1. Faith in Allah is an inoculation against the diseases of the world. [Shaykh Muzaffar]
2. Treat the members of your family with love and respect, because they are people toward whom you turn when in trouble or in need. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
3. O' Son of Adam, you are but a few days; whenever a day is gone, part of you is too. [Hasan al Basri]
4. Allah likes most the person who is saddened by the slightest misfortune of another. [Shaykh Zulfiqar]
5. Do not delude yourself into thinking that your children will attend to you and be kind to you without you having done that for your parents. [Shaykh Zulfiqar]
6. Do not fall into the delusion that you will always remain strong, young and wealthy, and that you will stop sinning after sinning a few times. [Shaykh Zulfiqar]
7. Just like stagnant, standing water becomes a breeding ground for filth, an empty and carefree mind becomes a hive for useless and scorn thoughts. [Shaykh Zulfiqar]
8. God does not open the treasures of His extraordinary graces, except to those who make the sacrifice of their ego. [Ibn Ata'Allah]
9. Happiness with God means a peaceful attitude in the face of vicissitudes of fate; and by a state that makes God happy means the fact of conforming to what He commands and what He forbids. [Shaykh Abul Hasan al Shadhili]
10. Travel toward your Lord even though you are lame and broken---------through sincerity and obedience to Him alone. [Ibn Abbad]
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1122
Ayahs of the Day:
And the Benevolent One has set the earth for creatures, with fruit there, and date palms and spathes, and grain and stalks, and fragrant herbs. Now which of the blessings of your Lord do you deny---having made man from clay, like earthenware, and having created the sprites from a mixture of fire----which of the blessings of your Lord do you deny? [55: 10 to 16]
Hadith of the Day:
Work for your terrestrial life in proportion to your stay in it, and work for your after-life in proportions to your eternity in it! [kanz ul ummal]
Wise Quote of the Day:
O you who cannot bear to be without this despicable world! How can you bear to be without Him who spread it as a carpet? [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
We are so afraid we will be hurt again, and probably we will be. Rather than living our lives based on fear of hurt or pain, preventing ourselves from having love and enjoyment, spontaneity and vitality, we need to learn to cope better with hurt. We cannot hide from it. Few of us handle emotional hurt as masterfully as we handle physical hurt. If we bump our knee and feel sorry for ourselves for a moment. Then, the pain is over for us. Even though we may occasionally notice an ache or pain in that knee or remember our carelessness, the incident of the bruised knee is completed quickly and easily with a minimum of blame, shame, drama, or distress.
This is vastly different from how we usually handle emotional hurts. We don't punish our knees for causing physical pain. However, we do punish ourselves and other people for causing us emotional pain by rejecting others or withholding ourselves. This is neither an effective way to handle pain nor much protection against further hurt. Being cut off from intimacy and nourishment this way, we hurt ourselves. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
There is nothing so easy as to learn as experience and nothing so hard to apply. Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes. Nothing is a waste of time if we use the experience wisely. What one have not experienced, one will never understand in spirit.
And the Benevolent One has set the earth for creatures, with fruit there, and date palms and spathes, and grain and stalks, and fragrant herbs. Now which of the blessings of your Lord do you deny---having made man from clay, like earthenware, and having created the sprites from a mixture of fire----which of the blessings of your Lord do you deny? [55: 10 to 16]
Hadith of the Day:
Work for your terrestrial life in proportion to your stay in it, and work for your after-life in proportions to your eternity in it! [kanz ul ummal]
Wise Quote of the Day:
O you who cannot bear to be without this despicable world! How can you bear to be without Him who spread it as a carpet? [Mawlana Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
We are so afraid we will be hurt again, and probably we will be. Rather than living our lives based on fear of hurt or pain, preventing ourselves from having love and enjoyment, spontaneity and vitality, we need to learn to cope better with hurt. We cannot hide from it. Few of us handle emotional hurt as masterfully as we handle physical hurt. If we bump our knee and feel sorry for ourselves for a moment. Then, the pain is over for us. Even though we may occasionally notice an ache or pain in that knee or remember our carelessness, the incident of the bruised knee is completed quickly and easily with a minimum of blame, shame, drama, or distress.
This is vastly different from how we usually handle emotional hurts. We don't punish our knees for causing physical pain. However, we do punish ourselves and other people for causing us emotional pain by rejecting others or withholding ourselves. This is neither an effective way to handle pain nor much protection against further hurt. Being cut off from intimacy and nourishment this way, we hurt ourselves. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
There is nothing so easy as to learn as experience and nothing so hard to apply. Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes. Nothing is a waste of time if we use the experience wisely. What one have not experienced, one will never understand in spirit.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....160
1. Grant favor and be considerate of your enemy, because you will thus gain either one or the other of the two kinds of victories; one rising above your enemy; the other, reducing the intensity of his enmity.
2. Do not disappoint a person who holds a good opinion of you, and do not make him change his opinion of you.
3. Do not run after the one who tries to avoid you.
4. Do not get too worried and depressed over oppressions and cruelties, because whoever oppresses you is in reality harming himself.
5. The greatest achievement of your character is that the enmity of your brother against you dare not overcome the consideration and friendship you feel toward him, and his ill-treatment of you cannot over balance your kind treatment to him.
