Monday, August 29, 2005

it was a dark and stormy night...

assalamu alaikum.

bismillah.


we left the restaraunt quite late last night due to the stormy weather. after closing everything down and locking the doors, i jumped into my car, happy to finally be headed home. from the outset the drive home proved to be very difficult. the high wind gusts and rain made it almost impossible to see ahead, so i drove extra cautiously just to be safe. later on the weatherman on the news said that this rain was due to the hurricane in the gulf coast, which sat just a few hundred miles away from coastal lousiana. the thunderstorms that brought the rain had only a few hours ago been as far north as oklahoma, but due to the shear suction power generated by the hurricane it acted as a vaccum by pulling all of the moisture from the atmosphere towards itself. as i was driving down the highway i noticed that a few cars had stopped with their hazards on, scattered across 3 lanes. as i got a little closer i saw what seemed to be an accident scene: a pile-up of cars, one in the ditch, and what seemed to be an overturned minivan. without stopping to think i slammed on my breaks and ran out, fearing for the worst. as i ran past the cars i saw a couple of men, one holding an umbrella and the other tending to some man that lay on the ground. as i approached i saw a twisted heap of metal, or what once was a bicylce strewn across the pavement. it was at that precise moment when a sense of fear overcame me. nonetheless, i got myself together and ran to the scene where the man lay on the ground. he lay there motionless, with blood all across his neck chest and stomach. the man who was holding the umbrella threw it towards me and told me to hold it over him while he went to get something from his car. the other man, who happened to be holding up the mans head to stabalize it incase of any injuries to his neck told me to hold his hand and check for a constant pulse. there we were, on our knees in the middle of the highway, rain pelting our bodies from every direction with lightening flashing in the skies above, trying to help a stranger cling on to dear life. later on i recalled how i was shivering, but i wasnt sure why: was it because of the cold rain and strong wind which caused my wet clothes to stick to my body, or because i was in some state of uncertainty, not knowing if this man whose hand i was holding would die. for 15 minutes he fell in and out of conciousness, and then finally from a distance we heard the sirens and saw the flashing lights. now what became of the man, i sure dont know. as i held his hand i just prayed to Allah to give him a second chance at life, a life which hopefully he would live by accepting Allah as his Rab.


let this be a reminder to all of us: death can come at anytime, and when it comes, die in the state of al-islam.

and Allah Almighty knows best.


masalama, your brother in islam
sheik speare.

Thursday, August 18, 2005

AIM Convo II: righthandman

assalamu alaikum :)

bismillah.

iballufall: theres also one hadith that says "cleanliness is half of ones faith"
iballufall: so ima go shower.
righthandman: so is marriage

righthandman: ima go holler


myself and righthandman at my nephews
birthday party in december 04.

and Allah Almighty knows best.
masalama, your brother in islam
sheik speare

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

niaz starts school.

assalamu alaikum :)

bismillah.

today the eldest of my two nephews embarked on a new chapter in his young life - his first day of prekindergarten. he woke up extra early, ate his breakfast, put on his clothes, grabbed his brand new spiderman backpack and he was off. so young, innocent, and pure, he was extremely eager to head off to school without really comprehending what it meant; without being aware of the rigors and hardships of public school, especially at the junior high and high school levels. but all he thought about was his new spiderman backpack. the excitement on his face brought to mind the day we brought him home from the hospital. they grow up so quick.

may Allah make it easier on them than it was for me. and may Allah bless them immensely. ameen.



niaz at one in his first nikes.

niaz with my cap on last week.


showing off the backpack this morning.


making a goofy face.


abdullah watching his older brother go to pursue knowledge.


niaz and his mother walking to class.

and Allah Almighty knows best.

masalama

your brother in islam, sheik speare.