'When intending to do something good, do not delay it until tomorrow.
When involved in something to do with the hereafter, keep yourself involved as long as you can.
When involved in some worldly matter, put your mind to it-
so as to get it done
And if you are praying and Satan whispers, ‘You are showing off,’ then make your prayer even longer.
The Muslim is Contented and Satisfied
Abu Hurairah (radiyallaahu 'anhu) said :-
Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) said:-
"Richness is not having many belongings, but richness is the richness of the soul" (contentment).
Monday, January 30, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Pearls of wisdom 328
1. When He gives, He shows you His kindness (birr); when He deprives, He shows you His power (qadr). And in all that , He is making Himself known to you and coming to you with His gentleness.
2. Deprivation hurts you only because of the lack of your understanding of good in it.
3. When He alienates you from His creatures, then know that He wants to open for you the door of intimacy with Him.
4. When He loosens your tongue with a request, then know that He wants to give you something.
5. When He makes you submissive to His command outwardly and provide you with resignation to His power inwardly, then He has enhanced the greatness of the favor accorded you.
6. Ritual prayer is a purification for hearts and an opening-up of the door of the invisible domains.
7. He knew the existence of weakness in you, so He made the number of ritual prayers small; and He knew of your need of His grace, so He multiplied their fruitful results.
8. When He wants to show His grace to you, He creates states in you and attributes them to you.
9. How can the laws of nature be ruptured for you so that miracles result, while you, for your part, have not yet ruptured your bad habits.
10. Cling to the attributes of His Lordship and realize the attributes of your servanthood. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata Allah Iskandari]
2. Deprivation hurts you only because of the lack of your understanding of good in it.
3. When He alienates you from His creatures, then know that He wants to open for you the door of intimacy with Him.
4. When He loosens your tongue with a request, then know that He wants to give you something.
5. When He makes you submissive to His command outwardly and provide you with resignation to His power inwardly, then He has enhanced the greatness of the favor accorded you.
6. Ritual prayer is a purification for hearts and an opening-up of the door of the invisible domains.
7. He knew the existence of weakness in you, so He made the number of ritual prayers small; and He knew of your need of His grace, so He multiplied their fruitful results.
8. When He wants to show His grace to you, He creates states in you and attributes them to you.
9. How can the laws of nature be ruptured for you so that miracles result, while you, for your part, have not yet ruptured your bad habits.
10. Cling to the attributes of His Lordship and realize the attributes of your servanthood. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata Allah Iskandari]
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
LESSON OF THE DAY 1298
Ayahs of the day:
O believers, enter wholly into Islam, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan, for he is an open enemy to you. [2: 208]
Hadith of the day:
The most blessed marriage (nikah) is the one with the least expense. [Bayhaqi]
Wise quote of the day:
To advise others is an easy matter, the difficulty is accepting advice -- since it is bitter for those who follow their own inclinations and desires. [Imam al Ghazali]
Guidance of the day:
Just as it is not allowed to backbite anyone so too it is not allowed to listen to one who backbites. If a person is present at a place where another begins to backbite someone then he should stop him from proceeding further. There are two ways to stop him -- telling him in so many words that it is a sin, if he cannot then he should introduce a new topic so that the evil is stopped. If he cannot do either then he should get up from that gathering and go elsewhere. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom. Without forgiveness life is governed by an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation. 'I can forgive but I cannot forget', is only one way of saying, "I will not forgive." Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note, torn into two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one. The weak can never forgive -- forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
O believers, enter wholly into Islam, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan, for he is an open enemy to you. [2: 208]
Hadith of the day:
The most blessed marriage (nikah) is the one with the least expense. [Bayhaqi]
Wise quote of the day:
To advise others is an easy matter, the difficulty is accepting advice -- since it is bitter for those who follow their own inclinations and desires. [Imam al Ghazali]
Guidance of the day:
Just as it is not allowed to backbite anyone so too it is not allowed to listen to one who backbites. If a person is present at a place where another begins to backbite someone then he should stop him from proceeding further. There are two ways to stop him -- telling him in so many words that it is a sin, if he cannot then he should introduce a new topic so that the evil is stopped. If he cannot do either then he should get up from that gathering and go elsewhere. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom. Without forgiveness life is governed by an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation. 'I can forgive but I cannot forget', is only one way of saying, "I will not forgive." Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note, torn into two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one. The weak can never forgive -- forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
Friday, January 20, 2012
The Dirty Laundry…
By Abu Muhammad Yusuf
In life we tend to be judgmental and very often look down upon others without exploring deeper and finding out why the person is behaving in such a way. The Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said "It is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All of a Muslim is sacred to another Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honour." (Hadith- Muslim)
A young couple moves into a new neighbourhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbour hanging the laundry outside. "That laundry is not very clean", she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap. "Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbour would hang her washing to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
Some time later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean laundry on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."
"The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows"
Lesson: If our windows are dirty so will we see others as dirty too. What we see in others is indeed a reflection of our inner-selves! So it is with life that what we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look. It is easy for us to condemn, discuss other people, their lives & things that really doesn't even concern us and we tend to forget - our windows may not be that clean after all! If we are good we will see good…
The Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:
"A Muslim is a mirror to another Muslim"(Hadith_Abu Dawud)
info@eislam.co.za
In life we tend to be judgmental and very often look down upon others without exploring deeper and finding out why the person is behaving in such a way. The Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said "It is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All of a Muslim is sacred to another Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honour." (Hadith- Muslim)
A young couple moves into a new neighbourhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbour hanging the laundry outside. "That laundry is not very clean", she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap. "Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbour would hang her washing to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
Some time later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean laundry on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."
