Eid Mubarak
Ayahs of the Day:
It is God who produced for you hearing and seeing and feeling: you are scarcely grateful. And it is God Who scattered you over the earth, and you will be gathered to God. [23: 78,79]
Hadith of the Day:
A liar is not he who settles disagreements between people and (as such) speaks well (of them to each other) and conveys good. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
That part of your life that has gone by is irreplaceable, and that which has arrived is priceless. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
Avarice is a sign of lack of faith in God, who provides the sustenance of His creatures. A stingy person both suffers himself and causes suffering in his dependents by skimping with what he possesses because he imagines that someday he may not have his present means. Thus from a fear of imaginary hard times for which he has no forbearance, he causes immediate pain.
He lacks the faith necessary to accept that what he has in his hand is not his. He believes that his future is guaranteed only by his own efforts. He also lacks the humanity and the intelligence to realize that what has been given to him is to be delivered to his and others' needs. The reverse of avarice is to be a spendthrift------to waste away all one's substance unnecessarily, for pointless things. This behavior is unacceptable both for humanitarian reasons and according to Islam. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Gratitude is a duty which ought to be paid, but which none have a right to expect. It is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. It is not only the greatest virtues, but the parent of all the others. There is as much greatness in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it. Nothing tires a man more than to be grateful all the time.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 721
Ayahs of the Day:
And you do call them to a path that is straight, while those who do not believe in the hereafter are swerving from the path. [23: 73,74]
Hadith of the Day:
The (true) maintainer of kinship is not one who merely reciprocates. The (true) maintainer is the one who reconciles ties when they are severed. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Death is an occurrence of which exact time is not known to anyone. Be prepared then to meet death at anytime, lest it should take you unaware and unprepared. [Luqman the wise]
Guidance of the Day:
Another affliction that keeps us from developing the good characteristic of forbearance is to believe in bad omens and bad luck. This conception can even drive people to consulting fortunetellers, soothsayers, and oracles in order to thwart imagined bad signs. This is a sin in our religion, which is based on intelligence. There are many prophetic traditions on this subject.
The opposite of believing that others can bring you bad luck is to believe that somebody or something can bring you good luck. You may feel elated by being in the presence of a saintly person and believe that the contact will bring you good fortune. You may be surprised on a sacred religious holiday by meeting someone you love whom you have missed, and consider that a good omen. A deep saying or the counsel of a wise person may touch you and seem to change your life. Positive incidents like this are to be accepted as good.
To believe in such omens enforces our positive wishes and strengthens our will to do good. There must not be any belief that such incidents have some influence over God's will or over one's destiny! They should only increase our hopes to receive good news, which can only come from God. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Gracefulness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul. Grace is to the body, what good sense is to the mind. Beauty and grace command the world.
And you do call them to a path that is straight, while those who do not believe in the hereafter are swerving from the path. [23: 73,74]
Hadith of the Day:
The (true) maintainer of kinship is not one who merely reciprocates. The (true) maintainer is the one who reconciles ties when they are severed. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Death is an occurrence of which exact time is not known to anyone. Be prepared then to meet death at anytime, lest it should take you unaware and unprepared. [Luqman the wise]
Guidance of the Day:
Another affliction that keeps us from developing the good characteristic of forbearance is to believe in bad omens and bad luck. This conception can even drive people to consulting fortunetellers, soothsayers, and oracles in order to thwart imagined bad signs. This is a sin in our religion, which is based on intelligence. There are many prophetic traditions on this subject.
The opposite of believing that others can bring you bad luck is to believe that somebody or something can bring you good luck. You may feel elated by being in the presence of a saintly person and believe that the contact will bring you good fortune. You may be surprised on a sacred religious holiday by meeting someone you love whom you have missed, and consider that a good omen. A deep saying or the counsel of a wise person may touch you and seem to change your life. Positive incidents like this are to be accepted as good.
To believe in such omens enforces our positive wishes and strengthens our will to do good. There must not be any belief that such incidents have some influence over God's will or over one's destiny! They should only increase our hopes to receive good news, which can only come from God. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Gracefulness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul. Grace is to the body, what good sense is to the mind. Beauty and grace command the world.
Friday, December 29, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 720
Ayah of the Day:
We do not assign a soul more than its capacity; and We have a record that tells the truth; and they will not be done injustice. [23: 62]
Hadith of the Day:
A believer is not he who maligns, curses, or is obscene or vulgar. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Beware of being delighted with acts of worship, for they are a deadly poison. [Al Wasiti]
Guidance of the Day:
Suspicion is very wrong as a basis for action. Sufyan al Thawri says there are two kinds of suspicion. One is a sin: that is when you pass judgment against someone based upon your suspicion. The other is not a sin: that is when you suspect someone of having done something wrong, but refrain from judging or condemning him.
The opposite of suspicion is to think well of everybody. Even if there are signs to make you doubt the innocence of someone, it is still best to think of that person as innocent. To think badly and continue to be suspicious of someone who has been proven innocent is a sin. Thus it is best for you to have good will toward one and all. Above all, you should think well of your Lord. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Gossip is always a personal confession either of malice or imbecility. The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them. Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.
We do not assign a soul more than its capacity; and We have a record that tells the truth; and they will not be done injustice. [23: 62]
Hadith of the Day:
A believer is not he who maligns, curses, or is obscene or vulgar. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Beware of being delighted with acts of worship, for they are a deadly poison. [Al Wasiti]
Guidance of the Day:
Suspicion is very wrong as a basis for action. Sufyan al Thawri says there are two kinds of suspicion. One is a sin: that is when you pass judgment against someone based upon your suspicion. The other is not a sin: that is when you suspect someone of having done something wrong, but refrain from judging or condemning him.
The opposite of suspicion is to think well of everybody. Even if there are signs to make you doubt the innocence of someone, it is still best to think of that person as innocent. To think badly and continue to be suspicious of someone who has been proven innocent is a sin. Thus it is best for you to have good will toward one and all. Above all, you should think well of your Lord. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Gossip is always a personal confession either of malice or imbecility. The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them. Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 719
Ayahs of the Day:
Do they figure that because We have enriched them with property and children We are hurrying with blessings for them? No, they do not understand. [23: 55,56]
Hadith of the Day:
Richness does not come from an abundance of wealth; (true) richness is the richness of the heart. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day
The sincere lover of Allah Most High passes his entire life preparing for death; for him, death is nothing more than a bridge leading to his Beloved. [Shaykh Zulfiqar]
Guidance of the Day:
Forbearance is not a characteristic easy to assume. It becomes permanent through long efforts in enduring controversy, injustice, tyranny, and all other conditions that weigh heavily upon one's ego, and through curtailing anger and the desire to retaliate. Many a pious man has declared that he achieved forbearance by purposefully seeking the company of obnoxious men and suffering their impudence, anger, and violence, practicing patience with them.
Every aspect of good character, such as generosity, humbleness, and valor, is obtained by long practice in fighting corresponding faults, such as stinginess, arrogance, and fear. The worst handicap to acquiring forbearance is harboring doubts about the goodness in other people, especially the other faithful, and imagining bad things about them. This suspicion of one's associates leads to the terribly sinful state of doubting the goodness in God.
Forbearance does not mean permissiveness. It is permissible, in fact it is incumbent upon a Muslim to act for the sake and in the name of God against people who are flagrantly and undoubtedly sinning, revolting against God, committing indecencies, hurting others---in order to make them stop, [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Glory built on selfish principles, is shame and guilt. Our greatest glory consists not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail. Real glory springs from the silent conquest of ourselves.
