LESSON OF THE DAY 367

Ayahs of the Day:
A Book, whose signs are confirmed, then explained, from One who is most wise and aware, that you not worship but God, from whom I am a warner and a herald of good news. [11: 1,2]

Hadith of the Day:
The best thing in Islam is feeding the poor and offering salutation to whom you know and whom you do not know. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Kill your ego, so you may truely live. [Ahmad Hazria]

Guidance of the Day:
As for the attribute of anger, its good lies in its suppression and expression being according to the dictates of wisdom. Likewise, the good and uprightness and passion lies in its being under the indication of wisdom; that is, the indications of the intellect and Sacred Law.

Know, then, that those whom laziness has overcome find it difficult to carry out spiritual struggle, discipline, purify the self, and refine their character. They wrongly believe that because natures do not undergo change, it is not possible to change character traits. If this were the case, then counsels, admonitions, and discipline would have been of no use. How can it be impossible to change the behavior of humans, when it is evidently obvious that it is possible to change the behavior of animals such as eagles, dogs, and horses by training? [Sunni Path]

Food for Thought:
My interest is in the future (Akhira) because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.

LESSON OF THE DAY 366

Ayahs of the Day:
Say, "O people! Truth has come to you from your Lord, so whoever accepts guidance is guided for the sake of his own soul alone, and whoever strays only strays to its detriment. So I am not incharge of you." So follow the inspiration revealed to you, and be patient until God renders judgment, for God is the best of judges. [10: 108,109]

Hadith of the Day:
The thing which will make majority of people enter Paradise is fear of God and good manners. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Whoever is pleased with himself is veiled from his Lord. [Shah al Kirmani]

Guidance of the Day:
Character traits are attributes of the self by which it leans to one of either beauty or ugliness. Complete outward beauty is not possible through the beauty of the eyes alone, without the nose, mouth, and cheeks; rather, it is necessary that all these be beautiful. Similarly, inward beauty needs four essential elements for good character to be complete through an appropriate balance and temperance of these elements. These elements are knowledge, anger, passion, and justice between the other three elements.

As for the attribute of knowledge, its good and uprightness lies in its ability to comprehend between truthfulness and lying in speech, between truth and falsehood in belief, between the good and evil in actions. If this attribute of knowledge is made upright, then its fruits are wisdom, which is at the root of good character.

Food for Thought:
Duty without enthusiasm becomes laborious; duty with enthusiasm becomes glorious.

LESSON OF THE DAY 364

Ayah of the Day:
And if God touches you with hurt, no one can remove it but God. And if God wishes you well, no one can prevent God's blessing, which God may send to any devotee at will. And God is the epitome of forgiveness and mercy. [10: 107]

Hadith of the Day:
A true believer in God is an embodiment of love. There is no goodness in him who does not show affection to others and to whom others do not show affection. [Ahmad]

Wise Quote of the Day:
A person is truly a human if he or she learns, and teaches, and inspires others. It is difficult to regard as truly human someone who is ignorant and has no desire to learn. [Fethullah Gulen]

Guidance of the Day:
The importance of Good Character: Good character is an attribute of the Master of the Messengers, and the best of works of the veracious (Siddiqin), and is in reality half of religion, the fruits of the spiritual struggles of the god-fearing, and the efforts of the worshippers.

Lowly character is a killing poison, a deadly destroyer, a humiliating abaser, clear lowliness, and filth that distances one from the sanctuary of the Lord of the worlds. It makes the one characterized by it of the Satans, and it is the open door to the burning fire of Allah, as good character is the open bounties of the Gardens and proximity to the Merciful. Lowly character is a sickness of the heart and a disease of the lower self. It is a sickness that endangers the ever-lasting life. Thus, it is necessary to pay utmost attention to it, even more than outward sickness. [Sunni Path]

Food for Thought:
One of the sure ways to Divine Favor and Paradise is excellence and dutifulness to parents, especially when they are old and needy. Thus someone who fails to be good to their parents and fails to serve them in their old age has atleast missed out on a means for tremendous reward--and, depending on their conduct, could well have fallen into the major sin of being bad to one's parents.

LESSON OF THE DAY 363

Ayahs of the Day:
And, "Set your face to religion devoutly; and do not be an idolater, And do not pray to anything but God, anything that neither helps nor hurt you; for if you do so you will be a wrongdoer." [10: 105,106]

Hadith of the Day:
Charity appeases the Lord's anger and averts an evil death. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The total and lasting mistake is to have free time and not betake yourself to Him or for the obstacles to be few and not journey to Him. [Ibn Ataillah]

Guidance of the Day:
Refining character traits is one of the most central concerns of the righteous. They are distinguished from others by their good character, and through it they were known. Whoever reflects on the Quran and Sunna will know that good character is as central to religion as a foundation is to a building.

Improving character traits is not possible except through spiritual struggle at the hands of a perfected spiritual guide who has struggled with his own self, opposed his caprice, left lowly character traits, and adorned himself with praiseworthy ones. Whoever thinks they can achieve this by mere knowledge and the study of books has erred and gone far astray. Just as (outward) knowledge is only acquired through study with scholars, good character is acquired by struggling to attain it at the hands of the knowers of Allah. [Sunni Path]

Food for Thought:
Strange thing how trouble acts different on folks, it's like hot weather---sours milk but sweetens apples.