6. Do not be like the people on whom advice has no effect and who require punishment to correct themselves.
7. A true friend is one who speaks well of you even behind your back---------be a true friend.
8. He who wants to retain his prestige and position through contentment and honesty, will find them lasting assets.
9. Weaknesses and shortcomings are not the things to talk about.
10. Do not introduce ridiculous topics in your talk even if you have to repeat sayings of others. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]
2. Do not disappoint a person who holds a good opinion of you, and do not make him change his opinion of you.
3. Do not run after the one who tries to avoid you.
4. Do not get too worried and depressed over oppressions and cruelties, because whoever oppresses you is in reality harming himself.
5. The greatest achievement of your character is that the enmity of your brother against you dare not overcome the consideration and friendship you feel toward him, and his ill-treatment of you cannot over balance your kind treatment to him.
6. Do not be like the people on whom advice has no effect and who require punishment to correct themselves.
7. A true friend is one who speaks well of you even behind your back---------be a true friend.
8. He who wants to retain his prestige and position through contentment and honesty, will find them lasting assets.
9. Weaknesses and shortcomings are not the things to talk about.
10. Do not introduce ridiculous topics in your talk even if you have to repeat sayings of others. [Above quotes by Ali radi Allah anhu]
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1121
Ayahs of the Day:
The Benevolent One taught the Recital, created man, taught him expression. The sun and the moon follow calculated courses, and the trees and the grasses bow down. The Benevolent One has raised the sky, and set the balance, so you would not overstep balance. So establish weight justly, not letting the balance give short measure. [55:1 to 9]
Hadith of the Day:
God does not look at your physical forms, or your wealth. Rather, He looks at your deeds and your hearts. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Bear in mind that those who carry others' secrets to you might bear yours to others. Do not give such tactless people any chance to learn even the smallest details of your private concerns. [Fethullah Gulen]
Guidance of the Day:
It is when we don't let hurt go that the results are tragic. We allow hurt to influence us very deeply, sometimes for the rest of our lives. Because we often believe that the past damage done to us is irreparable, we allow hurts to color our future, often disadvantageously. We act in self-defeating ways to protect ourselves. We make stringent rules about how we are going to respond to people and relationships from now on, and these self-imposed rules may have an impact on the rest of our lives.
Our rules often begin with the words "I will never again." Then we do things like never again loving or giving or sharing ourselves intimately or asking for anything. Unknowingly, one single hurtful incident can become the basis for how we operate all the rest of our lives. We often make decisions that have an impact on us for years based on one hurtful moment, decisions that become our own destructive self-fulfilling prophesies. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten. Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. Anger is a killing thing. It kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before, it takes something from him.
The Benevolent One taught the Recital, created man, taught him expression. The sun and the moon follow calculated courses, and the trees and the grasses bow down. The Benevolent One has raised the sky, and set the balance, so you would not overstep balance. So establish weight justly, not letting the balance give short measure. [55:1 to 9]
Hadith of the Day:
God does not look at your physical forms, or your wealth. Rather, He looks at your deeds and your hearts. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Bear in mind that those who carry others' secrets to you might bear yours to others. Do not give such tactless people any chance to learn even the smallest details of your private concerns. [Fethullah Gulen]
Guidance of the Day:
It is when we don't let hurt go that the results are tragic. We allow hurt to influence us very deeply, sometimes for the rest of our lives. Because we often believe that the past damage done to us is irreparable, we allow hurts to color our future, often disadvantageously. We act in self-defeating ways to protect ourselves. We make stringent rules about how we are going to respond to people and relationships from now on, and these self-imposed rules may have an impact on the rest of our lives.
Our rules often begin with the words "I will never again." Then we do things like never again loving or giving or sharing ourselves intimately or asking for anything. Unknowingly, one single hurtful incident can become the basis for how we operate all the rest of our lives. We often make decisions that have an impact on us for years based on one hurtful moment, decisions that become our own destructive self-fulfilling prophesies. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten. Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. Anger is a killing thing. It kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before, it takes something from him.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....159
1.When the inward is good the outward is also inevitably so, for the outward always follows the inward, whether for good or evil. [Imam al Haddad]
2. Know that the hearing and sight are two open doors; whatever enters through them reaches the heart. [Imam al Haddad]
3. The sincere person is the one who hides his good deeds just like he hides his evil deeds. [Yaqub al Ma'foof]
4. Do not rely on vain hopes, because vain hopes are the assets of idiots and fools. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
5. If you cannot be of benefit to the people, then do not harm them; if you cannot make them happy, then do not make them sorrowful; if you cannot praise them, then do not disparage them. [Yahya ibn Mu'adh]
6. Wisdom is the name of the trait of remembering experiences and making use of them. The best experience is the one that gives the best warning and advice. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
7. Take advantage of the opportunities before they turn their backs upon you; the worst form of folly is to waste the opportunities of this life and to lose salvation. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
8. Treat with consideration and kindness those over whom you have power and authority. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
9. Keep a complete control over your temper and anger, because I have never found anything more beneficial at the end and more productive of good results than such control. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
10. Be mild, pleasant, and lenient with him who is harsh, gross, and strict with you; gradually he will turn to your way of behavior. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
