Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Pearls of wisdom 284

1. Do not rely on vain hopes, because vain hopes are the assets of idiots and fools.

2. Wisdom is the name of the trait of remembering experiences and making use of them.

3. The best experience is the one that gives the best warning and advice.

4. Take advantage of opportunities before they turn their backs upon you.

5. The worst form of folly is to waste the opportunities of this life and to lose salvation.

6. For every action there is a reaction (watch out for your actions).

7. Take care and do not be fooled by flattery.

8. Do not disappoint a person who holds a good opinion of you, and do not make him change his opinion.

9. Keep complete control over your temper and anger -- for I have never found anything more beneficial at the end and more productive of good results than such control.

10. Grant favor and be considerate of your enemy -- you will thus gain one or the other of the two victories: One, rising above your enemy; the other, reducing the intensity of his enmity. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

LESSON OF THE DAY 1250

Ayahs of the Day:
By the daybreak and ten nights and the even and the odd and the night when it passes: is there an oath in that for those of understanding? Haven't you seen how your Lord treated the 'Ad, of the pillared city Iram, the like of which was never made in any land; and the Thamud, who hollowed rock in the valley; and Pharaoh, Lord of stakes; the ones who were tyrannical in the lands and multiplied corruption therein, so your Lord poured a medley of punishment upon them; for your Lord is on the lookout. [89: 1 to 14]

Hadith of the Day:
Do not consider anything good insignificant, even meeting your brother with a happy face. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The worshippers of Allah do not worship in anyway better than avoiding what Allah has forbidden. [Hasan al-Basri]

Guidance of the Day:
Let go of your expectations. If ever there was a suggestion that was easier said than done, this would be it. Expectations are a part of life and seem to be ingrained into our thinking. However, if you ever lessen your expectations (even a little bit) about how things are supposed to be, and instead open your heart and acceptance to what is, you'll be well on your way to a calmer and much happier life.

The truth is, our expectations are responsible for a great deal of our grief and stress. We expect something to be a certain way or a person to behave in a certain way and it doesn't happen -- so we get upset, bothered, disappointed, and unhappy. Since life is rarely exactly the way we would like it to be, or the way we expect it should be, we end up spending a great deal of time let down or disappointed, constantly wishing life were different than it actually is. Then, rather than seeing our own part in the process, we continue to blame life and our circumstances for our stress and frustration. [Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff -- with your family]

Food for Thought:
Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts. Every new adjustment is a crisis in self-esteem. All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy, for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Eid Mubarak!!!

5 reasons why Allah SWT tests us

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you - depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.

Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:

1. God uses problems to DIRECT you.
Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways."

2. God uses problems to INSPECT you.
People are like tea bags...if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot ever water! Has God tested your faith with a problem What do problems reveal about
you? "When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience."

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you.
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove.... But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something... health, money, a relationship. .. by losing it. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws."

4. God uses problems to PROTECT you.
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good...

5. God uses problems to PERFECT you.
Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice when we run into problems...they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of characer in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady."


Here's the point:

God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize it or understand it.

But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him.

"Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched and moments shared along the way"


*taken from an e-mail

Friday, November 12, 2010

Pearls of wisdom 283

The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that:

1. The knowledge will look after you, but you must look after the wealth.

2. While wealth is what was left behind by the likes of Fir'aun and Hamaan, knowledge is the inherited legacy of the Prophets themselves.

3. Spending wealth only diminishes it, whereas spending knowledge increases it.

4. Holding to the wealth over an extended period of time decreases its value, whereas no such harm can comes to knowledge.

5. There is always a fear that wealth might get stolen or lost, not so with knowledge.

6. The possessor of wealth may be known as a miser, whereas the possessor of knowledge can only be known as generous.

7. Wealth tends to create enemies, whereas knowledge tends to warm hearts.

8. Fir'aun's vast wealth caused him to say "Truly I am deserving of your worship." whereas the Prophet's (peace be upon him) vast knowledge caused him to say, " Truly we have not worshiped You (O'Allah) as you deserve to be worshiped.