LESSON OF THE DAY 362

Ayah of the Day:
Say, "O people! If you are in doubt about my way, I do not worship the things that you worship instead of God. Rather, I worship God, the One Who will take your souls. and I have been ordered to be of the believers. [10: 104]

Hadith of the Day:
Have mercy upon the earthly creatures that the One Who is in the Heavens have mercy on you. [Abu Daud]

Wise Quote of the Day:
True repentance entails constant regret of your sins. Without remorse, good deeds, be they abounding, could be eclipsed by pride that follows piety. Remorse for a sin is superior to good works. Never forget your transgressions to save yourself from conceit. [Al Hujwiri]

Guidance of the Day:
Measures recommended to deal with anger:

Remember the clemency, forbearance, and easy going nature of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) with others, and did not get angry unless the anger was for the sake of Allah. The examples of this from his life are numerable. The scholars say that every Muslim should strive to read about the life and example of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) daily.

Beware of the harms of anger, which include falling into that which Allah deems impermissible of words or actions, and acting in a way unbefitting of a believer. Would we act like this if we were aware that Allah sees all our actions? Would we act like this in the presence of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). Remember that anger is generally animalistic. Beware that one resembles animals, more than noble humans, when in a state of anger. [Sunni Path]

Food for Thought:
There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament. It would be a great world if we were always as pleasant as we sometimes are.

LESSON OF THE DAY 362

Ayahs of the Day:
So do they expect anything but the likes of the days of those who passed away from them? Say, "Then wait; I will be waiting with you." Finally We will deliver Our messengers, and those who believed. So it is: it behooves Us to deliver the believers. [10: 102,103]

Hadith of the Day:
You will not believe as long as you do not love one another. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The day of justice against the oppressor is more severe than the tyranny against the oppressed. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Recommended measures to deal with anger:

Do not say anything when angry, lest it contravene the Sacred Law, or go against your personal or social interests. Change your physical posture. The Prophet (may blessings and peace be upon him) said, "If you get angry while standing, sit down...If you get angry while sitting, lie down." The wisdom in this is that it prevents one from doing that which one's anger would have made one do in that posture.

Perform ritual ablution. The Prophet informed us that anger is from Satan, and he was created from fire, so we should extinguish anger with ritual ablutions. Remember that the true strength is not physical, but spiritual and moral. This is because, the one who can control himself when his anger swells up has overcome the most powerful of his enemies and the worst of his adversaries. [Sunni Path]

Food for Thought:
Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again. Life is but a continual course of instruction.

LESSON OF THE DAY 361

Ayah of the Day:
Say, "Behold what is in the heavens and on the earth!" But signs and warners are of no avail for those who do not believe. [10: 101]

Hadith of the Day:
The poor will never suffer from starvation or lack of clothes unless the rich neglect their due. [Tabrani]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Let there be no troubled souls to whom you do not offer a hand and about whom you remain unconcerned. [Fethullah Gulen]

Guidance of the Day:
Anger is something both the shariah and the sound intellect regard as generally blameworthy. This is why the Beloved of Allah (may blessings and peace upon him) told the one who sought his counsel, "Don't get angery," repeatedly.

The scholars recommend many measures to deal with anger, including:
Turning to Allah, and seeking refuge in Allah, from Satan. One should remember Allah when angry, for this leads to fear of Allah, which directs him to obey Him and restrain one's anger by returning to proper manners. Allah Most High said, "And remember Allah when you are heedless." (18: 24)

Turn to Allah in supplication, in order to control one's anger. One should turn to Allah with one's heart and tongue, asking Him to rid one of anger, and all other lowly traits. [Sunni Path]

Food for Thought:
Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. Be great in act, as you have been in thought.

LESSON OF THE DAY 360

Ayahs of the Day:
Now if your Lord had willed, everyone on earth would have believed; are you then going to compel the people to become believers? For no soul can believe except by God's permission; and God heaps loathing on those who will not understand. [10: 99,100]

Hadith of the Day:
Two of your qualities are pleasing to God. One is your sense of self-restraint; the other is your disinclination to act hastily. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
There is no punishment greater than heedlessness or hard heartedness. [Ahmad Hawari]

Guidance of the Day:
Besides remembrance (of Allah) itself, another cause of stillness (sakina) is the actual presence of angelic beings and the absence of demonic, brought about by dhikra Llah. In our modern world we tend to shy away from mentioning unseen beings such as angels and demons, but lack of belief in something does not necessitate its nonexistence. Angels are real; they love the remembrance of Allah and will actually seek out places where He is being remembered in or to join in. Though unseen, their presence is felt by the worshipper.

The fundamental reason why remembrance of Allah effects us is simply that the entire body craves Divine remembrance more intensely than anything else. When the heart and its translator, the tongue, join in, harmony occurs. We need the prayers for our sanity and for our protection from the evils of the world. [Prophetic Invocatons]

Food for Thought:
Success is a ladder which cannot be climbed with your hands in your pockets. There is no vacations from the school of experience.

LESSON OF THE DAY 359

Ayahs of the Day:
So if you have been in doubt about what We revealed to you, then ask those who have already been reading scripture before you. Truth has come to you from your Lord, so do not be a doubter. And do not be of those who repudiate the signs of God, for then you will be losers. [10: 94,95]

Hadith of the Day:
Verily God is Pure and loves the pure, is Beneficent and loves the beneficent, is Generous and loves the generous. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Be so tolerant that your chest becomes wide like the ocean. Become inspired with faith and love of human beings. [Fethullah Gulen]

Guidance of the Day:
Breath is a Divine gift, and the tongue is a plane upon which the breezes of the breath flow. To speak we need a tongue, lips and breath. To remember God, we need a heart. We have been given all four and reminded by Allah in every Book of revelation that the reason we are created is to worship Him. Infact, everything in existence is initially created in a state of worship. However, because of their free will, human can forget the reason of their existence.