2. Know that the hearing and sight are two open doors; whatever enters through them reaches the heart. [Imam al Haddad]
3. The sincere person is the one who hides his good deeds just like he hides his evil deeds. [Yaqub al Ma'foof]
4. Do not rely on vain hopes, because vain hopes are the assets of idiots and fools. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
5. If you cannot be of benefit to the people, then do not harm them; if you cannot make them happy, then do not make them sorrowful; if you cannot praise them, then do not disparage them. [Yahya ibn Mu'adh]
6. Wisdom is the name of the trait of remembering experiences and making use of them. The best experience is the one that gives the best warning and advice. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
7. Take advantage of the opportunities before they turn their backs upon you; the worst form of folly is to waste the opportunities of this life and to lose salvation. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
8. Treat with consideration and kindness those over whom you have power and authority. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
9. Keep a complete control over your temper and anger, because I have never found anything more beneficial at the end and more productive of good results than such control. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
10. Be mild, pleasant, and lenient with him who is harsh, gross, and strict with you; gradually he will turn to your way of behavior. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1120
Ayahs of the Day:
We created everything in proportion and measure: and Our command is but a single order, like the glance of an eye. And indeed in the past We have destroyed groups like you, but does anyone take a lesson? Everything they have done is in the scriptures; and every matter, minor and major, is written down. As for the conscientious, they will be in gardens with streams, in the seat of the Truth in the presence of an Omnipotent Sovereign. [54: 49 to 55]
Hadith of the Day:
Everyone of you is a guardian, and each of you will be asked concerning his/her wards. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Live as long as you want, but you must die; love whatever you want, but you will become separated from it; and do what you want, but you will be repaid for it! [Imam Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
We hold hurt as wrong. We think that hurt should simply not happen to us. We imagine if we were good enough or mature enough or strong enough, we would not hurt. Longing to be superhuman-----not human-----we deny the inevitability of hurting and being hurt. As a result we are outraged and often overwhelmed when we are hurt or disappointed.
If we only accepted that hurts happen, we would be much more effective in dealing with them. Then we could freely admit to inflicting or feeling hurt. With such a consciousness, we could simply recoil momentarily from pain and not feel damaged by every hurtful event in our lives. We would certainly be freer to forgive and forget, the most powerful way we can overcome hurt. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
Pride is the beginning of sin. Pride is the master sin of the devil. When pride comes, then comes shame. A proud man has no God. "From pride, vain-glory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness, good Lord, deliver us."
We created everything in proportion and measure: and Our command is but a single order, like the glance of an eye. And indeed in the past We have destroyed groups like you, but does anyone take a lesson? Everything they have done is in the scriptures; and every matter, minor and major, is written down. As for the conscientious, they will be in gardens with streams, in the seat of the Truth in the presence of an Omnipotent Sovereign. [54: 49 to 55]
Hadith of the Day:
Everyone of you is a guardian, and each of you will be asked concerning his/her wards. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Live as long as you want, but you must die; love whatever you want, but you will become separated from it; and do what you want, but you will be repaid for it! [Imam Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
We hold hurt as wrong. We think that hurt should simply not happen to us. We imagine if we were good enough or mature enough or strong enough, we would not hurt. Longing to be superhuman-----not human-----we deny the inevitability of hurting and being hurt. As a result we are outraged and often overwhelmed when we are hurt or disappointed.
If we only accepted that hurts happen, we would be much more effective in dealing with them. Then we could freely admit to inflicting or feeling hurt. With such a consciousness, we could simply recoil momentarily from pain and not feel damaged by every hurtful event in our lives. We would certainly be freer to forgive and forget, the most powerful way we can overcome hurt. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
Pride is the beginning of sin. Pride is the master sin of the devil. When pride comes, then comes shame. A proud man has no God. "From pride, vain-glory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness, good Lord, deliver us."
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....158
1. The ailment of body is in sickness and that of the heart in sins. A delicious meal cannot benefit the body when the person is sick and likewise, the heart cannot taste the sweetness of worship if it is full of sins. [Dhun nun al Misri]
2. There is only one virtue and one sin for the soul on the spiritual path---------virtue when he is conscious of God and sin when he is not. [Abu Hashim Madani]
3. Accept the truth from whoever says it whether they are young or old and beware of being given to refusal and arrogance. [Shaykh Bayanuni]
4. Repentance, awareness of God, and uprightness are the foundations of all that is beneficial. [Ahmad al Zarruq]
5. Know that repentance is a key, God consciousness (taqwa) is vast, and uprightness is the source of rectification. [Ahmad al Zarruq]
6. Knowledge is not what is memorized; knowledge is what benefits. [Imam al Shafi'i]
7. Allah's generosity is connected to gratitude, and gratitude is linked to increase in His generosity. Allah's generosity will not stop increasing unless the gratitude of the servant ceases. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
8. The whole life is about you, your Lord, and your grave, nothing else matters. [Shaykh Nuh]
9. How can a sane person be conceited about his spiritual works, when his works are but a gift from Allah and a blessing from Him that he should thank Him for. [Abu Sulayman al Darani]
10. When your heart is hardened by other than Allah, then make dhikr until nothing remains other than Allah. [Shaykh Muhammad al Hashimi]
2. There is only one virtue and one sin for the soul on the spiritual path---------virtue when he is conscious of God and sin when he is not. [Abu Hashim Madani]
3. Accept the truth from whoever says it whether they are young or old and beware of being given to refusal and arrogance. [Shaykh Bayanuni]
