Pearls of Wisdom....321

1. You may have wealth, O mighty monarch,
     but it is other than you; one day it will be gone.
     Become your own fortune, O chosen one,
     before you are left destitute.
     Seek the bounty within yourself;
     when you are the bounty,
     how can you lose yourself?

2. If you desire light, be ready to receive light.
    Nurture vainglory and become separated
    from light. If you long for a way out of this prison,
    bow down in worship and draw near.

3. I surrender myself to no other god but God.
    If He desires my bloodshed,
    then so be it! I have no fear.
    I may be disgraced in your world;
    before God honor will be mine.
    A laughing stock in the eyes of the world,
   in God eyes cherished and acclaimed.

4. God asked, "What did you earn in your term
    of respite?" When he heard these words in his
    prayer, from shame he bent downward in complete
    awe. From shame he could stand no more; with
    knees bent he prostrated himself and glorified God.

5. What did you accomplish in your life?
    How did you consume your sustenance and strength?
    Where did you lose the luster of your eyes?
    Where did you lose all the five senses?
    I gave you bounty. Where is your gratitude?
    I gave you the capital. Come show Me the interest. [Mawlana Rumi]

Lesson of the day 1320

Ayahs of the day:
Say, "Whether you conceal what is in your hearts or reveal it, God knows it. And God knows what is in the heavens and what is on earth. And God is capable of all things." [3: 29]

Hadith of the day:
The Muslim is the brother of his fellow-Muslim. He does not wrong him, let him down or despise him. [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
The whole matter of love and slave hood rests upon fear, hope and the love of the Divine. [Shaqeeq al-Balkhi]

Guidance of the day:
Ali -- may God be pleased with him -- said. "The thing I fear most for you is that you follow passions and have long hopes. As for following passions, it repels one from truth; and as for long hopes, they make one forget the hereafter. He who forgets the hereafter does not work for it, he who does not work for it reaches it bankrupt of good works, and there is neither salvation nor gain in the hereafter without them. Should he seek to be returned to this world at that time to do these good works, he will be prevented from doing so. Then his remorse and sorrow will be immense, at a time when remorse will avail nothing." [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Bread caste on the waters comes back to you. The good deed you do today may benefit you or someone you love at the least expected tome. If you never see the good deed again -- at least you will have made the world a better place, after all, isn't that what life is all about.

Minor Sins....

Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "O Aishah, abstain from the sins which are looked upon as trivial, for they too will be inquired about by Allah." [Musnad Ahmad, Nasa'i]

Sins are termed as major or minor essentially because of their gravity in terms of their effects on individuals and society. Thus, some sins are considered most heinous and incur divine wrath. Among such sins are: shirk (associating partners with Allah), displeasing one’s parents, murder, bearing false testimony, adultery, fornication, practicing black magic, devouring riba (interest), stealing from an orphan’s wealth, etc.

Minor sins, on the other hand, are minor in so far as the punishment for a single act of one of these is not as severe as for a major sin. Nevertheless, all sins require tawbah (sincere repentance).

Sincere repentance involves four steps:

The first is for a person to be deeply remorseful of the sin;

Secondly, to refrain from it and all of the circumstances that led to it; thirdly, to make a firm resolution never to do it again;

And finally, to follow it up by whatever good deeds one can possibly do.

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says in the Quran, “Verily good deeds wipe out bad deeds.” [Hud: 114]

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) further explained this by saying: “Allah does not wipe out bad deeds through bad deeds; rather He blots them out through good deeds.”

To repent, one must quit sinful behaviour and also cut oneself off totally and entirely from all associations or circumstances that led him/her to such sins. He/she cannot hope to change for the better without such serious measures. If, instead, one persists in the sin, he/she will end up losing the purity of their heart, their moral conscience.

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) warned us against the pervasive effects of sins on our souls. He said that when a person commits a sin, it falls like a black dot on the clean slate of his heart. If he repents, the dot is erased. If, however, he persists in the same and continues to sin, the dot continues to expand until it covers his entire heart, in which case his spiritual soul becomes completely sealed off. As a result, he fails to recognize good as good and evil as evil.

