LESSON OF THE DAY 75

Ayahs of the Day:
Allah does wish to make clear to you and to show you the ordinances of those before you; and (He does wish to) turn to you (in mercy); and Allah is all knowing, all Wise. Allah does wish to turn to you, but the wish of those who follow their lusts is that you should turn away (from Him) far, far away. Allah does wish to lighten your (difficulties); for man was created weak. [4: 26, 27, 28]

Hadith of the Day:
None amongst you should observe fast on Friday, but only that he observes a fast before or after it. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Truth is timeless, and returning to truth is better than continuing in falsehood. [Omar Radi Allahu anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
The actions of those who strive out of hope are more resplendent and exalted than one whose striving is compelled by fear. This is especially true when the benefits of one's acts touch the lives of others, which is the case with sadaqa (charity) for the needy. There is so much hope in Islam, its creed and ethos are rife with optimism and buoyancy. Planting a tree from which birds eat reaps the planter reward so long as that tree stands.

Of particular benefit is that which extends beyond the individual or is difficult for the self, such as fasting for the glutton, one who has a difficult time controlling his or her food intake. The principle applies to the miser who is blessed enough to recognize his shortcoming, that he should battle his soul by giving charity, detaching himself from his want of wealth and its hoarding, no matter the internal resistance. The miser should give to cleanse his heart of miserliness; and the fear of poverty should not prevent him from giving. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
An educated man knows his rights and knows how to defend them, time does not hang heavily on his hand, he can be alone, he is never at a loss for what to do with time.

LESSON OF THE DAY 74

Ayahs of the Day:
But if you decide to take one wife in place of another, even if you had given the latter a treasure for dower, take not the least bit of it back; would you take it by slander and a manifest wrong. And how could you take it when you have gone in unto each other, and they have taken from you a solemn covenant? [4: 20, 21]

Hadith of the Day:
It is in fact the glorification of Allah to honor an aged Muslim; to honor one who has learnt the Quran by heart or is its interpreter, provided he makes no interpolations in it and does not contradict it by his conduct, and to respect a just ruler. [Abu Dawud]

Wise Quote of the Day:
There are four types of oceans; passions are oceans of sins, the self (nafs) is the ocean of lust, death is the ocean of life, and the grave is the ocean of distress. [Othman radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
The action that is beneficial in purifying the heart, also includes that which is done in the absence of witnesses, or action done purely for His love or out of awe of His majesty. If one gives charity openly, this is good, but in secret it is better. This protects against ostentation. An act of worship done for the love of God is a higher station than those acts done out of fear of Hellfire. This view does not belittle the fear of punishment, but it does assign a higher station to guiding one's conduct out of awe of God and a heightened sense of His majesty and greatness.

The purest deed is that done by someone free of worldly wants. The opposite of this is the deed of covetous one whose endeavors are ultimately insignificant. The zahid (ascetic) does what he does for no other reason than the pleasure and love of God. This is the highest action. In Islam, the essence of asceticism is a lack of want. The ascetic is the one who does not have attachment in his heart for material things. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.

LESSON OF THE DAY 73

Ayahs of the Day:
O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of their dower you have given them--except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; On the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them it may be that you dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good. [4: 19]

Hadith of the Day:
The noblest deed is that a person should be benevolent towards his father's friends. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Actions are but lifeless forms, whose soul is the secret of sincerity in them. [Ibn Ataillah]

Guidance of the Day:
As for the action that is beneficial in purifying the heart, none is more effective than what is consistent, even if it is slight. It is important to know that "purification" is not a state, but an ongoing process. Just as we go through a day careful about our bodily cleanliness, we must similarly tend to our spiritual purity, for purification and sincerity do not survive a passive relationship. They are not qualities that are ignited and glow on without attendance. Left unattended, the heart becomes encrusted.

Unwholesome deeds accumulate and take away its purity. But with consistent work on self purification, the heart becomes cleansed and is kept that way. The Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were consistent with their actions once they commenced them, when they took on supererogatory rites of worship (nawafil) they did so for the duration of their lives. It was something they embraced as a spiritual practice, and they did not abandon it.

This is not to say that this is an obligation. But if people wish to climb straight and climb right in their journey, their acts of worship should be regular and consistent. If a person sees himself inclined to a certain supererogatory worship rite, then he should follow it and be consistent. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Education is being able to differentiate between what you know and what you do not know. It is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or self confidence.

LESSON OF THE DAY 72

Ayahs of the Day:
Allah accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them will Allah turn in mercy; for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil, until Death faces one of them, and he says, "Now have I repented indeed; nor of those who die rejecting faith; for them We have prepared a punishment most grievous. [4:17, 18]

Hadith of the Day:
Allah has forbidden you from the disobedience of your parents, parsimony, usurping the properties of others, and the burying alive of female infants; and has disapproved for you useless talking, excessive questioning and waste of property. [ Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Allah's generosity is connected to gratitude, and gratitude is linked to increase in His generosity. The generosity of Allah will not stop increasing unless the gratitude of the servant ceases. [Ali (radi Allahu anhu)]

Guidance of the Day:
Companionship yields two kinds of impact: one that drags a person down to the compost of the world and the other that points toward God the Exalted and an existence that lasts for ever. A companion who tries to sell the ephemeral stuff of this life and makes it the substance of conversation and pursuit in dragging the soul earthward.

It is better, beyond compare, to seek out the company of those who help one achieve contentment with God. When one is content, little will suffice. But without contentment, nothing suffices.

Seeking refuge with God is the most efficacious treatment for all diseases of the heart, i.e., to go to God with complete unconditional imploring. What is meant here is urgently seeking refuge in God's protection and guidance, to seek this as if one were holding on to a thread over a canyon. It is begging, which before God is honorable. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance, it is a better safe guard of liberty than a standing army, it's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open mind.

LESSON OF THE DAY 71

Ayahs of the Day:
These are the limits set by Allah; those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, to abide therein (forever) and that will be the supreme achievement. But those who disobey Allah and His Messenger and transgress His limits, will be admitted to a fire, to abide therein; and they shall have a humiliating punishment. [4: 13, 14]

Hadith of the Day:
A father is the strongest doors of Paradise. If you wish you may pull it down, or if you wish you may protect it. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The primary meaning of the word Jihad is struggle or effort. This is a very important religious principle. It reminds us that religion is never something achieved or finished. The revelation is given, but those who follow it have to make it a constant effort, day by day, year by year, to put it into practice in a flawed and tragic world. [Karen Armstrong]

Guidance of the Day:
Next in the overall treatment for the heart is the importance of keeping the company of good people, which is God's command: O You who believe, fear God and be among the truthful ones(Quran, 9:119). It is astonishing how people can influence others simply by being in each other's company. The company one keeps has major effects. It may lead to either benefit and improvement or harm and corruption, depending on whether the company is that of pure and eminent people or those who are immoral and evil. This effect does not appear suddenly, but is a gradual process that unfolds with time.

