Ayahs of the Day:
You will surely suffer the painful punishment, but you will not be repaid but for what you have done, except the sincere servants of God; for them there is a determined provision, fruits; and they will be honored in gardens of felicity, on divans facing each other, while a cup from a fountain is passed around to them, pure water, a delight to those who drink, with no intoxication in it, so they don't become inebriated from it. And with them there will be demure women with large eyes, delicate, chaste; [37: 38 to 49]
Hadith of the Day:
Fear Allah wherever you are and follow up an evil deed with a good action which will wipe it out. Treat people well. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Bear in mind that those who carry others' secrets to you might bear yours to others. Do not give such tactless people any chance to learn even the smallest details of your private concerns. [Fethullah Gulen]
Guidance of the Day:
There is no one who is so far from God that he or she cannot succeed. Sometimes things come easily in life, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes we are given the gift of growth, and sometimes we have to work for it and earn it. When the wind is not blowing----row! The people who succeed are the ones who are willing to hold fast to their dream, even in the face of apparent or temporary failure.
There are going to be rewarding days and there are going to be days when you just want to quit. They are all part of the job. On the tough days, just keep plugging away. Look at the job from a broader perspective----and that will make a difference. Character is the ability to follow through on a project long after the mood has passed. Often, we must stick to a task even if the goal does not seem to be at hand. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Don't grieve over the vicissitudes of your existence--------you cannot escape hardship. Be at peace, for after poverty comes wealth, after thirst comes drink, after separation comes a joyous meeting, and after sleeplessness comes sound rest.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 966
Ayahs of the Day:
We have adorned the sky of the world with the ornament of the stars, and to guard against every rebellious devil, so they cannot eavesdrop on the supreme council, but will be ousted from every side, repelled and consigned to lasting torment; except one grabbing a snatch----then a piercing fire pursues him. [37: 6 to 10]
Hadith of the Day:
Faith wears out in the heart of anyone of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your heart. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
He made the Hereafter an abode to reward his believing servants only because this world cannot contain what He wishes to bestow upon them and because He deemed their worth too high to reward them in a world without permanence. [Ibn Ata'Allah]
Guidance of the Day:
Be not deluded and blinded by the small thinking of men. Their goals are as foolish as the paths they take to reach them. You are living in a world of erroneous thinking. You must break out of the patterns of thought that blind men to themselves. Begin your liberation with a few changes in your thought, and you mark for yourselves the right to walk the entire kingdom.
We must push on relentlessly toward our goal, no matter what thoughts of unworthiness or failure attempt to dissuade us. Never allow yourself to feel that your spiritual work, your striving, or your discipline is not paying off. Even if you did not see the results immediately, or if you are not acknowledged by others, your actions are never for nought. If you are chopping down a tree, you may hack away for hundreds of blows and not see the tree move a millimeter. It is only when you make the final cut that the tree falls. Although you saw no apparent progress, each and every one of those blows was equally necessary to accomplish your goal. A saint is a sinner who never gave up. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Determination can overcome unsurmountable barriers. Determination is the fuel that propels one to higher virtues. Higher goals are not achieved through dreaming or fantasizing, they can only be reached through dedication and commitment.
We have adorned the sky of the world with the ornament of the stars, and to guard against every rebellious devil, so they cannot eavesdrop on the supreme council, but will be ousted from every side, repelled and consigned to lasting torment; except one grabbing a snatch----then a piercing fire pursues him. [37: 6 to 10]
Hadith of the Day:
Faith wears out in the heart of anyone of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your heart. [Tabarani]
Wise Quote of the Day:
He made the Hereafter an abode to reward his believing servants only because this world cannot contain what He wishes to bestow upon them and because He deemed their worth too high to reward them in a world without permanence. [Ibn Ata'Allah]
Guidance of the Day:
Be not deluded and blinded by the small thinking of men. Their goals are as foolish as the paths they take to reach them. You are living in a world of erroneous thinking. You must break out of the patterns of thought that blind men to themselves. Begin your liberation with a few changes in your thought, and you mark for yourselves the right to walk the entire kingdom.