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said that this is what Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has warned us against in the Quran: “Nay, their hearts have been sealed by the sins they have accumulated.” [Al-Mutaffifeen: 14]

Abdullah bin Mas'ud (radi Allahu anhu) reported Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) as saying: "Beware of minor sins, for they will gather together on man so much so that they will kill him. [Musnad Ahmad]

Muharram Mubarak....

With the sighting of the new moon the Islamic new year has started. The first month Muharram, is a month of great reward and virtue. Muharram itself means 'sacred'.

Muharram has been blessed with certain specific virtues: Prophet (peace and blessing upon him) said "The best of the fasts besides the month of Ramadan is the fasting of the month of Muharram (Muslim).

"The one who keeps a fast in the month of Muharram will receive the reward of thirty fasts for each fast (in this sacred month)" (Tabarani).

Although the fasts of the month of Muharram are not obligatory, the one who fasts in these days out of his own will and choice is entitled to a great reward by Almighty Allah.

Although the month of Muharram is a sacred month as a whole, the 10th of Muharram is the most sacred among all days. The day is named 'Ashura'. It is one of the most important and blessed days in the Islamic calender.

Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) has exhorted and encouraged the Ummah to fast on this day -- "This fast is a compensation for the (minor) sins of the past year" (Muslim).

" Observe the fast of Ashura and oppose the jews -- fast a day before it or after it" (Bayhaqi).

It is important to either fast on the ninth and the tenth or the tenth and eleventh of Muharram. To fast only on the day of Ashura is Makruh (disliked).

Let us resolve to observe this great month and through its blessings -- rest of lives in His obedience and try our best to earn His pleasure and refrain from all actions which will  bring His displeasure and deprive us of His blessings.

May Allah guide us all upon the straight path and save us from every action which brings His displeasure, ameen.

Pearls of Wisdom....320

1. This world is a play ground and death the night
    to which you return empty of purse all worn out.
    The earnings of faith are love and inner peace.
    The flesh craves all that is passing away.
    How long will you covet the vile? Let go.

2. The pleas of the devoted ascend to heaven,
    the smoke of their sincerity ascends to heaven,
    and the angels entreat God in earnest:
    "O You who answer every prayer,
   Your protection is being beseeched.
   Your devotee in utter humility pleads.
   Hear him, Lord.
   He knows only to depend on You.

3. This world is full of remedies. But you have no
     remedy until God opens a window for you.
     You may not be aware of that remedy just now.
     In the hour of need it will be made clear to you.
     The Prophet said God made a remedy for
     every pain.

4. The divine bounty filled him with peace and
    strength, strength that helped him cheerfully
    endure all the afflictions that knocked him
    about.

5. Liberated from suffering and search
    I have tied myself to the skirt of God,
    If I fly, I look at the summits I ascend.
    If I go around in circles,
    I observe the axis on which I revolve.
    If I am dragged by a burden,
    I know where I go.
    For I am the moon, and the sun is my guide. [Mawlana Rumi]

Lesson of the day1319

Ayahs of the day:
Say: Shall I tell you of something better than what you have? For those who are conscientious there are gardens in the presence of their Lord, below which rivers flow, where they will abide; and pure spouses, and acceptance from God. And God sees the devoted, those who say, "Our Lord, we believe, so forgive us our sins, and save us from the torment of the fire." [3: 16,17]

Hadith of the day:
Do not regard any act of kindness as insignificant, even meeting your brother with a cheerful countenance. [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
The one who takes his wealth through unlawful means is deprived in trusting in Allah. [Abdullah ibn Mubarak]

Guidance of the day:
Long hopes lead a person to concentrate on this world and neglect the next. Whenever the thought of death occurs to him, or that he ought to be preparing himself for it with good works, he resolves to do so sometime in the future, once he can free himself from working for this world, as if it was his to decide when to die. This is the evil consequence of long hopes, beware of them -- and shift delays and procrastination to worldly matters, while dealing with those of the hereafter immediately and resolutely. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Imagine that you are to die the next day and return to God to stand before Him to be asked to account for your knowledge, behavior, and all affairs and states. What you see there as most important and useful to you is precisely what you must give priority and attachment to.

