A strong person / A person of strength....

1. A strong person works out everyday to keep his/her body in shape.... but a person of strength kneels in prayer to keep his/her soul in shape.

2. A strong person isn't afraid of anything .... but a person of strength shows courage in the midst of his/her fear.

3. A strong person won't let anyone get the best of his/her..... but a person of strength gives the best of his/her to everyone.

4. A strong person makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future .... but a person of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them.

5. A strong person walks sure footedly .... but a person of strength knows God will catch him/her when he/she falls.

6. A strong person wears the look of confidence in his/her face .... but a person of strength wears grace.

7. A strong person has faith that he/she is strong enough for the journey .... but a person of strength has faith that it is in the journey that he/she will become strong.

Resolve to improve life this Ramadan.....

POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE LIFE

1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey
is all about.

2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest
your energy in the positive present moment.

3. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does.

4. Don't waste your precious energy and time on gossip.

5. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

6. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind people of their mistakes
of the past. That will ruin their present happiness.

7. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

8. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

9. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away
but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

10. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

11. Each day give something good to others.

13. Forgive everyone for everything -- hoping to be forgiven by Allah.

14. What other people think of you is none of your business,
just do the right things.

15. Put Allah first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.

16. The best is yet to come -- Paradise!-- strive for it.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. If you know Allah you will always be happy. So, know Him and be happy.

19. The hardship of obedience disappears and its reward remains.

20. The pleasure of sins disappears and its punishment remains.

Lesson of the Day 1357

Ayahs of the day:
If God willed, God would remove you, humankind, and bring forth, others. And God is able to do that. [4: 133]

Hadith of the day:
Indeed charity extinguishes the wrath of the Lord and it protects against the evil death. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
There can be no good in excess, just as there is no excess in good. [Imam Abu Hanifah]

Guidance of the day:
It is most important for he who is about to set out for the pilgrimage to do his utmost to make his provision halal and his expenses from licit source, for he who uses illicit money for the pilgrimage will not be accepted.

Let the pilgrim feel pleased when he spends his money in the course of his journey, for these are expenditures that he will be compensated for and the consequence of which will be goodness, benedictions, ease, and affluence. It has been transmitted that that which is spent on pilgrimage is similar to that spent on Jihad, the reward for every Dirham will be seven hundred. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Their is no instinct like that of the heart. The head learns new things, but the heart forever more practices old experiences. Wealth and want equally harden the human heart. Two things are bad for the heart -- running up stairs and running down people.

Beauty of a woman.....

1. The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her hair.

2. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

3. The beauty of a woman is not in her facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

4. It is the caring, that she lovingly gives, the passion she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years will only grow.

5. She is not made to be the admiration of all, but the happiness of one.

6. Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother -- the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.

Ramadan Mubarak!!!

                                                      Beauty Tips

1. For attractive lips -- speak words of kindness

2. For lovely eyes -- seek out the good in people

3. For a slim figure -- share your food with the hungry

4. For beautiful hair -- let a child run his or her finger through it once a day

5. For poise -- walk with the knowledge you you'll never walk alone -- people, more than the things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed.

6. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand -- you'll find one at the end of your arm.

7. As you grow, you'll discover that you have two hands -- one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. 

The Reality of Life

Life is a journey and death is not the end.

No human being ever created will ever cease to exist: we were created for eternity.

This life is brief, the next life is forever.

Everything in life is a test. All our deeds, good or bad, will remain with us for eternity.

The material possessions will remain in this world and be inherited by others who may fight over it after we are gone.

We need to prioritize our life and work for our the Akhirah and not just chase after the Dunia.

Although we live in this world and have to raise families and earn our living, we shouldn't get attached to it.

The next life is eternal thus we need to be ever more concerned about how we would be there: whether we'll have a nice house in Jannah or not?

Let us prepare ourselves for the 'real life' that is to come, without wasting a single moment.

let us be prepared for our deaths before it catches up with us -- when we are unaware.

Lesson of the Day 1356

Ayahs of the day:
And who is better in faith than the one who surrenders his being to God, and is a doer of good, and follows the way of Ibrahim, rightly oriented? For God took Ibrahim as a friend. [4: 125]

Hadith of the day:
No people ever withhold zakah except that Allah tests them with famine. [Tabarani]

Wise quote of the day:
Everyone in this world is a guest, and his money is but a loan. The guest must go sooner or later and the loan must be returned. [Ibn Mas'ud]

Guidance of the day:
He who yearns so much for the Sacred House of God and is so eager to perform that religious obligation that he strains himself to go to pilgrimage, although he is not able in every way, his faith is more complete and his reward is greater and more liberal.

