Ayahs of the Day:
Even the sky We constructed through agencies, while it was We who made the space. And the earth We cover, spreading it richly. And We have made pairs of everything, so that you would think. "So flee to God, from whom I am an open warner to you. And don't set up another deity alongside God, from Whom I am an open warner to you." [51: 47 to 51]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
If your love were true, you would have obeyed Him,
Verily, the lover is obedient to the one he loves. [A Poet]
Guidance of the Day:
The only thing that can bring peace to the world are thoughts, feelings, and actions of peace. To think is to create. If we think hatred, hatred shall be manifested in the form of new bullets and bombs. Every thought of anger produces one new physical bullet. When we see an insane arms race, we are seeing the result of our collective consciousness.
If we are to truly change the world, we must give it new thoughts to be manifested------thoughts of the world we would like to see it. We must fill our minds and hearts with ideas and feelings of harmony and celebration. One person quietly sitting for a few minutes a day and meditating or praying for world peace has an effect on the world greater than those who angrily protest and criticize those who make war. Someone who runs down the street cursing those who fight is in effect sending out a set of vibrations that bring about only more war. As it is said, "Don't curse the darkness-----light a candle. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow. Death is the only inescapable, unavoidable, sure thing, we were sentenced to die the day we were born. A man who won't die for something is not fit to live. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at anytime.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....144
1. Since the day you are born, everyday, you are getting closer to the Hereafter with your back towards this world. So your abode in the Hereafter is far nearer to you than your house in this world.
2. Avoid incurring debts; for a debt is a humiliation by day and a grief by night.
3. Entertain hopes of mercy from Allah, but let not your hopes make you bold in committing sins; be fearful of Allah and let not your fear make you despair of His mercy.
4. Busy yourself in the affairs of this world to the extent of the remaining period of your life.
5. Worship Allah according to the measure of your dependence upon Him.
6. Make preparation for the Hereafter according to the extent of your stay in that world.
7. Continue to struggle for redemption from Hell-Fire till you have attained it.
8. If you have the audacity to indulge in sins, do so to the extent that you can endure Hell-Fire.
9. When you want to commit a sin, look for a hiding place that is not being watched by Allah Most High and His angels.
10. Entertain good expectation from Allah without losing fear of His punishment, and fear of His punishment should not make you despair of His mercy. [Above quotes by Hakeem Luqman]
2. Avoid incurring debts; for a debt is a humiliation by day and a grief by night.
3. Entertain hopes of mercy from Allah, but let not your hopes make you bold in committing sins; be fearful of Allah and let not your fear make you despair of His mercy.
4. Busy yourself in the affairs of this world to the extent of the remaining period of your life.
5. Worship Allah according to the measure of your dependence upon Him.
6. Make preparation for the Hereafter according to the extent of your stay in that world.
7. Continue to struggle for redemption from Hell-Fire till you have attained it.
8. If you have the audacity to indulge in sins, do so to the extent that you can endure Hell-Fire.
9. When you want to commit a sin, look for a hiding place that is not being watched by Allah Most High and His angels.
10. Entertain good expectation from Allah without losing fear of His punishment, and fear of His punishment should not make you despair of His mercy. [Above quotes by Hakeem Luqman]
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1105
Ayahs of the Day:
On the earth are signs for those with certainty in faith, and in your selves; so don't you see? And in the sky is sustenance for you, and what you are promised. So by the Lord of the sky and the earth, this is truth, like the fact that you can speak. [51: 20 to 23]
Hadith of the Day:
Remain conscious of Allah and fear Him wherever you are. And follow a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards people. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
What keeps ego weak and obedient is applying learning and knowledge in good actions; being aware of one's state; meditating upon causes and effects; appreciating the gifts bestowed by good character; and listening to the advice of others engaged in the same pursuit. [Imam Birgivi]
Guidance of the Day:
Each of us is a force field that creates and shapes all that is around us. One thought of love from the center of your mind spreads like ripples throughout the universe and touches everything, everywhere, with love. We are all connected to everything. Each of your thoughts and actions has a profound effect on all. I cannot underestimate my relationship with the whole of creation, for I am deeply connected with all that I see.
It has also been said that "you only see yourself." If, then, we want to see a new world in a new and beautiful way, we must first cultivate love and beauty within ourselves. If we send thoughts of anger and bitterness to those who pollute the earth with smoke and chemicals, we are poisoning the atmosphere with our thoughts. Hating anyone has never done anyone any good, and it certainly has not brought any more peace to the world. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
A sinful heart makes feeble hand. Our outward act is prompted from within, and from the sinner's mind proceeds the sin. It is as supreme folly to talk of a little sin as it would be to talk of a small Decalogue that forbids it, or a diminutive God that hates it, or a shallow hell that will punish it. A sin confessed is half forgiven.
On the earth are signs for those with certainty in faith, and in your selves; so don't you see? And in the sky is sustenance for you, and what you are promised. So by the Lord of the sky and the earth, this is truth, like the fact that you can speak. [51: 20 to 23]
Hadith of the Day:
Remain conscious of Allah and fear Him wherever you are. And follow a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards people. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
What keeps ego weak and obedient is applying learning and knowledge in good actions; being aware of one's state; meditating upon causes and effects; appreciating the gifts bestowed by good character; and listening to the advice of others engaged in the same pursuit. [Imam Birgivi]
Guidance of the Day:
Each of us is a force field that creates and shapes all that is around us. One thought of love from the center of your mind spreads like ripples throughout the universe and touches everything, everywhere, with love. We are all connected to everything. Each of your thoughts and actions has a profound effect on all. I cannot underestimate my relationship with the whole of creation, for I am deeply connected with all that I see.
