Ayahs of the Day:
And the stupor of death comes for real; that is what you were fleeing from. And the trumpet will be sounded; that is the promised day. And every soul will come with a herder and a witness. You have been heedless of this; so We have removed your covering from you, so your vision today is keen. [50: 19 to 22]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not abuse anyone, do not look down upon any good work, and when you speak to your brother, show him a cheerful face. [Abu-Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Your need for repentance is greater than your need for food, water, and shelter, for sins are veiling you from beholding the Unseen and stand between you and the Beloved. [Shaykh Abdul Khaliq al-Shabrawi]
Guidance of the Day:
The Truth feels good. Our deepest instincts always tell us when we have touched Truth. It feels like home, like a completion, like, "Of course." Truth is the most natural thing there is, but it is the most foreign. Because the values of the world are upside down, light is a stranger, and the darkness welcomed. It is very easy to be normal. The world will love you and support you in your normality, for the world loves its own. Those who gravitate to negativity, gossip, and innuendo have a sure place in society; they shall never beg for company with which to commiserate. The marketplace of common affairs is built on complaints, criticisms, and guilt.
One who chooses the God-path faces loneliness and derision. He cannot expect or hope for understanding from the world. It will seem to accept him with a slight smile, but secretly mock and slander him behind closed doors. Friend and relatives will support him in word but not in thought. The devotee of Truth must be great enough to take the world into his heart though the world would cast him out of his own. This is because the lover of Light can see God in all, while one who lives in darkness sees only veiled reflections of confused images. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
It is suffering and then glory. Not to have the suffering means not to have the glory. Our present joys are sweeter for past pain. It is only the strong who are strengthened by suffering. We, by our sufferings, learn to prize our bliss. In suffering one learns to pray best of all. We need to suffer that we may learn to pity.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....135
1. Friendships with the ignorant and the heedless are as fickle as the changing times and as quick to disappear as the setting sun.
2. Consider not a man worthless until you had a chance to converse with him.
3. Health and well-being on the one hand and gluttony on the other are mutually exclusive.
4. Face off your difficulties with patience; and fence in your blessings with thankfulness.
5. A man's intellect becomes apparent from his speech; as does his character from the goodness of his action.
6. Always consider your intellect to be lacking; otherwise too much faith in it surely leads to error.
7. Seek Allah's refuge from the heedlessness which comes from prosperity; so deep it is, that it will take one very long to climb out of it.
8. It is not in the make-up of a noble person to delay in rewarding nor is it that of a generous one to exact revenge.
9. Even if Allah had not decreed to abstain from the foul and impure the man of intellect would still surely do so.
10. Do not consider admitting ignorance as a necessarily bad thing, for saying, "I do not know" is itself half of knowledge. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]
2. Consider not a man worthless until you had a chance to converse with him.
3. Health and well-being on the one hand and gluttony on the other are mutually exclusive.
4. Face off your difficulties with patience; and fence in your blessings with thankfulness.
5. A man's intellect becomes apparent from his speech; as does his character from the goodness of his action.
6. Always consider your intellect to be lacking; otherwise too much faith in it surely leads to error.
7. Seek Allah's refuge from the heedlessness which comes from prosperity; so deep it is, that it will take one very long to climb out of it.
8. It is not in the make-up of a noble person to delay in rewarding nor is it that of a generous one to exact revenge.
9. Even if Allah had not decreed to abstain from the foul and impure the man of intellect would still surely do so.
10. Do not consider admitting ignorance as a necessarily bad thing, for saying, "I do not know" is itself half of knowledge. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1096
Ayahs of the Day:
We did indeed create man and We know what his ego suggests; and We are closer to him than his jugular vein. Two observers are in attendance, sitting on the right and the left. No one utters a word without a ready observer there. [50: 16,17,18]
Hadith of the Day:
One who treads a path in search of (sacred) knowledge has his path to Paradise made easy by God. [Riyadh-us-Saliheen]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Attain to piety and purify your hearts. Save yourselves; do not be held back from divine mercy. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
The recognition of delusion is a necessary step to the awakening to Truth. It takes honesty and courage to admit that we have strayed from the path. But it is a necessary admission. I must stand before God each night and see whether I have lived up to my highest ideals. Sometimes I do and too often I do not. But it is necessary for me to recognize both circumstances. I must ask God to show me what I am doing wrong, that I may correct it. Usually I do not like to hear it, but when I do, I am grateful.
We must scrutinize, with a clear mind, how we were really meant to live, as individuals and as the family of humankind. We may not like having to change, but a change of direction toward the Truth always brings a deep sense of peace within our heart, a fulfillment far deeper than the surface desires that seem to be satisfied with untruth. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall. Persistent people begin their success where others end in failure. Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over.
