Abdulaziz. Would parents be afraid of us? I am happy to report that despite my fears, not only did nothing bad ever happen, but both of my sons were warmly welcomed at their schools. They attended until November, when we were scheduled to return to Riyadh. All of the teachers at the preschool were wonderful - caring, involved, and dedicated. They went above and beyond the call of duty by taking Abdulaziz out of class and assigning him the role of "helper" to one of the teachers when religious lessons were being taught that they thought might confuse him. He never felt different or excluded, just special. Abdullah loved his kindergarten class and his teacher as well, and she was instrumental in helping him to overcome his shyness. His last day of school, she presented him with a beautiful "memory book" filled with pictures and a page from each classmate that included a photo, a drawing they'd made, and the reason why he would be missed. It was obvious a lot of work had gone into preparing it. I was so touched that I cried when I found it in his book bag and opened it for the first time. He, too, was overwhelmed. He took it to bed with his flashlight every night and examined it over and over. Since we've been back in Riyadh, we've kept in touch with the boys' classes in the US. They've written letters (with Mom's help, of course), describing their lives here. Each boy also sent his class an alphabet book called "A is for Arabia." Abdulaziz was thrilled recently to get a beautiful red valentine signed by his classmates and teacher. I feel we are so blessed. Soon we will be back in the States again for what we hope will be another happy summer. I'm not afraid anymore; I know that for every person who will prejudge my Arab-American family for being different, there are many more who will appreciate them and love them for who they are. And I hope that when the boys' classmates are older, they will remember having had an Arab classmate who was, believe it or not, just like them. |
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