Ayahs of the Day:
They ask you about the mountains; say, "My Lord will pulverize them to dust, leaving them to an empty plain where you will see no roundness, no rolling." [20: 105,106, 107]
Hadith of the Day:
The most beloved actions in the sight of Allah are the regular ones, even if they amount to little in quantity. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
It is common knowledge that good moral character does not develop suddenly. Nor does it become strong and firm in the beginning. It requires consistency and gradualness. And in strengthening it there come many stages. [Mohammad al Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
Remember that all you give out in charities and good deeds are like loans that will be paid back to you. Therefore when you are healthy and powerful, make use of your wealth and power in such a way that you get all back on the day when you will be poor and helpless: the Day of Judgment. Be it known that your passage lies through the dreadful valley of death, and the journey is extremely trying and arduous. Here a man with light weight is far better than an overburdened person, and one who can journey fast will pass through the valley more quickly than one whom encumberment forces to go slowly. You shall have to pass through this valley. The only way out of it is either in Heaven or in Hell; there is no other way out and no possibility of retracing your steps.
Therefore, it is wise to send your things beforehand, so that your good actions arrive before you; prearrange the place of your stay before you reach it, because after death there is no repentance and no possibility of coming back to this world to undo the wrong done by you. But while you are still alive He will accept your repentance and forgive you. He never grudges His forgiveness nor refuses His mercy; on the contrary He has decreed repentance as a virtue and pious deed. He has left the door of repentance open. He hears you when you call Him. He accepts your prayers whenever you pray to Him. [When you hear the hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Think like a man of action and act like a man of thought. The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts. Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action. It is by acts and not by ideas that people live. Good actions ennoble us, and we are the sons of our own deeds.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 644
Ayahs of the Day:
The day the trumpet is sounded, and We gather in the sinful that day, their eyes dim with fear. They will mutter to each other, "You stayed but ten days." We know best what they will say when the most exemplary of them in conduct says, "You stayed but a day!" [20: 102,103,104]
Hadith of the Day:
The most virtuous charity is that you satisfy a hungry stomach. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Allah guards the justice-loving government, even if it is the government of the infidels, and destroys the tyrant government, even if it is the government of Muslims. [Ibn Taimiyah]
Guidance of the Day:
Vanity and conceit are forms of folly, traits that will bring you serious harm and will be a constant source of danger to you. Lead a well-balanced life; neither be conceited nor suffer from the feeling that you are inferior, and exert yourself to earn an honest living. But do not act like a treasurer for somebody; do not be a miser who hoards what he earns. And whenever you receive guidance from your Lord to achieve the thing you desire, then do not be proud of your achievement but be humble and submissive to Him and realize that your success was due to His mercy and favor.
If you find around yourself poor, needy, and destitute people who are willing to carry your load as far as the Day of Judgment, then consider this to be a boon, engage them and pass your burden onto them. Distribute your wealth among the poor, destitute, and needy--help others to the best of your ability and be kind and sympathetic to human beings. Thus, relieve yourself of the heavy responsibility and liability of submitting an account on the day of reckoning of how you have made use of His favors of health, wealth, power, and position. Thus you may arrive at the end of your journey light and fresh, and may have enough provision for you there, reward for having done your duty to man and Allah in this world. Have as many weight carriers as you can and help as many people as you can, so that you may have them when you need them. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble. It is the height of absurdity to sow little but weeds in the first half of one's lifetime and expect to harvest a valuable crop in the second half.
The day the trumpet is sounded, and We gather in the sinful that day, their eyes dim with fear. They will mutter to each other, "You stayed but ten days." We know best what they will say when the most exemplary of them in conduct says, "You stayed but a day!" [20: 102,103,104]
Hadith of the Day:
The most virtuous charity is that you satisfy a hungry stomach. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Allah guards the justice-loving government, even if it is the government of the infidels, and destroys the tyrant government, even if it is the government of Muslims. [Ibn Taimiyah]
Guidance of the Day:
Vanity and conceit are forms of folly, traits that will bring you serious harm and will be a constant source of danger to you. Lead a well-balanced life; neither be conceited nor suffer from the feeling that you are inferior, and exert yourself to earn an honest living. But do not act like a treasurer for somebody; do not be a miser who hoards what he earns. And whenever you receive guidance from your Lord to achieve the thing you desire, then do not be proud of your achievement but be humble and submissive to Him and realize that your success was due to His mercy and favor.
If you find around yourself poor, needy, and destitute people who are willing to carry your load as far as the Day of Judgment, then consider this to be a boon, engage them and pass your burden onto them. Distribute your wealth among the poor, destitute, and needy--help others to the best of your ability and be kind and sympathetic to human beings. Thus, relieve yourself of the heavy responsibility and liability of submitting an account on the day of reckoning of how you have made use of His favors of health, wealth, power, and position. Thus you may arrive at the end of your journey light and fresh, and may have enough provision for you there, reward for having done your duty to man and Allah in this world. Have as many weight carriers as you can and help as many people as you can, so that you may have them when you need them. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble. It is the height of absurdity to sow little but weeds in the first half of one's lifetime and expect to harvest a valuable crop in the second half.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 643
Ayahs of the Day:
Thus do We relate to you accounts of what has happened before; for We have brought you a message from us. Whoever turns away from it will bear a burden on the day of resurrection, to be at it forever; and they will be miserably burdened on the day of resurrection. [20: 99,100,101]
Hadith of the Day:
Love of this world is the origin of all sin. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The path of Islam consists of shunning the company of the ignorant, keeping the company of ulama, practicing upon one's knowledge, and adoring Divine Reality. [Abu Yaqub bin Ishaq]
Guidance of the Day:
Allah has not ordered you to do anything but that which is good and propagates and distributes goodness, and He has not forbidden you anything but that which is bad and will bring about bad effects. As far as your behavior with others is concerned, let your "self," act as a scale to help you judge its goodness or wickedness. Do unto others as you wish others to do unto you. Whatever you like for your "self," like for others, and whatever you dislike happening to you, spare others from.
Do not oppress and tyrannize anyone, because you surely do not like to be oppressed and tyrannized. Be kind and sympathetic to others as you certainly desire others to treat you kindly and sympathetically. Whatever habits you find objectionable and loathsome in others, abstain from developing. If you are satisfied or feel happy to receive a certain kind of behavior from others, then behave with others in exactly the same way. Do not speak about them in a way that you do not like others to speak about you. Do not speak on a subject about which you know little or nothing, and if you want to speak at all about anything or about anyone, then avoid scandal, libel, and aspersion, for you would not like yourself to be scandalized and libeled. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Men are often capable of greater things than they perform. They are sent into the world with bills of credit, and seldom draw to their full extent. Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study. The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.
Thus do We relate to you accounts of what has happened before; for We have brought you a message from us. Whoever turns away from it will bear a burden on the day of resurrection, to be at it forever; and they will be miserably burdened on the day of resurrection. [20: 99,100,101]
Hadith of the Day:
Love of this world is the origin of all sin. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The path of Islam consists of shunning the company of the ignorant, keeping the company of ulama, practicing upon one's knowledge, and adoring Divine Reality. [Abu Yaqub bin Ishaq]
Guidance of the Day:
Allah has not ordered you to do anything but that which is good and propagates and distributes goodness, and He has not forbidden you anything but that which is bad and will bring about bad effects. As far as your behavior with others is concerned, let your "self," act as a scale to help you judge its goodness or wickedness. Do unto others as you wish others to do unto you. Whatever you like for your "self," like for others, and whatever you dislike happening to you, spare others from.
Do not oppress and tyrannize anyone, because you surely do not like to be oppressed and tyrannized. Be kind and sympathetic to others as you certainly desire others to treat you kindly and sympathetically. Whatever habits you find objectionable and loathsome in others, abstain from developing. If you are satisfied or feel happy to receive a certain kind of behavior from others, then behave with others in exactly the same way. Do not speak about them in a way that you do not like others to speak about you. Do not speak on a subject about which you know little or nothing, and if you want to speak at all about anything or about anyone, then avoid scandal, libel, and aspersion, for you would not like yourself to be scandalized and libeled. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Men are often capable of greater things than they perform. They are sent into the world with bills of credit, and seldom draw to their full extent. Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study. The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 642
Ayah of the Day:
Your only deity is God, other than which there is nothing that is worthy of worship. God comprehends all things in knowledge. [20: 98]
Hadith of the Day:
To seek lawful earnings is an obligatory duty following other obligatory duties. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
It is impossible to be victorious on the way of salvation, except by following Mustafa (peace and blessing be upon him). All ways are closed except the highway of Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him). [Sa'di Shirazi]
Guidance of the Day:
Develop patience against sufferings, calamities, and adversities. This virtue of patience is one of the high values of morality and nobility of character, and is the best habit that one can develop. Trust in Allah and let your mind seek His protection in every calamity and suffering. Because you will thus entrust yourself and your affairs to the Best Trustee and to the Mightiest Guardian.
Do not seek help and protection of anybody but Allah. Reserve your prayers, your requests, your solicitations, your supplications, and your entreaties for Him and Him alone. Because to grant, to give, to confer, and to bestow, as well as to withhold, to deprive, to refuse, and to debar lie in His and only His Power. Ask as much of His favors and seek as much of His guidance as you can.
Try to understand this advice, ponder it deeply, do not take it lightly and do not turn away from it. The best knowledge is that which benefits the listener. The knowledge that does not benefit anyone is useless and not worth learning or remembering. Remember that the Lord, who is the Master of death, is also the Master of life. The Creator is the Annihilator. And the One who annihilates has the power to bring everything back to existence again. The One who sends you calamities is the One who will bring you safely out of them. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world. An honest man is the noblest work of God. We must make the world honest before we can honestly say to our children that honesty is the best policy.
Your only deity is God, other than which there is nothing that is worthy of worship. God comprehends all things in knowledge. [20: 98]
Hadith of the Day:
To seek lawful earnings is an obligatory duty following other obligatory duties. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
It is impossible to be victorious on the way of salvation, except by following Mustafa (peace and blessing be upon him). All ways are closed except the highway of Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him). [Sa'di Shirazi]
Guidance of the Day:
Develop patience against sufferings, calamities, and adversities. This virtue of patience is one of the high values of morality and nobility of character, and is the best habit that one can develop. Trust in Allah and let your mind seek His protection in every calamity and suffering. Because you will thus entrust yourself and your affairs to the Best Trustee and to the Mightiest Guardian.