 A believer should not postpone, act lazily, or procrastinate, producing excuses year after year, when he is able to go. How can he be sure that death will not overtake him, or that he will lose the ability he now possesses. He will remain indebted with pilgrimage and when he meets God, will do so as a disobedient sinner. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. Hatred is the madness of the heart. A man who lives, not by what he loves but what he hates, is a sick man. When our hatred is violent, it sinks us even beneath those who we hate. Hatred is self-punishment.

Father's day -- 365 days a year

Fathers: The Gates to Paradise

It has been related to us by the Best of Creation:
He who thanks not people, can show no appreciation

To the exalted Creator and Cherisher of humanity.
Thus is gratitude one of the keys to unending Felicity.

Many are those who enrich our lives, time and again
During our brief sojourn on this earthly plane.

But near the top of the list, we must never forget
the gratitude we owe the man whose name we inherit,

He who Allah made the cause of our worldly existence.
After this, thanks of any amount becomes a pittance.

We speak of course, of fathers, if you are not yet aware,
and all the hardships and sacrifices they selflessly bear.

Not only in securing for us our means of well-being,
But in teaching us virtues, to our Lord so pleasing.

Whence did we first learn of traits defining nobility
like decency, honor, manhood, and integrity?

Where else but the school of our fatherly exemplar
Who taught so much simply through his character.

He taught us in hardship and ease, through thick and thin,
How ennobling it is to serve one's family, kith, and kin.

He taught us more through his silent contemplation
Than one ever learns from others’ endless conversation.

He taught us what it means to be truly human, upright
And how one stands on principle, regardless of one’s plight.

Without doubt, we owe so much to our mothers’ nurturing care
But he who toiled for her every comfort also deserves a share.

As so my plea to us all, that we not earmark one single day
Out of the year, to buy him a cheap gift and be on our way.

Rather, from this day forth we resolve to adhere
To observing a Father’s Day on every day of the year,

By striving to serve him in excellence, fulfilling his needs,
Showing him utmost respect and love, in word and in deeds.

O Allah, through our parents, grant us the best of endings and a goodly fate!
For if Paradise lies at the mother's feet, then the father is surely its gate!

By a Son

Pearls of Wisdom 355

1. The noblest form of mercy is to protect others from yourself.

2. Attentiveness in prayers makes us attentive to life.

3. Should you wish to ascend, look down.

4. Domestic violence -- he should remember that she is not his, she is His.

5. Master your wrath, or taste the Master's wrath.

6. To follow Sunnah is to conform body to spirit.

7. You may sometimes have to pray fast, but always pray well.

8. Do not be proud of what you have done; be proud of what you have been asked to do.

9. Inner peace comes from ignoring the verdict of others, but this is only possible when one correctly trusts the verdict of God.

10. Do not wait until your body starts to fail before you wonder who you really are. [Abdul Hakeem Murad]

Please watch and share....

Loving those with disabilities

Just sharing a short video done by Sh. Omar Suleiman released a few nights ago
on Youtube, Quran Weekly, FB, Twitter etc..,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9ZYdl2aRauo

Lesson of the Day 1355

Ayahs of the day:
There is no good in most of their private conferences, except those who enjoin charity, or fairness, or reconciliation between people. And whoever does so seeking the pleasure of God, We will give a tremendous reward. [4: 114]

Hadith of the day:
There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm. [Ahmad]

Wise quote of the day:
Of the signs that one loves Allah are that one is preoccupied in contemplation and reflection (of the Divine beauty), and that one enjoys being alone (with his Beloved). [Ahmad bin Antaki]

Guidance of the day:
To recompense for every good work is known except for fasting, its recompense is neither determined, nor limited. Allah the Exalted, Himself has said "Every work of the Son of Adam is multiplied ten to seven hundred times, except fasting, for it is Mine an I Myself shall reward it. Reflect on the promise of limitless reward from the Generous, Liberal, and Compassionate Master. Reflect also on the odor of the fasting person's mouth being more fragrant near God than the scent of musk.

The spirit of fasting is to refrain from sins and prohibited things, and neglect no obligation or duty. He who refrains from eating, drinking, and intercourse, but does not refrain from contraventions will have gained nothing from his fast but pains and discomfort. When you fast or engage in any other good work, do it well. Strive to perform all good works with excellence, perfection, and sincerity, so that God may allow you to profit from them and grant you the immense reward on the day when you return to Him. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Good habits result from resisting temptation. Good habits, which bring our lower passions and appetites under automatic control, leave our natures free to explore the larger experiences of life.
Sow an act and you reap a habit.
Sow a habit and you reap a character.
Sow a character and you reap a destiny.