It has also been said that "you only see yourself." If, then, we want to see a new world in a new and beautiful way, we must first cultivate love and beauty within ourselves. If we send thoughts of anger and bitterness to those who pollute the earth with smoke and chemicals, we are poisoning the atmosphere with our thoughts. Hating anyone has never done anyone any good, and it certainly has not brought any more peace to the world. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
A sinful heart makes feeble hand. Our outward act is prompted from within, and from the sinner's mind proceeds the sin. It is as supreme folly to talk of a little sin as it would be to talk of a small Decalogue that forbids it, or a diminutive God that hates it, or a shallow hell that will punish it. A sin confessed is half forgiven.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....143
1. If we are not living for our Lord, relying on His guidance and help, and trusting in His wisdom, we will find it very difficult to negotiate our way through this world.
2. Our fulfillment does not lie in our liberation, rather it lies in the conquest of our souls and its base desires. The conquest only occurs through our enslavement to God.
3. Our enslavement to God in turn means that we have to suppress many of our souls' desires and inclinations.
4. It is our spiritual potential that separates us from the rest of this creation, and it is to the extent that we are able to conquer our physical nature that we realize that spiritual potential.
5. We need to realize that we will never achieve meaningful change in our situation relying on our own meager resources. We need to turn wholeheartedly to our Lord.
6. When we live for our Lord it becomes easy to live with each other. If in our personal relations we can come to embody the spirit of mutual love, mercy, and affection, we will be able to live together in harmony.
7. Islam wants each individual to take responsibility for his or her actions and to begin to address undesirable situations by seeing how he or she has fallen short in meeting the conditions God has established for the attainment of favorable out comes in this life.[Above quotes by Imam Zaid Shakir]
8. Associate frequently with the pious, for, in this way alone, you can attain to the virtues that they possess. Besides, when Allah's special favors descend upon these beings you will be able to receive your share of blessings; for when it rains, its showers fall on all sides of the house. [Hakeem Luqman]
2. Our fulfillment does not lie in our liberation, rather it lies in the conquest of our souls and its base desires. The conquest only occurs through our enslavement to God.
3. Our enslavement to God in turn means that we have to suppress many of our souls' desires and inclinations.
4. It is our spiritual potential that separates us from the rest of this creation, and it is to the extent that we are able to conquer our physical nature that we realize that spiritual potential.
5. We need to realize that we will never achieve meaningful change in our situation relying on our own meager resources. We need to turn wholeheartedly to our Lord.
6. When we live for our Lord it becomes easy to live with each other. If in our personal relations we can come to embody the spirit of mutual love, mercy, and affection, we will be able to live together in harmony.
7. Islam wants each individual to take responsibility for his or her actions and to begin to address undesirable situations by seeing how he or she has fallen short in meeting the conditions God has established for the attainment of favorable out comes in this life.[Above quotes by Imam Zaid Shakir]
8. Associate frequently with the pious, for, in this way alone, you can attain to the virtues that they possess. Besides, when Allah's special favors descend upon these beings you will be able to receive your share of blessings; for when it rains, its showers fall on all sides of the house. [Hakeem Luqman]
Thursday, March 19, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1104
Ayahs of the Day:
As for the conscientious, they will be in gardens with springs, receiving what their Lord has given them; for they used to do good before that. They used to sleep little at night and pray for forgiveness in the early morning hours, and with their goods were fair to the beggar and deprived. [51: 15 to 19]
Hadith of the Day:
Pay regular charity out of your property, for truly it is a purifier, be kind to your relatives, and acknowledge the rights of the poor, of your neighbors, and of those who ask for assistance. [Fiqh us Sunnah]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Fear not; water and fire will become your army. Did the sea not help Noah and Moses? Did it not seek vengeance upon their foes? Was not the fire a fortress for Abraham? Did it not raise the smoke of despair in the heart of Nimrod? [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
Those that we seek to change will be affected by what we are doing in such a way that they will experience that there is a better way than the way that they have been trying. Our friends in conflict may be inspired by our peaceful example, and the good feelings that they experience in our presence will encourage them to be that way, too. And even if they do not change, our job is to be peaceful anyway, so there is no question about what we need to do.
We need to live what we want to see. When we love ourselves, we are bringing love to the world. When we master our own lives, we are bringing mastery and harmony to all people. It is said that "it is easier to conquer a city than to conquer one's self." Find tranquility within yourself, and the world around you will become tranquil. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Friendship is a strong and habitual inclination in two persons to promote the good and happiness of one another. You win the victory when you yield to friends. The way to make a true friend is to be one. Friendship implies loyalty, esteem, cordiality, sympathy, affection, readiness to aid, to help, to stick, to fight for, if need be.......Radiate friendship and it will return sevenfold.