We did indeed create man and We know what his ego suggests; and We are closer to him than his jugular vein. Two observers are in attendance, sitting on the right and the left. No one utters a word without a ready observer there. [50: 16,17,18]
Hadith of the Day:
One who treads a path in search of (sacred) knowledge has his path to Paradise made easy by God. [Riyadh-us-Saliheen]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Attain to piety and purify your hearts. Save yourselves; do not be held back from divine mercy. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
The recognition of delusion is a necessary step to the awakening to Truth. It takes honesty and courage to admit that we have strayed from the path. But it is a necessary admission. I must stand before God each night and see whether I have lived up to my highest ideals. Sometimes I do and too often I do not. But it is necessary for me to recognize both circumstances. I must ask God to show me what I am doing wrong, that I may correct it. Usually I do not like to hear it, but when I do, I am grateful.
We must scrutinize, with a clear mind, how we were really meant to live, as individuals and as the family of humankind. We may not like having to change, but a change of direction toward the Truth always brings a deep sense of peace within our heart, a fulfillment far deeper than the surface desires that seem to be satisfied with untruth. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall. Persistent people begin their success where others end in failure. Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....134
1. The more worldly greed in one's heart, the less certainty in God.
2. Why expect an evil person to hold a good opinion of others, when the best he can do is to think that others are like him.
3. Time wasted in youth must be made up in later years, if what you seek is a solicitous end.
4. Remain silent about favors done by you, yet proclaim the favors others do for you.
5. Self satisfaction is a sure sign of lacking intellect.
6. The one to whom small afflictions seem large, will certainly be afflicted by truly large calamities.
7. He whose thoughts are vile and low can have nothing but the worst opinion of others.
8. Thankfulness to the Creator in the form of service to His creation is the ultimate expression of gratitude.
9. The one who acts as if death will come tomorrow feels no sorrow when it finally comes.
10. The excellence of knowledge lies in its practice; and the excellence of kindness to others lies in mentioning it not. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]
2. Why expect an evil person to hold a good opinion of others, when the best he can do is to think that others are like him.
3. Time wasted in youth must be made up in later years, if what you seek is a solicitous end.
4. Remain silent about favors done by you, yet proclaim the favors others do for you.
5. Self satisfaction is a sure sign of lacking intellect.
6. The one to whom small afflictions seem large, will certainly be afflicted by truly large calamities.
7. He whose thoughts are vile and low can have nothing but the worst opinion of others.
8. Thankfulness to the Creator in the form of service to His creation is the ultimate expression of gratitude.
9. The one who acts as if death will come tomorrow feels no sorrow when it finally comes.
10. The excellence of knowledge lies in its practice; and the excellence of kindness to others lies in mentioning it not. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]
Monday, February 23, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1095
Ayahs of the Day:
And We send down from the sky blessed water, making gardens sprout thereby, and seeds yielding crops, and the lofty date palm, with layers of fruit stalks, as sustenance for the servants. And We enliven thereby a dead land; thus will be the resurrection. [50: 9,10,11]
Hadith of the Day:
A generous man is near God, near Paradise, near men, and far from Hell. But a miser is far from God, far from Paradise, far from men, and near Hell. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Servants and slaves rejoice when they are emancipated; whereas I rejoice when I become Your servant. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
We can control the amount of happiness in our lives, simply by training our minds to focus on that which is good, beautiful, and true. We do not need to fight or curse that which is not good. All we need to do is to accentuate the positive, and the negative will shrivel up and waste away from lack of attention.
God made each of us with the intention to bless the world through us. We can make a supremely valuable contribution to the universe simply by appreciating our holiness and seeing all as blessed. The more we bless life, the more life will bless us. As we sanctify our lives through our own gratefulness, the illusion of lack vanishes like the morning mist, and our cup runs over with thanksgiving enough to share a million times over. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
To change yourself, you must start on the inside-------changing from the inside out. Fake it till you make it, to be the person you want to be. When you become different inside, it will reflect on the outside, and all will know and recognize the new you. What changes would you like to make? Decide how you want to be, work on those changes, and act as if you are already there.
And We send down from the sky blessed water, making gardens sprout thereby, and seeds yielding crops, and the lofty date palm, with layers of fruit stalks, as sustenance for the servants. And We enliven thereby a dead land; thus will be the resurrection. [50: 9,10,11]
Hadith of the Day:
A generous man is near God, near Paradise, near men, and far from Hell. But a miser is far from God, far from Paradise, far from men, and near Hell. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Servants and slaves rejoice when they are emancipated; whereas I rejoice when I become Your servant. [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
We can control the amount of happiness in our lives, simply by training our minds to focus on that which is good, beautiful, and true. We do not need to fight or curse that which is not good. All we need to do is to accentuate the positive, and the negative will shrivel up and waste away from lack of attention.
God made each of us with the intention to bless the world through us. We can make a supremely valuable contribution to the universe simply by appreciating our holiness and seeing all as blessed. The more we bless life, the more life will bless us. As we sanctify our lives through our own gratefulness, the illusion of lack vanishes like the morning mist, and our cup runs over with thanksgiving enough to share a million times over. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
To change yourself, you must start on the inside-------changing from the inside out. Fake it till you make it, to be the person you want to be. When you become different inside, it will reflect on the outside, and all will know and recognize the new you. What changes would you like to make? Decide how you want to be, work on those changes, and act as if you are already there.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....133
1. Beware of having long-term expectations (for this world), for it makes one forget his true purpose.
2. Thankfulness for blessings is the condition for attaining more blessings; and ingratitude for blessings is the condition for losing them.
