Ayahs of the Day:
Say, "People, I am only a clear warner to you: For those who believe and do good works there is forgiveness, and a generous provision. " [22: 49,50]
Hadith of the Day:
None among you is a (perfect) believer until I become more beloved to him than his father, his children, and all people. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The intelligent one is he who knows Allah, His commands and His prohibitions. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
The fourth reason that some people are arrogant is their physical beauty. Why do they not know that exterior beauty is but temporal and passes very quickly? Allah and the wise look at the beauty of the heart in human beings. The fact is that our beginning is a blood-clot in our mother's womb, and our end is a foul-smelling, decaying corpse thrown into a grave. How attractive can that body be?
The fifth reason for some to be proud is their strength. Physical power, like beauty, is short-lived. Even more temporal and fragile than good looks, strength melts away with a few days of fever or sickness. One need not wait for old age: an accident, a broken bone, takes it away for good. And when you think of it, elephants, bulls, even donkeys are more powerful than men. How can one be proud of a quality in which animals are superior to human beings?
The sixth cause of pride is wealth and fame, and the seventh is numerous followers, students, employees, and dependents. These two reasons are the most unseemly causes of arrogance because they depend on conditions entirely outside of ourselves. These conditions, though so difficult to obtain, can very easily be lost. The sickness of these causes of pride is common to all people, faithful and faithless, honest and dishonest alike. When we find ourselves in these conditions, we feel like kings. When we lose them, we feel ourselves the lowest of the low. How can someone be proud of possessing a thing that pleases a thief when he succeeds in his misdeed? [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Education is a progressive discovery of our ignorance. Education is a social process.....Education is growth......Education is, not a preparation for life; education itself is life. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 697
Ayah of the Day:
And how many communities have We let be even as they were doing wrong, and then We punished them! And the journey is to Us. [22: 48]
Hadith of the Day:
Angels do not enter a house in which there is a picture or a dog. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Worshipping Allah as though you are seeing Him and endeavoring to benefit the creation is the key to incurring the mercy of Allah. [Allama ibn al Qayyim]
Guidance of the Day:
The second cause of arrogance is a feeling of superiority in one's spiritual and religious state. Someone who has chosen the lifestyle of an ascetic, who has devoted his life to praying, fasting, and meditating, withdrawing from the world, runs the greatest danger of this sin. The real cause of it is very much the same as the cause of pride in one's knowledge. Just as in that case, the lack of knowledge and wisdom is responsible.
A pious person should know that our spiritual state as Muslims does not depend on prayer, fasting, meditation, or seclusion from the world. We are given numerous actions in life that bring spiritual rewards, and warn off many others that we are forbidden to pursue. And in whatever we do, we are taught that our intentions, sincerity, and love and fear of Allah are of the greatest importance for our salvation.
The third cause of sinful arrogance is to be proud of one's ancestors and their merits, nobility, and distinction. Is this reasonable, if those attributes are not also one's own? How can we hope that the virtues possessed by somebody else will benefit ourselves? A poet has written:
If you are proud of your forefathers:
You are indeed telling the truth.
Woe to them! How their souls must suffer
That they have fathered such a bad son!
What safety did Cain find in Adam's nobility?
Was Kanan saved from the Flood by being the son of Noah? [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship. Without economy none can be rich, and with it few will be poor. He who will not economize will have to agonize. There can be no economy where there is no efficiency. A man who lives by hope, will die of despair.
And how many communities have We let be even as they were doing wrong, and then We punished them! And the journey is to Us. [22: 48]
Hadith of the Day:
Angels do not enter a house in which there is a picture or a dog. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Worshipping Allah as though you are seeing Him and endeavoring to benefit the creation is the key to incurring the mercy of Allah. [Allama ibn al Qayyim]
Guidance of the Day:
The second cause of arrogance is a feeling of superiority in one's spiritual and religious state. Someone who has chosen the lifestyle of an ascetic, who has devoted his life to praying, fasting, and meditating, withdrawing from the world, runs the greatest danger of this sin. The real cause of it is very much the same as the cause of pride in one's knowledge. Just as in that case, the lack of knowledge and wisdom is responsible.
A pious person should know that our spiritual state as Muslims does not depend on prayer, fasting, meditation, or seclusion from the world. We are given numerous actions in life that bring spiritual rewards, and warn off many others that we are forbidden to pursue. And in whatever we do, we are taught that our intentions, sincerity, and love and fear of Allah are of the greatest importance for our salvation.
The third cause of sinful arrogance is to be proud of one's ancestors and their merits, nobility, and distinction. Is this reasonable, if those attributes are not also one's own? How can we hope that the virtues possessed by somebody else will benefit ourselves? A poet has written:
If you are proud of your forefathers:
You are indeed telling the truth.
Woe to them! How their souls must suffer
That they have fathered such a bad son!
What safety did Cain find in Adam's nobility?
Was Kanan saved from the Flood by being the son of Noah? [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship. Without economy none can be rich, and with it few will be poor. He who will not economize will have to agonize. There can be no economy where there is no efficiency. A man who lives by hope, will die of despair.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 696
Ayahs of the Day:
Haven't they traveled the earth, that they may have hearts to understand, or ears to hear? Surely it is not their eyes that are blind; what is blind are the hearts that are in their breasts. [22: 46]
Hadith of the Day:
It is not lawful for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Anyone who makes the example of the Prophet his rule in word and deed speaks with wisdom; anyone who lets passion rule him speaks as an innovator. [Othman al Hariri]
Guidance of the Day:
One may object that Allah Most High has ordered us to oppose the faithless and the sinners, so how are we to see ourselves beneath them? Indeed, we are urged to help such people to mend their ways; and if they cannot be helped, to fight them to prevent their harming others. However, we cannot do this for our own benefit, but only for Allah's sake. We cannot undertake that struggle while thinking that we are the saved and they are the damned.
You should know that Allah is aware of the wrongdoings you are hiding from others while you are busy reprimanding them for sins that show. You must consider that in the end you may be worse than the ones you oppose, and fear for yourself, rather than fearing the effects of the acts of the people you blame.
When you are led into a situation in which you are obliged to reprimand a sinner, you should behave like a nurse charged by a great lord to educate his children. That nurse, when necessary, may reprimand and punish the children of the lord, but will never feel superior to them, for he knows that those children are dearer to their father than he is himself. Only Allah knows who is dearest to Him. The best way is to think that everyone else is better in the Lord's opinion than oneself. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
To eat is human; to digest, divine. By eating what is sufficient man is enabled to work; he is hindered from working and becomes heavy, idle, and stupid if he takes too much. When it comes to eating, you can sometimes help yourself more by helping yourself less.
Haven't they traveled the earth, that they may have hearts to understand, or ears to hear? Surely it is not their eyes that are blind; what is blind are the hearts that are in their breasts. [22: 46]
Hadith of the Day:
It is not lawful for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Anyone who makes the example of the Prophet his rule in word and deed speaks with wisdom; anyone who lets passion rule him speaks as an innovator. [Othman al Hariri]
Guidance of the Day:
One may object that Allah Most High has ordered us to oppose the faithless and the sinners, so how are we to see ourselves beneath them? Indeed, we are urged to help such people to mend their ways; and if they cannot be helped, to fight them to prevent their harming others. However, we cannot do this for our own benefit, but only for Allah's sake. We cannot undertake that struggle while thinking that we are the saved and they are the damned.
You should know that Allah is aware of the wrongdoings you are hiding from others while you are busy reprimanding them for sins that show. You must consider that in the end you may be worse than the ones you oppose, and fear for yourself, rather than fearing the effects of the acts of the people you blame.
When you are led into a situation in which you are obliged to reprimand a sinner, you should behave like a nurse charged by a great lord to educate his children. That nurse, when necessary, may reprimand and punish the children of the lord, but will never feel superior to them, for he knows that those children are dearer to their father than he is himself. Only Allah knows who is dearest to Him. The best way is to think that everyone else is better in the Lord's opinion than oneself. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
To eat is human; to digest, divine. By eating what is sufficient man is enabled to work; he is hindered from working and becomes heavy, idle, and stupid if he takes too much. When it comes to eating, you can sometimes help yourself more by helping yourself less.
Monday, November 27, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 695
Ayah of the Day:
And how many communities have We ruined as they were being unjust, so they tumbled down to their foundations; and how many wells lie abandoned where castles still stand! [22: 45]
Hadith of the Day:
The body nourished with unlawful means will not enter Paradise. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Death is always a silent companion. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
That which befits the true servant of Allah is not to have any feeling of superiority toward anyone. Such a person, when he encounters an ignorant sinner, thinks, "He sins because he does not know, yet I sin in spite of my knowledge. Therefore, he is certainly better than I." When he encounters knowledgeable people, he considers them more devout than himself, for who may judge the quality and quantity of wisdom?
When he meets an older person, he considers the elder more devout than himself, for he certainly has had more time to pray. When he sees a younger person, he reflects that he himself has had more time to sin than the youth. When he encounters someone of his own age and status, he considers that while he knows nothing of the life of the other, he knows very well how he has conducted his life, and something known is more justifiably open to criticism than something unknown.
Even when he meets someone who is without faith and openly denies God, he thinks: "How secure is my faith? How do I know that I will end my days as a believer? And how do I know that this poor man will not be honored by Islam before he leaves this world?" Let him even look upon a dog or a pig, and he will lament that these creatures have not revolted against their Maker, so that there is no judgment nor punishment for them, yet he himself, created as the best of creation, has revolted against his Lord and is deserving of punishment. These are the good servants of Allah who see themselves clearly and are making their accounting before they are obliged to make it. Engaged in repentance, they have no occasion to criticize others or show pride. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Never mind your happiness; do your duty. Who escapes a duty, avoids gain. A duty dodged is like a debt unpaid; it is only deferred, and we must come back and settle the account at last.
