Ayahs of the Day:
And those who struggle strive only for their own souls; for God is independent of all worlds. And those who believe and do good works, We will pardon their evils, and We will reward them for the best of what they were doing. [29: 6,7]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not rejoice at the misery of your brother. For if you do, Allah will give him well-being, and try you with calamities. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
It is not in the make-up of a noble person to delay in rewarding nor is it that of a generous one to exact revenge. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The world is a match for you, and you are a match for the world. When you fully recognize your challenges, your gifts, and your individual reality, and you accept the life path they represent, the world provides whatever you need to succeed. You, in turn, will discover how you can make your greatest contribution to the world. When you claim authorship of your life story, the world responds, and genius ignites. The challenge is to create and own your own reality. The first moment you are able to do this is an awakening of sorts, since it means the demise of your unconscious life.
When you begin to live your life understanding that what you make of it is up to you, you are able to design it according to your authentic choices and desires. You will learn lessons with this Rule, such as responsibility, release, courage, power, and adventure, that will lead you to the life you were meant to live. These lessons provide you with the essential tools you need in order to take command of your life. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice. Where quality is the thing sought after, the thing of supreme quality is cheap, whatever the price one has to pay for it.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 821
Ayahs of the Day:
Do evildoers think they can outrun Me? There judgment is bad! For whoever looks forward to meeting with God, the appointed time of God is sure to arrive; and God is all-hearing, all-knowing. [29: 4,5]
Hadith of the Day:
Allah gives His promise and honor to the one who forgives and the one who behaves humbly for the sake of Allah, and generosity never decreases anyone's riches. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The fearful one is not one who weeps and wipes his eyes; on the contrary he is the one who abandons whatever he fear will bring him punishment. [al-Qushayri]
Guidance of the Day:
Every person creates his or her own reality. Authorship of your life is one of your absolute rights; yet so often people deny that they have the ability to script the life they desire. They often use the excuse that they cannot do what they want to do or get what they desire in life because they lack the resources to do it. They look past the fundamental truth that it is not our external resources that determine our success or failure, but rather our own belief in ourselves and our willingness to create a life according to our highest aspirations.
You can either engage in the blame game, making frequent use of the statement, "I couldn't because......" or you can take control of your life and shape it as you would like. You can either let your circumstances, be they your physical appearance, your financial condition, or your family origins, dictate what happens to you, or you can transcend your perceived limitations and make extraordinary things happen. The "yeah, buts....." do not produce results----they just reinforce the delusion of inability. Argue for your limitations and eventually the universe will agree with you and respond accordingly. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Worry gives a small thing a big shadow. It is not work that kills men; it is worry. The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work. There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.
Do evildoers think they can outrun Me? There judgment is bad! For whoever looks forward to meeting with God, the appointed time of God is sure to arrive; and God is all-hearing, all-knowing. [29: 4,5]
Hadith of the Day:
Allah gives His promise and honor to the one who forgives and the one who behaves humbly for the sake of Allah, and generosity never decreases anyone's riches. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The fearful one is not one who weeps and wipes his eyes; on the contrary he is the one who abandons whatever he fear will bring him punishment. [al-Qushayri]
Guidance of the Day:
Every person creates his or her own reality. Authorship of your life is one of your absolute rights; yet so often people deny that they have the ability to script the life they desire. They often use the excuse that they cannot do what they want to do or get what they desire in life because they lack the resources to do it. They look past the fundamental truth that it is not our external resources that determine our success or failure, but rather our own belief in ourselves and our willingness to create a life according to our highest aspirations.
You can either engage in the blame game, making frequent use of the statement, "I couldn't because......" or you can take control of your life and shape it as you would like. You can either let your circumstances, be they your physical appearance, your financial condition, or your family origins, dictate what happens to you, or you can transcend your perceived limitations and make extraordinary things happen. The "yeah, buts....." do not produce results----they just reinforce the delusion of inability. Argue for your limitations and eventually the universe will agree with you and respond accordingly. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Worry gives a small thing a big shadow. It is not work that kills men; it is worry. The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work. There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 820
Ayahs of the Day:
Do people think they will be left alone as long as they say, "We believe," without their being tried? We did indeed try those before them, and God does know who were truthful, and does indeed know who were false. [29: 2,3]
Hadith of the Day:
When you do receive in abundance from your Lord that which you needed, keep it a secret. For anyone who is thus blessed will suffer the envy of others. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
When temptation claims your reason, know that misfortune is about to strike. Fall down prostrate and begin to pray. With flowing tears implore the Lord that He may deliver you from the throes of doubt. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
The richest person is he who is contented with what he has. One of the most common human fears is scarcity. Many people are afraid of not having enough of whatever it is they need or want, and so they are always striving to get to some point in the future when they finally have enough. They fool themselves into believing that one day they will have everything "all set"-----they will have all the money they need, all the possessions they desire, all the love they crave, all the success they strive for. But is anything ever really enough? Did anyone ever really arrive "there"?
Abundance means that all things are possible and that there is more than enough of everything for everyone, right here and now. As you shift your focus from some point in the future to the present, you are able to fully see the riches and gifts you already have, and thus learn the lesson of abundance. True abundance comes not from amassing, but rather from appreciating. Scarcity consciousness arises as a result of "hole-in-the-soul syndrome." This is when we attempt to fill the gaps in our inner lives with things from the outside world. But like puzzle pieces, you can't fit something in where it does not naturally belong. No amount of external objects, affection, love, or attention can ever fill in an inner void. The void can only be filled by looking within. You already have and are enough; revel in your own interior abundance and you will never need to look elsewhere. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
The wisest man is generally he who thinks himself the least so. It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. Nine-tenths of the time wisdom consists in being wise in time.
Do people think they will be left alone as long as they say, "We believe," without their being tried? We did indeed try those before them, and God does know who were truthful, and does indeed know who were false. [29: 2,3]
Hadith of the Day:
When you do receive in abundance from your Lord that which you needed, keep it a secret. For anyone who is thus blessed will suffer the envy of others. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
When temptation claims your reason, know that misfortune is about to strike. Fall down prostrate and begin to pray. With flowing tears implore the Lord that He may deliver you from the throes of doubt. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
The richest person is he who is contented with what he has. One of the most common human fears is scarcity. Many people are afraid of not having enough of whatever it is they need or want, and so they are always striving to get to some point in the future when they finally have enough. They fool themselves into believing that one day they will have everything "all set"-----they will have all the money they need, all the possessions they desire, all the love they crave, all the success they strive for. But is anything ever really enough? Did anyone ever really arrive "there"?
Abundance means that all things are possible and that there is more than enough of everything for everyone, right here and now. As you shift your focus from some point in the future to the present, you are able to fully see the riches and gifts you already have, and thus learn the lesson of abundance. True abundance comes not from amassing, but rather from appreciating. Scarcity consciousness arises as a result of "hole-in-the-soul syndrome." This is when we attempt to fill the gaps in our inner lives with things from the outside world. But like puzzle pieces, you can't fit something in where it does not naturally belong. No amount of external objects, affection, love, or attention can ever fill in an inner void. The void can only be filled by looking within. You already have and are enough; revel in your own interior abundance and you will never need to look elsewhere. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
The wisest man is generally he who thinks himself the least so. It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. Nine-tenths of the time wisdom consists in being wise in time.
Friday, April 27, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 819
Ayah of the Day:
And call not, besides Allah, to another god. There is no god but He. Everything (that lives) shall die except His face! To Him belongs the Command, and to Him you will be returned. [29:88]
Hadith of the Day:
People are considered to be doing good for each other as long as they are not envious of each other. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whoever excuses others will be excused by Allah and whoever forgives others will be forgiven by Allah. [Abdullah ibn Mas'ud]
Guidance of the Day:
Perhaps the hardest lesson to learn is not to be attached to the results of your actions. Unattachment is the release of need or expectation associated with a specific outcome. For most people, this is one of the most difficult lessons to learn. We become attached to the way we envision something working out, and struggle to make circumstances bend to our desires. Life, however, often has its own agenda, and we are destined to suffer unless we give up our attachment to things working out exactly as we would like. The key to serenity, however, lies in your ability to hold lightly to the image of yourself reaching that goal. In doing so you will feel peaceful in your situation regardless of the outcome.
Unattachment means you are not bound by your expectations of how things should turn out, and that you are willing to let go. In order to dissolve attachments, imagine the ideal outcome of your situation, and then imagine the worst-case scenario. Doing this brings any hidden fears to light and makes it acceptable for the outcome to go either way. The sense of security comes from within, not from attachment to any person, thing, or idea. It is important to recognize that your desire or intention may show up in a form different from that which you might have expected. Keep your eyes open for gifts from the Almighty, as they sometimes come in unexpected packages. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
People do not lack strength; they lack will. Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes. Will is character in action. Where there's a will, there's a way. He who is firm in will molds the world to himself. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
And call not, besides Allah, to another god. There is no god but He. Everything (that lives) shall die except His face! To Him belongs the Command, and to Him you will be returned. [29:88]
Hadith of the Day:
People are considered to be doing good for each other as long as they are not envious of each other. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whoever excuses others will be excused by Allah and whoever forgives others will be forgiven by Allah. [Abdullah ibn Mas'ud]
Guidance of the Day:
Perhaps the hardest lesson to learn is not to be attached to the results of your actions. Unattachment is the release of need or expectation associated with a specific outcome. For most people, this is one of the most difficult lessons to learn. We become attached to the way we envision something working out, and struggle to make circumstances bend to our desires. Life, however, often has its own agenda, and we are destined to suffer unless we give up our attachment to things working out exactly as we would like. The key to serenity, however, lies in your ability to hold lightly to the image of yourself reaching that goal. In doing so you will feel peaceful in your situation regardless of the outcome.