Good company includes those who are in the state of gratitude; they are thankful for what they have and do not waste time complaining. One takes on their excellent qualities. One should befriend people who elevate one's station. Anyone who tells you to indulge in the world is defrauding you. When it comes to worldly possessions; it is good to associate with people who have lesser means. The company of wealthy people opens a person to coveting what they have. When it comes to Hereafter; it is better to associate with people who are superior to you in their desire for the understanding for it. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

LESSON OF THE DAY 70

Ayah of the Day:
In what your wives leave, your share is a half, if they leave no child; but if they leave a child, you get a fourth; after payment of legacies and debts. In what you leave, their share is a fourth, if you leave no child; but if you leave a child, they get an eighth; after payment of legacies and debts. If the man or woman whose inheritance is in question, has left neither ascendants nor descendants, but has left a brother or a sister, each one of the two gets a sixth; but if more than two, they share in a third; after payment of legacies and debts; so that no loss is caused to (anyone). Thus it is ordained by Allah; and Allah is All knowing, Most Forbearing. [4: 12]

Hadith of the Day:
Giving alms to a poor is one charity, and for a relative it amounts to two good deeds i.e. charity and benevolence to kinsmen. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Skyscraping material achievements are of no value to the true Muslim if they hinder rather than help his spiritual growth. [Abu Mohammad Asad]

Guidance of the Day:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "If a person is given silence, he is given wisdom." The tongue is a great temptation. It is easy to say something that brings ruin upon its speaker. Learning how to control the tongue is an enormous discipline. If it is words for the sake of words, it is a waste of time and a sign of bad character.

Imam Mawlud mentions spiritual isolation for the purpose of reflection. Some remember death through visualization, using the puissance of imagination for visualizing their bodies being washed, wrapped and lowered in the grave. Others reflect on the tributes of God the Exalted by methodically pondering the meaning of each of His divine names that speak of God's awesome power, knowledge, clemency, mercy, creative powers, and more. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
If a person hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live. The one who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.

LESSON OF THE DAY 69

Ayahs of the Day:
Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children's (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females; if only two daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance; if only one, her share is half. For parents, a sixth share of the inheritance to each, if the deceased left children; if no children, and the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased left brothers (or sisters) the mother has a sixth. (The distribution in all cases is) after the payment of legacies and debts. You do not know whether your parents or your children are nearest to you in benefit. These are settled portions ordained by Allah; and Allah is All Knowing, All Wise. [4: 11]

Hadith of the Day:
No son can repay his father (for his affection and love), unless he finds him a slave and purchases him and sets him free [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
If those who do not possess knowledge avoid the scholarly discussion, disagreements will end. [Imam Ghazali]

Guidance of the Day:
The stomach is the source of the key impulse of people. If a person can learn to control food, other issues of discipline follow, for gluttony is fuel for lust, and fasting breaks gluttony. Ramadan is a time to experience hunger with a good cheer and renewed gratitude. It is divorcing oneself from the world and being reminded of our spiritual soul. But a person can rob Ramadan of an important benefit by overeating at night in order to make up for what was missed during the day.

People who have a problem with eating should start atleast by lessening the portion of what they normally eat, which is the beginning of discipline. It is also advised to eat with other people.

If one wishes to enliven the heart, then give it time with its Lord in the stillness of the dark, even if it is only two rak'at. Shaykh Maliki says never leave the Night Prayer vigil even for a little time. What is important about the Night Prayer is consistency (which is true about all good things). Moderation ensures consistency and, as a result, the reaching of one's destination. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Death is the only inescapable, unavoidable, sure thing. We were sentenced to die the day we were born. He who doesn't fear death dies only once.

LESSON OF THE DAY 68

Ayah of the Day:
Serve Allah, and do not ascribe partners to Him. And show kindness to your parents, and to your close kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and to the neighbor who is of kin, and the neighbor who is not of kin, and the fellow traveler and the wayfarer and (the bondsmen) whom your right hands possess. For Allah does not love the arrogant, the boastful. [4: 36]

Hadith of the Day:
People are like mines of gold and silver. Those of them who are best before Islam are best in Islam, if they have religious knowledge and understanding. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
And love your Lord by serving Him. For lovers are but servants of the Beloved. [a poet]

Guidance of the Day:
Dissatisfaction is a motivator to seek out better character. A human being is spiritually stalled as long as he is content and smug with his state. The basis of achieving good is knowing yourself. When this happens, a person becomes aware of his imperfections, minor and major, and ashamed of them to the point he strives to replace them with generosity, agreeableness, honesty, reliability, dignity, and other noble traits.

When the mind is given the responsibility to decide upon right and wrong it will usually base its judgment subjectively: what advances or thwarts one's whims? Our understanding of right and wrong, licit and illicit, needs a judge higher than ourselves and our whims. We are beings who are created and, therefore, have a Creator who brought us into existence for a reason. It is His purpose and guidance that informs our sensitivity and response to right and wrong. [Purification of the heart]

Food for Thought:
If you want to talk to Allah perform salah, and if you want Allah to talk to you, read Quran.

LESSON OF THE DAY 67

Ayahs of the Day:
From what is left by parents and those nearest related, there is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property be small or large, a legal share. If at the time of division of the relatives are present, give them out from the property, and speak to them kindly. [4: 7,8]

Hadith of the Day:
A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he does not harm him nor does he hand him over to his enemy. One who fulfills the need of another Muslim, Allah the Supreme, will fulfill the former's need. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
I looked at my friends, and I did not find a better friend than safeguarding my tongue. I thought about all the outfits, but I did not find a better outfit than piety. [Omar Radi Allahu anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Derision or ridiculing people, making jest at their expense, is another disease. Mocking people is a form of ignorance, whether it is lampooning, caricaturing, or name calling. Humor and levity are important in life. But levity as a way of life harms the spiritual heart. And laughter and amusement at the expense of the dignity of others is wholly inappropriate, although it is the staple of the comedians of our day.

The cure for the psychology and practice of mockery is similar to that of arrogance, since a person who mocks another most likely sees himself as superior to his victim. Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "Do not belittle anyone, for he may be a saint of God." Only God knows the seal of people and their destinies. A Moroccon proverb says, "Never mock any creature of God, for it might be beloved to He who created it."

Repentance is a recourse that the Lord of the Worlds has given humanity. Reflecting on the ethic that the Quran communicates to us, reveals that there is strength in dealing nobly with people. It is simply a better way to live. The treatment for derision is to realize that the essence of mockery is to humiliate people. Those who mock people in this life shall be mocked in the Hereafter, for it is a divine law that God recompenses people with the like of what they have done. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Healthy children will not fear life and their elders have integrity not to fear death. As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.