The Five Questions....

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "The two feet of the son of Adam will not move from near his Lord on the Day of Judgement until he is asked about five (matters) concerning his life - how he spent it; about his youth - how he took care of it; about his wealth - how he earned it; and where he spent it and about that which he acted upon from the knowledge he acquired." [Tirmidhi]

There is no escape from being questioned about:

1. Our life - how we spent it. Was it in righteousness and piety or in sin and transgression?

2. Our youth - how we spent it. Was it in acts of obedience or acts of sin?

3. Our wealth - how we acquired it. Was it halaal means or haraam?

4. Our wealth - how we spent it. Did we give others their rights in it - our relatives, the needy, the orphans, the mujahideen... or did you squander it on ourself alone?

5. Our knowledge - how we acted upon it. How much of our knowledge of Allah’s Deen did we put into practice? Did we study Islam to live by its teachings or did we acquire knowledge of the Quran and hadith to appear knowledgeable with it or gather wealth through it?

These things we seldom think about or question ourselves over. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has promised us our rizq, but not promised us forgiveness. Yet we fret over the acquisition of wealth but not over acquiring Allah’s forgiveness. Doomed is the person who does not question himself, but waits to be questioned!

http://dailyhadith.adaptivesolutionsinc.com

Imam Zaid Shakir invites you to the 1 Billion Salawat Day

Please watch the video below, then click here.

The first ten days of Dhu'l Hijjah....

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

As-Salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

We have entered the blessed month of Dhu`l-Hijjah. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that there are no days in which righteous actions are more beloved to Allah than the first ten days of this month. For that reason some scholars have ruled that these days are better than the final ten days of Ramadan, although the nights of Ramadan are superior to these nights. Allah Himself swears by “the Ten Nights” in Surat al-Fajr, which is sufficient evidence of their greatness. Most of the scholars say that these are the first ten nights (and days) of Dhu’l-Hijjah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that fasting one of these days is equal to the reward of fasting for a whole year and standing in one of these nights in prayer is equal to standing in prayer on Laylat al-Qadr.It has also been narrated that the reward for actions in these days is multiplied seven hundred times.
This is not to mention the Day of Arafat (the 9th of Dhu’l-Hijjah) which is the greatest day of the year. Fasting that day wipes out the sins of the previous year and the year to come. We will mention more about this day closer to the time InshaAllah.

If we are unable to fast the first nine days of the month, we should at least fast the Day of Arafat. If we are able to fast two or three days then by fasting Monday or Thursday or both we will gain the reward of following the Sunnah. Likewise by fasting three of these days we will have performed the Sunnah of fasting three days in every month.

These are days in which we should remember Allah abundantly. Allah says that they remember the name of Allah on well-known days. These “well-known days” according to the majority of scholars are the ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. This is why the Prophet said (peace and blessings be upon him) that in these days we should make abundant tahlil (saying la ilaha ill’Allah), takbir (saying Allahu akbar) and tahmid (saying alhamdulillah). Ibn `Umar and Abu Hurayrah would go into the marketplace in these days and raise their voices with the takbir. The people in the marketplace would then raise their voices with the takbir in response. Thus the most hated place to Allah, a place where most people are heedless of Him, was filled with His remembrance.

Whether it be prayer, fasting, charity, dhikr, seeking knowledge, helping people, any righteous actions we do will be greatly rewarded and beyond that are beloved to Allah. This is also a time when du’a is answered by Allah.

As winter approaches in the Northern Hemisphere we recall that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said that winter is like spring for a believer: the night is long so he is able to stand in prayer in it, and the day is short so he is able to fast during it. Just as the animals find good pasture with the coming of springtime, likewise in winter the believer finds it easy to perform acts of obedience and to pluck the fruits that Allah has made easily available.