4. Repentance, awareness of God, and uprightness are the foundations of all that is beneficial. [Ahmad al Zarruq]
5. Know that repentance is a key, God consciousness (taqwa) is vast, and uprightness is the source of rectification. [Ahmad al Zarruq]
6. Knowledge is not what is memorized; knowledge is what benefits. [Imam al Shafi'i]
7. Allah's generosity is connected to gratitude, and gratitude is linked to increase in His generosity. Allah's generosity will not stop increasing unless the gratitude of the servant ceases. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
8. The whole life is about you, your Lord, and your grave, nothing else matters. [Shaykh Nuh]
9. How can a sane person be conceited about his spiritual works, when his works are but a gift from Allah and a blessing from Him that he should thank Him for. [Abu Sulayman al Darani]
10. When your heart is hardened by other than Allah, then make dhikr until nothing remains other than Allah. [Shaykh Muhammad al Hashimi]
Friday, May 15, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1119
Ayahs of the Day:
Yes, We have made the Qur'an easy for them to recite and remember, but does anyone take a lesson? The warning also came to the people of Pharaoh: They repudiated Our signs, all of them, so We punished them with the punishment of a mighty one able to prevail. [54: 40,41,42]
Hadith of the Day:
The magnitude of otherworldly reward is proportionate to the magnitude of worldly tribulation. When God loves a people, He tries them. Whoever is content (with God's decree) will have Divine pleasure. Whoever is displeased (with God's decree) will have Divine wrath. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
In the end it's about you, your Lord and the Grave-----nothing else matters. [Shaykh Nuh Keller]
Guidance of the Day:
The game of life is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well. Hurt is a fact of life. until we accept and allow the hurt as inevitable, we cannot begin to deal more effectively with the hurts of life. As human beings, we will hurt and be hurt. None of us is invulnerable. Not only do circumstances upset us, but we hurt each other, not necessarily intentionally or maliciously. We disappoint, criticize, oppose, anger, injure, and withhold from one another all the time.
Because we refuse to accept and include hurt and the suffering that may follow as an inevitable aspect of human experience, hurt takes us by surprise and we never learn effective ways to deal with it. It is not wrong to hurt, but it is tragic that we let our reactions to hurt and our fear of hurt run our lives. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
We create our fate every day..... most of the ills we suffer from are directly traceable to our own behavior. Of course, fortune has its part in human affairs, but conduct is really much more important. You don't just luck into things......You build step by step, whether it's friendships or opportunities.
Yes, We have made the Qur'an easy for them to recite and remember, but does anyone take a lesson? The warning also came to the people of Pharaoh: They repudiated Our signs, all of them, so We punished them with the punishment of a mighty one able to prevail. [54: 40,41,42]
Hadith of the Day:
The magnitude of otherworldly reward is proportionate to the magnitude of worldly tribulation. When God loves a people, He tries them. Whoever is content (with God's decree) will have Divine pleasure. Whoever is displeased (with God's decree) will have Divine wrath. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
In the end it's about you, your Lord and the Grave-----nothing else matters. [Shaykh Nuh Keller]
Guidance of the Day:
The game of life is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well. Hurt is a fact of life. until we accept and allow the hurt as inevitable, we cannot begin to deal more effectively with the hurts of life. As human beings, we will hurt and be hurt. None of us is invulnerable. Not only do circumstances upset us, but we hurt each other, not necessarily intentionally or maliciously. We disappoint, criticize, oppose, anger, injure, and withhold from one another all the time.
Because we refuse to accept and include hurt and the suffering that may follow as an inevitable aspect of human experience, hurt takes us by surprise and we never learn effective ways to deal with it. It is not wrong to hurt, but it is tragic that we let our reactions to hurt and our fear of hurt run our lives. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
We create our fate every day..... most of the ills we suffer from are directly traceable to our own behavior. Of course, fortune has its part in human affairs, but conduct is really much more important. You don't just luck into things......You build step by step, whether it's friendships or opportunities.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....157
1. If what you desire from this world is what should suffice you, a little should suffice you; but if you desire more than your sufficiency, the entire world will not suffice you. [Imam al Ghazali]
2. How often is that a small action becomes great because of the sincerity (Ikhlas); and how often it is that a great action becomes small because of the lack of sincerity. [Abdullah bin Mubarak]
3. Weep like the water wheel, that the green herbs may spring up from the courtyard of your soul. [Mawlana Rumi]
4. If you do enough dhikr you will not get stressed. If you are getting stressed you are not doing enough dhikr. [Shaykh Hamza Yusuf]
5. Reflection is the lamp of the heart, if it departs the heart will have no light. [Imam al Haddad]
6. Everyone who is taken by death asks for more time, while everyone who still has time makes time for procrastination. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
7. Let your main concern be to remove from your outer state anything that is displeasing, then maintain this state through continual counsel, reflection and remembrance. [Ahmad al Zarruq]
8. The bounty that comes from Allah to a believer due to his trial is greater than the bounty that comes from Allah during his times of ease. [Ibn Rajab]
9. You have a diamond called Islam. Don't hide it away---------share the light of it with others through you practice. [Imam al Awkaki]
10. Be shy toward Allah when you are in private in the same way that you are shy toward people when you are in public. [Ka'ab radi Allah anhu]
2. How often is that a small action becomes great because of the sincerity (Ikhlas); and how often it is that a great action becomes small because of the lack of sincerity. [Abdullah bin Mubarak]
3. Weep like the water wheel, that the green herbs may spring up from the courtyard of your soul. [Mawlana Rumi]
4. If you do enough dhikr you will not get stressed. If you are getting stressed you are not doing enough dhikr. [Shaykh Hamza Yusuf]
5. Reflection is the lamp of the heart, if it departs the heart will have no light. [Imam al Haddad]
6. Everyone who is taken by death asks for more time, while everyone who still has time makes time for procrastination. [Ali radi Allah anhu]