3. Death is always a silent companion.
4. The heights of felicity are reached through breaking of bad habits.
5. The wise attain honor through their humbleness, whereas the fool bears humiliation through his haughtiness.
6. Regrets over misdeeds erases them, and pride over good deeds ruins them.
7. Vain desires is a ruinous companion, and bad habits make up a formidable foe.
8. The intellect of a man lies under his tongue.
9. To panic during a calamity is itself a greater calamity.
10. Honor lies in hastening to forgive. Dishonor lies in hastening to revenge. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]
2. Thankfulness for blessings is the condition for attaining more blessings; and ingratitude for blessings is the condition for losing them.
3. Death is always a silent companion.
4. The heights of felicity are reached through breaking of bad habits.
5. The wise attain honor through their humbleness, whereas the fool bears humiliation through his haughtiness.
6. Regrets over misdeeds erases them, and pride over good deeds ruins them.
7. Vain desires is a ruinous companion, and bad habits make up a formidable foe.
8. The intellect of a man lies under his tongue.
9. To panic during a calamity is itself a greater calamity.
10. Honor lies in hastening to forgive. Dishonor lies in hastening to revenge. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]
Thursday, February 19, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1094
Ayahs of the Day:
Haven't they observed the sky above them, how We have constructed it and adorned it, without any gap in it? And the earth-----We lay it out, and set on it mountains, and made every beautiful species grow there, as enlightenment and reminder for every repentant devotee. [50: 6,7,8]
Hadith of the Day:
The best (person) is the one who pays the rights of others generously. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Let whoever wishes to reach God the Exalted first enter from the gates of all gates, which is repentance. This is the first gate to be crossed by the servant when he seeks to enter the presence of nearness to the Exaltation of the Lord. [Shaykh Abdul Khaliq al- Shabrawi]
Guidance of the Day:
The more we appreciate, the more we will find to appreciate. "To him that has, more shall be given." This can work both ways. Just as blessing a situation brings freedom, cursing it brings bondage. The more we rail against a problem in our lives, the more pain it will bring us. Cursing a person or event is denying the God that lives within them, and until we recognize the inner Light there, the situation will remain a curse to us.
Just as it is not in our power to really add blessing to anything, neither is it in our power to curse anything. All we can do in condemning anything is to uphold and increase our own sense of separation and loneliness, which is the soul root of our desire to curse anything. Lack of appreciation is simply a matter of limited seeing. We do not need to create anything new; we need only to see the whole picture of what we already have. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Things don't change, we change. If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow we aren't really living. If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude, don't complain. The only human institution that rejects change is the cemetery.
Haven't they observed the sky above them, how We have constructed it and adorned it, without any gap in it? And the earth-----We lay it out, and set on it mountains, and made every beautiful species grow there, as enlightenment and reminder for every repentant devotee. [50: 6,7,8]
Hadith of the Day:
The best (person) is the one who pays the rights of others generously. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Let whoever wishes to reach God the Exalted first enter from the gates of all gates, which is repentance. This is the first gate to be crossed by the servant when he seeks to enter the presence of nearness to the Exaltation of the Lord. [Shaykh Abdul Khaliq al- Shabrawi]
Guidance of the Day:
The more we appreciate, the more we will find to appreciate. "To him that has, more shall be given." This can work both ways. Just as blessing a situation brings freedom, cursing it brings bondage. The more we rail against a problem in our lives, the more pain it will bring us. Cursing a person or event is denying the God that lives within them, and until we recognize the inner Light there, the situation will remain a curse to us.
Just as it is not in our power to really add blessing to anything, neither is it in our power to curse anything. All we can do in condemning anything is to uphold and increase our own sense of separation and loneliness, which is the soul root of our desire to curse anything. Lack of appreciation is simply a matter of limited seeing. We do not need to create anything new; we need only to see the whole picture of what we already have. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Things don't change, we change. If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow we aren't really living. If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude, don't complain. The only human institution that rejects change is the cemetery.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....132
1. The surest way of achieving heaven on earth is contentment with His decree.
2. Indeed the sword may wound the body, but it is foul speech which wounds the soul.
3. Steeped in error who can find time to seek out faults in others.
4. A believer's humiliation comes from his heedlessness of his religion, not in his lack of wealth or stature.
5. When the poor and needy come to you, then know that it is a gift from your Lord.
6. Sins have a tendency of creating restlessness in one's heart in one form or the other.
7. Ingratitude----------Spending of Allah's bounties in ways which are inappropriate and unbefitting.
8. Generosity is the fruit of wealth; Practice is the fruit of knowledge; Allah's pleasure is the fruit of sincerity.
9. The one who does not observe the rights of people cannot possibly observe the rights of God.
10. Lovers of fine raiment and garb! forget not that one day you will wear the shroud of the grave; Lovers of palaces and lofty mansions forget not that ditch where you ultimately lie; Lovers of fine food and drink forget not that you are to become the food of worms and maggots. [Above quotes by Othman radi Allah anhu]
