LESSON OF THE DAY 245

Ayah of the Day:
Then God covered you with sleepiness as security from the divine, and caused water to shower on you from the sky, and to purify you with it and drive the taint of Satan from you, and to strengthen your hearts, and make your feet steady thereby. [8: 11]

Hadith of the Day:
The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him was asked, with whom one should maintain good relations. (The Prophet replied) 'Your mother and father, your sister and brother, and then your next of kin. (This is) an essential responsibility and a relationship that must be maintained.' [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Be vigilant about your resolve in all of your affairs to your utmost. Should you resolve to do something then do it immediately before the resolve wanes. [Ahmah al Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day:
You must be content with God's decrees, for this contentment is among the most noble consequences of His love. It is the attribute of the lover to be pleased with the acts of His beloved, whether they be sweet or bitter. Contentment is to be content inwardly with God's acts, and outwardly to do what pleases Him.

Should one wish to know how much contentment he has, then let him search for it when hardships arrive, afflictions descend, and sickness become severe, for in these circumstances he will either find it or not.

Know that supplication even with insistence does not compromise contentment; on the contrary, it is part of it. How can it not be so when prayer expresses true faith in God's unity, in the language of servitude. and the hall mark of realization of helplessness, neediness, humility, and poverty? Anyone who has realized these attributes has attained to knowledge and arrival, and to the utmost nearness to God. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Speech is a necessary evil, but silence is salvation. So when you do have to talk, do not be prolific. You will never once repent of your silence, but often times you will repent of your speech. When a person's intelligence is complete, his speech becomes rare.

LESSON OF THE DAY 244

Ayahs of the Day:
Then you asked for help from your Lord, who answered you, "I will assist you with a thousand angels, one after another." God only made it good news, to set your hearts at rest. And there is no victory but from God, for God is almighty, most wise. [8: 9, 10]

Hadith of the Day:
Verily, the best of all good-doing is for one to do good to those who were loved by one's father. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The one who longs for Paradise will rush towards good deeds; the one who dreads Hell will put an end to his vices; the one who has firm conviction in (the imminent arrival of) death will lose all his passions; and the one who really knows the dunya will find disasters easy to bear. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
You must love God until He becomes dearer to you than all else, and until you have no other beloved but Him. Know that the basis of love is knowledge, and that its fruit is contemplation. Its lowest degree is that the love of God should be supreme in your heart, and the test of sincerity here is to disobey the person whom you love should he invite you to that which incur God's anger such as sins or the neglect of acts of obedience.

Know that the love for the Messenger of God, and all of God's other Prophets, angels, and virtuous servants, and all who assist in His obedience, is part of one's love for Him. God has said: "My love is due to those who love each other for My sake, who visit each other for My sake, and who give to each other for My sake."

Sincere love has signs, the greatest and highest of which is perfection in one's following the Messenger in his speech, acts, and attributes. God the Exalted has said: Say: If you love God, then follow me and God will love you. (3: 31). Following God's Beloved is in proportion to one's love for God; if the latter is abundant then the former will be abundant likewise, while if the latter is little, the former will be little also. And God is witness to what we say. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Faith is not a pill you can take, but a muscle you use. Faith and fear cannot keep house together, when one enters, the other departs.

LESSON OF THE DAY 243

Ayahs of the Day:
The only believers are those whose hearts tremble when God is mentioned, and who are increased in faith when the signs of God are recited to them, and who trust in their Lord; those who pray regularly, and give of what We have provided them. They are the ones who are truly believers; there are ranks in the presence of their Lord for them, and forgiveness, and a generous provision. [8: 2, 3, 4]

Hadith of the Day:
After his death, the rank of the deceased will be elevated and he will say, 'O Lord, how did this happen?' He will be told, your offspring sought forgiveness for you'. Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Guard your secrets even if you feel safe with someone because the one you divulge your secret to is not a safer place than your own heart from where it emanated. [Ahmad al Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day:
The one whose reliance is sincere has three marks. The first is that he neither has hopes in nor fears other than God. The sign of this is that he upholds the truth in the presence of those in whose regard people usually have hope or fear, such as princes and rulers.

The second is that worrying about his sustenance never enters his heart, because of his confidence in God's guarantee, so that his heart is as tranquil when in need as when his need has been fulfilled, or even more.

The third is that his heart does not become disturbed in fearful situations, knowing that that which missed him could never have struck him, and that which has struck him could never have missed him. God is our sufficiency and He is the best of Patrons (3:173). [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
He who plans his program for tomorrow takes confusion out of his day. In matters of style, swim with current, in matters of principle, stand like a rock.

LESSON OF THE DAY 242

Ayah of the Day:
They ask you about the spoils of war. Say, "The spoils are for God and the messenger. So be conscious of God, and reconcile dissension among you. And obey God and God's messenger, if you are believers." [8: 1]

Hadith of the Day:
There is no doubt that three kinds of prayers will be answered: the prayers of the oppressed, the prayers of the traveler, and the prayers of parents for their children. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
I found the sweetness of worship in four things - the first in fulfilling Allah's commandments, the second in abstaining from Allah's prohibitions, the third in enjoining good with the intention of attaining Allah's reward, and the fourth in forbidding evil fearing Allah's wrath.[Uthman radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
It is a condition for sound reliance that it does not lead you to disobey God, and that you avoid what He has forbidden and perform what He has commanded, relying in all this on Him. Seeking only His assistance and committing yourself to Him. Using any of the world's means does not invalidate your reliance as long as you rely on God and not on that which you use.

