LESSON OF THE DAY 456

Ayahs of the Day:
Inform My devotees that I am the most forgiving, most merciful, and that My punishment is the most painful torment. [15: 49,50]

Hadith of the Day:
Your prayers will be answered as long as you are not impatient. Therefore, do not say, 'I prayed, but my prayers were never answered.' [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
If misguidance arises from ignorance, it is easy to dispel. But if it proceeds from science and learning, it is difficult to eliminate. [Badiuzzaman Said Nursi]

Guidance of the Day:
Become more patient. The quality of patience goes a long way toward your goal of creating a more peaceful and loving self. The more patient you are, the more accepting you will be of what is, rather than insisting that life be exactly as you would like it to be. Without patience, life is extremely frustrating. You are easily annoyed, bothered, and irritated. Patience adds a dimension of ease and acceptance to your life. It's essential for inner peace.

Becoming more patient involves opening your heart to the present moment, even if you don't like it. If you are stuck in a traffic jam, late for an appointment, opening to the moment would mean catching yourself building a mental snowball before your thinking got out of hand and gently reminding yourself to relax. It might also be a good time to breathe as well as an opportunity to remind yourself that, in the bigger scheme of things, being late is "small stuff."

Patience also involves seeing the innocence in others. If you look deeply enough, you can almost always see the innocence in other people as well as in potentially frustrating situations. When you do, you will become a more patient and peaceful person and, in some strange way, you begin to enjoy many of the moments that used to frustrate you. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Food for thought:
In accordance with the rule, "Whoever strikes is struck," those who think unfavorably of others are also sought of unfavorably.

LESSON OF THE DAY 455

Ayahs of the Day:
As for the conscientious, they will be amidst gardens and springs, where they will be admitted in peace and security. And We will remove any hidden enmity in their hearts, and they will be friends facing each other on thrones. No fatigue will affect them there, and they will not be ejected from there. [15: 45, to 48]

Hadith of the Day:
Seek refuge in Allah from the touched Dajjal. Seek refuge in Allah from the trials of life and death. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
When it has been said that the angels spread out their wings in the path of the one seeking sacred knowledge, then just imagine what Allah has in store for such a person. [Abu Ali Daqaq]

Guidance of the Day:
The truth is, all of us hate to be corrected. We all want our positions to be respected and understood by others. Being listened to and heard is one of the greatest desires of the human heart. And those who learn to listen are the most loved and respected. Those who are in the habit of correcting others are often resented and avoided.

It's not that it's never appropriate to be right---sometimes you genuinely need to be or want to be. Perhaps there are certain philosophical positions that you don't want to budge on such as when you hear a racist comment. Here. it's important to speak your mind. Usually, however, it's just your ego creeping in and ruining an otherwise peaceful encounter---a habit of wanting or needing to be right. A wonderful, heartfelt strategy for becoming more peaceful and loving is to practice allowing others the joy of being right---give them the glory. Stop correcting.

As hard as it may be to change this habit, it's worth any effort and practice it takes. When someone says, "I really feel it's important to..." rather than jumping in and saying, "No it's more important to..." or any of the hundreds of other forms of conversational editing, simply let it go and allow their statement to stand. The people in your life will become less defensive and more loving. They will appreciate you more than you could ever have dreamed possible, even if they don't exactly know why. You'll discover the joy of participating and witnessing other people's happiness, which is far more rewarding than a battle of egos. You don't have to sacrifice your deepest philosophical truths or most heartfelt opinions, but starting today, let others be "right," most of the time! [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Food for Thought:
Laziness of the common folk in worshipping their Lord is a grave matter, but that same laziness from teachers and students of sacred knowledge is even moreso.

LESSON OF THE DAY 454

Ayahs of the Day:
He Said, "This is a straight path to Me. For you have no authority over devotees of Mine, except those deluded ones who follow you. And Hell is promised to them all; it has seven doors: a distinct segment of them is assigned to each of the doors." [15: 41,42,43,44]

Hadith of the Day:
Seek refuge in Allah from the Fire. Seek refuge in Allah from the torments of the grave. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
What does the one who finds God lose? And what does the one who loses God find? [Ibn Ata iLlah]

Guidance of the Day:
Let others be "right" most of the time. One of the most important question you can ever ask yourself is, "Do I want to be 'right'--or do I want to be happy?" Many times, the two are mutually exclusive! Being right, defending our positions, takes an enormous amount of mental energy and often alienates us from the people in our lives. Needing to be right---or needing someone else to be wrong---encourages others to become defensive, and puts pressure upon us to keep defending.

Yet, many of us spend a great deal of time and energy attempting to prove (or point out) that we are right---and/or others are wrong. Many people, consciously or unconsciously, believe that it's somehow their job to show others how their positions, statements, and points of view are incorrect, and that in doing so, the person they are correcting is going to somehow appreciate it, or atleast learn something. Wrong!

Think about it. Have you ever been corrected by someone and said to the same person who was trying to be right, "Thank you so much for showing me that I'm wrong and you're right. Now I see it. Boy, you're great!" Or, has anyone you know ever thanked you (or even agreed with you) when you corrected them, or made yourself "right" at their expense? Of course not. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Food for Thought:
The fool's indulgence in petty worldliness is an evil thing, but the indulgence of the learned is even moreso.

LESSON OF THE DAY 453

Ayahs of the Day:
He said, "Then you are granted a stay, until the day of the determined time." He said, "My Lord, since You have misled me, I will make things attractive to them on earth and will beguile them all, except those of them who are Your sincere devotees." [15: 37 to 40]

Hadith of the Day:
Ask Allah for forgiveness and ease in this world and in the next, for if you are given ease in this world and in the next, you will have attained success. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Alas for the man who becomes dissolute and does not follow his pious wife. Alas for the woman who does not follow her pious husband. And woe on the husband and wife who imitate each other in sin and vice, helping one another to enter Hell-Fire. [Badiuzzaman Said Nursi]

Guidance of the Day:
Imagine that everyone is enlightened except you. This strategy gives you a chance to practice something that is probably completely unacceptable to you. However, if you give it a try, you might find that it's one of the most helpful exercises in self-improvement. The idea is to suggest that everyone you know and everyone you meet is perfectly enlightened. That is, everyone except you! The people you meet are all here to teach you something. Perhaps the obnoxious driver or disrespectful teenager is here to teach you patience, the punk rocker might be here to teach you to be less judgmental.

Your job is to try to determine what the people in your life are trying to teach you. You'll find that if you do this, you'll be far less annoyed, bothered, and frustrated by the actions and imperfections of other people. You can actually get yourself in the habit of approaching life in this manner and, if you do, you'll be glad you did.

