I'm talking to my daughters today. I'm asking them if they will be okay alone, without their mom and dad, in case... And if not I'm asking them to stand behind a good person. Man or woman. Follow them, do as they say and do not disobey. Be strong. I'm asking them to learn as much as they can about their religion. About Islam. Steadfastness in prayer, Zakat, and Fasting, about Tawheedh. Place your trust in Allah. The world has changed today, I tell them. This knowledge is more important now, more than ever.
We have set out times in the house for everything now. There is a schedule, for all activities. Without change are the times for prayer.
They have closed mosques today. We've decided that we'll pray together. And we say our Dua after each fard Prayer. At home, the kids have questions before they leave their Musalla. We say the Dua Qunoot-Nazilah with the prayer for safety from diseases.
Today is Friday and the questions are on Usool As-Thalaasa. The three principles of Tawheed. Which I teach them from a small lecture series. We started gradually, because even through this time of uncertainty, the girls are happy and hopeful about learning. They have their school work online. The teachers conduct classes through Microsoft Teams. And it works well enough. My explainer on knowledge feels timely as we distance ourselves from the outside world, in response to the pandemic. Who are we if not human? If not pursuing knowledge even as we face hardship?
Knowledge in Islam is taken gradually. Subjects are not learned overnight. Ibn Abdil Barr, in his book Jaami', refers to Az-Zuhri,
قال الإمام ابن شهاب الزهري: من رام العلم جملة ذهب عنه جملة، وإنّما العلم يطلب على مرّ الأيام واللّيالي
Whoever seeks knowledge in a lump sum, knowledge ends up leaving them. It's only gained over days and nights. When you stay up and ponder over texts or focus on a subject so much that your days are subconsciously filled with the sweetness of this search, then knowledge stays with you. Al Khateeb al-Baghdadi in his Jaami' wrote about a student whose search of Hadith led him to be frustrated with the subject. The student took a walk one day and came across a stream of water. Water dripping on a stone – the stream had over the years dented the rough edges of the rock making it smooth. At that moment the student realised that he had been silly.
'My heart and mind isn't harder than rock,' he thought to himself. And knowledge gained gradually, is softer and sweet as water. He went back to his studies and became a great scholar.
17 March 2020
7.50am
Hendhunu thedhuvfa kurevunu kamakah enme furathama vee foi hulhuvaafa mi hafthaa ge kureveyne kankan gandu kolhu thakeh gai liye meyzu matheegai , thaaval koh behehtee eve. Harakaai thakuge threygai filaavalhu hedhumai, adhives gey thereyge massakai thakuge ithurun, electronics beynun kohgen adhi evves gothakah beynun nukohves kurevey kankan himanaigen neve. Miadhu adhaa k hilaafah beyru therey adu madeve. Halaboli vaan vee sababeh netheve. Kamuge vaahaka kithamme varkah dhekiyyaas ranglheve. Beyrah meehun nunukumey dhen thibee geyga eve. Allah tha'la aharemennah dhuniye faseyha thanakah hadha vaifinama, ethanugai hithuhuri gothakah ulheynee heyye.
Namaadhaa, Quran adhi zikuru thakun ehbayaku vaagi hoadhaa iru, aneh bayaku kharadhu kuda koh dheyn govanee eve. Loan kuda kohdheyn govanee eve.
Male' gai nuthibe rah rashah dhaan kiyanee eve. Dhuniyey gai thibiyaa, adhi heyo haalu gai lehehteviyaa... Insaanihyathukan fenethoa dua kurameve. Muslimun nah nasru libey thoa dua kurameve.
Hagah huri anhen dharifulhaa suvaalu koh mashwara kureemeve. Manma aai bappa ge naseyhai handhaan hunnaane thoa? Dhuniyeygai nei dhuvahakun adhi amilla ah ulhen jehijje dhuvahakun fudhigen ulheveythoa balaasheve. Noon nama rangalhu soalihu meehehge fahathugai vaasheve. Emeehehge bas gaboolu kuraasheve. Namaadhaai, Sunnah rangalhah dhas koh roadha, hifaa sheve, adhi medhu nukendi e Illah ge kibain vaagi ah edheyshe.
Hukuru dhuvahuge mendhuru namaadhu kuri iru beyru therein adeh badeh nuive eve. Egothah ove mihaaru ދުވަސް faaithu vanee... Miadhu kuran beynun kithamme kameh othas... Miee heyo visney bayakah varah bodu filaavahe keve. Mifaharu mulhi dhuniye huttumakah ais gen miulheny neygi huttaa kuhli akah dhimaavi kamakun neve. Insaanaa amilla ah hoadhaa gai kankamun dhinuye fasaadha vee eve. Mi virus ge nurakaa fethurifai vaa haalu adhives visnumeh nethi ulhen veeheyeve? Mi dhandivalhu gai އަދިވެސް nafs edhen vee, dhuniye ah...
Mivaguthu enme bodah beynun vanee kon kameh thoa suvaalu kohlan beynun ve eve. Amilla nafsaa ves mi suvaalu kohfaanamey hithah araifai ...
Vaahaka eh kiyaalan, vaahakaeh dhahkaalan. Meehakaa eku nuvatha amilla ah namaves, ކުޅިވަރެއް kulhelan, game އެއް kulhen, video eh balaa lan (balaa video akaa medhu visnaa lun, ނުވަތަ video eh balaa vaguthu hithah araa kankan...), lavaeh adu ahaalan? (e lavaeh ge maana, aai medhu), filaavalheh dhas kuran, chat kohlan, messenger beynun kuranee kihaa varakah? Nuvatha Viber, phonun vaahaka dhehkeynetha? Mahah gos lan( dhen hama mahahdhey, mibunun mifaharu evves jessumeh nethi) , bura masahkatheh koh lun, meeru ehcheh keun, beachah, jassaalun, hingan dhiun, saikal dhuvaal an dhiun (mikankan eba kurevee, gaidhuru, kohgen thibeves), yoga hedhun, adhi minunas insta kohlevey kameh, geythere saafu kurun. Coffee eh boalan dhiyun ( mikan mihaaraku nuvey), meege there in, isheendhe, oshoave adhi kolhah hure kurevey kankan vaki koh beley gotheh hedhun rangalheve. Eiy gina vaguthu maduvefai nuthibumasheve, dhuvahuge kasrathu hoadhumasheve. Mi kankamee ehen meehakaa foanun vaahaka dhahkaa, chat koh, suvaalaa javaabu kurumun ves eyge mauloomaathu libeyne kankameve.