Certainly, for the one whose reliance is sincere, his use of worldly means will become meager. As for totally divesting oneself of them, this is praiseworthy only for those whose approach to God is uninterrupted, whose hearts are purified from attending to anything other than Him, and who do not by so doing cause those of God's creatures whom they support to be lost. Know that storing things and the treatment of illnesses do not compromise the essence of reliance for those who know that the One Who enriches, benefits, and harms is God alone. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
If you do not keep your soul occupied with good, it will keep you occupied with evil. If you concern yourself with things that benefit your soul, this guarantees conquest over your enemy (Satan).

LESSON OF THE DAY 241

Ayahs of the Day:
So when the Quran is recited, listen to it silently, that you may experience mercy. And remember your Lord within your soul, humbly and meekly, and without speaking loudly, in the mornings and the evenings; and don't be one of the heedless. Even those who are in the presence of your Lord are not too proud to serve God, whom they praise and to whom they bow. [7: 204, 205, 206]

Hadith of the Day:
There is no sin more likely to bring its perpetrator to a swift account, regardless of what good he/she has done, than arrogance and the severing of family relations. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
It is said that, "I Allah wants good for His servant He gives him the understanding of the din, reduces his attachment to the dunya, and grant him awareness of his faults.

Guidance of the Day:
You must rely on God, for He suffices, enriches, and concerns Himself with those who do so. And the one who relies on God, God will suffice him.

Reliance on God is one of the fruits of sincere monotheism which is well established and has prevailed in the heart. The Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Were you to rely on God as He rightly should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds which go off hungry in the morning and return full in the evening.'

Know that the basis of reliance on God is the heart's knowledge that all matters are in God's Hand, whether beneficial or harmful, unpleasant or pleasant, and that were all creatures to unite to be of benefit to someone they would benefit him only in the way which God has already written for him; and that if they were to unite to harm him they would do so only in that which God has already written for him. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Eating Riba is not only the increase made by the one who takes riba, but it is also the benefit gained by the one who gives it.

LESSON OF THE DAY 240

Ayah of the Day:
And if you do not bring them a sign, they say, "why haven't you made a selection of them?" Say, "I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord, and guidance and mercy for people who believe. [7: 203]

Hadith of the Day:
Good news to those who are good to their parents: God will increase the length of their lives. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
People before us used to advise each other of three things -- the one who works for his Hereafter, Allah will take care of the matters of his din and dunya for him; and the who beautifies his inner self, Allah will beautify his appearance; and the one who rectifies that which is between him and Allah, Allah will rectify that which is between him and the people. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
The basis of the love of prominence is to love being considered great by others. Now greatness is one of God's attributes, and this thing is therefore disputing His Lordship.

The basis of the love of money is the love of enjoying one's desires, and this is an attribute of animals. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'God the Exalted says: "Greatness is My lower garment and Pride My upper garment. I shall cast anyone who disputes with Me with regard to either of them into the Fire of Hell." And: 'Two hungry wolves let loose into the sheep's fold will not devastate it more than do the love of prominence and money a Muslim's religion'.

Take little from the world always, and confine yourself to your needs, whether it be in the matter of clothes, food, marriage, housing, or any other comfort. Beware of indulgently seeking its pleasures while claiming to renounce it, using arguments unacceptable to God, and contriving interpretations which are far moved from truth. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Just like stagnant, standing water becomes a breeding ground for filth, an empty and carefree mind becomes a hive for useless and scorn thoughts.

LESSON OF THE DAY 239

Ayahs of the Day:
As for those who are conscientious, when an impulse from Satan strikes them, they are mindful, and so they see. But their brothers cause them to increase in error, and unceasingly at that. [7: 201, 202]

Hadith of the Day:
Do not associate anything with Allah, even if you are tortured with cuts and burns. Do not intentionally miss a prayer, for those who intentionally miss prayer will be on their own. Never drink wine, for it is the key to all evil. Obey your parents. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Glad tidings to the one who leaves the dunya before it leaves him, prepares for his grave before he enters it, and pleases his Lord before he meets Him. [Yahya ibn Muadh]

Guidance of the Day:
Sincere renunciation has many marks. Among these is that one does not rejoice for what one has nor mourn for what one has not, and that the pursuit and enjoyment of the world do not distract one from that which is better for one in the sight of his Lord.

Remove the love of dinars and dirhams from your heart until they become as pebbles and sand in your eyes. Remove the wish to be thought highly of from your heart until you are indifferent to people's praise and condemnation, and to whether they are attracted or repulsed by you. For the love of prominence is more harmful than that of money, and both indicate desire for the world. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Wind, wealth and time are ever changing, so value them. Beware of bad company, a bad friend is as unreliable as a snake. He who guides you to Allah has truly counseled you.

