Ayah of the Day:
Those who lower their voices in the presence of the messenger of God are those whose hearts God has tested for conscience; there is forgiveness for them, and a tremendous reward. [49: 3]
Hadith of the Day:
Shake hands (in greeting) and rancor will disappear. Give presents to each other and love each other, and enmity will disappear. [Muwatta]
Wise Quote of the Day:
God calls Himself "Seeing" so that His ever-watching eye may scare you away from sinning. Whether the breeze be cold or hot, the Cognizant is aware, not absent, O infirm man. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
Your purpose on earth is to make peace. As you have discovered this purpose, the power to heal relationships comes to rest in your hands. You hold the entire universe within yourself. Take all into your arms, and all persons and things reveal themselves to be the expression of God's Love for you, which is really your Love for Him.
Where there is Love, the purpose of life is understood. Where there is no love, there is nothing. We implore you to raise each precious moment of relationship up to the altar of the Most High. Hold your fellows in holy respect, and speak to all as you would speak to the holiest angel. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can. Getting an idea should be like sitting on a pin, it should make you jump up and do something. Why always "not yet"? Do flowers in spring say, "not yet"?
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....125
1. Laziness of the common folk in worshiping their Lord is a grave matter, but that same laziness from the teachers and students of Sacred Knowledge is even more so.
2. The arrogance of wealthy is something to be detested, but that shown by the poor is even more so.
3. It is Jihad which lays down the last brick of Imaan.
4. Rein in your tongue from complaining about others, and you will be granted a life of happiness.
5. Weep regarding that day which passed by without any goodly acts adorning it.
6. The reward for every virtue has its measure, yet the reward for patience has no measure.
7. The thankful Believer is closest to well-being.
8. Your fear of Allah is commensurate of how well you know Him, and your lack of fear regarding Him is commensurate with your ignorance of Him.
9. You are determined to lose yourself in the baggage of this world, while the world is equally determined to remove you from itself.
10. Taking pains to remove the pains of others is the true essence of generosity. [All the above quotes by Abu Bakr radi Allah anhu]
2. The arrogance of wealthy is something to be detested, but that shown by the poor is even more so.
3. It is Jihad which lays down the last brick of Imaan.
4. Rein in your tongue from complaining about others, and you will be granted a life of happiness.
5. Weep regarding that day which passed by without any goodly acts adorning it.
6. The reward for every virtue has its measure, yet the reward for patience has no measure.
7. The thankful Believer is closest to well-being.
8. Your fear of Allah is commensurate of how well you know Him, and your lack of fear regarding Him is commensurate with your ignorance of Him.
9. You are determined to lose yourself in the baggage of this world, while the world is equally determined to remove you from itself.
10. Taking pains to remove the pains of others is the true essence of generosity. [All the above quotes by Abu Bakr radi Allah anhu]
Monday, January 26, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1086
Ayahs of the Day:
Believers, don't put yourselves forward before God and the messenger of God; be wary of God, for God is all-hearing, all-knowing. Believers, don't raise your voices over the voice of the Prophet and don't speak to him as you speak loudly to each other, lest your acts be in vain without your realizing. [49: 1,2]
Hadith of the Day:
Whoever imitates a people is one of them. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The men of elite are only distinguished from the normal men by the battle they wage against their individual soul. [Ahmad ibn Ajiba]
Guidance of the Day:
It is possible to heal a troubled relationship even with someone who has passed on. This is possible because all such healing is a result of inner forgiveness and spiritual love. Relationships are lessons in inner growth. If we can grow to a point where, were the other person still alive, we would be with harmony with them, we have learned the lesson of the relationship, and it is complete.
Forgiveness is a gift from God that always heals. It can heal our relationships, our lives, and our world. In so doing shall it mend our broken hopes, return to us our forgotten dreams, and bestow upon us the miracle of Grace. Fulfilling relationships, are not too good to be true. They are good enough to be true. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move. The life of wisdom must be a life of contemplation combined with action. If you want quality, act as if you already had it. Man's actions are the picture book of his creed.
Believers, don't put yourselves forward before God and the messenger of God; be wary of God, for God is all-hearing, all-knowing. Believers, don't raise your voices over the voice of the Prophet and don't speak to him as you speak loudly to each other, lest your acts be in vain without your realizing. [49: 1,2]
Hadith of the Day:
Whoever imitates a people is one of them. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The men of elite are only distinguished from the normal men by the battle they wage against their individual soul. [Ahmad ibn Ajiba]
Guidance of the Day:
It is possible to heal a troubled relationship even with someone who has passed on. This is possible because all such healing is a result of inner forgiveness and spiritual love. Relationships are lessons in inner growth. If we can grow to a point where, were the other person still alive, we would be with harmony with them, we have learned the lesson of the relationship, and it is complete.