Do not seek help and protection of anybody but Allah. Reserve your prayers, your requests, your solicitations, your supplications, and your entreaties for Him and Him alone. Because to grant, to give, to confer, and to bestow, as well as to withhold, to deprive, to refuse, and to debar lie in His and only His Power. Ask as much of His favors and seek as much of His guidance as you can.
Try to understand this advice, ponder it deeply, do not take it lightly and do not turn away from it. The best knowledge is that which benefits the listener. The knowledge that does not benefit anyone is useless and not worth learning or remembering. Remember that the Lord, who is the Master of death, is also the Master of life. The Creator is the Annihilator. And the One who annihilates has the power to bring everything back to existence again. The One who sends you calamities is the One who will bring you safely out of them. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world. An honest man is the noblest work of God. We must make the world honest before we can honestly say to our children that honesty is the best policy.
Monday, September 25, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 641
Ayahs of the Day:
We created you from earth, and We will return you to it too; and We will bring you forth from it another time. We did show our signs to Pharaoh, all of them, but he disbelieved and disdained them. [20: 55,56]
Hadith of the Day:
What is little but sufficient is better than that which is abundant but causes heedlessness. [Ibn Habban]
Wise Quote of the Day:
To guard what you already possess is better than to ask and pray for what others possess. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Take care to provide well for your future abode. Do not lose eternal blessings for the sake of the pleasures of this mortal world. Do not talk about the things that you do not know. Do not speculate and pass judgment upon subjects that you are not in a position to form an opinion upon and are not called upon to do so. Give up when there is a possibility of you going astray. When there is danger of you wandering in the wilderness of ignorance and losing sight of the goal, it is better to give up the quest than to advance and face uncertain dangers and unforeseen risks.
Advise people to do good and to live virtuously, because you are fit to give such advice. Let your words and deeds teach the world lessons in how to abstain from wickedness and villainy. Try your best to stay away from those who indulge in vices and sins.
Fight, whenever required, to defend the cause of Allah. Do not be afraid that people will laugh at you, censure your action, or slander you. Fearlessly and boldly help truth and justice. Bear patiently the sufferings and face bravely the obstacles that come your way when you follow truth and try to uphold it. Adhere to the cause of truth and justice wherever you find it. Try to be well versed in Islamic law and theology and acquire a thorough knowledge of the canons of this religion. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed. The covetous man pines in plenty. The most pitiful human ailment is a birdseed heart.
We created you from earth, and We will return you to it too; and We will bring you forth from it another time. We did show our signs to Pharaoh, all of them, but he disbelieved and disdained them. [20: 55,56]
Hadith of the Day:
What is little but sufficient is better than that which is abundant but causes heedlessness. [Ibn Habban]
Wise Quote of the Day:
To guard what you already possess is better than to ask and pray for what others possess. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Take care to provide well for your future abode. Do not lose eternal blessings for the sake of the pleasures of this mortal world. Do not talk about the things that you do not know. Do not speculate and pass judgment upon subjects that you are not in a position to form an opinion upon and are not called upon to do so. Give up when there is a possibility of you going astray. When there is danger of you wandering in the wilderness of ignorance and losing sight of the goal, it is better to give up the quest than to advance and face uncertain dangers and unforeseen risks.
Advise people to do good and to live virtuously, because you are fit to give such advice. Let your words and deeds teach the world lessons in how to abstain from wickedness and villainy. Try your best to stay away from those who indulge in vices and sins.
Fight, whenever required, to defend the cause of Allah. Do not be afraid that people will laugh at you, censure your action, or slander you. Fearlessly and boldly help truth and justice. Bear patiently the sufferings and face bravely the obstacles that come your way when you follow truth and try to uphold it. Adhere to the cause of truth and justice wherever you find it. Try to be well versed in Islamic law and theology and acquire a thorough knowledge of the canons of this religion. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed. The covetous man pines in plenty. The most pitiful human ailment is a birdseed heart.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 640
Ayahs of the Day:
(Moses said), My Lord does not err, and does not forget. The One who has made the earth a cradle for you, and let you travel on it along roadways, and has sent down rain from sky. And we have sent forth thereby species of various plants. Eat, and pasture your livestock; therein are signs for those with reason. [20: 51,52,53]
Hadith of the Day:
The love for something blinds and deafens. [Abu Dawud, Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not introduce ridiculous topics in your talk even if you have to repeat sayings of others. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
We have to listen to those who have a greater understanding of life when they tell us how to live. If not, often our choices can turn into a snake and even sometimes kill us. The ones who do not learn from the lessons of others become lessons for others.
Our rope to Allah is prayer. To love your spouse is a prayer....... it makes a heart feel good.
To help humanity is a prayer.
To help the poor is the prayer of the money.
To prostrate oneself before Allah is the prayer of the body.
To say La ilaha illa Allah is the prayer of the mouth.
To love Allah is the prayer of the heart.
To look and see lessons in everything is the prayer of the eye.
To listen only to the truth and act accordingly is the prayer of the ear.
As long you have faith in your heart, whatever you do is prayer.
Prayer will neutralize the masks you have worn and poisons you have taken to get you through life.
Work as if you will live forever and pray as if you will die tomorrow. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Man is his worst enemy. Five great enemies to peace inhabit with us: i.e., avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride. If those enemies were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.
(Moses said), My Lord does not err, and does not forget. The One who has made the earth a cradle for you, and let you travel on it along roadways, and has sent down rain from sky. And we have sent forth thereby species of various plants. Eat, and pasture your livestock; therein are signs for those with reason. [20: 51,52,53]
Hadith of the Day:
The love for something blinds and deafens. [Abu Dawud, Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not introduce ridiculous topics in your talk even if you have to repeat sayings of others. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
We have to listen to those who have a greater understanding of life when they tell us how to live. If not, often our choices can turn into a snake and even sometimes kill us. The ones who do not learn from the lessons of others become lessons for others.
Our rope to Allah is prayer. To love your spouse is a prayer....... it makes a heart feel good.
To help humanity is a prayer.
To help the poor is the prayer of the money.
To prostrate oneself before Allah is the prayer of the body.
To say La ilaha illa Allah is the prayer of the mouth.
To love Allah is the prayer of the heart.
To look and see lessons in everything is the prayer of the eye.
To listen only to the truth and act accordingly is the prayer of the ear.
As long you have faith in your heart, whatever you do is prayer.
Prayer will neutralize the masks you have worn and poisons you have taken to get you through life.
Work as if you will live forever and pray as if you will die tomorrow. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Man is his worst enemy. Five great enemies to peace inhabit with us: i.e., avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride. If those enemies were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.
Friday, September 22, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 639
Ayahs of the Day:
(Moses said) "We have brought you a sign from your Lord. And peace upon those who follow guidance. It has been revealed to us that agony is the lot of those who consider truth false and turn away. [20: 47,48]
Hadith of the Day:
To seek sacred knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim. [Ibn Majah]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Even if you studied for a hundred years and collected a thousand books, you would not be eligible for the mercy of God the Exalted except through action. [Imam Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
Words express what's in the heart. If you plant peppers you cannot expect to grow sugarcane. What you plant within the seedbed of your body is what you will grow. We don't know what to do with our leisure; it has become an affliction. The chief means of training the nafs, the ego, are fasting and little sleep. We should sleep little, eat little, and talk little. He who truly fasts is one who keeps his mind free from the poisoned food of base suggestions. It's not simply not eating at a prescribed time.
Islam is the means of finding joy in the heart when afflictions come. Each one of us suffers afflictions in one way or another. The lighted candle is like a true Muslim. It gets up at night with a light-filled face, pale countenance, a burning heart, weeping eye, and is wakeful. The Muslim who sleeps little and prays a lot to Allah finds that the sleep he thought he needed has become unnecessary. And the darknesses from within have been removed and replaced by Light. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
The steps you take today create the path you'll use tomorrow. Put aside all excuses and simply get the job done. What an important contribution and skill this would be to our lives---and throughout our lives.
(Moses said) "We have brought you a sign from your Lord. And peace upon those who follow guidance. It has been revealed to us that agony is the lot of those who consider truth false and turn away. [20: 47,48]
Hadith of the Day:
To seek sacred knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim. [Ibn Majah]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Even if you studied for a hundred years and collected a thousand books, you would not be eligible for the mercy of God the Exalted except through action. [Imam Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
Words express what's in the heart. If you plant peppers you cannot expect to grow sugarcane. What you plant within the seedbed of your body is what you will grow. We don't know what to do with our leisure; it has become an affliction. The chief means of training the nafs, the ego, are fasting and little sleep. We should sleep little, eat little, and talk little. He who truly fasts is one who keeps his mind free from the poisoned food of base suggestions. It's not simply not eating at a prescribed time.
Islam is the means of finding joy in the heart when afflictions come. Each one of us suffers afflictions in one way or another. The lighted candle is like a true Muslim. It gets up at night with a light-filled face, pale countenance, a burning heart, weeping eye, and is wakeful. The Muslim who sleeps little and prays a lot to Allah finds that the sleep he thought he needed has become unnecessary. And the darknesses from within have been removed and replaced by Light. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
The steps you take today create the path you'll use tomorrow. Put aside all excuses and simply get the job done. What an important contribution and skill this would be to our lives---and throughout our lives.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 638
Ayahs of the Day:
My Lord, expand my heart for me, and ease my task for me, and untie the knot in my tongue that they may understand my speech. And give me a counselor from my family. [20: 25 to 29]
Hadith of the Day:
Traveling involves a degree of punishment; it deprives one of his sleep. food, and drink. Therefore, when one has accomplished his purpose at his destination, he should hurry back to his family. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whoever proposes to the world, then the world would not be satisfied until he gave up his Deen as dowry. [Malik bin Dinar]
Guidance of the Day:
There are two important things to remember, and all the great scholars will tell us about this. That is to Remember Allah; and to remember our death. Death as a symbol and in reality is a reminder that we are passing through this space, that is life, in the form as we know it, is finite. That all things we regard as precious, and all that we spend our time coveting and collecting, we will one day have to give them up.
It's important to be aware that one day we are going to die. If we are aware of this, then we are also aware of Allah as our Creator. Then we have achieved an awareness of death devoid of fear. Awareness that this life can be used as a preparation, a place to do work and prepare for the other life, which is promised in the Qur'an by Allah. One day, when we are placed in the grave, when none of our friends and loved ones can come with us, when none of our possessions can follow us, the only things that will be there to help us are our good actions.