Do they figure that because We have enriched them with property and children We are hurrying with blessings for them? No, they do not understand. [23: 55,56]
Hadith of the Day:
Richness does not come from an abundance of wealth; (true) richness is the richness of the heart. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day
The sincere lover of Allah Most High passes his entire life preparing for death; for him, death is nothing more than a bridge leading to his Beloved. [Shaykh Zulfiqar]
Guidance of the Day:
Forbearance is not a characteristic easy to assume. It becomes permanent through long efforts in enduring controversy, injustice, tyranny, and all other conditions that weigh heavily upon one's ego, and through curtailing anger and the desire to retaliate. Many a pious man has declared that he achieved forbearance by purposefully seeking the company of obnoxious men and suffering their impudence, anger, and violence, practicing patience with them.
Every aspect of good character, such as generosity, humbleness, and valor, is obtained by long practice in fighting corresponding faults, such as stinginess, arrogance, and fear. The worst handicap to acquiring forbearance is harboring doubts about the goodness in other people, especially the other faithful, and imagining bad things about them. This suspicion of one's associates leads to the terribly sinful state of doubting the goodness in God.
Forbearance does not mean permissiveness. It is permissible, in fact it is incumbent upon a Muslim to act for the sake and in the name of God against people who are flagrantly and undoubtedly sinning, revolting against God, committing indecencies, hurting others---in order to make them stop, [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Glory built on selfish principles, is shame and guilt. Our greatest glory consists not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail. Real glory springs from the silent conquest of ourselves.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
lesson of the day 718
Ayahs of the Day:
They have divided their common interest into sects, each party pleased with what they have. So leave them in their confusion for a while. [23: 53,54]
Hadith of the Day:
One who does not have mercy on our young or respect for our old and does not enjoin the good and forbid the wrong is not of us. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Who is better among Allah's worshippers than the one who sees others as better than him? [Abu Bakr Saidlani]
Guidance of the Day:
Forbearance is a kind of behavior superior to the suppression of anger. When an adverse situation seems to violate our well-being, it creates a nervous upheaval. Great effort is required for us not to manifest this upheaval in anger, and it takes time for us to calm down. Forbearance is a condition that prevents such upheaval altogether: it keeps the nervous system in balance at all times.
People who possess forbearance have patience and gentleness of character. These are signs of faith and wisdom, which enable such people to use their minds to govern their emotions. The gentle in character hope for God's love in response to their forbearance. Such response is promised by the Messenger of Allah. The gentle person realizes that this ability to control negative emotions creates a favorable condition for acquiring knowledge and wisdom. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Though:
If there be any truer measure of a man than by what he does, it must be by what he gives. Generosity during life is a very different thing from generosity in the hour of death; one proceeds from genuine liberality and benevolence, and the other from pride and fear.
They have divided their common interest into sects, each party pleased with what they have. So leave them in their confusion for a while. [23: 53,54]
Hadith of the Day:
One who does not have mercy on our young or respect for our old and does not enjoin the good and forbid the wrong is not of us. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Who is better among Allah's worshippers than the one who sees others as better than him? [Abu Bakr Saidlani]
Guidance of the Day:
Forbearance is a kind of behavior superior to the suppression of anger. When an adverse situation seems to violate our well-being, it creates a nervous upheaval. Great effort is required for us not to manifest this upheaval in anger, and it takes time for us to calm down. Forbearance is a condition that prevents such upheaval altogether: it keeps the nervous system in balance at all times.
People who possess forbearance have patience and gentleness of character. These are signs of faith and wisdom, which enable such people to use their minds to govern their emotions. The gentle in character hope for God's love in response to their forbearance. Such response is promised by the Messenger of Allah. The gentle person realizes that this ability to control negative emotions creates a favorable condition for acquiring knowledge and wisdom. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Though:
If there be any truer measure of a man than by what he does, it must be by what he gives. Generosity during life is a very different thing from generosity in the hour of death; one proceeds from genuine liberality and benevolence, and the other from pride and fear.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 717
Ayahs of the Day:
Messengers, partake of the good things, and act with integrity; for I know what you are doing. And this community of yours is a single community, and I am your Lord, so be conscious of Me. [23: 51,52]
Hadith of the Day:
The powerful one is not he who overpowers somebody, but the powerful one is he who restrains himself when angry. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The worst sin committed by one-----is the one not deemed so when it is done. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
You may find it helpful to remind yourself of the seven benefits you can reap by swallowing your anger:
1. Allah Most High says that He has prepared His Paradise for those who are able to swallow their anger and forgive the ones who did them wrong.
2. If someone has the strength to deliberate his enemy but restrains himself, Allah promises he may choose his own rewards on the Day of Judgment.
3. Allah Most High abandons the punishment due to anyone who can abandon his own anger.
4. The Prophet said: There is nothing a servant of Allah may swallow that is considered as praiseworthy as the swallowing of anger.
5. Allah protects from misfortunes and afflictions whoever protects himself from the violation of anger.
6. Allah's compassion reaches whoever escapes from the battlefield of the manifestation of his anger.
7. Allah loves the one who can put out the fire of fury in his heart.
Over and above these seven benefits that we may hope to receive by suppressing our anger, there is much greater reward if we are able to forgive the cause of our anger. Impatient and weak as we are, if we can manage to forgive, how should Allah the All-Powerful and Most Merciful not forgive our sins in return? [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The true way to gain much, is never to desire to gain too much. No gain is so certain as that which proceeds from the economical use of what you already have.
Messengers, partake of the good things, and act with integrity; for I know what you are doing. And this community of yours is a single community, and I am your Lord, so be conscious of Me. [23: 51,52]
Hadith of the Day:
The powerful one is not he who overpowers somebody, but the powerful one is he who restrains himself when angry. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The worst sin committed by one-----is the one not deemed so when it is done. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
You may find it helpful to remind yourself of the seven benefits you can reap by swallowing your anger:
1. Allah Most High says that He has prepared His Paradise for those who are able to swallow their anger and forgive the ones who did them wrong.
2. If someone has the strength to deliberate his enemy but restrains himself, Allah promises he may choose his own rewards on the Day of Judgment.
3. Allah Most High abandons the punishment due to anyone who can abandon his own anger.
4. The Prophet said: There is nothing a servant of Allah may swallow that is considered as praiseworthy as the swallowing of anger.
5. Allah protects from misfortunes and afflictions whoever protects himself from the violation of anger.
6. Allah's compassion reaches whoever escapes from the battlefield of the manifestation of his anger.
7. Allah loves the one who can put out the fire of fury in his heart.
Over and above these seven benefits that we may hope to receive by suppressing our anger, there is much greater reward if we are able to forgive the cause of our anger. Impatient and weak as we are, if we can manage to forgive, how should Allah the All-Powerful and Most Merciful not forgive our sins in return? [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The true way to gain much, is never to desire to gain too much. No gain is so certain as that which proceeds from the economical use of what you already have.
Monday, December 25, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 716
Ayahs of the Day:
And surely there is a lesson for you in domestic animals: We let you drink of what is in their insides, and you find many benefits in them, and you eat parts of them, and you are carried on them, and on ships as well. [23: 21, 22]
Hadith of the Day:
Take advantage of five conditions before five others: youth before old age, good health before illness, prosperity before poverty, free time before becoming occupied, and life before death. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Be fearful lest the existence of His generosity towards you and the permanence of your bad behavior towards Him not lead you step by step to ruin. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
If you attack your enemy in anger, you should expect retaliation from him, and it may perhaps be much harsher than the punishment you have inflicted yourself. Furthermore, you will never know when it may come. The anxiety will poison your days for a long time, unless reconciliation is reached.