Often, once you discover what someone is trying to teach you, it's easy to let go of your frustration. For example, suppose you are in the post office and the postal clerk appears to be intentionally moving slowly. Rather than feeling frustrated, ask yourself the question, "What is he trying to teach me?" May be you need to learn about compassion--how hard it would be to have a job that you don't like. Or perhaps you could learn a little more about being patient. Standing in line is an excellent opportunity to break your habit of feeling impatient.

You may be surprised at how fun and easy this is. All you're really doing is changing your perception from "Why they are doing this?" to "What are they trying to teach me?" Take a look around today at all the enlightened people. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Food for Thought:
The sin of the youth is a grave thing indeed, but that of committed by an old man is even moreso.

LESSON OF THE DAY 452

Ayahs of the Day:
He said, "Then get out of there, for you are rejected! And the curse is on you, until the Day of Judgment." He said, "My Lord, then grant me a stay until the day they are resurrected." [15: 34,35,36]

Hadith of the Day:
Verily the prayers of those united in brotherhood are answered. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Blessed is the husband who sees the wife's firm religion and follows her, and himself becomes pious. Blessed is the wife who sees her husband's firmness in religion and becomes pious. [Badiuzzaman Said Nursi]

Guidance of the Day:
Learn to live in the present moment. To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are---always!

Without question many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things--all at once. We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our present moments, so much so that we end up anxious, frustrated, depressed, and hopeless. On the flipside, we also postpone our gratification, our stated priorities, and our happiness, often convincing ourselves that "someday" will be better than today. Unfortunately the same dynamics that tell us to look toward the future will only repeat themselves so that "someday" never actually arrives.

Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal for some later date. It isn't. In fact, no one has a guarantee that he or she will be here tomorrow. Now is the only time we have, and the only time that we have any control over. When our attention is in the present moment, we push fear from our minds. Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future--we won't have enough money, our children will get into trouble, we will get old and die, whatever. To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present. Practice keeping your attention on here and now. Your efforts will pay great dividends. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Food for thought:
The generosity of the prince is an exalted affair, but that of a peasant is even moreso.

LESSON OF THE DAY 451

Ayahs of the Day:
So the angels bowed all of them together, except Iblis, the one who despaired, who refused to be with those who bowed. He said: "O Iblis, what is the matter with you, that you are not with those who bow?" He said: "I am not about to bow to a human being, which you made of clay, of mud that's been formed!"[15:30 to 33]

Hadith of the Day:
The dua that will be answered most quickly is the dua of one in private for another who is not present. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Freedom belongs to the one without greed. [Muhammad Ali Hakeem]

Guidance of the Day:
There is something magical that happens to the human spirit, a sense of calm that comes over you, when you cease needing all the attention directed toward yourself and instead allow others to have the glory. Our need for excessive attention is that ego-centered part of us that says, "Look at me. I am special. My story is more interesting than yours." It's that voice inside of us that may not come right out and say it, but that wants to believe that "my accomplishments are slightly more important than yours." The ego is that part of us that wants to be seen, heard, respected, considered special, often at the expense of someone else. It's the part of us that interrupts someone else's story, or impatiently waits his turn to speak so that he can bring the conversation and attention back to himself.

To varying degrees, most of us engage in this habit, much to our own detriment. When you immediately dive and bring the conversation back toward you, you can subtly minimize the joy that person has in sharing, and in doing so, create distance between yourself and others. Everyone loses. Next time someone tells you a story or shares an accomplishment with you, notice your tendency to say something about yourself in response.

Although it is a difficult habit to break, it's not only enjoyable but actually peaceful to have the quiet confidence to be able to surrender your need for attention and instead share in the joy of someone else's glory. Rather than jumping right in saying, "once I did the same thing" or "Guess what I did today," bite your tongue and notice what happens. Just say, "That's wonderful," or "Please tell me more," and leave it at that. The person you are speaking to will have so much more fun and, because you are so much more "present," because you are listening carefully, he or she won't feel in competition with you. The result will be that the person will feel more relaxed around you, making him or her more confident as well as interesting. You too will feel more relaxed because you won't be on the edge of your seat, waiting your turn.

Obviously, there are times when it's absolutely appropriate to exchange experience back and forth, and to share in the glory and attention rather than giving it all away. I'm referring here to the compulsive need to grab it from others. Ironically, when you surrender your need to hog the glory, the attention you used to need from other people is replaced by a quiet inner confidence that is derived from letting others have it. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Du'a of the Week:
Allahumma inni a'udhubika mina'l -hammi wa'l-hazan, wa a'udhubika mina'l ajzi wa'l kasal. (O Allah! I seek your protection from sorrow and grief, and I seek your protection from incapacity and sloth).

Food for Thought:
Repentance of an old man is a wonderful thing, but that of the youth is even moreso.

LESSON OF THE DAY 450

Ayahs of the Day:
We created the human being from clay, from formed mud. As for the sprites, We created them earlier, from the fire of a penetrating wind. Your Lord said to the angels, "I am going to create a human being from clay, from formed mud. Now when I have put him in order and breathed some of My spirit into him, then bow down to him." [15: 26,27,28,29]

Hadith of the Day:
Turn in repentance to Allah, for I do so one hundred times every day. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
In a nutshell, intimacy with the Divine means that along with remembering the Supreme name, one is always aware of one's utter neediness. [Hamshad Dinuri]

Guidance of the Day:
Do something nice for someone else and do not tell anyone about it. While many of us frequently do nice things for others, we are almost certain to mention our acts of kindness to someone else, secretly seeking their approval. When we share our own niceness or generosity with someone else, it makes us feel like we are thoughtful people, it reminds us of how nice we are and how deserving we are of kindness.

While all acts of kindness are inherently wonderful, there is something even more magical about doing something thoughtful but mentioning it to no one, ever. You always feel good when you give to others. Rather than diluting the positive feelings by telling others about your own kindness, by keeping it to yourself you get to retain all the positive feelings.

It's really true that one should give for the sake of giving, not to receive something in return. This is precisely what you are doing when you don't mention your kindness to others--your rewards are the warm feelings that come from the act of giving. The next time you do something really nice for someone else, keep it to yourself and revel in the abundant joy of giving. [Don't Sweat the Small Stuff....and it's all small stuff]

Food for Thought:
Shyness and modesty of men is an excellent virtue, but the shyness and modesty of women is even moreso.

LESSON OF THE DAY 449

Ayahs of the Day:
It is We who give life and who cause death, and We are the inheritors. And We know who among you are the ones who make progress, and We know those who linger behind. And it is in fact your Lord who will gather them, being Most wise, All Knowing. [15: 23,24,25]

Hadith of the Day:
If any one of you are making dua, let him be resolute in it. They should not say, 'O Allah, if you want to give, give me this or that,' for there is no one to compel Allah. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The one who has tasted the sweetness of slavehood finds no repose in leisure pursuits. [Abdullah Manazil]

Guidance of the Day:
Don't interrupt others or finish their sentences. Think about it for a moment, how destructive this habit is, not only to the respect and love you receive from others but also for tremendous amount of energy it takes to try to be in two heads at once! When you hurry someone along, interrupt someone, or finish his or her sentence, you have to keep track not only of your own thoughts but of those of the person you are interrupting as well.