We don't know the time of our own death. This is a great gift from Allah. Because if we knew when we would die, we would stop building, we would stop working. We wouldn't place one stone on top of another. So unawareness in this case is a benefit. [When you hear hoof beats think of zebra]
Food for Thought:
Death---the last sleep? No, it is the final awakening.
Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives.
Good men must die, but death cannot kill their name.
My Lord, expand my heart for me, and ease my task for me, and untie the knot in my tongue that they may understand my speech. And give me a counselor from my family. [20: 25 to 29]
Hadith of the Day:
Traveling involves a degree of punishment; it deprives one of his sleep. food, and drink. Therefore, when one has accomplished his purpose at his destination, he should hurry back to his family. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whoever proposes to the world, then the world would not be satisfied until he gave up his Deen as dowry. [Malik bin Dinar]
Guidance of the Day:
There are two important things to remember, and all the great scholars will tell us about this. That is to Remember Allah; and to remember our death. Death as a symbol and in reality is a reminder that we are passing through this space, that is life, in the form as we know it, is finite. That all things we regard as precious, and all that we spend our time coveting and collecting, we will one day have to give them up.
It's important to be aware that one day we are going to die. If we are aware of this, then we are also aware of Allah as our Creator. Then we have achieved an awareness of death devoid of fear. Awareness that this life can be used as a preparation, a place to do work and prepare for the other life, which is promised in the Qur'an by Allah. One day, when we are placed in the grave, when none of our friends and loved ones can come with us, when none of our possessions can follow us, the only things that will be there to help us are our good actions.
We don't know the time of our own death. This is a great gift from Allah. Because if we knew when we would die, we would stop building, we would stop working. We wouldn't place one stone on top of another. So unawareness in this case is a benefit. [When you hear hoof beats think of zebra]
Food for Thought:
Death---the last sleep? No, it is the final awakening.
Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives.
Good men must die, but death cannot kill their name.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 637
Ayahs of the Day:
I am the God; there is no deity but Me; and serve Me, and practice prayer and remember Me. For the end of time is coming, but I plan to conceal it, so that every soul be rewarded for its effort. So do not let anyone who disbelieves in it and follows his own desires alienate you from it, for you would be destroyed. [20: 12 to 16]
Hadith of the Day:
Believers are like a single person; if his eye is in pain his whole body pains, and if his head is in pain his whole body pains. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The best of which that gives life to the heart is the recitation of the Quran when accompanied with deep reflection. [Shaykh Fadl]
Guidance of the Day:
When one's heart becomes pure, then the sign of Allah is written upon our being. We want the pleasure of being close to Allah. But we don't want to go through the process of getting there. We want to love Allah without loving His creation. We want Allah to accept our love when we don't love those He created. If we want to know Allah, we can know Him through His creation.
How can we light the torch of faith in our hearts? With inspiration. We can make no action without its being preceded by inspiration. If we have an inspiration, it leads to a desire, and that desire will create an action. And how are we inspired? Obviously we are not inspired by a life vicariously lived while attached to video screens. We are involved with too much television and too much useless conversation. When these take over our lives, it leaves no time to do real work.
We can be inspired by reading the holy books sent down by Allah and by reading the books of the masters. We can be inspired by those around us who remind us of Allah. How often do we find ourselves in our car, and walking down a street with a friend, and we allow the precious time to slip away. We don't remind each other of Allah enough. We should occupy ourselves with that which will bring us honor, for a man's good or bad habits are the only means whereby his contemporaries know him. The day of a prudent man begins at night. He eats little,sleeps little, and talks little. These are his protections. Associate with such a person whose sight wakes up the remembrance of God in you. And who does not instruct by words but by his example makes you perfect in your spiritual practice. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Everything is predictable. Yet, we have no idea what will happen. That is the curious paradox of our world. We all know we are going to die. But none of us knows just how or when or where.
I am the God; there is no deity but Me; and serve Me, and practice prayer and remember Me. For the end of time is coming, but I plan to conceal it, so that every soul be rewarded for its effort. So do not let anyone who disbelieves in it and follows his own desires alienate you from it, for you would be destroyed. [20: 12 to 16]
Hadith of the Day:
Believers are like a single person; if his eye is in pain his whole body pains, and if his head is in pain his whole body pains. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The best of which that gives life to the heart is the recitation of the Quran when accompanied with deep reflection. [Shaykh Fadl]
Guidance of the Day:
When one's heart becomes pure, then the sign of Allah is written upon our being. We want the pleasure of being close to Allah. But we don't want to go through the process of getting there. We want to love Allah without loving His creation. We want Allah to accept our love when we don't love those He created. If we want to know Allah, we can know Him through His creation.
How can we light the torch of faith in our hearts? With inspiration. We can make no action without its being preceded by inspiration. If we have an inspiration, it leads to a desire, and that desire will create an action. And how are we inspired? Obviously we are not inspired by a life vicariously lived while attached to video screens. We are involved with too much television and too much useless conversation. When these take over our lives, it leaves no time to do real work.
We can be inspired by reading the holy books sent down by Allah and by reading the books of the masters. We can be inspired by those around us who remind us of Allah. How often do we find ourselves in our car, and walking down a street with a friend, and we allow the precious time to slip away. We don't remind each other of Allah enough. We should occupy ourselves with that which will bring us honor, for a man's good or bad habits are the only means whereby his contemporaries know him. The day of a prudent man begins at night. He eats little,sleeps little, and talks little. These are his protections. Associate with such a person whose sight wakes up the remembrance of God in you. And who does not instruct by words but by his example makes you perfect in your spiritual practice. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Everything is predictable. Yet, we have no idea what will happen. That is the curious paradox of our world. We all know we are going to die. But none of us knows just how or when or where.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 636
Ayahs of the Day:
The Benevolent One, sitting firmly on the Throne, to Whom belongs what is in the heavens and what is on earth and what is in between, and what is under the ground. And if you proclaim the word, God knows the secret and the most hidden. God---there is no deity! The most beautiful names pertain to God. [20: 5 to 8]
Hadith of the Day:
A believer is a mirror for a believer, and a believer is the brother of a believer; he safeguards him from destruction and protects him in his absence. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Adherence to the sunna, increase in one's worship and obedience to the sacred law are all signs of intimacy with the Divine. [Ibrahim bin Dawud al Warqi]
Guidance of the Day:
How we use our words affects not only us. It affects other people. We can transfer our anger to another person and can receive someone else's anger. We have to be selective and understand what we give to someone, how much and in what way. If you continue to nourish the pain or loneliness or anger that you have, eventually you will have to give it a room in your house. It will then occupy a space within you. The Muslims use the broom of la, of no, to sweep out these things from the heart. Muslims live according to the conditions, precepts, and conduct that were brought to them by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
If you allow room in your house for sorrow, laziness, and deceit, these will eventually take over your life, and it will be more difficult to find space for joy, happiness, and bliss. Mawlana Rumi tells us that the grace of Allah bestows a throat on all things. The earth has a throat, and it drinks the water that's sent from the sky and becomes nourished, and in turn gives off plants and herbs. Animals have a throat to eat these plants and herbs and to be nourished by them. Man has a throat, and he eats the animals. The faith that Allah has given us as a gift is a throat that consumes all the vanities and fancies of man. It's like the staff of Moses that ate the snake of the Pharaoh. Within us we have the equivalent of the staff of Moses. We have a faith that can devour the Pharaoh's snake within us. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Remembrance of the people is a disease, and the remembrance of Allah is the cure. Yet how strange it is that we hasten to the disease and not to the cure!
The Benevolent One, sitting firmly on the Throne, to Whom belongs what is in the heavens and what is on earth and what is in between, and what is under the ground. And if you proclaim the word, God knows the secret and the most hidden. God---there is no deity! The most beautiful names pertain to God. [20: 5 to 8]
Hadith of the Day:
A believer is a mirror for a believer, and a believer is the brother of a believer; he safeguards him from destruction and protects him in his absence. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Adherence to the sunna, increase in one's worship and obedience to the sacred law are all signs of intimacy with the Divine. [Ibrahim bin Dawud al Warqi]
Guidance of the Day:
How we use our words affects not only us. It affects other people. We can transfer our anger to another person and can receive someone else's anger. We have to be selective and understand what we give to someone, how much and in what way. If you continue to nourish the pain or loneliness or anger that you have, eventually you will have to give it a room in your house. It will then occupy a space within you. The Muslims use the broom of la, of no, to sweep out these things from the heart. Muslims live according to the conditions, precepts, and conduct that were brought to them by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
If you allow room in your house for sorrow, laziness, and deceit, these will eventually take over your life, and it will be more difficult to find space for joy, happiness, and bliss. Mawlana Rumi tells us that the grace of Allah bestows a throat on all things. The earth has a throat, and it drinks the water that's sent from the sky and becomes nourished, and in turn gives off plants and herbs. Animals have a throat to eat these plants and herbs and to be nourished by them. Man has a throat, and he eats the animals. The faith that Allah has given us as a gift is a throat that consumes all the vanities and fancies of man. It's like the staff of Moses that ate the snake of the Pharaoh. Within us we have the equivalent of the staff of Moses. We have a faith that can devour the Pharaoh's snake within us. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Remembrance of the people is a disease, and the remembrance of Allah is the cure. Yet how strange it is that we hasten to the disease and not to the cure!
Monday, September 18, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 635
Ayahs of the Day:
We did not reveal the Recital to you that you should be distressed, but as a reminder for the wary, a revelation from the One who created the earth and the heavens on high. [20:1 to 4]
Hadith of the Day:
The burden of proof is on the accuser and the swearing the oath is on the one accused. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Treat the members of your family with love and respect, because they act as wings with which you fly, and as hands that support you and fight for you. They are people toward whom you turn when in trouble and in need. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Human beings have the opportunity and the possibility to become real human beings both internally and externally. If we reflect, why we are here? What is the purpose in this life? We didn't ask to come here. We find ourselves here. These are questions that we could ask throughout our lives, and many people have asked them with great confusion.