"The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows"
Lesson: If our windows are dirty so will we see others as dirty too. What we see in others is indeed a reflection of our inner-selves! So it is with life that what we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look. It is easy for us to condemn, discuss other people, their lives & things that really doesn't even concern us and we tend to forget - our windows may not be that clean after all! If we are good we will see good…
The Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:
"A Muslim is a mirror to another Muslim"(Hadith_Abu Dawud)
info@eislam.co.za
Monday, January 16, 2012
Pearls of wisdom 327
1. If you want to know your standing with Him, look at where He has made you abide now.
2. When He gives you obedience, making you unaware of it because of Him, then know that He has showered you liberally with His graces both inwardly and outwardly.
3. The best that you can seek from Him is that which He seeks from you.
4. Hope (raja) goes hand in had with deeds, otherwise it is a wish.
5. Sometimes He gives while depriving you, and sometimes He deprives you in giving.
6. If you want a glory that does not vanish, then do not glory in glory that vanishes.
7. The real journey is when the world's dimension is rolled away from you so that you see the Hereafter closer to you than yourself.
8. Suffice it as a recompense for the doers of good that He judged you worthy of obedience.
9. It suffices as a reward for the doers of good that He has inspired obedience to Him in their hearts and brought upon them the existence of His reciprocal intimacy.
10. He made the Hereafter an abode to reward his believing servants only because this world cannot contain what He wishes to bestow upon them and because He deemed their worth too high to reward them in a world without permanence. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata Allah Iskandari]
2. When He gives you obedience, making you unaware of it because of Him, then know that He has showered you liberally with His graces both inwardly and outwardly.
3. The best that you can seek from Him is that which He seeks from you.
4. Hope (raja) goes hand in had with deeds, otherwise it is a wish.
5. Sometimes He gives while depriving you, and sometimes He deprives you in giving.
6. If you want a glory that does not vanish, then do not glory in glory that vanishes.
7. The real journey is when the world's dimension is rolled away from you so that you see the Hereafter closer to you than yourself.
8. Suffice it as a recompense for the doers of good that He judged you worthy of obedience.
9. It suffices as a reward for the doers of good that He has inspired obedience to Him in their hearts and brought upon them the existence of His reciprocal intimacy.
10. He made the Hereafter an abode to reward his believing servants only because this world cannot contain what He wishes to bestow upon them and because He deemed their worth too high to reward them in a world without permanence. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata Allah Iskandari]
Friday, January 13, 2012
LESSON OF THE DAY 1297
Ayahs of the day:
And spend for the sake of God, and do not invest in ruin by your own hands. And do good; for God loves those who do good. [2: 195]
Hadith of the day:
Traders will be gathered on the Day of Judgment as transgressors, except those who feared Allah, were righteous in their oaths and spoke the truth. [Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]
Wise quote of the day:
Before the time of prayer comes, the servant must be in a state of preparation and his attitude must be that which is essential for prayer, namely a state of meditation and recollection, free from wandering thoughts and consideration or remembrance of anything save God alone. [Abu Nasr al Sarraj]
Guidance of the day:
The Qur'an says backbiting is like eating flesh of a dead brother. It is a grave sin, a kabirah, not an ordinary one. Backbiting is a sin just as consuming wine, eating pork, stealing or robbing are sins. Rather, it is more severe. To drink wine or to consume pork is to violate rights of Allah and the sin pertains to the self of the perpetrator and has no relation with rights of fellow men. Hence, if Allah will enable the sinner at anytime and he repents to Him then He will forgive the sin.
The sin of backbiting, however, pertains to fellow human beings. The principle in such cases is that the sin is not forgiven unless the owner of the rights forgives it. The sinner may make repentance and seek forgiveness for thousands of times, offer salah and fasting, but the sin of backbiting will not be forgiven. Allah has said, "I will forgive you My rights. But, if you damage My slave physically or his property, or his honor; or you violate his rights then until he pardons you or you repay him his rights, I will not forgive you." The case of rights of fellow men is very serious but we have considered it very ordinary and minor. Backbiting is also among rights of fellow men. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Faith means, no worrying. Faith is passionate intuition. Every tomorrow has two handles -- we can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith. He who has faith has an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well, even though to the world it may appear to come out badly.
And spend for the sake of God, and do not invest in ruin by your own hands. And do good; for God loves those who do good. [2: 195]
Hadith of the day:
Traders will be gathered on the Day of Judgment as transgressors, except those who feared Allah, were righteous in their oaths and spoke the truth. [Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]
Wise quote of the day:
Before the time of prayer comes, the servant must be in a state of preparation and his attitude must be that which is essential for prayer, namely a state of meditation and recollection, free from wandering thoughts and consideration or remembrance of anything save God alone. [Abu Nasr al Sarraj]
Guidance of the day:
The Qur'an says backbiting is like eating flesh of a dead brother. It is a grave sin, a kabirah, not an ordinary one. Backbiting is a sin just as consuming wine, eating pork, stealing or robbing are sins. Rather, it is more severe. To drink wine or to consume pork is to violate rights of Allah and the sin pertains to the self of the perpetrator and has no relation with rights of fellow men. Hence, if Allah will enable the sinner at anytime and he repents to Him then He will forgive the sin.