As for the conscientious, they will be in gardens with springs, receiving what their Lord has given them; for they used to do good before that. They used to sleep little at night and pray for forgiveness in the early morning hours, and with their goods were fair to the beggar and deprived. [51: 15 to 19]
Hadith of the Day:
Pay regular charity out of your property, for truly it is a purifier, be kind to your relatives, and acknowledge the rights of the poor, of your neighbors, and of those who ask for assistance. [Fiqh us Sunnah]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Fear not; water and fire will become your army. Did the sea not help Noah and Moses? Did it not seek vengeance upon their foes? Was not the fire a fortress for Abraham? Did it not raise the smoke of despair in the heart of Nimrod? [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
Those that we seek to change will be affected by what we are doing in such a way that they will experience that there is a better way than the way that they have been trying. Our friends in conflict may be inspired by our peaceful example, and the good feelings that they experience in our presence will encourage them to be that way, too. And even if they do not change, our job is to be peaceful anyway, so there is no question about what we need to do.
We need to live what we want to see. When we love ourselves, we are bringing love to the world. When we master our own lives, we are bringing mastery and harmony to all people. It is said that "it is easier to conquer a city than to conquer one's self." Find tranquility within yourself, and the world around you will become tranquil. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Friendship is a strong and habitual inclination in two persons to promote the good and happiness of one another. You win the victory when you yield to friends. The way to make a true friend is to be one. Friendship implies loyalty, esteem, cordiality, sympathy, affection, readiness to aid, to help, to stick, to fight for, if need be.......Radiate friendship and it will return sevenfold.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....142
1. Act in accordance with what you know for what you do not know to be unveiled to you. [Imam al Ghazali]
2. Your knowledge should improve your heart and purge your ego. [Imam al Ghazali]
3. Whenever you interact with people, deal with them as you would wish yourself to be dealt with them, for a Believer's faith is incomplete until he wants for other people what he wants for himself. [Imam al Ghazali]
4. Not a day or night passes for any person without his death during it being a possibility [Imam al Ghazali]
5. Occupy yourself with inspecting your heart, discerning the features of your personality, giving worldly attachments a wide berth, purging yourself of ugly traits, and you would occupy yourself in adoring God the Exalted, worshipping Him and acquiring good qualities. [Imam al Ghazali]
6. If one is not satisfied with what suffices him, no abundance will ever enrich him. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
7. This world is an abode of tests. The object of life is not to avoid or deny its tests and trials, rather to successfully pass them. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
8. Many think that tests from God are always signs of His wrath. As Muslims, we believe that the trials afflicting us can be signs of His love. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
9. Human suffering is real. However, human perseverance and human dignity are just as real. They allow us to nobly endure the trials of this world. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
10. How bad can any suffering in this world be if it opens the door to unimaginable, eternal good in the life hereafter. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
2. Your knowledge should improve your heart and purge your ego. [Imam al Ghazali]
3. Whenever you interact with people, deal with them as you would wish yourself to be dealt with them, for a Believer's faith is incomplete until he wants for other people what he wants for himself. [Imam al Ghazali]
4. Not a day or night passes for any person without his death during it being a possibility [Imam al Ghazali]
5. Occupy yourself with inspecting your heart, discerning the features of your personality, giving worldly attachments a wide berth, purging yourself of ugly traits, and you would occupy yourself in adoring God the Exalted, worshipping Him and acquiring good qualities. [Imam al Ghazali]
6. If one is not satisfied with what suffices him, no abundance will ever enrich him. [Omar radi Allah anhu]
7. This world is an abode of tests. The object of life is not to avoid or deny its tests and trials, rather to successfully pass them. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
8. Many think that tests from God are always signs of His wrath. As Muslims, we believe that the trials afflicting us can be signs of His love. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
9. Human suffering is real. However, human perseverance and human dignity are just as real. They allow us to nobly endure the trials of this world. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
10. How bad can any suffering in this world be if it opens the door to unimaginable, eternal good in the life hereafter. [Imam Zaid Shakir]
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1103
Ayahs of the Day:
By the scattering of winds, and those that bear burdens, and those that blow gently, and those that apportion their action, what you are promised is true; and judgment will come to pass. By the sky, with its orbits, you are involved in a contradictory doctrine by which the deluded are deceived. Doomed are those who conjecture, those who wallow in emotion distracted. [51:1 to 11]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
There are two evils, having which, an abundance of good works is seldom profitable--------discontent with God's decree and wronging God's servants. [Shaykh Abu Hasan al-Shadhili]
Guidance of the Day:
If each of us lives up to our highest ideals, we will be giving the best teaching there is. The most powerful teachings that I have received have come through my ignoring what people say and observing what they do. Words are the last and most superfluous elements of teaching. Real change comes only through example.
If we want to get another person------or the world------to do something, we must do it first. If we want people around us not to fight, we must be peaceful ourself. If we want our kids to clean up their room, we must be willing to keep our own room clean. And if we want the government to not make radioactive nuclear reactors, we cannot afford to radiate poisonous waves of angry emotional reaction. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. It has been shown that most of what we worry about never comes to be. And no problem is solved by worrying about it. So take care of what the world needs now: love, sweet love. Taking care of what needs doing now leaves little time for fear and worry.
By the scattering of winds, and those that bear burdens, and those that blow gently, and those that apportion their action, what you are promised is true; and judgment will come to pass. By the sky, with its orbits, you are involved in a contradictory doctrine by which the deluded are deceived. Doomed are those who conjecture, those who wallow in emotion distracted. [51:1 to 11]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
There are two evils, having which, an abundance of good works is seldom profitable--------discontent with God's decree and wronging God's servants. [Shaykh Abu Hasan al-Shadhili]
Guidance of the Day:
If each of us lives up to our highest ideals, we will be giving the best teaching there is. The most powerful teachings that I have received have come through my ignoring what people say and observing what they do. Words are the last and most superfluous elements of teaching. Real change comes only through example.