LESSON OF THE DAY 238

Ayahs of the Day:
Take to forgiveness, enjoin benevolence, and avoid the ignorant. And if a suggestion from Satan occurs to you, then take refuge with God, who is all-hearing, all-knowing. [7: 199, 200]

Hadith of the Day:
The major sins, which are nine in number, are as follows: associating partners with Allah, murdering a soul, running from battle, accusing an innocent woman falsely, taking usury, spending the wealth of orphans, talking heresy in the mosque, making light of religion, and causing one's parents to shed tears because of one's disobedience. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Those who were destroyed before you were destroyed due to three traits -- excess in speech, excess in food, and excess in sleep. [Ibrahim al Nakhai]

Guidance of the Day:
The origin of renunciation is the heart's knowledge of the vileness and insignificance of the world, and that 'had it been worth so much as a gnat's wing to God He would not have given a disbeliever a sip of its water,' and that 'it is accursed and all that it contains except that which is for God;' and that anyone who takes more than is necessary from it is unwittingly taking his own destruction.

The intended result of such knowledge is to abandon inwardly desire for the world, and to abandon outwardly delighting in its pleasures. The lowest degree of renunciation is that one is not induced by the world to commit a sin, nor to neglect any act of obedience, while the highest degree is that you take nothing from it unless you know that to take it is more pleasing to God than to leave it. There are many degrees between these two. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Do not fall into the delusion that you will always remain strong, youthful, and wealthy. Do not fall into the delusion that you will stop sinning after doing a sin a few times. Do not delude yourself into thinking that your children will attend to you without your having to looked after your own parents.

LESSON OF THE DAY 237

Ayah of the Day:
Say, "I have no power to profit or harm myself, except as God wills. And if I know the unseen, I would surely have made much of the good; and no ill would have touched me. But I am just a warner, and a herald of good news to people who believe." [7: 188]

Hadith of the Day:
Any Muslim whose parents are Muslims and who wakes up every morning with the intention of doing right by them will have two doors opened for him/her in Paradise by Allah. If only one parent is alive, then one door (will be opened). If he/she angers a parent, Allah will not be pleased with that person until his/her parent is pleased with him/her, even if they (the parents) are unjust. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Never obey your ego even for a moment. Never believe any of its claims no matter what it tells you. [Ahmad al Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day:
You must renounce the world, for renunciation is the forerunner of felicity, the manifestation of Providence, the sign of sanctity. Just as loving the world is the origin of all sins, so also is hating it the origin of all obedience and excellence. It is enough to make you renounce the world to know that in numerous passages in His Book God has called it the Comfort of Illusion, and God the Exalted defined the world as being but a distraction and play to which no intelligent person should pay any attention and to which only fools are attracted.

Know that to renounce the world is an immediate felicity, and that only those whose breasts God has opened up by the dawning of the lights of gnosis and certainty are capable of it. The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'When light enters the heart it opens up and is enlarged.' (The Companions) said: 'Is there any sign for that? and he replied: 'Yes, to shun the abode of illusion and attend to the abode of immortality.' And he said: 'Renouncing the world relieves the heart and the body, while desire for the world increases worry and sorrow.' And: 'Renounce the world, and God will love you.' [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
A large stone can become an obstacle in the way of a weak person, but becomes merely a stepping stone for the strong willed. Never delay anything that can be done today.

LESSON OF THE DAY 236

Ayahs of the Day:
Whoever God deludes has no guide: God leaves them to wander in their excess. They ask you about the end of time, when it is set. Say, "Only my Lord has knowledge of that, and no one else reveals its time. It weighs heavily on the heavens and the earth. It will only come to you suddenly, as a surprise." They ask you as if you are welcoming it. Say, "God alone has that knowledge, but most of the people do not realize." [7: 186, 187]

Hadith of the Day:
The pleasure of the Lord is in the pleasure of a parent, and the wrath of the Lord is in the wrath of a parent. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
He who has no manners has no knowledge; he who has no patience has no religion (din); and he who has no God-consciousness has no closeness to Allah. [Hasan al Basri]

Guidance of the Day:
It is part of thankfulness to praise God frequently, and to rejoice for the favors bestowed, because they are means of attaining to the propinquity of God, and because they are evidence of God's solicitude for His servants.

It is part of thankfulness, too, to make much of His favors, even those that are small. It is related that God once said to one of His Prophets: 'Whenever I grant you a poor grain of wheat, know that I have remembered you thereby; therefore thank Me for it.

It is part of thankfulness likewise to speak of God's favors without, however, digressing into anything that might suggest self-righteousness in religious matters or insolence in matters of the world. Deeds are according to the intentions behind them. And all good comes from following our virtuous predecessors in all circumstances; and God knows best. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
A mountain is a pebble for the hardworking, and a pebble is a mountain for the lazy. The lazy keep looking for opportunities, whereas the strong create them. Set backs are what make a person strong.