These are days when people are converging in their hundreds of thousands to visit the House of Allah and to visit His Beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and there is nothing to stop anyone who cannot be physically with them from trying to draw close to Him and seeking the closeness of His Messenger. Allah tells us that He is with us and remembers us when we remember Him, and whenever we send greetings to the Beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) he receives them and returns them.
Attached should be some of the adhkar that many of the pious people would read during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah.

May Allah Most High give us to honor these blessed ten days and nights with pious accepted worship and deeds pleasing to Him and His Beloved (peace and blessings be upon him), and may He forgive us our sins and shortcomings.

BarakAllahufikum,

Masjids and Malls....

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The dearest parts on the face of the earth near Allah are its masjids, and the most hated parts on the face of the earth near Allah are its markets.” [Sahih Muslim]

The superiority of the masjids is obvious. People pray and worship Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) in mosques. They recite the Quran in it and encourage one another to obey Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). The masjid in the time of the Prophet (sallasal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was also the head quarters of the Islamic State. Foreign delegations were received there, the consultative assembly was held in Masjid-e-Nabwi, and all matters of state were discussed therein.

On the other hand, malls and bazaars are where people forget Allah (subhana wa  ta'ala). The adhan and time of prayer go unnoticed. Shaitaan makes us indulge in such forbidden acts as fraud, lying, gossiping, checking people out and wasting money.

Malls and bazaars are disliked for the many sins that are likely to occur in them, least of which is taking Allah’s blessings and favors for granted. Shops taunt us with their glittery ware, flaunting before us all that we do not possess of material goods, while possessing these things is of no value to our everlasting life. We end up wasting our wealth which we could have used to come closer to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

Spending more time than necessary in market places is also a waste of another precious commodity -- time. “Hanging out”, “window shopping” and “killing time” are the very antithesis of an Islamic understanding of life. During an exam does any sane person do anything except focus on getting the exam questions answered correctly? We are in an exam until we die. What we do every second that we are alive, counts in the final assessment. We can’t afford to waste time. The purpose of life is simply to qualify for Allah’s Grace and His granting us everlasting happiness in Jannah. There is no other purpose to life.

Pearls of Wisdom 319

1. The Prophet said that God has said,
    "I cannot be contained in hallowed places.
    Heaven and earth cannot hold Me.
    But I am contained by true hearts.
    If you seek Me, search in those hearts."

2. To know your own illness is the proper remedy.
    When you repent you feel humility.
    That is the time to obey the Prophet's command
    "Have mercy." Why do you presume to be safe
     and fortunate. Don't you remember God's salace,
    "Do not fear"?

3. The Prophet said to Ali, "You may be the Lion of
    God, but depend not on valor alone. Learn to
    blossom under the shade of hope. Rejoice in the
    Sage who cannot be beguiled from the way.

4. I am the orchard; You the rain.
    Only I need You twenty times more.
    Rejoicing in You a beggar receives victuals
    without any means or resistance.
    We are the fishes; You the ocean of life.
    We live by Your favor, O Exalted of All.

5. His miracles are countless,
    the waves of His bounty tide upon tide.
    These and a hundred times as many miracles
    allow the light of His face
    to shine inside and out.

6. When your heart is dark as iron,
    steadily polish yourself
    that the heart may become a mirror,
    a beautiful shine reflecting from within.
    Although iron is dark and dismal,
    polishing clears the darkness away.  [Mawlana Rumi]

Lesson of the Day 1318

Ayahs of the day:
Made to seen pleasing to humanity is love of desires for women and children and heaps and hoards of gold and silver, and domesticated horses, and cattle, and fields. Those are conveniences for the life of the world, while the finest resort is the presence of God. [3: 14]

Hadith of the day:
Fear Allah wherever you are, and follow a bad deed with a good deed to erase it, and treat people with a good attitude. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
When death comes it does not return empty handed, so occupy every moment in preparedness of it. [Shaqeeq al-Balkhi]

Guidance of the day:
Long hopes are among the most noxious things to man. The meaning of long hopes is to think that residence in this world will be prolonged, this feeling overcomes the heart, which responds by behaving accordingly. Long hopes lead to over-preoccupation with this world and strenuous efforts to improve one's lot in it, until the point is reached when a person spends his whole time, night and day, thinking on how to improve it and acquire more.