Unattachment means you are not bound by your expectations of how things should turn out, and that you are willing to let go. In order to dissolve attachments, imagine the ideal outcome of your situation, and then imagine the worst-case scenario. Doing this brings any hidden fears to light and makes it acceptable for the outcome to go either way. The sense of security comes from within, not from attachment to any person, thing, or idea. It is important to recognize that your desire or intention may show up in a form different from that which you might have expected. Keep your eyes open for gifts from the Almighty, as they sometimes come in unexpected packages. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
People do not lack strength; they lack will. Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes. Will is character in action. Where there's a will, there's a way. He who is firm in will molds the world to himself. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 818
Ayah of the Day:
And don't let anything obstruct you from the signs of God after they have been revealed to you; and pray to your Lord, and don't be an idolater. [28: 87]
Hadith of the Day:
Unless your faith is perfect, you will not be able to enter Paradise. And as long as you do not love each other for Allah's sake, your faith is not perfect. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
One who has affection for Almighty God must sacrifice himself for the sake of his Beloved. Such is the symbol of affection. Love and affection for God, is to expel and erase from the heart everything unwanted and unloved by God. [Shaykh Muzaffer Ozak]
Guidance of the Day:
To be grateful means you are thankful for and appreciate of what you have and where you are right now. Gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling of being blessed with many gifts and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path. As you strive to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience full wonder of "here". Gratitude is a lesson that needs to be reinforced often. It is too easy to overlook the gifts you have when you focus on those that you hope to obtain, and you diminish the value of where you currently are on your path if you do not pause often to appreciate it.
There are many ways to cultivate gratitude: Imagine what your life would be like if you lost all that you had, this will most surely remind you of how much you do appreciate it. Make a list of all that you are grateful for, so that you can stay conscious daily of your blessings. Or spend a few minutes before you go to sleep giving thanks for all that you have. Spend time offering assistance to those who are less fortunate than you, so that you may gain perspective. Look for the gift in each challenging incident.
However you choose to learn gratitude is irrelevant. What really matters is that you create a space in your consciousness for appreciation for all that you have right now, so that you may live joyously in your present moment. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
The gratification of wealth is not found in mere possession or in lavish expenditure, but in its wise application. Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community. He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.
And don't let anything obstruct you from the signs of God after they have been revealed to you; and pray to your Lord, and don't be an idolater. [28: 87]
Hadith of the Day:
Unless your faith is perfect, you will not be able to enter Paradise. And as long as you do not love each other for Allah's sake, your faith is not perfect. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
One who has affection for Almighty God must sacrifice himself for the sake of his Beloved. Such is the symbol of affection. Love and affection for God, is to expel and erase from the heart everything unwanted and unloved by God. [Shaykh Muzaffer Ozak]
Guidance of the Day:
To be grateful means you are thankful for and appreciate of what you have and where you are right now. Gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling of being blessed with many gifts and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path. As you strive to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience full wonder of "here". Gratitude is a lesson that needs to be reinforced often. It is too easy to overlook the gifts you have when you focus on those that you hope to obtain, and you diminish the value of where you currently are on your path if you do not pause often to appreciate it.
There are many ways to cultivate gratitude: Imagine what your life would be like if you lost all that you had, this will most surely remind you of how much you do appreciate it. Make a list of all that you are grateful for, so that you can stay conscious daily of your blessings. Or spend a few minutes before you go to sleep giving thanks for all that you have. Spend time offering assistance to those who are less fortunate than you, so that you may gain perspective. Look for the gift in each challenging incident.
However you choose to learn gratitude is irrelevant. What really matters is that you create a space in your consciousness for appreciation for all that you have right now, so that you may live joyously in your present moment. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
The gratification of wealth is not found in mere possession or in lavish expenditure, but in its wise application. Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community. He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 817
Ayah of the Day:
Whoever brings about good gets what is even better. As for those who bring about ill, evildoers are not requited but for what they did. [28: 84]
Hadith of the Day:
Beware of envy, because it burns to ashes all of one's good deeds. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not be ruled by lust; seek freedom by following the righteous. Mere claims of piety will not earn you inner freedom. Remain patient in adversity to attain peace. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
Life is a year round school from which you never actually graduate, so it is the learning process itself that brings true value to existence. Embrace your role as a perpetual student of life. This means giving in to the idea that you actually don't know everything that you need to, and you never will. It also means that you need to convince your ego that being a student does not make you inferior. In fact, being a student opens up worlds of possibilities that are invisible to those who are unwilling to accept this role.
In order to rise to the challenge of embracing your role as perpetual student, you need to learn the lessons of surrender, commitment, humility, and flexibility. Without these important lessons, you will never be able to open your mind, heart, and spirit wide enough to allow yourself to take in all that life has to teach you. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality, nothing will do, and with them everything will. Short as life is, we make it still shorter by the careless waste of time. A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life.
Whoever brings about good gets what is even better. As for those who bring about ill, evildoers are not requited but for what they did. [28: 84]
Hadith of the Day:
Beware of envy, because it burns to ashes all of one's good deeds. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not be ruled by lust; seek freedom by following the righteous. Mere claims of piety will not earn you inner freedom. Remain patient in adversity to attain peace. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
Life is a year round school from which you never actually graduate, so it is the learning process itself that brings true value to existence. Embrace your role as a perpetual student of life. This means giving in to the idea that you actually don't know everything that you need to, and you never will. It also means that you need to convince your ego that being a student does not make you inferior. In fact, being a student opens up worlds of possibilities that are invisible to those who are unwilling to accept this role.
In order to rise to the challenge of embracing your role as perpetual student, you need to learn the lessons of surrender, commitment, humility, and flexibility. Without these important lessons, you will never be able to open your mind, heart, and spirit wide enough to allow yourself to take in all that life has to teach you. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality, nothing will do, and with them everything will. Short as life is, we make it still shorter by the careless waste of time. A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 816
Ayah of the Day:
That home of the hereafter We will give to those who do not desire exaltation on earth, or immorality. And the result is for the conscientious. [28: 83]
Hadith of the Day:
When someone is humble toward fellow Muslims, Allah raises that person's state. When someone tries to belittle fellow Muslims and claims to be better than they, Allah lowers that person below the others. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
There is nothing more beneficial to a Muslim's heart than to mix with the righteous and to watch their actions, while nothing is more harmful to the heart than mixing with the sinners and watching their actions. [Ahmad ibn Harb]
Guidance of the Day:
Change is rarely easy, and you need to exercise gentleness and patience with yourself as you work your way through this process. Growth can be slow, painstaking process and patience will provide you with the stamina you need to become the person you want to be. If you absolutely hate getting stuck in the traffic, chances are you need a little work in the area of patience. And, chances are, you will probably get stuck in more traffic jams than someone who has no issue with patience-----and not simply because the universe has a sense of humor. You will just notice the traffic more than someone who has no issues with it. Remember, a lesson will be repeated until learned. It just takes a little patience.
There is no part of life that does not contain lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned. Striving to get all the details of life under control is impossible, because life will present new lessons daily. You never actually finish all your lessons, for as long as you are alive, there are lessons to learn. Regardless of your age, or station in life, or success level, you will never be exempt from the lessons you need to learn in order to continue growing. Your journey on earth is constantly unfolding, and while your wisdom grows and your capacity to deal with challenges expands, new lessons will present themselves. In fact, as the depth of your wisdom increases, your capacities expand proportionately, allowing you to take on and solve with greater ease more advanced challenges. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Vengeance has no foresight. Revenge is the abject pleasure of an abject mind. The best manner of avenging ourselves is by not resembling him who has injured us.
That home of the hereafter We will give to those who do not desire exaltation on earth, or immorality. And the result is for the conscientious. [28: 83]
Hadith of the Day:
When someone is humble toward fellow Muslims, Allah raises that person's state. When someone tries to belittle fellow Muslims and claims to be better than they, Allah lowers that person below the others. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
There is nothing more beneficial to a Muslim's heart than to mix with the righteous and to watch their actions, while nothing is more harmful to the heart than mixing with the sinners and watching their actions. [Ahmad ibn Harb]
Guidance of the Day:
Change is rarely easy, and you need to exercise gentleness and patience with yourself as you work your way through this process. Growth can be slow, painstaking process and patience will provide you with the stamina you need to become the person you want to be. If you absolutely hate getting stuck in the traffic, chances are you need a little work in the area of patience. And, chances are, you will probably get stuck in more traffic jams than someone who has no issue with patience-----and not simply because the universe has a sense of humor. You will just notice the traffic more than someone who has no issues with it. Remember, a lesson will be repeated until learned. It just takes a little patience.