Allah said, "I was a hidden treasure, and I wished to be known. So I created man in order to be known." In this statement, Allah says that He has given us the possibility, the potential, the guidance and the support that we need to know Him. Man can know Allah. It is our purpose in life to have faith, to worship, and to love Him. And also to fear Him. Although He is all-merciful and most forgiving. He can be feared. The mouse fears the cat, not the lion. The man of the world fears the policeman, not Allah. Allah is too great.
We have come to a place of understanding in order to know our love and our fears. We are under the protection of Allah. This world, this life is a place we are just passing through. We have to learn to serve one another. Service is the heart of Islam. You must want more for your brother than you want for yourself, and, more important, before you want it for yourself. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
What do we live for if it is not to make life less difficult for each other. Very few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts. When you are committed to helping others---and you persevere steadfastly---miracles really do occur.
We did not reveal the Recital to you that you should be distressed, but as a reminder for the wary, a revelation from the One who created the earth and the heavens on high. [20:1 to 4]
Hadith of the Day:
The burden of proof is on the accuser and the swearing the oath is on the one accused. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Treat the members of your family with love and respect, because they act as wings with which you fly, and as hands that support you and fight for you. They are people toward whom you turn when in trouble and in need. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Human beings have the opportunity and the possibility to become real human beings both internally and externally. If we reflect, why we are here? What is the purpose in this life? We didn't ask to come here. We find ourselves here. These are questions that we could ask throughout our lives, and many people have asked them with great confusion.
Allah said, "I was a hidden treasure, and I wished to be known. So I created man in order to be known." In this statement, Allah says that He has given us the possibility, the potential, the guidance and the support that we need to know Him. Man can know Allah. It is our purpose in life to have faith, to worship, and to love Him. And also to fear Him. Although He is all-merciful and most forgiving. He can be feared. The mouse fears the cat, not the lion. The man of the world fears the policeman, not Allah. Allah is too great.
We have come to a place of understanding in order to know our love and our fears. We are under the protection of Allah. This world, this life is a place we are just passing through. We have to learn to serve one another. Service is the heart of Islam. You must want more for your brother than you want for yourself, and, more important, before you want it for yourself. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
What do we live for if it is not to make life less difficult for each other. Very few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts. When you are committed to helping others---and you persevere steadfastly---miracles really do occur.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 634
Ayah of the Day:
And how many generations have we annihilated before them----do you see a single one of them, or hear a whisper of them? [19: 98]
Hadith of the Day:
A (true) emigrant is he who abandons all wrongs and sins. [Ahmad, Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The actions of those who misinterpret the actions of their believing brothers are also misinterpreted, and they suffer the punishment in it. [Badiuzzaman Sa'id Nursi]
Guidance of the Day:
If we look for a rose without thorns, we'll have a problem. Allah put thorns on the stem to protect the rose. With beauty there is always pain. But this life cannot be an endless fulfillment of joy. If we have faith in Allah, then whatever afflictions come to us, we will not be affected by them, we will not nourish them with our attention. If we are feeling lonely, and we feed that loneliness with our attention, it will grow. Faith in Allah is an inoculation against loneliness.
Allah loves each one of us. Allah has created us. We are not here by accident. This world is a perfect design. If we can see it. If we can see ourselves and our surroundings. A vast sky held up by no pillars. A carpet of earth that gives us all the food and fruit and nourishment we need to live. Animals of every species. Some that we can ride, some that we can eat, some that can help us in our work. They have specific duties. You can't tie a lion to a cart.
They have all been placed here as a means for us to see our inner natures. Just because we are dressed like human beings does not exempt us from having animal tendencies. The mouse in us that steals a little bit from here and there. The vain peacock that grooms himself all the time. The sly fox. The stubborn donkey that closes his ear to the Name of Allah. The scorpion that stings. These are all in us. Human beings have the opportunity and the possibility not only to brush all that away but to become real human beings both internally and externally. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Love, true love, is that which can give the most without asking or demanding anything in return. The value of life is not dependent upon the length of time on this earth, but rather on the amount of love given and shared during the time, that we have.
And how many generations have we annihilated before them----do you see a single one of them, or hear a whisper of them? [19: 98]
Hadith of the Day:
A (true) emigrant is he who abandons all wrongs and sins. [Ahmad, Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The actions of those who misinterpret the actions of their believing brothers are also misinterpreted, and they suffer the punishment in it. [Badiuzzaman Sa'id Nursi]
Guidance of the Day:
If we look for a rose without thorns, we'll have a problem. Allah put thorns on the stem to protect the rose. With beauty there is always pain. But this life cannot be an endless fulfillment of joy. If we have faith in Allah, then whatever afflictions come to us, we will not be affected by them, we will not nourish them with our attention. If we are feeling lonely, and we feed that loneliness with our attention, it will grow. Faith in Allah is an inoculation against loneliness.
Allah loves each one of us. Allah has created us. We are not here by accident. This world is a perfect design. If we can see it. If we can see ourselves and our surroundings. A vast sky held up by no pillars. A carpet of earth that gives us all the food and fruit and nourishment we need to live. Animals of every species. Some that we can ride, some that we can eat, some that can help us in our work. They have specific duties. You can't tie a lion to a cart.
They have all been placed here as a means for us to see our inner natures. Just because we are dressed like human beings does not exempt us from having animal tendencies. The mouse in us that steals a little bit from here and there. The vain peacock that grooms himself all the time. The sly fox. The stubborn donkey that closes his ear to the Name of Allah. The scorpion that stings. These are all in us. Human beings have the opportunity and the possibility not only to brush all that away but to become real human beings both internally and externally. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Love, true love, is that which can give the most without asking or demanding anything in return. The value of life is not dependent upon the length of time on this earth, but rather on the amount of love given and shared during the time, that we have.
Friday, September 15, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 633
Ayah of the Day:
We have simply made it (the Quran) easy, in your own language, for you to give good news to the conscientious thereby, and for you to give warning to contentious people thereby. [19: 97]
Hadith of the Day:
A (true) warrior is one who exerts himself in obedience to Allah. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Doing good for a good done to you is simply repayment, whereas doing good for an evil done to you is a tremendous virtue. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Beginning of knowledge is patience. A quality that would be good for everyone to acquire. Patience is a staff you can lean on. Allah is pleased with those who are patient. Within all of us we have the staff of Moses. We also have the staff that turned into the snake. Within us we have Moses as well as Pharaoh. Let Moses be the one who is victorious within us.
Within Islam there's something called adab, proper spiritual conduct. There's adab for the noble. There is adab for the sheikh, for the spiritual guide. But adab, spiritual courtesy, is never complete until you complete the adab toward yourself. For true adab is spiritual consciousness.
Loyalty and friendship go together. We have to know how to be friends. We wish to know Allah, but we don't know ourselves. We must begin to see in a way that we can learn about ourselves. Learn about this blessing that Allah has given us. Because we are, each of us, a blessing. Allah has placed a part of His Beauty in each one of us. And what He has not given to one person, He's given to another. We have to learn to read the book of ourselves. What does this book tell us? Can we not see the miracle that we are? See that Allah has not given these gifts to any other creature in the world? [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from it. The best use of life is to spend for something that outlasts life. Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think. Do not take life too seriously; you will never get out of it alive.
We have simply made it (the Quran) easy, in your own language, for you to give good news to the conscientious thereby, and for you to give warning to contentious people thereby. [19: 97]
Hadith of the Day:
A (true) warrior is one who exerts himself in obedience to Allah. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Doing good for a good done to you is simply repayment, whereas doing good for an evil done to you is a tremendous virtue. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Beginning of knowledge is patience. A quality that would be good for everyone to acquire. Patience is a staff you can lean on. Allah is pleased with those who are patient. Within all of us we have the staff of Moses. We also have the staff that turned into the snake. Within us we have Moses as well as Pharaoh. Let Moses be the one who is victorious within us.
Within Islam there's something called adab, proper spiritual conduct. There's adab for the noble. There is adab for the sheikh, for the spiritual guide. But adab, spiritual courtesy, is never complete until you complete the adab toward yourself. For true adab is spiritual consciousness.
Loyalty and friendship go together. We have to know how to be friends. We wish to know Allah, but we don't know ourselves. We must begin to see in a way that we can learn about ourselves. Learn about this blessing that Allah has given us. Because we are, each of us, a blessing. Allah has placed a part of His Beauty in each one of us. And what He has not given to one person, He's given to another. We have to learn to read the book of ourselves. What does this book tell us? Can we not see the miracle that we are? See that Allah has not given these gifts to any other creature in the world? [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from it. The best use of life is to spend for something that outlasts life. Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think. Do not take life too seriously; you will never get out of it alive.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 632
Ayah of the Day:
It is not appropriate for the Benevolent One to beget a son: it is only a servant that every being in the heavens and on earth, without exception, comes to the Benevolent One, Who has counted and numbered them; and to whom each of them will come alone on the Day of Resurrection. As for those who believed and acted with integrity, the Benevolent One will give them love. [19: 92 to 96]
Hadith of the Day:
A (true) believer is he whom people trust with their lives and possessions. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Know that it is with ilm (knowledge) that you must speak, and that it is with hilm (forbearance) that you must remain silent. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
We all live together at the same time on the same planet and all have the same problems whether we are rich or poor. We can laugh today and be sad tomorrow. One day tender hands caress and soothe our head, while on another day we may have a headache. All of life is a weaning process. The infant must be weaned from the breast that at one time gave it its complete nourishment. Then at another time it becomes a barrier to the hundreds of different tastes of food. So the child must be weaned. We must wean ourselves little by little. Wean those things out of our lives that are no longer useful. That have become meaningless. That have become like toys in our lives.
In each stage of our life there are things that may be good, but we must let go of them in order to gain and benefit from new foods that wait to nourish us. As an embryo, our nourishment was blood. Then it became milk, and then we took solid food. At the point we wean ourselves from solid food, we become interested in the hidden game. For us, the hidden game is Islam---submission to our Creator and helping His creation. Desire for this world closes the ear and self-interest closes the eye. Physical life is short, but the essence of life is long. What we need in this life is patience and resolve to live in accordance with the commandments of the Creator. And that is the supreme success. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
One has to be careful when having a direct and lasting effect on another person's negative emotions. An agreement may appear to be the most caring and loyal means of help, but in reality, it can work to the contrary as you reinforce the negative feelings.