We must push on relentlessly toward our goal, no matter what thoughts of unworthiness or failure attempt to dissuade us. Never allow yourself to feel that your spiritual work, your striving, or your discipline is not paying off. Even if you did not see the results immediately, or if you are not acknowledged by others, your actions are never for nought. If you are chopping down a tree, you may hack away for hundreds of blows and not see the tree move a millimeter. It is only when you make the final cut that the tree falls. Although you saw no apparent progress, each and every one of those blows was equally necessary to accomplish your goal. A saint is a sinner who never gave up. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Determination can overcome unsurmountable barriers. Determination is the fuel that propels one to higher virtues. Higher goals are not achieved through dreaming or fantasizing, they can only be reached through dedication and commitment.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Pearls of Wisdom 7
1. Much may be done with those little shreds and patches of time which everyday produces, and which most men throw away.
2. Minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars and each moment is a day.
3. Until you value yourself; you won't value time, until you value time; you will not do anything with it.
4. Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.
5. To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom, and he who increases his riches increases his cares, but a contented mind is a treasure hidden.
6. Patience is the companion of wisdom.
7. In seeking wisdom you are wise, in imagining that you have attained it, you are a fool.
8. Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.
9. We are made wise not by the recollection of our past but by the responsibility of our future.
10. The art of wisdom is the art of knowing what to overlook.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 965
Ayahs of the Day:
By those who stand together, side by side, and so are forbidding defenders, and who recited revelation, your God is actually One, Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, and Lord of all points of the sunrise. [37: 1 to 5]
Hadith of the Day:
Rights will be given to those whom they are owed on the Day of Judgment, even the hornless sheep will have retaliation from the horned sheep. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
To deem that Allah is with one every moment is the greatest expression of faith. [Othman radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
You, within whom greatness lies dormant like a sleeping saint, arise to your hidden splendor! We do not ask you to be world leaders or heroes, but to do what you have been given to do, with loving care and your best ability. There is much, much more that you may know, that you may do, and that you may be. Seek out your highest calling and respond with your all. Do a little if you wish, but do it well.
Seek not greatness in the eyes of the world, for the world loves its own, and would have you be a part of it. When you serve God, you serve the world, for the world knows not how to serve itself. It believes it can serve itself, but only encumbers itself with thicker delusion. Seek worth in the eyes of God, who would have you be great through humility. Meekness is the refuge of the mighty which the arrogant cannot enter. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for the Day:
Just as we cannot see our own faces without looking into a mirror, we cannot know ourselves without looking into our soul. Reflect on the fact that you are much more than the physical being you see in the mirror. Stop judging and become perfectly imperfect human being.
By those who stand together, side by side, and so are forbidding defenders, and who recited revelation, your God is actually One, Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, and Lord of all points of the sunrise. [37: 1 to 5]
Hadith of the Day:
Rights will be given to those whom they are owed on the Day of Judgment, even the hornless sheep will have retaliation from the horned sheep. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
To deem that Allah is with one every moment is the greatest expression of faith. [Othman radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
You, within whom greatness lies dormant like a sleeping saint, arise to your hidden splendor! We do not ask you to be world leaders or heroes, but to do what you have been given to do, with loving care and your best ability. There is much, much more that you may know, that you may do, and that you may be. Seek out your highest calling and respond with your all. Do a little if you wish, but do it well.
Seek not greatness in the eyes of the world, for the world loves its own, and would have you be a part of it. When you serve God, you serve the world, for the world knows not how to serve itself. It believes it can serve itself, but only encumbers itself with thicker delusion. Seek worth in the eyes of God, who would have you be great through humility. Meekness is the refuge of the mighty which the arrogant cannot enter. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for the Day:
Just as we cannot see our own faces without looking into a mirror, we cannot know ourselves without looking into our soul. Reflect on the fact that you are much more than the physical being you see in the mirror. Stop judging and become perfectly imperfect human being.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Pearls of Wisdom 6
1. Science investigates, religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power, religion gives man wisdom which is control.
2. Winners never quit and quitters never win.
3. It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.
4. I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
5. Try not to be a man of success, but rather try to become a man of values.
6. Failure is a success if we learn from it.
7. No man succeeds without a good woman behind him. Wife or mother, if it is both, he is twice blessed indeed.
8. The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing to get along with people.
9. Let him know who would enjoy a good future, waste none of his present.
10. Men talk about killing time, while time is quietly killing them.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Pearls of Wisdom 5
1. Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other.
2. Love does not dominate, it cultivates. Do all things with love.
3. The ultimate test of a relationship is to disagree, but hold hands.
4. We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.
5. If you judge people, you have no time to love.
6. What counts in making a happy relationships is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.
7. Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.