There is no part of life that does not contain lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned. Striving to get all the details of life under control is impossible, because life will present new lessons daily. You never actually finish all your lessons, for as long as you are alive, there are lessons to learn. Regardless of your age, or station in life, or success level, you will never be exempt from the lessons you need to learn in order to continue growing. Your journey on earth is constantly unfolding, and while your wisdom grows and your capacity to deal with challenges expands, new lessons will present themselves. In fact, as the depth of your wisdom increases, your capacities expand proportionately, allowing you to take on and solve with greater ease more advanced challenges. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Vengeance has no foresight. Revenge is the abject pleasure of an abject mind. The best manner of avenging ourselves is by not resembling him who has injured us.
Monday, April 23, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 815
Ayah of the Day:
From divine mercy God has made for you the night and the day, for you to rest therein, and for you to seek of God's bounty; and that you may be grateful. [28: 73]
Hadith of the Day:
Whoever humbles himself for Allah's sake, Allah raises to the highest levels. Whoever is arrogant against Allah, Allah reduces to the lowest of the low. [Ibn Hibban]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not be ruled by the lust; seek freedom by following the righteous. Mere claims of piety will not earn you inner freedom. Remain patient in adversity to attain peace, for adversity is the threshold to freedom. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
Life doesn't require that we be the best-----only that we try our best. The real secret to being able to change is the willingness to do so. If you are to make any progress at all in excavating yourself from the cycles that entrap you, you must first identify the patterns that keep you stuck. Then you can begin to release the old behavior. If you truly want to change, you will choose to do it, and make a commitment to the process of it.
Be patient. You will know when it's time for you to wake up and move ahead. Patience is the display of tolerance while awaiting an outcome. You are presented with the lesson of patience the moment you try to create a change within yourself. You expect immediate results and are often disappointed when your first few attempts to follow through fall short. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Though:
Little things affect little minds. It is the little bits of things that fret and worry us; we can dodge an elephant, but we can't dodge a fly. There is nothing too little for so little a creature as man. It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible.
From divine mercy God has made for you the night and the day, for you to rest therein, and for you to seek of God's bounty; and that you may be grateful. [28: 73]
Hadith of the Day:
Whoever humbles himself for Allah's sake, Allah raises to the highest levels. Whoever is arrogant against Allah, Allah reduces to the lowest of the low. [Ibn Hibban]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not be ruled by the lust; seek freedom by following the righteous. Mere claims of piety will not earn you inner freedom. Remain patient in adversity to attain peace, for adversity is the threshold to freedom. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
Life doesn't require that we be the best-----only that we try our best. The real secret to being able to change is the willingness to do so. If you are to make any progress at all in excavating yourself from the cycles that entrap you, you must first identify the patterns that keep you stuck. Then you can begin to release the old behavior. If you truly want to change, you will choose to do it, and make a commitment to the process of it.
Be patient. You will know when it's time for you to wake up and move ahead. Patience is the display of tolerance while awaiting an outcome. You are presented with the lesson of patience the moment you try to create a change within yourself. You expect immediate results and are often disappointed when your first few attempts to follow through fall short. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Though:
Little things affect little minds. It is the little bits of things that fret and worry us; we can dodge an elephant, but we can't dodge a fly. There is nothing too little for so little a creature as man. It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 814
Ayah of the Day:
Say, "Do you see if God made the day last for you until the day of resurrection, what deity other than God would give you night in which to rest? Won't you then observe?" [28: 72]
Hadith of the Day:
I bring good tidings to the one who holds back his anger, and to the one who does not say what is not to be said, and to the knower who acts upon his knowledge. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whoever reckons his words to be among his works (for which he will be requited), his words are few except in what concerns him. [Fudhayl bin Iyad]
Guidance of the Day:
Have you ever noticed that lessons tend to repeat themselves? Lessons will be repeated to you in various forms until you have learned them. Awareness is the process of becoming fully conscious. Cultivating awareness is a lifelong process. Every moment presents you with an opportunity to remain awake or to slip into unconscious behavior. The opportunity to learn the lesson of awareness is presented each time you feel a sense of discontent in your life.
Simply noticing your behavior can bring you to awareness. When you observe your actions as an objective spectator, you remove the filter of self-judgment and allow yourself to see the patterns that you are repeating. As you watch yourself in a variety of situations and notice similar actions and reactions, you bring to light the common thread attached to the necessary lesson. Since lessons are repeated until learned, and since you cannot learn lessons until you become aware of them, it makes sense that you will need to cultivate awareness if you are to ever progress from where you are right now on your path. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Time is the wisest of all counselors. Time and tide wait for no man. Lost time is never found again. Do you love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of. As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.
Say, "Do you see if God made the day last for you until the day of resurrection, what deity other than God would give you night in which to rest? Won't you then observe?" [28: 72]
Hadith of the Day:
I bring good tidings to the one who holds back his anger, and to the one who does not say what is not to be said, and to the knower who acts upon his knowledge. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Whoever reckons his words to be among his works (for which he will be requited), his words are few except in what concerns him. [Fudhayl bin Iyad]
Guidance of the Day:
Have you ever noticed that lessons tend to repeat themselves? Lessons will be repeated to you in various forms until you have learned them. Awareness is the process of becoming fully conscious. Cultivating awareness is a lifelong process. Every moment presents you with an opportunity to remain awake or to slip into unconscious behavior. The opportunity to learn the lesson of awareness is presented each time you feel a sense of discontent in your life.
Simply noticing your behavior can bring you to awareness. When you observe your actions as an objective spectator, you remove the filter of self-judgment and allow yourself to see the patterns that you are repeating. As you watch yourself in a variety of situations and notice similar actions and reactions, you bring to light the common thread attached to the necessary lesson. Since lessons are repeated until learned, and since you cannot learn lessons until you become aware of them, it makes sense that you will need to cultivate awareness if you are to ever progress from where you are right now on your path. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Time is the wisest of all counselors. Time and tide wait for no man. Lost time is never found again. Do you love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of. As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.
Friday, April 20, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 813
Ayah of the Day:
Say, "Do you see if God made the night fall over you perpetually until the day of resurrection, what deity other than God could bring you light? Will you not listen, then?" [28: 71]
Hadith of the Day:
I bring good tidings to the one who cleanses his heart and to the one whose inner beauty shines in his face. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
God calls Himself "Baseer" (observant), so that the knowledge that He is watching you may keep you from sinning. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
When your external actions reflect your internal code, you are in alignment with your morality. This is how an individual gains integrity. Integrity is important because without it you are living with a sense of division within yourself; you feel incomplete and conflicted. You will know when you are not acting in alignment with your moral code, because your conscience will remind you of the difference between what is ethically right and how you actually behaved.
You will most likely experience feelings of guilt or remorse that will serve as a clue to you that the lesson of ethics needs to be learned. Whether or not you are discovered and punished for wrong behavior does not matter. You will instinctually know that you behaved wrongly. You may have only yourself to answer to, but isn't your conscience a powerful teacher, if you listen to it? There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Associate reverently, as much as you can, with your loftiest thoughts. Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts. You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.
Say, "Do you see if God made the night fall over you perpetually until the day of resurrection, what deity other than God could bring you light? Will you not listen, then?" [28: 71]
Hadith of the Day:
I bring good tidings to the one who cleanses his heart and to the one whose inner beauty shines in his face. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
God calls Himself "Baseer" (observant), so that the knowledge that He is watching you may keep you from sinning. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
When your external actions reflect your internal code, you are in alignment with your morality. This is how an individual gains integrity. Integrity is important because without it you are living with a sense of division within yourself; you feel incomplete and conflicted. You will know when you are not acting in alignment with your moral code, because your conscience will remind you of the difference between what is ethically right and how you actually behaved.
You will most likely experience feelings of guilt or remorse that will serve as a clue to you that the lesson of ethics needs to be learned. Whether or not you are discovered and punished for wrong behavior does not matter. You will instinctually know that you behaved wrongly. You may have only yourself to answer to, but isn't your conscience a powerful teacher, if you listen to it? There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Associate reverently, as much as you can, with your loftiest thoughts. Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts. You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 812
Ayah of the Day:
And your Lord is God: there is no other deity. To God belongs all praise, first and last; to God you will be returned. [28: 70]
Hadith of the Day:
I bring good tidings to the one who is compassionate to those in need and to the one who gains his livelihood lawfully with his own hands. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A sign of the heart's death is the absence of sadness over the acts of obedience that you have neglected and the abandonment of regret over the mistakes that you have made. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
It may make you feel superior and righteous when you can look down your nose and hold a grudge toward someone who has wronged you. However, harboring resentments consumes a lot of energy. Why waste valuable energy on prolonged anger and guilt, when you could use that energy for far greater things? When you let go of resentment, guilt, and anger, you become revitalized and create space in your soul for growth. Remember, your conscience is not your enemy; it is there to remind you stay on track and stick to your values. Just notice the feeling it is sending you, learn the lesson, and move on.
The most difficult kind of forgiveness is the advanced forgiveness of another. Everyone has been morally wronged or severely hurt by another person at some time in his or her life to such a degree that forgiveness seems impossible. However, harboring a resentment and revenge fantasies only keeps you trapped in victimhood. It is only through forgiveness that you can erase wrongdoing and clean the slate. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
A sympathetic heart is like a spring of pure water bursting forth from the mountain side. The hearts of the people are attached to the one who possesses a gentle nature. What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other.