It is not appropriate for the Benevolent One to beget a son: it is only a servant that every being in the heavens and on earth, without exception, comes to the Benevolent One, Who has counted and numbered them; and to whom each of them will come alone on the Day of Resurrection. As for those who believed and acted with integrity, the Benevolent One will give them love. [19: 92 to 96]
Hadith of the Day:
A (true) believer is he whom people trust with their lives and possessions. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Know that it is with ilm (knowledge) that you must speak, and that it is with hilm (forbearance) that you must remain silent. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
We all live together at the same time on the same planet and all have the same problems whether we are rich or poor. We can laugh today and be sad tomorrow. One day tender hands caress and soothe our head, while on another day we may have a headache. All of life is a weaning process. The infant must be weaned from the breast that at one time gave it its complete nourishment. Then at another time it becomes a barrier to the hundreds of different tastes of food. So the child must be weaned. We must wean ourselves little by little. Wean those things out of our lives that are no longer useful. That have become meaningless. That have become like toys in our lives.
In each stage of our life there are things that may be good, but we must let go of them in order to gain and benefit from new foods that wait to nourish us. As an embryo, our nourishment was blood. Then it became milk, and then we took solid food. At the point we wean ourselves from solid food, we become interested in the hidden game. For us, the hidden game is Islam---submission to our Creator and helping His creation. Desire for this world closes the ear and self-interest closes the eye. Physical life is short, but the essence of life is long. What we need in this life is patience and resolve to live in accordance with the commandments of the Creator. And that is the supreme success. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
One has to be careful when having a direct and lasting effect on another person's negative emotions. An agreement may appear to be the most caring and loyal means of help, but in reality, it can work to the contrary as you reinforce the negative feelings.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 631
Ayah of the Day:
They say, "The Benevolent One has begotten a son." You have certainly come up with a terrible thing! The skies are nearly rent asunder from it, the earth nearly splits, and the mountains nearly crumble, that they should assign a son to the Benevolent One: [19: 88, 89, 90]
Hadith of the Day:
A (true) Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand other believers remain safe. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The wise attain honor through their humbleness, whereas the fool bears humiliation through his haughtiness. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
The hidden game is the road back to Allah. It is the understanding of where we came from, where we are, and where we are going. Faith in Allah is an inoculation against the pain and disease of the world. Faith in Allah is a protective cloak. Faith in Allah is a gift. As we can see, in the world around us, not everyone realizes that this gift is available nor do they accept it. Everything good is a gift from Allah, and everything bad is a misuse of that gift.
The life Allah gave us should be measured in breaths, not in years. Because from infancy to old age, we learn, and we mature. We believe that as we grow older we have more understanding. This is not necessarily so. If we can understand that with every breath, our life is lessened, then our life acquires an immediacy. The heart should grow and come to perfection, because the heart is the subtle entity and essence that takes in all impressions. This is how we learn, understand, and gain knowledge. The heart is the learning ground.
Anyone who taints or teaches bad things to the heart of a child, which is like a jewel, will one day have to answer to Allah. For it's the heart of a child that imitates the hearts of those around him. And there's an enormous responsibility to having a child near you. For that child is going to imitate not only your actions, but even the subtlety of your feelings. And that responsibility will be questioned. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Wealth and want equally harden the human heart. The head learns new things, but the heart forever more practices old experiences. Two things are bad for the heart----running up stairs and running down people.
They say, "The Benevolent One has begotten a son." You have certainly come up with a terrible thing! The skies are nearly rent asunder from it, the earth nearly splits, and the mountains nearly crumble, that they should assign a son to the Benevolent One: [19: 88, 89, 90]
Hadith of the Day:
A (true) Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand other believers remain safe. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The wise attain honor through their humbleness, whereas the fool bears humiliation through his haughtiness. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
The hidden game is the road back to Allah. It is the understanding of where we came from, where we are, and where we are going. Faith in Allah is an inoculation against the pain and disease of the world. Faith in Allah is a protective cloak. Faith in Allah is a gift. As we can see, in the world around us, not everyone realizes that this gift is available nor do they accept it. Everything good is a gift from Allah, and everything bad is a misuse of that gift.
The life Allah gave us should be measured in breaths, not in years. Because from infancy to old age, we learn, and we mature. We believe that as we grow older we have more understanding. This is not necessarily so. If we can understand that with every breath, our life is lessened, then our life acquires an immediacy. The heart should grow and come to perfection, because the heart is the subtle entity and essence that takes in all impressions. This is how we learn, understand, and gain knowledge. The heart is the learning ground.
Anyone who taints or teaches bad things to the heart of a child, which is like a jewel, will one day have to answer to Allah. For it's the heart of a child that imitates the hearts of those around him. And there's an enormous responsibility to having a child near you. For that child is going to imitate not only your actions, but even the subtlety of your feelings. And that responsibility will be questioned. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Wealth and want equally harden the human heart. The head learns new things, but the heart forever more practices old experiences. Two things are bad for the heart----running up stairs and running down people.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 630
Ayahs of the Day:
One day We will gather the conscientious to the Benevolent One, like an embassy to a royal court. And We will herd the sinners into hell, like animals to water. No one has the power to intercede, except someone who has an agreement with the Benevolent One. [19: 83, 84,85]
Hadith of the Day:
All created beings are Allah's dependents, and the most beloved of the creation to Allah is the one who is good to His dependents. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Indeed the sword may wound the body, but it is the foul speech which wounds the soul. [Othman radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
One should watch one's tongue. Especially in daily life. Because the tongue can truly be the sweetest or the most bitter thing in the world. One of the most detrimental parts of man, which keep him separated from Allah, is gossip and his tongue and words that are misused. This tongue that we use to pronounce the name of Allah, and then use it to say to somebody, "you are stupid" or "I hate you," is absurd. Because we know the effect that has without even taking it to a point of gossip. Within gossip, the soul of the speaker as well as that of the listener can be lost.
The tongue is tied to the heart. It is said that a man's character is hidden beneath his tongue, because the tongue says what is in the heart. So when we speak, we are expressing what is in our hearts. And though Allah says He cannot fit into the entire universe but can fit into the heart of a believer, He doesn't say that He will fit in the heart if it's cluttered with bad thoughts, deeds, and questions. Such a heart must first be cleaned. If we could really understand how to watch our words, to know that spoken words are like seeds that we plant which will eventually grow into something sweet or bitter. If you plant peppers, you can't expect sugarcane. Our actions in this life are seeds we are planting for the other life promised by Allah.
Every morning when we wake up, we are born again. When we open our eyes in the morning and we look at ourselves, it's as if Allah has created us right then and there. If we remember Allah while we are alive, Insha'Allah, at the moment of our death, He will allow us to remember Him. Allah has left traces and messages everywhere, right now, today, in every one of our lives. The more veils we can lift, the more we can see with the eyes of our heart, allow for a deeper understanding, and Insha'Allah we can use this body to perform the good things in life. And these ears to hear the name of Allah, and this tongue to say the name of Allah. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue. Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of the pleasures; costs nothing and conveys much. It pleases him who gives and him who receives, and thus, like mercy, it is twice blessed.
One day We will gather the conscientious to the Benevolent One, like an embassy to a royal court. And We will herd the sinners into hell, like animals to water. No one has the power to intercede, except someone who has an agreement with the Benevolent One. [19: 83, 84,85]
Hadith of the Day:
All created beings are Allah's dependents, and the most beloved of the creation to Allah is the one who is good to His dependents. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Indeed the sword may wound the body, but it is the foul speech which wounds the soul. [Othman radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
One should watch one's tongue. Especially in daily life. Because the tongue can truly be the sweetest or the most bitter thing in the world. One of the most detrimental parts of man, which keep him separated from Allah, is gossip and his tongue and words that are misused. This tongue that we use to pronounce the name of Allah, and then use it to say to somebody, "you are stupid" or "I hate you," is absurd. Because we know the effect that has without even taking it to a point of gossip. Within gossip, the soul of the speaker as well as that of the listener can be lost.
The tongue is tied to the heart. It is said that a man's character is hidden beneath his tongue, because the tongue says what is in the heart. So when we speak, we are expressing what is in our hearts. And though Allah says He cannot fit into the entire universe but can fit into the heart of a believer, He doesn't say that He will fit in the heart if it's cluttered with bad thoughts, deeds, and questions. Such a heart must first be cleaned. If we could really understand how to watch our words, to know that spoken words are like seeds that we plant which will eventually grow into something sweet or bitter. If you plant peppers, you can't expect sugarcane. Our actions in this life are seeds we are planting for the other life promised by Allah.
Every morning when we wake up, we are born again. When we open our eyes in the morning and we look at ourselves, it's as if Allah has created us right then and there. If we remember Allah while we are alive, Insha'Allah, at the moment of our death, He will allow us to remember Him. Allah has left traces and messages everywhere, right now, today, in every one of our lives. The more veils we can lift, the more we can see with the eyes of our heart, allow for a deeper understanding, and Insha'Allah we can use this body to perform the good things in life. And these ears to hear the name of Allah, and this tongue to say the name of Allah. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue. Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of the pleasures; costs nothing and conveys much. It pleases him who gives and him who receives, and thus, like mercy, it is twice blessed.
Monday, September 11, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 629
Ayah of the Day:
And God increases the guidance of those who accept guidance. And the things that endure, the good deeds, are better, with your Lord, in terms of reward; and best for their final return. [19: 76]
Hadith of the Day:
A truthful and trustworthy trader will be in the company of the prophets, the very truthful, and martyrs. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Inordinate desires have close relations with misfortunes and calamities. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Allah created the universe for man so man is the macrocosm or greater world while the universe is the microcosm or lesser world. The universe was created outwardly great but is inwardly small. All that exists was brought into creation for the sake of man.
Islam is an inoculation against the ills, the pains, the diseases of the world. The greatest gift that Allah has given is the gift to worship Him. But He has also allowed us the free will to decide whether or not that is what we want to do. That decision is linked to everything about us, to whatever problems we may think we have in life, to whatever ills, to whether we are conscious about how we use our health before we lose it or how we use our leisure before we have none. It is also linked to an attitude that each of us has, whether we truly believe that Allah created man, and He sent a book and a man to give us an example, and yet we still live our lives with a certain number of veils that cover how and what we see.