Forgiveness is a gift from God that always heals. It can heal our relationships, our lives, and our world. In so doing shall it mend our broken hopes, return to us our forgotten dreams, and bestow upon us the miracle of Grace. Fulfilling relationships, are not too good to be true. They are good enough to be true. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move. The life of wisdom must be a life of contemplation combined with action. If you want quality, act as if you already had it. Man's actions are the picture book of his creed.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....124
1. To repent from a sin is a necessary obligation, but to prevent oneself from sin is even more so.
2. Showing patience in adversity is difficult, but safeguarding the fruits of patience is even more so.
3. The changing of the times is always strange, but being heedless throughout them is even more so.
4. The unfolding of your affairs is always imminent, but the arrival of death is even more so.
5. Shyness and modesty of men is an excellent virtue, but the shyness and modesty of women is even more so.
7. Repentance of an old man is a wonderful thing, but that of the youth is even more so.
8. The generosity of a prince is an exalted affair, but that of a peasant is even more so.
9. The sin of the youth is a grave thing indeed, but that committed by an old man is even more so.
10. The fools indulgence in petty worldliness is an evil thing, but the indulgence of the learned is even more so. [All the above quotes by Abu Bakr Radi Allah anhu]
2. Showing patience in adversity is difficult, but safeguarding the fruits of patience is even more so.
3. The changing of the times is always strange, but being heedless throughout them is even more so.
4. The unfolding of your affairs is always imminent, but the arrival of death is even more so.
5. Shyness and modesty of men is an excellent virtue, but the shyness and modesty of women is even more so.
7. Repentance of an old man is a wonderful thing, but that of the youth is even more so.
8. The generosity of a prince is an exalted affair, but that of a peasant is even more so.
9. The sin of the youth is a grave thing indeed, but that committed by an old man is even more so.
10. The fools indulgence in petty worldliness is an evil thing, but the indulgence of the learned is even more so. [All the above quotes by Abu Bakr Radi Allah anhu]
Thursday, January 22, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1085
Ayah of the Day:
Muhammad is the messenger of God, and those who are with him are strong against unbelievers and compassionate among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating themselves, seeking grace from God, and acceptance. Their mark is on their faces, from the traces of their prostration. That is their model in the Torah, and their model in the Gospel, like a seed that sprouts its shoot, and makes it strong and sturdy so it stands upright on its stem, delighting the ones who sow, incensing the unbelievers at them. God has promised those of them who have faith and do good works forgiveness and a tremendous reward. [48: 29]
Hadith of the Day:
Give the sadaqa without delay for it stands in the way of calamity. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Engage yourself not in speech either with the learned or the fool. For the former is likely to defeat you, and the latter is likely to abuse you. [Ibn Abbas radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Can we heal a relationship that has not been based on these ideals of Godliness? Yes, we certainly can. In fact, many of the strongest and most rewarding relationships are those that have been transformed. As we begin to allow God into our lives, we find the strength and the wisdom to create peace and harmony where there once seemed to be none. We discover new ways to give love, and, to our happy surprise, the love and the freedom that we give another to grow and expand are returned to us many times over.
If we truly want to enjoy fulfilling relationships in marriage, with our children, or in the office, we must be willing to be big enough to give love before we receive it. We must not allow our actions or attitudes toward others to depend on theirs toward us. We must have the faith to see a possibility for goodness in another, though they recognize it not themselves. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
God has editing rights over our prayers. He will .... edit them, correct them, bring them in line with His will and then hand them back to us to be resubmitted. God answers all true prayer, either in kind or in kindness. The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.
Muhammad is the messenger of God, and those who are with him are strong against unbelievers and compassionate among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating themselves, seeking grace from God, and acceptance. Their mark is on their faces, from the traces of their prostration. That is their model in the Torah, and their model in the Gospel, like a seed that sprouts its shoot, and makes it strong and sturdy so it stands upright on its stem, delighting the ones who sow, incensing the unbelievers at them. God has promised those of them who have faith and do good works forgiveness and a tremendous reward. [48: 29]
Hadith of the Day:
Give the sadaqa without delay for it stands in the way of calamity. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Engage yourself not in speech either with the learned or the fool. For the former is likely to defeat you, and the latter is likely to abuse you. [Ibn Abbas radi Allah anhu]
Guidance of the Day:
Can we heal a relationship that has not been based on these ideals of Godliness? Yes, we certainly can. In fact, many of the strongest and most rewarding relationships are those that have been transformed. As we begin to allow God into our lives, we find the strength and the wisdom to create peace and harmony where there once seemed to be none. We discover new ways to give love, and, to our happy surprise, the love and the freedom that we give another to grow and expand are returned to us many times over.