7. Let your main concern be to remove from your outer state anything that is displeasing, then maintain this state through continual counsel, reflection and remembrance. [Ahmad al Zarruq]
8. The bounty that comes from Allah to a believer due to his trial is greater than the bounty that comes from Allah during his times of ease. [Ibn Rajab]
9. You have a diamond called Islam. Don't hide it away---------share the light of it with others through you practice. [Imam al Awkaki]
10. Be shy toward Allah when you are in private in the same way that you are shy toward people when you are in public. [Ka'ab radi Allah anhu]
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1118
Ayahs of the Day:
This is a warner from among the warners of old. The impending approaches: none can reveal it but God. Do you then wonder at this history? And do you laugh but not cry, as idlers? Then bow to God, and worship. [53: 56 to 62]
Hadith of the Day:
People are tested according to their faith. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The pain that comes from criticism is felt only by people whose whole life and care is for this world. For those who care for the Hereafter, criticism is a gift and a cause of salvation and peace. [Imam Birgivi]
Guidance of the Day:
We can learn to broaden our abilities and to expand our repertoire for coping with the ordeals and opportunities life presents to us. To do so will take courage, the courage to live fully, consciously, and responsibly. For some of us courage would seem inappropriate word to describe how we have played out our lives up to now.
Yet changing our ways invariably takes enormous courage--------the courage to change and perhaps admit that we were wrong, the courage to confront whatever is the truth about ourselves and our lives, the courage to experiment and learn and be awkward, and the courage to be fully, uniquely who we are, alive and engaged in life. Most of all we need the courage to face the hurts of life. Since suffering is hurt that has been prolonged, we need to come to terms with and accept the inevitability of our being hurt. [Judy Tatelbaum, You don't have to suffer]
Food for Thought:
An educated person accepts and understands his own mortality and its reasons. He understands that without death and aging nothing would have any meaning. He learns from all ages, even from the last minutes of his life. He has intense "awareness" of the profound significance of being, and the profound significance of being here. He can figure out how to be useful to others, and in trading time, insight, and service to meet the needs of others.
This is a warner from among the warners of old. The impending approaches: none can reveal it but God. Do you then wonder at this history? And do you laugh but not cry, as idlers? Then bow to God, and worship. [53: 56 to 62]
Hadith of the Day:
People are tested according to their faith. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The pain that comes from criticism is felt only by people whose whole life and care is for this world. For those who care for the Hereafter, criticism is a gift and a cause of salvation and peace. [Imam Birgivi]
Guidance of the Day:
We can learn to broaden our abilities and to expand our repertoire for coping with the ordeals and opportunities life presents to us. To do so will take courage, the courage to live fully, consciously, and responsibly. For some of us courage would seem inappropriate word to describe how we have played out our lives up to now.
Yet changing our ways invariably takes enormous courage--------the courage to change and perhaps admit that we were wrong, the courage to confront whatever is the truth about ourselves and our lives, the courage to experiment and learn and be awkward, and the courage to be fully, uniquely who we are, alive and engaged in life. Most of all we need the courage to face the hurts of life. Since suffering is hurt that has been prolonged, we need to come to terms with and accept the inevitability of our being hurt. [Judy Tatelbaum, You don't have to suffer]
Food for Thought:
An educated person accepts and understands his own mortality and its reasons. He understands that without death and aging nothing would have any meaning. He learns from all ages, even from the last minutes of his life. He has intense "awareness" of the profound significance of being, and the profound significance of being here. He can figure out how to be useful to others, and in trading time, insight, and service to meet the needs of others.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....156
1. It is useless to have a learned tongue and an ignorant heart. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
2. There is nothing more beneficial to a Muslim's heart than to mix with the righteous and to watch their actions, while nothing is more harmful to the heart than mixing with the sinners and watching their actions. [Ahmad bin Harb]
3. Knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity. [Imam al Ghazali]
4. Iblis said: "If I am successful in persuading man to do three things, then that is sufficient for me to ruin him--------to make him forget his sins, to regard his good deeds as too many, and to be proud of his opinion". [Dirar ibn Murrah]
5. The men of the elite are only distinguished from the normal men by the battle they wage against their individual souls. [Ibn Ajiba]
6. Allah sometimes takes us into troubled waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us. [Arabic Proverb]
7. Be more concerned for the acceptance of your action than you are for the action. An action with fearful obedience will not be little. How could an action which is accepted be little?
8. True repentance entails constant regret of your sins. Without remorse, good deeds, be they abounding, could be eclipsed with pride that follows piety. [Al Hujwiri]
9. Remorse for a sin is superior to good works. Never forget your transgressions to save yourself from conceit. [Al Hujwiri]
10. Sit with those of this world, and you become a speck in its sea. Sit with those of Allah, and the world becomes a speck in your sea. [Sufi saying]
2. There is nothing more beneficial to a Muslim's heart than to mix with the righteous and to watch their actions, while nothing is more harmful to the heart than mixing with the sinners and watching their actions. [Ahmad bin Harb]
3. Knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity. [Imam al Ghazali]
4. Iblis said: "If I am successful in persuading man to do three things, then that is sufficient for me to ruin him--------to make him forget his sins, to regard his good deeds as too many, and to be proud of his opinion". [Dirar ibn Murrah]
5. The men of the elite are only distinguished from the normal men by the battle they wage against their individual souls. [Ibn Ajiba]
6. Allah sometimes takes us into troubled waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us. [Arabic Proverb]
7. Be more concerned for the acceptance of your action than you are for the action. An action with fearful obedience will not be little. How could an action which is accepted be little?