2. Indeed the sword may wound the body, but it is foul speech which wounds the soul.
3. Steeped in error who can find time to seek out faults in others.
4. A believer's humiliation comes from his heedlessness of his religion, not in his lack of wealth or stature.
5. When the poor and needy come to you, then know that it is a gift from your Lord.
6. Sins have a tendency of creating restlessness in one's heart in one form or the other.
7. Ingratitude----------Spending of Allah's bounties in ways which are inappropriate and unbefitting.
8. Generosity is the fruit of wealth; Practice is the fruit of knowledge; Allah's pleasure is the fruit of sincerity.
9. The one who does not observe the rights of people cannot possibly observe the rights of God.
10. Lovers of fine raiment and garb! forget not that one day you will wear the shroud of the grave; Lovers of palaces and lofty mansions forget not that ditch where you ultimately lie; Lovers of fine food and drink forget not that you are to become the food of worms and maggots. [Above quotes by Othman radi Allah anhu]
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1093
Ayah of the Day:
The only believers are those who have faith in God and the messenger of God without a wavering, and strive for the sake of God by means of their property and their persons. They are the ones who are sincere. [49: 15]
Hadith of the Day:
Too much talk without mention of God produces hardness of heart, and the person farthest from God is someone who has a hard heart. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A person who has been blessed with good character, whether given naturally or acquired through effort, can preserve it only among other people of good character. [Imam Birgivi]
Guidance of the Day:
I like to start and end my day with thoughts of praise and appreciation. I look in the mirror in the morning, and no matter how I feel or look, I say (out loud), "Wow! A new day! I'm so grateful to be alive and healthy! Something wonderful is going to happen to me today! I believe in miracles! There are limitless possibilities for me! I know that God is working with me. Just think how many opportunities there will be to love! Thank You, God, for this new day!"
I like to end the day in the same way, with a gentler tone. As I lie in bed before going to sleep, I quietly look over my day and think of the blessings that have been given to me. If I made any foolish blunders, I give thanks that I became aware of them, and I am grateful that I will be less likely to repeat the same mistake. I like to live in a realm of thanksgiving. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
The world cannot always understand one's profession of faith, but it can understand service. There never was a bad man that had ability for good service. The most acceptable service of God is doing good to man. What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
The only believers are those who have faith in God and the messenger of God without a wavering, and strive for the sake of God by means of their property and their persons. They are the ones who are sincere. [49: 15]
Hadith of the Day:
Too much talk without mention of God produces hardness of heart, and the person farthest from God is someone who has a hard heart. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A person who has been blessed with good character, whether given naturally or acquired through effort, can preserve it only among other people of good character. [Imam Birgivi]
Guidance of the Day:
I like to start and end my day with thoughts of praise and appreciation. I look in the mirror in the morning, and no matter how I feel or look, I say (out loud), "Wow! A new day! I'm so grateful to be alive and healthy! Something wonderful is going to happen to me today! I believe in miracles! There are limitless possibilities for me! I know that God is working with me. Just think how many opportunities there will be to love! Thank You, God, for this new day!"
I like to end the day in the same way, with a gentler tone. As I lie in bed before going to sleep, I quietly look over my day and think of the blessings that have been given to me. If I made any foolish blunders, I give thanks that I became aware of them, and I am grateful that I will be less likely to repeat the same mistake. I like to live in a realm of thanksgiving. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
The world cannot always understand one's profession of faith, but it can understand service. There never was a bad man that had ability for good service. The most acceptable service of God is doing good to man. What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....131
1. How strange is the one who knows the Hell Fire to be real and then sins knowingly.
2. How strange is the one who believes in Paradise yet spends his days in the world leisurely.
3. How strange is the one who considers God to be the Ultimate Reality and yet relies on others exclusively.
4. How strange is the one who knows Satan to be his enemy and yet listens to him obediently.
5. O' Son of Adam! Allah has nourishingly created you for Him alone, yet you so desire to belong to others.
6. The lover of God loves his times of solitude.
7. A slip of the tongue is far more hazardous than a slip of the foot.
8. If you are bent on committing that sin, then seek out that place which will keep God out.
9. To deem that Allah is with one every moment is the greatest expression of faith.
10. The scandal monger harms three people-------himself, his listener, and his target. [Above quotes by Othman radi Allah anhu]