The sin of backbiting, however, pertains to fellow human beings. The principle in such cases is that the sin is not forgiven unless the owner of the rights forgives it. The sinner may make repentance and seek forgiveness for thousands of times, offer salah and fasting, but the sin of backbiting will not be forgiven. Allah has said, "I will forgive you My rights. But, if you damage My slave physically or his property, or his honor; or you violate his rights then until he pardons you or you repay him his rights, I will not forgive you." The case of rights of fellow men is very serious but we have considered it very ordinary and minor. Backbiting is also among rights of fellow men. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Faith means, no worrying. Faith is passionate intuition. Every tomorrow has two handles -- we can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith. He who has faith has an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well, even though to the world it may appear to come out badly.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Gentle Reminders....
'When intending to do something good, do not delay it until tomorrow.
When involved in something to do with the hereafter, keep yourself involved as long as you can.
When involved in some worldly matter, put your mind to it-
so as to get it done
And if you are praying and Satan whispers, ‘You are showing off,’ then make your prayer even longer.
Ibn Al-Mubârak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Rqâ’iq Vol.1 p126
The Muslim is Contented and Satisfied
Abu Hurairah (radiyallaahu 'anhu) said :-
Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) said:-
"Richness is not having many belongings, but richness is the richness of the soul" (contentment).
Muslim -2/501/ # 2287)
When involved in something to do with the hereafter, keep yourself involved as long as you can.
When involved in some worldly matter, put your mind to it-
so as to get it done
And if you are praying and Satan whispers, ‘You are showing off,’ then make your prayer even longer.
Ibn Al-Mubârak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Rqâ’iq Vol.1 p126
The Muslim is Contented and Satisfied
Abu Hurairah (radiyallaahu 'anhu) said :-
Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) said:-
"Richness is not having many belongings, but richness is the richness of the soul" (contentment).
Muslim -2/501/ # 2287)
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Pearls of wisdom 326
1. One of the signs of relying on one's own deeds is the loss of hope when a downfall occurs.
2. Your striving for what has been guaranteed to you (i.e. dunya), and your remissness in what is demanded of you (i.e. akhirah), are sings of the blurring of your intellect.
3. If in spite of intense supplication, there is delay in the timing of the Gift, let that not be the cause for your despairing. For He has guaranteed you a response in what He chooses for you, not in what you choose for yourself, and at the time He desires not the time you desire.
4. Actions are lifeless forms, but the presence of an inner reality of sincerity within them is what endows them with life-giving spirit.
5. Nothing benefits the heart more than a spiritual retreat wherein it enters the domain of meditation.
6. How can it be conceived that something veils Him, since He is the one who manifests every thing?
7. How can it be conceived that something veils Him, since He is more manifest than anything?
8. How can it be conceived that something veils Him, since He is nearer to you than anything else?
9. How can it be conceived that something veils Him, since He is alongside of whom there is nothing?
10. How can it be conceived that something veils Him, since were it not for Him, the existence of everything would not have been manifest? [Ibn Ataillah Iskandari]
2. Your striving for what has been guaranteed to you (i.e. dunya), and your remissness in what is demanded of you (i.e. akhirah), are sings of the blurring of your intellect.
3. If in spite of intense supplication, there is delay in the timing of the Gift, let that not be the cause for your despairing. For He has guaranteed you a response in what He chooses for you, not in what you choose for yourself, and at the time He desires not the time you desire.
4. Actions are lifeless forms, but the presence of an inner reality of sincerity within them is what endows them with life-giving spirit.
5. Nothing benefits the heart more than a spiritual retreat wherein it enters the domain of meditation.
6. How can it be conceived that something veils Him, since He is the one who manifests every thing?
7. How can it be conceived that something veils Him, since He is more manifest than anything?
8. How can it be conceived that something veils Him, since He is nearer to you than anything else?
9. How can it be conceived that something veils Him, since He is alongside of whom there is nothing?
10. How can it be conceived that something veils Him, since were it not for Him, the existence of everything would not have been manifest? [Ibn Ataillah Iskandari]
Friday, December 30, 2011
LESSON OF THE DAY 1296
Ayahs of the day:
Righteousness is not that you should turn your faces to the East or the West; rather, the righteous are those who believe in God and the last day, and the angels and scriptures and prophets; and who give material gifts out of love for God, even what they care for, to relatives and orphans, and the poor and the traveler and the needy.......[2: 177]
Hadith of the day:
If the son of Adam possessed a valley of gold he would want to have two valleys, yet his mouth will only be filled by earth. Allah turns towards those who turn to Him in repentance. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise quote of the day:
A man of bad character punishes his own soul. [Imam al Ghazali]
Guidance of the day:
Courage is such a thing created by Allah that it enables a man, Muslim or non-Muslim, to accomplish exceptional feats and Allah blesses his efforts. Allah will certainly bless the courage of a believer who works hard to submit to Him and avert disobedience. Allah has blessed the quality of courage with exceptional power so that great things can be achieved with firm resolve.
The tasks that a person is asked to do are within his ability. He only has to show courage. One has to courageously show obedience and keep away from sin. One has to spend one's whole life doing it and if there ever is a slip, he must courageously renew his efforts. It is through courage that man moves forward but without courage he can do nothing in the world. Only courage enables him to do everything.
The method to correct deeds and inner condition is to oppose the sentiments of the nafs (lower self) and accustom it to hard work. The more you accustom it to hard work, the more it responds and you will get your work done, inshaAllah. As a result, the apparent deeds will be corrected and the unseen character will also be reformed. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Good judgment comes from experience and often experience comes from bad judgment. What one has not experienced, one will never understand. Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes. Learn all you can from the mistakes of others -- you won't have time to make them all yourself. Nothing is a waste of time if you use your experience wisely.