It is through remembrance the equilibrium is established in the soul. "Is it not by the remembrance of Allah that hearts are stilled?" the Quran metorically asks. When remembering Allah one often feels His presence. While this can be true of remembrance of anyone, the presence of Allah, as well as that of Prophets and Saints, brings a stillness of the heart without comparison. [Prophetic Invocations]

Food for Thought:
The purpose of humanity is observation and compassion. Where there is a human being there is a chance for kindness.

LESSON OF THE DAY 358

Ayahs of the Day:
Say, "Those who manufacture falsehood against God will never succeed." Some stuff in the world, then back to Us is their return; then We have them taste the intense torment resulting from being ungrateful. [10: 69,70]

Hadith of the Day:
When something weighs on your conscience, give it up. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Surely worship is meant to be done in the prime of youth. [Sari Al saqati]

Guidance of the Day:
The hardening of the physical heart comes from lack of exercise and from eating animal flesh with fat. Similarly, the spiritual heart is hardened by lack of spiritual exercise and eating the dead flesh of other humans (which is a metaphysical reality of the act of backbiting). The spiritual exercise of the heart is called dhikru'Llah, which simply means remembering Allah. The practice of remembrance is a practice of recollecting another world and another time.

The sleepers of this world when they are finally and forcibly removed from the poppy field of pleasure and forgetfulness, the newly awaken come to realization that they were infact accountable for every God given breath, but they have squandered their entire lives foolishly, or worse still, spent them in malevolent deeds. [Prophetic Invocations]

Food for Thought:
Applaud the good for their goodness; appreciate those who have believing hearts; be kind to the believers. Approach unbelievers so gently that their envy and hatred melt away.

LESSON OF THE DAY 358

Ayahs of the Day:
Say, "Those who manufacture falsehood against God will never succeed." Some stuff in the world, then back to Us is their return; then We have them taste the intense torment resulting from being ungrateful. [10: 69,70]

Hadith of the Day:
When something weighs on your conscience, give it up. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Surely worship is meant to be done in the prime of youth. [Sari Al saqati]

Guidance of the Day:
The hardening of the physical heart comes from lack of exercise and from eating animal flesh with fat. Similarly, the spiritual heart is hardened by lack of spiritual exercise and eating the dead flesh of other humans (which is a metaphysical reality of the act of backbiting). The spiritual exercise of the heart is called dhikru'Llah, which simply means remembering Allah. The practice of remembrance is a practice of recollecting another world and another time.

The sleepers of this world when they are finally and forcibly removed from the poppy field of pleasure and forgetfulness, the newly awaken come to realization that they were infact accountable for every God given breath, but they have squandered their entire lives foolishly, or worse still, spent them in malevolent deeds. [Prophetic Invocations]

Food for Thought:
Applaud the good for their goodness; appreciate those who have believing hearts; be kind to the believers. Approach unbelievers so gently that their envy and hatred melt away.

LESSON OF THE DAY 357

Ayah of the Day:
They even say God has a son. Glory to God! God is the self-sufficient, to whom belongs what is in the skies and what is on the earth. You have no authority for this! Do you say of God what you do not know? [10: 68]

Hadith of the Day:
If the person who is treated unjustly bears injustice for the sake of God and declines to retaliate, then God honors him by way of recompense in this and the life to come. [Ahmad]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Without a steady dose of knowledge, wisdom, and the advice from the scholars, our hearts will wither away and die. [Shaykh Fatah Musli]

Guidance of the Day:
It is not arrogance that one recognize a blessing given him. Arrogance is when a person feels that he or she deserved this blessing. Know that God can take a blessing away and elevate others in rank and honor--even those toward whom people aim their condescension.

As mentioned previously, recitation of the Quran during Ramadan is especially effective in reviving one's relationship with the Book of God. Imam Abu Hanifa said that reading the Quran atleast twice a year ensures that one is not estranged from the Quran or withdrawn from it. On the Day of Resurrection the Quran will bear witness against those who neglect it, even those who have learned it but who stopped giving it proper attention. If one is unable to recite, then one should listen to the recording of the Quran.

Throughout the centuries, scholars have written much about Ramadan. It truly is an exceptional opportunity to cleanse our hearts of the diseases. Ofcourse, the remedies can be applied any time. But during the month of miracles--when the Quran itself was revealed--small good deeds are magnified and large deeds multiplied over and over again. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Everything requires effort, the only thing which can be achieved without it is failure. The trouble with laziness is that laziness is seldom curable and never fatal.

LESSON OF THE DAY 356

Ayah of the Day:
It is God who has made the night for you, that you may rest therein, and the day, enabling you to see; surely in that is a sign for people who are listening. [10: 67]

Hadith of the Day:
Bidding in an auction just to increase the price to defraud real buyers is prohibited. [Bayhaqi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Fasting is not (just abstaining) from eating and drinking, but also from vain speech and foul language.

Guidance of the Day:
As the Prophet (may blessings and peace be upon him) stated, there are two joys associated with Fasting. One is the joy of breaking the Fast, and the other is when one meets his Lord. Scholars make the analogy that breaking the Fast is like meeting our Lord.

It is best to break one's Fast as soon as the sun sets. A date, milk, or a sip of water would be sufficient. One should then pray the Sunset Prayer (Maghrib) before the meal. The time for Maghrib is short and goes by quickly. It is also meritorious to pray in the mosque to observe the etiquette of being in a place dedicated to worship. One important etiquette is not to engage in idle talk that can deaden the heart. Unfortunately, many people are afflicted with this and do not see their affliction. If we are able to conquer afflictions, such as idle talk and other excesses, we should never belittle people who have yet to do so. We should not don the mantle of a judge and make pretentious declarations about others. Instead, thank God for what He has given us. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more harmful to us than the injury that provokes it. Sleep is the best cure for waking troubles.