If you were to see yourself in a state of fury, if you looked in a mirror, you would see that your face changes from that of a human being to that of a wild animal. And it is not only the expression on our faces, but the whole of our emotional human nature that turns into the worst animal nature. Even if we are unable totally to prevent the negative feeling, if we simply manage to stop expressing our anger, we may save ourselves from the disasters mentioned above. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The only way to have a friend is to be one. Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. Friendship without self-interest is one of the rare and beautiful things of life.
And surely there is a lesson for you in domestic animals: We let you drink of what is in their insides, and you find many benefits in them, and you eat parts of them, and you are carried on them, and on ships as well. [23: 21, 22]
Hadith of the Day:
Take advantage of five conditions before five others: youth before old age, good health before illness, prosperity before poverty, free time before becoming occupied, and life before death. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Be fearful lest the existence of His generosity towards you and the permanence of your bad behavior towards Him not lead you step by step to ruin. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
If you attack your enemy in anger, you should expect retaliation from him, and it may perhaps be much harsher than the punishment you have inflicted yourself. Furthermore, you will never know when it may come. The anxiety will poison your days for a long time, unless reconciliation is reached.
If you were to see yourself in a state of fury, if you looked in a mirror, you would see that your face changes from that of a human being to that of a wild animal. And it is not only the expression on our faces, but the whole of our emotional human nature that turns into the worst animal nature. Even if we are unable totally to prevent the negative feeling, if we simply manage to stop expressing our anger, we may save ourselves from the disasters mentioned above. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The only way to have a friend is to be one. Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. Friendship without self-interest is one of the rare and beautiful things of life.
Friday, December 22, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 715
Ayahs of the Day:
And with it (water) We produce for you orchards of dates and vineyards of grapes, which yield you much fruit, and from which you eat; also a tree that comes from the Mt. Sinai, which produces an oil and a dressing for those who enjoy. [23: 19,20]
Hadith of the Day:
Guard against the Hellfire, if even with a half date, and whoever does not possess that then with a good word. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Time for love is very short in this world, where do people find time to fill it with so much hate. [Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad]
Guidance of the Day:
Emotions are much swifter than reasoning. But if you are intelligent and experienced enough to be firm with yourself even for a short while before the explosion of anger, you may be able to stop its occurrence. That is only possible when the reason for anger is slight and not devastating.
Intelligence demands we consider the consequences of our actions that are against our interests. The worst result of fury is a loss of all control. This in turn can make us do or say something so awful that it corrupts and subverts our faith. It can even lead a person to lose faith and become an infidel.
You should also consider that in that rabid condition you are liable to inflict great unjust pain upon your adversary-----especially if you are more powerful than your enemy. You should realize that Allah is All-Powerful, and the Day of Judgment may inflict upon you a punishment whose extent cannot be imagined. [The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi]
Food for Thought:
Forgive many things in others; nothing in yourself. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another.
And with it (water) We produce for you orchards of dates and vineyards of grapes, which yield you much fruit, and from which you eat; also a tree that comes from the Mt. Sinai, which produces an oil and a dressing for those who enjoy. [23: 19,20]
Hadith of the Day:
Guard against the Hellfire, if even with a half date, and whoever does not possess that then with a good word. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Time for love is very short in this world, where do people find time to fill it with so much hate. [Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad]
Guidance of the Day:
Emotions are much swifter than reasoning. But if you are intelligent and experienced enough to be firm with yourself even for a short while before the explosion of anger, you may be able to stop its occurrence. That is only possible when the reason for anger is slight and not devastating.
Intelligence demands we consider the consequences of our actions that are against our interests. The worst result of fury is a loss of all control. This in turn can make us do or say something so awful that it corrupts and subverts our faith. It can even lead a person to lose faith and become an infidel.
You should also consider that in that rabid condition you are liable to inflict great unjust pain upon your adversary-----especially if you are more powerful than your enemy. You should realize that Allah is All-Powerful, and the Day of Judgment may inflict upon you a punishment whose extent cannot be imagined. [The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi]
Food for Thought:
Forgive many things in others; nothing in yourself. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 714
Ayahs of the Day:
And We created seven heavens above you; and We are never neglectful of creation. And We send down water from the sky and store it in the ground; and We are able to remove it. [23: 17,18]
Hadith of the Day:
Make haste in giving voluntary charity, for calamities cannot pass by it. [Tabrani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Imaan is that one recognizes the One True God in the depths of his heart, and that he confirms it with his tongue, and that he acts upon the Divine Prescriptions of the Shariah. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
The opposite of fury is forbearance and gentleness. This quality enables one to be patient, considerate, and calm instead of flying into passion when encountering an unpleasant and aggressive situation. As the effect of anger is violence and destruction, so the effect of forbearance is compassion and peace of mind. If we were able to remember that during the very few seconds before the flame of fury envelops us, we might be able to save ourselves.
We can use our intelligence to realize the consequences of our violence. We can take certain actions to prevent anger's flaring up. We can foresee and prevent the occasions that may create anger. And we can learn forbearance. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. Logic and cold reason are poor weapons to fight fear and distrust. Only faith and generosity can overcome them. Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt.
And We created seven heavens above you; and We are never neglectful of creation. And We send down water from the sky and store it in the ground; and We are able to remove it. [23: 17,18]
Hadith of the Day:
Make haste in giving voluntary charity, for calamities cannot pass by it. [Tabrani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Imaan is that one recognizes the One True God in the depths of his heart, and that he confirms it with his tongue, and that he acts upon the Divine Prescriptions of the Shariah. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
The opposite of fury is forbearance and gentleness. This quality enables one to be patient, considerate, and calm instead of flying into passion when encountering an unpleasant and aggressive situation. As the effect of anger is violence and destruction, so the effect of forbearance is compassion and peace of mind. If we were able to remember that during the very few seconds before the flame of fury envelops us, we might be able to save ourselves.
We can use our intelligence to realize the consequences of our violence. We can take certain actions to prevent anger's flaring up. We can foresee and prevent the occasions that may create anger. And we can learn forbearance. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. Logic and cold reason are poor weapons to fight fear and distrust. Only faith and generosity can overcome them. Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 713
Ayahs of the Day:
And as for you, after that you will die: and then you will, on the Day of Resurrection, be raised up. [23: 15,16]
Hadith of the Day:
A man should not be alone with a (marriageable) woman, and a woman should not travel except with the accompaniment of an unmarriageable kinsman. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Islam wants each individual to take responsibility for his or her actions and to begin to address undesirable situations by seeing how he or she has fallen short in meeting the conditions God has established for the attainment of favorable outcomes in this life. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
Guidance of the Day:
To rid yourself of your fears, you should face what you fear and gradually force yourself to fight it. And you should remind yourself that while fear surely will lead you to defeat, in courage there is hope of victory, no matter how strong the enemy is, if you persevere.
On the other hand, an excess of anger becomes a sickness of the heart called fury. It causes great damage and injury to the one who is furious, perhaps more so than to his adversary. Worse, it is a contagious sickness, infecting in full force whoever is around. Fury renders a person totally mindless and unaware of the consequences of his ravings and violence. [The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi]
Food for Thought:
If the best man's faults were written on his forehead, he would draw his hat over his eyes. We confess small faults to insinuate that we have no great ones. The greatest faults, is to be conscious of none. If we are pleased with finding faults, we are displeased at finding perfections.
