Inspiration of the week: Allah swt guides whom he wills

Quran:

"Verily, you (O Muhammad) guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided."

(28:56)

As I was flicking through the latest edition of Emel magazine I found a subject not often spoke about in asian communities today but incredibly inspirational. It was a story of drug addiction, crime and gangs.

Khurram Azad started smoking cannabis when he was 15, moving on to heroin and then crack. He moved into drug dealing at one point earning £3000 pounds a day. Khurram says in the interview 'I was dealing 7 days a week, 24 hours a day'.

What followed was two prison sentences, a front page appearance in the Reading Post and a massive impact on his family. Even in prison Khurram had access to drugs and mobile phones. He reached a point where he 'didn't care anymore'.

One night after going to a nightclub I thought ' I am tired of doing the same stuff, it's not me'. Khurram stopped dealing drugs because he knew he would have a hard time not taking drugs if he was dealing too and he also realised he couldn't earn haram money anymore.

Most of Khurram's mates were millionaires but as he himself says If you do honest work Allah swt will help and guide you.

He know works for BASIAN (Black and Asian Service In Alcohol and Narcotics) as a volunteer speaking to the young people in gangs, and trying to prevent knife crime. He says the kids have a lot of talent but put there energy into making money for cars and building an image.

As Khurram says 'I have realised that you can't be good and bad. YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE'.