And your Lord is God: there is no other deity. To God belongs all praise, first and last; to God you will be returned. [28: 70]
Hadith of the Day:
I bring good tidings to the one who is compassionate to those in need and to the one who gains his livelihood lawfully with his own hands. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A sign of the heart's death is the absence of sadness over the acts of obedience that you have neglected and the abandonment of regret over the mistakes that you have made. [Ibn Ataillah]
Guidance of the Day:
It may make you feel superior and righteous when you can look down your nose and hold a grudge toward someone who has wronged you. However, harboring resentments consumes a lot of energy. Why waste valuable energy on prolonged anger and guilt, when you could use that energy for far greater things? When you let go of resentment, guilt, and anger, you become revitalized and create space in your soul for growth. Remember, your conscience is not your enemy; it is there to remind you stay on track and stick to your values. Just notice the feeling it is sending you, learn the lesson, and move on.
The most difficult kind of forgiveness is the advanced forgiveness of another. Everyone has been morally wronged or severely hurt by another person at some time in his or her life to such a degree that forgiveness seems impossible. However, harboring a resentment and revenge fantasies only keeps you trapped in victimhood. It is only through forgiveness that you can erase wrongdoing and clean the slate. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
A sympathetic heart is like a spring of pure water bursting forth from the mountain side. The hearts of the people are attached to the one who possesses a gentle nature. What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 811
Ayahs of the Day:
Your Lord creates and selects at will; they have no choice. Glory to God, who is exalted beyond any association they make. And your Lord knows best what their hearts conceal, and what they reveal. [28: 68,69]
Hadith of the Day:
I bring good tidings to the generous one who spends freely for Allah's sake from what he possesses, and who keeps the company of wise and knowledgeable. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If you wish to shine like the daylight, burn up the night of self-importance. Dissolve the self like copper in the elixir; dissolve in Him who fosters all existence. But you are bound by the discord of "I" and "We." The cause of your ruin is this sad dualism. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
Judgments are not always negative. Your judgments are what keep you from walking around like an open membrane, open and exposed to whatever information you come in contact with. At times, your judgments serve to help you decide what beliefs and thoughts you choose to let in from the outside world and help you discern what is true for you. Without your sense of judgment, you would be bombarded with hundreds of conflicting ideas over which you would have no power to discriminate.
At other times, however, your judgments can limit you and prevent you from being compassionate when and where that is needed. When your judgments become more overpowering than your ability to practice empathy, you separate yourself from your own human essence. You put yourself into a box of self-righteousness and seal yourself off from your innate need to connect with other people. You may feel superior to those you are judging, but you may also feel the chill of loneliness imposed by your isolation. The only antidote to rigid judgment is compassion. The secret to learning to open your heart is the willingness to connect to your essence and the essence of the person you are judging. From these, the magic of compassion opens limitless doors to human connection. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well. Great men are they who see that the spiritual is stronger than any material force. The strength of a man consists in finding out the way God wants them to go, and going that way.
Your Lord creates and selects at will; they have no choice. Glory to God, who is exalted beyond any association they make. And your Lord knows best what their hearts conceal, and what they reveal. [28: 68,69]
Hadith of the Day:
I bring good tidings to the generous one who spends freely for Allah's sake from what he possesses, and who keeps the company of wise and knowledgeable. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If you wish to shine like the daylight, burn up the night of self-importance. Dissolve the self like copper in the elixir; dissolve in Him who fosters all existence. But you are bound by the discord of "I" and "We." The cause of your ruin is this sad dualism. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
Judgments are not always negative. Your judgments are what keep you from walking around like an open membrane, open and exposed to whatever information you come in contact with. At times, your judgments serve to help you decide what beliefs and thoughts you choose to let in from the outside world and help you discern what is true for you. Without your sense of judgment, you would be bombarded with hundreds of conflicting ideas over which you would have no power to discriminate.
At other times, however, your judgments can limit you and prevent you from being compassionate when and where that is needed. When your judgments become more overpowering than your ability to practice empathy, you separate yourself from your own human essence. You put yourself into a box of self-righteousness and seal yourself off from your innate need to connect with other people. You may feel superior to those you are judging, but you may also feel the chill of loneliness imposed by your isolation. The only antidote to rigid judgment is compassion. The secret to learning to open your heart is the willingness to connect to your essence and the essence of the person you are judging. From these, the magic of compassion opens limitless doors to human connection. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well. Great men are they who see that the spiritual is stronger than any material force. The strength of a man consists in finding out the way God wants them to go, and going that way.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 810
Ayah of the Day:
In the case of those who repented, believed, and did right, it may be that they will be among the happy ones. [28: 67]
Hadith of the Day:
Allah Most High ordered us to be humble. None among you shall belittle any other, nor are you permitted to insult them. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Modernity: A way of drowning in nothingness. Modernity has not healed our pain, it has only dried our tears. {Abdul Hakeem Murad]
Guidance of the Day:
The individual is capable of both great compassion and great indifference. He has it within his means to nourish the former and outgrow the latter. Compassion is the act of opening your heart. To live in a state of compassion means you approach the world with your emotional barriers lowered and your ability to connect with others intact. Compassion is the emotional glue that keeps you rooted in the universality of the human experience, as it connects you to your essence of those around you.
The key to learning the lesson of compassion is realizing that you are in control of the erection or destruction of those barriers that create distance between you and others. You can choose to dissolve those barriers when you want to connect with the heart of another human being. You can also choose to limit others' access to your heart when you need to, by forming judgments that separate you from that which you are judging. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Slander is the revenge of a coward, and dissimulation of his defense. To murder character is as truly a crime as to murder the body: the tongue of the slanderer is brother to the dagger of the assassin. The worthiest people are the most injured by slander, as is the best fruit which the birds have been pecking at.
In the case of those who repented, believed, and did right, it may be that they will be among the happy ones. [28: 67]
Hadith of the Day:
Allah Most High ordered us to be humble. None among you shall belittle any other, nor are you permitted to insult them. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Modernity: A way of drowning in nothingness. Modernity has not healed our pain, it has only dried our tears. {Abdul Hakeem Murad]
Guidance of the Day:
The individual is capable of both great compassion and great indifference. He has it within his means to nourish the former and outgrow the latter. Compassion is the act of opening your heart. To live in a state of compassion means you approach the world with your emotional barriers lowered and your ability to connect with others intact. Compassion is the emotional glue that keeps you rooted in the universality of the human experience, as it connects you to your essence of those around you.
The key to learning the lesson of compassion is realizing that you are in control of the erection or destruction of those barriers that create distance between you and others. You can choose to dissolve those barriers when you want to connect with the heart of another human being. You can also choose to limit others' access to your heart when you need to, by forming judgments that separate you from that which you are judging. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Slander is the revenge of a coward, and dissimulation of his defense. To murder character is as truly a crime as to murder the body: the tongue of the slanderer is brother to the dagger of the assassin. The worthiest people are the most injured by slander, as is the best fruit which the birds have been pecking at.
Monday, April 16, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 809
Ayah of the Day:
Is one to whom We have made a fair promise and who is going to realize it like one to whom We have provided the goods of the world then will be among those summoned on the day of resurrection? [28: 61]
Hadith of the Day:
I bring good tidings to the one who is humble while mindful of the honor of being created a human being. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The modesty of the tongue is its silence. The tongue is like a wild beast. If you do not tie it up, it will injure you. [al Qushayri]
Guidance of the Day:
Rather than viewing your own mistakes as failures and others' mistakes as slights, you can view them as opportunities to learn. Every calamity is a spur and a valuable hint. Every situation in which you do not live up to your own expectations is an opportunity to learn something important about your own thoughts and behaviors. Every situation in which you feel "wronged" by another person is a chance to learn something about your reactions. Whether it is your own wrongdoing or someone else's, a mistake is simply an opportunity to evolve further along your spiritual path.
When you consider the hardships of life-----the disappointments, hurts, losses, illnesses, all the tragedies you may suffer------and shift your perception to see them as opportunities for learning and growth, you become empowered. You can take charge of your life and rise to its challenges, instead of feeling defeated, victimized, or cast adrift. While it is not always easy for us to view our situations from macro-perspective, it is essential in order to find the good in what appears to be unfortunate circumstances. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Sin is not harmful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful. Every sin is the result of collaboration. Man-like it is to fall into sin; fiendlike it is to dwell therein. He that falls into sin is a man; that grieves at it, is a saint; that boasts of it, is a devil. Confess your sins to the Lord, and you will be forgiven; confess them to men, and you will be laughed at.
Is one to whom We have made a fair promise and who is going to realize it like one to whom We have provided the goods of the world then will be among those summoned on the day of resurrection? [28: 61]
Hadith of the Day:
I bring good tidings to the one who is humble while mindful of the honor of being created a human being. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The modesty of the tongue is its silence. The tongue is like a wild beast. If you do not tie it up, it will injure you. [al Qushayri]
Guidance of the Day:
Rather than viewing your own mistakes as failures and others' mistakes as slights, you can view them as opportunities to learn. Every calamity is a spur and a valuable hint. Every situation in which you do not live up to your own expectations is an opportunity to learn something important about your own thoughts and behaviors. Every situation in which you feel "wronged" by another person is a chance to learn something about your reactions. Whether it is your own wrongdoing or someone else's, a mistake is simply an opportunity to evolve further along your spiritual path.