This tendency (which, by the way, is extremely common in busy people), encourages both parties to speed up their speech and their thinking. This, in turn, makes both parties nervous, irritable, and annoyed. It's downright exhausting. It's also the cause of many arguments, because if there's one thing almost everyone resents, it's someone who doesn't listen to what they are saying. And how can you really listen to what someone is saying when you are speaking for that person? Once you begin noticing yourself interrupting others, you'll see that this insidious tendency is nothing more than an innocent habit that has become visible to you. This is good news because it means that all you really have to do is to begin catching yourself when you forget.

Remind yourself (before a conversation begins, if possible) to be patient and wait. Tell yourself to allow the other person to finish speaking before you take your turn. You'll notice, right away, how much the interactions with the people in your life will improve as a direct result of this simple act. The people you communicate will feel much more relaxed around you when they feel heard and listened to. You'll also notice how much more relaxed you'll feel when you stop interrupting others. Your heart and pulse rates will slow down, and you'll begin to enjoy your conversations rather than rush through them. This is an easy way to become a more relaxed, loving person. [Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff]

Food for Thought:
The changing of the times is always strange, but being heedless through them is even moreso.

LESSON OF THE DAY 448

Ayahs of the Day:
And whatever there is, its sources are with Us, and We only send it down according to determined measure. And We send the fertilizing winds, and shower water from the sky and let you drink it, though you are not its keepers. [15: 21,22]

Hadith of the Day:
A sense of shame will make anything more beautiful, whereas obscenity will make anything more ugly. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The one who longs for Allah is blessed with limbs which are free from stains of sins. [Ahmad Masruq]

Guidance of the Day:
So many of us live our lives as if the secret purpose is to somehow get everything done. We stay up late, get up early, avoid having fun, and keep our loved ones waiting. Sadly, many people who put off their loved ones so long that the loved ones lose interest in maintaining the relationship. Often we convince ourselves that our obsession with our "to do" list is only temporary--that once we get through the list, we'll be calm, relaxed, and happy. But in reality, this rarely happens. As terms are checked off, new ones simply replace them.

The nature of your "in basket" is that it's meant to have items to be completed in it--it's not meant to be empty. There will always be phone calls that need to be made, projects to complete, and work to be done. In fact, it can be argued that a full "in basket" is essential for success. It means your time is in demand! Regardless of who you are or what you do, however, remember that nothing is more important than your own sense of happiness and inner peace and that of your loved ones. If you are obsessed with getting everything done, you'll never have a sense of well-being! In reality, almost everything can wait.

Very little in our work lives truly falls into the "emergency" category. If you stay focused on your work, it will all get done in due time. The purpose of life isn't to get it all done but to enjoy each step along the way and live a life filled with love, it's far easier to control the obsession with completing the list of things to do. Remember, when you die, there will still be unfinished business to take care of. And you know what? Someone else will do it for you! Don't waste anymore precious moments of your life regretting the inevitable. Remind yourself that when you die, your "in basket" won't be empty. [Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff]

Food for Thought:
The unfolding of your affairs is always imminent, but the arrival of death is even moreso.

LESSON OF THE DAY 447

Ayahs of the Day:
And as for the earth, We spread it out and placed mountains on it, and We produced everything on it in balance. And We have put means of sustenance there for you, and for those whom you are not the providers. [15: 19,20]

Hadith of the Day:
There are some sixty (or seventy) branches of faith. The best of them all is 'There is no god but Allah', and the least of them is to remove an impediment from a public way. Having a sense of shame is one branch of faith. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Contentment is the true guarantor of freedom. The one whose heart is filled with awe of his Lord has no room in it for the lusts and vain desires of the world. [Ibrahim Shaibani]

Guidance of the Day:
Nothing helps us build our perspective more than developing compassion for others. Compassion is a sympathetic feeling. It involves the willingness to put yourself in someone else's shoes, to take the focus off yourself and to imagine what it's like to be in someone else's predicament, and simultaneously, to feel love for that person. It's the recognition that other people's problems, their pain and frustrations, are every bit as real as our own--often far worse. In recognizing this fact and trying to offer some assistance, we open our own hearts and greatly enhance our sense of gratitude.

Compassion is something you can develop with practice, It involves two things: intention and action. Intention simply means you remember to open your heart to others; you expand what and who matters, from yourself to other people. Action is simply the "what you do about it." You might donate a little money or time (or both) on a regular basis to a cause near to your heart. Or perhaps you'll offer a beautiful smile and genuine "hello" to the people you meet on the street. It's not so important what you do, just that you do something.

Compassion develops your sense of gratitude by taking your attention off all the little things that most of us have learned to take too seriously. When you take time, often, to reflect on the miracle of life--the miracle that you are even able to read this--the gift of sight, of love, and all the rest, it can help to remind you that many of the things that you think of as "big stuff" are really just "small stuff" that you are turning into big stuff. [Don't sweat the small stuff]

Food for Thought:
Sowing patience in adversity is difficult, but safeguarding the fruits of patience is even moreso.

LESSON OF THE DAY 446

Ayahs of the Day:
We set out the constellations in the sky, and made them beautiful to beholders, and We have guarded them from every accursed devil, except anyone who steals a hearing; a bright flaming fire follows him. [15: 16,17,18]

Hadith of the Day:
Among the well known wisdom of the prophets is the saying, 'If you have no shame, then do as you please.' [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
It is crucial that man take Allah as his companion, and if he cannot then he must keep the company of those who Allah has befriended. They in turn can allow him to reach Allah thereby, helping him to fulfill the goal of this world and the next. [Abu Bakr Saidlani]

Guidance of the Day:
Let go of the idea that gentle, relaxed people can't be super achievers. One of the major reasons so many of us remain hurried, frightened, and competitive, and continue to live life as if it were one giant emergency, is our fear that if we were to become more peaceful and loving, we would suddenly stop achieving our goals. We would become lazy and apathetic.

You can put this fear to rest by realizing that the opposite is actually true. Fearful, frantic thinking takes enormous amount of energy and drains the creativity and motivation from our lives. When you are fearful or frantic, you literally immobilize yourself from your greatest potential, not to mention enjoyment. And success that you have is despite your fear, not because of it. When you have what you want (inner peace), you are less distracted by your wants, needs, desires, and concerns. It's thus easier to concentrate, focus, achieve your goals, and give back to others. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Food for Thought:
To repent from a sin is a necessary obligation, but to prevent oneself from sin is even moreso.