If we want to get another person------or the world------to do something, we must do it first. If we want people around us not to fight, we must be peaceful ourself. If we want our kids to clean up their room, we must be willing to keep our own room clean. And if we want the government to not make radioactive nuclear reactors, we cannot afford to radiate poisonous waves of angry emotional reaction. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. It has been shown that most of what we worry about never comes to be. And no problem is solved by worrying about it. So take care of what the world needs now: love, sweet love. Taking care of what needs doing now leaves little time for fear and worry.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....141
1. A disobedience that bequeaths humiliation and extreme need is better than an obedience that bequeaths self-infatuation and pride.
2. The trials that arrive in this world are but reminders to you of what you ignore of indigence.
3. The best of your moments is the one wherein you witness the existence of your indigence and, through it, arrive at the existence of your lowliness.
4. There are two graces from which no being can be separated and that are inevitable for every creature--------the grace of existence, and the grace of sustenance.
5. Whoever supposes that His gentleness (lutf) is separate from His decree of fate (qadr) does so out of short sightedness.
6. Do not press claims against your Lord because your request has been delayed; instead, press claims against yourself for slackening in your behavior.
7. When He makes you submissive to His commands outwardly and provides you with resignation to His power inwardly, then He has enhanced the greatness of the favor accorded you.
8. He commanded you in this world to reflect upon His creation; but in the Hereafter He will reveal to you the perfection of His essence.
9. So long as you are in this world, be not surprised at the existence of sorrows. For, truly, it manifests nothing but what is in keeping with its character or its inevitable nature.
10. What has he found who has lost YOU, what has he lost who has found YOU. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata'Allah]
2. The trials that arrive in this world are but reminders to you of what you ignore of indigence.
3. The best of your moments is the one wherein you witness the existence of your indigence and, through it, arrive at the existence of your lowliness.
4. There are two graces from which no being can be separated and that are inevitable for every creature--------the grace of existence, and the grace of sustenance.
5. Whoever supposes that His gentleness (lutf) is separate from His decree of fate (qadr) does so out of short sightedness.
6. Do not press claims against your Lord because your request has been delayed; instead, press claims against yourself for slackening in your behavior.
7. When He makes you submissive to His commands outwardly and provides you with resignation to His power inwardly, then He has enhanced the greatness of the favor accorded you.
8. He commanded you in this world to reflect upon His creation; but in the Hereafter He will reveal to you the perfection of His essence.
9. So long as you are in this world, be not surprised at the existence of sorrows. For, truly, it manifests nothing but what is in keeping with its character or its inevitable nature.
10. What has he found who has lost YOU, what has he lost who has found YOU. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata'Allah]
Friday, March 13, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1102
Ayahs of the Day:
On the day the earth will split away from them all at once, that will be a gathering which will be easy for Us. We know best what they say: and you don't have power over them. So warn them with the Recital those who fear My threat. [50: 44,45]
Hadith of the Day:
There is no sin more fit to be punished by God........than oppression and severing ties of relationship. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
You must fill up your time with acts of worship so that no period of time elapses whether by night or day, without being used in some act of goodness. [Imam al-Haddad]
Guidance of the Day:
If you want to bring about peace in the world, first bring about peace within yourself. Don't worry about reforming the world; reform yourself! The peace that you would have others find must first be found in your own heart. How can you say to another, 'Let me take a speck out of your eye!' when you have a bigger one in your own? First remove the speck from your own eye, and then you will be able to remove that of your brother.
Does this mean that one must be a fully realized spiritual master before one can teach or offer service? No, not at all. If we waited for everyone to be perfect before anyone could teach, we would have a long wait indeed. It is sufficient to teach what we know and have directly experienced. In this case, teaching is really a sharing, a comparing of notes. It is as if we are all working together on a huge jigsaw puzzle. As you find the place for your piece, you make it easier for me to see the pattern and the place for mine. You might even find a piece that I can use. Teaching is sharing. We have nothing to teach each other, but much to share. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Sin can be well-guarded, but free from anxiety it cannot be. Some have sinned with safety, but none with peace of soul. Our sins, like our shadows when the day is in its glory, scarce appear; toward evening, how great and monstrous they are. Sin may open bright as the morning, but it will end dark as night.
On the day the earth will split away from them all at once, that will be a gathering which will be easy for Us. We know best what they say: and you don't have power over them. So warn them with the Recital those who fear My threat. [50: 44,45]
Hadith of the Day:
There is no sin more fit to be punished by God........than oppression and severing ties of relationship. [Abu Dawud]
Wise Quote of the Day:
You must fill up your time with acts of worship so that no period of time elapses whether by night or day, without being used in some act of goodness. [Imam al-Haddad]
Guidance of the Day:
If you want to bring about peace in the world, first bring about peace within yourself. Don't worry about reforming the world; reform yourself! The peace that you would have others find must first be found in your own heart. How can you say to another, 'Let me take a speck out of your eye!' when you have a bigger one in your own? First remove the speck from your own eye, and then you will be able to remove that of your brother.