LESSON OF THE DAY 235

Ayahs of the Day:
Have they not reflected? Their companion is not possessed---he is but a clear warner. Have they not observed the government of the heavens and the earth and everything God has created, and that their term may be near? Then what account will they believe after that? [7: 184, 185]

Hadith of the Day:
Someone who strives on behalf of widows and the poor is like someone who fights in the way of Allah, and like someone who continually stands at night in prayer and like someone who continually fasts. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Remembrance is the sign of the thankful believer, whereas the hypocrite is rarely found to be invoking. He whose wealth or children distract him from remembering God is lost, but the one who remembers God experiences delight sweeter than the pleasure of food and drink. [Ibn Ataillah]

Guidance of the Day:
The basis of thankfulness is that the heart be aware of such favors, that they are from God alone, and that nothing comes to one through one's own ability and power, but only through God's grace and mercy. The limit of thankfulness is to use each one of His favors in His obedience; if you do not do so you will have neglected to give thanks for it, and if you use them to disobey Him you will have fallen into ingratitude, whereby favors turn into afflictions.

Anyone who still enjoys some favors while using them in disobedience to God is being lured. God the Exalted has said: We shall lure them from whence they do not know. And: We only give them rein that they may grow in sinfulness. Similarly, 'God gives rein to the wrong doer until, when He takes him, He does not let him go.' (Hadith) [The Book of Guidance]

Food for Thought:
Time for love is very short in this world, where do people find time to fill it with so much hate. With love even major differences become minor. Love is unconditional, otherwise it is pretense. Love will itself teach the etiquettes of love.

LESSON OF THE DAY 234

Ayahs of the Day:
As for those who repudiate Our signs, We shall bring them to destruction without them even knowing. Yet I prolong their lives; for My strategy is solid.[7: 182, 183]

Hadith of the Day:
No one has swallowed anything more excellent in the sight of Allah than the anger he restrains, seeking to please Allah Most High. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Good interaction with people is half of intelligence, good questioning is half of knowledge, and good planning is half of subsistence. [Omar radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
You must thank God for all that He has favored you with. You have no good thing, whether outward or inward, religious or worldly, but that it comes from Him. God's favors upon you are more than you can number or beware of, let alone adequately thank Him for. You should do as much as you can to thank your Lord, and confess your total incapacity to do so adequately.

Know that thankfulness leads to perpetuation of favors already received and to the obtaining of others that are desired. He is, Exalted is He, too generous to take away a favor from someone who is thanking Him. And God has exhorted His servants to render thanks to Him many times in His Book. And the Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Let each of you have an invoking tongue and a thankful heart.' And: 'Faith has two halves: one is patience and the other thankfulness.'

Know that just as you must thank God for favors which are proper for you, such as knowledge and health, you must also thank Him for favors which are general, such as the sending of Messengers, the revelation of Books, raising up the sky, and stretching out the earth. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Nothing will work unless you do. The only thing achieved without effort is failure. Doing nothing is the most tiresome job in the world, because you cant stop and rest.

LESSON OF THE DAY 233

Ayahs of the Day:
The Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah; so call on Him by them; but shun such men as use profanity in His names; for what they do, they will soon be requited. Of those We created are people who direct (others) with truth, and dispense justice therewith. [7: 180, 181]

Hadith of the Day:
Take advantage of five before (another) five: your life before your death, your health before your illness, your free time before your preoccupation, your youth before your old age and your wealth before your poverty. [Ahmad & Baihaqi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Good character is to have an engaging face, to be generous with good works, and to refrain from doing harm. [Ibn al Mubarak]

Guidance of the Day:
Fourthly, patient renunciation of desires, which are all those boastfully worldly things to which the soul inclines. Perfect patient denial is attained by inwardly stopping the soul from thinking and leaning towards them, and outwardly restraining it for seeking or coming close to them.

This kind of fortitude is helped by knowledge of the distraction from God and His worship which comes from seeking and fulfilling desires, the risks of falling into the suspect and prohibited things and the arousal of greed for the world and the wish to remain therein so as to be able to enjoy its pleasures. Abu Sulaiman al Darani has said: 'To abandon a single desire is of more benefit to the heart than a year's of worship.' God will honor the one who grows accustomed to denying himself his desires by removing these things from his heart until his only desire is the Creator Himself and not the created things.[The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Silence is the language of forbearance. Modesty of the tongue is in its silence. Learn silence just as you learned speech. If speech used to guide you, silence will protect you.

LESSON OF THE DAY 232

Ayahs of the Day:
Evil as an example are people who reject Our Signs and wrong their souls. Whom Allah guides; he is on the right path; whom He rejects from His guidance--such are the people who perish. [7: 177, 178]

Hadith of the Day:
Remember the destroyer of pleasures--death-- often. Verily, no one remembers it during straitened times in his life except that it makes the matter easier upon him. And the one who remembers it during times of ease except that it makes the matter tighter upon him. [al Baihaqi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
You have been shown, if you can see;
and you have been guided, if you have found the way;
and you have been made to hear, if you listen. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
The second kind of unpleasant things comprises those which are caused by other men, whether by way of offenses to oneself and one's honor, or of some act of withholding. Complete fortitude in this regard means preventing oneself from hating the offender, if he is a Muslim, or wishing him to come to harm, preventing one's tongue from praying to God against him, and not reproaching him at all, which thing will be accomplished either by forbearance and fortitude, through one's reliance on God's assistance, or by reconciliation, in the wish for His reward.

