Sunday, March 31, 2019

Lesson of the day 1422

Tips to make the upcoming Ramadan more blessed and productive towards attaining taqwa/righteouness:

God says, concerning His Majestic Book: The Month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed, a guidance for mankind, [containing] clear proofs of guidance, and the criterion of distinguishing right from wrong. Al-Qur’an 2:185 

We encourage all of the believers to refrain from all of the ruinations of the tongue during Ramadan. In his seminal work, “Quickening the Religious Sciences,” Imam al-Ghazali mentions them as the following:

a) Speaking in matters that do not concern one.
b) Excessive speech.
c) Speaking about sinful matters.
d) Disputation and contestation.
e) Argumentation.
f) Excessively embellished speech.
g) Lewd, insulting, or crude speech.
h) Invoking the Curse of God on someone.
i) Singing indecent songs, or relating immoral poetry.
j) Excessive joking.
k) Sarcasm and ridicule.
l) Revealing secrets.
m) False promises.
n) Lying and false oaths.
o) Backbiting and slander.
p) Instigating tense relations between people.
q) Being two-faced.
r) Praising someone who is either undeserving, or unable to remain humble when praised.
s) Speaking about involved subjects and ideas one lacks the necessary knowledge or eloquence to adequately convey.
t) Ordinary folk speaking in subjects that are the domain of specialists.
May God spare us from these ruinations both during and after Ramadan.
The Prophet, Peace and Blessing of Almighty God be upon Him, said: “Whoever fails to leave off ruinous speech, and acting on it [during Ramadan], God does not need him to leave off eating and drinking.” Al-Bukahri

We encourage the believers to avoid all arguments, disputes, and unnecessary worldly entanglements during this blessed month. This is a time for deep devotion and dedication to Allah.

We encourage the believers to work to restore any severed relations or kinship ties they may be experiencing. This is a time when the gentle breezes of Divine Facilitation are blowing. Any good we endeavor during this blessed month will come to bear its proper fruits, Insha Allah.

We encourage all of the believers to eat simply during this month. One should try to make a vow to give up unnecessary, and generally unhealthy fare during this blessed month. Pizza, ice cream, fast food, pastries, and soda should all go. We should make our solidarity with our suffering brothers and sisters in other lands real, and not something confined to speeches and pamphlets.

If one is in the habit of watching television, or listening to commercial music, one should also try to give these things up for Ramadan. They are things that divert us from the remembrance of God in any case. During this special month when every letter we recite from the Majestic Qur’an is tremendously rewarded, we should busy ourselves with recitation, and drop other pastimes.

Married believers should encourage their wives to engage in spiritual pursuits during this month, i.e. reciting the Qur’an, attending Tarawih, etc. They should especially avoid burdening their wives with long hours in the kitchen in order to host extravagantIftars.

While it is certainly virtuous to provide the wherewithal for the believers to break their fast, dates, water, and simple dishes suffice in that regard.

These are some of the things we wanted to convey to you. Hopefully, they will prove of benefit. Again, we wish you a very successful Ramadan and would like to thank all of you for past, present, and future support. May Allah bless us to serve you better in the future.

On behalf of the Zaytuna Staff,
Your Brother in Islam,
Imam Zaid Shakir

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Pearls of Wisdom 423

1. If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of God, he has only to look at what place he gives God in his heart and life.

2. Do not sit idle, for indeed death is seeking you.

3. Meet people in such a manner that if you die, they should weep for you, and if you live they should long for you.

4. Whoever desires to purify his heart then let him prefer Allah to his desires.

5. What we love to have with us in the Hereafter we should advance today, and what we hate to have with us in the Hereafter we should abandon today.

6. If we want to talk to Allah, we should perform salah, if we want Allah to talk to us, we should read Qur'an.

7. Be hard on yourself, easy on others.

8. Action is the biggest measurement of knowledge.

9. Love your Lord by serving Him, for lovers are but servants of the Beloved.

10. Put down your pride, set down your arrogance and remember your grave.

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Practical Advice on Parenting....

Dalia Magahed

I often get asked for advice about how to parent rebellious
teenagers by struggling parents. I'am usually like "please
let me know when you find out."

So what I'm about to share is from the deepest part of humility.
It's hard as hell. But there are a few thoughts on the matter,
things that have helped me and that I've observed in the lives
of others.

1. Know this: your kids are separate human beings, not a
reflection of you. They are not trophies. They cannot be
extensions of your ambitions, unfulfilled dreams or to make
up for what you failed to achieve. They don't exist to be
your fulfillment. They are servants of God. Allow them their
individual dreams, personalities, goals.

2. Even if they don't tell you, you are still their first and
biggest example. Be a person they can respect and
admire without being shamed into doing so. Work on
yourself so that the kind of man or woman you wish them
to grow up to be would look up to someone like you. Be
a role model. Be kind, generous and patient if that's what
you'd like for them. Call your parents. Cook for your sick
friend. They will do what you do, not what you say.

3. Humans have at least three essential needs: security,
belonging and purpose. They will find and fulfill these
needs, or numb the unfulfillment of them, one way or
another. If the home doesn't provide a safe space to be
who they are and be loved, they will find that elsewhere.
If the home and the mosque isn't a place of belonging,
they will find that elsewhere. If they have no sense of
purpose other than avoiding punishment, they will
search for it elsewhere or numb it's absence.

4. Your kids will likely disappoint you on occasion, or a
lot. Refer to point number one. You can do everything
perfectly and you still won't have perfect kids. It's not
your fault. Prophets had kids who rebelled. It doesn't
mean you failed. They are not an extension of you.
They have agency. We are only accountable for our
intentions and actions, not the way others behave,
even our kids. Don't indulge in self flagellation.

5. If your kids are perfect, praise the Lord, not yourself.
Don't take credit. Children are a gift, like health or wealth.
Those who say "it's because of my own effort" weren't
dealt kindly in the Quran. Don't feel superior to another
parent who is struggling anymore than you should look
down on a person with less money than you. God gives
to who He pleases. It's not a sign of your awesomeness.
It's a sign of His generosity.

Saturday, March 09, 2019

Lesson of the day 1421

Ayah of the Day 
When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed (close to them), I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me. Let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me. That they may walk in the right way. (2: 186)

Hadith of the Day
If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening full. (Tirmidhi).

Wise Quote of the Day 
If someone's state does not lift you up, and his words do not lead you to Allah, then do not keep his company. (Ibn ata Illah)

Guidance of the Day 
Ramadan is a merciful portal of time that opens and then closes, and none of us know whether or not we will see another Ramadan. So seize the moment to gain God's mercy, forgiveness and salvation. There is no capital more worthy of our concern and effort than this.

The time between late afternoon and sunset is a special time for Dhikr. Asr time is the signaling of the end of another day we have been blessed to see, the sunset signifies the end of a life time. Ramadan is an exceptional opportunity to cleanse our hearts of the diseases of them. Recitation of the Quran during Ramadan is especially effective in reviving one's relationship with the book of God. (Purification of the heart)

Food for thought
The beauty of life does not depend on how happy we are, but how happy others can be because of us.

Saturday, March 02, 2019

Pearls of Wisdom 422

1. Try to gladden the hearts of believers in every possible way, as long as
these ways are not sinful.

2. A man of bad character punishes his own soul.

3. The straight path is the shortest distance between the two points.

4. To advice others is an easy matter, the difficulty is accepting advice, since it is bitter for those who follow their own inclinations and desires.

5. If men wish to draw near to God, they must seek Him in the hearts of the men. They should speak well of all men, whether present or absent.

6. Know that you should reflect on God's complete awareness of you, and His seeing and knowing all about you.

7. Islam will prevent us from sins, or sins will prevent us from Islam.

8. The spiritual warrior is the one who breaks an idol, and the idol of each person is his ego.

9. The lower self is greedy, teach it to be content.

10. Do not fix hopes on your health, and do not laugh away life. Remember how they walked and now their joints lie separately and the tongue with which they talked is eaten away by the worms.