LESSON OF THE DAY 66

Ayahs of the Day:
O mankind! Have fear of Allah, Who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate and from the two of them spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Fear Allah in Whom you claim your mutual (rights), and toward the wombs (that bare you). Allah is ever Watching over you. Give orphans the property which belongs to them. Exchange not the good for the bad (in the way you manage their property), nor absorb their wealth into your own wealth. Indeed that would be a great sin. [4: 1,2]

Hadith of the Day:
One who has no compassion for others is not entitled for compassion (from Allah). [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
What can my enemies do to me? My Paradise is in my heart, it is with me wherever I go. To imprison me is to provide me with seclusion, to send me to exile is to send me away in the path of Allah and to kill me is to make me a martyr. [Inb Taymeeyah]

Guidance of the Day:
There is a necessary link between intelligence and morality, the willingness to put off a short term gain for a long term benefit that ultimately is greater and everlasting. This kind of intelligence is conditioned by Islam.

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

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

Food for Thought:
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. One should not die of a cold, one should die of having lived.

LESSON OF THE DAY 65

Ayahs of the Day:
And there are certainly among the People of the Book, those who believe in Allah, in the revelation to you, and in the revelation to them, bowing in humility to Allah; they will not sell the signs of Allah for a miserable gain! For them is a reward with their Lord, and Allah is swift in account. O you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other; and fear Allah; that you may prosper. [3: 199,200]

Hadith of the Day:
The Muslims in their mutual love, kindness and compassion, are like the human body where when of its parts is in agony the entire body feels the pain both in sleeplessness and fever. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
What you love to have with you in the Hereafter, you should advance today. and what you hate to have with you, you should abandon today. [Salman ibn Dinar]

Guidance of the Day:
There are things that benefit a person in the short and long term. Examples of this are knowledge and excellent character. There are also things that are harmful to a person immediately and in the long run, like ignorance and obnoxiousness. Then there are things that offer immediate gratification, but the long term benefits are nil. Carnal desires (shahawat)are generally like this. If a person overeats, he experiences immediate gratification; but in the long term it invites health problems.

Things may be beneficial in the long term but somewhat uncomfortable in the short. It may be difficult for a person to stop himself from eating until he is filled, but the long term benefits are obvious. Ignorance urges people to see only short term relief as a blessing and to ignore the benefits of patience and temporary discomfort. Knowledge opens the eyes to the long term benefit, which lasts for ever.

Food for Thought:
What we have done for ourselves alone, dies with us. What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. Death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.

LESSON OF THE DAY 64

Ayahs of the Day:
Let not the strutting about of the unbelievers through the land deceive you. Little is it for enjoyment, their ultimate abode is Hell, what an evil bed (to lie on). On the other hand for those who fear their Lord, are Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath; therein are they to dwell (forever), A gift from the presence of Allah; and that which is in the presence of Allah is the best (bliss) for the righteous. [3: 196, 197, 198]

Hadith of the Day:
Allah will definitely enforce the settlement of all the dues entitled to receive them on the Day of Judgment; even the wrong done to a hornless goat by a horned goat, will be redressed. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Whoever desires to purify his heart, then let him prefer Allah to his desires. [Ibn al Qayyim]

Guidance of the Day:
God never changes any blessing He has bestowed upon a people until they first change what is in themselves (Quran,8:53). God will not take away a blessing unless people show ingratitude. A poet said, "If you are in a blessing, guard it, for disobedience shall snatch away." Gratitude to God protects one from having blessings removed.

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

There is confusion in the way people interpret the blessings they receive. When they are the recipients of great wealth, they see themselves as especially pleased to God. And when their provision is restricted, they feel God is debasing them. But the reality people often miss is that wealth is a test: Will its recipient be generous or miserly? The same applies when wealth is restricted: Will a person be patient and content, or feel despair and bitterness? [Purification of the heart]

Food for Thought:
We cannot banish dangers, but we can banish fears. We must not demean life by standing in awe of death. The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of our eternity.

LESSON OF THE DAY 63

Ayah of the Day:
And their Lord accepted (their prayers): " Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, whether male or female; you are (the offspring) of one another. So those who emigrated, and were expelled from their homes, and suffered harm in My cause, and fought and were slain, assuredly, I will remit from them their sins, and admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow; a reward from Allah,and with Allah is the best of rewards."[3: 195]

Hadith of the Day:
Avoid cruelty and injustice for, on the Day of Judgment, the same will turn into several darknesses; and guard yourselves against miserliness; for this has ruined nations who lived before you. Miserliness led them to bloodshed and to treat unlawful as lawful. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Never assume that anyone in this world can really understand your own circumstances other than from the perspective of his own circumstances. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day:
Among the faults of the soul is obliviousness to blessings. Its root lies in inattentiveness that whatever blessings you have, it is from God(Quran, 16:53). The blessings that come to us night and day, are beyond numeration, as the Quran reminds. These blessings come in all forms; what we can see and touch (by way of material goods: food, clothing, shelter, wealth, and the like), as well as what we cannot see (like safety, friendship, love, health, and protection from harm and calamity).

While we cannot count our blessings, we are charged to be grateful for having them. The fact that the Quran has been revealed to tell us to reflect on these blessings is in itself a great blessing, for the human being cannot on his own figure out how to live with guidance. To deny God's blessings can lead to outright disbelief and denial of God the Exalted. [Purification of the heart]

Food for Thought:
The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that the men will begin to think like computers. Think? Why think! We have computers to do that for us.

LESSON OF THE DAY 62

Ayahs of the Day:
Our Lord! Those whom you will admit to the Fire, You have abased them. For evil doers there are no helpers. Our Lord! We have heard a caller calling to faith; "Believe you in your Lord!" So we believed. Our Lord! Therefore forgive us our sins and remit from us our evil deeds, and take our souls in the company of the righteous! Our Lord! And grant us what You did promise to us through Your messengers, and do not abase us on the Day of Resurrection. You never break the promise. [3: 192, 193, 194]

Hadith of the Day:
"O people! Give salaams, feed others, and pray at night while others sleep, and you shall enter Paradise in peace." [Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah]

Wise Quote of the Day:
In accordance with the real nature of things, it is the human that must conform to the Divine, and not the Divine to the human. [Seyyed Hossein Nasr]

Guidance of the Day:
The wealthy soul is one that is content. This contentment is not the kind that originates from stupidity or not knowing any better. It is contentment that is found by knowledge and by reflection on death and its meaning.

Second, the remembrance of death gives one energy to achieve good deeds: Wealth and sons are the ornaments of the life of this world, while enduring righteous deeds are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope (Quran, 18:46).

Third, remembrance of death engenders seeking repentance when one slips or errs, Penitence rectifies wrong action, and that is the gift of remembering death. When one lives with this realization, he or she becomes prompt in seeking God's forgiveness. Those who are heedless of death have no compunction in doing wrong, since death is not a factor in their lives. They carelessly view the Day of Judgment as some distant event hardly worth worrying about. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
They must often change, who would be constant in happiness and wisdom. We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.