When you consider the hardships of life-----the disappointments, hurts, losses, illnesses, all the tragedies you may suffer------and shift your perception to see them as opportunities for learning and growth, you become empowered. You can take charge of your life and rise to its challenges, instead of feeling defeated, victimized, or cast adrift. While it is not always easy for us to view our situations from macro-perspective, it is essential in order to find the good in what appears to be unfortunate circumstances. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Sin is not harmful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful. Every sin is the result of collaboration. Man-like it is to fall into sin; fiendlike it is to dwell therein. He that falls into sin is a man; that grieves at it, is a saint; that boasts of it, is a devil. Confess your sins to the Lord, and you will be forgiven; confess them to men, and you will be laughed at.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 808
Ayah of the Day:
And whatever thing you are given is but the stuff of the world, and its adornment; while what is with God is better and more lasting. Don't you understand? [28: 60]
Hadith of the Day:
Three things are devastating: to believe in the good of avarice, to cater to one's lust, and to be an egoist. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
For which is He more to be praised; for His blessings, or for His forbearance in the face of our refusal to give thanks for them. [Abdul Hakeem Murad]
Guidance of the Day:
Human growth is a process of experimentation, trial, and error, ultimately leading to wisdom. Each time you choose to trust yourself and take action, you can never quite be certain how the situation will turn out. Sometimes you are victorious, and sometimes you become disillusioned. The failed experiments, however, are no less valuable than the experiments that ultimately prove successful; in fact, you usually learn more from your perceived "failures" than you do from your perceived "success."
Most people feel great disappointment and anger when their plans in which they have invested a great deal of energy, time, and money fall through. The first reaction for most of us is to feel that we have failed. While it is easy enough to jump to this depressing conclusion, it will impede your ability to progress with your life lessons. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all the reported miracles grow. Self-sacrifice is never entirely unselfish, for the giver never fails to receive. For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice-----no paper currency, no promises to pay, but the gold of real service.
And whatever thing you are given is but the stuff of the world, and its adornment; while what is with God is better and more lasting. Don't you understand? [28: 60]
Hadith of the Day:
Three things are devastating: to believe in the good of avarice, to cater to one's lust, and to be an egoist. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
For which is He more to be praised; for His blessings, or for His forbearance in the face of our refusal to give thanks for them. [Abdul Hakeem Murad]
Guidance of the Day:
Human growth is a process of experimentation, trial, and error, ultimately leading to wisdom. Each time you choose to trust yourself and take action, you can never quite be certain how the situation will turn out. Sometimes you are victorious, and sometimes you become disillusioned. The failed experiments, however, are no less valuable than the experiments that ultimately prove successful; in fact, you usually learn more from your perceived "failures" than you do from your perceived "success."
Most people feel great disappointment and anger when their plans in which they have invested a great deal of energy, time, and money fall through. The first reaction for most of us is to feel that we have failed. While it is easy enough to jump to this depressing conclusion, it will impede your ability to progress with your life lessons. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all the reported miracles grow. Self-sacrifice is never entirely unselfish, for the giver never fails to receive. For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice-----no paper currency, no promises to pay, but the gold of real service.
Friday, April 13, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 807
Ayah of the Day:
But your Lord would not destroy a population without having sent a messenger to its people reciting Our signs to them. And We would not destroy a population unless its people were doing wrong. [28: 59]
Hadith of the Day:
Whoever claims to be wise is surely ignorant. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
God fills the heart of those who love Him with peace, thus enabling them to endure afflictions with ease. [al-Hujwiri]
Guidance of the Day:
Grace is one of those intangible qualities that is difficult to describe but easy to recognize. Those who possess grace seem to walk effortlessly through life. They give the illusion of glowing from within and that glow is apparent to everyone around them. To live in a state of grace means to be fully in tune with your spiritual nature and a higher power that sustains you. Grace comes when you are able to move from your lower self, where your ego dictates the path that "should be" rightfully yours, to your higher self, where you are able to transcend your ego and expand into your greater good. It comes when you shift from a "me" -centered reality to an understanding of the bigger picture. Grace comes when you understand and accept that the universe always creates circumstances that lead every person to his or her own true path, and that everything happens for a reason as part of a divine plan.
Grace can be achieved by remembering each and everyday that the lessons you are presented with are special gifts uniquely for you, and that learning these lessons is what will bring you to a state of grace. By anchoring yourself in the belief that you will be given whatever is right for you, regardless of how far off it may be from your perceived personal agenda. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
The man who lives by himself and for himself is likely to be corrupted by the company he keeps. He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies.
But your Lord would not destroy a population without having sent a messenger to its people reciting Our signs to them. And We would not destroy a population unless its people were doing wrong. [28: 59]
Hadith of the Day:
Whoever claims to be wise is surely ignorant. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
God fills the heart of those who love Him with peace, thus enabling them to endure afflictions with ease. [al-Hujwiri]
Guidance of the Day:
Grace is one of those intangible qualities that is difficult to describe but easy to recognize. Those who possess grace seem to walk effortlessly through life. They give the illusion of glowing from within and that glow is apparent to everyone around them. To live in a state of grace means to be fully in tune with your spiritual nature and a higher power that sustains you. Grace comes when you are able to move from your lower self, where your ego dictates the path that "should be" rightfully yours, to your higher self, where you are able to transcend your ego and expand into your greater good. It comes when you shift from a "me" -centered reality to an understanding of the bigger picture. Grace comes when you understand and accept that the universe always creates circumstances that lead every person to his or her own true path, and that everything happens for a reason as part of a divine plan.
Grace can be achieved by remembering each and everyday that the lessons you are presented with are special gifts uniquely for you, and that learning these lessons is what will bring you to a state of grace. By anchoring yourself in the belief that you will be given whatever is right for you, regardless of how far off it may be from your perceived personal agenda. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
The man who lives by himself and for himself is likely to be corrupted by the company he keeps. He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 806
Ayah of the Day:
And how many populations We destroyed were wanton and reckless in their way of life; their habitats were not occupied after them, except for a few-----We were the inheritors. [28: 58]
Hadith of the Day:
There will come a time when many among the devout will be ignorant, and many among the people of knowledge will be sinners. [Hakim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Go not near the places of wickedness and indecency, for they are the epicenters of Allah's wrath, and punishment. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
If you want to truly live from your authentic self, you must be open to learning all the lessons you are given so that you may grow into the person you want to become. In every moment, you are choosing to align yourself with your own true path or to veer away from it. There are no neutral actions. Even the smallest gesture has a direction to it, leading you closer to your path or farther away from it, whether you realize it or not. Every choice carries weight. Though used synonymously, choice and decision are not the same thing. Decisions are made in your mind, whereas choices are made in your gut. Decisions come from the rational, reasonable weighing of circumstances; whereas choices come from your essence and an attunement with your higher self.
Our sense of fairness is the expectation of equity------the assumption that all things are equal and that justice will always prevail. Life is not, in fact, fair, and you may indeed have a more difficult life path than others around you, deserved or not. Everyone's circumstances are unique, and everyone needs to handle his or her own circumstances differently. As you work toward aligning yourself with your own individual truth, you will be required to move out of the complaining phrase of "it's not fair," if you want to move toward serenity. Focusing on the unfairness of circumstances keeps you comparing yourself with other rather than appreciating your own special uniqueness. You miss out on learning your individual lessons by distracting yourself with feelings of bitterness and resentment. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
The improvement of our way of life is more important than the spreading of it. If we make it satisfactory enough, it will spread automatically. There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he be willing to climb himself.
And how many populations We destroyed were wanton and reckless in their way of life; their habitats were not occupied after them, except for a few-----We were the inheritors. [28: 58]
Hadith of the Day:
There will come a time when many among the devout will be ignorant, and many among the people of knowledge will be sinners. [Hakim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Go not near the places of wickedness and indecency, for they are the epicenters of Allah's wrath, and punishment. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
If you want to truly live from your authentic self, you must be open to learning all the lessons you are given so that you may grow into the person you want to become. In every moment, you are choosing to align yourself with your own true path or to veer away from it. There are no neutral actions. Even the smallest gesture has a direction to it, leading you closer to your path or farther away from it, whether you realize it or not. Every choice carries weight. Though used synonymously, choice and decision are not the same thing. Decisions are made in your mind, whereas choices are made in your gut. Decisions come from the rational, reasonable weighing of circumstances; whereas choices come from your essence and an attunement with your higher self.