How much gratitude do we have?

THE WORLD IS MINE

Today, upon a bus, I saw a very beautiful woman,
And wished I were as beautiful.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
But as she passed, she passed a smile.
Oh, Allah, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs; the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy,
The lad who sold it had such charm,
I talked with him, he seemed so glad,
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
"I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh, Allah, forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes; the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go,
With eyes to see the sunset's glow,
With ears to hear what I'd know.
With loving family & friends to enjoy life
Oh, Allah, forgive me when I whine,
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.

-------

If this poem makes you feel thankful,
Just forward it to your friends.
After all, it's just a simple reminder that we have so much to be thankful for!
Give the gift of love.
It never comes back empty

Pearls of Wisdom 354

1. Love the Holy Prophet because he makes it possible for you to be human.

2. He that considers a part of Sunnah to be small is uninterested in the Prophetic light.

3. If your birth is humble, let the Sunnah make you a noble man. If your birth is noble, endure that your acts are not less so.

4. Anyone can fear His law, but they only love it who are close to Him.

5. He that is close to God is saturated with love and acceptance, he that is far from Him burns in the hell of anger and anxiety.

6. See with God's light, and happiness will never desert you.

7. If you wish to be settled remember God properly..

8. Even if you cannot live simply, be sure to enjoy simple pleasures the most.

9. Misery is only for those without hope.

10. Forgiveness is only complete when you love those who have given you the opportunity to be forgiving. [Abdul Hakim Murad]

Heart Corruptors....

The heart becomes corrupt through six things:

1. Committing a sin in the hope of repenting.

2. Seeking knowledge and not applying it.

3. Practice without sincerity for Allah.

4. Eating the sustenance of Allah without appreciating Him.

5. Not being pleased with what Allah has destined.

6. Burying the dead without learning from it -- not preparing for it.
    [Hasan al Basri]

Lesson of the Day 1354

Ayahs of the day:
But if anyone commits an error or a sin and then blames an innocent for it, he has taken on a burden of slander and open  iniquity. [4: 112]

Hadith of the day:
He does not thank Allah who does not thank the people. [Sunan Abi Dawood]

Wise quote of the day:
When the heart is imbued with love for Allah Most High, then each word creates an impression on the hearts of the listeners. [Shah Abdul Qadir]

Guidance of the day:
To fast every Monday and Thursday is also extremely meritorious. The Prophet (peace and blessing upon him) used to fast them and say, 'These are two days on which works are presented to the Lord of all beings. It pleases me that my works are presented even as I am fasting."

To fast on Friday is recommended, due to the merits and rank of that day, but on condition that it be paired with either Thursday or Saturday, for it has been transmitted that the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) discouraged the people from fasting it on its own. Generally speaking, one should fast with frequency, for it is a most effective manner of disciplining the soul and breaking its  passion, in softening and illuminating the hearts, and in refining  the senses and imposing rectitude upon them. There is in it an immense wage and a generous reward that has neither limit nor end. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity. Cultivate only the habits that you are willing should master you. The chain of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. Each year, one vicious habit rooted out, in time ought to make the worst man good.

Understanding the best....

1. I looked at all my friends, and did not find a better friend than safeguarding the tongue.

2. I thought about all the outfits, but did not find a better outfit than piety.

3. I thought of all types of good deeds, but did not find a better deed than offering good advice.

4. I looked at all types of sustenance, but did not find a better sustenance than patience. [Omar radi Allah anhu]

Pearls of Wisdom 353

1. Put your hope in no one except your Lord, have fear of nothing other than your sins.

2. The extent to which one understands the nature of dunya (this world) is measured through the degree of his detachment from it.

3. A slip of tongue is more hazardous than a slip of the foot.

4. If you are bent on committing that sin, then seek out that place which is bent on keeping God out of it.

5. To deem that God is with one every moment is the greatest expression of faith.

6. The scandal monger harms three people with his tongue -- himself, his listener, and his target.

7. The surest way of achieving heaven on earth is contentment with His decree.

8. Indeed the sword may wound the body, but it is foul speech which wounds the soul.

9. Steeped in error is he who can find time to seek out the faults of others.

10. A Muslims humiliation comes from his heedlessness of his religion, not in his lack of wealth or stature. [Othman radi Allah anhu]

Mother's day -- 365 days a year for a Muslim....

                                                           Mothers

From Surah al-Rahman are the glorious words of our Creator:  "Then which of the favors of your Lord will your deny?" 

Yet how often we deny the greatest of favors that the Bestower has granted us.  This favor, in the form of a woman......