And how many communities have We ruined as they were being unjust, so they tumbled down to their foundations; and how many wells lie abandoned where castles still stand! [22: 45]
Hadith of the Day:
The body nourished with unlawful means will not enter Paradise. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Death is always a silent companion. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
That which befits the true servant of Allah is not to have any feeling of superiority toward anyone. Such a person, when he encounters an ignorant sinner, thinks, "He sins because he does not know, yet I sin in spite of my knowledge. Therefore, he is certainly better than I." When he encounters knowledgeable people, he considers them more devout than himself, for who may judge the quality and quantity of wisdom?
When he meets an older person, he considers the elder more devout than himself, for he certainly has had more time to pray. When he sees a younger person, he reflects that he himself has had more time to sin than the youth. When he encounters someone of his own age and status, he considers that while he knows nothing of the life of the other, he knows very well how he has conducted his life, and something known is more justifiably open to criticism than something unknown.
Even when he meets someone who is without faith and openly denies God, he thinks: "How secure is my faith? How do I know that I will end my days as a believer? And how do I know that this poor man will not be honored by Islam before he leaves this world?" Let him even look upon a dog or a pig, and he will lament that these creatures have not revolted against their Maker, so that there is no judgment nor punishment for them, yet he himself, created as the best of creation, has revolted against his Lord and is deserving of punishment. These are the good servants of Allah who see themselves clearly and are making their accounting before they are obliged to make it. Engaged in repentance, they have no occasion to criticize others or show pride. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Never mind your happiness; do your duty. Who escapes a duty, avoids gain. A duty dodged is like a debt unpaid; it is only deferred, and we must come back and settle the account at last.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 694
Ayahs of the Day:
Their meat does not reach God, nor their blood; it is your piety that reaches God. We subjected them to you this way so you would acknowledge the greatness of God for having guided you. And announce good news to those who do good: God defends those who believe; God does not love any faithless ingrate. [22: 37,38]
Hadith of the Day:
A believer is not bitten from the same hole twice. [Bukhari & Muslim]
(A true believer must always act intelligently so that he is not deceived twice, especially from the same source, in matters related to this world and the Hereafter. This hadith warns against heedlessness in one's affairs and that a person should not allow himself to be deceived, either due to his forbearance or otherwise)
Wise Quote of the Day:
People praise you for what they suppose is in you; but you must blame your soul for what is in it. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
A wise man is he who sees his shortcomings and is not proud; for whom the more he knows, the more he realizes how little he knows. Of course, to stop pride, one first has to admit that arrogance in any form whatsoever is a sin, and that only Allah the Proud One is worthy of that attribute.
It is said that only the ones who know can fear Allah. By the same token, only the ones who fear Allah can know. These are free of the sin of keeping their knowledge to themselves, selling it for personal benefit, being proud of it, or becoming guilty of any of the other forms of evil that superior knowledge may induce. These rare servants of Allah are the true inheritors of the wisdom of the prophets who were without exception fearful of their Lord and humble, in spite of being the best and most knowledgeable of all human beings. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
If honor be your clothing, the suit will last a lifetime; but if clothing be your honor, it will soon be worn threadbare. The well-dressed man is he whose clothes you never notice.
Their meat does not reach God, nor their blood; it is your piety that reaches God. We subjected them to you this way so you would acknowledge the greatness of God for having guided you. And announce good news to those who do good: God defends those who believe; God does not love any faithless ingrate. [22: 37,38]
Hadith of the Day:
A believer is not bitten from the same hole twice. [Bukhari & Muslim]
(A true believer must always act intelligently so that he is not deceived twice, especially from the same source, in matters related to this world and the Hereafter. This hadith warns against heedlessness in one's affairs and that a person should not allow himself to be deceived, either due to his forbearance or otherwise)
Wise Quote of the Day:
People praise you for what they suppose is in you; but you must blame your soul for what is in it. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
A wise man is he who sees his shortcomings and is not proud; for whom the more he knows, the more he realizes how little he knows. Of course, to stop pride, one first has to admit that arrogance in any form whatsoever is a sin, and that only Allah the Proud One is worthy of that attribute.
It is said that only the ones who know can fear Allah. By the same token, only the ones who fear Allah can know. These are free of the sin of keeping their knowledge to themselves, selling it for personal benefit, being proud of it, or becoming guilty of any of the other forms of evil that superior knowledge may induce. These rare servants of Allah are the true inheritors of the wisdom of the prophets who were without exception fearful of their Lord and humble, in spite of being the best and most knowledgeable of all human beings. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
If honor be your clothing, the suit will last a lifetime; but if clothing be your honor, it will soon be worn threadbare. The well-dressed man is he whose clothes you never notice.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 693
Ayahs of the Day:
We ordained a rite for every people, that they would celebrate the name of God over the domestic animals that God provided them. But your Lord is one single deity, so submit to God. And bring good news to the humble ones. Those whose hearts are afraid when mention is made of God, and those who patiently endure what afflicts them, and those who practice prayer and give of what We have provided them. [22: 34,35]
Hadith of the Day:
A talebearer and the one who breaks ties of kinship will not enter Paradise. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Learn from those who know more than you do and teach those who know less than you do. [Ibn Mus'ud]
Guidance of the Day:
Seven qualities are said to be causes of pride: education and knowledge; religious piety; the fame and nobility of one's family and ancestors; physical attractiveness or physical strength; wealth; achievement; and the number of one's admirers and followers. In reality, none of these qualities necessarily produces arrogance. On the contrary, they are positive values for which every person strives. The real cause of arrogance is stupidity, and the inability to comprehend what is offered as knowledge. Yet there is no other medicine but knowledge for curing this stupidity.
A superior education and acquired learning are the first and most dangerous cause of pride. This case is most difficult to cure because its cause is also its medicine. To acquire knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim. Therefore to refuse to learn so as not to be proud of one's knowledge is not a solution for this problem. The solution is in educating ourselves that the superiority of knowledge depends solely on the sincerity of the intention to act upon it.
To learn how to apply our knowledge in everyday life and to teach it to others for Allah's sake alone, without any wish to receive compensation or recognition from people, is a whole spiritual and social education in itself. Anyone who has reached this stage will not feel superior to the lowest and most ignorant person in existence. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil. Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle that fits them all. One ought to have a good memory when he has told a lie.
We ordained a rite for every people, that they would celebrate the name of God over the domestic animals that God provided them. But your Lord is one single deity, so submit to God. And bring good news to the humble ones. Those whose hearts are afraid when mention is made of God, and those who patiently endure what afflicts them, and those who practice prayer and give of what We have provided them. [22: 34,35]
Hadith of the Day:
A talebearer and the one who breaks ties of kinship will not enter Paradise. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Learn from those who know more than you do and teach those who know less than you do. [Ibn Mus'ud]
Guidance of the Day:
Seven qualities are said to be causes of pride: education and knowledge; religious piety; the fame and nobility of one's family and ancestors; physical attractiveness or physical strength; wealth; achievement; and the number of one's admirers and followers. In reality, none of these qualities necessarily produces arrogance. On the contrary, they are positive values for which every person strives. The real cause of arrogance is stupidity, and the inability to comprehend what is offered as knowledge. Yet there is no other medicine but knowledge for curing this stupidity.
A superior education and acquired learning are the first and most dangerous cause of pride. This case is most difficult to cure because its cause is also its medicine. To acquire knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim. Therefore to refuse to learn so as not to be proud of one's knowledge is not a solution for this problem. The solution is in educating ourselves that the superiority of knowledge depends solely on the sincerity of the intention to act upon it.
To learn how to apply our knowledge in everyday life and to teach it to others for Allah's sake alone, without any wish to receive compensation or recognition from people, is a whole spiritual and social education in itself. Anyone who has reached this stage will not feel superior to the lowest and most ignorant person in existence. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil. Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle that fits them all. One ought to have a good memory when he has told a lie.
Friday, November 24, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 692
Ayahs of the Day:
Whoever attributes partners to God is as if he had fallen from the sky and a bird had snatched him or the wind had blown him to a distant place. That is it. And any honor the emblems of God, that is from piety of hearts. [22: 31,32]
Hadith of the Day:
What an evil person is he who stores merchandise and, if Allah causes the prices to fall, is grieved and, if He causes them to increase, is pleased. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whenever you interact with people, deal with them as you would wish yourself to be dealt with by them, for a worshiper's faith is incomplete until he wants for other people what he wants for himself. [Imam Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
Arrogance becomes more dangerous when it is manifested and directed. Some people are arrogant toward human beings. They are not any better than the accursed devil who refused to obey Allah when He asked all the angels to prostrate to Adam (a.s.). The Devil thought that he was created of fire while Adam was created of earth, and that fire was superior to earth. He did not know himself and he did not know Adam. Therefore he was punished and rejected from Allah's mercy until the end of time.
Some are arrogant toward Allah, like the Pharaoh who said, "I am your Lord, the Supreme." Or like Nimrod, who said to the Prophet Abraham (a.s.), "Your
God may be the Lord of the Heavens. I am the Lord of this world," and dared to challenge Allah to fight him. Allah drowned the Pharaoh and his armies while they were chasing the Prophet Moses (a.s.) and the children of Israel. Nimrod was killed by a mosquito that devoured his brain.