2. How strange is the one who believes in Paradise yet spends his days in the world leisurely.
3. How strange is the one who considers God to be the Ultimate Reality and yet relies on others exclusively.
4. How strange is the one who knows Satan to be his enemy and yet listens to him obediently.
5. O' Son of Adam! Allah has nourishingly created you for Him alone, yet you so desire to belong to others.
6. The lover of God loves his times of solitude.
7. A slip of the tongue is far more hazardous than a slip of the foot.
8. If you are bent on committing that sin, then seek out that place which will keep God out.
9. To deem that Allah is with one every moment is the greatest expression of faith.
10. The scandal monger harms three people-------himself, his listener, and his target. [Above quotes by Othman radi Allah anhu]
Friday, February 13, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1092
Ayahs of the Day:
O humankind, We created you from a male and a female, and We made you races and tribes for you to get to know each other. The most noble of you in the sight of God are those of you who are most conscientious. And God is omniscient, fully aware. [49: 13]
Hadith of the Day:
Blessed is the man whom God has made a key for the good and a lock for evil. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
You must realize that in every moment there is a claim of servanthood upon you from God, a claim demanded from you by command of divine lordship. The servant is held totally accountable for this and is answerable for it and for every moment's breath that has been given to the servant in trust. [Shaykh Abul Hasan al Shadhili]
Guidance of the Day:
My thanksgiving list concludes with any abilities or skills that God gave me to be creative and expressive, and through which I can make some kind of contribution to the world. As I finish writing, I am always amazed at the length of the list, and I always feel a little foolish at not having recognized the abundance in my life.
The people who are successful are those who are grateful for everything they have. Those who complain, whine, or fight life cannot in this consciousness be successful, for in their negation they lose their creative energy and cut themselves off from any possibilities of abundance that are flowing their way. Giving thanks for what we do have always opens up the door for more to come, and ungratefulness always closes it. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
None of us can be free of conflict and woe. Even the greatest men have had to accept disappointments as their daily bread. If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap, whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be content to take their own and depart.
O humankind, We created you from a male and a female, and We made you races and tribes for you to get to know each other. The most noble of you in the sight of God are those of you who are most conscientious. And God is omniscient, fully aware. [49: 13]
Hadith of the Day:
Blessed is the man whom God has made a key for the good and a lock for evil. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
You must realize that in every moment there is a claim of servanthood upon you from God, a claim demanded from you by command of divine lordship. The servant is held totally accountable for this and is answerable for it and for every moment's breath that has been given to the servant in trust. [Shaykh Abul Hasan al Shadhili]
Guidance of the Day:
My thanksgiving list concludes with any abilities or skills that God gave me to be creative and expressive, and through which I can make some kind of contribution to the world. As I finish writing, I am always amazed at the length of the list, and I always feel a little foolish at not having recognized the abundance in my life.
The people who are successful are those who are grateful for everything they have. Those who complain, whine, or fight life cannot in this consciousness be successful, for in their negation they lose their creative energy and cut themselves off from any possibilities of abundance that are flowing their way. Giving thanks for what we do have always opens up the door for more to come, and ungratefulness always closes it. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
None of us can be free of conflict and woe. Even the greatest men have had to accept disappointments as their daily bread. If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap, whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be content to take their own and depart.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....130
1. Wasted is the scholar who is not asked about what he knows.
2. Wasted is the wealth which is not used in good.
3. Wasted is the knowledge which is not acted upon.
4. Wasted is the goodly advice which is ignored.
5. Wasted is the Mus'haf (copy of the Qur'an) which is not recited from.
6. Wasted is the heart which is firmly planted in the mud of dunya.
7. Wasted is the life which has made no provision for the ultimate journey.
8. Put your hopes in no one except your Lord, have fear of nothing other than your sins.
9. The extent to which one understands the nature of dunya measures the degree of his detachment from it.
10. A slip of the tongue is far more hazardous than a slip of the foot. [Above quotes by Othman radi Allah anhu]
2. Wasted is the wealth which is not used in good.
3. Wasted is the knowledge which is not acted upon.
4. Wasted is the goodly advice which is ignored.
5. Wasted is the Mus'haf (copy of the Qur'an) which is not recited from.
6. Wasted is the heart which is firmly planted in the mud of dunya.
7. Wasted is the life which has made no provision for the ultimate journey.
8. Put your hopes in no one except your Lord, have fear of nothing other than your sins.
9. The extent to which one understands the nature of dunya measures the degree of his detachment from it.
10. A slip of the tongue is far more hazardous than a slip of the foot. [Above quotes by Othman radi Allah anhu]
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1091
Ayahs of the Day:
Believers, avoid excess imagination for some imagination is sin. And don't spy on each other, and don't defame each other in their absence. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it! So be conscious of God, for God is most relenting, most merciful. [49: 12]
Hadith of the Day:
Let your own weaknesses disinterest you from the weaknesses of others. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
One who is negligent in maintaining the requirements (of religion) has squandered himself. [Shaykh Abu Madyan]
Guidance of the Day:
When we consciously focus on good in our lives, we unite our mind with the power of appreciation, and we make ourselves available to receive the blessings that God is always offering. There are so many miracles that we can find when we are willing to acknowledge them.
We can include the hardships and challenges that have made us strong as we had to overcome them. Perhaps these should be first on the list of appreciations, for these are the gifts that have brought us close to God, and we can think of no greater blessing than knowing the Source of all blessings. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Tribulation is similar to sickness; it must run its course before it goes away, and the one who is hasty in attempting to remove it often causes it to augment and increase. It is imperative that the one who is afflicted be patient; he must wait with hope for relief, and he must be persistent in prayers.