LESSON OF THE DAY 61

Ayahs of the Day:
In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are signs for men of understanding. Those that remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down, and meditate upon the creation of the heavens and the earth. "Our Lord! You have not created this in vain. Glory be to You! Protect us from the punishment of fire. [3: 190, 191]

Hadith of the Day:
A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And an emigrant (Muhajir) is the one who gives up (abandons) all what Allah has forbidden. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
O' People who take pleasure in a life that will vanish, falling in love with a fading shadow is sheer stupidity. Whoever desires to purify his heart then let him prefer Allah to his desires. [Ibn al Qayyim]

Guidance of the Day:
Maurice Bucaille, the well known French physician, said that what attracted his interest in Islam was how North Africans in France faced death. As a physician exposed to disease and death, he observed many of his own country men not knowing how to die or handle death.

The fear of death is natural. Reflexively, one protects himself from it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged believers to desire a long life for two reasons: to make up for past iniquities or to increase good deeds.

The one who remembers death is ennobled by certain characteristics. One of them is contentment and lack of covetousness. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Contentment is a treasure that is never exhausted." He also prayed, "O Allah, provide for my family with what suffices them and grant them contentment with it." [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude, don't complain. Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you will understand what little chance you have in trying to change others.

LESSON OF THE DAY 60

Ayahs of the Day:
You shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in your personal selves, and you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you, from those who received the Book before you and from the polytheists, but if you persevere patiently, and guard against evil, then that will be the determining factor in all affairs. [3: 186]

Hadith of the Day:
If you guarantee me six things on your part, I shall guarantee you Paradise: Speak the truth when you talk, keep a promise when you make, when you are trusted with something fulfill your trust, avoid sexual immorality, lower your gaze (in modesty), and refrain your hands from injustice. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Meet people in such a manner that if you die, they should weep for you, and if you live they should long for you. [Ali (Radhi Allahu Anhu)

Guidance of the Day:
In death there are 1,000 reposes for the Muslim. As long as you are in this world, there is not a cell in your body that does not experience pain and disease. Once you are out of this world all of this ends. For the believer their is comfort in death. It is being taken from an abode of difficulty and trial to one of peace and unfathomable freedom.

In Islam the mourning period is short and should not be prolonged. The irony of extending the mourning period is that it is rooted in the excessive love of this world. The more one covets this world the greater sense of loss when a loved one dies.

Everyone will experience the loss of a loved one. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) lost his son Ibrahim, he wept but also praised God, the source of life and death. People who believe in God and in the After life handle death well. The same is true with calamities and tribulations. [Purification of the heart]

Food for Thought:
If there is something we wish to change in a child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves. We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.

LESSON OF THE DAY 59

Ayah of the Day:
Every soul shall have a taste of death; and only on the Day of Judgement shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the fire and admitted to the garden will have attained success. For the life of this world is nothing but the comfort of illusion. [3: 185]

Hadith of the Day:
A person cannot be a perfect Muslim unless he desires for his brother (in faith) that which he desires for himself. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Never claim anything you are entitled to, let alone what you are not entitled to. Never demand a right from anyone, whether one is intimate or a stranger. This is because a stranger in reality owes you nothing, and someone close to you is too close for you to censure. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day:
Antipathy toward death is considered a disease of the heart. It refers to strong aversion to death to the point that its mere mention causes consternation. Such a person is in denial of the reality.

None of this suggests that one should leap into the throes of death. It merely disparages the ethic of chasing after the fleeting things of this world while rebuffing the imminence of death and what comes after. When death is mentioned, it is considered a morbid topic that is uncouth to discuss. And when it is discussed, it is turned to some deadline before which people are supposed to squeeze in all their life's pleasures.

The Muslim view is completely different. To speak about death is to speak about life and the urgency to live a faithful and wholesome life before death overtakes us. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward. Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.

LESSON OF THE DAY 58

Ayah of the Day:
And let not those who covetously withheld of the gifts of which Allah has given them of His Grace, think that it is good for them; No, it will be worse for them; soon shall the things which they covetously withheld be tied to their necks like a twisted collar, on the Day of Judgement. To Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is well aquainted with all that you do. [3: 180]

Hadith of the Day:
By Allah even if Allah guides a single person through you, that would be much better for you than a whole lot of red camels. [Bukhari & Muslims]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Never forget that turning a blind eye to oppression and watching from the side lines is itself oppression. [Harun Yahya]

Guidance of the Day:
Overcoming the fear of blame is through the realization that their is no benefit or harm except by God's permission and plan. It is only God who can benefit and only He who can permit harm. If a person is worried about how others receive him, then he is not aligned with reality.

Being aware of God's attributes does not mean that people stop using their intellect, for we live in a world of causes. Their is room for diplomacy and discretion, particularly of knowing when it is best to say what. This discretion, however, is not informed by the fear of blame, but rather by clarity regarding one's objectives. Wisdom is completely different from seeking the approbation of others.

The inordinate fear of blame can lead a person to engage in prohibited matters or neglect obligations. The fear of blame interferes with faith. Deeds that are done for the sake God cannot share other intentions, namely, pleasing people or seeking their favor. Doing something for the sake of God is the manifestation of strong faith. Whether someone praises you or not is entirely inconsequential. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Life belongs to the living and he who lives must be prepared for changes.

LESSON OF THE DAY 57

Ayahs of the Day:
Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now until He separates what is evil from what is good; nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the unseen. But He chooses of His messengers whom He will, so believe in Allah and His messengers. And if you believe in Allah and guard yourself against evil, yours will be a reward without measure. [3: 179]

Hadith of the Day:
Do not consider even the smallest good deed as insignificant; even meeting your brother with a cheerful face (is a good deed). [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. [Malcolm X]

Guidance of the Day:
When people give up enjoining what is right or even admitting that there are absolute and objective values that are not subject to whims of mankind, then evil spreads. At the end of earthly time, the world will virtually be without witnesses to truth, and truth will itself be scarce. No one will defend it.

One of the signs of end of time is the giving of the world to the disbelievers, with Muslims abandoning Islam and its claim upon Muslims to defend the truth and censure what is wrong. The truth has the power to penetrate the hearts of people, even those whose hearts have a seal. Humanity has a right to have witnesses living among them, those who are willing to defend the truth no matter how unpopular it may be. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
When one door closes another door opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.

LESSON OF THE DAY 56

Ayahs of the Day:
Those who purchase unbelief at the price of faith, not the least harm will they do to Allah, but they will have a grievous punishment. Let not the unbelievers think that Our respite to them is good for themselves; We grant them respite that they may grow in their iniquity; but they will have a shameful punishment. [3: 177, 178]

Hadith of the Day:
A person who calls people towards doing good deed will get the same reward as those who follow him and do good; and nothing will be diminished from the requital of the latter. Similarly those who call people towards vice will have the same punishment as those who follow him without any diminution in the punishment of the perpetrators. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
All the doors to God are crowded except for one: the door of humility and humbleness. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]

Guidance of the Day:
The next disease is the displeasure with blame. It runs against human nature to love it. But the problem is when the fear of blame is coupled with the urgent desire for praise and approval by others, which is often the case. Being concerned with "creation's opinion" places a barrier between a person and the state of excellence in worship. This is considered a disease because the result is guiding one's actions in difference to the praise of people or in an attempt to avoid their blame or disapproval, irrespective of the integrity or soundness of one's actions.