Some are arrogant toward the Prophet of Allah, like Abu Jahl, who said, "Is this who God chose as His Messenger? Couldn't He have revealed the Qur'an to a celebrated man of Mecca or Medina?" Allah seals the eyes and ears and hearts of the arrogant so that they cannot know the truth. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Sickness and disease are in weak minds the sources of melancholy; but that which is painful to the body, may be profitable to the soul. Sickness puts us in mind of our mortality, and while we drive on heedlessly in the full career of worldly pomp and jollity, kindly pulls us by the ear, and brings us to a proper sense of our duty.
Whoever attributes partners to God is as if he had fallen from the sky and a bird had snatched him or the wind had blown him to a distant place. That is it. And any honor the emblems of God, that is from piety of hearts. [22: 31,32]
Hadith of the Day:
What an evil person is he who stores merchandise and, if Allah causes the prices to fall, is grieved and, if He causes them to increase, is pleased. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whenever you interact with people, deal with them as you would wish yourself to be dealt with by them, for a worshiper's faith is incomplete until he wants for other people what he wants for himself. [Imam Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
Arrogance becomes more dangerous when it is manifested and directed. Some people are arrogant toward human beings. They are not any better than the accursed devil who refused to obey Allah when He asked all the angels to prostrate to Adam (a.s.). The Devil thought that he was created of fire while Adam was created of earth, and that fire was superior to earth. He did not know himself and he did not know Adam. Therefore he was punished and rejected from Allah's mercy until the end of time.
Some are arrogant toward Allah, like the Pharaoh who said, "I am your Lord, the Supreme." Or like Nimrod, who said to the Prophet Abraham (a.s.), "Your
God may be the Lord of the Heavens. I am the Lord of this world," and dared to challenge Allah to fight him. Allah drowned the Pharaoh and his armies while they were chasing the Prophet Moses (a.s.) and the children of Israel. Nimrod was killed by a mosquito that devoured his brain.
Some are arrogant toward the Prophet of Allah, like Abu Jahl, who said, "Is this who God chose as His Messenger? Couldn't He have revealed the Qur'an to a celebrated man of Mecca or Medina?" Allah seals the eyes and ears and hearts of the arrogant so that they cannot know the truth. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Sickness and disease are in weak minds the sources of melancholy; but that which is painful to the body, may be profitable to the soul. Sickness puts us in mind of our mortality, and while we drive on heedlessly in the full career of worldly pomp and jollity, kindly pulls us by the ear, and brings us to a proper sense of our duty.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 691
Ayah of the Day:
And whoever honors the sacred rites of God, that is good for him in respect to his Lord. And domestic animals are permitted to you, except those declared off limits to you. Avoid indecency involving idols, and avoid talk of what is false. [22: 30]
Hadith of the Day:
It is heinous breach of trust that you tell your brother something that makes him believe you, when you are lying to him. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
When you want to commit a sin, look for a hiding place that is not being watched by Allah Most High and His angels. [Hakeem Luqman]
Guidance of the Day:
Modesty, to appear less than we are, is commendable. Yet, the exaggeration of humbleness to the extent of appearing abject is a sin. Only knowledge is worth begging for, and worth humbling ourselves to receive.
To work hard---even far beneath our qualifications---to support our families, to help with the menial chores of our houses, shopping, cooking, cleaning are commendable signs of true humility. To be ordinary in appearance, to wear inexpensive worn clothes, to befriend the poor and disadvantaged, to eat simple food and not throw away leftovers, not to seek reputation-building, self-glorifying jobs, not to consider it beneath you to be a shepherd, a gardener, a porter, a carpenter, or a mason----these are signs of humility.
These kinds of manifestations of humility are worthy of great divine rewards, for they resemble the behavior of prophets and saints. But many people do not know it and think of a life like this as reprehensible. They are the arrogant ones who do not know themselves. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
That which makes people dissatisfied with their condition, is the fanciful idea they form of the happiness of others. The discontent man finds no easy chair. Who with a little cannot be content, endures an everlasting punishment.
And whoever honors the sacred rites of God, that is good for him in respect to his Lord. And domestic animals are permitted to you, except those declared off limits to you. Avoid indecency involving idols, and avoid talk of what is false. [22: 30]
Hadith of the Day:
It is heinous breach of trust that you tell your brother something that makes him believe you, when you are lying to him. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
When you want to commit a sin, look for a hiding place that is not being watched by Allah Most High and His angels. [Hakeem Luqman]
Guidance of the Day:
Modesty, to appear less than we are, is commendable. Yet, the exaggeration of humbleness to the extent of appearing abject is a sin. Only knowledge is worth begging for, and worth humbling ourselves to receive.
To work hard---even far beneath our qualifications---to support our families, to help with the menial chores of our houses, shopping, cooking, cleaning are commendable signs of true humility. To be ordinary in appearance, to wear inexpensive worn clothes, to befriend the poor and disadvantaged, to eat simple food and not throw away leftovers, not to seek reputation-building, self-glorifying jobs, not to consider it beneath you to be a shepherd, a gardener, a porter, a carpenter, or a mason----these are signs of humility.
These kinds of manifestations of humility are worthy of great divine rewards, for they resemble the behavior of prophets and saints. But many people do not know it and think of a life like this as reprehensible. They are the arrogant ones who do not know themselves. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
That which makes people dissatisfied with their condition, is the fanciful idea they form of the happiness of others. The discontent man finds no easy chair. Who with a little cannot be content, endures an everlasting punishment.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 690
Ayah of the Day:
We prepared a dwelling for Abraham at the site of the House, on condition: "Don't associate anything with Me; and purify My house for those who go around it, and those who stand, and those who bow down. [22: 26]
Hadith of the Day:
What an excellent person the religious scholar is----when needed he is helpful and when not needed he enriches himself. [Razin]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Sometimes darkness come over you in order that He make you aware of the value of His blessings upon you. [Ibn Ata I'llah]
Guidance of the Day:
Arrogance is a state in which we are convinced that we have the right to be above others. Justifiable self-regard, without comparing ourselves to others and feeling superior, is not the same thing. That is, at worst, vanity. Arrogance is unlawful in Islam. It is considered to be a disgraceful state.
The opposite of arrogance is to look ourselves with the intention of truly knowing ourselves. Self-examination is a virtue, and one that is expected of a Muslim. Whether our self-regard is justifiable or not, whether truly in our hearts we believe that we are superior to others or not, if our conceit is exteriorized, manifested, communicated to others by mind or deed, it is a sin. The worst version of this sin occurs when no justification exists for the feeling of superiority we cherish.
The only time when the attitude of pride is not a sin is when it is manifested against an aggressive, arrogant person or against a tyrannical enemy, when we are waging battle in defense of our religion or country. In fact, to show pride toward an arrogant person is considered to be a good deed. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The best remedy for unhappiness is to count your blessings. Each new day is an opportunity to start all over again----to cleanse our minds and hearts anew and to clarify our vision.
We prepared a dwelling for Abraham at the site of the House, on condition: "Don't associate anything with Me; and purify My house for those who go around it, and those who stand, and those who bow down. [22: 26]
Hadith of the Day:
What an excellent person the religious scholar is----when needed he is helpful and when not needed he enriches himself. [Razin]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Sometimes darkness come over you in order that He make you aware of the value of His blessings upon you. [Ibn Ata I'llah]
Guidance of the Day:
Arrogance is a state in which we are convinced that we have the right to be above others. Justifiable self-regard, without comparing ourselves to others and feeling superior, is not the same thing. That is, at worst, vanity. Arrogance is unlawful in Islam. It is considered to be a disgraceful state.
The opposite of arrogance is to look ourselves with the intention of truly knowing ourselves. Self-examination is a virtue, and one that is expected of a Muslim. Whether our self-regard is justifiable or not, whether truly in our hearts we believe that we are superior to others or not, if our conceit is exteriorized, manifested, communicated to others by mind or deed, it is a sin. The worst version of this sin occurs when no justification exists for the feeling of superiority we cherish.
The only time when the attitude of pride is not a sin is when it is manifested against an aggressive, arrogant person or against a tyrannical enemy, when we are waging battle in defense of our religion or country. In fact, to show pride toward an arrogant person is considered to be a good deed. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The best remedy for unhappiness is to count your blessings. Each new day is an opportunity to start all over again----to cleanse our minds and hearts anew and to clarify our vision.
Monday, November 20, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 689
Ayahs of the Day:
God will admit those who believed and did good works to gardens where streams flow below, where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls; and their clothing there will be silk, for they were guided to the good word, and they were guided to the path of the Praiseworthy. [22: 23,24]
Hadith of the Day:
A son of Adam becomes old but two things in him become young: greed for wealth and greed for more life. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Worship has four characteristics, the fulfillment of pledges, observing the limits of the law, contentment with one's actual condition, and patience in the midst of loses. [Ibn Abbad]
Guidance of the Day:
The decision to refuse to temptations of hypocrisy is made by the mind. The mind obeys whichever is the stronger; attraction toward, or aversion from, a stimulus. There are three sure ways to strengthen your resistance to hypocrisy. You can know its causes and effects. You can consider undesirable even the most seemingly attractive results of a hypocritical action or attitude. Best of all, you can make sincerity your purpose in life.