Believers, avoid excess imagination for some imagination is sin. And don't spy on each other, and don't defame each other in their absence. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it! So be conscious of God, for God is most relenting, most merciful. [49: 12]
Hadith of the Day:
Let your own weaknesses disinterest you from the weaknesses of others. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
One who is negligent in maintaining the requirements (of religion) has squandered himself. [Shaykh Abu Madyan]
Guidance of the Day:
When we consciously focus on good in our lives, we unite our mind with the power of appreciation, and we make ourselves available to receive the blessings that God is always offering. There are so many miracles that we can find when we are willing to acknowledge them.
We can include the hardships and challenges that have made us strong as we had to overcome them. Perhaps these should be first on the list of appreciations, for these are the gifts that have brought us close to God, and we can think of no greater blessing than knowing the Source of all blessings. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Tribulation is similar to sickness; it must run its course before it goes away, and the one who is hasty in attempting to remove it often causes it to augment and increase. It is imperative that the one who is afflicted be patient; he must wait with hope for relief, and he must be persistent in prayers.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....129
1. Sometimes darknesses come over that He may make you aware of the value of His blessings upon you.
2. He who does not know the value of graces/blessings when they are present knows their value when they are absent.
3. Do not deem His giving to be slow; but rather, deem your approaching to be slow.
4. That part of your life that has gone is irreplaceable, and that which has arrived is priceless.
5. You have not loved anything without being its slave, but He does not want you to be someone else's slave.
6. Your obedience does not benefit Him, and your disobedience does not harm Him. It is only for your own good that He commanded the one and prohibited the other.
7. His sublimity is not increased when someone draws near to Him, and His sublimity is not decreased when someone draws away from Him.
8. When Divine inspirations come upon you, they demolish your habits; "Surely the kings, when they enter a town, ruin it."
9. That which hearts find in the way of worries and sadnesses is due to that which prevents their having inner vision.
10. Beneficial knowledge is the one whose ray of light expands in the mind and uncovers the veil over the heart. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata'Allah]
2. He who does not know the value of graces/blessings when they are present knows their value when they are absent.
3. Do not deem His giving to be slow; but rather, deem your approaching to be slow.
4. That part of your life that has gone is irreplaceable, and that which has arrived is priceless.
5. You have not loved anything without being its slave, but He does not want you to be someone else's slave.
6. Your obedience does not benefit Him, and your disobedience does not harm Him. It is only for your own good that He commanded the one and prohibited the other.
7. His sublimity is not increased when someone draws near to Him, and His sublimity is not decreased when someone draws away from Him.
8. When Divine inspirations come upon you, they demolish your habits; "Surely the kings, when they enter a town, ruin it."
9. That which hearts find in the way of worries and sadnesses is due to that which prevents their having inner vision.
10. Beneficial knowledge is the one whose ray of light expands in the mind and uncovers the veil over the heart. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata'Allah]
Monday, February 09, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1090
Ayahs of the Day:
Believers, people should not ridicule other people; these may be better than they are. And women should not ridicule other women; these may be better than they are. And don't defame each other, or call other insulting nicknames. Evil the name of impiety after faith; and any who do not refrain are doing wrong. [49: 11]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not be intimidated by the rebuke of others in the way of Allah. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If knowledge had no other merit than to make the ignorant fear and respect you, and the scholars love and honor you this would be good enough reason to seek after it, let alone its other merits in this world and the next. [Ibn Hazm]
Guidance of the Day:
When we appreciate someone or something, we are blessing them in the most powerful way. We are acknowledging their Divine origin. We are giving thanks for a gift from God. Appreciation is a form of prayer. Just start appreciating the things in your life, and this gratefulness will be more pleasing in the eyes of God than a ritual that has no meaning for you.
There is an old song that has ever-new meaning:
Count your blessings,
Count them one by one.
Count your blessings,
See what God has done. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. Reason and judgment are the qualities of leader. Nothing so conclusive proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.
Believers, people should not ridicule other people; these may be better than they are. And women should not ridicule other women; these may be better than they are. And don't defame each other, or call other insulting nicknames. Evil the name of impiety after faith; and any who do not refrain are doing wrong. [49: 11]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not be intimidated by the rebuke of others in the way of Allah. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If knowledge had no other merit than to make the ignorant fear and respect you, and the scholars love and honor you this would be good enough reason to seek after it, let alone its other merits in this world and the next. [Ibn Hazm]
Guidance of the Day:
When we appreciate someone or something, we are blessing them in the most powerful way. We are acknowledging their Divine origin. We are giving thanks for a gift from God. Appreciation is a form of prayer. Just start appreciating the things in your life, and this gratefulness will be more pleasing in the eyes of God than a ritual that has no meaning for you.
There is an old song that has ever-new meaning:
Count your blessings,
Count them one by one.
Count your blessings,
See what God has done. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. Reason and judgment are the qualities of leader. Nothing so conclusive proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....128
1. How strange is the one who claims to know death's reality and yet can go on enjoying himself heedlessly.
2. How strange is the one who recognizes the evanescence of the world yet longs after it tirelessly.
3. How strange is the one who believes in destiny yet cries over the loss of that which is fleeting.
4. How strange is the one who knows Reckoning to be true and yet goes on hoarding ceaselessly.
5. Silence--------the best remedy for anger.
6. Wanting more when sufficient sustenance and well-being has been given is also a form of complaint.
7. Seek not to burden anyone of God's creature with it be something large or small.
8. null--------Any action undertaken without Allah's pleasure as its goal.