8. We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.
9. The saddest part of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than it gathers wisdom.
10. Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 964
Ayahs of the Day:
Isn't the One who created the heavens and the earth able to create their like? Certainly, being absolute creator, the omniscient one, whose only command when willing a thing is to say to it "Be," and it is. So glory to the One who holds sovereignty over all things, and to whom you will be returned. [36: 81,82,83]
Hadith of the Day:
It is sin enough for a man that he neglects someone whom he is supposed to feed. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Man's greatest achievement is in possessing those qualities that make him truly human. These qualities are enshrined in the eternal names of Allah, the greatest manifestations of which are to be seen in the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him). [Shaykh Abdul Mabud]
Guidance of the Day:
We can always do a little more than we think we can. We must continually apply this truth, or else we cease to be alive and grow. Accept limitations, and they confirm themselves. Challenge them, and they disappear. Greatness is not in popularity, wealth, or long life, as most people believe. Real greatness is in simplicity and supportive words. It is in firm encouragement and gentle patience. It is in finding God in the midst of the turmoil of the marketplace, and remembering His goodness during hardship.
Greatness is not always found in those whom the world calls its heroes, but in the unheard of saints who unselfishly serve their families, lend a kind ear to a friend in despair, and lovingly see the Best in those who have become too accustomed to seeing themselves as mediocre. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though limits to our abilities do not exist. No one knows what he can do until he tries. The work will teach you how to do it.
Isn't the One who created the heavens and the earth able to create their like? Certainly, being absolute creator, the omniscient one, whose only command when willing a thing is to say to it "Be," and it is. So glory to the One who holds sovereignty over all things, and to whom you will be returned. [36: 81,82,83]
Hadith of the Day:
It is sin enough for a man that he neglects someone whom he is supposed to feed. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Man's greatest achievement is in possessing those qualities that make him truly human. These qualities are enshrined in the eternal names of Allah, the greatest manifestations of which are to be seen in the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him). [Shaykh Abdul Mabud]
Guidance of the Day:
We can always do a little more than we think we can. We must continually apply this truth, or else we cease to be alive and grow. Accept limitations, and they confirm themselves. Challenge them, and they disappear. Greatness is not in popularity, wealth, or long life, as most people believe. Real greatness is in simplicity and supportive words. It is in firm encouragement and gentle patience. It is in finding God in the midst of the turmoil of the marketplace, and remembering His goodness during hardship.
Greatness is not always found in those whom the world calls its heroes, but in the unheard of saints who unselfishly serve their families, lend a kind ear to a friend in despair, and lovingly see the Best in those who have become too accustomed to seeing themselves as mediocre. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though limits to our abilities do not exist. No one knows what he can do until he tries. The work will teach you how to do it.
Friday, December 14, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 963
Ayahs of the Day:
Hasn't man seen that We created him from a drop? For behold, he is an open disputer! As he applies similes to Us, he forgets his own creation, saying, "Who could enliven bones that have rotted?" Say, "The one who first created them will bring them to life, knowing all about every creature, the One Who produced fire for you from the green tree, from which you then kindle fire. [36: 77 to 80]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not consider anything correct insignificant, even meeting your brother with a happy face. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The body by its nature burns in fire except those whose souls have been infused into their bodies, and their bodies became souls during this life. Those are the ones who love God and who live for God and who die before dying. [Imam Birgivi]
Guidance of the Day:
There are very few people in the world who think originally. Most people act like puppets, mimicking the latest trends in fashion, voicing the popular opinions, and catching the same diseases, thinking, at the slightest sniffle, "I must be coming down with the flu that's going around." The few people who do think originally and have the courage to act on their inspiration are hailed as geniuses, trend setters, and saints.
We are all geniuses, through God's wisdom. We can each set a trend toward God in our own lives, even if no other person ever follows (and probably they will follow if we are sincere in our own striving). And a saint is nothing other than an ordinary person, have no special dispensation; their portion of God is no greater than your or mine. They just recognize the God within, and live without. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Faith without works is nothing worth,
As dead as door-nail unless deeds follow.
Workless faith God never regards,
Faithless work God never regards.