Aversion to hypocrisy and the ability to resist it only become possible through faith in Allah and abiding with one's religion. Whoever wills to be sincere in actions and in state can protect themselves from the effects of hidden hypocrisy only through the fear of Allah. This is not only a fear of the punishment and wrath of Allah; it is also a fear of losing the love of one's Lord and of His rejection.
This care toward and fear of one's Lord has to exist during and even after every action. Its place is not at the beginning. At the beginning we need an intention containing a firm faith in our sincerity that we hope for nothing other than Allah's approval and pleasure in our forthcoming action. The meaning of good intention is to start an action with sincerity, purpose, and resolution. Doubt, confusion, and neglect cannot be part of a well-made intention.
A sincere person begins each action with a clear certainty. The fear of Allah is felt by people who are afraid of the consequences of their egotism and hypocrisy. For the faithful who have studied and know right from wrong, and who are sincere in their attempts to do right, fear and hope of Allah are best. Allah knows best. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
There can be no such thing as necessary evil. For if a thing is really necessary, it cannot be evil and if it is an evil, it is not necessary.
God will admit those who believed and did good works to gardens where streams flow below, where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls; and their clothing there will be silk, for they were guided to the good word, and they were guided to the path of the Praiseworthy. [22: 23,24]
Hadith of the Day:
A son of Adam becomes old but two things in him become young: greed for wealth and greed for more life. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Worship has four characteristics, the fulfillment of pledges, observing the limits of the law, contentment with one's actual condition, and patience in the midst of loses. [Ibn Abbad]
Guidance of the Day:
The decision to refuse to temptations of hypocrisy is made by the mind. The mind obeys whichever is the stronger; attraction toward, or aversion from, a stimulus. There are three sure ways to strengthen your resistance to hypocrisy. You can know its causes and effects. You can consider undesirable even the most seemingly attractive results of a hypocritical action or attitude. Best of all, you can make sincerity your purpose in life.
Aversion to hypocrisy and the ability to resist it only become possible through faith in Allah and abiding with one's religion. Whoever wills to be sincere in actions and in state can protect themselves from the effects of hidden hypocrisy only through the fear of Allah. This is not only a fear of the punishment and wrath of Allah; it is also a fear of losing the love of one's Lord and of His rejection.
This care toward and fear of one's Lord has to exist during and even after every action. Its place is not at the beginning. At the beginning we need an intention containing a firm faith in our sincerity that we hope for nothing other than Allah's approval and pleasure in our forthcoming action. The meaning of good intention is to start an action with sincerity, purpose, and resolution. Doubt, confusion, and neglect cannot be part of a well-made intention.
A sincere person begins each action with a clear certainty. The fear of Allah is felt by people who are afraid of the consequences of their egotism and hypocrisy. For the faithful who have studied and know right from wrong, and who are sincere in their attempts to do right, fear and hope of Allah are best. Allah knows best. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
There can be no such thing as necessary evil. For if a thing is really necessary, it cannot be evil and if it is an evil, it is not necessary.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 688
Ayah of the Day:
Don't you see that all beings in the heavens and all beings on earth bow to God, including the sun and the moon and the stars, and the mountains and the trees, and the animals and many humans? But many are worthy of punishment too; and no one can dignify those whom God disgraces, for God enacts the divine will. [22: 18]
Hadith of the Day:
Hellfire is veiled with desires and Paradise is veiled with displeasures. [Bukhari & Muslim]
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:
O you who have received the great gift of intelligence from your Lord, use it! Use it to test your deeds and your praise of your Lord. Your Lord knows what you do: it is enough achievement that you know what you are doing. No one else has to know. When you evaluate your actions, do not forget to remember the benefits of sincerity and the damage done by hypocrisy in your life. The best decision is to stop exhibiting your good deeds: only this will close the gates of hypocrisy altogether. Yet there are certain circumstances when your actions should be shown in order to encourage others to follow your example.
Even when your intentions are the best, you will be obliged to defend your hearts against the evil temptations of your ego. Hypocrisy enters the heart through three gates: the hope that your deeds will be recognized by the public; the wish to be praised and given honor and high position as a reward for your actions; the acceptance and enjoyment of this popularity and the rewards it offers.
We must reject all these temptations. We should consider that in reality, to be publicly singled our---even by people's praise for a devout, pious, honest, and generous person---is sufficient to lead us into the worst troubles of this world and the Hereafter. We must believe that the one who praises us is our enemy, because he is the ally of our ego, our worst enemy. And we must know that succumbing to these temptations will eventually attract Allah's wrath and punishment upon us. If we resist in this way, our resistance will let us the ugliness behind the false facade of momentary attraction. Then we will be able to refuse. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
He that has learned to obey will know how to command. It is never wise to slip the hands of discipline. You will never be the person you can be if pressure, tension, and discipline are taken out of your life. What we do on some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are. What we are is the result of previous years of self-discipline.
Don't you see that all beings in the heavens and all beings on earth bow to God, including the sun and the moon and the stars, and the mountains and the trees, and the animals and many humans? But many are worthy of punishment too; and no one can dignify those whom God disgraces, for God enacts the divine will. [22: 18]
Hadith of the Day:
Hellfire is veiled with desires and Paradise is veiled with displeasures. [Bukhari & Muslim]
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:
O you who have received the great gift of intelligence from your Lord, use it! Use it to test your deeds and your praise of your Lord. Your Lord knows what you do: it is enough achievement that you know what you are doing. No one else has to know. When you evaluate your actions, do not forget to remember the benefits of sincerity and the damage done by hypocrisy in your life. The best decision is to stop exhibiting your good deeds: only this will close the gates of hypocrisy altogether. Yet there are certain circumstances when your actions should be shown in order to encourage others to follow your example.
Even when your intentions are the best, you will be obliged to defend your hearts against the evil temptations of your ego. Hypocrisy enters the heart through three gates: the hope that your deeds will be recognized by the public; the wish to be praised and given honor and high position as a reward for your actions; the acceptance and enjoyment of this popularity and the rewards it offers.
We must reject all these temptations. We should consider that in reality, to be publicly singled our---even by people's praise for a devout, pious, honest, and generous person---is sufficient to lead us into the worst troubles of this world and the Hereafter. We must believe that the one who praises us is our enemy, because he is the ally of our ego, our worst enemy. And we must know that succumbing to these temptations will eventually attract Allah's wrath and punishment upon us. If we resist in this way, our resistance will let us the ugliness behind the false facade of momentary attraction. Then we will be able to refuse. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
He that has learned to obey will know how to command. It is never wise to slip the hands of discipline. You will never be the person you can be if pressure, tension, and discipline are taken out of your life. What we do on some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are. What we are is the result of previous years of self-discipline.
Friday, November 17, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 687
Ayah of the Day:
God will admit those who believed and did good works to gardens with streams that flow below; for God does what God wills. [22: 14]
Hadith of the Day:
Accursed is the slave of the dinar and the dirham. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Be satisfied with what you have and patient with what you lack, fulfill commitments, and do much bowing and prostrating. Give up directing and choosing with Him who directs and chooses. [Ibn Ata illah]
Guidance of the Day:
The main sources of sincerity are faith, love, and hope. Its nourishment is wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. These causes become active when all our actions, behavior, thoughts, and feelings are dependent on our faith in God, and the love, joy, and security it brings.
Your ears are a path to your heart; your eyes are its windows. The person whose heart understands what enters it and keeps it safe has found salvation. The sincere person is safe, secure, and at peace in this world and the Hereafter. His actions find divine reward. Allah is pleased with him, and he is pleased with his Lord.
The hypocrite can be cured and find his felicity by pulling the roots of hypocrisy out of his heart. Those roots are the love of the world, the immediate desire and lust for the tastes of this life, and the preference for this life over the Hereafter. This world is turbid. Its inhabitants have no power. Helpless, they can neither harm nor save anyone. The eyes in people's heads, without the insight of faith, are blind to reality. And the life in this world is temporal. It shrivels, decays, and passes away very fast, while the life in the Hereafter is forever, clear, and eternal. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
If you expect perfection from people your whole life is a series of disappointments, grumblings and complaints. If, on the contrary, you pitch your expectations low, taking folks as the inefficient creatures which they are, you are frequently surprised by having them perform better than you had hoped.
God will admit those who believed and did good works to gardens with streams that flow below; for God does what God wills. [22: 14]
Hadith of the Day:
Accursed is the slave of the dinar and the dirham. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Be satisfied with what you have and patient with what you lack, fulfill commitments, and do much bowing and prostrating. Give up directing and choosing with Him who directs and chooses. [Ibn Ata illah]
Guidance of the Day:
The main sources of sincerity are faith, love, and hope. Its nourishment is wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. These causes become active when all our actions, behavior, thoughts, and feelings are dependent on our faith in God, and the love, joy, and security it brings.
Your ears are a path to your heart; your eyes are its windows. The person whose heart understands what enters it and keeps it safe has found salvation. The sincere person is safe, secure, and at peace in this world and the Hereafter. His actions find divine reward. Allah is pleased with him, and he is pleased with his Lord.
