NasimaBee.

Hufflepuffs are honey and flowers and the soft autumn sun. They’re knitted jumpers and scarves and soft tan boots. They’re fresh air and nature, the sound of birds singing. They’re rolling down a hill in the spring, grass stains on your knees, daisy chains in your hair. They’re waving at someone across a crowded room, bright smiles and laughter. They’re coming home after a long day and seeing your family. They’re playing fetch with your dog, your cat weaving between your feet. They’re fluffy socks and song birds and kraft notebooks with hand drawn patterns. They’re throw cushions on a bed, a tiny cottage surrounded by wilderness. They’re the ground beneath your feet, the air that you breathe. They’re the light you chase when you thought you’d never see the morning. 

Ravenclaws are leather bound books and overstocked libraries. They’re waking up at two am to google that thing that’s bugging you. They’re journals with half the words crossed out, scribbles and ink stains and missing pages. They’re stretching when you’ve been hunched over all day, rolling off the edge of a bed, burrowing in blankets. They’re torch light and held breaths and reverent whispers. They’re the entire night sky and everything beyond it; the embodiment of the universe. They’re desperate searches and hidden castles and ghost stories by firelight. They’re the mystery of a dark corridor, the force of a whirlwind. They’re the excitement of discovery, the rustle of crunched up paper. They’re the last whisper before you fall asleep. 

#MuḥammadanFridays: Gentleness

I can’t help but feel that this is a quality that is slowly but surely diminishing in our communities, you just have to browse over a few comments in a YouTube video to see what I mean. Times are challenging, and in many cases we are victims, so in our helplessness we turn to anger and think that harshness or ‘tough love’ is the way forward. Firstly it is an oxymoron, and even though the intentions might be right, there is potential to do more harm than good.

So how exactly did our Prophet (ﷺ) deal with people? Well, he (ﷺ) never sugar coated things, he was very straightforward, truthful, and continually calling to the way of Allāh. But what made his message so appeasing to the heart and soul was his soft and gentle manner. This gentleness is what broke the hardest of hearts, and made sworn enemies into close confidantes.

The Qurʾān says, “So, by the mercy of Allāh [O Muḥammad], you were gentle with them—and had you been harsh or hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So, pardon them, and ask forgiveness for them…” [3:159]

This verse was revealed after the Battle of ‘Uḥud, where from a winning position the Muslims lost, and some 70 people died, including the Uncle of the Prophet (ﷺ), Sayyidīna Ḥamza. Here you could argue that a harsh response would’ve been justified, but the Prophet (ﷺ) remained composed, calm and prayed for them. Some of us lose our mind when we misplace our keys! Or how about when someones phone goes off in the mosque? Uff.

Gentleness has a beautifying component, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Gentleness is not found in anything without adorning it, and is not withdrawn from anything without shaming it.” [Muslim]

And ultimately Gentleness is what we seek from our Lord, in this world and the next. Yā Laṭīf!