9. Knowledge results in the heart's illumination, whereas wealth results in its agitation.

10. On the Day of Reckoning it is your wealth you will have to be answerable for not your knowledge. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

LESSON OF THE DAY 1249

Ayahs of the Day:
Don't they see the camels, how they are made, and the sky, how it is raised, and the mountains, how they are set, and the earth, how it is spread? So remind; you are but one who reminds, not a ruler over them. But whoever turns away and scoffs God will punish him with the greatest torment. It is to Us that they'll return: then their reckoning is up to Us. [88: 17 to 26]

Hadith of the Day:
Part of excellence of a person's Islam is in leaving alone that what does not concern him. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Don't seek anything other than contentment because therein is the bliss and the comfort of your body. Then consider the case of a person who possesses the whole world, can he take with him in his grave more than cotton and a shroud. [A Poet]

Guidance of the Day:
When you refuse to engage in an argument, not out of stubbornness or righteousness, but out of love and kindness, you'll see how quickly issues naturally resolve themselves. When someone begins an argument or heated discussion, you are faced with an interesting (and sometimes difficult) decision that you must make very quickly. Do you jump in or do you back off? Do you try to prove yourself and your opinion, or can you allow the other person to win or make his or her point?

I'm not suggesting that you stop defending your positions when they are truly important, or that you allow anyone to walk over, or take advantage of you. In fact, I think you'll agree that allowing someone else to win the argument, at least once in a while, is actually a sign of strength. It demonstrates that you are a person who can keep your bearings and sense of perspective. Not always, but usually, this opens the door for the other person to do the same. [Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff -- with your family]

Food for Thought:
Wisdom out weighs any wealth. Wisdom denotes the pursuing of the best ends by the best means. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time. Turn your wounds into wisdom. We are made wise not by the recollection of our past but by the responsibility of our future.

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Pearls of wisdom 282

1. Go not near places of wickedness and indecency, for they are epicenters of Allah's wrath, and punishment.

2. The worst sin committed by one -- is the one not deemed so when it is done.

3. The best of the words is that which is confirmed by the best actions.

4. When a man's character becomes goodly, his actions become lofty.

5. What a tremendous gift has been given to the one who finds acts of disobedience difficult.

6. Perfecting one's intellect causes one to speak less, and those words spoken will be adorned with wisdom.

7. When fear of the Creator overcomes you then hasten into the embrace of His safety.

8. The noble scholar becomes humble in gaining knowledge, while the ignoble matches his increase in knowledge with an equal share of arrogance.

9. A friend cannot be considered a friend until he is tested on three occasions -- in time of need, behind your back, and after your death.

10. If your kindness or indulgence is going to bring forth cruel results, then severity or strictness is the real kindness. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]

Monday, November 01, 2010

LESSON OF THE DAY 1248

Ayahs of the Day:
Some faces will be happy that day, satisfied with their endeavor, in a lofty garden, where they'll hear no nonsense. There will be a running spring there, there'll be elevated couches there, and cups set out and cushions arrayed and rich carpets spread. [88: 8 to 16]

Hadith of the Day:
No child can repay his father unless he finds him enslaved and then buys him and sets him free. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not ask one who flees from your requests, but instead, ask the One Who has ordered you to ask of Him. [Ibn al-Samaak]

Guidance of the Day:
Let them win an argument for a change. "Them" can be anyone -- your kids, spouse, friends, or roommates. The premise of this strategy is to show that it's no big deal to let someone else be "right" or to win the argument. In fact, it's a stress reducer. When someone else "wins," it doesn't mean you "lose." In fact, allowing someone else to feel as though he or she has been listened to with genuine respect is, in many instances, far more satisfying than trying to cram your point of view down someone else's throat -- or spending mental energy trying to convince someone else that you are right and that he or she is wrong.

The truth is, from the perspective of quality living, no one really wins an argument. When there is friction between people, the interaction is far from ideal. An argument is nothing more than two or more people trying to prove a position. Invariably, it leaves all parties feeling bad. In an argument, rarely does anyone listen or learn anything. Feelings of resentment, anger, frustration, and stress often result from the confrontation. However, when you allow someone else to win an argument, it's often the case that you both end up winners. Your rapport is enhanced, and your relationship has a chance to grow. [Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff -- with your family]

Food for Thought:
Unless we place our religion and our treasure in the same thing, religion will always be sacrificed. The youth cannot have a sound development of character nor a fair chance in life without religion. Religion is the appreciation of life's spiritual values and the interpretation of life and its purpose.

Do not be ruled by lust; seek freedom by following the righteous. Mere claims of piety will not earn you inner freedom. Remain patient in adversity to attain peace, for adversity is the threshold to freedom. [Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani]