Ramadan Mubarak!!!

Ramadan: Save the Changes

Don't Press the "redo" after we "undo" and "save the changes"!!!

During the Mubarak and beautiful month of Ramadhaan many have navigated themeselves to the Deen of Allah and have brought about substantial positive deeni changes. Now is a critical time to click on the left tab- Save those changes!

Nearly everyone in this age of modern technology has at some stage worked with a P.C. We have used it to draft documents, amend these documents, copied and pasted onto documents, used the 'undo' icon, edited documents, just to mention a few of the time saving operations that we find on this device.

After opening a document that we have worked upon previously and made the necessary changes and improvements a little box appears on the screen asking the question: Do you want to save the changes you have made to this document? You are then given the option of selecting the YES tab or the NO tab. Selecting the YES tab will give you the desired results while selecting the NO tab literally takes you back to square one. All the effort made in editing, improving and shaping the document becomes an exercise in futility.

Don't we all find ourselves in a similar predicament when the blessed month of Ramadaan passes us? Just think of your book of deeds like a document on your P.C. During the month of Ramadaan we have done amongst other things the following-

· Increased our Ibaadah and acts of charity;

· Took control of our feelings and emotions;

· Responded with compassion and sensitivity to the needs of other;

· Multiplied our good deeds;

-Repented: we have spent many hours on the Musallah begging for Allah's forgiveness for our sins, errors and transgressions.

The vital question that needs to be asked is :

Do we want to save the changes that we have made in the month of Ramadaan? Are we going to press the YES tab or the No tab?

Pressing the YES tab will leave us with a new, improved version. A version of heightened spirituality, a version of righteousness, a version that is pleasing to our Creator. Pressing the NO tab will take us back to square one; back to our old habits before Ramadaan, back to the life of sin and immorality, back to a life of heedlessness and back to a life subjecting ourselves to the wrath of the Almighty.

How do we improve on this document; the document of our lives, the document of our deeds, the document that we are going to present to Allah the Almighty on the Day of Reckoning? Here are some hints: Copy and Paste from the life of our illustrious master Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi Wasallam.

Use the 'undo' icon by making Taubah immediately after any transgression as the Hadith states "The one who repents from sin is like one who has committed no sin at all"

There may not be a need to do a "spell check" but there is certainly a need to do a "sincerity check" and a "Shari'ah check"? Are we complying?

There may be files and folders that we want to keep while there could be some others we would not even want others to know exist. Many of us begged Allah to "delete" our sins and dark deeds .We cried before Allah, shed tears of remorse and vowed not to commit those sins in future. Going back to the sins that we have asked Allah's forgiveness for would be like making a visit to the "recycle bin".

What about viruses? P.C. users are also very wary about e-mails they receive and the sites that they visit, fearing the admission of a virus that may pollute their system and cause it to malfunction.The environment and people who we associate with could adversely infect us!Why do we then subject our minds and thoughts to immoral sites and dens of vice which would pollute our moral system and cause us to malfunction? What anti-virus software have we installed to ward off the variety of Fitnahs that confront us everyday?

We need to install the right version of the anti-viruses. There is indeed only One version. Without delay install every Commad of Allah and the Sunnah of Rasulullah ( Salallaho alaihe wassallam) onto our hardrives(lives). This will allow us to repel the attemps by shaytaan and other evil forces to infect our PC's(souls).

It s Now time to Run the Programs...

Begin By:

Connecting ourselves to the right network. When we need an I.T solution we ago to I.T specialist. We also in our lives need to consult with Ulama and pious people so that we are connected to the right network!

Delete ALL harmulful programs Permanetly! Lets Repent over our past evil deeds and make a firm niyyah (intention) NEVER to Redo those evil deeds

Ensure that the service provider provides the installation guide for the following programs to be run on your PC:

Program 1:

Dawah (Inviting ourselves, families,communities and humanity towards Allah and help Allah's Deen by striving for it)

Program 2:

Ta'alim (Learning and teaching Deen)

Program 3:

Ibaadah-Worship ( Salaah, Haj, Umrah, Quran, Zikr, Dua and all other forms of Ibadaat)

Program 4:

Khidmah- Acts of Charity ( All acts Charity including Zakaah especially helping the Ummah in whatever possible way)

Now lets connect ourselves to Deen of Islam and the Amaal (good actions) that takes place in our Musjids...as no one knows when his or her PC will crash (when we will die)! By performing Good Deeds we will have Permanently Backed Up our records in Jannah(Paradise). Be carefull not to engage ourselves in Evil lest we Back-Up our evil deeds in Jahannam (Hell)

Fortunate is the person who has "saved the changes". Extremely unfortunate is the person who has made no changes as he /she has nothing to save.!

IMPORTANT: As we dont know the time when our PC will shut down ...Make those Changes Now and more importnat.........Save it!

** *** ***

Pearls of wisdom 313

1. When trouble and suffering come upon you, accept them and do not complain.

2. Seek a simple and humble life and be happy and content with it.

3. The eyes that shine with the light of Allah will give light to the eyes that look upon them.

4. Beware of your states, count each breath and every moment of time allotted to you -- let it not go to waste.

5. Listen and be respectful and humble in the presence of those who remember and call upon Allah.

6. In generosity and benevolence, follow the example of the holy Prophet (sws).

7. Accept the Truth from those who preach it -- to be humble is to accept the Truth.

8. Expel all self-approval and pride from your being and envy is a dreadful thing that you should flee from.

9. Be more occupied with your inner state than with your outer state -- for the inner state is what Allah looks at.

10. Show respect to the devout, show kindness to the sinful, do not cause discomfort to anyone; let your outer self be the same as your inner self. [Above quotes by Abu Abdul Rahman al Sulami]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1282

Ayahs of the Day:

This is the Book, without doubt, in it guidance for the conscientious, those who believe in the unseen, who practice regular prayer, and who give of what We have provided them; and those who believe in what was revealed to you, and what was revealed before you, and who are certain of the Hereafter. [2: 2,3,4]

Hadith of the Day:

Worldly things are sweet and seemingly, whoever takes them with permission will find them blessed, while whoever takes them with avidness shall not find any blessings in them and will be like those who eat and yet are not satiated. [Bukhari & muslim]

Wise quote of the Day:

When the inward is good the outward is also inevitably so, for the outward follows the inward, whether for good or evil. [Imam Abdullah Ibn Alawi al Haddad]

Guidance of the Day:

The Arabic word ilah is the counterpart of the English word god. Both mean the thing or entity being worshiped. The persian khuda, the Latin deus, and the Turkishi tanri have similar meaning and connotations.

God, with a capital G, is not an exact equivalent of the term Allah. Rather, it is closer to the Islamic conception of ilah. In Arabic, Allah is the essential personal name of God and comprises all His Beautiful Names (asma' al-husan). When Allah is said, the One, the Supreme Being, the Creator, the Owner, the Sustainer, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing, whose Names and Attributes are manifested in creation, comes to mind. This term also refers to His Absolute Oneness as well as Having no defect or partner.

As Allah is a proper name peculiar to the One Supreme Being, we say la ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah). By saying this, we first deny all non-deities and then affirm the One known by the name Allah. In other words, only Allah is Allah, and only He is worthy of worship. [M. Fethullah Gulen]

Food for thought:

To resist the frigidity of old age, one must combine the body, the mind and the heart, and to keep these in parallel vigor one must exercise, study, and love. A comfortable old age is the reward of a well-spent youth, instead of its bringing sad melancholy prospects of decay, it would give us hope of eternal youth in a better world.

If you have to complain then try to be the best of those who complain....

Imām Ibn al-Qayyim {may Allāh have mercy upon him} said:-

The ignorant one complains about Allāh to the people!

This is the height of ignorance in complaining and in whom the complaint is about.

For if a person were to truly know his Lord, he would never complain of Him.

If he truly knew people, he would never complain to them …

The gnostic complains only to Allāh,

and the most knowledgeable of the gnostics are those who complain to Allāh about themselves, not others …

So there are three levels:-

# 1/-The most contemptible of them is to complain to people about Allāh;

#2/ The loftiest of them is to complain to Allāh about oneself;

#3/ The middle level is to complain to Allāh about others.

Pearls of wisdom 312

1. Bring joy into the lives of believers and meet their needs, respond cruelty with kindness.

2. Love each other and meet each other for Allah's sake.

3. Remember that you are a servant of Allah -- humble yourself and do not regard yourself and your actions as significant.

4. Repent ceaselessly, with the strongest will not to return to the sin -- for only then is the repentance acceptable.

5. By loving the ones whom Allah loves, you attract His love for yourself.

6. Retain the fear of Allah both inwardly and outwardly.

7. Fast-- for hunger is a protection against the Devil.

8. The effect of remembrance of Allah (dhikr) inwardly is acceptance (rida) with the Divine decree, and outwardly is humility (khushu) and piety (taqwa).

9. Education of the heart is through safeguarding the limbs and sense organs.

10. Forgive -- even though you may have the power to retaliate; instead of seeking the faults of others, look for your own faults. [Above quotes by Abu Abdul Rahman al Sulami]

What is it that's hard to break?

Diamonds are hard to find but not hard to Break.

What is the hardest thing to break then?

The answer is: HABIT!

If you break the H, you still have A BIT.

If you break the A, you still have BIT.

If you break the B, you still have IT!

Hey, after you break the T in IT, there is still the 'I'.

And that "I" is the root cause of all the problems that you/me/all are facing.

Isn't it right? Do You endorse? Do You agree?

Now you know why "HABIT" is so hard to break.

Moral of the story: 

We have to respect each other's opinion and views too.

We just need to listen others actively and their point of view

KEEP SMILING -- not because of something but despite everything.

LESSON OF THE DAY 1281

Ayahs of the Day:

Say, "I take refuge with the Lord of humankind, the ruler of humankind, the God of humankind, from the ill of flighty suggestion that whispers in the people's hearts from the demonic and human sources." [114: 1 to 6]

Hadith of the Day:

Take advantage of five before (another) five -- your life before your death, your health before illness, your free time before your preoccupation, your youth before your old age, and your wealth before poverty (i.e. preparing for the Hereafter). [Ahmad & Bayhaqi]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Renew your wudu whenever you break it, for wudu is the weapon of the believer, and when the weapon is in evidence, the enemy does not approach. [Abdullah ibn Alawi al Haddad]

Guidance of the Day:

To hope for the Hereafter but do nothing for it in terms of conduct and morality is false hope. A perennial teaching of revealed religion since the creation of Adam is that entry into Paradise is a matter of God's mercy and that this mercy is attained by combining faith and sincere deeds for the sake of God. Unfortunately, on the Day of Judgment many Muslims will find themselves in Hell because of false hopes. All they have to show for their religiosity is the mere declaration of faith, a testimony unconfirmed by deeds, especially the rites of worship and charitable acts towards others.

The Quran states that there are people who desire to continue in their wrongdoing throughout the entirety of their lives. The scholars have said that although people may be aware of ultimate accountability, they put off repentance as if they are guaranteed a long life. This is an ethic exemplified by the saying, "Sow your wild oats," which advocates getting all the lewdness and sin out of life when one is young, and then later calming down and getting serious about religion.

Besides being simply wrong, another terrible flaw in this ethic is that people die at all ages and never get the chance to repent and make amends. Moreover, what kind of repentance is this when people intentionally indulge in sin banking on the possibility that later on in life -- after all the energy and drive diminishes -- they will turn in penitence to God? We know that God loves those who spend their youth obedient to Him and His commandments. [Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:

Some die without having really lived, while others continue to live, in spite of the fact that they have died. Be of good cheer about death, and know this of a truth, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in this life or after death. A faithful life in this world is the best preparation for the next. This world is the land of dying; the next is the land of living.

Raising Moral Children

Nothing is difficult with Allah's help and nothing is easy without His help.

1. Commit to Raising A Moral Child
How important is it for you to raise a moral child? It's a crucial question to ask, because research finds that parents who feel strongly about their kids turning out morally usually succeed because they committed themselves to that effort. If you really want to raise a moral child, then make a personal commitment to raise one.

2. Be a Strong Moral Example
Parents are their children's first and most powerful moral teachers, so make sure the moral behaviors your kids are picking up from you are ones that you want them to copy. Try to make your life a living example of good moral behavior for your child to see. Each day ask yourself: "If my child had only my behavior to watch, what example would he/she catch?" The answer is often quite telling.

3. Know Your Beliefs And Share Them
Before you can raise a moral child, you must be clear about what you believe in. Take time to think through your values then share them regularly with your child explaining why you feel the way you do. After all, your child will be hearing endless messages that counter your beliefs, so it's essential that he/she hears about your moral standards. TV shows, movies, newspapers, and literature are filled with moral issues, so use them as opportunities to discuss your beliefs with your child.