Righteousness is not that you should turn your faces to the East or the West; rather, the righteous are those who believe in God and the last day, and the angels and scriptures and prophets; and who give material gifts out of love for God, even what they care for, to relatives and orphans, and the poor and the traveler and the needy.......[2: 177]
Hadith of the day:
If the son of Adam possessed a valley of gold he would want to have two valleys, yet his mouth will only be filled by earth. Allah turns towards those who turn to Him in repentance. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise quote of the day:
A man of bad character punishes his own soul. [Imam al Ghazali]
Guidance of the day:
Courage is such a thing created by Allah that it enables a man, Muslim or non-Muslim, to accomplish exceptional feats and Allah blesses his efforts. Allah will certainly bless the courage of a believer who works hard to submit to Him and avert disobedience. Allah has blessed the quality of courage with exceptional power so that great things can be achieved with firm resolve.
The tasks that a person is asked to do are within his ability. He only has to show courage. One has to courageously show obedience and keep away from sin. One has to spend one's whole life doing it and if there ever is a slip, he must courageously renew his efforts. It is through courage that man moves forward but without courage he can do nothing in the world. Only courage enables him to do everything.
The method to correct deeds and inner condition is to oppose the sentiments of the nafs (lower self) and accustom it to hard work. The more you accustom it to hard work, the more it responds and you will get your work done, inshaAllah. As a result, the apparent deeds will be corrected and the unseen character will also be reformed. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Good judgment comes from experience and often experience comes from bad judgment. What one has not experienced, one will never understand. Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes. Learn all you can from the mistakes of others -- you won't have time to make them all yourself. Nothing is a waste of time if you use your experience wisely.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The Love of Almighty Allah !!!
It is a stage that all of those who are striving and competing are competing for it and it is a kind of life that if you are missing it you are one of the dead.
It is a light that if you are without it you are in and ocean of darkness.
It is a medicine or cure that if you are without it, your heart becomes a place of sicknesses.
It is a sweetness or pleasure that if you are without it,
life becomes a thing of worries and of pain.
“And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.”
[Ibn al-Qayyim ]
It is a light that if you are without it you are in and ocean of darkness.
It is a medicine or cure that if you are without it, your heart becomes a place of sicknesses.
It is a sweetness or pleasure that if you are without it,
life becomes a thing of worries and of pain.
“And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.”
[Ibn al-Qayyim ]
Friday, December 23, 2011
Pearls of wisdom 325
1. Do not abandon the invocation (dhikr) because you do not feel the presence of God therein. For your forgetfulness of the invocation of Him is worse than your forgetfulness in the invocation of Him.
2. Perhaps He will take you from an invocation with forgetfulness to one with vigilance, and from one with vigilance to one with the presence of God (hudur), and from one with the presence of God to one wherein everything but the invoked (al-Madhkur) is absent. "And that is not difficult for God."
3. There is no minor sin (saghira) when His justice confronts you; and there is no major sin (kabira) when His grace confronts you.
4. No deed is more fruitful for the heart than the one you are not aware of and which is deemed paltry by you.
5. He only made an inspiration (warid) come upon you so that you would go to Him.
6. He made an inspiration come upon you so as to get you out of the grip of alterities (aghyar) and free you from the bondage of created beings.
7. He made an inspiration come upon you so as to take you out of the prison of your existence to the unlimited space of your contemplation.
8. Whoever does not draw near to God as as result of the caresses of love is shackled to Him with the chains of misfortune.
9. Whoever is not thankful for graces runs the risk of losing them, and whoever is thankful fetters them with their own cords.
10. Be fearful lest the existence of His generosity towards you and the permanence of your bad behavior towards Him not lead you step by step to ruin. [Above quotes by Ibn Ataillah Iskandari]
2. Perhaps He will take you from an invocation with forgetfulness to one with vigilance, and from one with vigilance to one with the presence of God (hudur), and from one with the presence of God to one wherein everything but the invoked (al-Madhkur) is absent. "And that is not difficult for God."
3. There is no minor sin (saghira) when His justice confronts you; and there is no major sin (kabira) when His grace confronts you.
4. No deed is more fruitful for the heart than the one you are not aware of and which is deemed paltry by you.
5. He only made an inspiration (warid) come upon you so that you would go to Him.
6. He made an inspiration come upon you so as to get you out of the grip of alterities (aghyar) and free you from the bondage of created beings.
7. He made an inspiration come upon you so as to take you out of the prison of your existence to the unlimited space of your contemplation.
8. Whoever does not draw near to God as as result of the caresses of love is shackled to Him with the chains of misfortune.
9. Whoever is not thankful for graces runs the risk of losing them, and whoever is thankful fetters them with their own cords.
10. Be fearful lest the existence of His generosity towards you and the permanence of your bad behavior towards Him not lead you step by step to ruin. [Above quotes by Ibn Ataillah Iskandari]
Monday, December 19, 2011
LESSON OF THE DAY 1295
Ayahs of the day:
Believers, eat of the good things We have provided for you, and be grateful to God, if it is God that you worship. [2: 172]
Hadith of the day:
Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts and your actions. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise quote of the day:
Try to gladden the hearts of believers in every possible way, as long as these ways are not sinful.
Guidance of the day:
The lower self (nafs) is like a child. It is accustomed to sin and disobedience and finds pleasure in these things. It keeps away from obedience. If it is not stopped from sinning, it will never give up its habit. If it is prevented from those things, there certainly will be much difficulty in the beginning but finally it will relent and give up its sinful ways. Man must resist laziness and be submissive and give up his sinful ways.