The hypocrite can be cured and find his felicity by pulling the roots of hypocrisy out of his heart. Those roots are the love of the world, the immediate desire and lust for the tastes of this life, and the preference for this life over the Hereafter. This world is turbid. Its inhabitants have no power. Helpless, they can neither harm nor save anyone. The eyes in people's heads, without the insight of faith, are blind to reality. And the life in this world is temporal. It shrivels, decays, and passes away very fast, while the life in the Hereafter is forever, clear, and eternal. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
If you expect perfection from people your whole life is a series of disappointments, grumblings and complaints. If, on the contrary, you pitch your expectations low, taking folks as the inefficient creatures which they are, you are frequently surprised by having them perform better than you had hoped.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 686
Ayahs of the Day:
They pray to what can neither cause them harm nor bring them benefit, instead of God; that is outlandish error. They pray to one whose harm is closer than his benefit----surely a wretched protector and a miserable companion! [22: 12,13]
Hadith of the Day:
Every sin is forgiven for a martyr except debt. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whenever one's knowledge of Allah is strengthened, one's love for Him is also strengthened and one's love for obeying Him is also strengthened. He will then experience the pleasure of worship. [Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahamad]
Guidance of the Day:
If we are reminded of the benefits of sincerity, we may be able to prevent ourselves from falling under the influence of the evil-commanding ego that leads us to hypocrisy.
The main sources of sincerity are faith, love, and hope. Its nourishment is wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. These causes become active when all our actions, behavior, thoughts, and feelings are dependent on our faith in God, and the love, joy, and security it brings. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Every noble work is at first impossible. Diligence is the mother of good luck. He who labors diligently need never despair; for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.
They pray to what can neither cause them harm nor bring them benefit, instead of God; that is outlandish error. They pray to one whose harm is closer than his benefit----surely a wretched protector and a miserable companion! [22: 12,13]
Hadith of the Day:
Every sin is forgiven for a martyr except debt. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whenever one's knowledge of Allah is strengthened, one's love for Him is also strengthened and one's love for obeying Him is also strengthened. He will then experience the pleasure of worship. [Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahamad]
Guidance of the Day:
If we are reminded of the benefits of sincerity, we may be able to prevent ourselves from falling under the influence of the evil-commanding ego that leads us to hypocrisy.
The main sources of sincerity are faith, love, and hope. Its nourishment is wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. These causes become active when all our actions, behavior, thoughts, and feelings are dependent on our faith in God, and the love, joy, and security it brings. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Every noble work is at first impossible. Diligence is the mother of good luck. He who labors diligently need never despair; for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 685
Ayah of the Day:
Some people worship God in a fickle way: If something good happens to them, they are satisfied with it, but when a trial happens to them, they are knocked over on their faces. They lose this world and the Hereafter; that is the obvious loss. [22: 11]
Hadith of the Day:
For a person to be classified as a liar it is sufficient that he say everything he hears. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A small amount of lawful earnings is superior to earnings which are in abundance, but unlawful. Respect is in contentment and comfort in abstention. [Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi]
Guidance of the Day:
The causes of hypocrisy are three: the wish to be known, respected, honored by people, with the intention of profiting from such situation; envy of the good fortune of others, and a desire to have the same for oneself; fear of being criticized and blamed for one's actual state.
The real meaning of hypocrisy is to distort devotion, which is given to us as a means to come close to the One Who is Sacred and Powerful, by using it for other purposes. There are other devices through which one may seek people's favor, but to pretend godliness and piety in order to gain people's attention, love, and confidence is blasphemy and an insult to God. Indeed, if people knew his intentions, the hypocrite would receive the opposite of what he seeks: distrust instead of confidence, hate instead of love. People may not see through a hypocrite, but nothing is hidden from Allah. He certainly knows. And His wrath far surpasses the worst punishment we may receive from human hands.
The least harm a hypocrite should expect is that his actions will be unlawful in the eyes of God. His willful falsification, his presenting something as real while it is not, will turn against him. Although there are degrees of hypocrisy, and divine punishment is in accordance with the gravity of the offense, the hypocrite can expect that all his fraudulent efforts will be in vain. Not only will he gain no favors, but in the eye of God he will stand condemned. [The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi]
Food for Thought:
No man who is occupied in doing a very difficult thing, and doing it very well, ever loses his self-respect. Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body. Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.
Some people worship God in a fickle way: If something good happens to them, they are satisfied with it, but when a trial happens to them, they are knocked over on their faces. They lose this world and the Hereafter; that is the obvious loss. [22: 11]
Hadith of the Day:
For a person to be classified as a liar it is sufficient that he say everything he hears. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A small amount of lawful earnings is superior to earnings which are in abundance, but unlawful. Respect is in contentment and comfort in abstention. [Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi]
Guidance of the Day:
The causes of hypocrisy are three: the wish to be known, respected, honored by people, with the intention of profiting from such situation; envy of the good fortune of others, and a desire to have the same for oneself; fear of being criticized and blamed for one's actual state.
The real meaning of hypocrisy is to distort devotion, which is given to us as a means to come close to the One Who is Sacred and Powerful, by using it for other purposes. There are other devices through which one may seek people's favor, but to pretend godliness and piety in order to gain people's attention, love, and confidence is blasphemy and an insult to God. Indeed, if people knew his intentions, the hypocrite would receive the opposite of what he seeks: distrust instead of confidence, hate instead of love. People may not see through a hypocrite, but nothing is hidden from Allah. He certainly knows. And His wrath far surpasses the worst punishment we may receive from human hands.
The least harm a hypocrite should expect is that his actions will be unlawful in the eyes of God. His willful falsification, his presenting something as real while it is not, will turn against him. Although there are degrees of hypocrisy, and divine punishment is in accordance with the gravity of the offense, the hypocrite can expect that all his fraudulent efforts will be in vain. Not only will he gain no favors, but in the eye of God he will stand condemned. [The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi]
Food for Thought:
No man who is occupied in doing a very difficult thing, and doing it very well, ever loses his self-respect. Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body. Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 684
Ayahs of the Day:
Moving his side, so as to lead (men) astray from the path of Allah: For him there is dishonor in this life, and on the Day of Judgment We shall make him taste the penalty of burning fire. (It will be said to him): "This is because of the acts which your hands sent before, for surely, Allah is not unjust to His servants. [22: 9,10]
Hadith of the Day:
Every person will be resurrected in the condition he dies. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The wise man knows that the only fitting price for his soul is a place in Paradise. [Ibn Hazm]
Guidance of the Day:
If you are sincere in your consideration for others, you should mind neither their praise nor their blame. Yet it is right and natural that we are hurt by other people's criticism. Often there is truth in it, and we should feel pain at the sight of what is wrong with ourselves. That pain may lead us to try to correct the wrong: therefore it is lawful. It is only our denial and resentment of criticism that is not good.
Shame sincerely felt because of our wrong doings, even when brought on by fear of other people, is a good deed. But if we feel ashamed of performing pious , laudable actions dictated by our religion because we are in the company of irreligious, that shame is blameworthy. Someone whose faith is strong feels a shame before Allah far more intense than what he might feel in the presence of the most powerful of men.
The perfection of sincerity is in becoming invisible in the eyes of others. At a lesser level, perfect sincerity dictates that the opinions of others should not matter, because all of us are helpless. All that matters is to follow Allah's prescriptions, and all reward and punishment are solely from Him. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
If men would consider not so much wherein they differ, as wherein they agree, there would be far less uncharitableness and angry feeling in the world. Personal differences are often great stimulus to monumental collaborations. Honest differences are often a healthy sign of progress.
Moving his side, so as to lead (men) astray from the path of Allah: For him there is dishonor in this life, and on the Day of Judgment We shall make him taste the penalty of burning fire. (It will be said to him): "This is because of the acts which your hands sent before, for surely, Allah is not unjust to His servants. [22: 9,10]
Hadith of the Day:
Every person will be resurrected in the condition he dies. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The wise man knows that the only fitting price for his soul is a place in Paradise. [Ibn Hazm]
Guidance of the Day:
If you are sincere in your consideration for others, you should mind neither their praise nor their blame. Yet it is right and natural that we are hurt by other people's criticism. Often there is truth in it, and we should feel pain at the sight of what is wrong with ourselves. That pain may lead us to try to correct the wrong: therefore it is lawful. It is only our denial and resentment of criticism that is not good.
Shame sincerely felt because of our wrong doings, even when brought on by fear of other people, is a good deed. But if we feel ashamed of performing pious , laudable actions dictated by our religion because we are in the company of irreligious, that shame is blameworthy. Someone whose faith is strong feels a shame before Allah far more intense than what he might feel in the presence of the most powerful of men.
The perfection of sincerity is in becoming invisible in the eyes of others. At a lesser level, perfect sincerity dictates that the opinions of others should not matter, because all of us are helpless. All that matters is to follow Allah's prescriptions, and all reward and punishment are solely from Him. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
If men would consider not so much wherein they differ, as wherein they agree, there would be far less uncharitableness and angry feeling in the world. Personal differences are often great stimulus to monumental collaborations. Honest differences are often a healthy sign of progress.
Monday, November 13, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 683
Ayahs of the Day:
And the end of time is coming; there can be no doubt about it; and God will resurrect those in graves. And yet some people will still argue about God, without knowledge, without direction and without enlightening scripture. [22: 7,8]
Hadith of the Day:
The grave is but a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of Hellfire. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Dunya: Any action undertaken without Allah's pleasure as its goal. [Othman radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
7. Then the Devil says: "If all is His doing, then you do not have to intend to do anything. If all is His will, then you do not need your will. It is decided in your mother's womb if you are doomed or you are saved; nothing you will do will change your destiny."
The wise will know that we do not know our destiny. But we do know that we are created to praise our Lord, to know our Lord, and to serve our Lord. Whatever our destiny is, our good deeds will profit us. If we are created fortunate by birth, we still need to do good deeds and to protect ourselves from evil. If we are created to do ill, we need to do even more good as repentance to compensate for our misfortune. How could the Lord punish a person for obedience? If one is destined to be thrown into Hell, it is better to enter the fire as an obedient servant. Allah promises that if a person comes to Him with faith in his heart and a life time of good deeds, the fire will be forbidden to him. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Lots of folks confuse bad management with destiny. Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire.