If we truly want to enjoy fulfilling relationships in marriage, with our children, or in the office, we must be willing to be big enough to give love before we receive it. We must not allow our actions or attitudes toward others to depend on theirs toward us. We must have the faith to see a possibility for goodness in another, though they recognize it not themselves. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
God has editing rights over our prayers. He will .... edit them, correct them, bring them in line with His will and then hand them back to us to be resubmitted. God answers all true prayer, either in kind or in kindness. The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....123
1. Reliance on God, contentment, and frugality are such a treasury and wealth that they can be exchanged for nothing. [Badi Uzzaman Nursi]
2. When it has been said that the angels spread out their wings in the path of the one seeking sacred knowledge, then just imagine what Allah has in store for such a person. [Abu Ali Daqqaq]
3. Wisdom takes root in the heart only when dunya and its trappings have been uprooted from it. [Abu Ali al Daqqaq]
4. The greatest I'tikaf that one can observe is that the Divine commands and prohibitions never leave his sight. [Abu Othman Sa'ad]
5. The accomplished spiritual is he who has achieved the precarious balance between hope and fear. [Abu Othman Sa'ad]
6. Those who love the beloved of Allah (Awliyas) are counted by Allah as being from them. [Abu Othman Sa'ad]
7. The greatness of a believer is in his God-Consciousness, and his pride in his obedience and his courage lies in his display of good character under all circumstances. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
8. The tranquility of both worlds lies in the understanding of these two words----------generosity towards friends, and forbearance towards enemies. [Hafiz Shiraz]
9. Know that it is not your family and friends, but rather your deen which truly looks after you. [Hasan radi Allah anhu]
10. In the Divine court lineage has no place, rather it is the righteousness of action which is the ultimate arbiter. [Owais al Qarni]
2. When it has been said that the angels spread out their wings in the path of the one seeking sacred knowledge, then just imagine what Allah has in store for such a person. [Abu Ali Daqqaq]
3. Wisdom takes root in the heart only when dunya and its trappings have been uprooted from it. [Abu Ali al Daqqaq]
4. The greatest I'tikaf that one can observe is that the Divine commands and prohibitions never leave his sight. [Abu Othman Sa'ad]
5. The accomplished spiritual is he who has achieved the precarious balance between hope and fear. [Abu Othman Sa'ad]
6. Those who love the beloved of Allah (Awliyas) are counted by Allah as being from them. [Abu Othman Sa'ad]
7. The greatness of a believer is in his God-Consciousness, and his pride in his obedience and his courage lies in his display of good character under all circumstances. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
8. The tranquility of both worlds lies in the understanding of these two words----------generosity towards friends, and forbearance towards enemies. [Hafiz Shiraz]
9. Know that it is not your family and friends, but rather your deen which truly looks after you. [Hasan radi Allah anhu]
10. In the Divine court lineage has no place, rather it is the righteousness of action which is the ultimate arbiter. [Owais al Qarni]
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1084
Ayahs of the Day:
God is the one who has sent the messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that he may proclaim it over all religions. And God is sufficient for a witness. [48: 28]
Hadith of the Day:
Concealed charity and kindness to relatives are acts through which Allah's wrath in this life and the Hereafter is assuaged. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
And love your Lord by serving Him.
For lovers are but servants of the Beloved. [A Poet]
Guidance of the Day:
Eric Butterworth describes the two different types of relationships in a very neat way: In one relationship we are hypnotized staring moodily into each other's eyes; in the other we stand together, hand in hand, looking out the window onto the great panorama of life. In the first, we have made gods of each other; in the second, we rejoice together in acknowledging the One God. In the first, we have narrowed down our source of happiness to one little person; in the second, we remain open to the fulfillment that all of life can offer to us.
The relationships that work are those in which partners seek to serve and support each other with encouragement and confidence; where the partners refrain from making demands upon each other; and where the individual creativity of each person is honored and encouraged. More important, the relationships that have God at their center, or that have at least some kind of commitment to a higher purpose than to fulfill each other's fantasies, are the ones that are the strongest. People with individual spiritual foundations create marriages with strong spiritual foundations. Anything that is dedicated to the ideals of Godliness works. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Happiness doesn't come from doing easy work but from the after glow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best. Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It is not a day when you lounge around doing nothing, it's when you have had everything to do and you have done it.
God is the one who has sent the messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that he may proclaim it over all religions. And God is sufficient for a witness. [48: 28]
Hadith of the Day:
Concealed charity and kindness to relatives are acts through which Allah's wrath in this life and the Hereafter is assuaged. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
And love your Lord by serving Him.
For lovers are but servants of the Beloved. [A Poet]
Guidance of the Day:
Eric Butterworth describes the two different types of relationships in a very neat way: In one relationship we are hypnotized staring moodily into each other's eyes; in the other we stand together, hand in hand, looking out the window onto the great panorama of life. In the first, we have made gods of each other; in the second, we rejoice together in acknowledging the One God. In the first, we have narrowed down our source of happiness to one little person; in the second, we remain open to the fulfillment that all of life can offer to us.