And as for you, after that you will die: and then you will, on the Day of Resurrection, be raised up. [23: 15,16]
Hadith of the Day:
A man should not be alone with a (marriageable) woman, and a woman should not travel except with the accompaniment of an unmarriageable kinsman. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Islam wants each individual to take responsibility for his or her actions and to begin to address undesirable situations by seeing how he or she has fallen short in meeting the conditions God has established for the attainment of favorable outcomes in this life. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
Guidance of the Day:
To rid yourself of your fears, you should face what you fear and gradually force yourself to fight it. And you should remind yourself that while fear surely will lead you to defeat, in courage there is hope of victory, no matter how strong the enemy is, if you persevere.
On the other hand, an excess of anger becomes a sickness of the heart called fury. It causes great damage and injury to the one who is furious, perhaps more so than to his adversary. Worse, it is a contagious sickness, infecting in full force whoever is around. Fury renders a person totally mindless and unaware of the consequences of his ravings and violence. [The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi]
Food for Thought:
If the best man's faults were written on his forehead, he would draw his hat over his eyes. We confess small faults to insinuate that we have no great ones. The greatest faults, is to be conscious of none. If we are pleased with finding faults, we are displeased at finding perfections.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 712
Ayahs of the Day:
We created the human being from an extract of earth, then placed it as a drop in a secure repository; then We made the drop a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made the flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We produced another creature from it. So blessed is God, best of creators. [23: 12,13,14]
Hadith of the Day:
Fear the pleading prayer of a wronged one, for there is no veil between it and Allah. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The greatest achievement of your character is that the enmity of your brother against you dare not overcome the consideration and friendship you feel toward him, and his ill-treatment of you cannot over balance your kind treatment to him. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
A furious person who does not have the strength to take revenge swallows his anger. Then his inner being becomes inflamed with vengefulness, destroying him.
Wrath is a passion produced by the agitation of the blood in the heart at an encounter with danger. It is also a release of anger, which comforts a person after being unjustly hurt. In some cases it is necessary feeling, as the world and sacred things may be protected by it.
Courage is a characteristic praised by people, religion, and justice alike. Yet both its lack and its extreme are blameworthy. The lack of courage is called cowardice. That is a sickness of the heart that renders one paralyzed, unable to act to help either oneself or others. The coward becomes a rag under everyone's feet, attracting tyranny and injustice from certain people, and thereby causing them to sin. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Fashion is the science of appearances, and it inspires one with the desire to be seen rather to be. Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months. Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.
We created the human being from an extract of earth, then placed it as a drop in a secure repository; then We made the drop a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made the flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We produced another creature from it. So blessed is God, best of creators. [23: 12,13,14]
Hadith of the Day:
Fear the pleading prayer of a wronged one, for there is no veil between it and Allah. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The greatest achievement of your character is that the enmity of your brother against you dare not overcome the consideration and friendship you feel toward him, and his ill-treatment of you cannot over balance your kind treatment to him. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
A furious person who does not have the strength to take revenge swallows his anger. Then his inner being becomes inflamed with vengefulness, destroying him.
Wrath is a passion produced by the agitation of the blood in the heart at an encounter with danger. It is also a release of anger, which comforts a person after being unjustly hurt. In some cases it is necessary feeling, as the world and sacred things may be protected by it.
Courage is a characteristic praised by people, religion, and justice alike. Yet both its lack and its extreme are blameworthy. The lack of courage is called cowardice. That is a sickness of the heart that renders one paralyzed, unable to act to help either oneself or others. The coward becomes a rag under everyone's feet, attracting tyranny and injustice from certain people, and thereby causing them to sin. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Fashion is the science of appearances, and it inspires one with the desire to be seen rather to be. Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months. Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.
Monday, December 18, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 711
Ayahs of the Day:
And those who honor their trusts and their promises, and those who observe their prayer---they are the inheritors, those who will inherit paradise, where they will abide forever. [23: 8 to 11]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not express joy at your brother's calamity lest Allah take pity on him and afflict you with calamity. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not disappoint a person who holds a good opinion of you, and do not make him change his opinion. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
The other aspect of vengeance is that there are many evils that a vengeful person both causes and suffers himself. Among them are envy, taking pleasure in other people's misfortunes, belittling, lying, gossiping, giving people's secrets away, mocking people, tyrannizing, hiding the truth, and preventing justice. All these darken the heart, hurt others, and cause a person to sin.
To rejoice at misfortunes that befall your adversary, especially to believe them a response to your prayers asking for his punishment, is certainly worthy of blame. If someone you dislike is made to suffer, you should consider that it may be a test of how you react, and fear Allah's retribution. Instead of feeling avenged, you should feel sad and pray that the misfortune be lifted from your enemy. Only when the punishment of your enemy will surely prevent him from tyrannizing others, and may be a lesson to other tyrants, does a feeling of satisfaction at his difficulties become other than condemnable. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The family is one of nature's masterpieces. A happy family is but an earlier heaven. Family life is too intimate to be preserved by the spirit of justice. It can be sustained by a spirit of love which goes beyond justice.
And those who honor their trusts and their promises, and those who observe their prayer---they are the inheritors, those who will inherit paradise, where they will abide forever. [23: 8 to 11]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not express joy at your brother's calamity lest Allah take pity on him and afflict you with calamity. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not disappoint a person who holds a good opinion of you, and do not make him change his opinion. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
The other aspect of vengeance is that there are many evils that a vengeful person both causes and suffers himself. Among them are envy, taking pleasure in other people's misfortunes, belittling, lying, gossiping, giving people's secrets away, mocking people, tyrannizing, hiding the truth, and preventing justice. All these darken the heart, hurt others, and cause a person to sin.
To rejoice at misfortunes that befall your adversary, especially to believe them a response to your prayers asking for his punishment, is certainly worthy of blame. If someone you dislike is made to suffer, you should consider that it may be a test of how you react, and fear Allah's retribution. Instead of feeling avenged, you should feel sad and pray that the misfortune be lifted from your enemy. Only when the punishment of your enemy will surely prevent him from tyrannizing others, and may be a lesson to other tyrants, does a feeling of satisfaction at his difficulties become other than condemnable. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The family is one of nature's masterpieces. A happy family is but an earlier heaven. Family life is too intimate to be preserved by the spirit of justice. It can be sustained by a spirit of love which goes beyond justice.
Friday, December 15, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 710
Ayahs of the Day:
The believers are sure to succeed: those who are humble in their prayers, and those who avoid nonsense, and those who work for charity. [23: 1 to 4]
Hadith of the Day:
Preserve what you have memorized of the Qur'an, because by Him in whose hand lies my life, it escapes (from the heart) faster than a camel does from its rope. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Come to realize your own qualities and He will lead you to know His. Come to realize your weakness and He will lead you to His strength. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
If we forgive someone who has done us wrong when we are unable to obtain his just punishment, that is commendable. But if we forgive the one who has done us wrong while we could easily have him punished, it is highly praiseworthy.
In some exceptional circumstances, it is better to pursue your right than to forgive. These are the cases where forgiving the injustice would encourage the wrongdoer and cause him to tyrannize others, whereas fighting for your right might stop him. However in such cases we must be very careful not to try to obtain more than what was taken from us. The punishment must be equal to the wrong done and never in excess, because in that case, the victim would be tyrannizing the tyrant. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The highest form of vanity is love of fame. The lust of fame is the last that a wise man shakes off. Fame is vapor, popularity is accident, riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character. It often happens that those of whom we speak least on earth are best known in heaven.
The believers are sure to succeed: those who are humble in their prayers, and those who avoid nonsense, and those who work for charity. [23: 1 to 4]
Hadith of the Day:
Preserve what you have memorized of the Qur'an, because by Him in whose hand lies my life, it escapes (from the heart) faster than a camel does from its rope. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Come to realize your own qualities and He will lead you to know His. Come to realize your weakness and He will lead you to His strength. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
If we forgive someone who has done us wrong when we are unable to obtain his just punishment, that is commendable. But if we forgive the one who has done us wrong while we could easily have him punished, it is highly praiseworthy.