Hasn't man seen that We created him from a drop? For behold, he is an open disputer! As he applies similes to Us, he forgets his own creation, saying, "Who could enliven bones that have rotted?" Say, "The one who first created them will bring them to life, knowing all about every creature, the One Who produced fire for you from the green tree, from which you then kindle fire. [36: 77 to 80]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not consider anything correct insignificant, even meeting your brother with a happy face. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The body by its nature burns in fire except those whose souls have been infused into their bodies, and their bodies became souls during this life. Those are the ones who love God and who live for God and who die before dying. [Imam Birgivi]
Guidance of the Day:
There are very few people in the world who think originally. Most people act like puppets, mimicking the latest trends in fashion, voicing the popular opinions, and catching the same diseases, thinking, at the slightest sniffle, "I must be coming down with the flu that's going around." The few people who do think originally and have the courage to act on their inspiration are hailed as geniuses, trend setters, and saints.
We are all geniuses, through God's wisdom. We can each set a trend toward God in our own lives, even if no other person ever follows (and probably they will follow if we are sincere in our own striving). And a saint is nothing other than an ordinary person, have no special dispensation; their portion of God is no greater than your or mine. They just recognize the God within, and live without. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Faith without works is nothing worth,
As dead as door-nail unless deeds follow.
Workless faith God never regards,
Faithless work God never regards.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Pearls of Wisdom 4
1. The only way to have a friend is to be one.
2. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
3. It's not what you look at matters, it's what you see.
4. Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.
5. The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
6. Life is like a coin, you can spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend it once.
7. It is not the length of life, but the depth of life that matters.
8. The great use of life is to spend it for something that will out last it.
9. Life is not a sum of what we are but what we yearn to be.
10. Live everyday as if it were your last, because one of these days it will be.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 962
Ayahs of the Day:
Haven't they seen that We made livestock for them, from the products of Our handicraft, so they have control over them, as We subjected the beasts to them, so some are their mounts, and from some they get food; and their are other benefits in livestock for them, including beverages; aren't they therefore grateful? [36: 71,72,73]
Hadith of the Day:
Through a person's charitable giving, God takes away arrogance and vanity. [Fiqh us Sunna]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Turn away from vanity and seek Him in the recesses of your heart and soul. Show patience in adversity and be content in His will that you may attain proximity to God. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
Enlightenment is not something that we can acquire through an action. It is a deep inner knowing from which successful action proceed. Rituals, which are very powerful and necessary, can also be misunderstood, and function as a distraction. We all have a potential for succeeding at the game of finding inner peace; we need only to go of the idea that there is something that we need to do first to be peaceful. The way to be peaceful is to be peaceful.
We can never find peace through war or strife; it just doesn't work that way. The only way it works is to start out where we want to end up, to begin by knowing that we have already arrived, and to recognize all as wholely Divine. When we realize that God is every where, it becomes easy to see and love Him in all that we do. Every word becomes a prayer, every action a spiritual ceremony, and every morning a Holyday. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it. What you see is what you get. Your attitude determines what you see, so always look on the bright side. The choice is yours. See through the eyes of an optimist today and observe what direction your life takes. Optimists live longer, healthier lives than pessimists.
Haven't they seen that We made livestock for them, from the products of Our handicraft, so they have control over them, as We subjected the beasts to them, so some are their mounts, and from some they get food; and their are other benefits in livestock for them, including beverages; aren't they therefore grateful? [36: 71,72,73]
Hadith of the Day:
Through a person's charitable giving, God takes away arrogance and vanity. [Fiqh us Sunna]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Turn away from vanity and seek Him in the recesses of your heart and soul. Show patience in adversity and be content in His will that you may attain proximity to God. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
Enlightenment is not something that we can acquire through an action. It is a deep inner knowing from which successful action proceed. Rituals, which are very powerful and necessary, can also be misunderstood, and function as a distraction. We all have a potential for succeeding at the game of finding inner peace; we need only to go of the idea that there is something that we need to do first to be peaceful. The way to be peaceful is to be peaceful.
We can never find peace through war or strife; it just doesn't work that way. The only way it works is to start out where we want to end up, to begin by knowing that we have already arrived, and to recognize all as wholely Divine. When we realize that God is every where, it becomes easy to see and love Him in all that we do. Every word becomes a prayer, every action a spiritual ceremony, and every morning a Holyday. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it. What you see is what you get. Your attitude determines what you see, so always look on the bright side. The choice is yours. See through the eyes of an optimist today and observe what direction your life takes. Optimists live longer, healthier lives than pessimists.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Pearls of Wisdom 3
1. "I can forgive but I cannot forget," is only one way of saying, "I will not forgive."
