When I was studying in Volgograd there were a lot of people named Muhammad(it is ..the most popular name on earth),so we had to differentiate them with specific nicknames there was Muhammad Hazimi(my classmate and housemate)..Muhammad Yaman(doing his Phd in Dentistry)..Muhammad Tough/Gagah(a medical student from Morocco..we call him that because he was a teenage bodybuilder champion in Asia and still moonlights as a gym instuctor)
But here I want to tell the story of Muhammad Janggut(because he kept his beard long)
He was a regular atheist Russian living his life until one day…he read a collection of sayings by Rasulullah..he told us that it was just a small handbook of about 30-40 hadiths,but all the words spoke to his heart and he knew straight away that it was the truth.
He embraced Islam after a short time studying the deen and tried to live as the best Muslim that he could.He always had a smile on his face and each conversation with him will be filled with advices and hadiths that he loved so much(I think he memorised his handbook)
We met a lot of times because at one time he came and learnt the basics of Quran from Muhammad Hazimi.
One of the most memorable thing he said was in summer 2007 “If it isn’t a sin to hurt ourself..I would blind myself instead of having to look at a mahram’s skin”(Note: In summer Russian women wears the skimpiest clothes they own to escape the heat)
The last time I met him was in winter 2007..he stayed at our Kvartira because he was to take a train the next morning(we lived near the Vokzal/train station).
We couldn’t chat long because I’m studying for my finals the next day,but we learnt that he had just lost his taxi the week before in an accident and was then jobless,and instead of being devastated by it..he said “Alhamdulillah..now I can do the thing that I always wanted to do..to find and learn from scholars and maybe bring them to Volgograd to spread Islam”..he used all his money that he had for the trip…
May Allah grant His Blessings to Muhammad and grants us all the equivalent of his faith…
I did not realise you had started updating this. I would have come earlier.
Are you still in touch with that Russian Muslim? I think it is interesting to know how he is getting on. I hope you will let us know if you are firm about going to follow you wife.
I wish you visit my blog like before so that I would know that you are around.
I did not realise you had started updating this. I would have come earlier.
Are you still in touch with that Russian Muslim? I think it is interesting to know how he is getting on. I hope you will let us know if you are firm about going to follow you wife.
I wish you visit my blog like before so that I would know that you are around.
sorry pak cik…I will try to update as often as possible:)
unfortunately that was the last time I heard of him…it was our final year in Russia
InsyaAllah I will..I do read your blog from time to time..
Sayonara zam, zety and natrah!take care.keep in touch..
-aina,rahimie n marissa
Insyaallah aina..thanks for coming and keep whatsapping..hehe