8. True repentance entails constant regret of your sins. Without remorse, good deeds, be they abounding, could be eclipsed with pride that follows piety. [Al Hujwiri]
9. Remorse for a sin is superior to good works. Never forget your transgressions to save yourself from conceit. [Al Hujwiri]
10. Sit with those of this world, and you become a speck in its sea. Sit with those of Allah, and the world becomes a speck in your sea. [Sufi saying]
Monday, May 11, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1117
Ayahs of the Day:
And that it is God who enriches and satisfies; and that God is the Lord of Sirius, and that God annihilated the ancient 'Ad, and the Thamud, not allowing them to survive, and people of Noah before that; for they were most unjust and most cruel; and God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, so they were covered over. Now which of the powers of your Lord do you dispute? [53: 48 to 55]
Hadith of the Day:
The hour will not come until knowledge is taken away, earthquakes become numerous, time passes quickly, tribulations appear, chaos reins----that is to say widespread killing. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Devotion to one's religious duty is the foundation of all that is good, it is a source of worldly benefit, a source of wisdom and all kinds of knowledge, of purity of heart and of many secrets. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
We can use powerful circumstances as stepping stones to our growth. Instead of just perpetuating our misery, we can choose to use any circumstances, even the terrible events or anguished moments, to develop wisdom, to alter our lives, and perhaps to contribute in some way to the world.
We can alter our relationship with suffering. By examining the ways we stop ourselves from successfully moving through life's challenges, we can learn to move beyond each crisis or disappointment. We can allow the experience and then just let it go. We can learn to transcend our circumstances, terrible or painful though they may be. Transcending our circumstances, rather than perpetually suffering over them, is one of the major secrets of living a full and satisfying life. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
If a man was great while living, he becomes tenfold greater when dead. To live in hearts we leave behind, is not to die. Death comes not to the living soul, nor age to the loving heart. Death to a believer is the funeral of all his sorrows and evils, and the resurrection of all his joys.
And that it is God who enriches and satisfies; and that God is the Lord of Sirius, and that God annihilated the ancient 'Ad, and the Thamud, not allowing them to survive, and people of Noah before that; for they were most unjust and most cruel; and God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, so they were covered over. Now which of the powers of your Lord do you dispute? [53: 48 to 55]
Hadith of the Day:
The hour will not come until knowledge is taken away, earthquakes become numerous, time passes quickly, tribulations appear, chaos reins----that is to say widespread killing. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Devotion to one's religious duty is the foundation of all that is good, it is a source of worldly benefit, a source of wisdom and all kinds of knowledge, of purity of heart and of many secrets. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
We can use powerful circumstances as stepping stones to our growth. Instead of just perpetuating our misery, we can choose to use any circumstances, even the terrible events or anguished moments, to develop wisdom, to alter our lives, and perhaps to contribute in some way to the world.
We can alter our relationship with suffering. By examining the ways we stop ourselves from successfully moving through life's challenges, we can learn to move beyond each crisis or disappointment. We can allow the experience and then just let it go. We can learn to transcend our circumstances, terrible or painful though they may be. Transcending our circumstances, rather than perpetually suffering over them, is one of the major secrets of living a full and satisfying life. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
If a man was great while living, he becomes tenfold greater when dead. To live in hearts we leave behind, is not to die. Death comes not to the living soul, nor age to the loving heart. Death to a believer is the funeral of all his sorrows and evils, and the resurrection of all his joys.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....155
1. Who is better among Allah's slaves than the one who sees others better than him! [Abu Bakr Saidlani]
2. When your brother is out of sight, mention him as you would like him to mention you when you are out of his sight. [Sufyan al Thawri]
3. Whoever spreads gossip for you, will spread gossip against you. [Imam al Shafi'i]
4. Whoever relates tales to you will tell tales about you. [Imam al Shafi'i]
5. Whoever when you please him says about you what is not in you, when you anger him will say about you what is not in you. [Imam al Shafi'i]
6. The secret for happiness is to forget the past and forget the future and live in the present moment for the Creator. [Abu Qanit al Hassani]
6. Whoever strives for knowledge for the life to come obtains great gain in righteousness. But he is at utter loss who seeks knowledge to obtain an advantage over people. [Imam Abu Hanifa]
7. Through our destiny God speaks to us. Through our worship we speak to Him. [Hasan Le Gai Eaton]
8. Fear of Allah has forsaken you when you find it hard to cry in front of Him. [Shaykh Nuh Keller]
9. The heart is comforted by true words, just as a thirsty man is comforted by water. [Mawlana Rumi]
10. The wealth of this world consists of gold and silver. The capital in Allah's sight is love and two crying eyes. [Mawlana Rumi]
2. When your brother is out of sight, mention him as you would like him to mention you when you are out of his sight. [Sufyan al Thawri]
3. Whoever spreads gossip for you, will spread gossip against you. [Imam al Shafi'i]
4. Whoever relates tales to you will tell tales about you. [Imam al Shafi'i]
5. Whoever when you please him says about you what is not in you, when you anger him will say about you what is not in you. [Imam al Shafi'i]
6. The secret for happiness is to forget the past and forget the future and live in the present moment for the Creator. [Abu Qanit al Hassani]
6. Whoever strives for knowledge for the life to come obtains great gain in righteousness. But he is at utter loss who seeks knowledge to obtain an advantage over people. [Imam Abu Hanifa]