This kind of patience is helped by knowledge of that which has been handed down regarding the merit which is in suppressing one's anger, enduring injuries, and forgiving others. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'God fills the heart of one who suppresses his anger when he is able to carry out its demands with serenity and faith. The one who perseveres in this kind of fortitude will be honored by God with a goodly character, which is the source of all virtues and the foundation of all perfections. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
The wise have inherited wisdom by means of silence and contemplation. Speak little with men and much with God, perhaps your heart will behold Him.

LESSON OF THE DAY 231

Ayahs of the Day:
Relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent Our signs, but he passed them by: So Satan followed him up, and he went astray. If it had been Our will, We might have raised him up by means of them, but he clung to the earth and followed his own whim. He might be compared to a dog: if you attack Him, he lolls out his tongue. That is the similitude of those who reject Our signs; so relate the story; perchance they may reflect. [7: 175,176]

Hadith of the Day:
Allah has revealed to me that you must be humble, so that no one boasts over another. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
No soul shall die until it fulfills its decreed portion of this world and its appointed time here, so be conscious of God and make your request with dignity. [Ahmad al Zarruq]

Guidance of the Day:
Thirdly, patient endurance of unpleasant things. These are of two kinds: The first comprises those which come from God without an intermediary, as illness, death of a dear relative or a friend etc. This kind of fortitude is realized inwardly by forsaking restlessness, which is to become annoyed and irritated, and outwardly by not complaining to any creature.

This kind of fortitude is helped by the knowledge that impatience is painful in itself, in addition to its leading to punishment and the loss of reward. Complaining to one who can neither benefit nor protect his own self is foolish, and such are all creature. Furthermore, to complain is evidence of not finding one's sufficiency in God, in Whose hand is the Dominion of all things, and also of omitting to remember those verses which relate to the worth of patient endurance of losses, infirmities, and afflictions, and that God the Exalted knows better than a man that which is of most benefit to him. God will give the one who perseveres in this kind of fortitude to taste the sweetness of surrender and find rest in the serenity of contentment. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
He who asks a question may be a fool for five minutes, he who never asks a question remains a fool for ever. Silence at the right time is the proper attribute for men, just as speaking on the right occasion is among the noblest qualities.

LESSON OF THE DAY 230

Ayahs of the Day:
When your Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam from their loins--their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves (saying): "Am I not your Lord (Who cherishes and sustains you)?" They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest you should say on the Day of judgment: "Of this we were never mindful." Or lest you should say: "Our fathers before us may have taken false gods, but we are (their) descendants after them: will You then destroy us because of their deeds of men who were futile?" Thus do We explain the signs in detail; perchance they may turn (unto Us). [7: 172,173,174]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever seeks knowledge in order to compete with the scholars or to debate with the ignorant or to have people turn their faces to him will be entered by Allah into the Fire. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
One who perseveres patiently will not be without success, even if it takes a long time. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Fortitude (sabr)is of four kinds:

Firstly, patiently enduring one's perseverance in acts of obedience. This is realized inwardly through sincerity and presence of heart, and outwardly through holding constantly to them, showing zeal, and performing them in the correct and lawful way. This kind of fortitude is helped by remembering God's promised rewards, both immediate and to come, for obedience. The one who keeps to this kind of fortitude reaches the station of nearness where he will find indescribable sweetness, pleasure, and intimacy in acts of obedience.

Secondly, patient endurance in renouncing sins. This is realized outwardly by avoiding them and by keeping away from the places where they might be committed, and by preventing the soul from discoursing upon them and from inclining to them, for the very beginning of a sin is a thought.

As for remembering previous sins, if this results in fear or remorse it is good, if not then refraining from it is better. This kind of fortitude is helped by remembering God's threats of punishment in this world and the next for disobedience. The one who keeps to this kind of fortitude will be honored by God with finding all disobedience so repugnant that entering the Fire would be easier for him to bear than the committal of the smallest sin. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
You fall the way you lean. Your character is what you have left when you have lost everything you can lose. Character is much easier kept than recovered.

LESSON OF THE DAY 229

Ayahs of the Day:
After them succeeded an (evil) generation; they inherited the Book, but they chose (for themselves) the vanities of this world, saying (for excuse): "(Everything) will be forgiven us." (Even so), if similar vanities came their way, they would (again) seize them. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them, that they would not ascribe to Allah anything but the truth? And they study what is in the Book. But best for the righteous is the Home in the Hereafter, will you not understand? As to those who hold fast by the Book and establish regular prayer--never shall We suffer the reward of the righteous to perish. [7 169, 170]

Hadith of the Day:
The delaying of repayment by one who has the means is a form of dhulm (injustice). [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Hopes for forgiveness have deceived some people until they left the world as bankrupts, that is, devoid of good works. [Hasan al Basri]

Guidance of the Day:
You must show fortitude (sabr), for it is one of the foundations and is inescapable as long as you are in this abode. It is a noble trait and a great virtue. The Messenger of God, many blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Fortitude is the commander of the believer's soldiers.' And: 'There is much good in the patient endurance of that which one finds unpleasant.' And: 'Know that victory comes with fortitude, relief with hardship, and that with each difficulty comes ease.'

