Insignificant good deeds....

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Save yourselves from the fire of Hell even if it be by giving away a bit of a date, or by uttering a good word." [Sahih Bukhari]

Even a most ordinary good has its weight and value, and the same is true of evil. Even a most ordinary evil will be considered and taken into account; it will not be overlooked. Therefore, no good act however small and insignificant should be left undone, for many such good deeds can collect and be regarded as a major good in the reckoning with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Likewise, even a most ordinary evil deed should not be committed, for a large number of such ordinary errors can become serious sins.

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) encouraged us to do good deeds, even if they appeared to be very small. He (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Do not look upon any good work as insignificant, even if it be emptying a bucket into the vessel of one asking for water, or receiving a brother of yours with a pleasant face." In an advice to women he said: "O Muslim women, no woman should look upon sending a gift to her neighbor as mean, even if it be the hoof of a goat." [Sahih Bukhari]

Lesson of the day 1326

Ayahs of the day:
You are the best community evolved for humankind; you enjoin what is fair, and forbid the repugnant; and you believe in God.....[3: 110]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
There is no hajj nor guarding the enemy lines and no jihad which is more difficult than restraining the tongue. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]

Guidance of the day:
Make hast, postpone not, for procrastination is an evil, since human beings are liable to suffer from various problems and become occupied with numerous things.

The stronger one's faith and the better one's works -- the greater one's fear will be; and the weaker one's faith and the worse one's works -- the less one's fear will be and the more likely one is to feel secure and deceive oneself. Observe this in yourself and in others, you will see how evident it is. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Between two evils, choose neither; between two goods, choose both. Life often presents us with a choice of evils rather than of goods. He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determine the end. Life is all about choices -- we cannot escape the consequences of wrong choices.

Death -- Tuhfa tul Momin -- Gift for the Believer

1. The greatest dignity to be found in death is the dignity of the life that preceded it.\

2. Good health doesn't guarantee anything, the wisest thing to do is to live everyday as though it will be our last.

3. There is always a dignity that proceeds from the life well-lived by preparing for the next world, and from the acceptance of one's own death.

4. Death makes more precious each hour of those we have been given, it demands that life must be useful and rewarding.

5. It is not in the last weeks or days that we compose the message that will be remembered, but in all the decades that preceded them.

6. The uniqueness of each of us extends even to the way we die -- unique circumstances of death will be granted to someone with a unique personality.

7. The race of men is like the race of leaves. As one generation flourishes, another decays.

8. Death is easiest for those who during their lives have given it most thought -- as though always to be prepared for its imminence.

9. It is possible to die resigned and reconciled, patiently and tranquilly, having experienced life more fully because of the constant awareness that life may soon come to an end.

10. The utility of living consists not in the length of days, but in the use of time, a man may have lived long, and yet lived but little.

11. Death has ten thousand several doors for men to take their exit, every life is different from any that has gone before it and so is every death.

12. When death comes to man who has completed his mission -- he has nothing to fear nothing to dread.10. The utility of living consists not in the leng days, but in the use

A freindly reminder....

7 key ingredients to finding peace, contentment, and barakah in our lives:

1. Being punctual with all 5 payers -- it is the first thing we will be questioned about on the day of judgment.

2. Reciting a portion (quarter juz to a juz) every day with understanding and implementing its commands and prohibitions in our lives.

3. Always being grateful -- no matter what the circumstance is.

4. Being mindful of the needy and the poor, visiting the sick.

5. Realizing our sins, repenting for them and making a conscientious effort not to repeat them.

6. Always treating parents and relatives with respect and being tolerant towards them.

7. Reciting Surah Yasin in the morning and Surah Waqiyah in the evening.

"The deeds most beloved to Allah Most High are those done regularly, even if they are small " [Bukhari]

Purity does not lie in rituals, nor can human nature be changed by effort. Those who love God and remain conscious only of their Beloved attain purity. [Al Hujwiri]

Life is too short -- best possible advice....