The relationships that work are those in which partners seek to serve and support each other with encouragement and confidence; where the partners refrain from making demands upon each other; and where the individual creativity of each person is honored and encouraged. More important, the relationships that have God at their center, or that have at least some kind of commitment to a higher purpose than to fulfill each other's fantasies, are the ones that are the strongest. People with individual spiritual foundations create marriages with strong spiritual foundations. Anything that is dedicated to the ideals of Godliness works. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Happiness doesn't come from doing easy work but from the after glow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best. Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It is not a day when you lounge around doing nothing, it's when you have had everything to do and you have done it.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....122
1. To know with certainty that you will never receive less than what was destined for you is the essence of reliance upon Allah. [Abul Hasan bu Shaikhi]
2. Spend from what Allah has given you. Do not fear poverty. Allah will give you as He has promised. No one who has been generous has ever perished in destitution. [Ibn Arabi]
3. Prayer and fasting are the greatest things a person can do, yet to remove all the evil traits from the heart such as pride, arrogance, rancor, malice, love of this world etc, rank even higher. [Shaykh al Kharqani]
4. Seek to keep the company of those who illumine one's inward and outward states with the light of their intimacy with the Divine. [Shaykh Abul Abbas]
5. There can be no good in excess, just as there is no excess in good. [Imam Abu Hanifah]
6. Who is better among Allah's worshippers than the one who sees others as better than him? [Abu Bakr Saidlani]
7. The greatest blessings is that one is freed from the shackles of ego, for what greater veil is there between us and the Creator other than the ego. [Abu Bakr Saidlani]
8. To be angered quickly is a sign that one is in the grip of his ego. [Abu Bakr Wasti]
9. The one who longs for Allah is blessed with limbs which are free from stains of sins. [Ahmad Masruq]
10. The one who has tasted the sweetness of slave hood finds no repose in leisure pursuits. [Abdullah Manazil]
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2. Spend from what Allah has given you. Do not fear poverty. Allah will give you as He has promised. No one who has been generous has ever perished in destitution. [Ibn Arabi]
3. Prayer and fasting are the greatest things a person can do, yet to remove all the evil traits from the heart such as pride, arrogance, rancor, malice, love of this world etc, rank even higher. [Shaykh al Kharqani]
4. Seek to keep the company of those who illumine one's inward and outward states with the light of their intimacy with the Divine. [Shaykh Abul Abbas]
5. There can be no good in excess, just as there is no excess in good. [Imam Abu Hanifah]
6. Who is better among Allah's worshippers than the one who sees others as better than him? [Abu Bakr Saidlani]
7. The greatest blessings is that one is freed from the shackles of ego, for what greater veil is there between us and the Creator other than the ego. [Abu Bakr Saidlani]
8. To be angered quickly is a sign that one is in the grip of his ego. [Abu Bakr Wasti]
9. The one who longs for Allah is blessed with limbs which are free from stains of sins. [Ahmad Masruq]
10. The one who has tasted the sweetness of slave hood finds no repose in leisure pursuits. [Abdullah Manazil]
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Thursday, January 15, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1083
Ayahs of the Day:
The forces of the heavens and the earth belong to God, and God is Almighty, Supremely Wise. We sent you as a witness, a herald, and a warner, so that you all might believe in God and the messenger of God, honoring and revering God, and celebrating the praise of God morning and evening. [48: 7,8,9]
Hadith of the Day:
The worst evils in the eyes of Allah are: Hot temper and miserliness. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Just as you have surrendered to God oversight of the heavens and management of the earth, pass back to God your anxious concerns for your own personal existence. [Ibn Ata'Allah]
Guidance of the Day:
What, then, is marriage all about? What makes some marriages successful, and others fail? How do we know if our intended marriage will work? How can we save a marriage that is not working? Why is the divorce rate so high? These are questions that many of us have wrestled with, questions which have too often been answered through pain and hardship.
We might say that our motivation for entering into marriage or a relationship can be distilled to two basic dynamic attitudes: "I am going to get something from this person," or "I am going to share with this person." The first attitude leads only to pain; the second, to joy. The first is seeking to get; the second, to expand. Sharing works, taking doesn't. A house built upon sand cannot stand. The divorce rate affirms this parable. If the relationship is inaugurated on the foundation of celebration and overflow, we will receive many of the things that others marry in order to get, but they come as gifts, and joys, and not as a payoff. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
If the individual is to be happy, healthy, and prosperous, he must change from the Laws of the Mind (negative) to the Laws of the Soul (positive).
Laws of the Mind are: fear, worry, selfishness, vanity, anger, criticism, envy, greed, hypocrisy, prejudice, jealousy, and hate.
Laws of the Soul are: faith, hope, generosity, aspiration, patience, sympathy, goodness, kindness, courage, duty, and love.
The forces of the heavens and the earth belong to God, and God is Almighty, Supremely Wise. We sent you as a witness, a herald, and a warner, so that you all might believe in God and the messenger of God, honoring and revering God, and celebrating the praise of God morning and evening. [48: 7,8,9]
Hadith of the Day:
The worst evils in the eyes of Allah are: Hot temper and miserliness. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Just as you have surrendered to God oversight of the heavens and management of the earth, pass back to God your anxious concerns for your own personal existence. [Ibn Ata'Allah]
Guidance of the Day:
What, then, is marriage all about? What makes some marriages successful, and others fail? How do we know if our intended marriage will work? How can we save a marriage that is not working? Why is the divorce rate so high? These are questions that many of us have wrestled with, questions which have too often been answered through pain and hardship.
We might say that our motivation for entering into marriage or a relationship can be distilled to two basic dynamic attitudes: "I am going to get something from this person," or "I am going to share with this person." The first attitude leads only to pain; the second, to joy. The first is seeking to get; the second, to expand. Sharing works, taking doesn't. A house built upon sand cannot stand. The divorce rate affirms this parable. If the relationship is inaugurated on the foundation of celebration and overflow, we will receive many of the things that others marry in order to get, but they come as gifts, and joys, and not as a payoff. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
If the individual is to be happy, healthy, and prosperous, he must change from the Laws of the Mind (negative) to the Laws of the Soul (positive).
Laws of the Mind are: fear, worry, selfishness, vanity, anger, criticism, envy, greed, hypocrisy, prejudice, jealousy, and hate.