In some exceptional circumstances, it is better to pursue your right than to forgive. These are the cases where forgiving the injustice would encourage the wrongdoer and cause him to tyrannize others, whereas fighting for your right might stop him. However in such cases we must be very careful not to try to obtain more than what was taken from us. The punishment must be equal to the wrong done and never in excess, because in that case, the victim would be tyrannizing the tyrant. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The highest form of vanity is love of fame. The lust of fame is the last that a wise man shakes off. Fame is vapor, popularity is accident, riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character. It often happens that those of whom we speak least on earth are best known in heaven.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 709
Ayah of the Day:
And strive for God's sake. God has chosen you, without imposing constriction on you in religion: It is the way of your ancestor Abraham. It is God who named you the Muslims, before and herein, that the messenger may be a witness to you, and that you may be witnesses to humanity. So pray regularly and give charity and cleave to God who is your protector; an excellent protector, and an excellent defender. [22: 78]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not revile the dead, for they have passed on to what they have sent forth. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Criticize and appraise yourselves before you are criticized and appraised on the Day of judgment, and weigh out your deeds before they are weighed out for you. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Envy caused by vengefulness is graver than any of the other causes, because vengeance is a disaster capable of destroying lives. There are three aspects of vengeance to be considered. The first is that we must know what vengeance really is: a destructive feeling of hatred toward some person or group of people, or even toward an idea or a concept, that urges us not only to feel justified but even obliged to destroy our adversary.
According to religious teaching, this feeling may be unlawful even if it is not exteriorized or acted upon. If we are wronged, we should try to right the wrong. If we are incapable of exacting our rights, then instead of being vengeful we should leave matters in the hands of God and wait for justice on the Day of Judgment. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Faith is love taking the form of aspiration. The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness. It's not dying for faith that's hard, it's living up to it.
And strive for God's sake. God has chosen you, without imposing constriction on you in religion: It is the way of your ancestor Abraham. It is God who named you the Muslims, before and herein, that the messenger may be a witness to you, and that you may be witnesses to humanity. So pray regularly and give charity and cleave to God who is your protector; an excellent protector, and an excellent defender. [22: 78]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not revile the dead, for they have passed on to what they have sent forth. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Criticize and appraise yourselves before you are criticized and appraised on the Day of judgment, and weigh out your deeds before they are weighed out for you. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Envy caused by vengefulness is graver than any of the other causes, because vengeance is a disaster capable of destroying lives. There are three aspects of vengeance to be considered. The first is that we must know what vengeance really is: a destructive feeling of hatred toward some person or group of people, or even toward an idea or a concept, that urges us not only to feel justified but even obliged to destroy our adversary.
According to religious teaching, this feeling may be unlawful even if it is not exteriorized or acted upon. If we are wronged, we should try to right the wrong. If we are incapable of exacting our rights, then instead of being vengeful we should leave matters in the hands of God and wait for justice on the Day of Judgment. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Faith is love taking the form of aspiration. The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness. It's not dying for faith that's hard, it's living up to it.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 708
Ayahs of the Day:
God knows what is before them; and what is behind them; and all affairs are referred to God. Believers, bow, prostrate yourselves, serve your Lord, and do good, that you may be happy. [22: 76,77]
Hadith of the Day:
Beware of living sumptuously, for the (true) servants of Allah do not live sumptuously. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
When things do not go just as you would like, you are more likely to lack faith. You need to have confidence in your Lord and set your mind straight about Him, for He knows best what is for your good. [Ibn Abbad]
Guidance of the Day:
Arrogance is less an acquisition than it is an aspect of a person's character. Usually an arrogant person's pride is not justified by any quality he possesses. That is why when others truly possess the qualities the arrogant one imagines are his, he wishes loss, since he fears his rivals may ascend to a state superior to his own.
The cure for this is in trying to know oneself, as well as in recognizing admirable qualities in others and respecting them. If you are not able to admit any inferiority because of the rooted evil of your arrogance, then imitating humility may help to save you from the disastrous effects of your condition, and one day your imitation may become real. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Failures are divided into two classes---those who thought and never did it, and those who did it and never thought. A failure is a man who blundered but is not able to cash in the experience. A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.
God knows what is before them; and what is behind them; and all affairs are referred to God. Believers, bow, prostrate yourselves, serve your Lord, and do good, that you may be happy. [22: 76,77]
Hadith of the Day:
Beware of living sumptuously, for the (true) servants of Allah do not live sumptuously. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
When things do not go just as you would like, you are more likely to lack faith. You need to have confidence in your Lord and set your mind straight about Him, for He knows best what is for your good. [Ibn Abbad]
Guidance of the Day:
Arrogance is less an acquisition than it is an aspect of a person's character. Usually an arrogant person's pride is not justified by any quality he possesses. That is why when others truly possess the qualities the arrogant one imagines are his, he wishes loss, since he fears his rivals may ascend to a state superior to his own.
The cure for this is in trying to know oneself, as well as in recognizing admirable qualities in others and respecting them. If you are not able to admit any inferiority because of the rooted evil of your arrogance, then imitating humility may help to save you from the disastrous effects of your condition, and one day your imitation may become real. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Failures are divided into two classes---those who thought and never did it, and those who did it and never thought. A failure is a man who blundered but is not able to cash in the experience. A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 707
Ayahs of the Day:
They have not assessed the true capacity of God: for God is indeed Powerful, Almighty. God selects messengers from among the angels and from among humankind; for God is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. [22: 74,75]
Hadith of the Day:
Oppose the polytheists; lengthen the beard and clip the moustache. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
It is useless to have a learned tongue and an ignorant heart. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
Egotism is the conviction that nobody has any right to preference over oneself. An egotist cannot bear the thought that somebody might claim to be superior to him because of attaining more wealth or knowledge or higher position or esteem or any other qualities that are better than what he himself possesses. When other people also agree to the superiority of his adversary, he may well wish them dead.
If an egotist detaches himself by not comparing himself to people who are better off then he and not wishing them to be reduced to a level below him, but remains content with his state, comparing himself to others who are not as fortunate as himself so that he becomes thankful, then he has found his cure for envy. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The rotten apple spoils his companion. Example is not the main thing in life---it is the only thing. First find the man in yourself if you will inspire manliness in others. The first great gift we can bestow on others is a good example.
They have not assessed the true capacity of God: for God is indeed Powerful, Almighty. God selects messengers from among the angels and from among humankind; for God is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. [22: 74,75]
Hadith of the Day:
Oppose the polytheists; lengthen the beard and clip the moustache. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
It is useless to have a learned tongue and an ignorant heart. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
Egotism is the conviction that nobody has any right to preference over oneself. An egotist cannot bear the thought that somebody might claim to be superior to him because of attaining more wealth or knowledge or higher position or esteem or any other qualities that are better than what he himself possesses. When other people also agree to the superiority of his adversary, he may well wish them dead.
If an egotist detaches himself by not comparing himself to people who are better off then he and not wishing them to be reduced to a level below him, but remains content with his state, comparing himself to others who are not as fortunate as himself so that he becomes thankful, then he has found his cure for envy. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The rotten apple spoils his companion. Example is not the main thing in life---it is the only thing. First find the man in yourself if you will inspire manliness in others. The first great gift we can bestow on others is a good example.
