Monday, February 27, 2012

Pearls of wisdom 331

1. Whatever one does not like for himself, he should not under any circumstances, suggest for others.

2. Every work, spiritual or otherwise, appears difficult in the beginning but perseverance makes it easy.

3. Real pleasure lies not in accumulation but in the distribution of wealth.

4. Love of God and love of mammon cannot subsist in one heart.

5. Malice and ill-will should be rooted out from the heart.

6. One who serves becomes the master.

7. Resignation to the will of God is the real key to peace and satisfaction in life.

8. The purpose of prayer is to get rid of self-conceit. One who is ego-centric and selfish cannot achieve anything spiritually.

9. Every wealth has its zakat, and the zakat of knowledge and learning is to act upon it.

10. Self-criticism and quarrel with one's own self is better than seventy years of prayer.

11. One should be kind-hearted and should deal with people with clemency.

12. Prayers should be inspired neither by the fear of hell nor by love of heaven. Love of God should be the only inspiring motive.

13. Honest dealings alone lead to lasting fame.

14. One should hide, rather than disclose the evil deeds of others.

15. A man is in his worst state when he considers himself good and pious. [Above quotes by Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya]

Friday, February 24, 2012

LESSON OF THE DAY 1301

Ayahs of the day:
O Believers, give of what We have provided for you, before there comes a day in which there is no barter, and no friendship, and no intercession. [2: 254]

Hadith of the day:
Gentleness is never mixed with anything without embellishing it nor is it ever taken away from anything without disfiguring it. [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
Who can be a greater wastrel than a man whom even learning has not been able to keep away from sin and depravity. [Imam Abu Hanifah]

Guidance of the day:
"Die not except as Muslims." [3:102] is a command from Allah the Almighty in His Book, to die adhering to Islam, (the word Islam in this context refers to original meaning of submission to God) -- God's religion, of which He informed us in His Book that it is the only Religion in His sight and that He will accept none other, that it is the religion He found pleasing for His Messenger and His believing servants.

A human being lacks the power to force himself to die as a Muslim, but God has granted him the means to attain to that. When he makes use of the means he would have done what is his to do and obeyed what he was commanded to do, namely to intend to die a Muslim, love this, wish for it, resolve to do it, and loathe to die on any other religion. He should persist in praying for this, imploring God and beseeching Him to take him to Him as a Muslim.

Thus did God describe His Prophets and the virtuous among His servants. He said in mentioning Joseph son of Jacob -- may peace be upon them, "You are my ally in this world and the next, take me as a Muslim and make me join the virtuous, (12:101). And mentioning Pharaoh's magicians when they became believers and were threatened chastisement by Pharaoh, "Our Lord, give us fortitude in abundance and take us as Muslims, (7:126). [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
The world of bees is full of wonders that remind us of Allah's care. The tiny bee leaves its hive in order to seek out sustenance. It lands on a good and pure surface and sucks out the nectar. It then returns with a fluid that provides remedy for people, always returning to its own hive without losing its way -- a lesson to be learned from.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

How to take care of the heart....

Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalaanee [rahimahullahu] said:-

The heart has been singled out because it is the leader of the body and through the purification of the leader...
the subjects become purified.

and with its corruption they become corrupted.
So if you, O servant of Allaah, wish to cure your heart then it is upon you to be truthful with regards to---

(1)Seeking refuge with Allaah
and
(2)Putting trust in Him,
to
(3)Pray a great deal of supererogatory prayers,
to
(4)Perform the actions of obedience to Allaah frequently.

(5) Pray the night prayer while the people are sleeping, and to treat your heart by

(6) Making it continuously stick to the remembrances and by

(7) Befriending only the righteous…
and to
(8)Frequently recite the Qur’aan.

And Allaah will indeed allow all of this to be preserved by Him.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Pearls of wisdom 330

1. Many a life is long in years but meager in fruits, and many a life is short in years but rich in fruits.

2. He who has been blessed in life attains in a short time, to such gifts from God that no expression or symbolic allusion could describe.

3. Meditation is the voyage of the heart and the lamp of the heart; when it goes away, the heart has no illumination.

4. He who attributes humility to himself is really proud, for humility arises only out of sublime state.

5. Real humility is the one which rises from the contemplation of His Sublimity and illumination of His Attributes.

6. He made devil your enemy so that, through him, He could drive you toward Himself, and He stirred up your soul against you so that your drawing to Him would be permanent.

7. So long as you have not contemplated the Creator, you belong to the created beings; but when you contemplated Him, created beings belong to you.