7. Through our destiny God speaks to us. Through our worship we speak to Him. [Hasan Le Gai Eaton]
8. Fear of Allah has forsaken you when you find it hard to cry in front of Him. [Shaykh Nuh Keller]
9. The heart is comforted by true words, just as a thirsty man is comforted by water. [Mawlana Rumi]
10. The wealth of this world consists of gold and silver. The capital in Allah's sight is love and two crying eyes. [Mawlana Rumi]
Thursday, May 07, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1116
Ayahs of the Day:
No one can bear the burden of another, and that man gets only what he works for, and that his purpose will be seen; then he will be requited with the most complete reward and that the final aim is to your Lord; and that is Who causes laughter and lament, and that is Who causes death and gives life, and that is Who created couples as the male and the female, from a seed when it's emitted; and that God is committed to another creation. [53: 38 to 47]
Hadith of the Day:
No one humbles himself for the sake of God except God elevates him. [al-Nawawi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not strut proudly on account of your good deeds. Do not let pride waylay you. When you deem yourself holier than others, know that you have fallen into grave error. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
We don't have to view our experiences as painful or trying. We can control the extent of our suffering by how we view what happens to us. Accepting death as inevitable rather than seeing it as an incomprehensible event, a personal punishment, or a terrible deprivation, for example, lessens the blows of losing a loved one. Accepting loss, illness, and accidents as parts of a full life, not as devastating events from which we cannot recover, makes them easier to face.
We must realize that we always have a choice to make, a serious and conscious choice, as to how we will react to distressing life events. It may be hard to admit that we create our own suffering in response to our circumstances. Yet that admission gives us the power to choose our responses instead of just letting our circumstances direct or control us. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
We must have faith in what we can't see. Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is like the radar that sees through the fog----the reality of things at a distance that the human eye cannot see.
No one can bear the burden of another, and that man gets only what he works for, and that his purpose will be seen; then he will be requited with the most complete reward and that the final aim is to your Lord; and that is Who causes laughter and lament, and that is Who causes death and gives life, and that is Who created couples as the male and the female, from a seed when it's emitted; and that God is committed to another creation. [53: 38 to 47]
Hadith of the Day:
No one humbles himself for the sake of God except God elevates him. [al-Nawawi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not strut proudly on account of your good deeds. Do not let pride waylay you. When you deem yourself holier than others, know that you have fallen into grave error. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Guidance of the Day:
We don't have to view our experiences as painful or trying. We can control the extent of our suffering by how we view what happens to us. Accepting death as inevitable rather than seeing it as an incomprehensible event, a personal punishment, or a terrible deprivation, for example, lessens the blows of losing a loved one. Accepting loss, illness, and accidents as parts of a full life, not as devastating events from which we cannot recover, makes them easier to face.
We must realize that we always have a choice to make, a serious and conscious choice, as to how we will react to distressing life events. It may be hard to admit that we create our own suffering in response to our circumstances. Yet that admission gives us the power to choose our responses instead of just letting our circumstances direct or control us. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
We must have faith in what we can't see. Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is like the radar that sees through the fog----the reality of things at a distance that the human eye cannot see.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....154
1. Don't grieve every thing you lose comes around in another form. [Mawlana Rumi]
2. Over come your egos that you may be saved from the snares that devoured kings and paupers alike. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
3. A servant is never free of either blunders or shortcomings or lassitude; therefore never be neglectful of repentance, and never turn away from the act of returning to God the Exalted, and never neglect acts that bring you closer to God the Exalted. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]
4. The one who makes gracious patience the foundation of all his affairs turns to every goodness, reaches every thing that he hopes for, and wins all that he seeks. [Imam al Haddad]
5. In the end, it is the matter of hearts. The heart that is alive has a sense of eternity, and knows that the infinite is greater than the finite. [Shaykh Nuh Keller]
6. The heart that is dead follows the trends of the trend makers because it has turned its back on the Divine and forgotten endless time. [Shaykh Nuh Keller]
7. Do not use your energy except for a cause more nobler than yourself. [Ibn Hazm]
8. Anyone who uses his energy for the sake of the vanities of the world is like someone who exchanges gems for gravel. [Ibn Hazm]
9. The wise man knows that the only fitting price for his soul is Paradise. [Ibn Hazm]
10. Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. [Khalil Jibran]
2. Over come your egos that you may be saved from the snares that devoured kings and paupers alike. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
3. A servant is never free of either blunders or shortcomings or lassitude; therefore never be neglectful of repentance, and never turn away from the act of returning to God the Exalted, and never neglect acts that bring you closer to God the Exalted. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]
4. The one who makes gracious patience the foundation of all his affairs turns to every goodness, reaches every thing that he hopes for, and wins all that he seeks. [Imam al Haddad]
5. In the end, it is the matter of hearts. The heart that is alive has a sense of eternity, and knows that the infinite is greater than the finite. [Shaykh Nuh Keller]
