Salam,
So, I got my first ticket today. There was some state-wide wrestling tournament at the school where we had sunday school classes. These kids parked as bad as they wrestled. Cars on the baseball field, literally lined up to the police station a block away. So obviously, I wasn't going to waste time finding a parking spot as I was already running late for my first class. I parked in an empty spot which did look like an unprohibited parking area, although I kind of missed the huge sign that said "NO PARKING" infront of me. hehe. So I come back a couple hours later to not one, but TWO police officers writing out my first violation. They said they were about to tow my car, which would have been pretty bad. I mean my dad's insurance would have gone up. And so would his blood pressure. But Alhamdulillah.
The day could have gotten worse and it did as I was driving back home. You see, my car like to break down sporadically and leave me stranded in a place where there's no phone service. But I got my way through it, once again Alhamdulillah.
At this one halaqa, Br. Jawad had mentioned one of the most beautiful names of Allah, Al-Latif. He combines gentleness in action with delicacy of perception, an attribute so rare in our people today. The subtleness of His grace is overlooked by us all as we rush through our day to make ends meet, yet it feels like only seconds pass before a new year welcomes us closer to death, and farther away from our deen. Especially in times when we are overwhelmed- flat tires, missed airflights, laid off from work, failing grades, and every misfortunate happening at once- we don't think even once of turning to Al-Latif, the One who can keep us calm throughout it all and subtle in our manners, for surely through his grace can we deal with these problems.
Al Latif. Al Latif. Al Latif.
As for other news, a friend of mine whose parents just came back from Hajj (may Allah swt accept their pilgrimage and grant them the highest rank in Jannah) handed me a bag of the best Madinah dates on this earth, a scarf from Makkah, and my favorite collectible item: a new tasbih! Although I don't use them for dhikr, they make excellent wrist accessories.
(if you can read the dua, by all means) Until then, keep it halal. :)