Does this mean that one must be a fully realized spiritual master before one can teach or offer service? No, not at all. If we waited for everyone to be perfect before anyone could teach, we would have a long wait indeed. It is sufficient to teach what we know and have directly experienced. In this case, teaching is really a sharing, a comparing of notes. It is as if we are all working together on a huge jigsaw puzzle. As you find the place for your piece, you make it easier for me to see the pattern and the place for mine. You might even find a piece that I can use. Teaching is sharing. We have nothing to teach each other, but much to share. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Sin can be well-guarded, but free from anxiety it cannot be. Some have sinned with safety, but none with peace of soul. Our sins, like our shadows when the day is in its glory, scarce appear; toward evening, how great and monstrous they are. Sin may open bright as the morning, but it will end dark as night.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....140
1. Let not obedience make you joyous because it comes from you, but rather, be joyous over it because it comes from God to you.
2. Whoever is not thankful for graces runs the risk of losing them, and whoever is thankful fetters them with their own cords.
3. Be fearful lest the existence of His generosity towards you and the performance of your bad behavior towards Him not lead you step by step to ruin.
4. He made the Hereafter an abode to reward His believing servants only because this world cannot contain what He wishes to bestow upon them and because He deemed their worth too high to reward them in a world without permanence.
5. The real journey is when the world's dimension is rolled away from you so that you see the Hereafter closer to you than yourself.
6. Far be it for our Lord to recompense with credit the servant who deals with Him in cash.
7. Suffice it is a recompense for you for obedience that He has judged you worthy of obedience.
8. When He gives, He shows you His kindness; when He deprives, He shows you His power. And in all that, He is making Himself known to you and coming to you with His gentleness.
9. Deprivation hurts you only because of the lack of your understanding of God in it.
10. When He loosens you tongue with a request, then know that He wants to give you something. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata'Allah]
2. Whoever is not thankful for graces runs the risk of losing them, and whoever is thankful fetters them with their own cords.
3. Be fearful lest the existence of His generosity towards you and the performance of your bad behavior towards Him not lead you step by step to ruin.
4. He made the Hereafter an abode to reward His believing servants only because this world cannot contain what He wishes to bestow upon them and because He deemed their worth too high to reward them in a world without permanence.
5. The real journey is when the world's dimension is rolled away from you so that you see the Hereafter closer to you than yourself.
6. Far be it for our Lord to recompense with credit the servant who deals with Him in cash.
7. Suffice it is a recompense for you for obedience that He has judged you worthy of obedience.
8. When He gives, He shows you His kindness; when He deprives, He shows you His power. And in all that, He is making Himself known to you and coming to you with His gentleness.
9. Deprivation hurts you only because of the lack of your understanding of God in it.
10. When He loosens you tongue with a request, then know that He wants to give you something. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata'Allah]
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1101
Ayahs of the Day:
And listen for the day when the caller calls from a place nearby, the day they will really hear the cry; that is the day of resurrection. It is We who gave life and death, and the journey is to Us. [50: 41 42,43]
Hadith of the Day:
God has disliked that you talk too much about others, ask too many questions and waste your property. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The good does not come to man in just any way but only through the door of sincerity. So be sincere! [Ibn Ata'Allah]
Guidance of the Day:
While we have lofty ideals for social reform and world change, our real purpose in life is to work on ourselves. This at first may seem selfish or uncharitable, but it is honest, and in the long run we will make more of a contribution to society when we are clear than when we are in any way confused. The greatest service we can offer to others is to purify, sanctify, and know our own self. Then, and only then, are we in the proper position to give. Until then, we are taking.
This does not mean that we are to run off to a cave and meditate until we are realized. Our work on ourselves may involve a great deal of social service. We can be nurses, teachers, and therapists, but we must always bear in mind that we are really using these avenues to expand our own consciousness. Serving others with all our heart does not contradict working on ourselves; to the contrary, it supports it. Until the end, we must remember to use everything we do as a vehicle for our own awakening. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Politeness is an inexpensive way of making friends. Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of pleasures, costs nothing, and conveys much. It pleases him who gives and receives and thus, like mercy, is twice blessed. We secure friends not by accepting favors but by doing them.
And listen for the day when the caller calls from a place nearby, the day they will really hear the cry; that is the day of resurrection. It is We who gave life and death, and the journey is to Us. [50: 41 42,43]
Hadith of the Day:
God has disliked that you talk too much about others, ask too many questions and waste your property. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The good does not come to man in just any way but only through the door of sincerity. So be sincere! [Ibn Ata'Allah]
Guidance of the Day:
While we have lofty ideals for social reform and world change, our real purpose in life is to work on ourselves. This at first may seem selfish or uncharitable, but it is honest, and in the long run we will make more of a contribution to society when we are clear than when we are in any way confused. The greatest service we can offer to others is to purify, sanctify, and know our own self. Then, and only then, are we in the proper position to give. Until then, we are taking.
This does not mean that we are to run off to a cave and meditate until we are realized. Our work on ourselves may involve a great deal of social service. We can be nurses, teachers, and therapists, but we must always bear in mind that we are really using these avenues to expand our own consciousness. Serving others with all our heart does not contradict working on ourselves; to the contrary, it supports it. Until the end, we must remember to use everything we do as a vehicle for our own awakening. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Politeness is an inexpensive way of making friends. Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of pleasures, costs nothing, and conveys much. It pleases him who gives and receives and thus, like mercy, is twice blessed. We secure friends not by accepting favors but by doing them.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....139
1. Your striving only for what has already been guaranteed to you (ie. dunya), and your remissness in what is demanded of you (ie. akhirah), are signs of the blurring of your intellect.
