LESSON OF THE DAY 1031

Ayahs of the Day:
Whatever it is you differ on, it is God to judge; that is God, my Lord, in whom I trust, and to whom I turn; creator of the heavens and the earth, God has made for you mates from yourselves, and pairs of pasturing animals, creating you in this way. There is nothing like God, the Hearing, the Seeing; the keys to heavens and earth are God's, who expands the provision of anyone at will, and sets limits; for God knows every thing. [42: 10,11,12]

Hadith of the Day:
All humans are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent much. [Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The duration of life is one breath. Take care that you master it and that it does not master you. [Shaykh Abu Madyan]

Guidance of the Day:
When we summon the courage to have a clear look at our hidden selves, we see how flimsily they were constructed, and we can enjoy the best kind of laugh as we watch them disintegrate. Real growth comes only through self-acceptance. As long as we deny any aspect of our being, we make believe that something could be outside of God. Approval by others is a limited acceptance; it is not self-acceptance. Approval by others may bring encouragement, but acceptance by my self brings freedom. In the long run, acceptance by others does not solve the problem of leaning outward for validation.

If we allowed social approval to make us happy, we are making ourselves vulnerable to social rejection making us unhappy. In other words, we are giving the power of our happiness to other people, which is never a wise investment. We need to clear ourselves with God, which is the only clearing that is really valuable. God's love is the surest thing in the universe. We cannot fool God; we can only try to fool our little selves. There is no reason to hide and no place to run. When we offer our lives to Him, He assumes full responsibility for our well-being. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]

Food for Thought:
Acts of kindness positively affect not only the immune system of the recipient but, almost unbelievably, that of the doer as well! When you are kind, you become stronger and healthier. People who are kind and compassionate tend to sleep better and have pleasant dreams, love themselves and are loved by others, and feel peaceful most of the time. It shows that kindness is one of our most natural states and a trait we were born to express.