He will pursue this, till both his heart and body become totally involved in this. Then he will forget the life-to-come, being occupied elsewhere, and will postpone doing anything for it. He will thus be diligent and earnest in worldly matters, and neglectful and procrastinating in what concerns his life to come. The correct thing would have been to strive in earnest for his life to come, which is the abode of permanence, the place of  residence. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al Haddad]

Food for thought:
Life is short, time is precious, death is near, and the distance to travel great, while the moment of standing before God to account for everything, however insignificant is daunting and hard. Therefore, reform that which remains to you, and that which is past will be forgiven.

Avoid Argumentation.....

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever does not argue when he is in the wrong will have a home built for him on the edge of Paradise. Whoever avoids it when he in the right will have a home built for him in the middle of Paradise. And whoever improves his own character, a home will be built for him in the highest part of Paradise.” [Tirmidhi]

Arguing with people is strongly discouraged in Islam. We are to state our point of view and then leave it at that. Nor are we to involve ourselves in matters that do not affect a person’s deen. Note that a person is to shun argument whether he is in the right or whether his stand is wrong. Both get houses built for them in Paradise. But since the person who knows that he is right finds it more difficult to leave the argument and let things be, he/she is promised a greater reward.

Arguing with people rarely gets anyone to change their minds. It usually only produces defensiveness and creates ill feelings between people. The issue becomes a matter of one’s ego and makes it more difficult for a person to change their stance. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) loves to have Muslims live harmoniously with each other. When we  try this hadith out in practice -- we will see that our relations improve with people and that we have greater peace of mind.

Pearls of Wisdom 318

1. God said,  "Do not take offense at their ridicule,
    for they are not your followers.  Your true friends
    hide behind the divine bounty, and entreat for
    you steadily. In good health all of them are your
    friends, but in the hour of pain all depart. God
    is your only friend."

2. Water said to the defiled, "Hurry come to me."
    The defiled replied, "But I feel ashamed before
    the water."
    Water said, "But without me how will you wash
    your shame? How will your filth be removed?"
    Shame hinders the faith of the tainted who hide
    from the water.

3. The divine breath came, saw you, and departed.
     It gave life to whom it would and departed.
    Another breath arrived.
    Be heedful; do not miss this chance.
    It extinguished the fire of the soul on fire
    and gave the dead soul vitality and life.

4. I said, "Many a tear I shed in separation from you."
    He replied, "Why grieve? Every tear will be turned
    into precious pearl."
    I said, "Many a night I have lain awake."
    He replied, "For every such night you shall gain
    hundred nights."

5. They possess free will and confinement alike.
     Like raindrops they become pearls inside the
     oyster shell. Mere raindrops outside the shell,
     inside they become precious pearls. [Mawlana Rumi]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1317

Ayahs of the day:
Our Lord, do not let our hearts to deviate after You have guided us. And give us mercy from Yourself; for You are most generous. [3: 8]

Hadith of the day:
Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt. Truthfulness brings tranquility while lying sows doubts. [ Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
One's worldly abstinence is commensurate with one's longing for the world to come. The abstinent and contented one is only he who is contented and thankful with the divine decree. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]

Guidance of the day:
Be steadfast in obeying you Lord. Make your acts of obedience frequent, patiently persevere and be sincere in doing so, then persist until you meet Him -- at which time He will satisfy you, be pleased with you, and admit you to His abode of honor.