A woman who carried us within her for almost a whole year of her short life in this world, bearing every hardship and discomfort to protect and nurture our frail being as the Fashioner gently prepared us to come into this worldly realm....

A woman who braved death's door, embracing pain unimaginable to even the most stalwart of warriors, that our tiny form may chance to take its first breath, open its eyes to the light of a new home, and feel her warm, soft caress, as she forgets all that she went through, to make comfortable our awakening into a new world....

A woman who had forsaken rest, slumber, and dreams for far too many nights; to rise instead, and answer the pitiful wail of a helpless creature that always knew she would be there to answer its plaintive cry, even as the whole world slumbered on into the dead of the night......

A woman who bore weakness to give forth from her being, a pure and heavenly nectar to nourish our growing bodies and our thirsty souls with sustenance to define our humanity ever onward......

A woman who watered and pruned our character with all the patience and care of a master gardener turning a wild shrub into a beautiful tree.......

A woman who was always there for us, no matter how many backs were turned to us, no matter how many doors closed in our face, to give us a shoulder to cry on, an ear to heed our complaint, a comforting bosom to embrace when there was no other.......

A woman who, even after all of our blunders, all of our impudence, all of our ungrateful gestures and insolent remarks, will not hesitate to say I forgive you when no one else in the world will....

A woman who we call Mother.

If we only knew her lofty station in the sight of He whose mercy is endless, a single portion of which He showered upon the world and it manifested itself as the undying compassion of the mother to her child.

"THEN WHICH OF THE FAVORS OF YOUR LORD DO YOU DENY?" 

To deny is to show ingratitude.  To show ingratitude is to lose one's blessings......like sand flowing through one's fingers.

To show ingratitude to the all Merciful is to show ingratitude to the means He creates out of His endless mercy.  WHAT OF THE MEANS WHICH BROUGHT US INTO THE WORLD?

If one's mother is alive, then cry out of thankfulness to Allah, go to her, sit at her feet, kiss her on the forehead, look her in the eyes and tell her how blessed you are for someone like her......

Tell her how much you love her.....

And never forget the immortal words of our beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace):

"Paradise is under the feet of the mother...."

From,
a son

Lesson of the day 1353

Ayahs of the day:
And whoever commits a sin only sins against his own soul; and God is most knowing, most wise. [4: 111]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever constantly prays for forgiveness, Allah will give him a way out of every difficulty and relief from every worry, and will grant him provision from where he did not expect. [Sunna Abi Dawood]

Wise quote of the day:
Know that it is not your family and friends, but rather your deen which truly looks after you. [Hasan radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the day:
It is a sunnah to fast six days in Shawwal, to bid farewell to Ramadan and compensate fro any other deficiency in one's fast, for supererogatory (nafl) devotions compensate for deficiencies in obligatory ones. It is meritorious to fast the Day of 'Arafat, which is the day of Hajj, the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah'. Then comes the Day of 'Ashura', which is the tenth day of Muharram. 

It is strongly recommended to fast three days every month. It is better and more meritorious for the person wishing to fast to make them the White days -- these are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth of every month, and should be given priority. However, to fast any other three days is also good, even if not consecutively. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
The grave wherever found, preaches a short and pithy sermon to the soul. How small a portion of earth will hold us when we are dead, who ambitiously seek after the whole world while we are living. We weep over the graves of infants and the little ones taken from us by death; but an early grave may be the shortest way to heaven.

Friends who bring us closer to Allah should be sought....

Not everyone suits to be your friend

Friends have a large influence on our lives. Islam has emphasized on choosing companions who are upright and noble. The Prophet (peace be upon him said), “Man is on his friend’s religion. Therefore, man should see with whom he is making friends.” (Abu Dawood, no.4815).

Friendship that leads one to Allah’s disobedience is not worth it. Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi mentions in his book Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qasidin (pg. 126-132) some valuable points on this topic:

Know that not everyone is suitable to be your friend. You must verify that this potential friend has the necessary characteristics that make friendship with him something to be desired. The one you seek to befriend must have five characteristics:

• He must be intelligent, as there is no good in befriending an idiot, as he will only harm you when he wants to benefit you. By intelligent, we mean one who understands things as they are, either on his own, or if they are explained to him.

• He must have good manners, and this is a must. One who is simply intelligent might be overcome by anger or desire, and obey his desire. Thus, there would be no benefit in befriending him.

• He must not be a fasiq, the one who openly disobeys Allah, as such a person would not fear Allah, and whoever does not fear Allah cannot be trusted.

• He must not be an innovator, as his over-indulgence innovation is feared from befriending him.

• He should not be too eager in seeking the dunya. Which means that he is not willing to sacrifice his hereafter for it.