LESSON OF THE DAY 355

Ayah of the Day:
Indeed, to God belongs all beings in the skies and all beings on earth. And who do those follow who pray to idols instead of God? They follow only fancy, and they simply lie. [10: 66]

Hadith of the Day:
The month of Ramadan's beginning is mercy, it's middle is forgiveness and it's end is freedom from Hell. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not think that controlling your anger is somehow removed from good manners. [Sari Saqati]

Guidance of the Day:
Also, performing the Prayers on time is considered a very important aspect in "establishing Prayers" as the Quran reminds several times. We all know how tempting it is to delay the Prayer to its last possible moment. The obvious problem with this is that it can easily lead to neglecting the Prayer altogether.

Imam Malik in his Muwatta said, "The most important of all your affairs are your Prayers. Whoever guards it and is vigilant about its times, he has guarded his religion. And whoever is negligent therein, he is negligent about all the other affairs in his life." Prayer is everything. There is no spiritual life without it.

Also know that the time between late afternoon and sunset is a special time for dhikr (remembrance of God). Asr time (when the sun starts its decline) is the signaling of the end of yet another day we have been blessed to see. It is a time of contemplation of the metaphor it represents, the decline of our lives, with sunset signifying the end of a life time. So it is a time to remember God and reach out for His mercy. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
You are never too old to feel young. This day is yours; don't throw it away. Take time to work--it is the price for success.

LESSON OF THE DAY 354

Ayah of the Day:
And do not let their speech grieve you; for all power belongs to God, who is all-hearing and all-knowing. [10: 65]

Hadith of the Day:
Allah said: "Every action of the son of Adam is for him except fasting, for that is solely for Me. I give the reward for it. [Fiqh us Sunnah]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Sacrifice your ego; nothing more. [abu Sa'id]

Guidance of the Day:
Imam al Ghazali has said that the greatest proof of human deficiency is the fact that when a person does something, shortly thereafter he realizes he could have done better. The scholars say the use of time, especially the night. Reserve a portion of it to read the Quran and stand in prayer. This is, ofcourse, in addition to the Tarawih Prayers. The night vigil (Qiyam), even if short, is packed with goodness.

Also perform the Midmorning Prayer (Duha), which is performed after the full rising of the sun and before the sun reaches it zenith. One may pray two, four, six, or eight ra'kas. This is a Prayer that the Prophet (may blessings and peace be upon him) did regularly. If one establishes these additional acts of worship during Ramadan, they may be carried over throughout the year, spreading the benefit of Ramadan through the other months. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
A wise person has an open mind and a closed mouth; the safest way to disagree is quietly.

LESSON OF THE DAY 353

Ayahs of the Day:
Oh, yes! For the friends of God there is no fear, and they will not sorrow; those who believe and are conscientious; for them there are good tidings in the life of the world and the hereafter too. There is no changing the words of God; that is the supreme salvation. [10: 62,63,64]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever does not give up telling lies, (committing) evil deeds and speaking harshly to others God is not in need of his fasting. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Keeping the company of those who are intimate with the Divine is the best of affairs. [Sahl bin Abdullah]

Guidance of the Day:
Scholars throughout the ages recommended that in order to get the most from Ramadan one should not engage in excessive speech. This is an Islamic ethic that should be practiced in general. but in Ramadan, it is especially advised to be vigilant about what we say, since higher Fasting involves guarding the tongue. Also, it is important to utilize our time well.

This is a month that our righteous forbears would beg God to let them witness the month six months before it came. And for six months after, they would beseech God to accept the worship they performed during Ramadan. This is how they viewed this great month. They wept when it passed, which is hardly the popular reaction of our current day. Ramadan is a merciful portal of time that opens and then closes. And none of us knows whether or not we will see another Ramadan. So seize the moment to gain God's mercy, forgiveness, and salvation. There is no capital more worthy of our concern and effort than this. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Time is the life of a Muslim. Reflection is the mirror of a believer in which he sees his works, evil and good.

LESSON OF THE DAY 352

Ayah of the Day:
And whatever business you take part in, and whatever you read from the Qur'an, and whatever deed you do, We are witnessing you as you are immersed therein. And nothing on earth or in the sky is hidden from your Lord, even to the weight of an atom; and there is nothing smaller than that and nothing larger but is in a clear writ. [10: 61]

Hadith of the Day:
He is not a liar or a sinner who for the sake of composing differences between two rival parties says anything of his own accord that which is calculated to bring about reconciliation between them. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Six things equal everything in the dunya--satisfying food, a virtuous child, a sensible wife, wise speech, a mature intellect, and a healthy body. [Abu Dharr Jimhir]

Guidance of the Day:
Ramadan is the perfect time to take account of the lingering whisperings of the heart and mind. Imam Ghazali said,"How many people are not Fasting, but with God they are Fasting! and how many people are Fasting, but with God they are not Fasting! In other words, there are people who, throughout the year, guard their eyes, ears, tongues, genitals, feet, hands, and stomach from corruption. In reality they are fulfilling the purpose of Fasting. Yet there are people who Fast physically but with God they are not Fasting in that they are not vigilant regarding the unseen aspects of their character and thoughts. So the elect worshippers are not merely those who are known for their learnedness.

The patience of the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was peerless, given all that he had gone through, all the tribulation that he faced. If we do not learn patience from the act of Fasting, then we have missed something about this great rite of worship. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
There is nothing that impairs one's religion, diminishes one's respectability, ends one's happiness, or preoccupies one's heart like arguing.