Allah has given man the character trait of laziness and also courage. Courage is a great thing. It can be compared to rubber which will stretch as much as we pull it. Courage is like that. One can stretch it as much as he wills and take it to heights. The accomplishments of men in this world have courage behind them whether it relates to worldly affairs or religion. Even meaningless pursuits and sinful feats are accomplished through courage. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open mind.
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing temper or self-confidence.
Education is being able to differentiate between what we know and what we do not know.
Believers, eat of the good things We have provided for you, and be grateful to God, if it is God that you worship. [2: 172]
Hadith of the day:
Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts and your actions. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise quote of the day:
Try to gladden the hearts of believers in every possible way, as long as these ways are not sinful.
Guidance of the day:
The lower self (nafs) is like a child. It is accustomed to sin and disobedience and finds pleasure in these things. It keeps away from obedience. If it is not stopped from sinning, it will never give up its habit. If it is prevented from those things, there certainly will be much difficulty in the beginning but finally it will relent and give up its sinful ways. Man must resist laziness and be submissive and give up his sinful ways.
Allah has given man the character trait of laziness and also courage. Courage is a great thing. It can be compared to rubber which will stretch as much as we pull it. Courage is like that. One can stretch it as much as he wills and take it to heights. The accomplishments of men in this world have courage behind them whether it relates to worldly affairs or religion. Even meaningless pursuits and sinful feats are accomplished through courage. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open mind.
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing temper or self-confidence.
Education is being able to differentiate between what we know and what we do not know.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Precious words of guidance....
Imam Sufyaan once wrote to one of his Muslim brothers
May Allaah, with His Mercy, protect both me and you from the Hellfire.
I advise both you and myself to fear Allaah.
And I warn you not to turn to ignorance after you have learned, not to turn to destruction after you have seen and recognized the truth, and not to leave the (Straight) Path after it has been made clear to you.
Do not become deceived by worldly people, and do not become unduly impressed by the way they strive for and greedily gather worldly things, for the terror (that will envelop them on the Day of Resurrection) is indeed SEVERE.
The danger (of the Day of Resurrection) is grave indeed, but what is more, is that it is near at hand.
So occupy yourself exclusively with the Hereafter, and empty your heart of all other thoughts; once you have done that, work hard! Do not waste time! And flee from the world and its temptations! Travel to the Hereafter (with your worship) before you are taken there… I have indeed given you the same advice that I gave myself.
And understand that success comes from Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala). The key to gaining His help is supplication, prayer, feeling remorse for past negligence, and complete submission to Him.
Your days and nights are numbered, so use the time you have left wisely, and do not be negligent in fulfilling the rights of your Lord.
I ask Allaah, Who has blessed us to know Him, not to entrust us and you to our ownselves; and I ask Allaah to be our Guardian and Helper, just as He is the Guardian and Helper of His beloved, righteous slaves.
Beware of doing that which will spoil your deeds, and know that it is showing off that spoils a person’s deeds; and if it is not showing off, then it is conceitedness – for you to imagine that you are better than one of your Muslim brothers, when in reality he performs more good deeds than you do; or perhaps he performs his deeds with a purer intention than you do.
And even if you are not conceited, beware of developing a love for praise.
Be ever so careful not to come to love other people’s praise of your good deeds, or the respect they feel for you and bestow upon you because of your good deeds.
And beware of desiring that others should help you in your personal affairs just because they have become impressed with your good deeds.
You surely claim (as does everyone else), after all, that you are doing good deeds only for the sake of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'ala); well, then turn that claim into a reality.
If you want to be less desirous of this world – its things, wealth, and pleasures – and more desirous of the Hereafter — Paradise and its bliss – then remember death frequently.
And know that you have long term hopes for this world – which one should not have — if you fear Allaah only a little or if you recklessly perpetrate sins.
And one will be sufficiently regretful and wretched on the Day of Resurrection if he has knowledge but does not apply it.
* Transcribed from: The Biography of Sufyaan Ath-Thauree, rahimahullaah, page 181-182
May Allaah, with His Mercy, protect both me and you from the Hellfire.
I advise both you and myself to fear Allaah.
And I warn you not to turn to ignorance after you have learned, not to turn to destruction after you have seen and recognized the truth, and not to leave the (Straight) Path after it has been made clear to you.
Do not become deceived by worldly people, and do not become unduly impressed by the way they strive for and greedily gather worldly things, for the terror (that will envelop them on the Day of Resurrection) is indeed SEVERE.
The danger (of the Day of Resurrection) is grave indeed, but what is more, is that it is near at hand.
So occupy yourself exclusively with the Hereafter, and empty your heart of all other thoughts; once you have done that, work hard! Do not waste time! And flee from the world and its temptations! Travel to the Hereafter (with your worship) before you are taken there… I have indeed given you the same advice that I gave myself.
And understand that success comes from Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala). The key to gaining His help is supplication, prayer, feeling remorse for past negligence, and complete submission to Him.
Your days and nights are numbered, so use the time you have left wisely, and do not be negligent in fulfilling the rights of your Lord.
I ask Allaah, Who has blessed us to know Him, not to entrust us and you to our ownselves; and I ask Allaah to be our Guardian and Helper, just as He is the Guardian and Helper of His beloved, righteous slaves.
Beware of doing that which will spoil your deeds, and know that it is showing off that spoils a person’s deeds; and if it is not showing off, then it is conceitedness – for you to imagine that you are better than one of your Muslim brothers, when in reality he performs more good deeds than you do; or perhaps he performs his deeds with a purer intention than you do.