2. Forgiveness aught to be like a canceled note, torn into two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one.
3. The glory of Islam is to conquer by forgiveness.
4. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does change the future.
5. Life is an adventure in forgiveness. You are never so strong as when you forgive.
6. He who cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself, for every man has the need to be forgiven.
7. As long as you don't forgive, who and whatever will occupy rent free space in your mind.
8. To err is human, to forgive is divine.
9. Forgive all who have offended you, not for them but for yourself.
Monday, December 10, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 961
Ayahs of the Day:
Whoever We grant long life, We reverse in natural capacities; don't they realize? We didn't teach him poetry, as it isn't necessary for him; this is just a reminder and a clear Recital, to warn whoever is alive, and that the testimony against those who scoff prove true. [36: 68,69,70]
Hadith of the Day:
When you find excuses to escape from fighting in defense of religion, in the conduct of your business, or gathering your harvest, God will bring upon you such poverty, disgrace, and contempt that you will not be relieved from it until you repent and do what God obliges you to do. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Neither poverty nor wealth will carry any weight on the Day of Reckoning. Only patience and thankfulness will be weighed. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]
Guidance of the Day:
We tend to live on the periphery of our beings, seeking outside solutions for inside problems. When we believe that a degree, a raise, or a house can clinch our security, we sooner or later find there is no more----or less-----security outside than there is inside.
Most of the dramas that we create over things in our lives are disguised attempts to feel spiritual peace; we have confused things with Spirit, and mistakenly equated acts with Love. But because we are spiritual beings, nothing less than spirit will satisfy us. When we learn that God is everywhere, that love fills all space, and that Truth is the very ground of our being, we may surely release the little to embrace the All. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Laughter is an external manifestation of an internal gift. When you laugh you are changing your internal chemistry and creating a healthy environment. Laughter not only produces pleasant feelings and images for you and others, but it also alters your body chemistry. Choose to find things to laugh about. You will change, and so will all the people you meet. You will not burn out when you can laugh at life, on the other hand you will live a longer and healthier life.
Whoever We grant long life, We reverse in natural capacities; don't they realize? We didn't teach him poetry, as it isn't necessary for him; this is just a reminder and a clear Recital, to warn whoever is alive, and that the testimony against those who scoff prove true. [36: 68,69,70]
Hadith of the Day:
When you find excuses to escape from fighting in defense of religion, in the conduct of your business, or gathering your harvest, God will bring upon you such poverty, disgrace, and contempt that you will not be relieved from it until you repent and do what God obliges you to do. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Neither poverty nor wealth will carry any weight on the Day of Reckoning. Only patience and thankfulness will be weighed. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]
Guidance of the Day:
We tend to live on the periphery of our beings, seeking outside solutions for inside problems. When we believe that a degree, a raise, or a house can clinch our security, we sooner or later find there is no more----or less-----security outside than there is inside.
Most of the dramas that we create over things in our lives are disguised attempts to feel spiritual peace; we have confused things with Spirit, and mistakenly equated acts with Love. But because we are spiritual beings, nothing less than spirit will satisfy us. When we learn that God is everywhere, that love fills all space, and that Truth is the very ground of our being, we may surely release the little to embrace the All. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Laughter is an external manifestation of an internal gift. When you laugh you are changing your internal chemistry and creating a healthy environment. Laughter not only produces pleasant feelings and images for you and others, but it also alters your body chemistry. Choose to find things to laugh about. You will change, and so will all the people you meet. You will not burn out when you can laugh at life, on the other hand you will live a longer and healthier life.
