LESSON OF THE DAY 550

Ayah of the Day:
And lower the wing of humility to them (parents) out of compassion, and say, "My Lord, have mercy on them as they nurtured me when I was small." [17: 24]

Hadith of the Day:
The first virtue of this nation (ummah) is firm faith (yaqin) and abstinence (zuhd), and the first corruption of this nation is miserliness (bukhl) and vain hopes. [Bayhaqi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Love of this world and having long hpes is the evil to all evils. Having limited hopes is the key to the Hereafter. [Ibn al Qayyim]

Guidance of the Day:
Abstinence: Abstinence (zuhd) is to refrain from an object of desire in the pursuit of a nobler objective--refraining from the desire of the world and pursuing the desire of the Hereafter. The basis of abstinence is the light and knowledge that Allah Most High inspires in the heart of man. As a result, his breast expands and he realizes with clarity that the world with all that is in it is more contemptible than the wing of a fly and that only the Hereafter is noble and everlasting. When this light is acquired, the worthlessness of the world fully dawns upon man. The effect of abstinence is the attainment of contentment upon the acquisition of the bare necessities of life. Thus the abstinent (zahid) is satisfied with the bare necessities in the same way as the traveler is satisfied with the necessities that he takes along on his journey.

Abstinence is not abstention from pleasures. Reduction of pleasures is a sufficient condition of abstinence. In other words, one should not be engrossed in pleasures. Constantly hankering after luxuries is contrary to abstinence. On the other hand, acquisition of luxuries, without undue effort and arrangement, is of the bounties of Allah Most High, for which thanksgiving must be offered. Along with granting comfort to the self, effort too should be imposed on it. In truth, gold and silver and the world with all its possessions, in the sight of one whose gaze is focused on Allah, are of no value. It is essential to sever one's hope from all things. He who is successful in this objective will attain tranquility because both heart and body find rest and peace in abstinence.

The manner in which to acquire abstinence is to meditate on the defects, harms, and ephemeral nature of the world, as well as to reflect on the benefits and the everlasting nature of the Hereafter. [The Path to Perfection]

Food for Thought:
Fear less, hope more;
Whine less, breathe more;
Talk less, say more;
Hate less, love more;
And all good things are yours.