Know that happiness depends on the occurrence of nearness to God, which in turn depends on always following the truth and avoiding falsehood. The soul (lower self) is by its very nature inclined to detest truth and lean towards falsehood. The determination of the seeker of felicity is thus always in need of fortitude, sometimes to force the soul to follow the truth and sometimes to force it to avoid falsehood. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Just because you have the gift of sight doesn't mean you can see. Whoever occupies himself with insignificant things, then important things will passby him.

LESSON OF THE DAY 228

Ayah of the Day:
Say: "O People I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; there is no God but He; it is He that gives both life and death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His Words; follow him so that you may be guided. [7: 158]

Hadith of the Day:
For whomever Allah desires good, He gives him the understanding of the religion. And verily, knowledge comes through learning. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The world is like a serpent, soft to the touch but with poison inside. The ignorant heedless one reaches for it, while the intelligent one is wary of it. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Beware of those hopes for forgiveness which will sever you therefrom. These you from deluded people who say that God will forgive all sins, that He stands in no need of us and our works, that His treasures are full of bounty and His mercy envelops everything, but who then persist in committing sins and neglecting good works, as though they were in effect saying that acts of obedience are of no benefit and sins bring no harm. This is a 'formidable falsehood!'

The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'The shrewd man is he who accuses himself and works for that which follows death, and the incompetent is he who follows his soul's passions and harbors (illusory) hopes regarding God.'

If you say to one of these deluded people that he should refrain from earning and commerce and God the Exalted will send him his provision, he will ridicule you and reply that he never saw anything come except when sought and pursued, mostly with toil and exertion. Nevertheless, God has guaranteed (his share of) the world for him, but not the Hereafter. Is this anything but an inversion of (the truth) and standing upside down on one's own head? [The Book of guidance]

Food for Thought:
Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom. A normal person knows right from wrong, a good person admits when he is wrong.

LESSON OF THE DAY 227

Ayah of the Day:
Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures)--in the Law and the Gospel--for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); he releases them from heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them, so it is those who believe in him, honor him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him--it is they who will prosper. [7: 157]

Hadith of the Day:
Over look the slips of the righteous and pious people, except in matters concerning which there is a prescribed penalty. [Ahmad & Abu Dawood]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Repentance is not simply a matter of stopping one's sins, but is also to refrain in the most beautiful manner from sinning and to amend for one's deeds in the best way possible. [Al Raghib al Isfahani]

Guidance of the Day:
Any hope or fear that does not lead to adherence to obedience and renunciation of transgressions is considered by the people of inward vision to be useless illusion and folly, for the one who (really) hopes for something seeks it and the one who (really) fears something flees from it invariably.

Beware of either despairing of God's mercy or feeling secure from His deception, for both are among the major sins. They only despair of the mercy of their Lord who are astray, and they only feel secure from the deception of God who are the people of perdition.

'Despair' is to be so overwhelmed by fear as to leave absolutely no room for hope, while 'security' is to have so much hope as to leave absolutely no room for fear. The man who has either of the two is ignorant of God, and will inevitably neglect His obedience and transgress. For the one who despairs forsakes obedience because he feels it will be of no avail to him, while the one who is secure commits sins thinking that they will not harm him. We seek God's protection against damnation and against evil destiny. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Turn away from your worries, and leave everything to destiny. Contentment is an inexhaustible treasure.

LESSON OF THE DAY 226

Ayah of the Day:
(Moses said): "And ordain for us that which is good, in this life and the Hereafter; for we have turned unto You." He (Allah) said: "With My punishment I visit whom I will; but My Mercy extends to all things. That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who do right, and practice regular charity, and those who believe in Our Signs." [7: 156]

Hadith of the Day:
Intercede on each others behalf and you will be rewarded. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The tongue is a wild beast; when it is let loose, it wounds. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Have hope and fear, for these are the two of the most noble fruits of faith, and God has attributed to the Foremost among His servants. The basis of hope is the heart's knowledge of the immensity of God's mercy and generosity, the magnitude of His favors and kindness, and His gracious promise to those who obey him. This knowledge generates a state of joyous relief which is termed 'hope', the intended result of which is that one hastens to acts of goodness and is careful in performance of one's acts of obedience, for obedience is the road to God's Good Pleasure (Ridwan),and His Garden.

The basis of fear is the heart's knowledge of the majesty of God. His invincible might, His independence of any of His creatures, and the severe punishments and painful torments with which He has threatened those who disobey Him and contravene His commands. This knowledge generates a state of apprehension which is termed 'fear', the intended result of which is that one abandons sins and thoroughly guards oneself against them, for sin is the road leading to God's wrath and His place of punishment. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Turn your back on studies for a day, it will turn its back on you for a week. Turn your back on studies for a week, it will turn its back on you for a month. There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.