LESSON OF THE DAY 351

Ayah of the Day:
And what do those who invent lies about God imagine about the resurrection day? God does have blessings for humanity, yet most of them are not grateful. [10: 60]

Hadith of the Day:
Beware, your deeds shall always be for the sake of God only; deeds which are done merely out of vanity or to catch the public eye will eventually bring harm to the doer. [Darimi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Knowledge is of two kinds: that which is absorbed and that which is heard. And that which is heard does not profit if it is not absorbed. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
We know that the soul and the heart are trusts given to each human being. In Fasting, God the Exalted is teaching us how to honor our trusts. Our tongues should be free of slander, lies, backbiting, abominations, and the like; our ears free of hearing the forbidden; our eyes free of lustful glances and other forbidden matters; our hands free of doing anything illicit, like stealing; our feet free from going anywhere prohibited; and our stomachs free from imbibing or consuming forbidden and unwholesome food or drink or consuming in excess. These are the trusts we must protect, and an indispensable method of protecting them is through Fasting.

Imam Ghazali says the higher form of Fasting -- the Fasting of the elect--is the Fasting of the heart from low aspirations or from worldly thoughts or gains. Ramadan is known as the month spending for the sake of God--divesting oneself from material assets for the purpose of investing in the Hereafter. In the other months we are busy acquiring wealth, while in Ramadan we are in the Hereafter-mode of thinking. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
What do you take with you into the city of death? Not a suitcase, not a purse, not even the pictures in your wallet. Nothing goes with you except the sum of what your life has been.

LESSON OF THE DAY 350

Ayah of the Day:
Say, "Do you see what God has sent down for you as sustenance? Yet you make some forbidden and some approved." Say, "Has God given you permission, or have you imputed something to God?" [10: 59]

Hadith of the Day:
Wherever you be and whatever your condition, do not cease to feel the presence of God in you, and do some good deed the moment you feel you have done a wrong thing, as the merit of the one will wipeout the sin of the other, and behave well with others. [Ahmad, Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The responsibility of maintaining a religious and modest society weighs on the shoulders of both Muslim men and women, so let us take this role seriously. [Shaykh Amjad Rasheed]

Guidance of the Day:
There are three types of Fasting: the general Fast, elect Fasting, and Fasting of the elect of the elect. The general Fast involves preventing the stomach and genitals from fulfillment from dawn until dusk. This is something any Muslim can do. Fasting of the elect involves protecting the eyes, ears, tongue, hands, stomach, genitals, and feet against sin, small or large.

Ibn al Qayyim said that the body of the human being is like a country, whose capital is the heart and whose frontiers are the limbs. Satan reaches the heart through one or more of these appendages. Fasting guards the boundaries and trains its sentinels so the heart has a greater chance of drawing near to God. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Health food enthusiasts insist that you are what you eat. It is also true that you are what you think.

LESSON OF THE DAY 349

Ayahs of the Day:
O humanity! Direction has come to you from your Lord, and a remedy for what is in your hearts; and guidance and mercy for the believers. Say, "Let them rejoice in the bounty and mercy of God; that is better than what they amass." [10: 57,58]

Hadith of the Day:
How many men fast who have nothing of fasting but thirst, and how many men stand up (to pray at night) who have nothing about them of prayer except wakefulness! [Darimi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Accept the truth from whoever says it, whether they are young or old and beware to being given to refusal and arrogance. [Shaykh Bayanuni]

Guidance of the Day:
In a well-known hadith, the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said that during Ramadan devils are locked up. Why, then, do we still have bad thoughts? It is a common question. Scholars say that these thoughts originate from our own souls battered by Satanic whisperings and devices implanted in us. Another blessing of Ramadan now becomes apparent. It is a time to see what has happened to our soul, what condition it is in, and take notice of our shortcomings: jealousy, envy, overzealous competition, love of gossip, and the rest. During Ramadan, these traits become clear, and a clear enemy is easier to defeat than a slinking one.

Imam Ghazali says that there is an outward and inward Fasting. The outward pertains to making sure that the basics are observed, namely, abstaining from consuming anything. The inward is about making sure that the Fast is acceptable to God. There are many people, outwardly their Fast seems fine, but inwardly they break their Fast with such things as backbiting, lustful glances, lies, and other violations of the inward Fast. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Speech is priceless if you speak with knowledge. Weigh it in the scales of the heart before it comes out from the mouth. Tact is to shut your mouth before someone else wants to.

LESSON OF THE DAY 348

Ayahs of the Day:
Does not all in the heavens and the earth belong to God? Is not the promise of God true, even though most of them do not know? God brings life and deals with death; and to God you will be returned. [10: 55,56]

Hadith of the Day:
The first to go on the Day of Resurrection to the shade of God are those when given what is right accept it, when asked for something give freely. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Hoping for Paradise without good works, hoping for the intercession of the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) without embodying the Sunna, and hoping for mercy while constantly in sin, are nothing but absurdities. [Ma'ruf al Kharkhi]

Guidance of the Day:
The Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said that Fasting is half patience, and patience is a quality indispensable for a successful life and Afterlife. Satan traffics impatience and despair, while fasting exposes the folly of both. Fasting and patience are deeply related; patience too is an important key to the opening of favors from God.

The great lesson of Ramadan is training the soul to forsake temporary sacrifice for a reward that far exceeds the measure of what we do. The sign of sound rational strength is putting off short-term pleasure for a greater long-term pleasure. It is important to realize also that control of our desires defeats Satan. More than a dozen times the Quran gives notice that Satan is an avowed and open enemy to humanity who seeks to divert people from God's path and send them spiraling down to debasement in this life and the next.

One very important armament against Satan is fasting, which shuts a door through which Satan attacks men and women. One can help oneself through such immensely beneficial acts like Fasting, which vanquish one's caprice and control one's desires. Fasting for religious purposes is becoming increasingly alien in "pleasure societies," where the pursuit of worldly pleasure is so inordinately emphasized. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Many of us believe that wrongs aren't wrongs, if they are done by nice people like us.