We still have not understood that the manner in which we look at something will reveal untold bits of knowledge. We create blocks within our own lives and within our own experiences that do not allow us to see clearly. One way we always make a block that doesn't allow us to get closer to Allah is the misuse of our words. The heaviest burden that we carry from one place to another is our words. As soon as we say something that criticizes someone, as soon as we say something that judges someone, this tongue which is locked behind two rows of hard teeth and two lips that close as soon as we allow words to go out without thinking first, and gossip or ridicule or say something about someone, we are creating a block that doesn't let us get close to Allah. That is why the Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him) said, "Hold your tongue," to somebody when he was asked, "What can I do to help myself?" Because who a person is, is hidden beneath his tongue. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free from indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood.
And God increases the guidance of those who accept guidance. And the things that endure, the good deeds, are better, with your Lord, in terms of reward; and best for their final return. [19: 76]
Hadith of the Day:
A truthful and trustworthy trader will be in the company of the prophets, the very truthful, and martyrs. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Inordinate desires have close relations with misfortunes and calamities. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Allah created the universe for man so man is the macrocosm or greater world while the universe is the microcosm or lesser world. The universe was created outwardly great but is inwardly small. All that exists was brought into creation for the sake of man.
Islam is an inoculation against the ills, the pains, the diseases of the world. The greatest gift that Allah has given is the gift to worship Him. But He has also allowed us the free will to decide whether or not that is what we want to do. That decision is linked to everything about us, to whatever problems we may think we have in life, to whatever ills, to whether we are conscious about how we use our health before we lose it or how we use our leisure before we have none. It is also linked to an attitude that each of us has, whether we truly believe that Allah created man, and He sent a book and a man to give us an example, and yet we still live our lives with a certain number of veils that cover how and what we see.
We still have not understood that the manner in which we look at something will reveal untold bits of knowledge. We create blocks within our own lives and within our own experiences that do not allow us to see clearly. One way we always make a block that doesn't allow us to get closer to Allah is the misuse of our words. The heaviest burden that we carry from one place to another is our words. As soon as we say something that criticizes someone, as soon as we say something that judges someone, this tongue which is locked behind two rows of hard teeth and two lips that close as soon as we allow words to go out without thinking first, and gossip or ridicule or say something about someone, we are creating a block that doesn't let us get close to Allah. That is why the Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him) said, "Hold your tongue," to somebody when he was asked, "What can I do to help myself?" Because who a person is, is hidden beneath his tongue. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free from indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 628
Ayah of the Day:
Say, "If any goes astray, the Benevolent One grants an extension until they see what they are promised, be it the agony or the end of time: then they will know who was in the worse position and weaker in forces. [19: 75]
Hadith of the Day:
Traders will be gathered on the Day of Judgment as transgressors, except those who feared Allah, were righteous (in their oaths), and spoke the truth. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Man knows that he is weak. Yet how strange that he continues to disobey the One Who is strongest of all. [Abu Bakr radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
When we are with others, we not only have the opportunity to learn about them, we can also learn about ourselves. Can we get a true reflection from mirrors backed by silver and darkness? We really need to reflect and the real question each of us must ask and face is this: How do we live our lives? When we pray, are we thinking about getting it over quickly so we can get on with what we believe is more urgent in life? Are we always caught up in doing what is urgent and not what is important in life? When we look at our lives,can we see what really matters? What is most important? How can we raise our children in this world? We have a responsibility toward them. If we become closer to Allah, they become closer to Allah.
We must introduce adventure into our lives. We must extricate ourselves from this sensation of swimming in pea soup through the day. We have to do things differently. We have to learn lessons from everything. There are lessons in everything. In preparing our food, where food comes from and being healthy enough to eat the food. There are millionaires in hospitals who can't take a drink of water.
Food comes from Allah. In it, there is a message. Something usually has to be removed from each piece of food that we eat. Either the skin, the bones, or a crust. Even if nothing has to be removed, the food is at least washed or inspected. Yet we come home from work, and never wash the anger from our bodies. We don't wash the tension from ourselves. We will immediately go to husband, wife, friend, or child, and embrace them before we remove that anger and tension and trouble of the day. Then we wonder why the relationship isn't working or why there are problems. The message is right there in that piece of food which nourishes us. But we have to learn to see. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience and that is not learning from experience. None are so blind as those who refuse to see, and none are so deaf as those who refuse to hear.
Say, "If any goes astray, the Benevolent One grants an extension until they see what they are promised, be it the agony or the end of time: then they will know who was in the worse position and weaker in forces. [19: 75]
Hadith of the Day:
Traders will be gathered on the Day of Judgment as transgressors, except those who feared Allah, were righteous (in their oaths), and spoke the truth. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Man knows that he is weak. Yet how strange that he continues to disobey the One Who is strongest of all. [Abu Bakr radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
When we are with others, we not only have the opportunity to learn about them, we can also learn about ourselves. Can we get a true reflection from mirrors backed by silver and darkness? We really need to reflect and the real question each of us must ask and face is this: How do we live our lives? When we pray, are we thinking about getting it over quickly so we can get on with what we believe is more urgent in life? Are we always caught up in doing what is urgent and not what is important in life? When we look at our lives,can we see what really matters? What is most important? How can we raise our children in this world? We have a responsibility toward them. If we become closer to Allah, they become closer to Allah.
We must introduce adventure into our lives. We must extricate ourselves from this sensation of swimming in pea soup through the day. We have to do things differently. We have to learn lessons from everything. There are lessons in everything. In preparing our food, where food comes from and being healthy enough to eat the food. There are millionaires in hospitals who can't take a drink of water.
Food comes from Allah. In it, there is a message. Something usually has to be removed from each piece of food that we eat. Either the skin, the bones, or a crust. Even if nothing has to be removed, the food is at least washed or inspected. Yet we come home from work, and never wash the anger from our bodies. We don't wash the tension from ourselves. We will immediately go to husband, wife, friend, or child, and embrace them before we remove that anger and tension and trouble of the day. Then we wonder why the relationship isn't working or why there are problems. The message is right there in that piece of food which nourishes us. But we have to learn to see. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience and that is not learning from experience. None are so blind as those who refuse to see, and none are so deaf as those who refuse to hear.
Friday, September 08, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 627
Ayahs of the Day:
Everlasting gardens, which the Benevolent has promised to devotees, in the unseen; for the divine promise is sure to come about. They will hear no nonsense there, but only greetings of peace. And they will have their provision there, morning and evening. That is the garden We bequeath to those of Our servants who were conscientious. [19: 61, 62, 63]
Hadith of the Day:
Songs make hypocrisy grow in the heart just as water makes crops grow. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If in spite of intense supplication, there is a delay in the timing of the Gift, let that not be the cause for your despair. For He has guaranteed you a response in what He chooses for you, not in what you choose for yourself, and at the time He desires, not the time you desire. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
Every morning when we get up, we must remember two things--Allah and our death. If we remember Allah and if we remember our death, then our lives will be different. There is a fixed time limit of life for each one of us that Allah has kept a secret. If we remember our death, then we will also remember that all things and all beings are temporary. If we remember Allah we will do all things in divine thoughtfulness, kindness, and understanding. Because we will understand that He not only created us, but He created everyone and everything that we see. If there are wrongs occurring in this world that we don't like, then the way to right them is curing ourselves, each one of ourselves individually.
Why do you think that in a supposedly civilized world there are terrorism, war, hijacking, and hostages? All these and more exist because man has forgotten where he came from, where he is, and where he is going. The message from Allah often comes through opposites. If we don't see the bad, we will never see the good. If we only see health, He shows us illness. If we only see the living, we'll take life for granted, so He shows us death. So, after we have opened our eyes and we have thanked Allah and we have remembered Him, we remember our death, and by remembering our death we know that nothing will last, nothing! How many have come before us and are no longer here? Those we have known and those we haven't known,greater people than us, and yet we pass each day with arrogance. We are blinded and caught by what the world seems to be offering, which is only some temporary pabulum. [When you hear the hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
People seem to forget how one simple act of kindness can change someone for ever. Giving is so often thought of in terms of the gifts we give, but our greatest giving is of our time, and kindness, and even comfort for those who need it. We look on these little things as unimportant--------until we need them.
Everlasting gardens, which the Benevolent has promised to devotees, in the unseen; for the divine promise is sure to come about. They will hear no nonsense there, but only greetings of peace. And they will have their provision there, morning and evening. That is the garden We bequeath to those of Our servants who were conscientious. [19: 61, 62, 63]
Hadith of the Day:
Songs make hypocrisy grow in the heart just as water makes crops grow. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If in spite of intense supplication, there is a delay in the timing of the Gift, let that not be the cause for your despair. For He has guaranteed you a response in what He chooses for you, not in what you choose for yourself, and at the time He desires, not the time you desire. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
Every morning when we get up, we must remember two things--Allah and our death. If we remember Allah and if we remember our death, then our lives will be different. There is a fixed time limit of life for each one of us that Allah has kept a secret. If we remember our death, then we will also remember that all things and all beings are temporary. If we remember Allah we will do all things in divine thoughtfulness, kindness, and understanding. Because we will understand that He not only created us, but He created everyone and everything that we see. If there are wrongs occurring in this world that we don't like, then the way to right them is curing ourselves, each one of ourselves individually.
Why do you think that in a supposedly civilized world there are terrorism, war, hijacking, and hostages? All these and more exist because man has forgotten where he came from, where he is, and where he is going. The message from Allah often comes through opposites. If we don't see the bad, we will never see the good. If we only see health, He shows us illness. If we only see the living, we'll take life for granted, so He shows us death. So, after we have opened our eyes and we have thanked Allah and we have remembered Him, we remember our death, and by remembering our death we know that nothing will last, nothing! How many have come before us and are no longer here? Those we have known and those we haven't known,greater people than us, and yet we pass each day with arrogance. We are blinded and caught by what the world seems to be offering, which is only some temporary pabulum. [When you hear the hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
People seem to forget how one simple act of kindness can change someone for ever. Giving is so often thought of in terms of the gifts we give, but our greatest giving is of our time, and kindness, and even comfort for those who need it. We look on these little things as unimportant--------until we need them.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 626
Ayah of the Day:
But a generation came after them who neglected prayer and followed cravings; and they will meet with perdition, except whoever repents and believes and acts with integrity--those will enter the garden, and will not be wronged at all. [19: 59, 60]
Hadith of the Day:
The believer is one who is sociable (with others), and there is no good in one who is not sociable (to others) nor in one who is not met sociably (by them). [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Someone who draws your attention to an unpleasant habit, or a negative feature of your character, so that you can cleanse yourself of it is like one who warns you of a snake or scorpion under your robe---he has shown concern lest you perish. If you disapprove of that, how great is your folly! [Imam Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
Not only are we obliged to seek knowledge, we must also understand how to behave in life. We will never understand this unless we observe ourselves in our daily life. Observe ourselves, and not try immediately to change, but to say, "Ah, this lazy one again, how easily he got angry." We must first try to recognize all the faults within us, in order to change them into qualities, in order to become our own shepherd. We must pull out the arrow of useless thoughts, throw it away, and discard the toys of our mind before it is too late.