9. This world is merely a waystation which Allah has placed on the road of those traveling to Him.
10. Put your hopes in no one except your Lord, have fear of nothing other than your sins. [Above quotes by Othman radi Allah anhu]
2. How strange is the one who recognizes the evanescence of the world yet longs after it tirelessly.
3. How strange is the one who believes in destiny yet cries over the loss of that which is fleeting.
4. How strange is the one who knows Reckoning to be true and yet goes on hoarding ceaselessly.
5. Silence--------the best remedy for anger.
6. Wanting more when sufficient sustenance and well-being has been given is also a form of complaint.
7. Seek not to burden anyone of God's creature with it be something large or small.
8. null--------Any action undertaken without Allah's pleasure as its goal.
9. This world is merely a waystation which Allah has placed on the road of those traveling to Him.
10. Put your hopes in no one except your Lord, have fear of nothing other than your sins. [Above quotes by Othman radi Allah anhu]
Thursday, February 05, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1089
Ayahs of the Day:
If two parties of believers contend with each other, make peace between them. Then if one of the two acts unjustly to the other, fight the side that transgresses until it goes back to the order of God. Then if it goes back, make peace between the two fairly, doing justice, for God loves those who do justice. The believers are one brotherhood, so make peace between two brothers of yours, being conscious of God so that you may receive mercy. [49: 9,10]
Hadith of the Day:
Speak the truth even though it may be bitter. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Let there be no troubled souls to whom you do not offer a hand and about whom you remain unconcerned. [Fethullah Gulen]
Guidance of the Day:
When we live in Truth, our thoughts and actions send out ripples that awaken the awareness of Truth in all living things. Our life is a sacrifice----not in martyrdom------but in service. When we know God, we are bringing all of the creation closer to God. In this way, we are truly instruments of God's Peace.
Your awareness of God is the healing you offer to your brethren. The light you see is a gift given to be shared. What God gives to you belongs to you, and through you belongs to all. Those who live the Truth can never lose it. If you feel diminished in rejection, you face only your learned insecurity. When your faith gains the firmness of a rock, resistance can find no place in your experience. Stand for the Truth, and those that love Truth will stand by your side. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
The fruit of silence is prayer.
The fruit of prayer is faith.
The fruit of faith is love.
The fruit of love is service.
The fruit of service is peace.
If two parties of believers contend with each other, make peace between them. Then if one of the two acts unjustly to the other, fight the side that transgresses until it goes back to the order of God. Then if it goes back, make peace between the two fairly, doing justice, for God loves those who do justice. The believers are one brotherhood, so make peace between two brothers of yours, being conscious of God so that you may receive mercy. [49: 9,10]
Hadith of the Day:
Speak the truth even though it may be bitter. [Bayhaqi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Let there be no troubled souls to whom you do not offer a hand and about whom you remain unconcerned. [Fethullah Gulen]
Guidance of the Day:
When we live in Truth, our thoughts and actions send out ripples that awaken the awareness of Truth in all living things. Our life is a sacrifice----not in martyrdom------but in service. When we know God, we are bringing all of the creation closer to God. In this way, we are truly instruments of God's Peace.
Your awareness of God is the healing you offer to your brethren. The light you see is a gift given to be shared. What God gives to you belongs to you, and through you belongs to all. Those who live the Truth can never lose it. If you feel diminished in rejection, you face only your learned insecurity. When your faith gains the firmness of a rock, resistance can find no place in your experience. Stand for the Truth, and those that love Truth will stand by your side. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
The fruit of silence is prayer.
The fruit of prayer is faith.
The fruit of faith is love.
The fruit of love is service.
The fruit of service is peace.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....127
1. The strength in one's resolve is that one does not leave for tomorrow what one can do today.
2. Know that it is with ilm (knowledge) that you must speak, and that it is with hilm (forbearance) that you must remain silent.
3. Iman is that one recognizes the One True God in the depths of his heart, and that he confirms it with his tongue, and that he acts upon the Divine Prescriptions of the Shariah.
4. Covetousness itself is poverty regardless of how rich one is; detachment itself is wealth regardless of how poor one is.
5. Doing good for a good done to you is simply repayment, whereas doing good for an evil done to you is a tremendous virtue.
6. When both the lawful and the prohibited are present in a thing, it is its prohibited aspect which will always be most prominent.
7. Decrease in one's speech brings wisdom; decrease in one's food brings health; decrease in one's sleep brings worship.
8. Lofty stations are attained only through humility.
9. Worldly honor may be through wealth, but heavenly honor is certainly through works.
10. Death------A single word which contains within it every goodly advice. [Above quotes by Omar radi Allah anhu]
2. Know that it is with ilm (knowledge) that you must speak, and that it is with hilm (forbearance) that you must remain silent.
3. Iman is that one recognizes the One True God in the depths of his heart, and that he confirms it with his tongue, and that he acts upon the Divine Prescriptions of the Shariah.