LESSON OF THE DAY 445

Ayahs of the Day:
We did send down the Exposition, and We are actually guarding it. And We did send messengers before you, among sects of early people; but they mocked any messenger who came to them. [15: 9,10,11]

Hadith of the Day:
No one can be forbearing unless he has made mistakes; and no one can be wise unless he has experience. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Reliance on God, contentment, and frugality are such a treasury and wealth that they can be exchanged for nothing. [Sa'id Nursi Badiuzzaman]

Guidance of the Day:
Make peace with imperfection.The need for perfection and the desire for tranquility conflict with each other. Whenever we are attached to having something a certain way, better than it already is, we are, almost by definition, engaged in a losing battle. Rather than being content and grateful for what we have, we are focused on what's wrong with something and our need to fix it. When we are zeroed in on what's wrong, it implies that we are dissatisfied discontent.

Whether it's related to ourselves--a disorganized closet, a scratch on the car, an imperfect accomplishment, a few pounds we would like to lose--or someone else's "imperfections"--the way someone looks, behaves, or lives their life--the very act of focusing on imperfection pulls us away from our goal of being kind and gentle. This strategy has nothing to do with ceasing to do your very best but with being overly attached and focused on what's wrong with life. It's about realizing that while there's always a better way to do something, this doesn't mean that you can't enjoy and appreciate the way things already are.

The solution here is to catch yourself when you fall into your habit of insisting that things should be other than they are. Gently remind yourself that life is okay the way it is, right now. In the absence of your judgment everything would be fine. As you begin to eliminate your need for perfection in all areas of your life, you'll begin to discover the perfection in life itself. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Food for Thought:
Winners do what others want to do. It is never too late to be what you might have become.

LESSON OF THE DAY 444

Ayahs of the Day:
We never destroyed a population that did not have a determined destiny. No people can go before its time, nor outlast it. [15: 4,5]

Hadith of the Day:
Pride is to disdain the truth and to treat others with contempt. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The one who has honor is the one who doesn't lose it by debasing oneself in sin. [Mohammad Ali Hakeem]

Guidance of the Day:
Often we allow ourselves to get all worked up about things that, upon closer examination, aren't that big a deal. We focus on little problems and concerns and blow them away out of proportion. A stranger, for example, might cut in front of us in traffic. Rather than let it go, and go on with our day, we convince ourselves that we are justified in our anger. We play out an imaginary confrontation in our mind. Many of us might even tell someone else about the incident later on rather than simply let it go.

Why not instead simply allow the driver to have his accident somewhere else? Try to have compassion for the person and remember how painful it is to be in such an enormous hurry. This way, we can maintain our own sense of well-being and avoid taking other people's problems personally.

There are many similar "small stuff" examples that occur every day in our lives. Whether we had to wait in line, listen to unfair criticism, or do the lion's share of the work, it pays enormous dividends if we learn not to worry about little things. So many people spend so much of their life energy "sweating the small stuff" that they completely lose touch with the magic and beauty of life. When you commit to working toward this goal you will find that you will have far more energy to be kindler and gentler. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff....and it's all small stuff by Richard Carlson]

Food for Thought:
One who has health, has hope, and one who has hope, has everything.

LESSON OF THE DAY 443

Ayahs of the Day:
And on that day you will see the sinners together in shackle. Their clothes of molten pitch, and fire covering their faces. So that God may recompense each soul for what it had earned. God is quick in the reckoning. This is a message for the humanity, that they may be warned by it, and that they may know there is only one God, and so the rational ones may think. [14: 49-52]

Hadith of the Day:
Satan has nets and snares. Some of these nets and snares are ingratitude for the bounty of Allah, pride in the gifts of Allah, arrogance over the servants of Allah, and slavery to desires in other than the person of Allah. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
He who busies his youth in devotion to his Lord is rewarded with an illumination of his innerstate as well as a spring of wisdom which flows from his words. [Qutubuddin Karzuqi]

Guidance of the Day:
The intelligent person thinks that if there is so much beauty, which is pleasing to man even in this incomplete and flawed world, then the beauty of the Paradise should be unimaginably more attractive. He hopes to see in the Hereafter the "originals" of every beauty he views here. And he comprehends all these by thinking deeply.

One of the greatest ways in which people are deceived, however, is in their supposition that they can escape their responsibilities to their Lord by not thinking. This is the main reason why people do not think about death. If man thinks that he will die one day and remembers that there is an eternal life after death, he will necessarily have to strive strenuously for his life after death. He, however, deceives himself, supposing that he is saved from such responsibilities when he does not think of the existence of the Hereafter. This is a great self deception, and if man does not attain the truth in this world by thinking, he will understand, with death, that their is no escape for him.

Old age is one of the most powerful events displaying the temporary nature of the life of this world, and it holds one back from being attached greedily to this world. Aging shows how temporary the beauty of the body is, that the only thing that is acceptable before Allah and the only gain of man are right actions, good qualities of character along with commitment to Allah. Allah makes it clear that the believers continually reflect and use their intellects, explore by thinking and derive conclusions from their reflections. [Deep Thinking]

Du'a of the Week:
Allahumma aslihli sha'ni kullahu wa la takilni ila nafsi wa la ila ahadin min khalqika tarfata ayn. (O Allah! Make good all my affairs and do not entrust me to myself or any of Your creation for the blink of an eye).

Food for Thought:
The only antidote to anger is to eliminate the internal sentences, "If only you were more like me" and "If only the world were not the way it is."

LESSON OF THE DAY 442

Ayahs of the Day:
So never think of God as betraying the divine promise to the messengers thereof, for God is Almighty, Master of retribution. One day the earth will be exchanged for another earth, and so will the heavens; and they will go forth before God, the One, the Overwhelming. (14: 47,48]

Hadith of the Day:
Allah Most High says, "If I try someone by taking his/her sight and he/she is patient, I will reward him/her with Paradise." [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Who is better among Allah's worshippers than the one who sees others as better than him? [Abu Bakr Saidlani]

Guidance of the Day:
The reason why people cannot be relieved of useless anxieties is their lending ear to the whisperings of Satan. He who is occupied with futile anxieties, who forgets Allah and does not think clearly, is always open to the whisperings of Satan. If one does not exercise his willpower and act conscientiously and if he lets himself drift in the course of events, he becomes completely under the control of Satan. One of the most crucial patterns of behavior of Satan is his giving people anxieties. Therefore, all misapprehensions, pessimism and anxieties contrived in the mind are caused by the whisperings of Satan.

Allah shows people the way to save themselves from this situation. In the Quran, Allah advises people that when an impulse from Satan provokes them, they should seek refuge in Allah and remember Him. The important thing is to know that these thoughts will be of no use to the person and will, on the contrary, hamper him from thinking the truth, reflecting on important matters, and therefore purifying the mind from these useless thoughts. Man can think properly only if he frees his mind from futile thoughts.