And even if you are not conceited, beware of developing a love for praise.
Be ever so careful not to come to love other people’s praise of your good deeds, or the respect they feel for you and bestow upon you because of your good deeds.
And beware of desiring that others should help you in your personal affairs just because they have become impressed with your good deeds.
You surely claim (as does everyone else), after all, that you are doing good deeds only for the sake of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'ala); well, then turn that claim into a reality.
If you want to be less desirous of this world – its things, wealth, and pleasures – and more desirous of the Hereafter — Paradise and its bliss – then remember death frequently.
And know that you have long term hopes for this world – which one should not have — if you fear Allaah only a little or if you recklessly perpetrate sins.
And one will be sufficiently regretful and wretched on the Day of Resurrection if he has knowledge but does not apply it.
* Transcribed from: The Biography of Sufyaan Ath-Thauree, rahimahullaah, page 181-182
Monday, December 12, 2011
Pearls of wisdom 324
1. Your postponement of deed till when you are free is one of the frivolities of the ego.
2. No search pursued with the help of your Lord remains at a standstill, but any search pursued by yourself will not be fruitful.
3. Among the signs of success at the end is, the turning to God at the beginning.
4. He who is illumined at the beginning is illumined at the end.
5. Appeal to no one but Him to relieve you of a pressing need that He Himself has brought upon you.
6. Travel not from creature to creature, otherwise you will be like a donkey at the mill. Rather go from creatures to the Creator.
7. Do not keep company with anyone whose state does not inspire you and whose speech does not lead you to God.
8. You might be in a bad state: then, your associating with one who is in worse state makes you see virtue in yourself.
9. No deed arising from a renouncing heart is small, and no deed arising from an avaricious heart is fruitful.
10. Good works are the results of good states. Good states arise from the stations wherein those having spiritual realization abide. [Above quotes by Ibn Ataillah Iskandari]
2. No search pursued with the help of your Lord remains at a standstill, but any search pursued by yourself will not be fruitful.
3. Among the signs of success at the end is, the turning to God at the beginning.
4. He who is illumined at the beginning is illumined at the end.
5. Appeal to no one but Him to relieve you of a pressing need that He Himself has brought upon you.
6. Travel not from creature to creature, otherwise you will be like a donkey at the mill. Rather go from creatures to the Creator.
7. Do not keep company with anyone whose state does not inspire you and whose speech does not lead you to God.
8. You might be in a bad state: then, your associating with one who is in worse state makes you see virtue in yourself.
9. No deed arising from a renouncing heart is small, and no deed arising from an avaricious heart is fruitful.
10. Good works are the results of good states. Good states arise from the stations wherein those having spiritual realization abide. [Above quotes by Ibn Ataillah Iskandari]
Friday, December 09, 2011
LESSON OF THE DAY 1294
Ayahs of the day:
Everyone has an aim, to which God gives direction; so preserve everything good. Wherever you are, God will bring you together. For God has power over everything. [2: 148]
Hadith of the day:
Fear Allah wherever you are and follow up an evil deed with a good action which will wipe it out. Treat people well. [Tirmidhi]
Wise quote of the day:
The outward appearance of an angry person is ugly enough, yet his inner appearance is even uglier. [Abdul Khaliq al Shabrawi]
Guidance of the day:
If man was free from urge to commit sin then there would have been no difference between him and angels. The angels lack the urge to sin, as also anger, sexual incitement, hunger and thirst. If man was also deprived of these things then he would have no excellence over the angels. Man enjoys excellence over them because he is endowed with the capacity to do good as well as evil and resists the temptation to do evil.
The angels are not only innocent, they are also devoted exclusively to prostration and glorifying Allah while man is endowed with possibility to commit sin and he resists that urge for the sake of Allah. The merit itself demands that the ability to err and sin should remain in him. With that possibility there, he will continue to struggle against temptation. In the beginning, the struggle will be severe but after mujahidah (striving) it will become mild. He should not be anxious or hopeless because of it nor neglect it.
In short, one should suppress the temptations and urge of the soul through mujahidah so that they are moderated and keep him away from the unlawful. He must continue this all his life. The struggle mitigates with passage of time. [Spiritual discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow. As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death. Healthy children will not fear life and their elders have the integrity not to fear death. He who doesn't fear death dies only once.
Everyone has an aim, to which God gives direction; so preserve everything good. Wherever you are, God will bring you together. For God has power over everything. [2: 148]
Hadith of the day:
Fear Allah wherever you are and follow up an evil deed with a good action which will wipe it out. Treat people well. [Tirmidhi]
Wise quote of the day:
The outward appearance of an angry person is ugly enough, yet his inner appearance is even uglier. [Abdul Khaliq al Shabrawi]
Guidance of the day:
If man was free from urge to commit sin then there would have been no difference between him and angels. The angels lack the urge to sin, as also anger, sexual incitement, hunger and thirst. If man was also deprived of these things then he would have no excellence over the angels. Man enjoys excellence over them because he is endowed with the capacity to do good as well as evil and resists the temptation to do evil.
The angels are not only innocent, they are also devoted exclusively to prostration and glorifying Allah while man is endowed with possibility to commit sin and he resists that urge for the sake of Allah. The merit itself demands that the ability to err and sin should remain in him. With that possibility there, he will continue to struggle against temptation. In the beginning, the struggle will be severe but after mujahidah (striving) it will become mild. He should not be anxious or hopeless because of it nor neglect it.