And the end of time is coming; there can be no doubt about it; and God will resurrect those in graves. And yet some people will still argue about God, without knowledge, without direction and without enlightening scripture. [22: 7,8]
Hadith of the Day:
The grave is but a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of Hellfire. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Dunya: Any action undertaken without Allah's pleasure as its goal. [Othman radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
7. Then the Devil says: "If all is His doing, then you do not have to intend to do anything. If all is His will, then you do not need your will. It is decided in your mother's womb if you are doomed or you are saved; nothing you will do will change your destiny."
The wise will know that we do not know our destiny. But we do know that we are created to praise our Lord, to know our Lord, and to serve our Lord. Whatever our destiny is, our good deeds will profit us. If we are created fortunate by birth, we still need to do good deeds and to protect ourselves from evil. If we are created to do ill, we need to do even more good as repentance to compensate for our misfortune. How could the Lord punish a person for obedience? If one is destined to be thrown into Hell, it is better to enter the fire as an obedient servant. Allah promises that if a person comes to Him with faith in his heart and a life time of good deeds, the fire will be forbidden to him. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Lots of folks confuse bad management with destiny. Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire.
Friday, November 10, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 682
Ayahs of the Day:
And you see the earth lifeless, but then We shower water on it, and it stirs and swells and produces every beautiful species. That is because God is reality itself, giving life to the dead, in command of all things. [22: 5,6]
Hadith of the Day:
Verily the world is accursed and accursed is what it contains, except the remembrance of Allah, that which Allah loves, and someone with sacred knowledge or someone learning it. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Sins have a tendency of creating restlessness in one's heart in one form or the other. [othman radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
6. Then the devil says: "Indeed you are sincere and not a hypocrite, so you do not have to do any good deed for others to praise. Strive inwardly! Let none see you pray or how good you are. Live your spiritual life in seclusion; leave the world to the worldly. Your Lord will know." Thus the devil tries to pull the devout into hidden hypocrisy. If they follow this bad advice, in their seclusion they will feel that they are protecting themselves from the rest of the world, who are worse than they are.
The faithful who are well guided will say: "I was born into this world and am not better than any other person in it. We are all the servants of our Lord. Some He uses to benefit others, some He uses to tyrannize others. He knows what I do and He knows what is in my heart. I cannot hide anything from Him. If He wills, He exposes what I am; if He wills, He hides who I am even from myself. He is the master I am the slave. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The block of granite which is an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.
And you see the earth lifeless, but then We shower water on it, and it stirs and swells and produces every beautiful species. That is because God is reality itself, giving life to the dead, in command of all things. [22: 5,6]
Hadith of the Day:
Verily the world is accursed and accursed is what it contains, except the remembrance of Allah, that which Allah loves, and someone with sacred knowledge or someone learning it. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Sins have a tendency of creating restlessness in one's heart in one form or the other. [othman radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
6. Then the devil says: "Indeed you are sincere and not a hypocrite, so you do not have to do any good deed for others to praise. Strive inwardly! Let none see you pray or how good you are. Live your spiritual life in seclusion; leave the world to the worldly. Your Lord will know." Thus the devil tries to pull the devout into hidden hypocrisy. If they follow this bad advice, in their seclusion they will feel that they are protecting themselves from the rest of the world, who are worse than they are.
The faithful who are well guided will say: "I was born into this world and am not better than any other person in it. We are all the servants of our Lord. Some He uses to benefit others, some He uses to tyrannize others. He knows what I do and He knows what is in my heart. I cannot hide anything from Him. If He wills, He exposes what I am; if He wills, He hides who I am even from myself. He is the master I am the slave. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The block of granite which is an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.
LESSON OF THE DAY 681
Ayah of the Day:
O humanity, if you are in doubt about the resurrection, remember that We created you from dust, then from a drop, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, formed and unformed, in order to edify you. And We keep in the womb those We wish, up to a designated term; then We bring you out as infants, and enable you to reach your maturity: but some of you will be kept here until the age of senility, such that they know nothing of what they knew before. [22:5]
Hadith of the Day:
The cure for ignorance is to question. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Abstention from sin is of greater importance than plenteous supererogatory worship. [Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi]
Guidance of the Day:
3. When the Devil cannot prevent us from following Allah's ordinances in our lives, nor force us to delay our duties, he pushes us to hurry. He says: "Do it quickly, so that you will have time for other things." The wise can resist by saying: "Less done, but completely, is better than much which is incomplete."
4. Then the Devil incites us to show off our deeds. If the faithful are protected by their Lord from hypocrisy, they can say: "People can neither help me nor harm me except by the will of Allah. Neither their praise nor their curse touches me. My Lord is All-Seeing and He is sufficient for me."
5. The most dangerous of evil temptations induces us to be proud. The Devil whispers in our ear: "How wise and heedful you are, while the whole of humanity is asleep!" If we are guided by our Lord, we can respond: "All praise and thanks are due to my Lord if I am heedful. His is the guidance, His is the success. All I have is His gift. If it were not so, all the good that comes through me would not reduce the swamp of my sins by a single drop." [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
What is defeat? Nothing but education, nothing but the first step to something better. Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure. He who is accustomed to defeat, yet persists, will some day succeed. He who is accustomed to success, and becomes indifferent, will some day fail.
O humanity, if you are in doubt about the resurrection, remember that We created you from dust, then from a drop, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, formed and unformed, in order to edify you. And We keep in the womb those We wish, up to a designated term; then We bring you out as infants, and enable you to reach your maturity: but some of you will be kept here until the age of senility, such that they know nothing of what they knew before. [22:5]
Hadith of the Day:
The cure for ignorance is to question. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Abstention from sin is of greater importance than plenteous supererogatory worship. [Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi]
Guidance of the Day:
3. When the Devil cannot prevent us from following Allah's ordinances in our lives, nor force us to delay our duties, he pushes us to hurry. He says: "Do it quickly, so that you will have time for other things." The wise can resist by saying: "Less done, but completely, is better than much which is incomplete."
4. Then the Devil incites us to show off our deeds. If the faithful are protected by their Lord from hypocrisy, they can say: "People can neither help me nor harm me except by the will of Allah. Neither their praise nor their curse touches me. My Lord is All-Seeing and He is sufficient for me."
5. The most dangerous of evil temptations induces us to be proud. The Devil whispers in our ear: "How wise and heedful you are, while the whole of humanity is asleep!" If we are guided by our Lord, we can respond: "All praise and thanks are due to my Lord if I am heedful. His is the guidance, His is the success. All I have is His gift. If it were not so, all the good that comes through me would not reduce the swamp of my sins by a single drop." [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
What is defeat? Nothing but education, nothing but the first step to something better. Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure. He who is accustomed to defeat, yet persists, will some day succeed. He who is accustomed to success, and becomes indifferent, will some day fail.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 680
Ayahs of the Day:
Some people dispute about God without knowledge: and they follow every defiant devil, of whom it is written that he will misguide anyone who puts him in charge, leading him to the torment of the blaze. [22: 3,4]
Hadith of the Day:
The most beloved practice in the sight of Allah is love for the sake of Allah and hatred for the sake of Allah. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If we are not living for our Lord, relying on His guidance and help, and trusting in His wisdom, we will find it very difficult to negotiate our way through this world. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
Guidance of the Day:
If we know how the accursed Devil operates, it is possible to protect ourselves against his temptations. Generally speaking, there are seven ways the Devil leads people astray.
1. The main goal of the Devil is to prevent us from obeying our Lord. He wants to steal our faith. He will attempt to prevent us from praying, fasting, paying the poor-rate, from performing the pilgrimage, from doing good deeds. He presents the ego with attractive alternatives: wealth, fame, fun, ambition, attachment to the world and the worldly. But the heedful, wise, and faithful person can respond: "I am here in this world for a moment and I will be in the Hereafter for the eternity. I can only care for this world for the short time I will spend here, but I must work for the sake of the Hereafter where I will stay forever.
2. If the evil influence cannot prevent us from doing what Allah has ordered us to do, it tries to delay the good actions we intend. It tempts us to do what is pleasurable to our egos first. What Allah asks us to do, it prefers we do later. In this case, the devout, under the protection of their Lord, can respond: "My life is not in my hands. I do not know when the end will come. If I leave what I was ordered to do today until tomorrow, tomorrow may never come. Every moment of my life is for a purpose. Now is the time to do what is to be done now. And now is the only time." [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time. All deception in the course of life is indeed nothing else but a lie reduced to practice, and falsehood passing from words into things.
Some people dispute about God without knowledge: and they follow every defiant devil, of whom it is written that he will misguide anyone who puts him in charge, leading him to the torment of the blaze. [22: 3,4]
Hadith of the Day:
The most beloved practice in the sight of Allah is love for the sake of Allah and hatred for the sake of Allah. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If we are not living for our Lord, relying on His guidance and help, and trusting in His wisdom, we will find it very difficult to negotiate our way through this world. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
Guidance of the Day:
If we know how the accursed Devil operates, it is possible to protect ourselves against his temptations. Generally speaking, there are seven ways the Devil leads people astray.