A wise person who believes in Allah and the Hereafter, when he reflects on the fact that the life of this world is temporary, realizes that the world is temporary, which causes him to engage in zealous struggle for his real and eternal life in the Hereafter. Since he knows that this life will sooner or later end, he does not become carried away by the ambition for worldly passions and interests. He is extremely resigned. Nothing in this temporary world annoys him. He always cherishes the hope of attaining an eternal and pleasant life. He also greatly enjoys worldly blessings and beauty. [Deep Thinking]

Food for Thought:
Worry is like a rocking chair--gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere.

LESSON OF THE DAY 441

Ayahs of the Day:
And you lived in the abodes of those who wronged their own souls, and it was made clear to you how We dealt with them; and We presented similes for you. They contrived their schemes, but their cunning was in the sight of God, even if their cunning was such that the mountains might crumble thereby. [14: 45,46]

Hadith of the Day:
There are three things that are the right of every Muslim: visiting the sick, attending funeral prayers, and blessing those who sneeze and praise Allah. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Cry not at misfortune, come, trust in God! For know that crying out compounds the misfortune, and is a great error. [Badiuzzaman Sa'id Nursi]

Guidance of the Day:
People who spend their entire lives in order to buy fine houses, summer residences and cars, and to send their children to good colleges, do not want to think that one day they will die and that they will not be able to take their cars, their house, or children with them. Consequently, rather than beginning to do something for the real life after death, they choose not to think. The only reason why people behave as if death does not exist is this spell that has covered them up because they do not think. Those who cannot, by thinking, save themselves from this spell and therefore from a heedless state, will understand the facts by seeing them with their eyes after they die.

People deliberately impose on themselves such a spell. They suppose that by doing so, they will live restful and relaxed lives. However, it is very easy for anyone to make a decision and shake off his/her mental numbness, and begin to live with a clear consciousness. They thus come to understand that all events have a purpose and an inner meaning, and are able to see wisdom in the events that Allah creates at every instant. There are many factors that hinder people from thinking. It is necessary that everyone identify the factors that effect them negatively, and get rid of them. Otherwise, one cannot see the real face of the life of this world, and that might bring great loss in the Hereafter. [Deep Thinking by Harun Yahya]

Food for Thought:
It's not the place that makes the person honorable, but the person that makes the place honorable.

LESSON OF THE DAY 440

Ayah of the Day:
So warn people of a day when the punishment will come to them, whereupon those who went wrong will say, "Our Lord, leave us be, at least for a while. We will answer Your call and follow the messengers." "Yet did you not use to vow you would never perish? [14: 44]

Hadith of the Day:
Make frequent prostrations before God, for you will not make one prostration without God raising you a degree and removing a sin from you because of it. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
True courage is that one leave all of one's worldly attachments and hold fast to Allah such that nothing can separate him. [Shaykh al Kharkhani]

Guidance of the Day:
Allah summons people to think and reflect and says that He has revealed the Quran for people to reflect on it. What is important is one's sincerely improving one's ability to think and going deeper in thinking. The heedless state of those who do not reflect is a consequence of forgetting or deliberately disregarding the purpose of their creation and of the realities which religion teaches. Yet, this is an extremely dangerous course that may lead to Hell.

Thinking removes the spell on people. An unthinking person's mind is benumbed, his sight becomes fuzzy, he acts as if he does not see the facts before his eyes, and his faculty of judgment weakens. He becomes incapable of grasping even the plain truth. He cannot be conscious of extraordinary events taking place right beside him. He does not notice the intricate details of events. The reason for people leading heedless lives for thousands of years and their staying away from thought as a whole, as if it is a cultural heritage, is actually their mental numbness.

People know that the life of this world passes away and ends very rapidly, yet still, they behave as if they will never leave this world. This, indeed, is a kind of "spell" carried over from generation to generation. This has such a strong effect that when someone talks about death, people immediately close the subject for fear of breaking the spell on them and facing the realities. [DeepThinking by Harun Yahya]

Food for Thought:
No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.

LESSON OF THE DAY 439

Ayahs of the Day:
Do not reckon God is oblivious of what wrongdoers are doing; He is merely putting them off till a day when their eyesight will be glazed as they dash along with their heads tilted forward, their glances not checking back for them, and their vital organs gaping open.[14: 42,43]

Hadith of the Day:
Visit the sick and follow the funeral processions, for these will remind you of the Hereafter.[Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Seek to keep the company of those who illumine one's inward and outward states with the light of their intimacy with the divine. [Shaykh Abul Abbas]

Guidance of the Day:
Know that this noble phrase has two halves. Firstly, there is a negation--"La ilaha (there is no deity)", and secondly there is an affirmation--"illa'Llah (except Allah)". When the negation is announced followed by the affirmation, this signifies that a Muslim has acknowledged and established Tawhid in his heart by means of this noble phrase, which is incompatible with, and negates, the greater polytheism, the presence of which invalidates the foundations of Faith.

Faith is strengthened by repeating it with the heart and the tongue. It is also incompatible and negates the lesser polytheism; namely ostentation in worship, the desire to gain eminence and power over other people, and all other actions in which one pays attention to the regard of others, and desires their praise and respect, and hopes for status in their eyes. The lesser polytheism does not invalidate the foundations of faith, upon which one's salvation depends, but simply renders it defective.

La ilaha illa'Llah destroys both the greater and lesser polytheism in whoever utters it with sincere faith and acts accordingly. The fact that La ilaha comes first means the heart is voided of these concealed things and these impurities. The subsequent affirmation of illa 'Llah adorns and fills up the heart with lights of Tawhid and faith. It is therefore not surprising that holding fast to and repeating dhikr brings about the purification of the heart, its cleansing from blemishes, and its illumination. Good deeds are reckoned in accordance with the number of repetitions of dhikr. If a person bears in mind that La ilaha ill' Llah is also a verse of the Quran and makes the intention to recite the Quran, together with doing the dhikr, he gains the reward for Quranic recitation also. [Prophetic Invocations]

Food for Thought:
A saint is not one who never fails, it is one who gets up and goes on every time he fails.

LESSON OF THE DAY 438

Ayahs of the Day:
My Lord, make me constant in prayer, and descendants of mine as well. Our Lord, please accept my cry. Our Lord, forgive me, and my parents, and the believers when the day of reckoning is observed. [14: 40,41]

Hadith of the Day:
Any Muslim who is beset with a calamity, a wound, or an illness will have his/her sins expiated. This is as true for the prick of a thorn as it is for an all-out disaster. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The one who longs for the world will be oppressed by it, whereas one who desires it not, rules over it thereby. [Abul Hasan Kharkhani]

Guidance of the Day:
La ilaha illa'Llah. A phrase sublime in its meaning, brief in its construction, vast in its effect, noble in its rank, brilliant in its light, and unique in its merit. it comprises four words upon which the Faith is founded and the qibla set. Through sound belief and certainty in its meaning, and by submission to it, one attains to faith (iman). But uttering it with sincerity, and truly acting in accordance with it, Islam results. By attaining both sound belief and submission to its authority there draws upon the heart the reality of Ihsan.