Monday, December 11, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 706
Ayahs of the Day:
God will judge among you, on the day of resurrection, regarding what you differed on. Don't you know that God knows what is in the sky and earth? For that is in a decree. Indeed, that is easy for God. [22: 69,70]
Hadith of the Day:
Be in the world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
He who wants to retain his prestige and position through contentment and honesty, will find them lasting assets. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Practically, we can resist the feeling of envy coming upon us by an effort to turn things around. If you have an urge to talk against the one who attracts your envy, you should praise him instead. If you feel superior to him, you should behave humbly toward him. If your envy demands that you work against the one you envy, you should force yourself to be kind and generous toward him. Instead of cursing him and hoping he will lose the thing you envy, you should pray to Allah to increase His blessings upon him.
These attempts may not be sufficient to prevent us from envy if we have this bad character well rooted in us. To uproot envy from our being for once and all, we have to analyze the causes of this bad habit and eliminate them. There are six principle origins of envy in human beings: egotism, arrogance, fear, ambition, bad intentions, and vengefulness. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Exaggeration is a blood relation to falsehood and nearly as blameable. It is a department of lying. We always weaken whatever we exaggerate. There are people so addicted to exaggeration they can't tell the truth without lying.
God will judge among you, on the day of resurrection, regarding what you differed on. Don't you know that God knows what is in the sky and earth? For that is in a decree. Indeed, that is easy for God. [22: 69,70]
Hadith of the Day:
Be in the world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
He who wants to retain his prestige and position through contentment and honesty, will find them lasting assets. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Practically, we can resist the feeling of envy coming upon us by an effort to turn things around. If you have an urge to talk against the one who attracts your envy, you should praise him instead. If you feel superior to him, you should behave humbly toward him. If your envy demands that you work against the one you envy, you should force yourself to be kind and generous toward him. Instead of cursing him and hoping he will lose the thing you envy, you should pray to Allah to increase His blessings upon him.
These attempts may not be sufficient to prevent us from envy if we have this bad character well rooted in us. To uproot envy from our being for once and all, we have to analyze the causes of this bad habit and eliminate them. There are six principle origins of envy in human beings: egotism, arrogance, fear, ambition, bad intentions, and vengefulness. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Exaggeration is a blood relation to falsehood and nearly as blameable. It is a department of lying. We always weaken whatever we exaggerate. There are people so addicted to exaggeration they can't tell the truth without lying.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 705
Ayah of the Day:
It is God who gives you life and makes you die, then revives you: man is indeed an ingrate! [22: 66]
Hadith of the Day:
Exercise abstinence from the world and Allah will love you, and abstain from what people have and they will love you. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The amount of knowledge which suffices the believer is that which keeps him in awe of the Divine. [Abu Bakr radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
There are two encouragements to help us resist envy. One is intellectual and the other is practical. Intellectually, we have to be convinced that the evils envy causes in our daily life and our spiritual life, both in this world and the Hereafter, must be blamed on ourselves alone. The one we envy is totally innocent and our envy is not ever going to cause him any harm. On the contrary, it may do him good here, and certainly will enhance his spiritual life in the Hereafter.
On the religious level, we must realize that our envy is a sign that we neither accept nor believe in God's will and justice: it indicates that we are critical of God, even angry at Him. This is close to denial and a great sin. Meanwhile the one whom we envy will not lose Allah's blessings: perchance they may even increase, and certainly he is not sinning. In the Hereafter, as an innocent victim of tyranny, he will benefit.
Each word, each action the envier spends against his victim is a spiritual gift to him that will be deducted from the envier's good deeds and given to the envied one on the Day of judgment. And in this life, certainly, public opinion will be against the tyrant and his condemnation will be a victory for the victim. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury. All that is necessary for the triumph of the evil is that good men do nothing.
It is God who gives you life and makes you die, then revives you: man is indeed an ingrate! [22: 66]
Hadith of the Day:
Exercise abstinence from the world and Allah will love you, and abstain from what people have and they will love you. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The amount of knowledge which suffices the believer is that which keeps him in awe of the Divine. [Abu Bakr radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
There are two encouragements to help us resist envy. One is intellectual and the other is practical. Intellectually, we have to be convinced that the evils envy causes in our daily life and our spiritual life, both in this world and the Hereafter, must be blamed on ourselves alone. The one we envy is totally innocent and our envy is not ever going to cause him any harm. On the contrary, it may do him good here, and certainly will enhance his spiritual life in the Hereafter.
On the religious level, we must realize that our envy is a sign that we neither accept nor believe in God's will and justice: it indicates that we are critical of God, even angry at Him. This is close to denial and a great sin. Meanwhile the one whom we envy will not lose Allah's blessings: perchance they may even increase, and certainly he is not sinning. In the Hereafter, as an innocent victim of tyranny, he will benefit.
Each word, each action the envier spends against his victim is a spiritual gift to him that will be deducted from the envier's good deeds and given to the envied one on the Day of judgment. And in this life, certainly, public opinion will be against the tyrant and his condemnation will be a victory for the victim. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury. All that is necessary for the triumph of the evil is that good men do nothing.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 704
Ayah of the Day:
Don't you see that God has subjected what is on earth to you, even the ships that sail the sea by divine decree? And God prevents the sky from showering on the earth, except by divine leave; for God is truly kind and merciful to humanity. [22: 65]
Hadith of the Day:
Fulfill the trust of the one who entrusts you, and do not betray the one who betrays you. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
When a man's character becomes goodly, his words become lofty. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
The fifth maleficence of envy is its effects on the person envied. If not checked, it may cause disasters for its object. That is why Allah orders people to take refuge in Him from the attack of the envier, just as He asks us to take refuge in Him from the temptations of the accursed Devil.
The sixth pain that envy brings is the totally unnecessary trouble, hardship, and suffering that envy causes to the envier himself.
The seventh ill that envy brings is blindness of the heart, which becomes unable to see reality.
And finally, envy is a barrier that prevents us from ever reaching our wish or our goal, whatever it is. For when envy affects us, we are not able to see the real causes and effects of things when they happen, nor do we receive the sympathy and help of anybody in obtaining what we hope to achieve. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Often times nothing profits more than self-esteem, grounded on what is just and right. The chief ingredients in the composition of those qualities that gain esteem and praise, are good nature, truth, good sense, and good breeding. Esteem captivates hearts better, and never makes ingrates.
Don't you see that God has subjected what is on earth to you, even the ships that sail the sea by divine decree? And God prevents the sky from showering on the earth, except by divine leave; for God is truly kind and merciful to humanity. [22: 65]
Hadith of the Day:
Fulfill the trust of the one who entrusts you, and do not betray the one who betrays you. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
When a man's character becomes goodly, his words become lofty. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
The fifth maleficence of envy is its effects on the person envied. If not checked, it may cause disasters for its object. That is why Allah orders people to take refuge in Him from the attack of the envier, just as He asks us to take refuge in Him from the temptations of the accursed Devil.
The sixth pain that envy brings is the totally unnecessary trouble, hardship, and suffering that envy causes to the envier himself.
The seventh ill that envy brings is blindness of the heart, which becomes unable to see reality.
