LESSON OF THE DAY 483

Ayah of the Day:
We have in fact sent a messenger to every people, telling them to serve God and turn away from idols. Among them were those whom God guided, and among them were those who deserved to go wrong. So travel the earth and see how those who denied truth ended up. [16: 36]

Hadith of the Day:
On the Day of judgment, every relationship will appear before those who have them, and then the relationship will testify that it was maintained, if it was maintained, or that it was severed, if it was severed. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Only take as your companions those who have these four qualities: generosity even when they have little, willingness to pardon an offense committed against them, patient endurance in times of affliction, and contentment with God's decree for them. [Shaykh Abul Hasan Shadili]

Guidance of the Day:
Think of what you have instead of what you want. One of the most pervasive and destructive tendencies is that of focusing on what we want instead of what we have. It doesn't seem to make any difference how much we have; we just keep expanding our list of desires, which guarantees we will remain dissatisfied. The mind-set that says "I'll be happy when this desire is fulfilled" is the same mind-set that will repeat itself once that desire is met. If we don't get what we want we keep thinking about all that we don't have--and we remain dissatisfied.

If we do get what we want, we simply re-create the same thinking in our new circumstances. So, despite getting what we want, we still remain unhappy. Happiness can't be found when we are yearning for new desires.Luckily, there is a way to be happy. It involves changing the emphasis of our thinking from what we want to what we have. Each time you notice yourself falling into the "I wish life were different" trap, back off and start over. Take a breath and remember all that you have to be grateful for. When you focus not on what you want, but on what you have, you end up getting more of what you want anyway.

If you are grateful for your spouse he/she will be more loving. If you're grateful for your job, you'll do a better job, be more productive, and probably end up getting a raise anyway. If you focus on ways to enjoy yourself around home rather than waiting to enjoy yourself in Hawaii, you'll be in the habit of enjoying yourself. Make a note to yourself to start thinking more about what you have than what you want. If you do, your life will start appearing much better than before. For perhaps the first time in your life, you will know what it means to feel satisfied. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Du'a of the Week:
Ya Hayyu ya Qayyum, bi rahmatika astaghith. (O You, the Everlasting and All-Sustainer, persistently Do I invoke Your mercy).

Food for Thought:
Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep saying it.