4. Use Teachable Moments
The best teaching moments aren't ones that are planned—they happen unexpectedly. Look for moral issues to talk about as they come up. Take advantage of those moments because they help your child develop solid moral beliefs that will help guide his behavior the rest of his life.

5. Use Discipline as a Moral Lesson
Effective discipline ensures that the child not only recognizes why her behavior was wrong but also knows what to do to make it right next time. Using the right kind of questions helps kids expand their ability to take another person's perspective and understand the consequences of their behavior. So help your child reflect: "Was that the right thing to do? What should I do next time?" That way your child learns from his mistakes and grows morally. Remember your ultimate goal is to wean your child from your guidance so he or she acts right on his or her own.

6. Expect Moral Behavior
Studies are very clear: kids who act morally have parents who expect them to do so. It sets a standard for your child's conduct and also lets her know in no uncertain terms what you value. Post your moral standards at home then consistently reinforce them until your child internalizes them so they become his or her rules, too.

7. Reflect on the Behaviors' Effects
Researchers tell us one of the best moral-building practices is to point out the impact of the child's behavior on the other person. Doing so enhances a child's moral growth: ("See, you made her cry") or highlight the victim's feeling ("Now he feels bad"). The trick is to help the child really imagine what it would be like to be in the victim's place so he or she will be more sensitive to how his or her behavior impacts others.

8. Reinforce Moral Behaviors
One of the simplest ways to help kids learn new behaviors is to reinforce them as they happen. So purposely catch your child acting morally and acknowledge his or her good behavior by describing what he or she did right and why you appreciate it.

9. Prioritize Morals Daily
Kids don't learn how to be moral from reading about it in textbooks but from doing good deeds. Encourage your child to lend a hand to make a difference in his world, and always help him or her recognize the positive effect the gesture had on the recipient. The real goal is for kids to become less and less dependent on adult guidance by incorporating moral principles into their daily lives and making them their own. That can happen only if parents emphasize the importance of the virtues over and over and their kids repeatedly practice those moral behaviors.

10. Incorporate the Golden Rule
Teach your child the Golden Rule that has guided many civilizations for centuries, "Treat others as you want to be treated." Remind him or her to ask himself before acting, Would I want someone to treat me like that? It helps him or her think about his behavior and its consequences on others. Make the rule become your family's over-arching moral principal

Pearls of wisdom 311

1. There is nothing more noble than servitude, nor is there a more perfect title for the believer than 'slave'.

2. Just as 'Lordship' is eternal quality of God, so is 'servitude' a quality of man that stays with Him as long as he lives.

3. Shame means abandoning all pretensions before God.

4. Sincerity is guarding oneself from the opinions of men and truthfulness is cleansing oneself of awareness of self.

5. The sincere one is not hypocritical, and the truthful one is not conceited.

6. Truthfulness is that you be with people just as you perceive yourself to be or that you perceive yourself to be just as you are.

7. God will beautify the inner faculties with contemplation for one who adorns his outer being with striving.

8. Whoever refrains from speaking the truth is a mute devil.

9. It is best that a person be given enough wealth to sustain him and then he maintains himself within those limits.

10. The one who humbles himself before a rich person on account of his wealth loses two thirds of his religion. [Above quotes by Shaykh Abu ad Daqqaq]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1280

Ayahs of the Day:

Say,"I take refuge in the Lord of dawn from the ill of what is created, and from the ill of darkness when it's gloomy, and from the ill of those who curse, and from the ill of the envious when he envies." [113: 1 to 5]

Hadith of the Day:

Allah has revealed to me that you must be humble, so that no one boasts over another. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Your time is your life, and your life is your capital, it is the basis of your transactions (with God), and the means to attain everlasting felicity, in the proximity of God the Exalted. [Imam Ghazali]

Guidance of the Day:

It is no coincidence that those very people who do good and hope to do more of it are in fact those who reflect on death and work for the Hereafter the most, so that the Day of Judgment will be a moment of joy and light for them. It is wise to meditate on death -- its throes and the various states after it. For example, one should imagine -- while he or she has life and relatively safe -- the trial of the Traverse(Sirat) that every soul must pass over in the Hereafter, beneath which is the awesome inferno and the screams and anguish of those evildoers who already have been cast therein.

People of spiritual elevation prepare themselves psychologically for the ultimate journey. Although death is a sudden severance from this life, one remains conscious in a different way. In fact, the deceased is in a hyper-conscious state that makes this life appear life a dream. Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, said, "People are asleep. When they die, they wake up."

Many of the righteous forbears of Muslim civilization stressed that one should visualize the states of death and the Afterlife -- their bodies being washed and prepared for burial, being lowered into the grave, having soil cove them, being questioned by the angels, climbing out of the grave on the Day of Resurrection, and being called to stand in judgment before God the Exalted. Reflecting on death brings sobriety to one's state. [Hamza Yusuf,Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:

What most counts is not to live, but to live aright. Not only must we be good, but we must be good for something. Purpose is what gives life a meaning. A useless life is an early death. Be a life long or short, its completeness depends on what it was lived for. Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes. Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible.

Time is Priceless....

To realize

The value of a sister/brother

Ask someone

Who doesn't have one.

To realize

The value of ten years:

Ask a newly

Divorced couple.

To realize

The value of four years:

Ask a graduate.

To realize

The value of one year:

Ask a student who

Has failed a final exam.

To realize

The value of nine months:

Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize

The value of one month:

Ask a mother

Who has given birth to a premature baby..

To realize

The value of one minute:

Ask a person

Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize

The value of one-second:

Ask a person

Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.

Treasure every moment you have.

You will treasure it even more when

You can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:

LOSE ONE.

Remember....

Hold on tight to the ones you love!

Do not keep this letter.

Send it to friends & family to whom you wish A good, long, happy, life

5 Wisdoms

1.
If you are right, then there is no need to get angry.
And if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.

2.
Patience with family is love
Patience with others is respect.
Patience with self is confidence.

3.
Never think hard about past, It brings tears.
Don't think more about future, It brings fears.
Live this moment with a smile, It brings cheers...

4.
Every test in our life makes us bitter or better.
Every problem comes to make us or break us.
Choice is ours, whether we become victim or victorious.

5.
Search a beautiful heart, not a beautiful face.
Beautiful things are not always good, but good things are always beautiful.

LESSON OF THE DAY 1279

Ayahs of the Day:

Say, "It is God, unique, God the eternal, not begetting or begotten, nor having any equal." [112: 1 to 4]

Hadith of the Day:

The best of you is one who learns the Quran and teaches it. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Our living in this world will inevitably bring us tests. Those tests are subtle and open, they occur in great and small things. Through these tests, God shows which of us truly believe, and which of us are empty claimants. [Imam Zaid Shakir]

Guidance of the Day:

Ignorance urges people to see only short-time relief as a blessing and to ignore the benefits of patience and temporary discomfort. Knowledge opens the eyes to the long term benefit, which lasts for ever. There is a necessary link between intelligence and morality, the willingness to put off a short-term gain for a long-term benefit that ultimately is greater and ever lasting. This kind of intelligence is conditioned by Islam.

Blessings are either roots or branches. The roots are things like iman, Islam, health, safety, and well-being. The branches are money, clothing, shelter, and so on. The best blessings are those connected with entering Paradise (which is the completion of blessings). Faith, patience, good character, swiftness in doing good, and promptness in worship are blessings of God and they are everlasting. Islam itself is the completion of God's blessings upon humanity.

The ornaments of this life are such things as a house, furnishings, and clothing. The more that one has of these blessings, the more he will be accountable for them. To be zahid (ascetic) does not always mean a lack of material possession. There is asceticism of the heart, in which one is not attached to the material world and is indifferent to it. In other words, a person's character and level of faith will not change if he loses his wealth. That's the sign of a zahid. But if one falls apart and plunges into despondency when losing something valuable, it shows an inordinate attachment to worldly life. [Hamza Yusuf, Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:

To be simple is to be great. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Simplicity is the exact medium between too little and too much. To be simple is the best thing in the world. Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough. Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves.

Pearls of wisdom 310

1. Trust in God is that the heart lives with Allah Most High without other attachment.

2. Trust in God is the state of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and earning in his Sunna, whoever maintains his state will never abandon hisSunna.

3. There is no helper other than Allah, and there is no guide other than the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

4. There is no provision other than taqwa (piety), and there is no work other than perseverance in taqwa.

5. He who subdues his soul with correct behavior -- by following the commands of Allah, worships God sincerely.

6. Yaqeen (certainty) is a branch of faith, and it comes from abundance of faith and its inward realization.

7. Allah protects the heart of those who protect their limbs from wrong actions.

8. The carnal self (ego) is the real cause of all evil and the worst enemy for the seeker of God -- thus self mortification is indispensable for the attainment of spiritual discipline. [Above quotes by Shaykh Sahl bin Abdullah Tustari]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1278

Ayahs of the Day:

Ruined are the hands of the one who flares up, and ruined is he: His wealth is no avail to him, nor what he's acquired: He will roast in a flaming fire, his wife carrying the fuel, with a rope around her neck. [111: 1 TO 5]

Hadith of the Day:

Whoever is slowed by his deeds, will not be hastened by his lineage. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:

The night is long, so do not shorten it by sleeping, and the day is brilliant, so do not obscure it with your sins. [Yahya ibn Mu'adh]

Guidance of the Day:

While we cannot count our blessings, we are charged to be grateful for having them. The fact that the Quran has been revealed to us to reflect on these blessings is in itself a great blessing, for the human being cannot on his own figure out how to live with guidance. To deny God's blessings can lead to outright disbelief and denial of God the Exalted. God will not take away a blessing unless people show ingratitude. A poet said, "If you are in a blessing, guard it, for disobedience shall snatch away." Gratitude to God protects one from having blessings removed.

There is an interesting concept called istidraj, in which God allows an ingrate to flaunt his blessings, while God does not diminish the ingrate's blessings in the least. In fact, He may increase it. The person will then begin to think that God really loves him, and the only thing worse than a person who is misguided is the person who is stray but believes himself to be favored by God. [Hamza Yusuf, Purification of Heart]

Food for Thought:

The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress. We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden. Readjusting is a painful process, but most of us need it at one point or another. Change the fabric of your soul and your own visions, and you will change all. He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils.

Pearls of wisdom 309

1. The sign of hope is goodly obedience to God Most High.

2. Insight is granted to the one who lowers his gaze from illicit things.

3. Insight is granted to the one who restrains his soul from passionate longings.

4. Insight is granted to the one who cultivates his inner being with constant vigilant awareness.

5. Insight is granted to the one who lives in conformity to the Sunna.

6. Insight is granted to the one who accustoms himself to eating only the licit.

7. As long as they do not see their merit, the possessors of merit are virtuous.

8. Patience has three signs: not to complain, surrender to His will, and acceptance of Divine decree. [Above quotes by Shaykh Shuja Kirmani]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1277

Ayahs of the Day:

When God's help has arrived, and victory, and you have seen people entering the religion of God in crowds, then praise your Lord and seek Divine forgiveness, for God is merciful. [110: 1,2,3]

Hadith of the Day:

Whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this life and the Hereafter. Allah is helping the servant as long as the servant is helping his brother. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Be with people in such a way that if you should die, they should weep for you, and if you live, they should long for you. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:

Obliviousness to blessings is a disease, it's a lack of acknowledgement, a noxious disregard that whatever blessing you have, it is from God. The blessings that come to us, night and day, are beyond numeration, as the Qur'an reminds. These blessings come in all forms -- what we can see and touch (by way of material good: food, clothing, shelter, wealth, and the like), as well as what we cannot see (like safety, friendship, love health, and protection from harm and calamity).

The Qur'an begins with the phrase translated as, In the name of God, the Merciful, the Mercy-Giving. Some Scholars have said that "Merciful" (Rahman) implies the giver of the major blessings, while "Mercy-Giving" (Rahim) implies the giver of subtle blessings that are not perceived until they are removed. We blink, for example, thousands of times a day without thought. There are people, however, who require artificial lubricants because their tear glands do not function.

There are countless blessings related to the eye, let alone other aspects of our lives, like our ability to walk in balance without needing to consciously stimulate dozens of muscles required to take one step. Our thumbs permit us to do with our hands what most creatures cannot attempt. God has made food delicious instead of bland. And He has given us dignity in our nutrition, which is a tremendous blessing, especially when one considers the way carnivores devour their prey. [Translation by Hamza Yusuf, Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:

Character is the real foundation of all worthwhile success. Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value. Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved. If a man is self-controlled, truthful, wise, and resolute, is there aught that can stay out of reach of such a man?

