One afternoon, as I sat bent over in pain in my computer chair, an email from my dear friend popped up on the email screen. It was from Amatullah whom I affectionately think of sometimes as the “Mad” Rhyming Woman. She is a writer and published author of wonderful children’s stories. She is also a much better writer than I could hope to be. Allah has gifted her with a “golden” pen … I like to tease her with this silly name whenever she sends me her latest rhyme to cheer me up when I am sorta grumpy or feeling the stress of pain and discomfort.

Two weeks ago the doctors told me I would be having some tests so they could try and find out the cause of my mysterious stomach and bowel pains. I had been saying many du’a, reading Qur’an and trying hard to say many remembrances of Allah, but I was tired and in pain every time I tried to eat. My patience and trust in Allah for my life seemed to be wavering. I was concerned about this so one night I set my alarm clock so I could rise later in the night and say prayer. I needed to ask Allah for His help.

After my prayers I sat quietly saying remembrances of Allah when out of nowhere the phrase, “The “Mad” Rhyming Woman” just seemed to intrude and stop me in the middle of my dinkr! I started again and the same phrase seemed to be shouting inside my mind.

I left my small prayer corner of my bedroom and went outside to my back patio and sat in the swing glider to think about this. The dark sky overhead was filled with bright stars and a warm summer breeze whispered thru the fruit trees as I savored the quite and tranquility of the last of the night. It was while sitting there looking at the beauties of Allah’s creation that I knew that I had received the help I needed…….

I met the “Mad” Rhyming Woman, Sr. Amatullah, on the Internet in a sisters’ group. Her email name is InshaAllah. I always loved reading her kind and remarkably well written posts to this sister group. One day I went to the sister group and read a post that said she had unsubscribed because she was very ill! Cancer one sister said. Another said she might not survive! Oh No! I wailed to myself. I did not know where she lived or how to contact her. It seemed that no one else in this sister group did either. I remembered her each day in my du’a but after a year and no word, I had begun to believe that she had died.

About eighteen months ago I began to write my book series and mentioned this in another Internet sister group. To my joy and amazement up popped the email name InshaAllah on my email screen! It was Sr. Amatullah. Allah be praised she had not died but was alive and to my astonishment I learned in a barrage of emails back and forth between us that she was a writer and published author! Thus our renewed friendship took off and we became writing buddies; helping each other read our draft manuscripts for our children’s books, looking for publishers, finding ways to promote our work to the Muslim community, and Sr. Amatullah teaching me how to write Islamic stories!

This time I did not make the same mistake. I quizzed Sis Amatullah as if she were applying for a top executive job in a high powered business! I learned the following: She has been a revert since 1997. She married her Jordanian husband in 1998. Her family was not happy with her reversion and the family relations were strained. When she married she already had her daughter, Amirah. Her hubby went on Hajj in 2001 and got married. This was a very big challenge for Sr. Amatullah. She knew about the marriage before hand and was mentally prepared, but the emotional challenges tested her and made her stronger. It was during this emotional period that she became pregnant and her hubby’s new wife decided that her marriage would not suit her. It was just after her son Zaahir was born two years ago that she was diagnosed with leukemia. She had a difficult pregnancy and afterwards had to learn to live with the chemo treatments for her cancer and care for a new baby as well. This past year her sight has begun to fail and she has limited vision now. She is legally blind for all intents and purposes.

I learned that a bone marrow transplant could possibly help her condition, but who would care for Zaahir during the long months of treatment and how could they possibly pay for this? Besides there were many dangerous risks should some way be found for this medical treatment.

Sister Amatullah prayed on the matter and decided to place her trust in Allah. She did not lose patience with the pains and limitations she was experiencing weekly. She did not complain. In fact most people who know her only thru her wonderful work in service to Allah would never suspect that this young Muslimah in her early 30’s with a kind and caring husband and darling little baby boy lived every day of her life these past two years with a life threatening illness and ever growing disabilities!

While showing to all who come to know her the great patience and trust she has in Allah she has accomplished much good for the Muslim community. Rather than sit around and bemoan her pains and trials as I had been doing these past months she has accomplished so much good. Sr. Amatullah has published three books in her “Rhyming” children’s illustrated books, “Zaahir & Jamel the Camel Series”, two books in her “Allah Made Them All Series”, created a wonderful children’s website, weloveislam at www.weloveislam.com, writes a children’s newsletter that can be seen every other week at www.mca-sfba.org. She is responsible for creating and conducting many Islamic projects that benefit the Muslim community such as the Islamic Story Telling Hour, Dial An Islamic Story and various da'wah trainings/seminars, plus leading the summer session of My Muslim Mommy & Me play group for toddlers

These programs are for the Islamic Society of San Francisco and the Muslim Community Association of Santa Clara (MCA).

Sr. Amatullah inspires me by her love for Allah and the Muslim community. Her tireless efforts to use the creative gifts Allah has given her for the good of others. My dear “Mad” Rhyming Woman’s calm and serene manners, generous heart and the daily example of her patience with her illnesses and trust in Allah for her life is the message that Allah wanted me to hear when I prayed for His help.

O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salât (the prayer). Truly! Allâh is with As-Sâbirin (the patient ones, etc.). Al-Baqarah 2:153

Say: "Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allâh has ordained for us. He is our Maulâ (Lord, helper and Protector)." And in Allâh let the believers put their trust. Al-Tawbah 9:51