8. He only made afflictions come at the hands of people so that you not repose in them. He wanted to drive you out of everything so that nothing would divert you from Him. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata Allah Iskandari]

Monday, February 13, 2012

LESSON OF THE DAY 1300

Ayahs of the day:
Who will lend God a loan of good, which God will multiply for him greatly? And God both takes and grants, restricts and expands; and to God you will be returned. [2: 245]

Hadith of the day:
He who seeks to expose his brother's shameful secrets, God will expose his shameful secrets. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
We must see each others strengths and encourage those strengths, we must see others weaknesses and be patient with those weaknesses. Sometimes even look beyond what we see as weaknesses and move on with compassion, love and respect -- this takes true faith. [Dawud Whansby]

Guidance of the day:
He who fears God is one to whom profitable commerce has been granted. He who knows God but finds not in this knowledge all that he need, he indeed is wretched. He who serves God is never injured by what he may suffer in His service. What gains a servant from the eminence of wealth since all eminence belong to the God-fearing.

Taqwa is to obey God the Exalted's injunctions, and avoid what He has prohibited, outwardly and inwardly, together with feeling how formidable He is and being in fear, awe, and dread of Him. Taqwa is that Allah should be ever obeyed, never disobeyed; ever remembered, never forgotten; ever thanked, never (have his favors) denied. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Forgive all who have offended you, not for them but for yourself. Forgiveness is the economy of the heart, it saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits. when we forgive, we in no way change the past, but we do sure change the future.

Friday, February 10, 2012

From the wise sayings of Luqman…

If you are in prayer,
take care of your heart;

If you are eating take care of your throat;

If you are in another person's house, take care of your eyes;

If you are among people take care of your tongue.

Remember two matters and forget two matters:

Remember Allah and Death, forget any good that you have done to another and any evil that was done to you by another.

Umar bin Abdul Aziz said;

Who ever contemplates death frequently -- speaks little.

While he who knows death is certain -- is satisfied with a little.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Pearls of wisdom 329

1. Nothing pleads on your behalf like extreme need, nor does anything speed gifts to you quicker than lowliness and want.

2. Were it not for His kindliness of His veiling, no deed would be worthy of acceptance.

3. He who knows God, contemplates Him in everything. He who loves Him prefers nothing to Him.

4. Sometimes you will find more benefit in state of need than you find in fasting or ritual prayer.

5. If you want gifts to come your way, then perfect the spiritual poverty you have -- 'Alms are only for the needy.'

6. Sometimes darkness (difficulties/problems) come over you in order that He make you aware of the value of His blessings upon you.

7. Do not deem His giving to be slow; but rather, deem your approaching to be slow.

8. Your obedience does not benefit Him, and your disobedience does not harm Him. It is only for your own good that He commanded the one and prohibited the other.

9. His sublimity is not increased when someone draws near to Him, and His sublimity is not decreased when someone draws away from Him.

10. Beneficial knowledge is the one whose ray of light expands in the mind and uncover the veil over the heart. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata Allah Iskandari]

Friday, February 03, 2012

LESSON OF THE DAY 1299

Ayahs of the day:
Or do you suppose you will enter paradise without there having happened to you the likes of what happened to those who passed away before you? Misery and distress befell them, and they were so shaken that the messenger and those who believed with him said, "When will God's help come?" Ah, but the help of God is near! [2: 214]

Hadith of the day:
By He in whose Hand my soul is, you will enjoin good and forbid evil, or God will soon send upon you a chastisement from Him, then you will pray Him and He will not respond. [Ahmad]

Wise quote of the day:
Don't just grow up, grow better with time and grow more experienced with age, keep being passionate about whatever you do, keep trying new things, be patient and keep trying your best, the path to God is straight through will full surrender to God's commands. [Dawud Wharnsby Ali]

Guidance of the day:
Allah Almighty has commanded His believing servants to fear Him. It is as if He has gathered in this fear of Him every good, both immediate and delayed, then enjoined it upon His believing servants, that they may succeed and gain all the goodness and merits in it, as well as happiness and success. This He did in compassion to His believing servants, for He is ever Compassionate to the believers.

Taqwa, is the counsel that the Lord of Worlds gave both ancients and the latecomers. For there is no good, immediate or remote, outward or inward, but that the fear of God is the path leading to it and the means to reach it. And there is no evil, immediate or remote, outward or inward, but the fear of God is the strongest protection and most powerful defense against it, to escape its harm. How numerous are the benefactions and immense good fortunes said to depend on it by God the Formidable in His August Book. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge. The glory of Islam is to conquer by forgiveness. Life is an adventure in forgiveness. He who does not forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself, for every man has the need to be forgiven. The weak can never forgive, forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.