The two testimonies are powerfully effective in refining the self, creating rectitude of character, and reinforcing social ties. The testimony of La ilaha illa'Llah liberates the mind from illusions, and purifies souls from the dirt of polytheism, so that they rise up from the mire of devotion to other than God (Exalted is He!), and from the debasement inheres in worshipping idols. Hearts are united by it in the adoration of one God, and faces are united in facing the same qibla.The testimony of Muhammadun rasulu'Llah and belief in his message and His upright Book strengthen morality, reforms souls, and set an excellent example to be followed in all situations.

These two utterances are the believer's treasure and capital. and are the source of his happiness in this life and in the next. Similarly, through them there arise the consequences of following the Noblest Messenger, the Firmest Handhold, the Excellent Example, in every religious and worldly transaction, and in that which relates to what is good for one's daily life and one's abode in the After life, whether this relates to the heart or the body, the individual or the community. Around the pivot of these Two Testimonies revolves the well-being of the human race in both abodes. [Prophetic Invocations]

Food for Thought:
Help is always given to the human being; we are always surrounded by the help of God. The question is to realize it; when it is not known, it is not much use.

LESSON OF THE DAY 437

Eid Mubarak!

Ayah of the Day:
"Our Lord, You do indeed know what we conceal and what we reveal; and nothing on earth nor in the sky is hidden from God."[14: 38]

Hadith of the Day:
When a believer falls sick, Allah purifies him/her just as a furnace removes impurities from iron. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not hope for anything but God, and do not fear anything but your sin. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
We are all enjoined to ask Allah for a good conclusion to our lives (husn al khatima), since the most excellent life if concluded wrongly will be of no avail. The weakest moments in one's life is the moment of death and this is when one is most vulnerable to the action of the Devil, if one's faith is weak due to deviant beliefs, illusory attachments, sins, and so on, he may well succumb to the Satanic onslaught of the last moment and dies a kafir.

But he whose faith is strong, whose main attachment is to Allah and His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and whose behavior is, in the main in conforming with Shari'a, he will receive the support of the angels and men of Allah and be able to resist Devil's insidious attacks. [The Prophetic Invocations]

Food for Thought:
This life is a moment; fill it with obedience.

LESSON OF THE DAY 436

Ayahs of the Day:
And God subjected the sun and moon to you, both assiduous in their course, and subjected the night and day to you. And God has given you everything you asked for. Even if you calculated the favor of God, you could not reckon it. So the human being is very unjust and very ungrateful indeed. [14: 33, 34]

Hadith of the Day:
Allah will expiate the sins of a Muslim by means of the fatigue and the pain that beset him/her, by the anguish and the worry, and the affliction and the sorrow, and even the prick of a thorn. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
If God is with you, then what do you fear, and if God isn't with you, in what can you have hope? [Hasan al basri]

Guidance of the Day:
Praise belongs to Allah--means that all that happens in the universe happens according to the infinite mercy, wisdom, and grace of Allah. He is deserving of praise for everything in the universe whether, according to our perceptions, it is good or evil, for both are components of the total Divine plan, which is ultimately good, because it is willed by the Supreme God.

The implication of belief in Allah and the Last Day is that we are ever returning to Him, repenting to Him, and correcting both our inwards and outwards to conform to the pattern that will lead to security on the Last Day. Belief in the Last Day implies acknowledging that we must conform to the rulings of the Shari'a to reach that day in a hopeful state. [Prophetic Invocations]

Food for Thought:
That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character.

LESSON OF THE DAY 435

Ayah of the Day:
God is the One Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down water from the sky, bringing forth fruits thereby as provisions for you; and subjected ships to you that you may travel the sea by the Divine order, subjecting rivers to you too. [14: 32]

Hadith of the Day:
There are three prayers that are sure to be answered: the prayer of the oppressed, the prayer of the traveler, and the prayer of a father for his son. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Blessed are they:
Who have remembered their ultimate destination,
who have acted with due consideration,
who have been content with sufficiency,
and who have been pleased with God. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
When one asks for forgiveness and is granted, and then commits the same errors or sins again, he becomes as one who makes a mockery of Divine orders and prohibitions, thus deserving severe chastisement. But when one follows his request for forgiveness by repentance, then conversely, he rises in the sight of Allah and his evil deeds are converted in his book into good deeds.

Repentance consists of regretting the wrong one has committed, repairing it if it be concerned with another person's right, and forming a strong intention never to fall into the same error again, one should repeat the sequence of asking for forgiveness followed by repentance. When these are sincere, then even if one lapses a hundred times, Allah will forgive him a hundred times. [The Prophetic Invocations]

Food for Thought:
Life is but a dream we renew each day. It is up to us to infuse this dream with light, and to cultivate, as best as we are able, the ways and habits of love.

LESSON OF THE DAY 434

Ayah of the Day:
Speak to My devotees who believe so they will be constant in prayer and give of what We have provided them, secretly and openly, before there comes a day on which there is no barter and no friendship. [14: 31]

Hadith of the Day:
Beware of avarice, for verily it destroyed the people who were before you. They shed their own blood and severed relations. Injustice, on the Day of Judgment, will be darkness. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
When we follow our heart and conscience within the Quran's light and guidance, God may guide us to the enlightenment for which we are looking. [Fethullah Gulen]

Guidance of the Day:
Avoid the pitfall of pity when dealing with the elders. Too many people, under the guise of caring, patronize and demean the very old by treating them like children. They speak to them loudly, or as if they are simpletons. They interpret the elder's concern for the small details of life as a return to infantile. In actions and in manner they strip the elders of the very respect they claim to be giving them.

Such behavior holds up mirrors in which elders must see their infirmity, not mirrors in which they can see their humanity. True caring and respect serve the weakness, but mirror only the humanity and the strength. Caring and respect listen, laugh, and even challenge. They assume that the words and actions of the elders are to be taken seriously. Even in their infirmity, elders seek and value their dignity. They want, above all else, to feel that their lives are still valued, and that the world they made and the knowledge they gained are not being cast aside.

So love the elders. Honor them. Go to them with a pure heart, unblinded by notions of false reverence or obligation, and unaffected by self serving feelings of pity. Listen to them. Observe them like a far off country that you will someday visit, and learn the lessons that they have to teach. If you can honor and respect them, and allow them to share the fruits of their experience, however simple those fruits might be, you will gain a gift you can get no where else. You will gain the knowledge of your past, and the wisdom to understand your future. [Simple Truths]

Food for Thought:
It is the virtuous and the seeker of virtue who finds the company of virtuous. Keeping the company of bad people will lead to bad opinions of good people.