Friday, December 07, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 960
Ayahs of the Day:
That day We'll seal their mouths, while their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify to what they did. Yet if We wished We would have erased their eyesight; then even if they raced for the path, how could they see? And if We wished, We would have transmuted them right where they were, so they could neither go on nor go back. [36: 65,66,67]
Hadith of the Day:
Whoever has the means to carry himself to the House of God in Mecca and does not perform the obligatory pilgrimage is indistinguishable from a Jew or a Christian when he leaves this world. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Everything you do in this world with the intention of acquiring worldly gain is reproachable, every deed discharged with the purpose of gaining in the Hereafter does not belong to this world. [Abu Sufyan al Re'einy]
Guidance of the Day:
Do not invest your happiness in the outside world, which is constantly changing and can never bring you real peace. Why not place your happiness in God, the unchanging, Who will never let you down? Though we may not be physically paralyzed, we paralyze ourselves with mad ideas of experiences, people, and objects that we believe we need to keep us happy, and then we 'lean out' on them in a false dependence that only keeps us sedated into believing that we are less than we are
All life has in it the potential to bring suffering; when we give up craving, or attachment, then and only then does the pain stop. We must be brutally honest with ourselves in assessing what brings happiness and what brings sadness in our lives. We must clearly discern between fleeting happiness and real happiness. People, objects, and experiences can make us "high," but the high is not whole, because we believe that it is the thing that has given it to us. We would give God's power to a thing. If we believe that someone or something can give us God from outside, we have denied that He is already inside. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Don't hurry, don't worry. You are only here for a short visit. Learn to get in touch with silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.
That day We'll seal their mouths, while their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify to what they did. Yet if We wished We would have erased their eyesight; then even if they raced for the path, how could they see? And if We wished, We would have transmuted them right where they were, so they could neither go on nor go back. [36: 65,66,67]
Hadith of the Day:
Whoever has the means to carry himself to the House of God in Mecca and does not perform the obligatory pilgrimage is indistinguishable from a Jew or a Christian when he leaves this world. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Everything you do in this world with the intention of acquiring worldly gain is reproachable, every deed discharged with the purpose of gaining in the Hereafter does not belong to this world. [Abu Sufyan al Re'einy]
Guidance of the Day:
Do not invest your happiness in the outside world, which is constantly changing and can never bring you real peace. Why not place your happiness in God, the unchanging, Who will never let you down? Though we may not be physically paralyzed, we paralyze ourselves with mad ideas of experiences, people, and objects that we believe we need to keep us happy, and then we 'lean out' on them in a false dependence that only keeps us sedated into believing that we are less than we are
All life has in it the potential to bring suffering; when we give up craving, or attachment, then and only then does the pain stop. We must be brutally honest with ourselves in assessing what brings happiness and what brings sadness in our lives. We must clearly discern between fleeting happiness and real happiness. People, objects, and experiences can make us "high," but the high is not whole, because we believe that it is the thing that has given it to us. We would give God's power to a thing. If we believe that someone or something can give us God from outside, we have denied that He is already inside. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Don't hurry, don't worry. You are only here for a short visit. Learn to get in touch with silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 959
Ayahs of the Day:
"And stand aside today, you who are sinners: Did I not charge you, O children of Adam, not to serve Satan, for he is an open enemy for you, and to serve Me? This is a straight path. He has already lead a great many of you astray; didn't you realize? This is hell, of which you were warned. Burn in it today, since you used to scoff." [36: 59 to 64]
Hadith of the Day:
You should remember the reality that brings an end to all worldly joys and pleasures, namely, death. [Fiqh us Sunnah]
Wise Quote of the Day:
This life is the wine of Satan, whoever is intoxicated by it only awakens amid the hoards of the dead, lamenting amongst the losers. [Yahya bin Mu'az]
Guidance of the Day:
Confidence in God's ability to meet our needs is returned with Providence that laughs at chance. There is a much bigger scheme to life than most people see. We must listen with our hearts and not with our ears. We must have confidence. Once we align ourselves with a direction from within, no one in the world can convince us otherwise, for our source of acknowledgement is far more powerful than any that the world could offer or any challenge the world could pose.
Our learned limitations are our shadows, we can rid ourselves of them only by facing them with a little light. Each of us must ultimately conquer our own shadows. Until them, our Divine Self remains penned in a little corner of a frightening world while we are acting happy, but really knowing that there is more, for we are more. Once we begin to see that we can be anything we want to be. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Don't be afraid of darkness. The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. You can decide to focus on the darkness or use it to appreciate that your life contains light too. You would never appreciate the light if you didn't have the darkness. Let the Director show you the way! Go inside, discover your own black hole, and emerge with new energy and true light of awareness.