2. Actions are lifeless forms, but the presence of an inner reality of sincerity within them is what endows them with life-giving spirit.
3. Your postponement of deeds till the time when you are free is one of the frivolities of the ego.
4. Your being on the look out for the vices hidden within you is better for you than your being on the look out for the invisible realities veiled from you.
5. The source of every disobedience, indifference, and passion is self-satisfaction. The source of every obedience, vigilance, and virtue is dissatisfaction is one self.
6. Travel not from creature to creature, otherwise you will be like a donkey at the mill; Rather, go from creatures to the Creator.
7. A sign of heart's death is the absence of sadness over the acts of obedience that you have neglected and the abandonment of regret over the mistakes that you have made.
8. You might be in a bad state; but your associating with one who is in a worse state makes you see virtue in yourself.
9. There is no minor sin when His justice confronts you; and there is no major sin when His grace confronts you.
10. Whoever does not draw near to God as a result of the caresses of love is shackled to Him with the chains of misfortune. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata'Allah]
2. Actions are lifeless forms, but the presence of an inner reality of sincerity within them is what endows them with life-giving spirit.
3. Your postponement of deeds till the time when you are free is one of the frivolities of the ego.
4. Your being on the look out for the vices hidden within you is better for you than your being on the look out for the invisible realities veiled from you.
5. The source of every disobedience, indifference, and passion is self-satisfaction. The source of every obedience, vigilance, and virtue is dissatisfaction is one self.
6. Travel not from creature to creature, otherwise you will be like a donkey at the mill; Rather, go from creatures to the Creator.
7. A sign of heart's death is the absence of sadness over the acts of obedience that you have neglected and the abandonment of regret over the mistakes that you have made.
8. You might be in a bad state; but your associating with one who is in a worse state makes you see virtue in yourself.
9. There is no minor sin when His justice confronts you; and there is no major sin when His grace confronts you.
10. Whoever does not draw near to God as a result of the caresses of love is shackled to Him with the chains of misfortune. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata'Allah]
Monday, March 09, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1100
Ayahs of the Day:
We created the Heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in six days; and never did weariness touch Us. So endure what they say, and extol the praises of your Lord before sunrise and before sunset, and in the night; then glorify God at the end of devotions. [50: 38,39, 40]
Hadith of the Day:
Being rich does not mean having a great amount of property, but it is being content (with what one has). [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Flee to the shelter of God's grace. He showers our souls with His grace. When He provides shelter, how can you lack shelter? [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
The Truth is your only refuge. Pay homage to the words of no man, but reserve your worship for God alone. You may be pressed to relinquish your ideals for the sake of the world, but you will find solace and renewal in the life of your heart's deepest bidding. Be vigilant. Fear not to look at the world with clear seeing. Those who fail to regard signs of illness are required to pay price of irresponsibility. Relinquish not your view of perfection, and never fail to execute right action in accord with wisdom.
Make integrity your banner and your bastion. Those of integrity are few, and the smallest act of right conscience shines in the darkness more than you know. Our hearts leap to consider those who live a life for God amid the mire of foulness. Be one of these. In so accepting this noble charge, you stand at the rudder of the destiny of mankind. Please do not underestimate your ability to save the world through your vision of morality. Choose rightly, and legions of angels fly to your support. Choose wrongly, and you stand alone in a lost world. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of our eternity. Death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. I shall not die of a cold or any another reason. I shall only die of having lived. As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.
We created the Heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in six days; and never did weariness touch Us. So endure what they say, and extol the praises of your Lord before sunrise and before sunset, and in the night; then glorify God at the end of devotions. [50: 38,39, 40]
Hadith of the Day:
Being rich does not mean having a great amount of property, but it is being content (with what one has). [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Flee to the shelter of God's grace. He showers our souls with His grace. When He provides shelter, how can you lack shelter? [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
The Truth is your only refuge. Pay homage to the words of no man, but reserve your worship for God alone. You may be pressed to relinquish your ideals for the sake of the world, but you will find solace and renewal in the life of your heart's deepest bidding. Be vigilant. Fear not to look at the world with clear seeing. Those who fail to regard signs of illness are required to pay price of irresponsibility. Relinquish not your view of perfection, and never fail to execute right action in accord with wisdom.