The Foundation for Eliminating Disputes

Disputes, in whatever manner they appear, should be resolved immediately.  Human life being what it is, there is no guarantee as to who will be carried into the grave first.  At the occasion of death, friends, enemies, all gather to mourn anyway.  It is best that one’s heart be cleansed of all grudges regarding all Muslims.  Soothe another’s angry heart and see how tranquil life becomes.  The weightiness in one’s own heart is removed.
Always act towards mending relationships.  As a result, one will attain barakah in one’s time and provision.

Admission

The primary act which ends a dispute is admitting one’s fault.  If it is your fault then admit it and take account of your faults.  It is essential to recognize the excesses one has taken to transgress upon others.  Ultimately, the greatest reality of life is recognition of one’s faults.  The secret of all forms of betterment in life lies in this recognition, because man always errs.  If he does not recognize his faults, then there is no other course for his betterment.  Recognition is the door to all successes, but seldom it is that man is willing to subject himself to it.  When such an occasion arises, it becomes a matter of ego.  Instead of admitting his fault, he attempts to cover it up.  The result is that this fault of his continues to grow unchecked.

Making Excuses and Reconciling

Regardless of whose fault it is, when a dispute occurs, you will always share its blame to a certain extent.  This being the case, you should rise to the occasion and apologize for that which is of your own doing.  Consequently, the one with whom your are disputing will soften his attitude towards you.  You should always have a positive attitude towards others.  Keep a goodly opinion regarding others.  A misunderstanding should be clarified by discussing it as soon as possible.
Establish an attitude of selflessness and sacrifice.  Save yourself from stubbornness and obstinacy.  Suppress your anger.  Adopt a manner which always seeks reconciliation.  Pray for your friends, family, and those with whom you have disputes.

Shaytan struggles tirelessly to create disputes between Muslims.  Truly the greatest weapon he wields to destroy this Ummah is to make Muslims fight each other over any excuse.  Remember that non-Muslims   CANNOT    overcome Muslims under any circumstance.  Thus, we are made to fight each other.

Leave behind obedience and slavery to Shaytan!  Attain firmness in the virtues of admitting one’s faults, asking forgiveness, and forgiving!

Above and beyond this, strive to make peace between two Muslims, for this is a tremendous act of worship indeed!

By Muhammad Bashir Jumah
(An excerpt from his work in Urdu,  The Journey to Success on the Road of Life)

Time -- the most precious thing we have.

1. We need to live mindful of how brief our life is -- there is but a step between us and death.

2. Most of us spend our lives as if we had another one in the bank -- the highest value of time is found in the stewardship of time.

3. The most important thing in our lives is what we are doing now -- wasted time means wasted lives.

4. Know the true value of time -- no idleness, no laziness, no procrastination, never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

5. Time is a very precious gift of God -- so precious that it's given to us moment by moment.

6. As every thread of gold is valuable, so is every moment of time -- spend it wisely.

7. Dollars cannot buy yesterday, lost time is never found -- time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.

8. Time is the substance of life -- when anyone asks you to give your time, they are really asking for a chunk of your life.

9. Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of -- one man gets only a week's value out of a year while another man gets a full year's value out of a week.

10. Have a time and place for everything, and do everything in its time and  place, and you will not only accomplish more, but have far more leisure than those who are always hurrying.

11. The one who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life.

Lesson of the day 1325

Ayahs of the day:
And let there be a people among you who invite to good and enjoin what is fair, and forbid what is repugnant; it is they who thrive. [3: 104]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him uphold ties of kinship. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
Unless there is consciousness in the heart, no amount of effort or ritual can change one as a person. [Ali al-Hujwiri]

Guidance of the day:
It is said that in the hereafter each human being is shown the hours of his days and nights in the form of closets, each day and night make of twenty four closets. Those hours which were occupied with service to God will be seen to be filled with light, those which were occupied with disobedience will be filled with darkness, while those where neither obedience nor disobedience took place will be empty.