Our sense of fairness is the expectation of equity------the assumption that all things are equal and that justice will always prevail. Life is not, in fact, fair, and you may indeed have a more difficult life path than others around you, deserved or not. Everyone's circumstances are unique, and everyone needs to handle his or her own circumstances differently. As you work toward aligning yourself with your own individual truth, you will be required to move out of the complaining phrase of "it's not fair," if you want to move toward serenity. Focusing on the unfairness of circumstances keeps you comparing yourself with other rather than appreciating your own special uniqueness. You miss out on learning your individual lessons by distracting yourself with feelings of bitterness and resentment. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
The improvement of our way of life is more important than the spreading of it. If we make it satisfactory enough, it will spread automatically. There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he be willing to climb himself.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 805
Ayah of the Day:
You will not be able to guide everyone you love, but God guides whomever God will. And God knows better who is receptive to guidance. [28: 56]
Hadith of the Day:
A wise man is not wise until he acts upon what he knows. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Fools exult in life while the pious prepare for the journey ahead. A major portion of their wealth is spent in God's way, and they themselves suffice with the bare minimum, striving toward the Hereafter. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
It is easy to spot those lessons that you perceive as opportunities, because they are attractive. Getting a big promotion at work does present certain lessons, such as responsibility and willingness. Becoming a parent for the first time teaches the lessons of patience and discipline. These lessons are easily recognized because they come wrapped up in attractive packages. Being open to their lessons isn't hard.
More difficult to recognize are the lessons that make it seem as though you are getting a raw deal from life. These lessons come wrapped in less attractive packages and tend to cause most people to quickly put on their resistance lenses. When you are not open to seeing your lessons, losing your job looks like a catastrophe rather than an opportunity to learn the lessons of forgiveness or flexibility. Experiencing heartbreak can look like a crisis, rather than a hint to learn the lessons of kindness or unattachment. Becoming a parent for the first time to a child who is disabled can appear to be punishment, rather than a chance to learn about healing or support. While the less attractive lessons may not be fun, they can actually be the biggest gifts you receive. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies that the native metal of man is tested. The best time for you to hold your tongue is the time when you feel you must say something or bust. Such power there is in clear-eyed self-restraint. Prudent, cautious self-control is wisdom's root.
You will not be able to guide everyone you love, but God guides whomever God will. And God knows better who is receptive to guidance. [28: 56]
Hadith of the Day:
A wise man is not wise until he acts upon what he knows. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Fools exult in life while the pious prepare for the journey ahead. A major portion of their wealth is spent in God's way, and they themselves suffice with the bare minimum, striving toward the Hereafter. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
It is easy to spot those lessons that you perceive as opportunities, because they are attractive. Getting a big promotion at work does present certain lessons, such as responsibility and willingness. Becoming a parent for the first time teaches the lessons of patience and discipline. These lessons are easily recognized because they come wrapped up in attractive packages. Being open to their lessons isn't hard.
More difficult to recognize are the lessons that make it seem as though you are getting a raw deal from life. These lessons come wrapped in less attractive packages and tend to cause most people to quickly put on their resistance lenses. When you are not open to seeing your lessons, losing your job looks like a catastrophe rather than an opportunity to learn the lessons of forgiveness or flexibility. Experiencing heartbreak can look like a crisis, rather than a hint to learn the lessons of kindness or unattachment. Becoming a parent for the first time to a child who is disabled can appear to be punishment, rather than a chance to learn about healing or support. While the less attractive lessons may not be fun, they can actually be the biggest gifts you receive. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies that the native metal of man is tested. The best time for you to hold your tongue is the time when you feel you must say something or bust. Such power there is in clear-eyed self-restraint. Prudent, cautious self-control is wisdom's root.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 804
Ayahs of the Day:
They will be given their reward twice, for being patient, and for averting evil by good, and for giving of what We have provided them. And when they hear vain talk, they turn away from it and say, "Our deeds to us, your deeds to you. Peace be upon you! We do not seek the ignorant." [28: 54,55]
Hadith of the Day:
The ones who suffer most punishment in Hell are the learned whose teaching did not do anyone any good. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Man was created with only one tongue but two eyes and two ears. This is so he would listen and watch more than he speaks. [al Qushayri]
Guidance of the Day:
Openness means being receptive. Life will present you with innumerable lessons, none of which will be useful to you unless you recognize them and are open to their inherent value. These lessons will show up every day of your life, and as difficult as some of them may be you need to change your perception and come to see them as gifts, or guides along your path toward living as your authentic self. When you accept the lessons that life brings you, no matter how unpleasant or challenging they may be, you take the crucial first step toward finding your true self and your purpose. You begin to cultivate the essential attitude of openness.
Each person's lessons are always self-evident; it is just a matter of what lenses the person is wearing at the time. If they are wearing the lenses of resistance, they may become angry or bitter and this stubbornness will prevent their personal growth. If they are wearing the lenses of openness and clear discernment, they will gain a deeper understanding of what different life situations can teach them. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Sarcasm is the language of the devil. It is "leave a sting within a brother's heart." A graceful taunt is worth a thousand insults. Sarcasm is jealousy in bold disguise.
They will be given their reward twice, for being patient, and for averting evil by good, and for giving of what We have provided them. And when they hear vain talk, they turn away from it and say, "Our deeds to us, your deeds to you. Peace be upon you! We do not seek the ignorant." [28: 54,55]
Hadith of the Day:
The ones who suffer most punishment in Hell are the learned whose teaching did not do anyone any good. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Man was created with only one tongue but two eyes and two ears. This is so he would listen and watch more than he speaks. [al Qushayri]
Guidance of the Day:
Openness means being receptive. Life will present you with innumerable lessons, none of which will be useful to you unless you recognize them and are open to their inherent value. These lessons will show up every day of your life, and as difficult as some of them may be you need to change your perception and come to see them as gifts, or guides along your path toward living as your authentic self. When you accept the lessons that life brings you, no matter how unpleasant or challenging they may be, you take the crucial first step toward finding your true self and your purpose. You begin to cultivate the essential attitude of openness.
Each person's lessons are always self-evident; it is just a matter of what lenses the person is wearing at the time. If they are wearing the lenses of resistance, they may become angry or bitter and this stubbornness will prevent their personal growth. If they are wearing the lenses of openness and clear discernment, they will gain a deeper understanding of what different life situations can teach them. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Sarcasm is the language of the devil. It is "leave a sting within a brother's heart." A graceful taunt is worth a thousand insults. Sarcasm is jealousy in bold disguise.
Monday, April 09, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 803
Ayah of the Day:
Those to whom We sent the Book before this, they believe in it. And when it is recited to them, they say, "We believe in it, for it is the truth from our Lord; indeed, we had already acquiesced before this." [28: 52,53]
Hadith of the Day:
The one who has pride in his heart, even as little as a mustard seed, will not enter Paradise. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The key to successful repentance is not merely resolving to leave the sin, but to figure out what is leading to the sin, and to take the positive means to stay away from the causes of the sin. [Shaykh Faraz Rabbani]
Guidance of the Day:
You need to remember that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth. If you are able to rise to this challenge, you can unravel the mystery of your purpose and actually live it. You cease being victim of fate or circumstances and become empowered-----life no longer just "happens to you."
When you are working toward fulfilling your true purpose you discover astonishing gifts within yourself that you may have never known you have. This process may not be easy, but the rewards are well worth the struggle. As you strive to discover and learn about yourself, you will most likely encounter the basic lessons of openness, choice, fairness, and grace. Look at these lessons as tools to help you discover your own unique purpose. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices. In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich. One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. They never fail who die in a great cause.
Those to whom We sent the Book before this, they believe in it. And when it is recited to them, they say, "We believe in it, for it is the truth from our Lord; indeed, we had already acquiesced before this." [28: 52,53]
Hadith of the Day:
The one who has pride in his heart, even as little as a mustard seed, will not enter Paradise. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The key to successful repentance is not merely resolving to leave the sin, but to figure out what is leading to the sin, and to take the positive means to stay away from the causes of the sin. [Shaykh Faraz Rabbani]
Guidance of the Day:
You need to remember that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth. If you are able to rise to this challenge, you can unravel the mystery of your purpose and actually live it. You cease being victim of fate or circumstances and become empowered-----life no longer just "happens to you."
When you are working toward fulfilling your true purpose you discover astonishing gifts within yourself that you may have never known you have. This process may not be easy, but the rewards are well worth the struggle. As you strive to discover and learn about yourself, you will most likely encounter the basic lessons of openness, choice, fairness, and grace. Look at these lessons as tools to help you discover your own unique purpose. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices. In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich. One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. They never fail who die in a great cause.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 802
Ayah of the Day:
And say, "Praise be to God, who will show signs of the divine that you will recognize; and your Lord is not heedless of what you do." [27: 93]
Hadith of the Day:
Arrogance is to deny reality and to consider others beneath oneself. {Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Knowledge without action is madness and action without knowledge is void. Know that the knowledge which does not remove you from sins today and does not convert you to obedience, will not remove you tomorrow from Hell-fire. [Imam al Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
As you travel through your lifetime, you may encounter challenging lessons that others don't have to face, while others spend years struggling with challenges that you don't need to deal with. You may never know why you are blessed with a wonderful marriage, while your friends suffer through bitter arguments and painful divorces, just as you cannot be sure why you struggle financially while your peers enjoy abundance. The only thing you can count on for certain is that you will be presented with all the lessons that you specifically need to learn; whether you choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you.
The challenge is to align yourself with your own unique path by learning your individual lessons. This is one of the most difficult challenges you will be faced with in your lifetime, as sometimes your path will lead you into a life that is radically different from others. Don't compare your path to those of the people around you and focus on the disparity between their lessons and yours. You need to remember that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
No man has a right to do what he pleases, except when he pleases to do right. Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest. You can tell when you are on the right road-------it's all uphill.