And finally, envy is a barrier that prevents us from ever reaching our wish or our goal, whatever it is. For when envy affects us, we are not able to see the real causes and effects of things when they happen, nor do we receive the sympathy and help of anybody in obtaining what we hope to achieve. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Often times nothing profits more than self-esteem, grounded on what is just and right. The chief ingredients in the composition of those qualities that gain esteem and praise, are good nature, truth, good sense, and good breeding. Esteem captivates hearts better, and never makes ingrates.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 703
Ayahs of the Day:
Don't you see that God sends down rain from the sky and the land becomes green? For God is indeed most kind, most aware---in possession of all in the heavens and all on earth; and God is the independent, the praise worthy. [22: 63,64]
Hadith of the Day:
Fear Allah wherever you may be; follow up a bad deed with a good one, and it will erase it; and treat people with good character. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whoever spreads gossip for you, spreads gossip against you. Whoever relates tales to you will tell tales about you. Whoever when you please him says about you what is not in you, when you anger him will say about you what is not in you. [Imam Shafa'i]
Guidance of the Day:
Envy, in addition to being maleficent in itself, becomes an instrument to bring upon the envier at least eight other major evils:
The first is that envy may erase the rewards we hope to receive from our devotions, good deeds, and obedience to Allah.
The second evil that envy may cause is revolt against our Maker, because the envier gossips, lies, curses, fights against the one he envies unjustly, although his victim does not deserve it. This is tyranny, which Allah detests.
The third evil that envy may bring upon us is the anger of the Prophet and the loss of the opportunity of his intercession on the Day of Judgment.
The fourth danger of envy is that it may transport one to the gates of Hell. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
It is the law of humanity that man must know good through evil. No great principle ever triumphed but through evil. No man ever progressed to greatness and goodness but through great mistakes. Evil unchecked grows, evil tolerated poisons the whole system.
Don't you see that God sends down rain from the sky and the land becomes green? For God is indeed most kind, most aware---in possession of all in the heavens and all on earth; and God is the independent, the praise worthy. [22: 63,64]
Hadith of the Day:
Fear Allah wherever you may be; follow up a bad deed with a good one, and it will erase it; and treat people with good character. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whoever spreads gossip for you, spreads gossip against you. Whoever relates tales to you will tell tales about you. Whoever when you please him says about you what is not in you, when you anger him will say about you what is not in you. [Imam Shafa'i]
Guidance of the Day:
Envy, in addition to being maleficent in itself, becomes an instrument to bring upon the envier at least eight other major evils:
The first is that envy may erase the rewards we hope to receive from our devotions, good deeds, and obedience to Allah.
The second evil that envy may cause is revolt against our Maker, because the envier gossips, lies, curses, fights against the one he envies unjustly, although his victim does not deserve it. This is tyranny, which Allah detests.
The third evil that envy may bring upon us is the anger of the Prophet and the loss of the opportunity of his intercession on the Day of Judgment.
The fourth danger of envy is that it may transport one to the gates of Hell. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
It is the law of humanity that man must know good through evil. No great principle ever triumphed but through evil. No man ever progressed to greatness and goodness but through great mistakes. Evil unchecked grows, evil tolerated poisons the whole system.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 702
Ayahs of the Day:
God causes the night to enter the day, and the day to enter the night; and because God is all-hearing, all-seeing. That is because God is the reality, and whatever else they pray to is vanity; and it is God that is most exalted, most great. [22: 61,62]
Hadith of the Day:
Treat people according to their individual statuses. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Modesty is a gift which is granted through guarding oneself from sins. [Shaykh al Junayd]
Guidance of the Day:
If envy exists in us, it very seldom stays hidden unless we have made it our life's goal to cleanse our hearts from evil influences and to beautify them with characteristics meeting with Allah's pleasure.
The cure of envy is through its opposite: the antidote is wishing people well. To wish well for people is a kind of beneficence to which our religion orders us. That is especially so when we see that the abundant blessings poured upon someone are bringing spiritual as well as material benefits to that person and to the people around him. Then we should not only wish that his good fortune lasts and increases, but try to help him see that it does. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
May we never let the things we can't have, or don't have, or shouldn't have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness let us not forget it, for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we cannot or should not have.
God causes the night to enter the day, and the day to enter the night; and because God is all-hearing, all-seeing. That is because God is the reality, and whatever else they pray to is vanity; and it is God that is most exalted, most great. [22: 61,62]
Hadith of the Day:
Treat people according to their individual statuses. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Modesty is a gift which is granted through guarding oneself from sins. [Shaykh al Junayd]
Guidance of the Day:
If envy exists in us, it very seldom stays hidden unless we have made it our life's goal to cleanse our hearts from evil influences and to beautify them with characteristics meeting with Allah's pleasure.
The cure of envy is through its opposite: the antidote is wishing people well. To wish well for people is a kind of beneficence to which our religion orders us. That is especially so when we see that the abundant blessings poured upon someone are bringing spiritual as well as material benefits to that person and to the people around him. Then we should not only wish that his good fortune lasts and increases, but try to help him see that it does. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
May we never let the things we can't have, or don't have, or shouldn't have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness let us not forget it, for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we cannot or should not have.
Monday, December 04, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 701
Ayah of the Day:
Whoever retaliates to the degree he was injured, then is further unjustly oppressed, God will help him: for God does pardon and forgive. [22: 60]
Hadith of the Day:
Verily another person's belongings are unlawful (to take) except with his heart's content. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Face off your difficulties with patience, and fence in your blessings with thankfulness. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
To know some of the vast benefits of humbleness encourages us to fight the evil of arrogance. Humbleness is the profession of the prophets and saints, of the truly wise and pious servants of Allah. It is this character praised by Allah that brings one to the highest spiritual level.
To be humble, we have to know ourselves: where we came from, where we are going in this life. We must be aware of the facts and exclude the inventions of our ego and imagination. The ego is not only resistant to accepting religious norms but also defies reason and awareness of facts. It prefers imagination and exaggeration. It loves heights and loves itself. It likes to see itself up above everything and everybody. It is blind and deaf to reality.
To know ourselves, we have to stop doting on ourselves and become objective. We must look at ourselves with neutral eyes, the eyes of the norms of the revealed law. Surely every believer will be able to locate generosity between avarice and wastefulness; honest work between ambition and laziness; courage between brazenness and cowardice; hope between doubt and rigidity. The median is the center of perfect balance. That is what one has to discover in oneself. But because our ego is apt to push us upwards, it is best to consider ourselves as lesser than we have found ourselves to be. That is what humbleness is. The safest way of being is to consider oneself lower than everybody else. That was the way of the generation of Muslims after the Prophet. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The world belongs to the energetic. Energy and persistence conquer all things. The real difference between men is energy. A strong will, a settled purpose, an invincible determination, can accomplish almost anything; and in this lies the distinction between great men and little men.
Whoever retaliates to the degree he was injured, then is further unjustly oppressed, God will help him: for God does pardon and forgive. [22: 60]
Hadith of the Day:
Verily another person's belongings are unlawful (to take) except with his heart's content. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Face off your difficulties with patience, and fence in your blessings with thankfulness. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
To know some of the vast benefits of humbleness encourages us to fight the evil of arrogance. Humbleness is the profession of the prophets and saints, of the truly wise and pious servants of Allah. It is this character praised by Allah that brings one to the highest spiritual level.
To be humble, we have to know ourselves: where we came from, where we are going in this life. We must be aware of the facts and exclude the inventions of our ego and imagination. The ego is not only resistant to accepting religious norms but also defies reason and awareness of facts. It prefers imagination and exaggeration. It loves heights and loves itself. It likes to see itself up above everything and everybody. It is blind and deaf to reality.