What we saw in the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was complete loyalty to the ethics of Islam. Many times they were confronted with decisions that would evoke displeasure among the people and tribes around Madinah; but they still made them in accordance to the teachings of Islam. The more that we worry about how our decisions will be received by people, the thicker the veil becomes with regard to God and His guidance. [Purification of the Heart].

Food for Thought:
Most men succeed because they are determined to, enthusiasm can be rated even above the professional skill.

LESSON OF THE DAY 55

Ayahs of the Day:
It is only Satan who suggests to you to fear his followers; but have no fear of them. Fear Me if you are believers. Let not those grieve you who rush headlong into unbelief; not the least harm will they do to Allah; Allah's plan is that He will give them no portion in the Hereafter, but a severe punishment. [3: 175, 176]

Hadith of the Day:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah says: " Whoever shows enmity to whom I befriend, I declare war against him." [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The essence of knowledge is to know what obedience and worship are. [Imam Ghazali]

Guidance of the Day:
The key to avoiding or removing the disease of arrogance and boasting is to know yourself, your origin, and your ultimate return. Whoever is humbled for the sake of God, God elevates in rank. Haughtiness and gratitude cannot coexist in one vessel. Those who are grateful, God increases in goodness. The station of arrogance only invites humiliation.

Humility, by nature, leads to gratitude, for when one is humble before God the Exalted, only then does one see the vast mercy God bestows upon His creation, even upon liars and disbelievers.

In itself humility is a praiseworthy virtue, but when carried out excessively it results in abasement, and it becomes abject abasement before people. Abject humiliation is disapproved of even in the face of tribulation. Those who face tests with dignity and patience are praised. A hadith states, "A believer never humiliates himself." Being humble is different from humiliation. Having humbleness is one of the secrets of success, although it is hard on the soul. It is said, "Among the most noble things of the world is a rich man who is humble. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It is not a day when you lounge around doing nothing, it's when you had everything to do and you have done it.

LESSON OF THE DAY 54

Ayahs of the Day:
Those to whom men said: "The enemy have gathered against you, therefore fear them," but this increased their faith, and they cried: "Allah is sufficient for us! He is the best Protector". So they returned with grace and favor from Allah, and no harm touched them. They followed the good pleasure of Allah, and Allah is infinite of grace. [3: 173, 174]

Hadith of the Day:
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah says: "When a servant of Mine approaches Me through the medium of that which I like best, out of what I have declared obligatory for Him, and continues to advance towards Me through optional prayers (Nawafil), then I begin to love him. When I make him My beloved I become his ears to hear, and his eyes to see, and his hands to grasp, and his feet to walk. When He asks Me I grant him and when he seeks My protection I protect him. [Bukhari]

Guidance of the Day:
The various causes that sow the seeds of arrogance can be: wealth, strength, having a lot of something, like a teacher having a lot of students or someone having many friends, etc.,and arrogance for having knowledge.

The intellectual and volitional capacities of humankind are great responsibilities. Ironically these responsibilities have the potential of causing people to forget that every blessing we have is a gift from God and something that we are responsible for. Spending on the orphan, relieving the distressed, and all good acts are difficult for the arrogant ones, who feel their wealth, strength, and prestige are born out of their own devices.

People rejected the Prophet's message not because they were not convinced. They knew that what the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought was the truth from God Himself. But they rejected him out of arrogance. People have a problem with submitting to God, being His servant, claiming that they are "free." Astonishingly, these same "free" people are in bondage to their whims and passions. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Whenever an individual or a business decides that success has been attained, progress stops.

LESSON OF THE DAY 53

Ayahs of the Day:
They [the martyrs] rejoice because of the grace of Allah and kindness, and that Allah wastes not the reward of the believers. Of those who answered the call of Allah and the Messenger, even after being wounded, those who do right and refrain from wrong, have a great reward.

[3: 171, 172]

Hadith of the Day:
The best person is he who has a long span of life and his action and conduct are good. [Tirmidhi]

All humans are dead except who have knowledge, and all those who have knowledge are asleep except who do good deeds, and all those who do good deeds are deceived except those who are sincere, and those who are sincere are always in a state of worry. [Imam Shafi]

Guidance of the Day:
As for the cure for arrogance, there are several aspects. First, we should remember our humble organic origin. This will suppress any uprisings of arrogance and conceit.

In Islam we have religious heroes for a reason. To study the personalities of the Companions of the Prophet is to study incredibly great people who were humble. Scholars say the following, "If you are not like the real people, atleast mimic them." It is better to simulate humility than to be an outright arrogant person.

The cure for arrogance owing to beauty is to realize that beauty can be the most illusory of things. Social conditioning impacts our sense of beauty more than we would admit. Why should beauty ever be a cause of arrogance? First of all; God is the fashioner; It is He who gives all things their shapes and forms. Second, beauty wanes, as the pressures of age and stress tear down flesh. And what we are left with is what we should have focussed on in the first place, the content of our character, our beliefs, and our deeds. [Purification of the Heart].

Food for Thought
Nothing so conclusive proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does himself from day to day to lead himself.

LESSON OF THE DAY 52

Ayahs of the Day:
Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. No, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord. They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah, and with regards to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (martyrs) glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they cause to grieve. [3: 169, 170]

Hadith of the Day:
Paradise is close to you than your shoe lace, and similar is the case of Hell. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The realization of La ilaha illAllah is one of the states of the heart that can neither be expressed by the tongue nor thought out by the mind. [Ibn Ata illah]

Guidance of the Day:
The third type of arrogance is related to lineage. In some cultures, if one is aware of his "high birth" he is obliged to behave nobly. One of the blights of many societies is racism, when people feel and act superior simply because of their race. The Quran lays waste to false claims of superiority and states that the only rank that matters relates to one's relationship with God.

Many people are honored by having lineage traceable to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his family. While this is an honor in itself, it is something to be venerated when one's actions are likewise honorable. It is said, " If your actions hold you back, your lineage will not speed you up."

No person of any consequence should respect or praise an ignorant man, even if he is of noble birth and virtuous ancestry. For to respect and praise such a person in his presence may have an adverse effect on him. It may deceive him from concerning God, render him neglectful of proper behavior, and distract him from gathering provision for the Hereafter. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Reason and judgment are the qualities of a leader. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

LESSON OF THE DAY 51

Ayahs of the Day:
Allah did confer a great favour on the Believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in scripture and wisdom, while before that, they had been in manifest error. [3:164]

Hadith of the Day:
Three things follow a dead person; members of his family, his belongings and his deeds. The first two come back and the third remains with him. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Be not content with stories of those who went before you. Go forth and create your own story. [Mawlana al Rumi]

Guidance of the Day:
Justice follows every vice. When it comes to arrogance, its possessors will end up being the most abject people in the Hereafter; they will envy those whom they once thought to be beneath them in honor and status, those who were patient, grateful and humble in this life. There are many passages of the Quran and hadith that support this.