Laws of the Soul are: faith, hope, generosity, aspiration, patience, sympathy, goodness, kindness, courage, duty, and love.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....121
1. Make it your habit to weep in the awe of the Divine, so you may laugh on the Day of Resurrection. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]
2. The best of people are those who, after being generous to people, seek generosity only from Allah. [Abu Hafs al Haddad]
3. He who remembers Allah with all his heart will find that everything other than Allah will leave his heart. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]
4. He who comes to the realization of his Lord after much contemplation and reflection will find easy increase in all of his other worships. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]
5. Wonder of wonders! How is it that the same people who leave food out of fear of sickness cannot leave sin out of fear of the Hereafter. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]
6. Everyone in the world is a guest, and his money is but a loan. The guest must go sooner of later and the loan must be returned. [Ibn Mus'ud radi Allah anhu]
7. What anxiety is there for the one who is detached from the world? And what need for excuses is there for the one who remains silent?
8. Wealth and poverty are Divine gifts------Wealth is corrupted by forgetfulness/heedlessness, poverty by greed. [Al Qushayri]
9. It is false hope which expects forgiven ess, while knowingly persisting in sin. [Abdullah bin Khabeeq]
10. The true believer is he whose obedience to Allah and His messenger is as if he holds the Qur'an in one hand and the hadith in the other. [Shaykh al Jonayd]
2. The best of people are those who, after being generous to people, seek generosity only from Allah. [Abu Hafs al Haddad]
3. He who remembers Allah with all his heart will find that everything other than Allah will leave his heart. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]
4. He who comes to the realization of his Lord after much contemplation and reflection will find easy increase in all of his other worships. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]
5. Wonder of wonders! How is it that the same people who leave food out of fear of sickness cannot leave sin out of fear of the Hereafter. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]
6. Everyone in the world is a guest, and his money is but a loan. The guest must go sooner of later and the loan must be returned. [Ibn Mus'ud radi Allah anhu]
7. What anxiety is there for the one who is detached from the world? And what need for excuses is there for the one who remains silent?
8. Wealth and poverty are Divine gifts------Wealth is corrupted by forgetfulness/heedlessness, poverty by greed. [Al Qushayri]
9. It is false hope which expects forgiven ess, while knowingly persisting in sin. [Abdullah bin Khabeeq]
10. The true believer is he whose obedience to Allah and His messenger is as if he holds the Qur'an in one hand and the hadith in the other. [Shaykh al Jonayd]
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1082
Ayahs of the Day:
It is God who sent tranquility down into the hearts of the believers, that they may add faith to their faith----for the forces of the heavens and the earth belong to God, and God is omniscient, supremely wise------in order to admit the believing men and believing women into gardens with streams flowing below, to abide therein, and to erase their evils from them----and that, to God, is supreme success. [48: 4,5]
Hadith of the Day:
The best deeds in the eyes of Allah are: gentle manners, modesty, and patience.
Wise Quote of the Day:
To cure yourself of a bad feature of character is an obligation. It will save you from the disasters of this world as well as of the Hereafter. [Imam Birgivi]
Guidance of the Day:
Relationships are lessons in tangible form that we need for our personal growth. If we are holding an unconsciousness about a character trait, or some prejudice or judgment about any kind of action, someone who does the thing that we don't like will be drawn to us so that we may learn to let go and to love. The quickest way to free yourself of someone who does something that irritates you is to love and accept them with their fault.
The more you fight it, the more prominent it will become. When you let go of your resistance, the person may or may not leave your life, but if you have truly released them it will not matter. This places relationships in an entirely new light-----one of challenge and promise. Persons that are hard to accept cease to be nuisances and become opportunities for us to practice understanding and forgiveness. When we experience any negative reaction to another person, we have a precious chance to program our emotional computer. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
What we need in religion is not new light, but new sight;
not new paths, but new strength to walk in the old ones;
not new duties, but new strength from on high to fulfill those that are plain to us.
Men will wrangle for religion; write for it; fight for it; die for it; anything but------live for it.
It is God who sent tranquility down into the hearts of the believers, that they may add faith to their faith----for the forces of the heavens and the earth belong to God, and God is omniscient, supremely wise------in order to admit the believing men and believing women into gardens with streams flowing below, to abide therein, and to erase their evils from them----and that, to God, is supreme success. [48: 4,5]
Hadith of the Day:
The best deeds in the eyes of Allah are: gentle manners, modesty, and patience.
Wise Quote of the Day:
To cure yourself of a bad feature of character is an obligation. It will save you from the disasters of this world as well as of the Hereafter. [Imam Birgivi]
Guidance of the Day:
Relationships are lessons in tangible form that we need for our personal growth. If we are holding an unconsciousness about a character trait, or some prejudice or judgment about any kind of action, someone who does the thing that we don't like will be drawn to us so that we may learn to let go and to love. The quickest way to free yourself of someone who does something that irritates you is to love and accept them with their fault.
The more you fight it, the more prominent it will become. When you let go of your resistance, the person may or may not leave your life, but if you have truly released them it will not matter. This places relationships in an entirely new light-----one of challenge and promise. Persons that are hard to accept cease to be nuisances and become opportunities for us to practice understanding and forgiveness. When we experience any negative reaction to another person, we have a precious chance to program our emotional computer. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
What we need in religion is not new light, but new sight;
not new paths, but new strength to walk in the old ones;
not new duties, but new strength from on high to fulfill those that are plain to us.