LESSON OF THE DAY 347

Ayah of the Day:
Even if every soul that had done wrong had everything on earth, it would not be able to redeem itself thereby; and they manifest repentance when they see the torment. And judgment between them will be made justly, and they will not be wronged. [10: 54]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever wishes to be delivered from the Fire (of Hell) and enter the Garden (of Paradise) should treat people as he wishes to be treated by them. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Avoiding the paths to wrong doing all day is better than standing in prayer all night. [Sahl bin Abdullah]

Guidance of the Day:
To lure the believer into doubt is Satan's game. To protect oneself from this is a personal responsibility. We are explicitly told that Satan's guile is weak and that he has no authority except over those who choose to make themselves vulnerable and who are deluded. So to shield against Satan's whisperings, one must guard his creed, his sound belief, and shun shady devices. This entails conforming one's worship with the sunna or established practice of the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace upon him). It requires deepening one's knowledge in Islam and its various sciences.

If Satan sees that he cannot assail one in matters of creed and belief, then he comes through the door of lust and desire. Our desires are integral parts of normal creation and function. But when they evolve into masters that we consciously or unconsciously serve, this is a problem that can become severe enough to drag us outside the field of guidance. For Satan, this door can be lucrative, especially with consumers of media who receive a steady stream of messages that make excessiveness appear normal. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told his companions to be wary of Satan and his designs, for he flows in man's veins. Just as alcohol flows in the blood delivering its debilitating effects to the brain, liver, and other organs, so too do Satan's machinations and enticements. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Wisdom is found only in truth. The greatest homage we can pay to truth is to use it.

LESSON OF THE DAY 346

Ayahs of the Day:
At last it will be said to those who did wrong, "Taste the enduring torment! Are you paid for anything but what you have earned?" Yet they seek information from you: "Is it true?" Say, "Verily, by my Lord. It is indeed the truth: and you cannot thwart it." [10: 52,53]

Hadith of the Day:
He who directs (others) to a noble deed deserves the reward similar to the one who does it. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
How many lessons there are, and how little they are taken! [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
All the blessings of Ramadan come with the obvious caveat: nothing is automatic. This is not the system that God set in place in our lives and the world in which we live. Without effort and sincere trust, Ramadan can easily be just another thirty days in a year, no special moment. even for those who Fast, who mechanically deprive themselves without striving to reach deep into their souls for spiritual lessons, replenishment, and climbing, the month comes and goes with only the sense of inconvenience and then a celebration at the end.

Then life goes on as it did the months of the year before. One cannot help but notice a tragedy in this: God so generously opens portals in time, truly special opportunities for us to grow, learn, and build for our Hereafter, yet people turn away from it with casual notice and perfunctory interest.

One of the greatest blessings God has given humanity to protect itself from the plots and clever machination of Satan is the fortress of Fasting. It is a believer's shield. Satan makes inroads into one's soul through hidden gates. There are two of them by which human being may be destroyed: The first is sensory, relating to excessive pleasure, and the second relates to the heart, which is where Satan works first to create doubt and skepticism about what God has revealed and, in fact about God Himself. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Sometimes it's not good enough to do your best; you have to do what is required. Many people are not failures, they just started at the bottom and like it there.

LESSON OF THE DAY 345

Ayahs of the Day:
Say, "Do you see? If the punishment of God comes to you, whether by night or by day, what part of it would sinners seek to hasten? Then will you believe in it when it actually happens? Now? And you had been seeking to hasten it! [10: 50,51]

Hadith of the Day:
All creatures of God are the family of God and the best loved of God is who loves best His creatures. [Bayhaqi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Be steadfast in reading books of knowledge and in teaching them to others. For the best of people are those who learn and teach. [Shaykh Bayanuni]

Guidance of the Day:
Harboring suspicion, rancor, or negative opinions about other people is especially noxious in Ramadan. The same goes for all forms of cheating, vanity, and irrational anger. Ramadan is a month of remembrance, for we stand in Prayer listening to the Quran. As such, heedlessness (ghafla) has little refuge in one's mind and heart, which are busy with the remembrance of God. Being mindful of God and His awareness of what moves in and out of one's thoughts and heart expunges negative feelings.

Boasting and arrogance are starved in this month. How can they survive, while we admit our abject need of God and His generous provision? Who can engage in self-aggrandizing when it becomes plain that all we have is from God the Exalted and is not some mystic result of our own talents and privilege? Profound dislike of being blamed, the fear of death, and other vices spoken rise to the surface during Ramadan so that they can be more easily skimmed off and discarded. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
There is only one thing that can grow without any nourishment, and that is the human ego. None so empty, as those who are full of themselves.

LESSON OF THE DAY 344

Ayahs of the Day:
Yet they say, "when is this promised appointment, if you are being truthful?" Say, "I cannot hurt or help myself except as God wills. Every people has an appointed term; and when their time is up, they cannot postpone it even an hour, nor can they advance it. [10; 48,49]

Hadith of the Day:
A pauper among my people is the one who appears on the Day of Judgment having performed the prayers, charity, fast and other obligations--but has also abused someone, slandered someone, misused the money of a third, shed the blood of the fourth, and beaten the fifth person. Each of them will be given the portion of his good deeds. Should he not have enough good deeds, then their sins will be transferred to his account, and he will be thrown into the Hell Fire. [Muslim, Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
You may think that you are a small body, yet within you is the greater universe. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Rapidly, months pass before our eyes until again Ramadan is upon us. The first days may seem stretched, but thereafter they dash by. Having realization of the movement of time is Part of the Ramadan project. To believe that one has a lot of time left in life is what refers to as long hopes, foolishly investing all of our hopes for salvation for some distant date, as if we are guaranteed to live that long.