There are different qualities and kinds of arrogance. The first type is when a person deems himself superior to others. Imam Ghazali said, "People of knowledge are in greater danger of arrogance than anyone else" because the knowledge they have attained may lead them to feelings of superiority.

The second type is arrogance displayed in a person who shows contempt and scorns to others. It is a marvel how some people act arrogantly because of their perceived piety, while the Prophet (peace be upon him), the best of creation, remained humble. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectations. The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them.

LESSON OF THE DAY 50

Ayahs of the Day:
Is the man who follows the good pleasure of Allah, like the one who draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and whose abode is in Hell? A woeful refuge! They are in varying grades in the sight of Allah, and Allah sees well, all that they do. [3: 162, 163]

Hadith of the Day:
Hell lies hidden behind evil (worldly desires) and Paradise is screened behind hard labour. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Organize your devotional practices and you will find your time is extended due to the baraka (blessings) in it. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day:
Fakhr is the loathsome practice of bragging. Exceptionally odious is the practice of bragging about what one has not done or exerted any effort toward, like bragging about one's ancestry and borrowing from some past nobility.

Boasting is a problematic behavior that universally evokes objection and is considered a spiritual disease. No one likes a boaster, the person who cannot be in the company of others without speaking about himself or drawing attention to what he has done.

The force behind the culture of boasting is kibr (arrogance). The most villainous beings in history were filled with arrogance and false pride. God recompenses the arrogant ones by turning them away from understanding His Book, His Prophets, and His Signs placed in the horizons and in one's own self. [Purification of the heart]

Food for Thought:
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you really want to test a man's character, give him power.

LESSON OF THE DAY 49

Ayahs of the Day:
If Allah helps you, none can overcome you. If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, that can help you? In Allah, then, let believers put their trust. No Prophet could (ever) be false to their trust. If any person is so false, He shall on the Day of judgment, restore what he misappropriated, then shall every soul receive its due, whatever it earned and none shall be dealt with unjustly. [3: 160, 161]

Hadith of the Day:
Should you come across some mishap, do not say: "Had I only done this and that things would have turned out so and so; but say only Allah so determines and did as He willed." Because the Phrase; "Had I" only opens the gates of evil conduct. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
You possess only whatever will not be lost in a ship wreck. [Imam Ghazali]

Guidance of the Day:
Ghill is a malady of the heart that is closely related to rancor, extreme anger, and malice. Rancor is a pungent emotion that is rooted in being extremely angry at a person to the point that one wishes harm to come to him. But the ultimate victim of rancor is its carrier.

If a person feels rancor toward a particular person, he should show that person good will. By nature, people are naturally inclined to love those who do good to them. And if one shows a person good, feelings of rancor will fall to the wayside. Satan rejoices when believers fight with one another and bear negative thoughts.

If a person has rancor toward another believer, God shall not forgive that person until he forgives his brother, for rancor is a serious affliction that festers in one's heart and blocks good things from coming to one. [Purification of the heart]

Food for Thought:
Don't let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your ego doesn't go with it.

LESSON OF THE DAY 48

Ayah of the Day:
It is part of the mercy of Allah that you deal gently with them, If you were severe and harsh hearted, they would have broken away from about you, so pardon their faults, and ask for (Allah's) forgiveness for them, and consult them in affairs (of the community). Then, when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, for Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). [3: 159]

Hadith of the Day:
People are great losers in respect of two bounties, i.e. health and affluence, as a result of which they do not worship Allah as much as they ought to. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Be extremely vigilant about avoiding positions of leadership, but should you be tried with such matters at least know your limitations. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day:
People who turn away from the truth, God increases there heedlessness. What is interesting about heedlessness is that every one will eventually be cured of it, no matter the extent of this disease. The challenge is to be cored in this life, when it counts, when our obedience in the arena of tests and trials holds out meaning.

The moment a person dies, veils are let down. Even the denizens of Hellfire will no longer live in the Hell of heedlessness. We were created to remember God, and if it takes the heat of Hell to remind some, then so be it.

We ask God to make us among those who remember Him in this life and among those who are saved in the Hereafter, ameen. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

LESSON OF THE DAY 47

Ayahs of the Day:
And if you are slain or die , in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all they could amass. And if you die, or are slain, it is unto Allah that you are brought together. [3: 157, 158]

Hadith of the Day:
It is part of excellence of a person's Islam that he should discard that is of no benefit to him either in this world or the Hereafter. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
People count with self satisfaction the number of times they have recited the name of God on their prayer beads, but they keep no beads for reckoning the idle words they speak. [Imam Ghazali]

Guidance of the Day:
The fourth cure for heedlessness is the recitation of the Quran. Reciting it with tadabbur (reflection) awakens the heart. But plain recitation is beneficial as well. Learned Muslims have recommended that a person recite one-thirtieth of the Quran (juz) every day.

New Muslims should strive with their utmost to learn how to read the text of the Quran. Meanwhile, one is advised to listen to the well known Quran reciters on tape or read a good English translation until one is able to read the Arabic. It is important for one to regularly be engaged with the Book of God.

The actual sounds of the language of the Quran, its breath taking rhythm and words, is like medicine. When one recites the Quran, one moves his or her tongue pronouncing revealed words of the Lord of the heavens and the earth. And these words have a sound. People are often amazed when they hear the Quran for the first time,amazed at the sound. So it is important to know that the beauty of the Quran comprises the meanings as well as the sound. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Happiness doesn't come from doing easy work, but from the after glow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.

LESSON OF THE DAY 46

Ayah of the Day:
O you who believe! Be not like the Unbelievers, who say of their brethren, when they are traveling through the earth or engaged in fighting; "If they had stayed with us , they would not have died, or been slain." This is that Allah may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their hearts, it is Allah that gives life and death, and Allah sees well all that you do. [3: 156]

Hadith of the Day:
The wise man is one who keeps watch over his bodily desires and passions, and checks himself from that which is harmful and strives for that which will benefit him after death; and a foolish person is one who submits himself to his cravings and desires and expects from Allah the fulfillment of his futile desires. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not sit idle, for indeed death is seeking you. [Hasan al Basri]

Guidance of the Day:
The third cure for heedlessness is to invoke benedictions (durood) on the Prophet (peace be upon him). This is, in fact, a command from God the exalted Himself: O you who believe, invoke benedictions upon (the Prophet) and salutations of peace (Quran, 33:56).

There is great light associated with invoking prayers of benediction upon the Prophet (peace be upon him). If one does not have a murabbi (a spiritual mentor), then saying prayers of blessings on the Prophet (peace be upon him), will act as a murabbi. Many scholars have accounted for the fact that prayers of blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) purifies the soul. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Success and failure are caused more by mental attitude than by mental capacities. If you listen to your fears you will die never knowing what a great person you might have been.