Make integrity your banner and your bastion. Those of integrity are few, and the smallest act of right conscience shines in the darkness more than you know. Our hearts leap to consider those who live a life for God amid the mire of foulness. Be one of these. In so accepting this noble charge, you stand at the rudder of the destiny of mankind. Please do not underestimate your ability to save the world through your vision of morality. Choose rightly, and legions of angels fly to your support. Choose wrongly, and you stand alone in a lost world. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of our eternity. Death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. I shall not die of a cold or any another reason. I shall only die of having lived. As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....138
1. A friend cannot be considered a friend until he is tested on three occasions----------in time of need; behind your back; and after your death. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
2. One of your sins should seem weightier to you than a thousand of your virtues. [Imam Ja'far al Sadiq]
3. There can be no good in excess, just as there is no excess in good. [Imam Abu Hanifah]
4. If there is a good deed which is difficult, hold on to it, for in the end, the good deed will remain and the difficulty will perish. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
5. To be humble is to accept the truth and submit to it even if you heard it from a child or someone who is uneducated or ignorant. [Fudhayl ibn Iyaadh]
6..Even if you studied for a hundred years and collected a thousand books, you would not be eligible for the mercy of Allah except through action. [Imam al Ghazali]
7. Live as long as you want, but you must die; love whoever you want, but you will become separated from it; and do what you want, but you will be repaid for it. [Imam al Ghazali]
8. Allah loves the voice of the one who recites the Qur'an, and the voice of the one who seeks forgiveness before dawn break. [Sufyan al Thawri]
9. Knowledge without action is madness and action without knowledge is void. [Imam al Ghazali]
10. Know that the knowledge which does not remove you from sins today and does not convert you to obedience, will not remove you tomorrow from the Hell fire. [Imam al Ghazali]
2. One of your sins should seem weightier to you than a thousand of your virtues. [Imam Ja'far al Sadiq]
3. There can be no good in excess, just as there is no excess in good. [Imam Abu Hanifah]
4. If there is a good deed which is difficult, hold on to it, for in the end, the good deed will remain and the difficulty will perish. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
5. To be humble is to accept the truth and submit to it even if you heard it from a child or someone who is uneducated or ignorant. [Fudhayl ibn Iyaadh]
6..Even if you studied for a hundred years and collected a thousand books, you would not be eligible for the mercy of Allah except through action. [Imam al Ghazali]
7. Live as long as you want, but you must die; love whoever you want, but you will become separated from it; and do what you want, but you will be repaid for it. [Imam al Ghazali]
8. Allah loves the voice of the one who recites the Qur'an, and the voice of the one who seeks forgiveness before dawn break. [Sufyan al Thawri]
9. Knowledge without action is madness and action without knowledge is void. [Imam al Ghazali]
10. Know that the knowledge which does not remove you from sins today and does not convert you to obedience, will not remove you tomorrow from the Hell fire. [Imam al Ghazali]
Thursday, March 05, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1099
Ayahs of the Day:
And how many generations mightier than they have We destroyed before them, so they traveled from country to country; is there any escape? There is indeed a reminder in that for anyone who has heart, or lends an ear, and stands witness. [50: 36,37]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not spy on each other and do not listen to (evil talk) about others' affairs. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
One who knows himself is not affected by people's praise for him. [Shaykh Abu Madyan]
Guidance of the Day:
Eventually, all that is natural will become the normal; ideal and practice shall be one. This is the glorious vision held by all of the prophets of Truth. Until then we must tread the path of learning to distinguish between peace of mind and feverish dreams. The universe will not tolerate illusion, for untruth runs against the grain of all creation. Why would God have created Truth, were it not to be lived? Untruth exists only to be corrected.
The unnatural that is accepted as the norm can continue to be perpetuated only until it is exposed.The ways of the world are not those of God. The world loves darkness and would have its children believe that the darkness is the Light. Popular opinion is not to be the standard by which the servant of God may guide a holy life. Hold firm, soldiers of Truth, to that which you cherish as dear. Bear your loneliness bravely, and comrades of like purpose shall join you when you most need them. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Life is too short to make it even shorter through disputes.
Do not grieve over trivialities,
for the whole world is trivial.
And how many generations mightier than they have We destroyed before them, so they traveled from country to country; is there any escape? There is indeed a reminder in that for anyone who has heart, or lends an ear, and stands witness. [50: 36,37]
Hadith of the Day:
Do not spy on each other and do not listen to (evil talk) about others' affairs. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
One who knows himself is not affected by people's praise for him. [Shaykh Abu Madyan]
Guidance of the Day:
Eventually, all that is natural will become the normal; ideal and practice shall be one. This is the glorious vision held by all of the prophets of Truth. Until then we must tread the path of learning to distinguish between peace of mind and feverish dreams. The universe will not tolerate illusion, for untruth runs against the grain of all creation. Why would God have created Truth, were it not to be lived? Untruth exists only to be corrected.
The unnatural that is accepted as the norm can continue to be perpetuated only until it is exposed.The ways of the world are not those of God. The world loves darkness and would have its children believe that the darkness is the Light. Popular opinion is not to be the standard by which the servant of God may guide a holy life. Hold firm, soldiers of Truth, to that which you cherish as dear. Bear your loneliness bravely, and comrades of like purpose shall join you when you most need them. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Life is too short to make it even shorter through disputes.
Do not grieve over trivialities,
for the whole world is trivial.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....137
1. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that the knowledge will look after you, but you must look after the wealth.
2. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that while wealth is what was left behind by the likes of Fir'oun, and Hamaan, knowledge is the inherited legacy of the Prophets themselves.
3. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that spending wealth only diminishes it, whereas spending knowledge increases it.
4. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that holding on to wealth over an extended period of time decreases its value, whereas no such harm can come to knowledge.
5. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that there is always a fear that wealth will be stolen, not so with knowledge.
6. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that the possessor of wealth may be known as a miser, whereas the possessor of knowledge can only be known as generous.
7. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that wealth tends to create enemies, whereas knowledge tends to warm hearts.
8. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that Pharaoh's vast wealth caused him to say, "Truly I am deserving of your worship." Whereas the Prophet's (PBUH) vast knowledge caused him to say, "Truly we have not worshipped You as You deserve to be worshipped."
9. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that knowledge results in the heart's illumination, whereas wealth results in it's agitation.
10. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that on the Day of Reckoning it is your wealth you be answerable for, not for your knowledge. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
2. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that while wealth is what was left behind by the likes of Fir'oun, and Hamaan, knowledge is the inherited legacy of the Prophets themselves.
3. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that spending wealth only diminishes it, whereas spending knowledge increases it.
4. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that holding on to wealth over an extended period of time decreases its value, whereas no such harm can come to knowledge.
5. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that there is always a fear that wealth will be stolen, not so with knowledge.
6. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that the possessor of wealth may be known as a miser, whereas the possessor of knowledge can only be known as generous.
7. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that wealth tends to create enemies, whereas knowledge tends to warm hearts.
8. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that Pharaoh's vast wealth caused him to say, "Truly I am deserving of your worship." Whereas the Prophet's (PBUH) vast knowledge caused him to say, "Truly we have not worshipped You as You deserve to be worshipped."
9. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that knowledge results in the heart's illumination, whereas wealth results in it's agitation.
10. The superiority of amassing knowledge over wealth is that on the Day of Reckoning it is your wealth you be answerable for, not for your knowledge. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1098
Ayahs of the Day:
The day We will say to the Hell, "Are you full?" It will say, "Are there more?" And the Paradise will be brought near to the conscientious, not far away: This is what is promised to you, for everyone who keeps turning to God, mindful, who inwardly fears the Benevolent One and comes with a repentant heart. Enter therein, in peace. That is the day of eternity. They will have what they wish there, and a superabundance in Our presence. [50: 30 to 35]
Hadith of the Day:
Beware of suspicion (about others), as suspicion is the most untrue speech. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The lover never tires of conversing with his Beloved. [Mutarrif ibn Abu Bakr]
Guidance of the Day:
We cannot say "Yes" to a world in agony. We must recognize its need for healing. The world of error, the normal world, is a husk of a seed of Divine possibility, patiently waiting to be released. The natural is hidden within the normal, though the two do not now seem to be one in expression on earth. We must feel the constriction of the husk before we can break through it.
We must see the dead end sign on the street we are traveling before we can turn about to correct our course. The awareness of error is the impetus for transformation. Those who would harp on error have not yet seen it in full, for an error truly recognized is a correction set in motion. The only result of real understanding is change. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Its the constant and determined effort that breaks down resistance, sweeps away all obstacles. We are all here to work for what is right. Through our efforts we can create a better world. When we start doing the right things for the right reasons, we will create the right world. What are you willing to put out the effort for? "Choose the difficult right over the easy wrong."
The day We will say to the Hell, "Are you full?" It will say, "Are there more?" And the Paradise will be brought near to the conscientious, not far away: This is what is promised to you, for everyone who keeps turning to God, mindful, who inwardly fears the Benevolent One and comes with a repentant heart. Enter therein, in peace. That is the day of eternity. They will have what they wish there, and a superabundance in Our presence. [50: 30 to 35]
Hadith of the Day:
Beware of suspicion (about others), as suspicion is the most untrue speech. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The lover never tires of conversing with his Beloved. [Mutarrif ibn Abu Bakr]
Guidance of the Day:
We cannot say "Yes" to a world in agony. We must recognize its need for healing. The world of error, the normal world, is a husk of a seed of Divine possibility, patiently waiting to be released. The natural is hidden within the normal, though the two do not now seem to be one in expression on earth. We must feel the constriction of the husk before we can break through it.
We must see the dead end sign on the street we are traveling before we can turn about to correct our course. The awareness of error is the impetus for transformation. Those who would harp on error have not yet seen it in full, for an error truly recognized is a correction set in motion. The only result of real understanding is change. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]
Food for Thought:
Its the constant and determined effort that breaks down resistance, sweeps away all obstacles. We are all here to work for what is right. Through our efforts we can create a better world. When we start doing the right things for the right reasons, we will create the right world. What are you willing to put out the effort for? "Choose the difficult right over the easy wrong."
Monday, March 02, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....136
1. Agreeing with everything one hears is from the habits of hypocrites and disputing with everything one hears is the breeding ground of enmity.
2. The sign that Allah is pleased with His servant is that His servant is pleased with His decree.
3. For those of spiritual insight, everything they lay eyes upon have within it a lofty message and a gentle reminder.
4. Slay your lowly desires with the sword of knowledge (ilm), and your anger with the sword of forbearance (hilm).
5. Go not near places of wickedness and indecency, for they are the epicenters of Allah's wrath and punishment.
6. The worst sin committed by one--------is the one not deemed so when it is done.
7. The best of the words is that which is confirmed with the best of actions.
8. When a man's character becomes goodly, his words become lofty.
9. What a tremendous gift has been given to the one who finds acts of disobedience difficult.
10. Perfecting one's intellect causes one to speak less, and those words spoken will be adorned with wisdom. {Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]
2. The sign that Allah is pleased with His servant is that His servant is pleased with His decree.
3. For those of spiritual insight, everything they lay eyes upon have within it a lofty message and a gentle reminder.
4. Slay your lowly desires with the sword of knowledge (ilm), and your anger with the sword of forbearance (hilm).
5. Go not near places of wickedness and indecency, for they are the epicenters of Allah's wrath and punishment.
6. The worst sin committed by one--------is the one not deemed so when it is done.
7. The best of the words is that which is confirmed with the best of actions.
8. When a man's character becomes goodly, his words become lofty.
9. What a tremendous gift has been given to the one who finds acts of disobedience difficult.
10. Perfecting one's intellect causes one to speak less, and those words spoken will be adorned with wisdom. {Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]
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