1. The main goal of the Devil is to prevent us from obeying our Lord. He wants to steal our faith. He will attempt to prevent us from praying, fasting, paying the poor-rate, from performing the pilgrimage, from doing good deeds. He presents the ego with attractive alternatives: wealth, fame, fun, ambition, attachment to the world and the worldly. But the heedful, wise, and faithful person can respond: "I am here in this world for a moment and I will be in the Hereafter for the eternity. I can only care for this world for the short time I will spend here, but I must work for the sake of the Hereafter where I will stay forever.
2. If the evil influence cannot prevent us from doing what Allah has ordered us to do, it tries to delay the good actions we intend. It tempts us to do what is pleasurable to our egos first. What Allah asks us to do, it prefers we do later. In this case, the devout, under the protection of their Lord, can respond: "My life is not in my hands. I do not know when the end will come. If I leave what I was ordered to do today until tomorrow, tomorrow may never come. Every moment of my life is for a purpose. Now is the time to do what is to be done now. And now is the only time." [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time. All deception in the course of life is indeed nothing else but a lie reduced to practice, and falsehood passing from words into things.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 679
Ayahs of the Day:
O humanity, be conscious of your Lord, for the shock of the end of time will be a tremendous thing: the day you see it, every nursing woman will forget the child she suckles, and every pregnant female will drop its fetus, and you will see the people intoxicated though they are not drunken: but the punishment of God is severe. [22: 1,2]
Hadith of the Day:
Allah has forbidden to you denying what you owe and demanding what you have no right to, and has disliked for you idle talk and gossip, excessive questioning, and squandering wealth. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Just like stagnant, standing water becomes a breeding ground for filth, an empty and carefree mind becomes a hive for useless and scorn thoughts. [Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad]
Guidance of the Day:
We should also suspect the existence of hypocrisy in our relations with our friends and acquaintances. Do we prefer one person over another because he is rich, famous, known and admired by others? Or do we care more about his righteousness, his knowledge and wisdom and good character----even if he is also rich and famous? If our preference is dependent on wealth and fame and the recognition of others, our care for that person is certainly hypocritical.
There are signs of hypocrisy particular to people who are put in the positions of teachers, preachers, mystical leaders, and the wise. One is a change of attitude and an affection in speech when talking to important people. However if spiritual teachers appear to be especially polite, caring, and generous to the rich and famous with the intention of correcting their wrong doings and leading them to repentance and to straight path, thus hoping to lead others to salvation through their influence, their actions are correct and not hypocritical.
Another sign of hypocrisy among such people is the expression of envy and disapproval, and the belittling of others in their position. Yet envying someone for his piety, righteousness, and religious knowledge is perfectly acceptable. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Never spend your money before you have it. Debt is the worst poverty. Rather go to bed supperless than rise in debt. Do not accustom yourself to consider debt only as an inconvenience; you will find it a calamity. A man in debt is so far a slave.
O humanity, be conscious of your Lord, for the shock of the end of time will be a tremendous thing: the day you see it, every nursing woman will forget the child she suckles, and every pregnant female will drop its fetus, and you will see the people intoxicated though they are not drunken: but the punishment of God is severe. [22: 1,2]
Hadith of the Day:
Allah has forbidden to you denying what you owe and demanding what you have no right to, and has disliked for you idle talk and gossip, excessive questioning, and squandering wealth. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Just like stagnant, standing water becomes a breeding ground for filth, an empty and carefree mind becomes a hive for useless and scorn thoughts. [Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad]
Guidance of the Day:
We should also suspect the existence of hypocrisy in our relations with our friends and acquaintances. Do we prefer one person over another because he is rich, famous, known and admired by others? Or do we care more about his righteousness, his knowledge and wisdom and good character----even if he is also rich and famous? If our preference is dependent on wealth and fame and the recognition of others, our care for that person is certainly hypocritical.
There are signs of hypocrisy particular to people who are put in the positions of teachers, preachers, mystical leaders, and the wise. One is a change of attitude and an affection in speech when talking to important people. However if spiritual teachers appear to be especially polite, caring, and generous to the rich and famous with the intention of correcting their wrong doings and leading them to repentance and to straight path, thus hoping to lead others to salvation through their influence, their actions are correct and not hypocritical.
Another sign of hypocrisy among such people is the expression of envy and disapproval, and the belittling of others in their position. Yet envying someone for his piety, righteousness, and religious knowledge is perfectly acceptable. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Never spend your money before you have it. Debt is the worst poverty. Rather go to bed supperless than rise in debt. Do not accustom yourself to consider debt only as an inconvenience; you will find it a calamity. A man in debt is so far a slave.
Monday, November 06, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 678
Ayahs of the Day:
It is God who knows what is said openly and what you conceal, and I don't know but it may be a trial for you, or a delight for a while. Say, "My Lord, judge by truth." And, "Our Lord, the Benevolent One, is the resort against what they assert." [21: 110,111,112]
Hadith of the Day:
Anger ruins faith just as the aloe plant ruins honey. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A person who renounces something for his Lord will be more than compensated with strong faith and the rewards of obedience to the Lord of the universe. [Ibn Abbad]
Guidance of the Day:
It is permissible to feel a certain security and satisfaction in hiding one's piety, one's good deeds---even hiding from our left hand what our right hand gives---as a proof to ourselves that we seek only Allah's approval. However, hypocrisy may raise its ugly head and make us expect people around us to behave well toward us in consequence. We may expect people to offer us respect, to be fair when we buy something, to show us honor, kindness, thankfulness, as if we deserved those considerations for hiding our good deeds! If our efforts were untainted by hypocrisy, we would neither expect people's regard nor mind their ingratitude and disregard.
Unless you waste no thought or care on people's reactions when you behave according to the orders of Allah, unless there is no difference between your cat seeing you pray or your neighbor, the question of hypocrisy in your actions remains. When we are confident of our truthfulness with ourselves, we may purposefully accept recognition from people in order to feel the sting of hidden hypocrisy. Allah sees and knows all; nothing is hidden from Him. The sincere believer should also be able to see in himself what Allah knows. [The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi]
Food for Thought:
Crisis and deadlocks when they occur have at least this advantage, that they force us to think. As we wake or sleep, we grow strong or we grow weak, and at last some crisis shows us what we have become. Crisis refine life. In them we discover what we are.
God calls Himself "Baseer" [Observant], so that the knowledge that He is watching you may
It is God who knows what is said openly and what you conceal, and I don't know but it may be a trial for you, or a delight for a while. Say, "My Lord, judge by truth." And, "Our Lord, the Benevolent One, is the resort against what they assert." [21: 110,111,112]
Hadith of the Day:
Anger ruins faith just as the aloe plant ruins honey. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A person who renounces something for his Lord will be more than compensated with strong faith and the rewards of obedience to the Lord of the universe. [Ibn Abbad]
Guidance of the Day:
It is permissible to feel a certain security and satisfaction in hiding one's piety, one's good deeds---even hiding from our left hand what our right hand gives---as a proof to ourselves that we seek only Allah's approval. However, hypocrisy may raise its ugly head and make us expect people around us to behave well toward us in consequence. We may expect people to offer us respect, to be fair when we buy something, to show us honor, kindness, thankfulness, as if we deserved those considerations for hiding our good deeds! If our efforts were untainted by hypocrisy, we would neither expect people's regard nor mind their ingratitude and disregard.
Unless you waste no thought or care on people's reactions when you behave according to the orders of Allah, unless there is no difference between your cat seeing you pray or your neighbor, the question of hypocrisy in your actions remains. When we are confident of our truthfulness with ourselves, we may purposefully accept recognition from people in order to feel the sting of hidden hypocrisy. Allah sees and knows all; nothing is hidden from Him. The sincere believer should also be able to see in himself what Allah knows. [The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi]
Food for Thought:
Crisis and deadlocks when they occur have at least this advantage, that they force us to think. As we wake or sleep, we grow strong or we grow weak, and at last some crisis shows us what we have become. Crisis refine life. In them we discover what we are.
God calls Himself "Baseer" [Observant], so that the knowledge that He is watching you may
Saturday, November 04, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 677
Ayahs of the Day:
We have sent you only as a mercy to all peoples. Say, "It has only been revealed to me that your deity is one God; so do you acquiesce?" Then if they turn away, then say, "I have exhorted you just the same, even though I do not know whether what you are promised is near or far." [21: 107,108,109]
Hadith of the Day:
Interest, however much it might accrue, leads in the end to penury. [Ibn Maja, Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Never consider sin to be small. Regard sin as great. He who thinks slightly of sin has considered Allah to be insignificant. [Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi]
Guidance of the Day:
A possible cure for hypocrisy is to be wary of one's concern for the opinions of others. It is best to totally ignore people's opinions, unless your behavior is harmful to them. Indeed, your fasting or praying is between you and Allah and has nothing to do with human beings. If you seek other people's recognition of your piety, you are setting up partners to Allah---unless you want to set an example to others, you are the same as the secular hypocrite who wishes to become the commanding of the army by showing false valor in battle, and gets himself killed.
What is most pernicious is hidden hypocrisy---hidden even from the hypocrite himself. It is more difficult to detect than the sound of an ant's footsteps. That is why a sincere person must take great care to learn the signs of hidden hypocrisy.
Sometimes we find joy, satisfaction, and a little pride in people's approval and praise of things we have done with the true intention of helping others, leading them to the straight path, or serving as an example of selfless obedience to Allah. If we do these things without remembering that they are all undertaken for His sake and that He is the one who rewards us by hiding our faults and showing us only His beautiful side----then there is danger of hypocrisy. To be happy and satisfied in yourself, thankful to Allah for making you act like a human being, and hopeful of His favors in the Hereafter, is not a sign of hypocrisy. The test is in our ability to look into ourselves in sincerity. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The small courtesies sweeten life; the greater ennoble it. We must be as courteous to a man as we are to a picture, which we are willing to give the advantage of a good light. True politeness consists in being easy one's self, and in making everyone about one as easy as one can.