Life is a gift that consists of three days and two are gone. No matter how much money you have, regardless of how much influence you have in this world, you cannot bring those days back. We have one day left, and in that remaining day are we going to seek the pleasures of the world that are so temporary? Can we not put the love of Allah in our hearts before that heart becomes dust? For dust it will become. And for those who could never have enough of big houses and acres of land, one day they will have to be satisfied with six feet of earth.
How can we remove these veils.....before our eyes can no longer see and our ears no longer hear? There is a time limit. It is Allah's secret, and it is different for each one of us. But our intelligence tells us there is a time limit. This very same intelligence that doesn't even see we are dying at every moment. Then one day we have gray in our hair, wrinkles on our skin. If all this is happening on the outside, it must also be happening inside our bodies. We will go. All it takes is one moment, and we will never be able to see with eyes again or smell with this nose or hear with these ears or breathe with these lungs or walk with these legs. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame. It's okay to be angry, but it isn't healthy to be resentful. We can learn to deal with our anger in ways that are healthy for us and for those around us.
But a generation came after them who neglected prayer and followed cravings; and they will meet with perdition, except whoever repents and believes and acts with integrity--those will enter the garden, and will not be wronged at all. [19: 59, 60]
Hadith of the Day:
The believer is one who is sociable (with others), and there is no good in one who is not sociable (to others) nor in one who is not met sociably (by them). [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Someone who draws your attention to an unpleasant habit, or a negative feature of your character, so that you can cleanse yourself of it is like one who warns you of a snake or scorpion under your robe---he has shown concern lest you perish. If you disapprove of that, how great is your folly! [Imam Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
Not only are we obliged to seek knowledge, we must also understand how to behave in life. We will never understand this unless we observe ourselves in our daily life. Observe ourselves, and not try immediately to change, but to say, "Ah, this lazy one again, how easily he got angry." We must first try to recognize all the faults within us, in order to change them into qualities, in order to become our own shepherd. We must pull out the arrow of useless thoughts, throw it away, and discard the toys of our mind before it is too late.
Life is a gift that consists of three days and two are gone. No matter how much money you have, regardless of how much influence you have in this world, you cannot bring those days back. We have one day left, and in that remaining day are we going to seek the pleasures of the world that are so temporary? Can we not put the love of Allah in our hearts before that heart becomes dust? For dust it will become. And for those who could never have enough of big houses and acres of land, one day they will have to be satisfied with six feet of earth.
How can we remove these veils.....before our eyes can no longer see and our ears no longer hear? There is a time limit. It is Allah's secret, and it is different for each one of us. But our intelligence tells us there is a time limit. This very same intelligence that doesn't even see we are dying at every moment. Then one day we have gray in our hair, wrinkles on our skin. If all this is happening on the outside, it must also be happening inside our bodies. We will go. All it takes is one moment, and we will never be able to see with eyes again or smell with this nose or hear with these ears or breathe with these lungs or walk with these legs. [When you hear hoof beats think of a zebra]
Food for Thought:
Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame. It's okay to be angry, but it isn't healthy to be resentful. We can learn to deal with our anger in ways that are healthy for us and for those around us.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 625
Ayahs of the Day:
And mention Idris in the Book, for he was a man of truth, a prophet, and We raised him to a high position. Those were some of the prophets whom God graced, from the descendents of Adam, and from those We carried along with Noah, and from the offspring of Abraham and Ishmael, from among those We guided and chose. Whenever the signs of the Benevolent One were related to them, they would fall down, prostrate and weeping. [19: 56,57,58]
Hadith of the Day:
Moderation in spending is half of (one's) sustenance, friendliness toward people is half of (one's) intelligence, and asking good questions is half of (one's) knowledge. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Grant favor and be considerate of your enemy, because you will thus gain either one or the other of the two kinds of victories; one, rising above your enemy; the other, reducing the intensity of his enmity. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
You can plan for a hundred years, but you don't know what will happen in the next moment. Just as the human predicament transcends all the boundaries of time and place, the eternal facts of life revolve around problems of living that every person must face,the meaning of life and the inevitability of death.
There are, ofcourse, psychologies and there are psychologies. And then there is the perennial psychology, the one that addresses the ultimate questions of life. This ultimate psychology stems from a different mode of knowing than does ordinary psychology; it requires an inner knowing. From such a sense of inner certainty flows faith. "Faith in Allah is an inoculation against the diseases of the world." It is in dealing with these "diseases of the world" -- with greed, lust, anger, jealousy, self-pity, and all the other roots of heaviness of heart -- that the perennial psychology is distinct from ordinary psychology. This is a psychology that begins where modern psychology end; that deals with the largest issues of life rather than smallest.
Islam asks us to gain knowledge. To have knowledge of Allah it is necessary to have knowledge of our selves. If we truly know ourselves, then we will know Allah. If Allah allows us to know Him, we might know ourselves. We are not something that just happened; each of us is a miracle. This power that brought us here will remove us from here. If we understood this, we would not take ourselves for granted. In this universe that Allah has created, we are His supreme miracle. If we walk through this life totally unconscious, half-asleep, then how can we thank Him? [When you hear hoofbeats think of a zebra by Shems Friedlander]
Food for Thought:
What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows. People who give freely to others get back more than they give.
And mention Idris in the Book, for he was a man of truth, a prophet, and We raised him to a high position. Those were some of the prophets whom God graced, from the descendents of Adam, and from those We carried along with Noah, and from the offspring of Abraham and Ishmael, from among those We guided and chose. Whenever the signs of the Benevolent One were related to them, they would fall down, prostrate and weeping. [19: 56,57,58]
Hadith of the Day:
Moderation in spending is half of (one's) sustenance, friendliness toward people is half of (one's) intelligence, and asking good questions is half of (one's) knowledge. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Grant favor and be considerate of your enemy, because you will thus gain either one or the other of the two kinds of victories; one, rising above your enemy; the other, reducing the intensity of his enmity. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
You can plan for a hundred years, but you don't know what will happen in the next moment. Just as the human predicament transcends all the boundaries of time and place, the eternal facts of life revolve around problems of living that every person must face,the meaning of life and the inevitability of death.
There are, ofcourse, psychologies and there are psychologies. And then there is the perennial psychology, the one that addresses the ultimate questions of life. This ultimate psychology stems from a different mode of knowing than does ordinary psychology; it requires an inner knowing. From such a sense of inner certainty flows faith. "Faith in Allah is an inoculation against the diseases of the world." It is in dealing with these "diseases of the world" -- with greed, lust, anger, jealousy, self-pity, and all the other roots of heaviness of heart -- that the perennial psychology is distinct from ordinary psychology. This is a psychology that begins where modern psychology end; that deals with the largest issues of life rather than smallest.
Islam asks us to gain knowledge. To have knowledge of Allah it is necessary to have knowledge of our selves. If we truly know ourselves, then we will know Allah. If Allah allows us to know Him, we might know ourselves. We are not something that just happened; each of us is a miracle. This power that brought us here will remove us from here. If we understood this, we would not take ourselves for granted. In this universe that Allah has created, we are His supreme miracle. If we walk through this life totally unconscious, half-asleep, then how can we thank Him? [When you hear hoofbeats think of a zebra by Shems Friedlander]
Food for Thought:
What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows. People who give freely to others get back more than they give.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 624
Ayah of the Day:
And mention Ishmael in the Book, for he was true to his promise and was a messenger, a prophet. He used to enjoin prayer and charity on his people, and he was acceptable to his Lord. [19: 54,55]
Hadith of the Day:
The Qur'an will either be evidence for you or against you. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
How can the laws of nature be ruptured for you so that miracles result, while you, for your part, have not yet ruptured your bad habits. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
A human being is the kind of machine that wears out from lack of use. There are limits, of course, and we do need healthful rest and relaxation, but for the most part we gain energy by using energy. Often the best remedy for physical weariness is thirty minutes of aerobic exercise. In the same way, mental and spiritual lassitude is often cured by decisive action or the clear intention to act. Human energy comes into existence through use. You can't hoard it. It might well be that all of us possess enormous stores of potential energy, more than we could ever hope to use.
Even serious blows in life can give you extra energy by knocking you off dead center, shaking you out of lethargy. Acknowledging the blows doesn't mean sniveling; it means facing the truth and then moving on. Above all else, move and keep moving. Take time for wise planning, but don't take forever. Whatever you can do or dream you can---begin it, boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Get on the path of mastery and stay on it. A regular practice not only elicits energy but tames it. Without the firm underpinnings of a practice, deadlines can produce violent swings between frantic activity and collapse.
Television makes it even more complicated. By offering endless possibilities, it tempts you to choose none, to sit staring in endless wonder, to become comatose. Indecision leads to inaction, which leads to low energy, depression, despair. Ultimately, liberation comes through the acceptance of limits. You can't do everything, but you can do one thing, and then another and another. In terms of energy it's better to make a wrong choice than none at all. [Mastery--The key to success and long term fulfillment]
Food for Thought:
You should forgive your enemies. That is one of the things you have got to do. You have to learn how not to harbor a grudge, how to forgive. Things change, not because we are controlling others, but because we change.
And mention Ishmael in the Book, for he was true to his promise and was a messenger, a prophet. He used to enjoin prayer and charity on his people, and he was acceptable to his Lord. [19: 54,55]
Hadith of the Day:
The Qur'an will either be evidence for you or against you. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
How can the laws of nature be ruptured for you so that miracles result, while you, for your part, have not yet ruptured your bad habits. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
A human being is the kind of machine that wears out from lack of use. There are limits, of course, and we do need healthful rest and relaxation, but for the most part we gain energy by using energy. Often the best remedy for physical weariness is thirty minutes of aerobic exercise. In the same way, mental and spiritual lassitude is often cured by decisive action or the clear intention to act. Human energy comes into existence through use. You can't hoard it. It might well be that all of us possess enormous stores of potential energy, more than we could ever hope to use.