And say, "Praise be to God, who will show signs of the divine that you will recognize; and your Lord is not heedless of what you do." [27: 93]
Hadith of the Day:
Arrogance is to deny reality and to consider others beneath oneself. {Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Knowledge without action is madness and action without knowledge is void. Know that the knowledge which does not remove you from sins today and does not convert you to obedience, will not remove you tomorrow from Hell-fire. [Imam al Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
As you travel through your lifetime, you may encounter challenging lessons that others don't have to face, while others spend years struggling with challenges that you don't need to deal with. You may never know why you are blessed with a wonderful marriage, while your friends suffer through bitter arguments and painful divorces, just as you cannot be sure why you struggle financially while your peers enjoy abundance. The only thing you can count on for certain is that you will be presented with all the lessons that you specifically need to learn; whether you choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you.
The challenge is to align yourself with your own unique path by learning your individual lessons. This is one of the most difficult challenges you will be faced with in your lifetime, as sometimes your path will lead you into a life that is radically different from others. Don't compare your path to those of the people around you and focus on the disparity between their lessons and yours. You need to remember that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth. [Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Food for Thought:
No man has a right to do what he pleases, except when he pleases to do right. Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest. You can tell when you are on the right road-------it's all uphill.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 801
Ayah of the Day:
And whoever accepts guidance only accepts guidance for the good of his own soul; but if anyone strays, then say, "I am only a warner. [27: 92]
Hadith of the Day:
Good news for those who are sincere! They are the lamps enlightening the path to truth. They uncover the darkness of all who cause mischief. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Among mankind the best protector of his heart is the one who is most in possession of his tongue. [Dhun nun al Misri]
Guidance of the Day:
You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "life." Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them. The meaning of life is different for every individual. Each person has his or her own purpose and distinct path, unique and separate from anyone else's. As you travel your life path, you will be presented with numerous lessons that you will need to learn in order to fulfill that purpose. The lessons you are presented with are specific for you; learning these lessons is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life.
You will be presented with lessons in every circumstance that surfaces in your life. When you experience pain, you learn a lesson. When you feel joy, you learn a different lesson. For every action or event, there is an accompanying lesson that must be learned. There really is no way to avoid the lessons you are presented with, nor is there any chance that you will be able to skirt around the learning process. [If Life is a Game, These are the Rules by Cherie Carter-Scott]
Food for Thought:
Scoff not at the natural defects of any which are not in their power to amend. It is cruel to beat a cripple with his own crutches! Mockery is the weapon of those who have no other. Ridicule is the first and last argument of fools. It is the language of the devil. Jests that give pains are no jests.
And whoever accepts guidance only accepts guidance for the good of his own soul; but if anyone strays, then say, "I am only a warner. [27: 92]
Hadith of the Day:
Good news for those who are sincere! They are the lamps enlightening the path to truth. They uncover the darkness of all who cause mischief. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Among mankind the best protector of his heart is the one who is most in possession of his tongue. [Dhun nun al Misri]
Guidance of the Day:
You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "life." Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them. The meaning of life is different for every individual. Each person has his or her own purpose and distinct path, unique and separate from anyone else's. As you travel your life path, you will be presented with numerous lessons that you will need to learn in order to fulfill that purpose. The lessons you are presented with are specific for you; learning these lessons is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life.
You will be presented with lessons in every circumstance that surfaces in your life. When you experience pain, you learn a lesson. When you feel joy, you learn a different lesson. For every action or event, there is an accompanying lesson that must be learned. There really is no way to avoid the lessons you are presented with, nor is there any chance that you will be able to skirt around the learning process. [If Life is a Game, These are the Rules by Cherie Carter-Scott]
Food for Thought:
Scoff not at the natural defects of any which are not in their power to amend. It is cruel to beat a cripple with his own crutches! Mockery is the weapon of those who have no other. Ridicule is the first and last argument of fools. It is the language of the devil. Jests that give pains are no jests.
Friday, April 06, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 800
Ayahs of the Day:
Whoever does good deserves good from it; and they will be safe from fear on that day. And whoever does evil will be toppled into the fire: are you requited for anything but what you have done? [27: 89,90]
Hadith of the Day:
Be sincere toward Allah in your faith. Even if your achievements are few, if they are sincere, that is sufficient for you. [Hakim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Submit before the will of God; be grateful in well-being and endure adversity with fortitude that His light may radiate within your being. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
Commitment: To be peaceful and joyful, there is but one commitment to make. It is to live life, one second at a time, as if it is an eternal moment. It is to make the decision, regardless of the behavior we observe, no matter where we are, nor whom we are with. To be a vehicle of God's perfect love, to be totally accepting and defenseless, to give all of ourselves away in love, to give total, maximal, and unconditional love to everyone, excluding no one. It is to make the commitment with every thought, with every breath, with every heartbeat.
To be helpful to those in need, who are crying out for help and are suffering because of lack of love. It is to make the decision to have the fire of compassion in our hearts, to love the universe and all that is in it with tender loving care. It is to make the decision to trust and accept God's boundless love for ourselves, and thereby, become a messenger of God's love. It is to demonstrate and teach only love for that is what we are. [Out of Darkness into the Light]
Food for Thought:
No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave. The effects of our actions may be postponed but they are never lost. There is an inevitable reward for good deeds and an inescapable punishment for bad. Meditate upon this truth, and seek always to earn good wages from Destiny.
Whoever does good deserves good from it; and they will be safe from fear on that day. And whoever does evil will be toppled into the fire: are you requited for anything but what you have done? [27: 89,90]
Hadith of the Day:
Be sincere toward Allah in your faith. Even if your achievements are few, if they are sincere, that is sufficient for you. [Hakim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Submit before the will of God; be grateful in well-being and endure adversity with fortitude that His light may radiate within your being. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
Commitment: To be peaceful and joyful, there is but one commitment to make. It is to live life, one second at a time, as if it is an eternal moment. It is to make the decision, regardless of the behavior we observe, no matter where we are, nor whom we are with. To be a vehicle of God's perfect love, to be totally accepting and defenseless, to give all of ourselves away in love, to give total, maximal, and unconditional love to everyone, excluding no one. It is to make the commitment with every thought, with every breath, with every heartbeat.
To be helpful to those in need, who are crying out for help and are suffering because of lack of love. It is to make the decision to have the fire of compassion in our hearts, to love the universe and all that is in it with tender loving care. It is to make the decision to trust and accept God's boundless love for ourselves, and thereby, become a messenger of God's love. It is to demonstrate and teach only love for that is what we are. [Out of Darkness into the Light]
Food for Thought:
No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave. The effects of our actions may be postponed but they are never lost. There is an inevitable reward for good deeds and an inescapable punishment for bad. Meditate upon this truth, and seek always to earn good wages from Destiny.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 799
Ayah of the Day:
You see the mountains and think them fixed, yet they pass away as the clouds pass, a design of God, who has arranged everything: indeed, God knows whatever you do. [27: 88]
Hadith of the Day:
A good deed hidden from the view of others is better than one performed in public. But a good action undertaken by a well-known person whom others will follow is still better. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Slay your lowly desires with the sword of knowledge (ilm), and your anger with the sword of forbearance (hilm). [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
To be honest is to demonstrate a total lack of any deception. It is to omit nothing because of our own fears of being attacked or rejected. To be honest we must be totally free of guilt and fear, to recognize that either we are honest-----or we are not, and there is no in-between.
To be honest is to experience the perfect harmony of having only loving thoughts, loving words, and loving deeds. It is to take full responsibility for our own behavior and to blame no one for anything. To be honest is to be perfectly free and unafraid to be exactly what we are. [Out of Darkness into the Light]
Food for Thought:
Courage is the foundation of all our virtues. Courage is the first of the human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all the others. Without courage, all other virtues lose their meaning. Courage is the ladder on which all other virtues mount.
You see the mountains and think them fixed, yet they pass away as the clouds pass, a design of God, who has arranged everything: indeed, God knows whatever you do. [27: 88]
Hadith of the Day:
A good deed hidden from the view of others is better than one performed in public. But a good action undertaken by a well-known person whom others will follow is still better. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Slay your lowly desires with the sword of knowledge (ilm), and your anger with the sword of forbearance (hilm). [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
To be honest is to demonstrate a total lack of any deception. It is to omit nothing because of our own fears of being attacked or rejected. To be honest we must be totally free of guilt and fear, to recognize that either we are honest-----or we are not, and there is no in-between.
To be honest is to experience the perfect harmony of having only loving thoughts, loving words, and loving deeds. It is to take full responsibility for our own behavior and to blame no one for anything. To be honest is to be perfectly free and unafraid to be exactly what we are. [Out of Darkness into the Light]
Food for Thought:
Courage is the foundation of all our virtues. Courage is the first of the human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all the others. Without courage, all other virtues lose their meaning. Courage is the ladder on which all other virtues mount.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 798
Ayah of the Day:
And the day the trumpet is blown, everyone in the skies and on earth will be terrified, except whoever God wills; and everyone will come to God humbled. [27: 87]
Hadith of the Day:
Prevent yourself from doing things for which you will later be sorry. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Speak little with men and much with God; perhaps your heart will behold Him. [Mu'adh bin Jabl]
Guidance of the Day:
The movement of one grain of sand, some believe, can effect the entire world. So too, the simple willingness to make love the foundation of our lives can begin to bring more love into our heart and, subsequently, into our world. The shortest distance between two points is an intention. Often a simple change of our intentions can create the beginning of a whole new life. Love truly does originate from within. We alone have the opportunity as well as the responsibility to create the love we desire in our lives.