We have sent you only as a mercy to all peoples. Say, "It has only been revealed to me that your deity is one God; so do you acquiesce?" Then if they turn away, then say, "I have exhorted you just the same, even though I do not know whether what you are promised is near or far." [21: 107,108,109]
Hadith of the Day:
Interest, however much it might accrue, leads in the end to penury. [Ibn Maja, Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Never consider sin to be small. Regard sin as great. He who thinks slightly of sin has considered Allah to be insignificant. [Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi]
Guidance of the Day:
A possible cure for hypocrisy is to be wary of one's concern for the opinions of others. It is best to totally ignore people's opinions, unless your behavior is harmful to them. Indeed, your fasting or praying is between you and Allah and has nothing to do with human beings. If you seek other people's recognition of your piety, you are setting up partners to Allah---unless you want to set an example to others, you are the same as the secular hypocrite who wishes to become the commanding of the army by showing false valor in battle, and gets himself killed.
What is most pernicious is hidden hypocrisy---hidden even from the hypocrite himself. It is more difficult to detect than the sound of an ant's footsteps. That is why a sincere person must take great care to learn the signs of hidden hypocrisy.
Sometimes we find joy, satisfaction, and a little pride in people's approval and praise of things we have done with the true intention of helping others, leading them to the straight path, or serving as an example of selfless obedience to Allah. If we do these things without remembering that they are all undertaken for His sake and that He is the one who rewards us by hiding our faults and showing us only His beautiful side----then there is danger of hypocrisy. To be happy and satisfied in yourself, thankful to Allah for making you act like a human being, and hopeful of His favors in the Hereafter, is not a sign of hypocrisy. The test is in our ability to look into ourselves in sincerity. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The small courtesies sweeten life; the greater ennoble it. We must be as courteous to a man as we are to a picture, which we are willing to give the advantage of a good light. True politeness consists in being easy one's self, and in making everyone about one as easy as one can.
Friday, November 03, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 676
Ayahs of the Day:
And We recorded in the Psalms, after the Reminder, that My servants, people of integrity, will inherit the earth. There is indeed in this a message for people who worship. [21: 105,106]
Hadith of the Day:
The closest to Allah of people is the one who begins the salam. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not use your energy except for a cause more nobler than yourself. Anyone who uses his energy for the sake of the vanities of the world is like someone who exchanges gemstones for gravel. [Ibn Hazm]
Guidance of the Day:
Another sickness of the heart and cause of faithlessness is sanctimony. Sanctimony in the ordinary sense means attempting to succeed in this world through one's devotion, worship, and prayers, while also making public these acts of devotion. Even simply telling someone about your religious practice without being asked, or without an intention of teaching or correcting religious concepts, is sanctimonious.
Sanctimony is a form of hypocrisy, which is the attempt to appear to be what one is not. Its opposite is sincerity, the foundation of true faith. Sincerity means to undertake good deeds and behavior in harmony with our actual faith and religion, out of concern for salvation and peace in the Hereafter and a pure wish to come close to our Lord. Such actions, devotions, worship, and prayers are kept hidden, away from the sight and hearing of others. The reward for sincerity is the greatest gift of Allah in this world: the conviction that you are in the plain view of Allah while you are performing your worship. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
This is no time for ease and comfort. It is the time to dare and endure. True courage is like a kite; a contrary wind raises it higher. It is grace under pressure. The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart. One man with courage makes a majority.
And We recorded in the Psalms, after the Reminder, that My servants, people of integrity, will inherit the earth. There is indeed in this a message for people who worship. [21: 105,106]
Hadith of the Day:
The closest to Allah of people is the one who begins the salam. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not use your energy except for a cause more nobler than yourself. Anyone who uses his energy for the sake of the vanities of the world is like someone who exchanges gemstones for gravel. [Ibn Hazm]
Guidance of the Day:
Another sickness of the heart and cause of faithlessness is sanctimony. Sanctimony in the ordinary sense means attempting to succeed in this world through one's devotion, worship, and prayers, while also making public these acts of devotion. Even simply telling someone about your religious practice without being asked, or without an intention of teaching or correcting religious concepts, is sanctimonious.
Sanctimony is a form of hypocrisy, which is the attempt to appear to be what one is not. Its opposite is sincerity, the foundation of true faith. Sincerity means to undertake good deeds and behavior in harmony with our actual faith and religion, out of concern for salvation and peace in the Hereafter and a pure wish to come close to our Lord. Such actions, devotions, worship, and prayers are kept hidden, away from the sight and hearing of others. The reward for sincerity is the greatest gift of Allah in this world: the conviction that you are in the plain view of Allah while you are performing your worship. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
This is no time for ease and comfort. It is the time to dare and endure. True courage is like a kite; a contrary wind raises it higher. It is grace under pressure. The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart. One man with courage makes a majority.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 675
Ayah of the Day:
The day We roll up the sky like a scroll. As We created original nature, We will restore it, as a promise up to Us, for We are the author of creation. [21: 104]
Hadith of the Day:
Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth but looks at your heart and actions. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
You must control your tongue and know your contemporaries. Talk to the people so that they can understand and omit that which they cannot understand. [Shaykh al Junayd]
Guidance of the Day:
By general concurrence and agreement, even religious practice, when it is merely an imitation, is considered a sin. There are a lot of people talking who only pretend to be wise, and a lot of books written that will lead one astray. Of course, long accepted and respected interpreters should be followed. But even in these cases, one should not blindly imitate the branch of Islamic teaching to which one belongs, but study and learn its origins and principles. Only by so doing one will be following the principles of the Holy Book and the Tradition of the Prophet.
Even with the best of intentions, students remain in danger of creating distortions. If you are arrogant, and see and decide on things wholly according to your own mind and opinions, you will establish your own destructive innovations in the practice of religion. That is even worse than blindly following innovations instituted by others. Such danger is yet another example of the power of our egos to fool us into sin. [The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi]
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. A good memory and a tongue tied in the middle is a combination which gives good immortality to conversation.
The day We roll up the sky like a scroll. As We created original nature, We will restore it, as a promise up to Us, for We are the author of creation. [21: 104]
Hadith of the Day:
Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth but looks at your heart and actions. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
You must control your tongue and know your contemporaries. Talk to the people so that they can understand and omit that which they cannot understand. [Shaykh al Junayd]
Guidance of the Day:
By general concurrence and agreement, even religious practice, when it is merely an imitation, is considered a sin. There are a lot of people talking who only pretend to be wise, and a lot of books written that will lead one astray. Of course, long accepted and respected interpreters should be followed. But even in these cases, one should not blindly imitate the branch of Islamic teaching to which one belongs, but study and learn its origins and principles. Only by so doing one will be following the principles of the Holy Book and the Tradition of the Prophet.
Even with the best of intentions, students remain in danger of creating distortions. If you are arrogant, and see and decide on things wholly according to your own mind and opinions, you will establish your own destructive innovations in the practice of religion. That is even worse than blindly following innovations instituted by others. Such danger is yet another example of the power of our egos to fool us into sin. [The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi]
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. A good memory and a tongue tied in the middle is a combination which gives good immortality to conversation.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 674
Ayah of the Day:
Whoever does good works and is a believer, there is no rejection of his striving, and We are recording it for him. [21: 94]
Hadith of the Day:
You are not superior to a white, or black-skinned person, unless you excel him in piety. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Knowledge is not what is memorized; knowledge is what benefits. [Imam al Shafii]
Guidance of the Day:
Often enough the ego fools us by presenting attractive examples and suggesting that we imitate them. Hidden under the make-up that makes them beautiful, these attractions are evil and hideous. Heedlessly one takes them as friends, partners in fun and games, drunkenness and debauch, or even as guides and leaders.
Following the example of a way of behavior or an appearance with unwarranted trust, without investigating and seeking proofs of its being desirable, is blind imitation. According to religious precepts, imitation is strongly discouraged----unless one has reached the decision to follow after closely examining the suggested exemplar (even if only in summary manner). Over and over again, in the Holy Qur'an, there are warnings against imitation. We are urged to investigate and carefully consider everything in existence before we follow its example. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Conversation is an art in which man has all mankind for competitors.
Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood.
Whoever does good works and is a believer, there is no rejection of his striving, and We are recording it for him. [21: 94]
Hadith of the Day:
You are not superior to a white, or black-skinned person, unless you excel him in piety. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Knowledge is not what is memorized; knowledge is what benefits. [Imam al Shafii]
Guidance of the Day:
Often enough the ego fools us by presenting attractive examples and suggesting that we imitate them. Hidden under the make-up that makes them beautiful, these attractions are evil and hideous. Heedlessly one takes them as friends, partners in fun and games, drunkenness and debauch, or even as guides and leaders.
Following the example of a way of behavior or an appearance with unwarranted trust, without investigating and seeking proofs of its being desirable, is blind imitation. According to religious precepts, imitation is strongly discouraged----unless one has reached the decision to follow after closely examining the suggested exemplar (even if only in summary manner). Over and over again, in the Holy Qur'an, there are warnings against imitation. We are urged to investigate and carefully consider everything in existence before we follow its example. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Conversation is an art in which man has all mankind for competitors.
Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood.
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