Bad omens and superstitions can be found in all societies and cultures. It is amazing how millions of people throughout the world make decisions based on what they perceive to be bad omens. The cure for this is simply to ignore these superstitions and, in fact, confront them without giving any thought about their ascribed powers. Hunger has a way of dropping the veils on a lot of things, including superstitions. When one experiences hunger, he realizes his utter dependency on God the exalted and that only He provides and withholds; nothing can bring harm or benefit except by His leave. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
A true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit. You live your life only once, but if lived right, once is enough.

LESSON OF THE DAY 343

Ayah of the Day:
And there is a messenger for every people; and when their messenger has come, judgment among them is made with justice, and they are not wronged. [10: 47]

Hadith of the Day:
Those who remember death more often and are the best in preparing for what follows it; those are sagacious. [Ibn Majah]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Be with Allah as if there were no creation, and be with the creation as if you had no ego. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir jilani]

Guidance of the Day:
It is difficult to have ostentation (riya') in Ramadan for a number of good reasons. Ritual prayer is a conspicuous act, as is the Pilgrimage and even paying charity (Zakat). Fasting, however, because it involves abstinence, is invisible. One can stare a person in the face and not know whether or not he is Fasting, which makes Fasting an impossible act to flaunt before others. Also, because many people attend the mosque in Ramadan to perform extra devotional Prayers, a person prone to ostentation no longer feels so significant.

Ramadan is a time to break habits, which we do when it comes to breaking from consuming food and drink. Being displeased with the Divine decree (qadr) is a disease fueled by lack of iman, that is, trust and faith in God. Ramadan is a time in which one grows his or her iman through the power of voluntary deprivation of patience. When one's iman grows, so too does one's understanding and acceptance of what God has decreed. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
If you lean against a rotten tree trunk, it will not support you, you can rely only on that which is truly healthy and whole, and that is God. Nothing else provides completely trust worthy support and security.

LESSON OF THE DAY 342

Ayah of the Day:
And whether We do show you some of what We promise them, or whether We take your soul, in any case their return is to Us, and then God is witness to what they do. [10: 46]

Hadith of the Day:
Remember often the defeater of pleasures: death. [Tirmidhi, Nasai]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Everyone who is taken by death asks for more time, while everyone who still has time makes excuses for procrastination. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Baghd (dislike or hatred) is something more easily eliminated in Ramadan than at other times. The Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said that the best charity in Ramadan is setting things right between people who are in conflict, even those who harbor hatred for each other. Oppressing or wronging others is an anathema to the ethic and spirit of this great month. Ramadan is about gaining position and status with God the Exalted. Moreover, Fasting is an act of worship that outwardly cannot be seen in a person.

Love of the world is a disease that we wean ourselves of during Ramadan, for we voluntary deprive ourselves of the pleasures of food, drink, and sexual intimacy. Love of praise is also struck down because Ramadan is a time in which we examine our shortcomings and build resolve and momentum to rectify them. For example, if we remiss with regard to certain rites of worship, like the Night Prayer vigil (Qiyam al- Layl), we ride the momentum of the devotional Prayers of Tarawih and convert them to Qiyam after Ramadan passes. The same applies with paying charity, which is especially meritorious during Ramadan. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
Pray for what you want; but work for the things you need. The difference between an amateur and a professional is this: An amateur hopes, a professional works.

LESSON OF THE DAY 341

Ayah of the Day:
God is not unjust to people at all; it is people, rather, who wrong themselves. And one day God will gather them, as if they had tarried but an hour of the day; they will recognize each other. Those who scoffed at meeting God will already have lost out, not having accepted guidance. [10: 44,45]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever does not give up telling lies, (committing) evil deeds and speaking harshly to others God is not in need of his fasting. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The righteous salaf were as fearful of their good deeds being squandered, or not being accepted, as the present generation is certain that their neglect would be forgiven. [Hasan al Basri]

Guidance of the Day:
The month of Ramadan is a special time for purifying oneself, the greatest opportunity to implement the discussions and cures with regard to the heart. In fact, this is the purpose, blessing, and secret of the month. It is a remarkable event when the new moon is sighted. Qadi abu Bakr ibn al Arabi said in his commentary that the secret of Muslims following a lunar calendar as opposed to a solar calendar is that the sun is used for worldly benefits while the moon is used for other-worldly benefits.

What better time than Ramadan to shed the malady of miserliness (bukhl). It is well known that the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was the most generous of people, and in Ramadan he was ever more generous. His companions described him like a wind that bears gifts. Then there is batar, being gleeful and overjoyed with the fleeting things of this world. The person who fasts Ramadan experiences an ever greater joy, one related to this world (the happiness of breaking the fast at dusk) and one related to the Hereafter (the ultimate joy of meeting God and receiving lasting bliss of Paradise).

We know from sound tradition that God keeps secret the reward that awaits those who dutifully Fast and do so with excellence. Their is great disparity between joy in material things and joy in the everlasting acts that survive one's death and accompany them in the next life. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought:
We all need to take a great interest in the future because we will spend the rest of our life there. What you keep for yourself, you lose; what you give away, you keep for ever.

LESSON OF THE DAY 340

Ayahs of the Day:
Some of them listen to you; but can you make the deaf hear, even though they don't understand? And some of them look at you; but can you guide the blind, even though they do not see? [10: 42,43]

Hadith of the Day:
You are all guardians, and each of you shall be asked to account for his subjects. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Keep the company of the scholars; love them; benefit from them; be humble before them; and make your children accustomed to that as well, for the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. [Sheikh Bayanuni]

Guidance of the Day:
Today in the twenty-first century of the common era, every country is presumed a priori to be at peace with every other country, with the need for armed struggle arising only when the territorial integrity of the lands of Islam are threatened. When Jihad as armed struggle is called for, it must accord with the legal rulings of Islam, not the whims of extremist groups.