In short, one should suppress the temptations and urge of the soul through mujahidah so that they are moderated and keep him away from the unlawful. He must continue this all his life. The struggle mitigates with passage of time. [Spiritual discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow. As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death. Healthy children will not fear life and their elders have the integrity not to fear death. He who doesn't fear death dies only once.
Monday, December 05, 2011
“O my eye! All men have eyes!”
Let not your tongue mention the shame of another
For you yourself are covered in shame-
And all men have tongues.
If your eye falls upon the sins of your brother
Shield them and say:-
“O my eye! All men have eyes!”
Imam Shafi'i (Rahimahullah)
"Never Despair Of The Mercy Of Allah"
'Son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days, whenever each day passes then part of you has Gone.'
[Al-Hasan Al-Basree]
For you yourself are covered in shame-
And all men have tongues.
If your eye falls upon the sins of your brother
Shield them and say:-
“O my eye! All men have eyes!”
Imam Shafi'i (Rahimahullah)
"Never Despair Of The Mercy Of Allah"
'Son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days, whenever each day passes then part of you has Gone.'
[Al-Hasan Al-Basree]
Friday, December 02, 2011
Pearls of wisdom 323
1. Remembrance of Him is the light of the heart, and His presence is the key to the invisible.
2. Real knowledge of what is good implies dwelling in it and real knowledge of evil implies departure from it.
3. Real prostration is the yielding of the heart to the ordinance of the Lord.
4. If anyone has faith in the divine apportionment (qisma), he should not dispute the divine wisdom (hikma).
5. There are two virtues that facilitate the way to God; mystical knowledge and love. Your love for material things renders you blind and deaf.
6. Mystical knowledge is that which has severed you everything except God and brought you back to Him.
7. Whenever the lower self (nafs) is dominant and the spirit (ruh) is subordinate, then occur drought and sterility, the whole order is overturned, and every evil befalls. So heed the guiding of Qur'an and the healing words of His Apostle.
8. Any affliction for which a hope for reward is entertained and punishment is feared, is not an affliction. An affliction for which a reward is not hoped nor a punishment is feared -- that only is an affliction.
9. O servant of God, detach yourself from converse with the lower-self, the desire of Satan, obedience to lust, and emotion of chronic illness, and you will be righteous.
10. Sustenance is divinely apportioned. It is not the piety of a pious man that increases it nor it is the impiety of an impious man that diminishes it.
11. Preserve God in the heart and He will preserve you. Keep God in mind and you will find Him in front of you. Worship God with means of purification and be of the thankful ones. [Above quotes by Shaykh Abul Hasan al- Shadhili]
2. Real knowledge of what is good implies dwelling in it and real knowledge of evil implies departure from it.
3. Real prostration is the yielding of the heart to the ordinance of the Lord.
4. If anyone has faith in the divine apportionment (qisma), he should not dispute the divine wisdom (hikma).
5. There are two virtues that facilitate the way to God; mystical knowledge and love. Your love for material things renders you blind and deaf.
6. Mystical knowledge is that which has severed you everything except God and brought you back to Him.
7. Whenever the lower self (nafs) is dominant and the spirit (ruh) is subordinate, then occur drought and sterility, the whole order is overturned, and every evil befalls. So heed the guiding of Qur'an and the healing words of His Apostle.
8. Any affliction for which a hope for reward is entertained and punishment is feared, is not an affliction. An affliction for which a reward is not hoped nor a punishment is feared -- that only is an affliction.
9. O servant of God, detach yourself from converse with the lower-self, the desire of Satan, obedience to lust, and emotion of chronic illness, and you will be righteous.
10. Sustenance is divinely apportioned. It is not the piety of a pious man that increases it nor it is the impiety of an impious man that diminishes it.
11. Preserve God in the heart and He will preserve you. Keep God in mind and you will find Him in front of you. Worship God with means of purification and be of the thankful ones. [Above quotes by Shaykh Abul Hasan al- Shadhili]
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
LESSON OF THE DAY 1293
Ayahs of the day:
Thus We have made you a centered nation, that you may be witnesses to humanity. [2: 143]
Hadith of the day:
Faith wears out in the heart of anyone of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your heart. [Tabrani]
Wise quote of the day:
The religious traits of character cannot take firm root in the soul until it has grown accustomed to every good habit and renounced every evil one. [Imam al-Ghazali]
Guidance of the day:
God bestows material wealth and poverty upon individuals for reasons known only to Him. There is good in whatever He bestows. It is not wealth or poverty in itself that is good, but rather the state of mind that has disciplined (and triumphed over) the worldly self and set its sight upon eternal life.
The surest way for the believers to progress is to understand that whatever God gives is designed to perfect them. Regardless of personal circumstances, believers should strive to improve the welfare of others and trust inwardly and outwardly in the All-Mighty and All-Merciful. The best attitude toward this world, which is only a resting place on the way to our everlasting destination, is expressed in this brief poem:
I accept, my Lord, whatever comes to me from You,
For whatever comes to me from You is my good;
Whether a robe of honor comes or a shroud,
Whether a sharp thorn or a sweet, fresh rose,
If it comes with Your blessing,
It is my good that comes. [M. Fethullah Gulen]
Food for thought:
Death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of our eternity. We cannot banish dangers, but we can banish fears, we must not demean life by standing in awe of death. To be idle is a short road to death, and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle and wise people are diligent.
