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.