Pearls of wisdom 308

1. The self is complete darkness -- the lamp of self is its striving for God Most High.

2. Servitude is the beautiful adornment of the servant -- whoever abandons servitude is shut off from beauty.

3. Moral character consists of what God chose for His Prophet (peace be upon him) when He commanded: "Hold to forgiveness and command what is right."

4. The best means for the slave to reach his Master is by being constantly in need of Him in all states, adhering to the Sunna in all deeds, and seeking his sustenance in a lawful manner.

5. Poverty/neediness is a state that leads to the nearness to God.

6. Depend not on your devotions and spiritual exercises but His grace.

7. Turn to God, as the poor beggar turns to the rich for alms.

8. When you sit instructing the people be a preacher to your heart and soul and do not allow their gathering around you to beguile you for they are attentive to your external being, while God is attentive to your inner being. [ Shaykh Abu Hafs al Haddad]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1276

Ayahs of the Day:

Say, "O disbelievers, I don't serve what you serve, and you don't serve what I serve. And I won't serve what you serve, and you won't serve what I serve. You have your way, and I have my way." [109: 1 to 60

Hadith of the Day:

No man helps a Muslim at a time when his honor is being belittled or his rights are violated except that Allah will help him in a place in which he loves to have His help. [Abu Dawud & Ahmad]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Be joyous only for an increase in your good works, for they are your companions who will accompany you in your grave when your family, wealth, children and friends stay behind. [Imam al-Haddad]

Guidance of the Day:

Remind others to treasure life: Too often we take this incredible gift of life too much for granted. We rush around as if we have forever, respond out of habit instead of out of wisdom, and fail to attend to our highest stated priorities. We often fail to recognize and acknowledge not only what we have -- a home, family, friends, possessions, and health -- but life itself. Treasure life -- In fact, gratitude is one of, if not the most important, tool for living a peaceful life. Gratitude has a way of putting almost anything into its proper perspective.

I have found that when I do acknowledge the gift of life, much of the "small stuff" that used to bother me takes on far less relevance and significance. Appreciation puts things in perspective and allows me to be less uptight and reactive. In face, when I'm feeling really grateful, virtually nothing seems to get to me. Sometimes I can even see the humor in all the chaos.

When you remind others to treasure life, you can't help but do so yourself. Try it sometime. Remind your spouse or child, a friend, parent, neighbor, or someone else to treasure life, and observer what happens to you. You'll probably connect with the feeling of gratitude, of feeling blessed. The quality of your day -- and of your life -- will improve, as will the quality of life of those around you. Appreciation of life reminds you to be kind, humble, and generous and to take moments, frequently, to stop and smell the roses.

I encourage you to take this strategy to heart and implement it in your daily life. Remind others frequently to treasure life. Doing so will be a tremendous service to mankind and will help you as well. [Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff -- with your family]

Food for Thought:

Doing our duty and pursuing goals leads to happiness. Human happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected. When we devote ourselves to the strict and unsparing performance of duty, then happiness comes of itself. He who never sacrificed a present to a future good, or a personal to a general one, can speak of happiness only as the blind speak of color.

Pearls of wisdom 307

1. Poverty is -- fear of poverty; and wealth is -- security with God Most High.

2. Neither poverty nor wealth will carry any weight on the Day of reckoning -- only patience and thankfulness will be weighed.

3. External abstaining is that there be no outward movement except for God Most High, and internal abstaining is that nothing other than God enter your heart.

4. Poor son of Adam, if he feared the Fire as much as he fears poverty, he would enter Paradise.

5. Death is like the bridge that joins the devotee to his beloved Lord.

6. To worry about the affairs of the past and to be preoccupied with the affairs of the future takes the blessing out of life.

7. The secret of success in the pursuit of the Spiritual Path is to depend entirely upon the Lord of the Universe.

8. Whoever feels joy in serving Allah will see that the whole material world feels joy in serving him.

9. The eyes that shine with the light of Allah will give light to the eyes that look upon them.

10. Every benefaction from God necessitates gratitude, and this is without end.

11. Strengthen your outer self with prayer and your inner self with remembrance of Allah.

12. Allah created man's soul and made its life dependent on remembrance; He created man's flesh and made its life dependent on prayer.

13. Allah created the world, and protection from its dangers is possible only by abandoning it (except for one's needs); He created the Hereafter and made it possible to benefit from it only by working for it. [Above quotes by Shaykh Yahya bin Ma'adh Razi]