"And stand aside today, you who are sinners: Did I not charge you, O children of Adam, not to serve Satan, for he is an open enemy for you, and to serve Me? This is a straight path. He has already lead a great many of you astray; didn't you realize? This is hell, of which you were warned. Burn in it today, since you used to scoff." [36: 59 to 64]
Hadith of the Day:
You should remember the reality that brings an end to all worldly joys and pleasures, namely, death. [Fiqh us Sunnah]
Wise Quote of the Day:
This life is the wine of Satan, whoever is intoxicated by it only awakens amid the hoards of the dead, lamenting amongst the losers. [Yahya bin Mu'az]
Guidance of the Day:
Confidence in God's ability to meet our needs is returned with Providence that laughs at chance. There is a much bigger scheme to life than most people see. We must listen with our hearts and not with our ears. We must have confidence. Once we align ourselves with a direction from within, no one in the world can convince us otherwise, for our source of acknowledgement is far more powerful than any that the world could offer or any challenge the world could pose.
Our learned limitations are our shadows, we can rid ourselves of them only by facing them with a little light. Each of us must ultimately conquer our own shadows. Until them, our Divine Self remains penned in a little corner of a frightening world while we are acting happy, but really knowing that there is more, for we are more. Once we begin to see that we can be anything we want to be. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Don't be afraid of darkness. The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. You can decide to focus on the darkness or use it to appreciate that your life contains light too. You would never appreciate the light if you didn't have the darkness. Let the Director show you the way! Go inside, discover your own black hole, and emerge with new energy and true light of awareness.
Monday, December 03, 2007
LESSON OF THE DAY 958
Ayahs of the Day:
As for the inhabitants of the garden, they will be merry at work that day; they and their mates will be in the shade, reclining on couches; there they will have fruit, and what ever they request. "Peace"------a word from a merciful Lord. [36: 55 to 58]
Hadith of the Day:
Help the ones who need help, save the ones who are tyrannized, show the way to the ones who are lost. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Certainty calls one to cut short expectation for worldly fulfillment, cutting short this expectation calls one to renunciation, renunciation bequeaths wisdom, and wisdom bequeaths the discernment of the outcome. [Dhun nun al Misri]
Guidance of the Day:
Most people are sleepwalking. Many wander through life in a sort of semiconscious state, having some idea of what they do, but not really sure why they are doing it. Mostly, we do what other people do, for we have made gods of popular opinions, beliefs, and actions. We worship the masses instead of God. This kind of unchosen living doesn't work. When we live in an attempt to fulfill the dreams and desires of others, we may (for a while) succeed in convincing ourselves that we are happy, but sooner or later we must admit that we have our own calling in life.
God did not intend for any of us to be crippled. It is we who cripple ourselves with small thinking, ideas of limitation, and fear. Neither can the physical body bind us, unless we let it. Lack of physical energy is a lack of mental enthusiasm. Nor has money ever stopped anyone from doing anything. If our intention is clear and our faith strong, the money will come. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Your weakness is no excuse: "He gives power to the faint." For the victory of battle stands not in the multitude; but strength comes from heaven. Nothing is so strong as gentleness: nothing is so gentle as real strength. These three things deplete man's strength: fear, travel, and sin.
As for the inhabitants of the garden, they will be merry at work that day; they and their mates will be in the shade, reclining on couches; there they will have fruit, and what ever they request. "Peace"------a word from a merciful Lord. [36: 55 to 58]
Hadith of the Day:
Help the ones who need help, save the ones who are tyrannized, show the way to the ones who are lost. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Certainty calls one to cut short expectation for worldly fulfillment, cutting short this expectation calls one to renunciation, renunciation bequeaths wisdom, and wisdom bequeaths the discernment of the outcome. [Dhun nun al Misri]
Guidance of the Day:
Most people are sleepwalking. Many wander through life in a sort of semiconscious state, having some idea of what they do, but not really sure why they are doing it. Mostly, we do what other people do, for we have made gods of popular opinions, beliefs, and actions. We worship the masses instead of God. This kind of unchosen living doesn't work. When we live in an attempt to fulfill the dreams and desires of others, we may (for a while) succeed in convincing ourselves that we are happy, but sooner or later we must admit that we have our own calling in life.
God did not intend for any of us to be crippled. It is we who cripple ourselves with small thinking, ideas of limitation, and fear. Neither can the physical body bind us, unless we let it. Lack of physical energy is a lack of mental enthusiasm. Nor has money ever stopped anyone from doing anything. If our intention is clear and our faith strong, the money will come. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Your weakness is no excuse: "He gives power to the faint." For the victory of battle stands not in the multitude; but strength comes from heaven. Nothing is so strong as gentleness: nothing is so gentle as real strength. These three things deplete man's strength: fear, travel, and sin.
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