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.