Desist from disobedience. Repent to your Lord from it before death overtakes you and you meet your Lord in a filthy and vile condition. Never feel secure, should you not hasten to repent from your disobedience, God may send down some punishment upon you, for the disobedient to their Lord are ever expose to that. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al Haddad]

Food for thought:
Five simple rules to achieve happiness:
1. Free you heart from hatred -- forgive.
2. Free you mind from worries -- most never happen.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Muslim Rage....

If you're a Muslim American whose been tuning in to the counsel of our country's religious leadership lately, you probably don't know whether to sit down, stand up or go to sleep in response to the recent film maligning Prophet Muhammad (S).

While the brunt of the reaction by mosques and Muslim organizations focused on condemning (rightfully) violence linked with anti-film demonstrators, the guidance they did offer on how Muslims should respond to insults thrown at our Prophet (S) was all over the place.

Here are some excerpts:

Accept the film as free speech: "We are committed to upholding the right to freedom of expression, and we unconditionally condemn any use of violence as a means to protest offensive or hateful speech. In the United States, this fundamental, inalienable right is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."

Protest it: "We invite all to peacefully voice their opposition to this disrespect, obscenity, hate-mongering and yet another incident of Islamophobia in a growing list of bigoted acts."

Ignore it: “We call on all Muslims around the world to ignore the irresponsible and deliberate anti-Islam films and clips that have been circulating on the web. We urge that these attempts to provoke the religious feelings of Muslims be ignored and that their extremist producers not be given the cheap publicity they so desperately seek."

So what exactly are we supposed to do???

For starters, we can learn from Prophet Muhammad (S) when his late wife Khadija, one of the four perfect women of all times upon whom God and Angel Gabriel sent salutations, was insulted.

The Prophet (Peace and blessings upon him) used to praise Khadija abundantly after her death and repeatedly ask God to have Mercy on her. One day someone objected and told the Prophet (SWS) that God had now given him better than her.

"The Holy Prophet (SWS) got furious," according to scholar Usama Abdul Ghani.

The person who mocked Khadija then prayed: "O God! If you take away the anger of the Prophet (SWS), I will never mention her name in a bad way again for as long as I live."

Anger (not acceptance or indifference), then, is the natural and appropriate reaction to offenses against holy personalities.

The real question is: How do we channel this "Muslim (& non-Muslim) Rage" so we can strive steadfastly and, in the peaceful, intellectual and all-encompassing manner taught by our Prophet (SWS), create a world free of all types of oppression, including the ridiculing of sacred religions and their personalities?

It is our duty, after all, to pioneer such an environment of peaceful coexistence:

"And do not abuse those whom they call upon besides God, lest exceeding the limits they should abuse God out of ignorance. Thus have We made fair seeming to every people their deeds; then to their Lord shall be their return, so He will inform them of what they did."(Quran 6:108)

Taken from....http://theperfectionistas.blogspot.

What is Our IQ....

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "The most intelligent person is the one who remembers death often."

If a person is thought to be very intelligent, yet fails exam after exam, soon all those around him/her will begin to think that he/she is not really very intelligent after all. To get through life with our faith intact, with good deeds, and with Allah’s pleasure as our greatest goal, is the biggest exam we will ever face.

If we fail the exam of life we cannot call ourselves intelligent, regardless of what else our “intelligence” allowed us to accumulate of education, wealth, fame or pleasure. These will all go to waste with our death, while we will still have to stand before our Lord and face the consequences for eternity.

Our intelligence would have failed us if it didn’t give us the sense to properly attempt the biggest exam of our life. Such intelligence is cursed! In an examination hall if we start watching a movie, or discussing the score of a game, or pull out a lavish meal to eat, would we be considered sensible? No matter what your I.Q., we’d be considered foolish and stupid.

This life is one big exam. Are we busy answering the questions of what to believe and what to do or are we busy entertaining ourselves? The time for enjoyment is later. Those who prepare and do well in the exam of life will be considered the intelligent ones for eternity.