When he will look at the empty closets he will become filled with regrets for not having filled them with light by acts of obedience. But when he will look at those which are filled with darkness, at that moment were it possible for him to die of regret and grief he would have died, but there is no death in the hereafter.

He who has acted in obedience to God will constantly be joyous and satisfied, his joy and happiness increasing as days go by. But he who has disobeyed God will be distressed and aggrieved; his distress and grief increasing endlessly. So choose for yourself -- may God have mercy on you -- since you are still in the place of choice, that  which will benefit and elevate you, for once you die you loose all your choice. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer up somebody else. So of cheerfulness, and or  good temper, the more it is spent, the more it remains. The cheerful live longest in years, and afterwards in our regards. Cheerfulness is the off-shoot of goodness. Cheer up! The worst is yet to come!

Insight of the day....

People are often unreasonable and self-centered -- forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives -- be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you -- be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous -- be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow --do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough -- give your best anyway.

 In the end, it is between you and God -- it was never between you and them anyway.


Mother Teresa

Pearls of Wisdom 325

1. Two groups of people seek proximity of God, those who revere Him publicly and are held in high regard by the sacred law, and those who do not display their devotion. Secure in the knowledge that God alone bestows all that is good or bad in this world, they choose Him as their companion and are delivered of want. The former because of their own need remain veiled from divine guidance, while latter transcend through selflessness.

2. Speech is a great blessing conferred on man by God, thereby distinguishing him from all other creatures. But speech like wine intoxicates the mind. Thus the Prophet said: "He who keeps silent shall be saved." For in silence are concealed many spiritual blessings and in speech many evils.

3. Knowledge is of  three kinds: from God, with God, of God. Knowledge of God is disclosed to all prophets and saints; it is a divine guidance and cannot be acquired. Knowledge from God is the sacred law made obligatory upon us. Knowledge with God is the knowledge of the paths and stations and the development of saints.

4. This world is an abode of troubles; the world hereafter of terrors. Humans are in the midst of troubles and terrors  until they reach the final abode of Paradise or Hell. Happy is the soul that has detached itself from troubles and terrors and has attached itself to God alone.

5. True repentance entails constant regret of your sins. Without remorse, good deeds, be they abounding, could be eclipsed by pride that follows piety. Remorse  for a sin is superior to good works. Never forget your transgressions to save yourself from conceit.

6. There are two kinds of speeches and two kinds of silences. Speech is either truth or a falsification, and silence which is either fruition or heedlessness. If one speaks the truth, his words are better than his silence, but he who invents falsifications, his silence is better than his speech. [Shaykh Ali al Hujwiri]

Lesson of the day 1324

Ayahs of the day:
O believer, be conscious of God with due reverence, and do not die without your having surrendered to God. [3: 102]

Hadith of the day:
No person conceals (the faults of) another in this world but Allah will conceal him (his faults) on the Day of Resurrection. [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
Reckon your self before you are reckoned and weigh your self before you are weighed. [Omar radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the day:
Good works are only possible in this world and are inconceivable elsewhere. The hereafter is a place of reward, not of action. Ask God's help and be patient, strive earnestly, hasten to good works before there comes a time when you are incapable of performing them, make the best you can of your time before the end overtakes you unaware!

You are prone to ailments, a target for the arrows of death. Your capital, with which you can buy perpetual happiness from God, is but your lifetime. Beware of spending your moments,days, hours, and breaths in that which is of no benefit, devoid of good, for your regrets will be prolonged and your grief after death immense, once you realize with certainty how much you have missed. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven. If we do not have any charity in our heart, we have the worst kind of heart trouble. What we frankly give, forever is our own. Prayer carries us half way to God, fasting brings us to the door of His palace, and the alms-giving procures us admission. One must be poor to know the luxury of giving. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Momin dies Working....