To know ourselves, we have to stop doting on ourselves and become objective. We must look at ourselves with neutral eyes, the eyes of the norms of the revealed law. Surely every believer will be able to locate generosity between avarice and wastefulness; honest work between ambition and laziness; courage between brazenness and cowardice; hope between doubt and rigidity. The median is the center of perfect balance. That is what one has to discover in oneself. But because our ego is apt to push us upwards, it is best to consider ourselves as lesser than we have found ourselves to be. That is what humbleness is. The safest way of being is to consider oneself lower than everybody else. That was the way of the generation of Muslims after the Prophet. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
The world belongs to the energetic. Energy and persistence conquer all things. The real difference between men is energy. A strong will, a settled purpose, an invincible determination, can accomplish almost anything; and in this lies the distinction between great men and little men.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 700
Ayahs of the Day:
As for those who have emigrated for the sake of God, and then been killed or died, God will certainly provide them an excellent provision; and God is indeed the best of providers, and will surely admit them to a place with which they will be pleased; for God is indeed omniscient, most kind. [22: 58,59]
Hadith of the Day:
Mercy is not taken away except from a wretched person. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Your desire that the people know your particular distinction is a proof of insincerity in your servant hood. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
Love of oneself is a very maleficent character; especially when people are proud of their achievements; worse still if they are enamored of their imagined religious or spiritual state. Such may forget that the honor bestowed on them because of their achievements, as well as those achievements themselves, belong to Allah Most High alone. People forget this because they are unaware and heedless that every person is created by the Creator, and that each person's actions are his destiny decided by Allah. The realization that all is done by His will, and that everything belongs to Him, will cure us of this ill. Then we will be thankful for everything that happens to us through us, and be obedient to the will of our Lord.
To save ourselves from egotism, it should suffice to see its results in ourselves and others. The egoist thinks of his state as a blessing. He thinks that he knows everything and that he controls his life, and even the lives of others. He is heedless of the suffering he causes for himself and others. He thinks that he is Physically, socially, and spiritually on the top of the world. yet he has no thought for an occasion when he might fall from the heights to which he has climbed, nor does he recognize any other power other than the one he imagines he possesses. He takes himself as his own God----as he will be devastated when Allah acts upon what He says: " Woe to the one whose evil deed is made fair seeming to him, so that he considers it good (35: 8)." [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
In this life we get nothing save by effort. Many a man fails because he never tries. Things don't turn up in this world until somebody turns them up. A law of nature governs that honest effort cannot be lost, but that someday the proper benefits will be forthcoming.
As for those who have emigrated for the sake of God, and then been killed or died, God will certainly provide them an excellent provision; and God is indeed the best of providers, and will surely admit them to a place with which they will be pleased; for God is indeed omniscient, most kind. [22: 58,59]
Hadith of the Day:
Mercy is not taken away except from a wretched person. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Your desire that the people know your particular distinction is a proof of insincerity in your servant hood. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
Love of oneself is a very maleficent character; especially when people are proud of their achievements; worse still if they are enamored of their imagined religious or spiritual state. Such may forget that the honor bestowed on them because of their achievements, as well as those achievements themselves, belong to Allah Most High alone. People forget this because they are unaware and heedless that every person is created by the Creator, and that each person's actions are his destiny decided by Allah. The realization that all is done by His will, and that everything belongs to Him, will cure us of this ill. Then we will be thankful for everything that happens to us through us, and be obedient to the will of our Lord.
To save ourselves from egotism, it should suffice to see its results in ourselves and others. The egoist thinks of his state as a blessing. He thinks that he knows everything and that he controls his life, and even the lives of others. He is heedless of the suffering he causes for himself and others. He thinks that he is Physically, socially, and spiritually on the top of the world. yet he has no thought for an occasion when he might fall from the heights to which he has climbed, nor does he recognize any other power other than the one he imagines he possesses. He takes himself as his own God----as he will be devastated when Allah acts upon what He says: " Woe to the one whose evil deed is made fair seeming to him, so that he considers it good (35: 8)." [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
In this life we get nothing save by effort. Many a man fails because he never tries. Things don't turn up in this world until somebody turns them up. A law of nature governs that honest effort cannot be lost, but that someday the proper benefits will be forthcoming.
Friday, December 01, 2006
LESSON OF THE DAY 699
Ayahs of the Day:
Dominion on that day will belong to God, who will judge among them. And those who believed and did good works will be in gardens of happiness. As for those who scoffed and repudiated Our signs, for them there is a degrading penalty. [22: 56,57]
Hadith of the Day:
It is not lawful for a Muslim to sever relationships with his brother for more than three days. Whoever does sever relationships for more than three days and then dies will enter Hellfire. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Lovers of fine raiment and garb! Forget not that one day you will wear the shroud of the grave; lovers of palaces and lofty mansions forget not that ditch where you will ultimately lie; lovers of fine food and drink forget not that you are to become the food of worms and maggots. [Othman radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
There are other influences from outside ourselves that may induce arrogance. Hatred and vengeance, which are great sins in themselves, will give birth to yet another great evil: pride. When we are angry at someone above us, especially, our ego will immediately raise us to a level above the superior adversary. We imagine ourselves more righteous, more intelligent, more powerful, closer to Allah. Even if the adversary is right, he is wrong. If he is powerful, that is temporary, he is a soldier of Satan. If he is devout, his devotion is hypocritical. If our enemy wins, then vengeance sets in. The injustice has to be righted! The arrogance of the imagined victim is very long-lasting.
Then there is envy; again a great sin in itself. It forces us into denial of Allah's will, questioning His justice. Why should somebody who is inferior to us be blessed with more sustenance and a better life? Woe to the arrogant who think that they know the value of the envier and the envied, and what each deserves, better than God! The only cure for arrogance induced by hatred, envy, or hypocrisy---all greater sins----is to remember in our combat against these that further evils will attach to us if we fail to stop them. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Loyal and efficient work is a great cause, even though it may not be immediately recognized, ultimately bares fruit. A sense of value of time----that is, of the best way to divide one's time into one's various activities----is an essential preliminary to efficient work; it is the only method of avoiding hurry.
Dominion on that day will belong to God, who will judge among them. And those who believed and did good works will be in gardens of happiness. As for those who scoffed and repudiated Our signs, for them there is a degrading penalty. [22: 56,57]
Hadith of the Day:
It is not lawful for a Muslim to sever relationships with his brother for more than three days. Whoever does sever relationships for more than three days and then dies will enter Hellfire. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Lovers of fine raiment and garb! Forget not that one day you will wear the shroud of the grave; lovers of palaces and lofty mansions forget not that ditch where you will ultimately lie; lovers of fine food and drink forget not that you are to become the food of worms and maggots. [Othman radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
There are other influences from outside ourselves that may induce arrogance. Hatred and vengeance, which are great sins in themselves, will give birth to yet another great evil: pride. When we are angry at someone above us, especially, our ego will immediately raise us to a level above the superior adversary. We imagine ourselves more righteous, more intelligent, more powerful, closer to Allah. Even if the adversary is right, he is wrong. If he is powerful, that is temporary, he is a soldier of Satan. If he is devout, his devotion is hypocritical. If our enemy wins, then vengeance sets in. The injustice has to be righted! The arrogance of the imagined victim is very long-lasting.
Then there is envy; again a great sin in itself. It forces us into denial of Allah's will, questioning His justice. Why should somebody who is inferior to us be blessed with more sustenance and a better life? Woe to the arrogant who think that they know the value of the envier and the envied, and what each deserves, better than God! The only cure for arrogance induced by hatred, envy, or hypocrisy---all greater sins----is to remember in our combat against these that further evils will attach to us if we fail to stop them. [The Path of Muhammad]
Food for Thought:
Loyal and efficient work is a great cause, even though it may not be immediately recognized, ultimately bares fruit. A sense of value of time----that is, of the best way to divide one's time into one's various activities----is an essential preliminary to efficient work; it is the only method of avoiding hurry.
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