Men will wrangle for religion; write for it; fight for it; die for it; anything but------live for it.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....120
1. The deceased wait your imminent arrival, so gather now your provisions for that journey. [Da'ud Tai]
2. He who recognizes himself has recognized his Lord, and he who has recognized his Lord has achieved everything there is to achieve---------through his submission to His commands. [Sahl bin Abdullah tustari]
3. The initial stage of intimacy with the Divine is contentment and the beginning of contentment lies in leaving your vain desires. [Sahl bin Abdullah Tustari]
4. Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety, after all, it is only in the darkest nights that the stars shine most brilliantly. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
5. The one who wants to expand his needs and wants should get used to the grief that comes from being deprived. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
6. Accept the truth from whoever says it, whether they are young or old and beware of being given to refusal and arrogance. [Shaykh Bayanuni]
7. Blessings tend to flee from those who have no measure of them. [Sari al Saqti]
8. Do not think that controlling your anger is somehow removed from good manners. [Sari al Saqti]
9. Without a steady dose of knowledge, wisdom, and the advice from the sages, our hearts will wither and die. [Fatah Musli]
10. Whoever is pleased with himself is veiled from his Lord. [Shah al Kirmani]
2. He who recognizes himself has recognized his Lord, and he who has recognized his Lord has achieved everything there is to achieve---------through his submission to His commands. [Sahl bin Abdullah tustari]
3. The initial stage of intimacy with the Divine is contentment and the beginning of contentment lies in leaving your vain desires. [Sahl bin Abdullah Tustari]
4. Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety, after all, it is only in the darkest nights that the stars shine most brilliantly. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
5. The one who wants to expand his needs and wants should get used to the grief that comes from being deprived. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
6. Accept the truth from whoever says it, whether they are young or old and beware of being given to refusal and arrogance. [Shaykh Bayanuni]
7. Blessings tend to flee from those who have no measure of them. [Sari al Saqti]
8. Do not think that controlling your anger is somehow removed from good manners. [Sari al Saqti]
9. Without a steady dose of knowledge, wisdom, and the advice from the sages, our hearts will wither and die. [Fatah Musli]
10. Whoever is pleased with himself is veiled from his Lord. [Shah al Kirmani]
Friday, January 09, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1081
Ayah of the Day:
Behold! You are those invited to spend in the cause of God, but some of you are stingy. Yet if anyone is stingy, he's only being stingy to his own soul; for God is self-sufficient, while you are the needy ones. And if you turn away, God will replace you with another people who would not be like you. [47: 38]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not uncover the faults of others, and Allah will provide you with a covering protection on the Day of Judgment. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A true captive is a captive of the carnal soul, a captive of lust, and a captive of passions. [Shaykh Abu Madyan]
Guidance of the Day:
When Jesus said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who spitefully use you, and bless those that curse you," he was not just uttering spiritual platitudes. He was giving a scientific formula for resolving painful human relationships and bringing about inner and outer peace. He knew the healing power of Love. He knew that people want to feel united and whole. And he knew that seeing others in the light of forgiveness is the only way to complete our love.
We must focus on the purity and the perfection of those against whom we are prone to hold judgment. Outer harmony in relationships is a manifestation of harmony and acceptance within ourselves. If we hold any ill will or animosity toward anyone, it will be reflected in our outer interaction with them. If we are to bring a troubled relationship into peacefulness, we must first fine serenity and the vision of good intention without our own consciousness. This is what we need to do, to heal our relationships. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Ask God's blessings on your work, but don't ask him to do it for you. It is vain to expect our prayers to be heard if we do not strive as well as pray. He who labors as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands. Work as if everything depended upon work and pray as if everything depended upon prayer.
Behold! You are those invited to spend in the cause of God, but some of you are stingy. Yet if anyone is stingy, he's only being stingy to his own soul; for God is self-sufficient, while you are the needy ones. And if you turn away, God will replace you with another people who would not be like you. [47: 38]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not uncover the faults of others, and Allah will provide you with a covering protection on the Day of Judgment. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A true captive is a captive of the carnal soul, a captive of lust, and a captive of passions. [Shaykh Abu Madyan]
Guidance of the Day:
When Jesus said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who spitefully use you, and bless those that curse you," he was not just uttering spiritual platitudes. He was giving a scientific formula for resolving painful human relationships and bringing about inner and outer peace. He knew the healing power of Love. He knew that people want to feel united and whole. And he knew that seeing others in the light of forgiveness is the only way to complete our love.