4. Covetousness itself is poverty regardless of how rich one is; detachment itself is wealth regardless of how poor one is.
5. Doing good for a good done to you is simply repayment, whereas doing good for an evil done to you is a tremendous virtue.
6. When both the lawful and the prohibited are present in a thing, it is its prohibited aspect which will always be most prominent.
7. Decrease in one's speech brings wisdom; decrease in one's food brings health; decrease in one's sleep brings worship.
8. Lofty stations are attained only through humility.
9. Worldly honor may be through wealth, but heavenly honor is certainly through works.
10. Death------A single word which contains within it every goodly advice. [Above quotes by Omar radi Allah anhu]
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1088
Ayahs of the Day:
Believers, if a vicious person brings any news, try to get at the facts, lest you afflict people ignorantly and become regretful for what you have done. [49: 6]
Hadith of the Day:
If you have four characteristics, whatever worldly advantage passes you by does not matter to you: keeping a trust, a good character, speaking the truth, and moderation in eating. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The station of arrogance negates the station of gratitude, just as humility, by its nature, engenders gratitude. [Imam al-Mawlud]
Guidance of the Day:
Spiritual awakening is spread by overflow. We must teach not so much with our words, but by our example. If we simply live the values that we hold dearest in our heart, there is good chance that our friends will notice the positive changes in our life. They will respond to the light in our faces, and the peace in our eyes will awaken peace in them. One day they may say to us, "You look so happy lately----what have you been doing?" This is our opportunity to share, if we like----we have been asked.
The Truth does not need anyone or any organization to sell it. The Truth sells itself by transforming the inner and outer lives of those that it touches. The Truth needs no marketing, packaging, or promotion. It needs only to be lived. People who live Truth usually have many people attracted to them without any advertising or soliciting. One characteristic of a cult is that members are coerced to join and restricted from leaving. The students of a teacher of Truth are free to come and go as their hearts guide them. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Sin. Rub out the first and the last letters, and you have I----or carnal self----the root of sin. Sin is man's declaration of independence of God. Sin is energy in the wrong channel. Our sense of sin is in proportion to our nearness to God. One leak will sink a ship; and one sin will destroy a sinner.
Believers, if a vicious person brings any news, try to get at the facts, lest you afflict people ignorantly and become regretful for what you have done. [49: 6]
Hadith of the Day:
If you have four characteristics, whatever worldly advantage passes you by does not matter to you: keeping a trust, a good character, speaking the truth, and moderation in eating. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The station of arrogance negates the station of gratitude, just as humility, by its nature, engenders gratitude. [Imam al-Mawlud]
Guidance of the Day:
Spiritual awakening is spread by overflow. We must teach not so much with our words, but by our example. If we simply live the values that we hold dearest in our heart, there is good chance that our friends will notice the positive changes in our life. They will respond to the light in our faces, and the peace in our eyes will awaken peace in them. One day they may say to us, "You look so happy lately----what have you been doing?" This is our opportunity to share, if we like----we have been asked.
The Truth does not need anyone or any organization to sell it. The Truth sells itself by transforming the inner and outer lives of those that it touches. The Truth needs no marketing, packaging, or promotion. It needs only to be lived. People who live Truth usually have many people attracted to them without any advertising or soliciting. One characteristic of a cult is that members are coerced to join and restricted from leaving. The students of a teacher of Truth are free to come and go as their hearts guide them. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Sin. Rub out the first and the last letters, and you have I----or carnal self----the root of sin. Sin is man's declaration of independence of God. Sin is energy in the wrong channel. Our sense of sin is in proportion to our nearness to God. One leak will sink a ship; and one sin will destroy a sinner.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....126
1. The heart is dead, but its living again lies in knowledge, knowledge too is dead, but its living again lies in the seeking after it.
2. Erase old sins with new virtues.
3. He who busies himself in the Lord's work, finds the Lord busy in his work.
4. That amount of knowledge which suffices the Believer is that which keeps him in awe of the Divine.
5. The sole root of man's misery is his talking in excess.
6. Man knows that he is weak, yet how strange that he continues to disobey the One Who is strongest of all.
7. Wretched is the one who dies, and his inequity lives on.
8. A people who have left the struggle in Allah's way have shackled themselves in the dark caverns of disgrace and utter loss.
9. Through his knowledge the seeker of the deen increases in action, whereas the seeker of this world increases only in information. [Above quotes by Abu Bakr radi Allah anhu]
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2. Erase old sins with new virtues.
3. He who busies himself in the Lord's work, finds the Lord busy in his work.
4. That amount of knowledge which suffices the Believer is that which keeps him in awe of the Divine.
5. The sole root of man's misery is his talking in excess.
6. Man knows that he is weak, yet how strange that he continues to disobey the One Who is strongest of all.
7. Wretched is the one who dies, and his inequity lives on.
8. A people who have left the struggle in Allah's way have shackled themselves in the dark caverns of disgrace and utter loss.
9. Through his knowledge the seeker of the deen increases in action, whereas the seeker of this world increases only in information. [Above quotes by Abu Bakr radi Allah anhu]
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