LESSON OF THE DAY 45

Ayahs of the Day:
O you who believe! If you obey those who disbelieve, they will drive you back on your heels, and you will turn back (from faith) to your own loss. But Allah is your protector, and He is the best of helpers. Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they ascribe partners to Allah, for which He had sent no authority; their abode will be the Fire; and evil is the home of wrongdoers. [3:149, 150,151]

Hadith of the Day:
Bear in mind that if all the people combine together to grant you some benefit, they would not be able to do so except that which Allah has determined for you and that if all of them were combined together to harm you, they would not be able to do so except that which Allah has determined for you. The pens have been set aside and the writings of the book of fate have become dry.[Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
A man while he is alive, needs a decent house to live in respectably. If he has such a house, he should endeavor for a house in the next world. [Imam abu Hanifah]

Guidance of the Day:
The second cure for heedlessness is in visiting (ziyara) righteous people, those with sound heart and excellent character. More specifically, those who fulfill God's commandments, and avoid what is prohibited, who have excellent behavior towards other people, who do not cheat or lie. He or she is the kind of person whom one should seek out as company. Scholars have always encouraged visiting righteous people as part of the protocol of the spiritual ascendency.

These people include the living as well as the dead. The Prophet (peace be upon him) visited the grave sites of his fallen companions. Visiting graves is a poignant reminder of death and the Hereafter. It is an armament against heedlessness.

When visiting a righteous person, the discourse should be substantive and not one of idle talk. The benefits one should seek are gaining knowledge and the supplication of the righteous person. In fact, ask them to remember you in their prayers, for their prayers might be more acceptable to God than yours. Just as one is recommended to visit the righteous, one should strive to be the righteous person that others seek out to visit. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Don't just retire from something, have something to retire to. If one does not know to which part one is sailing, no wind is favorable.

LESSON OF THE DAY 44

Ayah of the Day:
All that they said was: "Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and anything we may have done that transgressed our duty; establish our feet firmly, and help us against those that resist faith." And Allah gave them a reward in this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. For Allah loves those who do good. [3: 147,148]

Hadith of the Day:
Allah is self respecting and His self respect is roused by a person indulging in acts which He has forbidden. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wisdom of the Day:
If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of God, he has only to look at what place he gives to God in his heart and life. [Hakim]

Guidance of the Day:
The cure for heedlessness is in four things that possess authentic rectifying qualities. The first is repentance and seeking forgiveness. As a matter of regular worship, one should ask for forgiveness (istighfar) at least 70 or 100 times a day, according to the Prophet's teachings, which were closely followed by the righteous forbears (salaf). The practice is connected to accounting for one's deeds. Each of us is a merchant with regard to what we lost or gained with respect to God's pleasure. When there is loss which is a frequent occurrence, seeking God's forgiveness balances things out. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
The majority of men fail because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail. Failure doesn't mean you are a failure, it just means you haven't succeeded yet.

LESSON OF THE DAY 43

Ayah of the Day:
How many of the Prophets fought (in Allah's way), and with them (fought) large bands of Godly men! But they never lost heart if they met with disaster in Allah's way, nor did they weaken (in will). And Allah loves those who are firm and steadfast. [3: 146]

Hadith of the Day:
Be careful and follow Allah's commands perseveringly and Allah will protect you. You should safeguard His rights, and you will always find Him with you; if you need something ask Allah, and when you need help, solicit Allah alone for it. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Too much laxity concerning permissible matters pulls the heart backward in its journey until even a man of resolve ends up looking like a foolish boy. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day:
The ultimate trauma of heedlessness is not seeing things the way they truly are. It is choosing a way of living that allows divine signs to pass one up without notice. The Prophet (peace be upon him) supplicated that God the Exalted show him things in their reality, distinguished and clear.

Ghafla is also heedlessness of what God has commanded and what He has prohibited, or seeing the difference between the two as irrelevant.

One of the cures for heedlessness is keeping good and sincere company. It is recognized in virtually all traditions and cultures that the company one keeps has inroads to one's heart and morality. When someone is surrounded by people who are sincere and trustworthy, he only stands to benefit from them. Even when a person errs, good companions remind him and set him right. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
The one who uses his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give, is bound to succeed.

LESSON OF THE DAY 42

Ayah of the Day:
No soul dies without the permission of Allah, and at a term appointed. He who desires the reward of this world shall have it from Us; and he who desires the reward of the Hereafter shall have it from Us. And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve Us with) gratitude. [3: 145]

Hadith of the Day:
One who sincerely supplicates to Allah for martyrdom is raised by Him to the status of a martyr although he dies in his bed. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The thing that will aid one in learning fiqh is peace of mind, which is acquired by reducing the attachments, by taking what is essential and leaving what is not. [Imam abu Hanifah]

Guidance of the Day:
Ghafla is heedlessness, which is being careless concerning what God has commanded one to do and has prohibited. It is a terrible lack of attention to what is infinitely more important in one's life than material goods. It is the one pathogen that breeds all the diseases of the heart. A heedless person is easily fooled and is diverted away from what is essential and consequential toward what is ephemeral and ultimately pointless.

One of the characteristics of human beings is forgetfulness, which further implies that we need to be reminded often, hence the centrality of repetition in spiritual practices. The most menacing forms of heedlessness are: being heedless of divine purpose, accountability, and the resurrection, ultimate standing, and judgement in the Hereafter.

The full manifestation of these events are veiled to us now by the thin wall of death, the timing of which is a secret that hovers above the heads of all men and women, Even though the reality of these things is hidden in the realm of the unseen, what is expected of us is to receive and accept what the Prophet (peace be upon him) came with.

Food for Thought:
Our work is the presentation of our capabilities. One of the test of leadership is to recognize the problem before it becomes an emergency.

LESSON OF THE DAY 41

Ayahs of the Day:
Allah's object also is to purge those that are true in faith and to deprive of blessing those that resist faith. Did you suppose that you would enter the Garden before Allah had tested those of you who really strived (in His cause), and who remained steadfast. [3: 141, 142]

Hadith of the Day:
Leave alone that which involves you in doubt, and adhere to that which is free from doubt, for truth is comforting and falsehood is disturbing. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Organize your time in a matter appropriate to the time's specific need using gentleness and toleration and be weary of either harshness or laxity. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day:
As for anger as a disease of the heart, there are two cures. One of them removes anger when it comes, and the second suppresses or thwarts it. The first cure is to remember the extensive praise and goodness associated with forbearance and humility. The main reason people become angry is because they are filled with themselves; their egos get in the way.

The ethic promoted here is simply letting go, not allowing insult to penetrate and manipulate one's emotion. It is about keeping control, feeling secure. Humility and forbearance are praised in poetry and by all the different sages, even outside the religion of Islam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that God elevates a person who is humble for the sake of God; but whoever tries to exalt himself, God debases him.

One can also control anger by recognizing that nothing takes place without God's leave; there is no power and might except with God. This life is a crucible of trial, and those who are heedless of this react severely when trials come upon them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said "the strong man is not the one who can wrestle people, but the man who controls himself when he is angry". [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
A budget tells us what we can afford, but it doesn't keep us from buying it. It's not our salary that makes us rich, it's our spending habits.