War is conducted under the banner of a legitimate leader, who in these days will be the head of the state of which one is a citizen. A head of state is the only one permitted to declare war. And only in the context of an unequivocally just cause are people allowed to rally under his banner for Jihad. But if the war has no legal justification, then Muslims must refuse to participate in it, whatever the consequences. Examples of this are Saddam Hussain's criminal attacks against Iran and Kuwait.

As for terror, no reputable Muslim scholar worthy of the name can condone attacks against civilians. When an objective, unemotional reading of the Sacred Law by qualified scholars leads to the conclusion that killing civilians is explicitly forbidden, then we should not allow our anger to overrule the legal verdict.

Finally, let us stress that the battle for preeminence is primarily intellectual, which brings us back to Da'wa and the duty of every individual Muslim to acquire the knowledge necessary to steer himself and others to safety in these troubled times. As a rule of thumb, to know if any course of action will be sanctioned by the Sacred Law, see if it serves or hampers Da'wa, almost everything that does so will be found to be forbidden. [Key to the GARDEN]

Food for Thought:
Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict. Disregard your complaints and discover your gratitude. Release your troubles and restate your blessings.

LESSON OF THE DAY 338

Ayah of the Day:
If they accuse you of falsehood, say, "My work to me, and your work to you. You are not responsible for what I do, and I am not responsible for what you do." [10: 41]

Hadith of the Day:
Procrastination (delay) in repaying the debt by a wealthy person is oppression. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Human relationships are based on emotions more than reasons. [Sheikh Faraz Rabbani]

Guidance of the Day:
Those whom God has chosen to spread His message across the lands, the virtuous scholars who have devoted their lives to this, are forced to travel far and wide, expend effort and money, and endure hardships and sometimes persecution. Yet they remain uttered in their purpose. This also is Jihad. Thus in all these endeavors, Da'wa and Jihad coincide fully, the two terms being essentially interchangeable.

Lastly we come to armed struggle, the Smaller Jihad. War can be offensive or defensive. In the past offensive wars were waged against declared enemies. Never was war waged against states with whom the Muslims had signed peace treaties, nor was Islam ever imposed by force upon the populations of conquered territories. The purpose of such wars was the preservation of Muslim territories so that Muslims may carry on exhorting each other to good and forbidding each other from evil.

It is clear that the military kind of Jihad also has for its prime purpose the free exercise of Da'wa, so that even if in this instance the two concepts do not coincide, they are nevertheless intimately related. Primacy is accorded to Da'wa, Jihad being an auxiliary extention of it needed only under certain circumstances. [Key to the GARDEN]

Food for Thought:
Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing well those you do hold. People do not become great by doing great things, they do great things because they are great.

LESSON OF THE DAY 338

Ayah of the Day:
And this Quran is not something that could be manufactured without God; rather, it is a confirmation of what preceded it, and a fuller explanation of scripture, in which there is nothing dubious. That is from the Lord of all worlds. [10: 37]

Hadith of the Day:
When the servant marries he completes half of his religion, let him thereafter fear God in the remaining half. [Hakim, Tabrani]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The one who wants to expand his needs should get used to the grief that comes from being deprived. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Jihad is to strive one's utmost to please one's Lord. For this reason, Jihad and Da'wa are often one and the same thing. There are many dimensions to Da'wa. The first concerns the individual in both his outward and inward aspects. To invite oneself to God and the Sacred Law is outwardly to conform with the Law's injunctions and prohibitions, and inwardly to attend to the ailments in one's heart, such as greed, lust, jealousy, thinking ill of others, and so on, and to strive to replace these with the opposite virtues.

To strive to achieve this with sincerity is Jihad, the Greater Jihad being the struggle against the ego, for the ego, until subdued, relentlessly attempts to divert one away from both the outward observance of the Law and the inward purification of the heart. Having achieved some degrees of success in the Greater Jihad, one is expected to call others, especially those in his immediate vicinity, to God. Since resistance is inevitable, effort and perseverance will have to be expected. This, again, is Jihad. [Key to the GARDEN]

Food for Thought:
Opportunities are seldom labeled. Do today what others won't, so you can live tomorrow like others can't.

LESSON OF THE DAY 337

Ayah of the Day:
Most of them follow nothing but conjecture. Conjecture is of no avail against Truth. For God knows what they do. [10: 36]

Hadith of the Day:
For one of you to educate his son is better than to give half a measure (of grain) to the poor everyday. [Bayhaqi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The one who is not mindful of what Allah commands and what He forbids is deprived of tasting the sweetness of the Divine Presence. [Sahl bin Abdullah]

Guidance of the Day:
Ignorance in a Muslim is not acceptable since we are a community that bases its decisions and behavior on the detailed knowledge provided by the Quran and Sunna; it is not a community swayed by emotions. The most important function of Muslims, both as individuals and as a nation, is Da'wa. When stating that this community is the best of all communities, God follows with the reason why: You are the best nation brought forth to men, enjoining good, forbidding evil, and believing in God (3: 110).

Da'wa is to invite people to God and to teach them the path that leads to Him and Paradise. Enjoining good is to invite people to La ilaha ill'llah, Muhammadun Rasulu'llah, then to following the injunctions of the Sacred Law of Islam and adopting the Muhammadan model of virtue and nobility of character and behavior. It is also to dissuade people from worshipping other than God, ascribing to God attributes that limit His infinity, blemish His perfection, or do away with His transcendence. [Key to the GARDEN]

Food for Thought:
Take the time to live!
Do not value the THINGS, you have in your life.
But value WHO you have in your life.