Even serious blows in life can give you extra energy by knocking you off dead center, shaking you out of lethargy. Acknowledging the blows doesn't mean sniveling; it means facing the truth and then moving on. Above all else, move and keep moving. Take time for wise planning, but don't take forever. Whatever you can do or dream you can---begin it, boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Get on the path of mastery and stay on it. A regular practice not only elicits energy but tames it. Without the firm underpinnings of a practice, deadlines can produce violent swings between frantic activity and collapse.
Television makes it even more complicated. By offering endless possibilities, it tempts you to choose none, to sit staring in endless wonder, to become comatose. Indecision leads to inaction, which leads to low energy, depression, despair. Ultimately, liberation comes through the acceptance of limits. You can't do everything, but you can do one thing, and then another and another. In terms of energy it's better to make a wrong choice than none at all. [Mastery--The key to success and long term fulfillment]
Food for Thought:
You should forgive your enemies. That is one of the things you have got to do. You have to learn how not to harbor a grudge, how to forgive. Things change, not because we are controlling others, but because we change.
Monday, September 04, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 623
Ayah of the Day:
And mention Moses in the Book; he was one chosen, and was a messenger, a prophet. We called him from the right side of Mt. Sinai, and We drew him near to entrust a secret. And We gave him, out of our mercy, his brother Aaron, a prophet. [19: 51,52,53]
Hadith of the Day:
Backbiting is worse than unlawful intercourse. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Steeped in error is he who can find time to seek out the faults of others. He whose thoughts are vile and low can have nothing but the worst opinion of others. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Fitness and Health: Fitness and health are related to everything we do, think and feel. Thus what we are calling Ultimate Fitness has less to do with running a 2:30 marathon than living a good life.
Follow a regular practice. People embarking on any type of change can gain stability and comfort through practicing some worthwhile activity on a more or less regular basis, not so much for the sake of achieving an external goal as simply for its own sake. Practice is a habit, and any regular practice provides a sort of underlying homeostasis, a stable base during the instability of change.
Dedicate yourself to lifelong learning. We tend to forget that learning is much more than book learning. To learn is to change. Education, whether it involves books, body, or behavior, is a process that changes the learner. It doesn't have to end at college graduation or at age forty or sixty or eighty, and the best learning of all involves learning how to learn--that is, to change. The lifelong learner is essentially one who has learned to deal with homeostasis, simply because he or she is doing it all the time. Lifelong learning is the special province of those who travel the path of mastery, the path that never ends. [Mastery--the key to success and long-term fulfillment by George Leonard]
Food for Thought:
The capacity to care is the thing that gives life its deepest meaning and significance. Blessed are those that can give without remembering and take without forgetting.
And mention Moses in the Book; he was one chosen, and was a messenger, a prophet. We called him from the right side of Mt. Sinai, and We drew him near to entrust a secret. And We gave him, out of our mercy, his brother Aaron, a prophet. [19: 51,52,53]
Hadith of the Day:
Backbiting is worse than unlawful intercourse. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Steeped in error is he who can find time to seek out the faults of others. He whose thoughts are vile and low can have nothing but the worst opinion of others. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Fitness and Health: Fitness and health are related to everything we do, think and feel. Thus what we are calling Ultimate Fitness has less to do with running a 2:30 marathon than living a good life.
Follow a regular practice. People embarking on any type of change can gain stability and comfort through practicing some worthwhile activity on a more or less regular basis, not so much for the sake of achieving an external goal as simply for its own sake. Practice is a habit, and any regular practice provides a sort of underlying homeostasis, a stable base during the instability of change.
Dedicate yourself to lifelong learning. We tend to forget that learning is much more than book learning. To learn is to change. Education, whether it involves books, body, or behavior, is a process that changes the learner. It doesn't have to end at college graduation or at age forty or sixty or eighty, and the best learning of all involves learning how to learn--that is, to change. The lifelong learner is essentially one who has learned to deal with homeostasis, simply because he or she is doing it all the time. Lifelong learning is the special province of those who travel the path of mastery, the path that never ends. [Mastery--the key to success and long-term fulfillment by George Leonard]
Food for Thought:
The capacity to care is the thing that gives life its deepest meaning and significance. Blessed are those that can give without remembering and take without forgetting.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 622
Ayahs of the Day:
(Abraham said to his father) "And I will keep away from you all and whatever you pray to instead of God; and I will pray to my Lord; perhaps I may not be disappointed by prayer to my Lord." Then when he had withdrawn from them and what they worshipped besides God, We gave him Isaac and Jacob; and We made each one a prophet. And We gave to them of Our mercy, and gave them a lofty reputation for truth. [19: 48, 49, 50]
Hadith of the Day:
The tooth-stick (miswaak) purifies the mouth and pleases the Lord. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
How can a sane person be conceited about the spiritual works, when his works are but a gift from Allah and a blessing from Him that he should thank Him for. [Abu Sulaiman al Darani]
Guidance of the Day:
Giving: Don't be afraid of giving. For a while, we may need to back off from giving as we learn to discern the difference between healthy giving and caretaking, which leaves us feeling victimized and others feeling resentful. This is a temporary spot. To be healthy to do our part in this spiritual way of life, to be part of the cycle of the universe, guided by our Creator, we need to give and receive. Both parts are important.
What is healthy giving? This is a fine lined behavior each of us must seek to understand for ourselves. It is giving that feels good and does not leave us feeling victimized. It is feeling that holds the giver and the receiver in high esteem. It is giving based on a desire to do it rather than from a sense of guilt, pity, shame, or obligation. It is giving with no strings attached. Or it is giving based on clean direct contract.
Whether it is giving of our time, efforts, energy, comfort, nurturing, money, or ourselves, it is giving that we can afford. Giving is part of chain of giving and receiving. We can learn to give in healthy ways; we can learn to give in love. We need to keep an eye on our giving, to make sure it has not crossed the line into caretaking. But we need to learn to give in ways that work for us and others. Ask God to guide you in your giving in healthy ways, what feels right, what feels good, what feels clean, and what you can afford. [The Language of Letting Go]
Food for Thought:
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
(Abraham said to his father) "And I will keep away from you all and whatever you pray to instead of God; and I will pray to my Lord; perhaps I may not be disappointed by prayer to my Lord." Then when he had withdrawn from them and what they worshipped besides God, We gave him Isaac and Jacob; and We made each one a prophet. And We gave to them of Our mercy, and gave them a lofty reputation for truth. [19: 48, 49, 50]
Hadith of the Day:
The tooth-stick (miswaak) purifies the mouth and pleases the Lord. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
How can a sane person be conceited about the spiritual works, when his works are but a gift from Allah and a blessing from Him that he should thank Him for. [Abu Sulaiman al Darani]
Guidance of the Day:
Giving: Don't be afraid of giving. For a while, we may need to back off from giving as we learn to discern the difference between healthy giving and caretaking, which leaves us feeling victimized and others feeling resentful. This is a temporary spot. To be healthy to do our part in this spiritual way of life, to be part of the cycle of the universe, guided by our Creator, we need to give and receive. Both parts are important.
What is healthy giving? This is a fine lined behavior each of us must seek to understand for ourselves. It is giving that feels good and does not leave us feeling victimized. It is feeling that holds the giver and the receiver in high esteem. It is giving based on a desire to do it rather than from a sense of guilt, pity, shame, or obligation. It is giving with no strings attached. Or it is giving based on clean direct contract.
Whether it is giving of our time, efforts, energy, comfort, nurturing, money, or ourselves, it is giving that we can afford. Giving is part of chain of giving and receiving. We can learn to give in healthy ways; we can learn to give in love. We need to keep an eye on our giving, to make sure it has not crossed the line into caretaking. But we need to learn to give in ways that work for us and others. Ask God to guide you in your giving in healthy ways, what feels right, what feels good, what feels clean, and what you can afford. [The Language of Letting Go]
Food for Thought:
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Friday, September 01, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 621
Ayahs of the Day:
He (Abraham's father) said, "Do you detest my gods, Abraham? If you don't restrain yourself, I'll stone you. Now leave me alone for a long time. Abraham said, "Peace be upon you. I will seek forgiveness for you of my Lord, Who has been gracious to me. [19: 46, 47]
Hadith of the Day:
The upper (giving) hand is superior to the lower (taking) hand. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not be like persons on whom advice has no effect and who require punishment to correct themselves. A sensible and reasonable man acquires education and culture through advice, and brutes and beasts always accept correction through punishment and chastisement. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
God's will: Each day, ask God what God wants us to do today; then ask God to help. A simple request, but so profound and far reaching it can take us anywhere we need to go.
Listen: all that we want, all that we need, all the answers, all the help, all the good, all the love, all the healing, all the wisdom, all the fulfillment of desire is embodied in this simple request. We need say no more than Thank You.
This plan that has been made for us is not one of deprivation. It is one of fullness, joy, and abundance. Walk into it. See for yourself. Today ask God to show you what He wants you to do for this day, and then ask for help to do that. Trust that this is sufficient to take you into light and joy. [The Language of Letting Go]
Food for Thought:
The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side stepping their responsibilities, and pushing their luck.
He (Abraham's father) said, "Do you detest my gods, Abraham? If you don't restrain yourself, I'll stone you. Now leave me alone for a long time. Abraham said, "Peace be upon you. I will seek forgiveness for you of my Lord, Who has been gracious to me. [19: 46, 47]
Hadith of the Day:
The upper (giving) hand is superior to the lower (taking) hand. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not be like persons on whom advice has no effect and who require punishment to correct themselves. A sensible and reasonable man acquires education and culture through advice, and brutes and beasts always accept correction through punishment and chastisement. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
God's will: Each day, ask God what God wants us to do today; then ask God to help. A simple request, but so profound and far reaching it can take us anywhere we need to go.
Listen: all that we want, all that we need, all the answers, all the help, all the good, all the love, all the healing, all the wisdom, all the fulfillment of desire is embodied in this simple request. We need say no more than Thank You.
This plan that has been made for us is not one of deprivation. It is one of fullness, joy, and abundance. Walk into it. See for yourself. Today ask God to show you what He wants you to do for this day, and then ask for help to do that. Trust that this is sufficient to take you into light and joy. [The Language of Letting Go]
Food for Thought:
The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side stepping their responsibilities, and pushing their luck.
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