LESSON OF THE DAY 1014

Ayahs of the Day:
When their messengers came to them with clear proofs, they were happy with what science they already had, even as they were surrounded by what they had been ridiculing. Then when they saw Our force, they said, "We believe in God as One, and we reject what we used to associate with God." But their belief on seeing Our force did not profit them, according to the custom of God already in effect among mortals. And here the scoffers were lost. [40: 83,84,85]

Hadith of the Day:
When you stand for your prayer, perform a farewell prayer (as if there is to be no prayer after it). [Ahmad & Ibn Maja]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The heart has no more than one aspect (at a time), such that when it is occupied with (a particular aspect), it is veiled from another. So take care that you are not drawn toward anything but God, lest He deprive you of the delights of intimate converse with Him. [Shaykh Abu Madyan]

Guidance of the Day:
If we enjoyed something in such a way that we feel sorrow for its absence, we enjoyed it in the wrong way. We enjoyed the mortal, changing element of the person or the thing, and that element can never bring peace. Only when we enjoy the eternal, Godly, inner aspect of and experience can it bring us real happiness. When we look back on the experiences that we cherished, we should feel no sense of loss whatsoever, for those were the experiences that made visible to us the Light that is within us now. The Light was there then, It is here now, and It will be here tomorrow.

It is not the person or the experience that counts, it is the spirit that is precious, and spirit is present in all experiences. People and events are like teacups-----vessels-----through which God gives us love and loving lessons. Though teacups may fade, crack, or be lost, the God that gave them to us in the first place is always present, with an endless supply of new vessels in His Divine pantry. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]

Food for Thought:
We learn to do something by doing it. There is no other way. We can do anything if we put our focus on how to do it rather than on why we can't.