LESSON OF THE DAY 433

Ayahs of the Day:
Haven't you observed those who exchanged the favor of God for atheism and settled their people in the abode of ruin, hell, where they burn? What a miserable settlement! And they have fabricated idols for God, to distract from the path to God. Say, "Enjoy yourselves, for your journey is to the fire." [14: 28,29,30]

Hadith of the Day:
A pious character, a fine countenance, and moderation represent one of seventy parts of prophethood. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
I have seen nothing more conclusive to righteousness than solitude. He who is alone sees nothing but God, and if he sees nothing but God, nothing moves him but the will of God. [Dhun nun Misri]

Guidance of the Day:
Many old people are not pleasant. They are filled with themselves and their own concerns as are the very young. They ask you to think about their needs and feelings with little or no concern for yours. When you meet such elders, do not be blinded by their unpleasantness. Like young children, they are dependent on the world around them, and they very often fear the loss of their own importance.

They face the uncertainty of death and are often embittered that the world they worked so hard to create is being discarded by the generations now in power. Their bodies are giving out on them. They increasingly find themselves surrounded only by people their own age, because they know that the young would rather be apart from them. They often live in memories.

Look past these surface behaviors. Look to the person, not the infirmities and idiosyncrasies. When you are tired or ill, or full of anger or pain, you, too, may not be pleasant. For many elders these are the conditions of their lives. But beneath the surface of their actions is a level of insight that only age can teach. [Simple Truths by Kent Nerburn]

Food for Thought:
True independence and freedom can only exist in doing what's right. If you stick to any opinion long enough, it becomes respectable.

LESSON OF THE DAY 432

Ayahs of the Day:
And the simile for a vicious word is as a noxious plant unrooted on the surface of the earth with no stability to it. God will stabilize those who believe by the enduring word, in the life of the world, and in the hereafter. And God will leave the wrong doers astray, and God does what God wills. [14: 26,27]

Hadith of the Day:
Dismiss the stumblings of those whose reputations are good. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Faith rests on four pillars: patience, certitude, justice, and struggle. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Your heart is revealed by the way you treat elders. Like children, the elders are a burden. But unlike children, they offer no hope or promise. They are a weight and an encumbrance and a mirror of our own mortality. It takes a person of great heart to see past this fact to the wisdom elders have to offer, and to serve them out of gratitude for the life they have passed on to us.

Having gratitude for our elders is not easy in this culture. We have lost a feel for them. They are a sad, gray presence hidden behind clumsy phrases like "the elderly," "senior citizens," and retired persons." They are tolerated out of guilt, feared for the burden they represent, or shunted aside into irrelevance. They are not loved and honored and sought out for the wisdom that their years have given them. Even if theirs was the simplest, most limited, most ordinary of lives, the elders saw the world into which you have come. No other past generation is as close to yours; no other life so near in time. Their stories have the blood of your life running through them.

You will never be so near to the world that gave birth to you as you are when speaking to them. For that and that alone you should honor and revere them and give them your ear. You are bonded in time. But more than that, the elders offer a glimpse into your own future. They were you and you will be them. You carry the seeds of your old age in you at this very moment, and they hear the echoes of their younger years each time they are in your presence. Each touch you have with them makes you wiser in ways you cannot imagine. [Simple Truths by Kent Nerburn]

Food for Thought:
Always think of the power words have. Because everything you think and read will affect your actions. Therefore always be positive. Be deaf when people tell you that you cannot fulfill your dreams.

LESSON OF THE DAY 431

Ayahs of the Day:
Don't you see how God makes a simile in the form of a beneficial word, like a good tree with stable roots and its crown in the sky, it produces its fruits at all times, by permission of its Lord. And God presents similes to people so that they will think. [14: 24,25]

Hadith of the Day:
The hour will not come until people begin to compete to build the tallest structure. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Remember that enjoyments pass while consequences remain. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Tragedy and suffering will come to you. You cannot insulate yourself from them. They come in their own season and in their own time. When they come, they will overwhelm you and immobilize you. When all is going well, our world is a small, controlled experience bounded by our daily rituals and activities. When tragedy and suffering come swooping in, they shatter our tiny boundaries and break our world into pieces.

For a time we are living inside a scream where there seems to be no exit, only echoes. The small cares that seemed so important yesterday seem like nothing, and our daily concerns become petty and irrelevant. When we finally reclaim ourselves, as we ultimately do, we are changed. We have been carried into a larger realm where we see what is truly important, and it is our responsibility to carry that knowledge back into our daily lives. It is our chance to think life afresh.How you respond to tragedy and suffering is one true measure of your strength. You need to see those moments as moments of growth. You need to look upon them as gifts to help you reclaim what is important in your life.

The human being is surprisingly resilient organism. We impel toward health, not sickness. Your spirit, as surely your body, will try to heal. The question you must ask yourself is not if you will heal, but how. Grief and pain have their own duration, and when they begin to pass, you must take care to guide the shape of the new being you are to become. So do not fear tragedy and suffering. Like love, they make you more a part of the human family. From them can come your greatest creativity. They are the fire that burns you pure. [Simple Truths]

Du'a of the Week:
Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum! Bi-rahmatika as'taghisu wa min adhabika as'tajir. (O Living! O Sustainer! I call upon Your mercy for succor, and from Your chastisement I seek refuge).

Food for Thought:
Even the person who thinks twice before they speak is often sorry they said it. A clever person thinks of a witty retort in time to say it, but a cleverer person thinks of it in time not to say it.

LESSON OF THE DAY 430

Ayah of the Day:
But those who believed and did good works will be admitted to gardens with rivers that flow below, wherein they will abide, by leave of their Lord: their greeting there will be "Peace." [14: 23]

Hadith of the Day:
Allah is displeased with your conjecturing, with your asking an inordinate amount of questions, and with your wasting money. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The ways to God are as many as there are created beings. But the shortest and easiest is to serve others, not to bother others, and to make others happy. [Abu Sa'id]

Guidance of the Day:
We each have a different kind of strength. Some of us are able to persevere against hopeless odds. Some are able to see light in a world of darkness. Some are able to give selflessly and no thought of return, while others are able to bring a sense of importance into the hearts of those around them. But no matter how we exhibit strength, its truest measure is the calm and certain conviction with which it causes us to act. It is the ability to discern the path with heart, and follow it even when at the moment we might wish to be doing something else.