LESSON OF THE DAY 40

Ayah of the Day:
If a wound has touched you, be sure a similar wound has touched the others. Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to mankind by turns, that Allah may know those who believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks martyrs -- witnesses (to Truth). And Allah loves not those that do wrong. [3: 140]

Hadith of the Day:
A true action leads to the path of virtue and good deeds, and virtue paves the way of a person to paradise, and he continues to speak the truth till in the sight of Allah he is named the truthful. Lying leads to vice, and vice leads to indecent acts and if a person goes on lying till in the sight of Allah he is named a liar. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Knowledge never sinks into the mind of a person who acquires it for worldly purposes. [Imam abu Hanifah]

Guidance of the Day:
The cardinal virtues originally stem from religion. A generous person gives from his wealth to others because he is not afraid of losing his power or wealth; he knows all power and wealth are with God. All further virtues emanate from the cardinal virtues. Mercy, for example, issues from wisdom (hikma), since forgiving someone when you are wronged requires a recognition of greater wisdom in remission and the greater good in clemency.

Anger (ghadab) remains an essential quality of the human creation. If ignorant people say something disparaging that does not relate to religion, then ignore it. One should not get angry when there is no benefit in doing so. For when one speaks ill of another, the speaker not only acquires misdeeds, but his own good deeds transfer to the account of the victim. [Purification of the heart]

Food for Thought:
No God, no peace. Know God, know peace. If you are too busy to pray you are too busy.

LESSON OF THE DAY 39

Ayahs of the Day:
Many were the ways of life that have passed away before you, travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who rejected faith. Here is a plain statement to men, a guidance and instruction to those who fear God! So lose not heart, nor fall into despair; for you must gain mastery if you are true in faith. [3: 137,138, 139]

Hadith of the Day:
The case of a believer is wonderful: there is good for him in everything, and this characteristic is thexclusively for him alone. If he experiences something pleasant, he is grateful to Allah and at is good for him; and if he comes across some adversity, he is patient and submissive and that too is good for him. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Do not fix hopes on your health, and do not laugh away life. Remember how they walked and now their joints lie separately and the tongue with which they talked is eaten away by the worms. [Imam Ghazali]

Guidance of the Day:
There is an inward and outward state in every human soul, with the inward being iman (the condition of the faith) and the outward being islam (the manifestation or practice of the faith). When the two come together inwardly and outwardly, the resulting balance is a truly beautiful human being, one generally called a muhsin, one whose worship and character are excellent. This is the taker of the straight path and what we all strive for and petition God for each time we stand in prayer.

The balance is to cling outwardly to the law and carry the spirit of ihsan inwardly. When Muslims deal with one another, they should incline toward clemency and mercy, not wrath and severity. It is more elevated act to reprieve than it is to exact justice. When love exists, there is no need for justice, what is meant by this is that when love is present and is allowed to override one's anger, the demand for retribution is quieted. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Time is the scarcest resource and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed. So little done, so much to do.

LESSON OF THE DAY 38

Ayahs of the Day
And those who, having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins, and who can forgive sins except Allah? And are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done. For such the reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens with rivers flowing underneath, an eternal dwelling; How excellent is a recompense for those who work (and strive)! [3: 135, 136]

Hadith of the Day
One who desires chastity, Allah makes him chaste; One who wants contentment, Allah makes him contented; and the person who aspires for steadfastness, Allah bestows steadfastness upon him. No one has been awarded a bounty better than patience and submission. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day
A person who discourses on religion without knowing that he will be questioned by God on what he says, knows the value of neither religion nor his own mind. [Imam abu Hanifah]

Guidance of the Day
The phrase sirat almustaqim,the straight or upright path, is repeated many times by the Muslim worshipper. The word mustaqim suggests balance. If one deviates from this balanced path, he does so in one of two ways: deficiency in fulfilling one's obligations and excessiveness therein.

Balance is not just a merciful device for adherents, but the shortest distance between a person and his or her spiritual objectives. The Quran itself calls the believers a "middle nation," which commentators say includes moderation, which leads to a consistency of worship and conduct that one can carry on throughout his or her life.

With Islam, the final message sent to earth, a balance is struck suitable for the complex societies that have spread across the face of the earth, a balance between ghadab (wrath & stern justice) and rahma (mercy.) To take the straight way, one must have both, the law and the spirit of the law. The law consists of rules, and the spirit of the law is mercy. [Purification of the heart]

Food for Thought
Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you will land among the stars. Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.

LESSON OF THE DAY 37

Ayahs of the Day
Be quick in the race for the forgiveness from your Lord, and for a garden as vast as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the God fearing. Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity or in adversity, those who control their anger and are forgiving toward mankind, for Allah loves those who do good. [3: 133, 134]

Hadith of the Day
The salat is light, alms giving is proof (of one's faith), and to be steadfast is as good as light, and the Holy Quran is a plea in your favor or against you (as the case may be).Every one begins his morning ready to bargain with his soul as a steak and frees it or loses it. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day
Seek out a companion to help you in your affairs, and take his counsel concerning matters that occur from both inward states and outward affairs. [Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day
Muslim scholars have identified four essential qualities in human beings. The first of them is known in the western tradition as the rational soul, the human capacity to learn. The second is the capacity that relates to human emotion and anger. The third is related to appetite and desire. The fourth is that which harmonizes the previous three powers and keeps them in balance so that no one capacity overtakes and suppresses the others.

The one who perfected the balance between these forces was the Messenger of God (peace be upon him). The one who emulates him in his behavior, the greater balance one will achieve. The way of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the middle way, the way of moderation. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought
Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. With love even major differences become minor.

LESSON OF THE DAY 36

Ayahs of the Day
O you who believe! Devour not usury,doubled and multiplied, but fear Allah, that you may (really) prosper. Fear the fire which is prepared for those who reject faith. And obey Allah and the Messenger, thatyou may obtain mercy. [3: 130, 131 132]

Hadith of the Day
Allah will continue to hold out His hand at night so that he who has sinned during the day might repent, and to hold out His hand during the day so that one who has sinned at night might repent, and Allah will continue to do so till the sun rises from the west. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day
Dont just grow up, grow better with time and grow more experienced in age, keep being passionate about what you do, keep trying new things, keep patient and keep trying your best. The path to God is straight through wilfull surrender to God. [Dawud Wharnsby]

Guidance of the Day
If anger is not guided to something useful, it can possess, consume and destroy a person. Do not allow anger to lord over oneself and cause the loss of one's comportment. In other words do not become anger, its embodiment, such that people only see your rage. Instead control anger and never lose control.

Scholars have likened anger to a hunting dog: without training , it will never retrieve what its owner needs nor will it point a person in the right direction. So anger is something that needs to be trained not abolished, for if people completely suppressed their sense of anger, many of the injustices of the world would not have been opposed and tyranny would have gone unchecked. Corruption would cover the face of earth. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought
Anger is a killing thing, it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before, it takes something from him.