The people in Hell will say about themselves, "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!" [Al-Quran 67:10]

We are so engrossed in our various pursuits that the reality of death does not occur to us. Constant remembrance of death would keep us from getting easily distracted by the glittery entertainment beckoning and attracting us from all directions, preventing us from seriously attempting the exam of life. Keeping death in mind would help us abstain from sin and motivate us to do good deeds without delay.

We need to constantly remind ourselves that the most intelligent person is the one who gives the exam of  his/her life with full attention, since there are no re-takes.

Pearls of Wisdom....347

1. O All-Knowing, You opened my heart to the way
    of supplication. Yearning for Your love is glorious
    and grand; lust for other love is disgraceful and
    corrupt. Your divine court is the infinite plane.
    I leave behind the throne of honor, for the real
    throne of honor is Your way.

2. Because of your humility God granted you
    the gift of insight. Go toward the peach tree,
    which has sprung to life. It has become lush
   green by the command "Be!" Beneath its
   shade all your needs will be fulfilled. Such
   is divine alchemy that the crooked become
   straight. As God revealed, "Its roots are firm
   in the earth, its branches in the sky."

3. God calls Himself "Seeing" so that His ever-
    watching eye may scare you away from sinning.
    Whether the breeze be cold or hot, the Cognizant
    is aware, not absent, O infirm man.

4. Flee to the shelter of God's grace. He showers
    our souls with His grace. When He provides
    shelter, how can you lack shelter?  Fear not;
    water and fire will become your army. Did the
    sea not help Noah and Moses?  Did it not seek
    vengeance upon their foes?  Was not the fire a
    fortress for Abraham?  Did it not raise the smoke
    of despair in the heart of Nimrod?

5. When Ahmad passed beyond the Lote tree at
    boundary of Paradise, the Angel's frontier, he
    said, "O Gabriel, come fly with me." But Gabriel
    replied, "I cannot escort you. My wings beyond
    that point will be consumed. But the station of
    the pure before the Most Pure is nothing short
    of wonderment."  [Mawlana Rumi]

Lesson of the Day 1316

Ayahs of the day:
And be conscious of the day when you will be returned to God; then every soul will be requited for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged. [2: 281]

Hadith of the day:
The strong person is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong person is the one who controls himself when he gets angry. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
He who truly fears his Lord has freed his tongue from vain talk, He whose heart is in the awe of his Lord, every thing in creation is in awe of him. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]

Guidance of the day:
Gentleness toward believers is to show compassion and solicitude for them. This is one of the noblest characters and most superior attributes. Compassion for Muslims is a duty and an incumbent right, but for weak, the destitute, and the afflicted it is even more of a duty and a priority.

He who does not find in himself pity and compassion when faced with the weak and the afflicted among Muslims, his heart is hard, overcome with callous, deprived of compassion. It is part of being gentle and soft hearted to feel humility in the heart and weep abundantly in fear of God. This is a noble attribute and a praiseworthy endeavor. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al Haddad]

Food for thought:
In happy moments, praise God.
In difficult moments, seek God.
In quiet moments, worship God.
In painful moments, trust God.
In every moment, thank God.

Are We Lucky.....

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “How lucky is that man who adopts humbleness without having scarcity, who considers himself inferior without having to beg for anything, who spends his own earned money in the right causes without disobeying Allah, who is kind to those having little means, and
who remains in the company of learned men.” [Tibrani]

In this hadith we are told who an enviable person is:

1.    A person who is humble despite having that which makes people proud.
2.    A person who earns and spends in the path of Allah.
3.    A person who is kind to those less privileged.
4.    A person who benefits from the companionship of the learned.

Having wealth does not make one lucky; but having earned it honestly, by one's own hands and, moreover, having spent it on those things which earn Allah's pleasure, while obedient to Allah (Subhana wa Ta'ala), are what entitles one to be counted among the lucky. Wealth that is accompanied by arrogance and ignorance (ignorance of what will earn Allah's pleasure), is extremely unlucky.

Can we count ourselves among those who are really lucky?