LESSON OF THE DAY 225

Ayah of the Day:
And those who do wrong but repent thereafter and (truly) believe----verily your Lord is thereafter Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [7: 153]

Hadith of the Day:
Do not backbite the Muslims, and do not search for their private matters. Whoever searches for their private matters will have Allah follow up his private matters. And whose private matters Allah follows, He will expose him even (if his act were done) in the privacy of his house. [Ahmad & Abu Dawood]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Every sin is the result of a person's putting the desires of his soul above his love for Allah and His Messenger. [Ibn Rajab]

Guidance of the Day:
Renew your repentance frequently, for sins are numerous and a servant is never free, outwardly and inwardly, from a great number of rebellious acts, even if his state is good, behavior upright, and obedience continual. It should suffice you (to Know) that the Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, infallible and absolutely perfect as he was, repented to God and asked for His forgiveness more than seventy times each day.

Ask for forgiveness repeatedly, night and day, especially the last hours of night. The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'God will grant the one who perseveres in asking for forgiveness relief from everything that worries him, a way out of every difficulty, and provision from whence he did not expect it.' [The Book of Assistance]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Vision is only a minute aspect of success. Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it. Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.

LESSON OF THE DAY 224

Ayah of the Day:
Those who behave arrogantly on the earth in defiance of right--I will turn them away from My Signs: Even if they see all the Signs, they will not believe in them; and if they see the way of right conduct, they will not adopt it as the way; but if they see the way of error, that is the way they will adopt, for they have rejected Our Signs, and failed to take warning from them. [7: 146]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever is slowed by his deeds will not be hastened forward by his lineage. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
This worldly life is a deceiving form of enjoyment if it diverts the person from seeking the Hereafter, if it calls a person to seeking Allah's pleasure and seeking the Hereafter, then it is an excellent means. [Saeed ibn Jubair]

Guidance of the Day:
You must repent from every single sin, small or great, outward or inward. Know that repentance cannot be sound unless the sin itself is renounced, remorse is felt, and there is present a determination never to repeat it for the rest of one's life. God loves the penitent. The true penitent is characterized by signs, among which are softness of the heart, frequent weeping, adhering to obedience, and forsaking evil companions and places.

Beware of willful persistence, which is to sin and not repent immediately. It is a believer's duty to guard against sins, both small and great, in the way he would against come across burning fires, engulfing waters or lethal poisons. He should neither commit nor intend a sin, neither talk about it before nor delight in it after it happened. If he does fall into it he should conceal and hate it, and hasten to repent immediately. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Justice is truth in action. It is never too late to mend. One who makes a mistake and doesn't correct it is making another mistake. Hatred is a coward's revenge for being intimidated.

LESSON OF THE DAY 223

Ayahs of the Day:
(Allah) said: "O Moses! I have chosen you above other men, by the mission I (have given you) and the words I (have spoken to you): take then the (revelation) which I give you, and be of those who give thanks." And We ordained laws for him in the Tablets in all matters, both commanding and explaining all things, (and said): "Take and hold these with firmness, and enjoin your people to hold fast by the best in the precepts: soon shall I show you the homes of the wicked. [7: 144, 145]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever follows a path in order to seek knowledge thereby, Allah will make easy for him, due to it, a path to Paradise. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Do good for the remainder of your life and you will be forgiven for what you did in the past. However, if you do evil in what remains of your life, you will be held responsible for what you did in the past and in the future. [Fudhail ibn al Iyaadh]

Guidance of the Day:
Make frequent supplications, and ask for forgiveness for yourself, your parents, relatives, friends, and all other Muslims, for the prayer of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is answered. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Some prayers have no veils between them and God: the prayer of the wronged, and that of a Muslim for his brother in his absence.'

Know that Muslims have many mutual obligations. If you want to fulfill these properly then behave towards Muslims, whether they be present or absent, as you would like them to behave towards you. Oppose your own soul, and accustom your heart to wish for Muslims every good that you wish for yourself. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'None of you has believed until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.' People are either afflicted or free (of affliction) so be compassionate to the afflicted and thank God for freedom (from affliction). [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
The ripest peach is highest on the tree. Its not the outlook but the uplook that counts. The only place SUCCESS comes before WORK is in the dictionary. The secret of happy living is not to do what you like, but to like what you do.

LESSON OF THE DAY 222

Ayahs of the Day:
Most of them We found not men (true) to their covenant: but most of them We found rebellious and disobedient. Then after them We sent Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they wrongfully rejected them; so see what was the end of those who made mischief. [7: 102, 103]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever conceals (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will conceal (his faults) in this life and the Hereafter. Allah is helping the servant as long as the servant is helping his brother. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The one who knows that he is a slave of Allah and that he shall return to Him knows that he is, in fact, to be detained. The one who knows that he is to be detained knows that he is going to be asked. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]

Guidance of the Day:
Think well of all Muslims, and beware of thinking ill of any of them. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Two traits are unsurpassed by any other good: thinking well of God, and thinking well of His servants. And two traits are unsurpassed by any other evil: thinking ill of God, and thinking ill of His servants.'