We must focus on the purity and the perfection of those against whom we are prone to hold judgment. Outer harmony in relationships is a manifestation of harmony and acceptance within ourselves. If we hold any ill will or animosity toward anyone, it will be reflected in our outer interaction with them. If we are to bring a troubled relationship into peacefulness, we must first fine serenity and the vision of good intention without our own consciousness. This is what we need to do, to heal our relationships. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Ask God's blessings on your work, but don't ask him to do it for you. It is vain to expect our prayers to be heard if we do not strive as well as pray. He who labors as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands. Work as if everything depended upon work and pray as if everything depended upon prayer.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....119
1. Reckon yourself before you are reckoned and weigh yourself before you are weighed. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
2. The one who reckons his words as part of his actions speaks very little-------only about those things which are of concern to him. [Omar bin Abdul Azeez]
3. There is no Hajj nor guarding the enemy lines and jihad which is more difficult than restraining the tongue. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]
4. Whoever is able to control himself in a state of anger, Allah protects him from the evils of Satan. [Hasan al Basri]
5. The worshippers of Allah do not worship him in anyway better than avoiding what Allah has forbidden. [Hasan al Basri]
6. The righteous deeds are performed by the righteous and the wicked. However, only the truthful ones avoid the sinful deeds. [SahlAbdullah Tustari]
7. The Quran primarily addresses the heart of the believer. The heart is the locus of Divine guidance, The Quran reaches the heart through the reflection of its meaning. [Ibn Mus'u bin d radi Allah anhu]
8. The best of which that gives life to the heart is the recitation of the Quran when accompanied with deep reflection. [Shakh Fadl]
9. The presence of Taqwa is recognized by three things---------rushing to fulfill Allah's commands; seeking nothing from people; speaking and acting only for what benefits one in this life and in the Hereafter. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
10. Only through detachment from Dunya does the slave reach his Lord. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
2. The one who reckons his words as part of his actions speaks very little-------only about those things which are of concern to him. [Omar bin Abdul Azeez]
3. There is no Hajj nor guarding the enemy lines and jihad which is more difficult than restraining the tongue. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]
4. Whoever is able to control himself in a state of anger, Allah protects him from the evils of Satan. [Hasan al Basri]
5. The worshippers of Allah do not worship him in anyway better than avoiding what Allah has forbidden. [Hasan al Basri]
6. The righteous deeds are performed by the righteous and the wicked. However, only the truthful ones avoid the sinful deeds. [SahlAbdullah Tustari]
7. The Quran primarily addresses the heart of the believer. The heart is the locus of Divine guidance, The Quran reaches the heart through the reflection of its meaning. [Ibn Mus'u bin d radi Allah anhu]
8. The best of which that gives life to the heart is the recitation of the Quran when accompanied with deep reflection. [Shakh Fadl]
9. The presence of Taqwa is recognized by three things---------rushing to fulfill Allah's commands; seeking nothing from people; speaking and acting only for what benefits one in this life and in the Hereafter. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
10. Only through detachment from Dunya does the slave reach his Lord. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1080
Ayahs of the Day:
The life of the world is but a game, a diversion: but if you have faith and are conscientious, God will give you your reward and won't ask you for your belongings. If God asked you for them, importuning you, you would try to withhold, and it would bring out your ill-feelings. [47: 36, 37]
Hadith of the Day:
If you guard your chastity, Allah will not disgrace you on the Day of Judgment. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Beneficial knowledge is that which reduces your desire for this world, increases your longing for the next world, and opens your spiritual insight to the disastrous defects of your actions so you can avoid them. [Shaykh Hamza Karamali]
Guidance of the Day:
There is no more fruitful avenue of spiritual growth than that of transforming painful relationships into rewarding ones. In our relationships with other persons, we are actually looking at the dynamics of our inner self, in a form we can see in the outer world. When we heal our relationships we heal ourselves.
The key to healing in relationships is forgiveness. The power of forgiveness is far greater than any tool or weapon known to man. Forgiveness is letting go of ideas of sin, guilt, and evil. When we forgive another, we free not only them, but ourselves, as well. Anger, bitterness, and resentment take their toll on he or she who would hold onto such negation. When we let go of judgments and bitterness, we remove from our shoulders and hearts a heavy load of pain. We must let go of the resentment for our own good. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Religion does not occupy any one part of man's life. It is the reaction of a man's whole being to his object of highest loyalty. Religion must be felt and thought. It must be lived out; it must translate itself into action. Religion is not a segment of life, nor is it connected with any one time or place. It is not just ritual ceremony, doctrines, or the place of worship, even though these may all be aids in stimulating it.
The life of the world is but a game, a diversion: but if you have faith and are conscientious, God will give you your reward and won't ask you for your belongings. If God asked you for them, importuning you, you would try to withhold, and it would bring out your ill-feelings. [47: 36, 37]
Hadith of the Day:
If you guard your chastity, Allah will not disgrace you on the Day of Judgment. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Beneficial knowledge is that which reduces your desire for this world, increases your longing for the next world, and opens your spiritual insight to the disastrous defects of your actions so you can avoid them. [Shaykh Hamza Karamali]
Guidance of the Day:
There is no more fruitful avenue of spiritual growth than that of transforming painful relationships into rewarding ones. In our relationships with other persons, we are actually looking at the dynamics of our inner self, in a form we can see in the outer world. When we heal our relationships we heal ourselves.
The key to healing in relationships is forgiveness. The power of forgiveness is far greater than any tool or weapon known to man. Forgiveness is letting go of ideas of sin, guilt, and evil. When we forgive another, we free not only them, but ourselves, as well. Anger, bitterness, and resentment take their toll on he or she who would hold onto such negation. When we let go of judgments and bitterness, we remove from our shoulders and hearts a heavy load of pain. We must let go of the resentment for our own good. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Religion does not occupy any one part of man's life. It is the reaction of a man's whole being to his object of highest loyalty. Religion must be felt and thought. It must be lived out; it must translate itself into action. Religion is not a segment of life, nor is it connected with any one time or place. It is not just ritual ceremony, doctrines, or the place of worship, even though these may all be aids in stimulating it.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....118
1. There is no better provision for the journey through life than------
a. To always consider your sustenance to be near.
b. To have certainty that none can partake in what is destined for you.
c. To know that Allah is Ever-Present.