Thus We have made you a centered nation, that you may be witnesses to humanity. [2: 143]
Hadith of the day:
Faith wears out in the heart of anyone of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your heart. [Tabrani]
Wise quote of the day:
The religious traits of character cannot take firm root in the soul until it has grown accustomed to every good habit and renounced every evil one. [Imam al-Ghazali]
Guidance of the day:
God bestows material wealth and poverty upon individuals for reasons known only to Him. There is good in whatever He bestows. It is not wealth or poverty in itself that is good, but rather the state of mind that has disciplined (and triumphed over) the worldly self and set its sight upon eternal life.
The surest way for the believers to progress is to understand that whatever God gives is designed to perfect them. Regardless of personal circumstances, believers should strive to improve the welfare of others and trust inwardly and outwardly in the All-Mighty and All-Merciful. The best attitude toward this world, which is only a resting place on the way to our everlasting destination, is expressed in this brief poem:
I accept, my Lord, whatever comes to me from You,
For whatever comes to me from You is my good;
Whether a robe of honor comes or a shroud,
Whether a sharp thorn or a sweet, fresh rose,
If it comes with Your blessing,
It is my good that comes. [M. Fethullah Gulen]
Food for thought:
Death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of our eternity. We cannot banish dangers, but we can banish fears, we must not demean life by standing in awe of death. To be idle is a short road to death, and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle and wise people are diligent.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Muharram Mubarak -- Happy new year!!!
Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu) reported:
the Holy Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said,
"Wealth is not diminished by giving (in charity).
Allah (Subhanu wa Ta'ala) augments the honour of one
who forgives; and one who displays humbleness towards
another seeking the pleasure of ALLAH (Subhanu wa Ta'ala),
Allah (Subhanu wa Ta'ala) exalts him in ranks.''
[Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith has described three facts.
First, Sadaqah does not
diminish wealth because Allah (Subhanu wa Ta'ala) blesses the rest of it and thus
recompenses it in this world, and the almsgiver will certainly be rewarded on the Day of Resurrection.
Second, man
thinks that a conciliatory or forgiving attitude will weaken his position in the eyes of others. He erroneously takes it as his disparagement and insult. However, this Hadith reveals the reality that by this way, Allah (Subhanu wa Ta'ala) raises his image and he is not belittled at all, because a forgiving gesture will enhance his esteem in the hearts of people. And in the Hereafter, Divine reward for it will definitely lead to his elevation.
Third, if somebody displays affability and humbleness
in his behaviour, Allah (Subhanu wa Ta'ala) will project his prestige and dignity into the hearts of others and bless him in the Hereafter.
the Holy Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said,
"Wealth is not diminished by giving (in charity).
Allah (Subhanu wa Ta'ala) augments the honour of one
who forgives; and one who displays humbleness towards
another seeking the pleasure of ALLAH (Subhanu wa Ta'ala),
Allah (Subhanu wa Ta'ala) exalts him in ranks.''
[Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith has described three facts.
First, Sadaqah does not
diminish wealth because Allah (Subhanu wa Ta'ala) blesses the rest of it and thus
recompenses it in this world, and the almsgiver will certainly be rewarded on the Day of Resurrection.
Second, man
thinks that a conciliatory or forgiving attitude will weaken his position in the eyes of others. He erroneously takes it as his disparagement and insult. However, this Hadith reveals the reality that by this way, Allah (Subhanu wa Ta'ala) raises his image and he is not belittled at all, because a forgiving gesture will enhance his esteem in the hearts of people. And in the Hereafter, Divine reward for it will definitely lead to his elevation.
Third, if somebody displays affability and humbleness
in his behaviour, Allah (Subhanu wa Ta'ala) will project his prestige and dignity into the hearts of others and bless him in the Hereafter.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Pearls of wisdom 322
1. Remembrance of God strengthens the spirit and acts as its wings and feathers in its heavenward flight.
2. Even if the spirit does not reach heaven, every moment it achieves a loftier height.
3. We may not attain to the Essence of God, but remembrance of Him, whether it be with the tongue or in the heart leave its mark upon us.
4. It is only burnished breast freed from greed, avarice, and hate, a heart cleansed of all taints of corruption that can reflect the Divine Light.
5. Death is no occasion for sorrow, but an occasion for rejoicing for it means Homeward flight of the human spirit, freed from the trammels of matter.
6. If you have no eyes, do not walk blindly; take a staff in your hand.
7. If you have no staff of insight, do not walk without a guide.
8. Hidden creatures good and bad always touch the heart -- the touch of the angel is inspiration; Satanic touches temptations untold.
9. Tarry with patience until your confusion is resolved and you know whom you rejected and who became the leader of your heart.
10. As he beheld the light of God he felt protected, and was delivered from the throes of doubt. [Mawlana Rumi]
2. Even if the spirit does not reach heaven, every moment it achieves a loftier height.
3. We may not attain to the Essence of God, but remembrance of Him, whether it be with the tongue or in the heart leave its mark upon us.
4. It is only burnished breast freed from greed, avarice, and hate, a heart cleansed of all taints of corruption that can reflect the Divine Light.
5. Death is no occasion for sorrow, but an occasion for rejoicing for it means Homeward flight of the human spirit, freed from the trammels of matter.
6. If you have no eyes, do not walk blindly; take a staff in your hand.
7. If you have no staff of insight, do not walk without a guide.
8. Hidden creatures good and bad always touch the heart -- the touch of the angel is inspiration; Satanic touches temptations untold.
9. Tarry with patience until your confusion is resolved and you know whom you rejected and who became the leader of your heart.
10. As he beheld the light of God he felt protected, and was delivered from the throes of doubt. [Mawlana Rumi]
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