It is comforting to be reminded that we already possess the most essential aspects of love in our heart. Accessing this love is most often a process of letting go of those obstacles that block love's expression. If we let go of those personal "speed bumps" along our journey, and truly let love in, moment by moment, we are well along our path to having the love we desire. However, our intentions must be coupled with action. We wouldn't expect our bodies to get stronger and healthier without stretching and exercising. In the same way, by integrating intention with action, we must exercise our souls and minds and hearts to bring love into our lives.
Don't forget that loving is a process that must be attended to if it is to grow and thrive. It is just when you feel you have reached your goal, life offers you next lesson-------yet another opportunity to live even more from your heart. The ultimate test of even the most enlightened people is when they go home and spend their weekend with their parents! The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched......but are felt in the heart. [Handbook for the Heart]
Food for Thought:
The reward of a thing well done is to have done it. Not in rewards, but in the strength to strive, the blessings lie. Let the motive be in the deed and not in the event. Blessings ever wait on virtuous deeds, and though a late, a sure reward succeeds.
And the day the trumpet is blown, everyone in the skies and on earth will be terrified, except whoever God wills; and everyone will come to God humbled. [27: 87]
Hadith of the Day:
Prevent yourself from doing things for which you will later be sorry. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Speak little with men and much with God; perhaps your heart will behold Him. [Mu'adh bin Jabl]
Guidance of the Day:
The movement of one grain of sand, some believe, can effect the entire world. So too, the simple willingness to make love the foundation of our lives can begin to bring more love into our heart and, subsequently, into our world. The shortest distance between two points is an intention. Often a simple change of our intentions can create the beginning of a whole new life. Love truly does originate from within. We alone have the opportunity as well as the responsibility to create the love we desire in our lives.
It is comforting to be reminded that we already possess the most essential aspects of love in our heart. Accessing this love is most often a process of letting go of those obstacles that block love's expression. If we let go of those personal "speed bumps" along our journey, and truly let love in, moment by moment, we are well along our path to having the love we desire. However, our intentions must be coupled with action. We wouldn't expect our bodies to get stronger and healthier without stretching and exercising. In the same way, by integrating intention with action, we must exercise our souls and minds and hearts to bring love into our lives.
Don't forget that loving is a process that must be attended to if it is to grow and thrive. It is just when you feel you have reached your goal, life offers you next lesson-------yet another opportunity to live even more from your heart. The ultimate test of even the most enlightened people is when they go home and spend their weekend with their parents! The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched......but are felt in the heart. [Handbook for the Heart]
Food for Thought:
The reward of a thing well done is to have done it. Not in rewards, but in the strength to strive, the blessings lie. Let the motive be in the deed and not in the event. Blessings ever wait on virtuous deeds, and though a late, a sure reward succeeds.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 797
Ayah of the Day:
Don't they see that We made the night for them to rest therein, and the day for visibility? Surely in that are signs for a people who believe. [27: 86]
Hadith of the Day:
Make each of your prayers as if it will be your last prayer. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If you devote yourself to God in this world, He will admit you among His chosen servants in the Hereafter. Such devotion, however, demands sacrifice and self-denial, the two instruments that make union with God possible. [Al-Hujwiri]
Guidance of the Day:
If we want a life filled with love, we can't wait for the world and all the people in it to conform to our wishes. Actually it is the other way around. The love we want begins with us. As we make loving choices and fill our life with love, we start to notice that the people around us are also more loving. Then we receive the love we need. It's a circle of love that begins with us. As we consciously consider the love in our lives, reflecting on love and loving choices, our lives can't help but filled with love. Love becomes a habit. If our attention is on what's wrong, that's what we notice. If our attention is on what's precious, that too is what we see. It's not always easy, but it is pretty simple.
In our own little way, each of us affects the world with every choice we make. Either we are part of the problem or we are part of the solution. We either bring more love into the world or we get in the way. Each choice that we make along the way becomes an important step on the path of love. When being a source of love is our top priority, life becomes a magnificent, love-filled journey to be treasured. [Handbook for the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Responsibility educates. Responsibility is the thing people dread most of all. Yet it is the one thing in the world that develops us, gives us manhood or womanhood fibre. The only way to get rid of responsibilities is to discharge them. It is the price of greatness.
Don't they see that We made the night for them to rest therein, and the day for visibility? Surely in that are signs for a people who believe. [27: 86]
Hadith of the Day:
Make each of your prayers as if it will be your last prayer. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If you devote yourself to God in this world, He will admit you among His chosen servants in the Hereafter. Such devotion, however, demands sacrifice and self-denial, the two instruments that make union with God possible. [Al-Hujwiri]
Guidance of the Day:
If we want a life filled with love, we can't wait for the world and all the people in it to conform to our wishes. Actually it is the other way around. The love we want begins with us. As we make loving choices and fill our life with love, we start to notice that the people around us are also more loving. Then we receive the love we need. It's a circle of love that begins with us. As we consciously consider the love in our lives, reflecting on love and loving choices, our lives can't help but filled with love. Love becomes a habit. If our attention is on what's wrong, that's what we notice. If our attention is on what's precious, that too is what we see. It's not always easy, but it is pretty simple.
In our own little way, each of us affects the world with every choice we make. Either we are part of the problem or we are part of the solution. We either bring more love into the world or we get in the way. Each choice that we make along the way becomes an important step on the path of love. When being a source of love is our top priority, life becomes a magnificent, love-filled journey to be treasured. [Handbook for the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Responsibility educates. Responsibility is the thing people dread most of all. Yet it is the one thing in the world that develops us, gives us manhood or womanhood fibre. The only way to get rid of responsibilities is to discharge them. It is the price of greatness.
Monday, April 02, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 796
Ayahs of the Day:
You cannot cause the dead to hear, and you cannot make the deaf hear the call when they turn back; and you are not a guide for the blind out of their wanderings; the only ones you can make hear are those who believe in Our signs and who have submitted. [27: 80,81]
Hadith of the Day:
Stop wanting and hoping for the things that are in the possession of others. Wanting what others have is certainly the worst of poverty. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
We should not do what we like; but we should like what we should do. [Abdul Hakeem Murad]
Guidance of the Day:
Love begins in our own hearts. It is a choice. In a very real sense, to fill our lives with love, we need to see love as its own reward. Giving and receiving must be seen as two sides of the same coin, different aspects of the same energy. Truly, it feels just as good to respond with love as it does to receive love. It is more important to be love than it is to get love. When we are love as opposed to demanding love-------we will notice how peaceful we feel and how quickly the immediate situation resolves itself. It's in these moments that we can feel most proud of ourselves, contented and grateful for the gift of love. Responding with love is a powerful medicine.
When we do face difficult times, we need to remember that circumstances don't make a person, they reveal him or her. If someone criticizes us and we fight back, all this says about us is that we are people who need to fight. Yes, once in a while we do need to fight. But if we want our life to be filled with love, it has to start with us. After all, love comes from within each of us and is directed outward. Likewise, if we judge someone, our judgment doesn't really say anything about the person we are judging. It merely describes us as those who need to judge. [Handbook for the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Resolve to perform what you should; perform without fail what you resolve. It is always during a passing state of mind that we make lasting resolutions. Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.
You cannot cause the dead to hear, and you cannot make the deaf hear the call when they turn back; and you are not a guide for the blind out of their wanderings; the only ones you can make hear are those who believe in Our signs and who have submitted. [27: 80,81]
Hadith of the Day:
Stop wanting and hoping for the things that are in the possession of others. Wanting what others have is certainly the worst of poverty. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
We should not do what we like; but we should like what we should do. [Abdul Hakeem Murad]
Guidance of the Day:
Love begins in our own hearts. It is a choice. In a very real sense, to fill our lives with love, we need to see love as its own reward. Giving and receiving must be seen as two sides of the same coin, different aspects of the same energy. Truly, it feels just as good to respond with love as it does to receive love. It is more important to be love than it is to get love. When we are love as opposed to demanding love-------we will notice how peaceful we feel and how quickly the immediate situation resolves itself. It's in these moments that we can feel most proud of ourselves, contented and grateful for the gift of love. Responding with love is a powerful medicine.
When we do face difficult times, we need to remember that circumstances don't make a person, they reveal him or her. If someone criticizes us and we fight back, all this says about us is that we are people who need to fight. Yes, once in a while we do need to fight. But if we want our life to be filled with love, it has to start with us. After all, love comes from within each of us and is directed outward. Likewise, if we judge someone, our judgment doesn't really say anything about the person we are judging. It merely describes us as those who need to judge. [Handbook for the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Resolve to perform what you should; perform without fail what you resolve. It is always during a passing state of mind that we make lasting resolutions. Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.
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