d. To know that He is intimately aware of the best and worse of our states. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
2. All of the religion is behavior and character. What increases you in (good) behavior, increases you in your religion. [Ibn Al Qayyim]
3. By Allah it is not allowed for you to harm a dog or a pig without just cause, how then can you harm a Muslim? [Fudhail bin Iyaadh]
4. Destroyed is the one who does not have a heart that can recognize what is good and what is evil. [Abdullah bin Mus'ud]
5. If you obeyed Allah in private, knowing that Allah sees you, then you have taken a bold step into a grave matter. If you thought that He did not see you then you have committed kufr. [Sulaiman ibn Ali]
6. The one who does not have knowledge should not be too shy to ask, and the one who is asked about something he does not know should not be so shy that it keeps him from saying, "I do not know." [Ali radi Allah anhu']
Monday, January 05, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1079
Ayahs of the Day:
Believers, obey God, and obey the messenger; and don't let your actions be in vain. As for those who scoff and hinder others from the way of God and then die while they are disbelievers, God will not forgive them. So do not waver, and appeal for peace while you hold the upper hand. God is with you and will never cheat you in your deeds. [47: 33,34,35]
Hadith of the Day:
If you avoid forbidden actions, your prayers will be responded. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Be hard on yourself, and easy on others. [Imam Shafi'i]
Guidance of the Day:
The good intention that we invest in our acts far outshines the outer forms. The noble challenge of our lives is to reach out, to act, and to live for what we know is real, even if that reality is not apparent to our own senses. This is the only real faith.
You have everything that you need to transform the earth into paradise. The world is waiting for your love. Do not wait for the world to love you, for that is the great mistake of the world, the very thought which stands between pain and happiness. Give your love fearlessly, and darkness shall flee like the shadow that it is. You are marked by the Light in your heart. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
He who angers you conquers you. For every minute you remain angry you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind. Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret. How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it!
Believers, obey God, and obey the messenger; and don't let your actions be in vain. As for those who scoff and hinder others from the way of God and then die while they are disbelievers, God will not forgive them. So do not waver, and appeal for peace while you hold the upper hand. God is with you and will never cheat you in your deeds. [47: 33,34,35]
Hadith of the Day:
If you avoid forbidden actions, your prayers will be responded. [Ahmad]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Be hard on yourself, and easy on others. [Imam Shafi'i]
Guidance of the Day:
The good intention that we invest in our acts far outshines the outer forms. The noble challenge of our lives is to reach out, to act, and to live for what we know is real, even if that reality is not apparent to our own senses. This is the only real faith.
You have everything that you need to transform the earth into paradise. The world is waiting for your love. Do not wait for the world to love you, for that is the great mistake of the world, the very thought which stands between pain and happiness. Give your love fearlessly, and darkness shall flee like the shadow that it is. You are marked by the Light in your heart. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
He who angers you conquers you. For every minute you remain angry you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind. Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret. How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it!
Friday, January 02, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....117
1. In reality Salah is the meeting of the lover with the Beloved. [Bayazeed al Bustami]
2. The one who always leaves his sunnahs will eventually be deprived of his fardh. Such a person can never taste of the Divine beauty. [Abdullah ibn Mubarak]
3. The one who takes his wealth through unlawful means is deprived in trusting in Allah. [Abdullah ibn Mubarak]
4. The one who is esteemed by people should deem himself worthy of no such honor or respect, so as not to fall into dilusion. [Abdullah ibn Mubarak]
5. The eternal realm of the Hereafter is all but forgotten by the one who amasses unlawful wealth. [Sufyan al Thawri]
6. The whole matter of love and slavehood rests upon fear, hope, and love of the Divine. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
7. Those who rely and trust in Allah are given increase in their provision and goodness of their nature. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
8. The result of fear of Allah is that one is able to leave the forbidden, and the result of hope in Allah is that one increases and remains firm footed in one's obedience. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
9. Three things destroy a person---------persisting in sins with false hope of repentance; delaying repentance with the dilusion of long life; and despairing of His mercy. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
10. There exists four conditions to attaining Allah's pleasure----------not worrying about where one's provision will come from; being utterly sincere; always deeming Shaytan your enemy; and gathering the provision for the Hereafter. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
2. The one who always leaves his sunnahs will eventually be deprived of his fardh. Such a person can never taste of the Divine beauty. [Abdullah ibn Mubarak]
3. The one who takes his wealth through unlawful means is deprived in trusting in Allah. [Abdullah ibn Mubarak]
4. The one who is esteemed by people should deem himself worthy of no such honor or respect, so as not to fall into dilusion. [Abdullah ibn Mubarak]
5. The eternal realm of the Hereafter is all but forgotten by the one who amasses unlawful wealth. [Sufyan al Thawri]
6. The whole matter of love and slavehood rests upon fear, hope, and love of the Divine. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
7. Those who rely and trust in Allah are given increase in their provision and goodness of their nature. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
8. The result of fear of Allah is that one is able to leave the forbidden, and the result of hope in Allah is that one increases and remains firm footed in one's obedience. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
9. Three things destroy a person---------persisting in sins with false hope of repentance; delaying repentance with the dilusion of long life; and despairing of His mercy. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
10. There exists four conditions to attaining Allah's pleasure----------not worrying about where one's provision will come from; being utterly sincere; always deeming Shaytan your enemy; and gathering the provision for the Hereafter. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]
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