Before Muhharam leaves...
July Halaqah | Skating Activity
Jummah Mubarak sis! We gotta get our minds right! Muharram-Mindset that is…Muharram translates to forbidden or not permitted. So be on your best behavior my friend. Don’t war with anyone, don’t create conflict… (I mean we don’t do that anyways….) But as we slide into the new Islamic year, we must set S.M.A.R.T. goals and hold ourselves accountable. Sorta like the ones we did during Ramadan, remember? Make sure they’re obtainable and will aid in spiritual growth. Think about it…you are a very different person than you were last year, and the year before that, and before that. So who do you want to be by the end of this Islamic new year? Ask Allah swt for guidance as you navigate into this year. Ask for resilience and to be better than you were when you entered. Hold tight to the rope of Allah sis!
We got this!
Surah Ali-’Imran 3:103
وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًۭا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَآءًۭ فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ إِخْوَٰنًۭا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.”
You know how the Quran reminds us of stories that we know or gives us previews to other stories. This is one of those moments. Allah is reminding us of the story about Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj. These were two tribes in Medina during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) who had a difficult relationship and were often in conflict and battles with one another. The Prophet (saw) was invited to Medina to resolve the conflict, and indeed the conflict eventually died out. After the Hijra, the tribes became known as the Ansar, which means "Helpers of Muhammad".
When Allah brought Islam, those among them who embraced it became brothers who loved each other by Allah's grace, having good ties for Allah's sake and helping each other in righteousness and piety. There are many insightful messages we can take from this story, but I want to draw you to hold on tight to the rope of Allah. In life, you’re going to go through some things.. okay..it’s inevitable. It’s not a dooming matter, it’s a matter of fact. Holding tight to the rope of Allah will guide you in the darkest of places, in the brightest of places when you need shades and hat, and in places of tranquility as well. Allah really wants what’s best for us and baby all you gotta do is hold on tight…
Ropes are “Tight” (you better laugh at this pun)
The process of making a rope is more intricate than you think. Centuries ago, the process was very labor-intensive. Today, it’s less heavy on the hands, but still a process. See the steps below… and ponder over why Allah swt would say to hold tight His rope… He could’ve said any other thing.. but the metaphor given was a rope.
1. Individual fibers are processed and prepared | The fibers are first lubricated with natural oil and then cleaned, combed and separated. This creates continuous ribbons of fiber, known as silvers, which are then compressed in a drawing machine.
2. The silvers are twisted together | Once they’ve been compressed, the silvers are twisted tightly to create a yarn. If the silvers are twisted to the right-hand side, the final yarn is said to have a ‘Z twist’. By contrast, if they’re twisted to the left-hand side, the yarn is said to have an ‘S twist’. Either way, it’s subsequently wound onto a spool – known as a bobbin – ready for the next stage in the manufacturing process.
3. The yarn is twisted or braided | Lastly, the bobbins are set on a creel (i.e. a frame) inside the machine and either twisted or braided.
To make a twisted rope, three strands of yarn are fed into a tube, compressed and twisted in the opposite direction to the yarn itself. For example, if the yarn was created with a ‘Z twist’, the rope would be created using an ‘S twist’ instead. This ensures it’s strong and sturdy.
To make a braided rope, approximately 9-18 strands of yarn are added to the creel. The creel then travels in an oscillating pattern, weaving the yarns around each other to make a tight braid.