To think well of Muslims is to regard nothing they do or say as evil when it can be interpreted otherwise. If you cannot find a good interpretation, in the case of sins, for example, then reproach them for committing them, and believe that their faith will eventually drive them to refrain and repent of them.

Thinking evil of Muslims is to regard as evil those acts and words of theirs which are in appearance good. For example, you may see a Muslim who frequently prays, gives charity, and recites the Quran, and you think that he is only doing this so that people may see him, and that his aim is wealth and social position. This corrupt form of thinking occurs only to those who are inwardly vile, and is an attribute of the hypocrites. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. The reactions of others are often results from our own actions.

LESSON OF THE DAY 221

Ayahs of the Day:
To those who inherit the earth in succession to its (previous) possessors, is it not a guiding (lesson) that, if We so willed, We could punish them (too) for their sins, and seal up their hearts so that they could not hear. Such were the towns whose story We (thus) relate to you; There came to them their Messengers with clear (signs); but they would not believe what they had rejected before. Thus Allah seals up the hearts of those who reject faith. [7: 100, 101]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever relieves a believer's distress of the distressful aspects of this world, Allah will rescue him from the difficulties of the Hereafter. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
If your heart becomes pure, you will never have enough of the words of your Lord. [Uthman radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Be humble, for humility is the attribute of believers. Beware of pride, for God does not like the proud. Those who humble themselves are raised up by God, and those who are proud are abased by Him. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Pride is to deny the truth and despise other people.' And: 'The man who looks at himself with admiration and others with disdain is proud.'

There are signs which distinguish the humble from the proud: Signs of humility include a liking for obscurity, a dislike of fame, to accept truth whether it be from a man of high or low birth, to love the poor, associate with them and keep their company to fulfill the rights people have upon you as completely as you can, thank those who fulfill their duties to you, and excuse those who are remiss.

Signs of pride include a liking for sitting in the positions of most dignity when in company or in a public gathering, praising oneself, speaking in a pompous manner, openly displaying haughtiness and arrogance, strutting, neglecting the rights your brothers have upon you while at the same time demanding the rights you have upon them. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
Five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred (i.e. forgive)

2. Free your mind from worries (most never happen).

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

LESSON OF THE DAY 220

Ayahs of the Day:
Do townsfolk feel secure from Our might striking them at dead of night while they are asleep? Or do the people of the towns feel safe from Our might striking them in broad daylight while they are playing around? Do they feel safe from God's design? No one should feel safe from God's design except for folk who will lose out. [7: 97, 98, 99]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever defends the flesh of his brother in his absence (i.e. when he is ill spoken about), has a right upon Allah to rescue him from the Fire. [Ahmad & Tabraani]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Lower knowledge is what stops at the tongue; more elevated knowledge is what is evident in the limbs and organs. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Speak truthfully and honor your commitments and your promises, for breaching commitments and breaking promises are signs of hypocrisy. 'The signs of a hypocrite are four: when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he is trusted he betrays the trust, and when he quarrels he acts corruptly.

Be wary of argumentation and wrangling, for they cast rancor in the breasts of men, alienate hearts, and lead to enmity and hatred. If anyone argues against you and has right on his side, accept what he says, for truth must always be followed. If, on the other hand, he is wrong, then leave him, for he is ignorant.

Respect Muslims, especially people of merit such as the scholar, the righteous, the nobleman, and the one whose hair has greyed in Islam. Never frighten or alarm a Muslim; never mock or ridicule, or despise him, for these are part of ominous and blameworthy behavior. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'It is sufficient evil for a man that he should despise his brother Muslim.' [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
The good and bad are not determined by reason, but only by revelation, and therefore only through shariah. The mind's role is not to determine what is good or bad and right or wrong, but, rather to understand and implement the rulings of Allah Most High, as contained in the shariah.

LESSON OF THE DAY 219

Ayah of the Day:
If the people of the town had but believed and feared Allah, We should indeed had opened out to them (all kinds of) blessings from heaven and earth; but they rejected (the truth), and We seized them because of what they had been acquiring. [7: 96]

Hadith of the Day:
No man helps a Muslim at a time when his honor is being belittled or his rights are violated except that Allah will help him in a place which he loves to have His help. [Ahmad & abu Dawood]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Get as close to Allah as you can. And realize that you do not get closer to Him by anything that is more beloved to Him than His Own Speech. [Khabbab ibn arat]

Guidance of the Day:
Defend the lives, honor, and wealth of Muslims as you defend your own, whether they be present or not. The one who supports a Muslim will be supported by God, and the one who deserts a Muslim will be deserted by Him.

You must be of good counsel to all Muslims. The highest point of this is that you conceal nothing from them which if made known would result in good or preserve from something evil. Support a Muslim in his absence as you would in his presence.

Do not praise anyone unless you know that your praises will incite him to more good works or unless he is a superior person whose superiority is not well known and you wish to make it so, this being on condition that you are safe from lying and he is safe from conceit. [The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
After all is said and done, there is more said than done. The wise speak little, but mean much. Those who seek their guidance should reflect in their words, rather than jump to hasty conclusions.