True strength is not about force, but about conviction. It lives at the center of belief where fear and uncertainty cannot gain a foothold. Its opposite is not cowardice and fear, but confusion, lack of clarity, and lack of intention. True strength does not require an adversary and does not see itself as noble or heroic. It simply does what it must without praise or need of recognition. A person who can quietly stay home and care for an ailing parent is as strong as a person who can climb a mountain. A person who can stand up for principle is as strong as a person who can fend off an army. They simply have quieter, less dramatic, kinds of strengths.

True strength does not magnify others' weaknesses. It makes others stronger. If someone's strength makes others feel weaker, it is merely domination, and that is no strength at all. Take care to find your own strength, Nurture it. Develop it. Share it with those around you. Let it become a light for those who are living in darkness. Remember, strength based in force is a strength people fear. Strength based on love is a strength people crave. [Simple Truths]

Food for Thought:
Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others. To exist is to change; to change is to mature; to mature is to create oneself endlessly.

LESSON OF THE DAY 429

Ayahs of the Day:
And Satan will say, when the matter is decided, "God actually pledged you the true promise; I also made you a promise, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you, except that I called to you and you responded to me. So don't blame me, but blame yourselves. I am not your savior. I repudiate your previous association of me with God; for the wrong doers there is a painful punishment." [14: 22]

Hadith of the Day:
There are three things that, if a person were to die without having done them, he/she will be forgiven everything else: associating others (in divinity) with Allah, sorcery, and harboring enmity for one's brother (or sister in faith). [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
It is harmful to avoid the thought of death. For no one can or will escape the sure and destined end that comes sooner or later to every mortal being. This meditation is therefore an essential necessity for every lover of God. [Shaykh Muzaffar Ozak]

Guidance of the Day:
Giving is a miracle that can transform the heaviest of hearts. Two people, who moments before lived in separate worlds of private concerns, suddenly meet each other over a simple act of sharing. The world expands, a moment of goodness is created, and something new comes into being where before there was nothing. Too often we are blind to this everyday miracle. We build our lives around accumulation--of money, of possessions, of status--as a way of protecting ourselves and our families from the vagaries of the world.

Many people tend to think of giving only in terms of grand gestures. They miss the simple opening of the heart that can be practiced anywhere with almost anyone. We can say hello to someone everybody ignores. We can offer to help a neighbor. We can buy a bouquet of flowers and take it to a nursing home, or spend an extra minute talking to someone who needs our time. We can take ten dollars out of our pocket and give it to someone on the street. No praise, no hushed tones of holy generosity. Just give, smile, and walk away.

If you perform these simple acts, little by little you will start to understand the miracle of giving. Before long you will discover that you have the power to create joy and happiness by your simplest gestures of caring and compassion. You will see that you have the power to unlock the goodness in other people's hearts by sharing the goodness in yours. And, most of all, you will find the other givers. No matter where you live or where you travel, whether you speak their language or know their names, you will know them by their small acts, and they will recognize you by yours. You will become part of the community of humanity that trusts and shares and dares to reveal the softness of its heart. Once you become a giver you will never be alone. [Simple Truths]

Food for Thought:
True giving is not an economic exchange, it is a generative act. It does not subtract from what we have; it multiplies the effect we can have in the world.

LESSON OF THE DAY 428

Ayah of the Day:
They will all go forth before God, and the weak will say to those who aggrandized themselves, "We were your followers; so can you help us at all against punishment from God?" They will say, "Had God guided us, we would have guided you. It is the same for us whether we get anxious or we are patient; there is no escape for us. [14: 21]

Hadith of the Day:
"Shall I tell you what is better for you than giving sadaqa or fasting? It is that you mend relations between people. Verily, hatred is a killer." [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Put aside your pride, set down your arrogance, and remember your grave. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Most of our possessions arrive in our lives almost by accident. Gradually, like falling snow, they accumulate around us until they form the basis for our identity. Unless we want to dedicate ourselves to some higher ascetic ideal, it will only make us obsessed with our own poverty, and neither the self absorbed poor nor the self absorbed rich are doing themselves or anyone else any good. We need to find a true measure for our possessions so we can free ourselves from their weight without denying them their potential for good.

We must always remember that possessions have no inherent value. They become what we make them. If they increase our capacity to give, they become good. If they increase our focus on ourselves and become standards by which we measure other people, they become bad. When we seek a possession, we should ask ourselves if it will make us better people, more able to share, more willing to give, more capable of doing good in our daily lives. Possessions that increase our own sense of self-importance are empty in comparison to those that help us contribute something of value to the world.

Keep in mind that possessions are as likely to make you unhappy as they are to make you happy, because they define the limits of your life and keep you from the freedom of choice that comes with traveling light upon earth. They are chameleons that change from fantasies into responsibilities once you hold them in your hand, because they take your eye from the heavens and rivet it squarely on the earth. Listen to the quieter wisdom that says you will value your possessions more if you have fewer of them, and that you will find deeper meaning in human sharing than in the accumulation of goods. [Simple Truths]

Food for Thought:
If you build up possessions just as the logical outcome of pursuing your desires, you will lose your wings to fly.

LESSON OF THE DAY 427

Ayahs of the Day:
Don't you see that God created the heavens and the earth properly? If God willed, God would remove you and bring a new creation. And that is not hard for God. [14: 19,20]

Hadith of the Day:
Beware of suspicion, for it leads to the least credible statements. Do not spy on one another, nor envy one another, nor compete with one another, nor conspire against one another. Rather, be slaves to Allah and brothers. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Faith in God will be firmly established if three veils are cast aside: feeling pleasure in possessing anything, lamenting over the loss of anything, and enjoying self praise. [Ibrahim ibn Adham]

Guidance of the Day:
Money tends to move away from those who try to hoard it, and toward those who share it. If you are a hoarder, you live with a locked vault in your heart. Nothing can get in, nothing can get out. If you are a sharer, you bring out the sharer in others. Then money moves freely. Money is like any other language through which people communicate.

People who speak the same language tend to find each other. If you are one whose money speaks of protection and hoarding, you will find yourself involved with others whose money speaks the same language. If your money speaks of sharing, you will find yourself among people who want their money to speak the language of sharing, and your world will be filled with possibility. Keep in mind that money comes and goes.

You must not be immobilized by the fear of losing it. Nothing should be worth to you more than its value in helping you live your life. No matter how you chose to deal with money, you need to keep one basic truth before you all the time: Money is no more than a commodity, an agreed upon abstraction of exchange. It is the spirit of that exchange that animates money and gives it meaning. Great givers, rich and poor, use money to bring light into this world. Great hoarders, rich and poor, use money to close doors between us all. Be a giver and a sharer. In some unexpected and unforeseeable fashion, all else will take care of itself. [Simple Truths]

Food for Thought:
If you fail in your exams, there is always a next year. If you lose your spouse, there can be a second marriage, but if you die, there is no second chance. This life is only one opportunity.