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "The Momin dies with his sweat on his brow (i.e. with labor and hard work)." [Tirmidhi, Nasai]

A Momin's work is never done. If a conscientious student is sitting for a three hour exam and gets done in two and a half hours, he/she will go over their work making sure that they did not miss anything or make any mistakes. Moreover, if an exam has been designed for three hours, it is meant to take around three hours to finish.

Our lifespan should likewise be fully utilized to make sure we have not left anything undone that we could have earned Jannat with. This is the only chance we get; there will be no exams after this, only results. Therefore, we have to give this one exam our best shot.

If somebody is sitting around with nothing to do, it means that they have not understood the purpose of life, what Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) gave it to us for! There is no time to waste, no moment to lose. As long as we are alive we can keep earning thawaab. A Momin, therefore, keeps working to please Allah t(subhana wa ta'ala) before death overtakes him, and his exam paper is taken away from him.

The online version of Daily Hadith is available.

Pearls of Wisdom 324

1. Practice what you have learned, for theory without practice is like a spirit without a body. One who is content with learning alone is not learned, for the truly learned seek more than mere words. Divine guidance entails self-mortification, without which contemplation is unattainable.

2. Fear and hope are two pillars of faith. By practicing either one of them a person will not fall into error, because both fear and hope lead to union. Those who fear devote themselves to God through fear of separation from Him, and those who hope worship in hope of realizing the ultimate union.

3. When Moses conversed with God, he asked, "Lord, where shall I seek You?"
    God answered, "Among the brokenhearted."
    Moses continued, "But, Lord, no heart could be more despairing than mine."
    And God replied, "Then I am where you are."

4. The lower soul dissuades from conforming to faith. The more the self is subdued, the easier it becomes to glorify God. When the ego is annihilated, worship becomes sustenance, just as it sustains the angels.

5. Those who believe everything to be created by God see Him in everything.They find comfort in regarding the Creator and not His creation. All problems stem form the illusion that created things hold the ultimate power. Turn to Him, therefore, if your seek deliverance.

6. Angels were created without lust and evil, the worst obstacles of humankind. Those who despite their evil nature remain pious excel angels in rank. Enthused by their purity angels denounced the human race, so God chose three angels to go to the earth and reform its inhabitants. One angel, espying the corruption, begged God to let him return. The other two, in their earthly form, gave in to lust and fell from grace. Thus God revealed to the other angels the superiority of the devout. [Shaykh Ali al Hujwiri]

Lesson of the day 1323

Ayahs of the day:
You will not attain righteousness until you give of what you care for; and whatever you give, surely God knows it. [3: 92]

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:
Three things destroy a person -- persisting in sin with false hopes of repentance; delaying repentance with the delusion of long life; and despairing of His mercy. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]

Guidance of the day:
A long life in the service of God is to be desired, the longer the life is in the service of God, the more good works are accumulated, and the higher the degree. On the other hand, a long life in disobedience is a calamity and an evil, for the bad deeds will abound and sins will multiply.

Should someone claim that he wishes to live long in this world that he may increase the good deeds that will draw him nearer to God Almighty -- then if he is careful not to neglect them, eager to pursue them and to avoid those worldly things which may distract him from them, he is probably truthful in his claim.

 But if he is lazy in pursuing good works and given to postponing them, he is a liar who will keep producing false excuses that will avail him nothing, for he who wishes to live for a certain purpose is expected to be most careful never to miss any of it or allow himself to be prevented from fulfilling it. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Every man is not the architect of his own fortune; but every man is the architect of his own character. A man never discloses his own character as clearly as when he describes another's. Character is not made in crises -- it is only exhibited.

Beautiful Dua...

O اللَّه , help me to say words of truth in the face of the mighty....
And to refrain from speaking ill in order to gain the applause of the weak...
And do not let me accuse my adversaries of treachery because their opinions oppose mine...

O اللَّه , should You give me wealth, do not take away my happiness...
And should You give me might, do not take away my wisdom....
And should You give me success do not take away my humility...
And should You give me modesty do not take away my sense of dignity...

O اللَّه, teach me to love others as I love myself...
And teach me to judge myself as I judge others...
And teach me that forgiveness is one of the greatest steps towards strength...

O اللَّه , do not curse me with arrogance should I be successful...
And neither with despair and hopelessness should I fail...

O اللَّه, remind me always that failure is the trial that precedes success....
Should You take away my wealth, do let me keep my hopefulness...
And should I fail, do let me keep the power of determination...
And should You take away the blessing of good health do let me keep the blessing of faith...

O اللَّه , should I have harmed others give the courage to apologise...
And should others harm me, do bless me with the courage to forgive...
And should I forget You Ya اللَّه  I beg that You should not exclude me from Your compassion and clemency...

For You are The Greatest, The Vanquisher, The All Powerful on all things!!!

Pearls of Wisdom 323

1. Real faith is having complete trust in God. "It is the belief in the wisdom which comes from the unseen." Such certainty can only be attained through the knowledge that emerges with divine help.

2. If you devote yourself to God in this world, He will admit you among His chosen servants in the hereafter. Such devotion, however, demands sacrifice and self-denial, the two instruments that make union with God possible.

3. We cannot do away with our daily nourishment, but let us not wallow in gluttony.

4. God fills the hearts of those who love Him with peace, thus enabling them to endure afflictions with ease. And they also plead, "We shall bear torment (of this world) with joy, but never shall we be able to endure being separated from You. When Your magnificence illumines our hearts, all our pain, our sorrows seem meaningless and vanish."

4. Do not seek sustenance from people. God is the real Provider. If He wills a certain person to be the means of your livelihood, do not consider that person to be in control of your destiny. Have faith and be certain in the knowledge that your daily bread does not depend upon any mortal, but upon God who created all.

5. "I realized what was hidden within me and conversed with You in secret. Though we were united, we still were apart. Though awe hid You from my searching eyes, ecstasy brought You close to my innermost being."

6. Those who truly know God worship Him with all their resolve; they concede to His ubiquitous bounty and obey all His commandments with the utmost fervor. As their adoration grows so does their obedience, since they are aware that this world is a madhouse and its inhabitants madmen wearing shackles of lust and chains of sin. [Shaykh Ali al Hujwiri]

A SHORT MORAL STORY.....

There was a King who had 1 Eye and 1 leg..

He asked all the painters to draw a beautiful portrait of him. But none of them could -- how could they paint him beautifully with the defects in one eye and one leg.

Eventually one of them agreed and drew a classic picture of the King.

It was a fantastic picture and surprised everyone..

He painted the King AIMING for a HUNT. Targeting with ONE Eye Closed and One Leg Bent ...

MORAL : Why cant we all paint pictures like this for others. Hiding their weaknesses and highlighting their strength

Lesson of the day 1322

Ayahs of the day:
Say, "If you love God, then follow me; God will love you and forgive you your sins; for God is most forgiving, most merciful." [3: 31]

Hadith of the day:
Do not envy one another, do not artificially inflate prices against one another, do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another, do not undercut one another. Be, O slaves of Allah, brothers." [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
The result of fear (of Allah) is that one is able to leave the forbidden, and the result of hope (in Allah) is that one remains firm footed in one's obedience. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]

Guidance of the day:
Know that frequent remembrance of death is a good thing and to be encouraged. It brings important benefits and profits, among which are short hopes, detachment from the world, contentment with little, and desire for the hereafter accompanied by gathering provision of good works in preparation for it.

One of our ancestors said, "Consider, anything that you do and would be pleased for death to come to you while doing it, keep to it; but anything that you do and would detest death to find you doing it, avoid it!" Reflect on these words -- may God have mercy on you -- for they are of immense benefit for he who would act accordingly. Success and help are from God, there is no other Lord than He. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Hadda]

Food for thought:
The way of seeking guidance is to have close living relations with living scholars in one's land. The point of life is not to live the minimum, but to follow the means of increasing in faith and piety (taqwq), which are the best keys for electhood (wilaya), and the good pleasure of Allah Most High.

Convey an ayah....

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Convey from me even an Ayah of the Quran; relate traditions from Banu Israel, and there is no restriction on that; but he who deliberately forges a lie against me let him have his abode in Hell.” [Sahih Bukhari]

This hadith contains the following three important points:

1. It stresses the importance of acquiring knowledge of the Quran and Hadith and imparting it to others. Regardless of whether one has a little knowledge or a great deal, he or she must communicate it to others. There is no justification to leave inviting to the Message of Allah to those who are well-versed in this sphere. It is a duty upon every Muslim to learn something and pass it on. So much so that if a person knows even a single ayah/verse of the Quran, that is, a single injunction of Allah, they should communicate it to others.

2. It allows the communication of Jewish Traditions but this permission is subject to the condition that such Traditions are not against the elucidations of the Quran and Hadith.

3. There is a stern warning on attributing anything to the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) that he did not say. It is a grave offence and serious sin. Therefore, one should be very careful to quote only Sahih ahadith. Only Muhaddith are in a position to sort through weak ahadith and see what the grade of weakness is, i.e. if the hadith may be used since its meaning is supported by authentic ahadith even if its isnad is faulty.

thttp://dailyhadith.adaptivesolutionsinc.com

Pearls of Wisdom 322

1. When the craft of making armor was made known,
    iron became wax in your hands. The mountains became
    your accompanists; they chant the psalms along with you,
    like those who teach the recitation of the Qur'an with you.

2. As God made the Qibla manifest, abandon your search.
    Hark, turn away from all futile search, now that the House
    has come to view. If you forget this Qibla for one moment,
    you will be overcome by the qibla of desires.

3. Very high, very grand, and very wide is the ocean of God,
    the Water of life. You went after the form and were lead
   astray. How can you see it? You abandoned the truth.
   Sometimes it is named "tree," sometimes "sun," sometimes
   "ocean," sometimes "cloud," one thing from which scores
   of discoveries arise, its slightest definition an everlasting
   life.

4. You see throngs of afflicted feeble folk seated at the
    door in ardent hope. O you who are crushed, your
    pleas have been heard. Hark! Rush toward the mercy
    of God and be delivered of pain. How often has your
    disease been cured! How often your soul been
    delivered of grief!!

5. When a magician sleeps, so does his sorcery and
    his craft. When the shepherd sleeps, the wolf becomes
   assertive. But he who has made God his shepherd,
   how can the wolf make him prey? The alchemy of God
   is trustworthy and true. It is villainous to confuse it with
   sorcery. [Mawlana Rumi]

Lesson of the day 321

Ayahs of the day:
Say, "O my God, possessor of all power, You empower whomever You will, and You strip power from whomever You will. You honor whomever You will. All good is in Your hands. Truly You are capable of everything." [3: 26]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever does not show mercy to people, Allah will not show mercy to him. [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
The one who is esteemed by people should deem himself worthy of no such honor or respect, so as not to fall into delusion. [Abdullah ibn Mubarak]

Guidance of the day:
Feel the imminence of death, for it is "the nearest hidden thing lying in waiting." A human being does not know, it may be that only very little of his lifetime remains, yet he is attending to this world and forgetful of the hereafter. Should he die in this state, he will return to God unprepared to meet Him. He might then wish to be reprieved, but will  never be granted that.

Only a fool who is prey to illusion harbors long hopes, procrastinates, and neglects preparing for death. Long hopes are but part of following the passions of one's soul and being deceived by its false hopes. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Behind every sin, there are various detriments and harms; spiritual, physical, social, financial, and many others. Some sins encompass all the harms whereas others some of them. The next time we feel like committing a sin, we should try to explain to ourselves that these body parts of ours if used against the wishes of Allah will be our enemies tomorrow.