6. The heart that is dead follows the trends of the trend makers because it has turned its back on the Divine and forgotten endless time. [Shaykh Nuh Keller]
7. Do not use your energy except for a cause more nobler than yourself. [Ibn Hazm]
8. Anyone who uses his energy for the sake of the vanities of the world is like someone who exchanges gems for gravel. [Ibn Hazm]
9. The wise man knows that the only fitting price for his soul is Paradise. [Ibn Hazm]
10. Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. [Khalil Jibran]
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
LESSON OF THE DAY 1115
Ayahs of the Day:
And to God belongs what is in the heavens and what is on earth, that God may requite those who have done evil for what they have done, and reward those who have done good with what is best. To those who avoid serious sins and vile acts, discounting minor derangement, your Lord is indeed extensive in forgiveness. God knew you best on producing you from the earth, and when you were covered in your mothers' wombs. So don't try to justify yourselves; God knows best who is conscientious. [53: 31,32]
Hadith of the Day:
Nothing afflicts the Muslim, neither fatigue, pain, anxiety, sadness, injury, nor grief, even the pricking of a thorn, except for that which God expiates some of his sins. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Suffice it as a recompense to you for obedience that He has judged you worthy of obedience. [Ibn Ata'Allah]
Guidance of the Day:
We perpetuate our own suffering. Although we usually believe that our circumstances, such as our tragedies or disappointments, cause our suffering, that is not true. Suffering is not implicit in circumstances, any kind of circumstances, but rather in the way we view and respond to the circumstances in our lives. This is evident in how different people react to similar events, as not every one of us suffers or responds identically.
Though we may not always be able to avoid pain, we can choose how much we suffer. Unfortunately, we often feel powerless over our suffering. Thinking we have no other choice, we get "stuck" in pain and stay there much too long. We do not have to prolong suffering. We can set a time limit, rather than waiting and hoping for our distress to diminish magically or disappear of its own accord. We have to take responsibility for ending our own suffering. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live. Be kind, give in sometimes, and help others. Don't be or create a problem, solve one instead. You have not fulfilled every duty, unless you have fulfilled that of being pleasant. Travel with a light heart and a treasure chest full of love, and your journey will be much easier.
And to God belongs what is in the heavens and what is on earth, that God may requite those who have done evil for what they have done, and reward those who have done good with what is best. To those who avoid serious sins and vile acts, discounting minor derangement, your Lord is indeed extensive in forgiveness. God knew you best on producing you from the earth, and when you were covered in your mothers' wombs. So don't try to justify yourselves; God knows best who is conscientious. [53: 31,32]
Hadith of the Day:
Nothing afflicts the Muslim, neither fatigue, pain, anxiety, sadness, injury, nor grief, even the pricking of a thorn, except for that which God expiates some of his sins. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Suffice it as a recompense to you for obedience that He has judged you worthy of obedience. [Ibn Ata'Allah]
Guidance of the Day:
We perpetuate our own suffering. Although we usually believe that our circumstances, such as our tragedies or disappointments, cause our suffering, that is not true. Suffering is not implicit in circumstances, any kind of circumstances, but rather in the way we view and respond to the circumstances in our lives. This is evident in how different people react to similar events, as not every one of us suffers or responds identically.
Though we may not always be able to avoid pain, we can choose how much we suffer. Unfortunately, we often feel powerless over our suffering. Thinking we have no other choice, we get "stuck" in pain and stay there much too long. We do not have to prolong suffering. We can set a time limit, rather than waiting and hoping for our distress to diminish magically or disappear of its own accord. We have to take responsibility for ending our own suffering. [Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]
Food for Thought:
The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live. Be kind, give in sometimes, and help others. Don't be or create a problem, solve one instead. You have not fulfilled every duty, unless you have fulfilled that of being pleasant. Travel with a light heart and a treasure chest full of love, and your journey will be much easier.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Pearls of Wisdom....153
1. Beginnings are the places where endings are revealed, whoever begins with God ends up with Him.
2. He who knows that all matters are in God's hands is recollected through trust in Him.
3. The intelligent man is more joyous over the Permanent (i.e. Akhirah) than he is over the evanescent (i.e. this world).
4. If the eye of heart sees that God is One in His blessings, the law requires nevertheless that thanks be given to His creatures.
5. The intelligent one is he who knows Allah, His commands and His prohibitions.
6. When one conforms himself to the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him), God illumines his heart with the light of intimate knowledge.
7. Nothing benefits the heart more than a spiritual retreat, where it enters the domain of meditation.
8. The source of every disobedience, indifference, and passion is self-satisfaction.
9. The source of every obedience, vigilance, and virtue is dissatisfaction with one's self.
10. Your being at the look out for the vices hidden within you is better than your being on the look out for the invisible realities veiled from you. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata'Allah]
2. He who knows that all matters are in God's hands is recollected through trust in Him.
3. The intelligent man is more joyous over the Permanent (i.e. Akhirah) than he is over the evanescent (i.e. this world).
4. If the eye of heart sees that God is One in His blessings, the law requires nevertheless that thanks be given to His creatures.
5. The intelligent one is he who knows Allah, His commands and His prohibitions.
6. When one conforms himself to the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him), God illumines his heart with the light of intimate knowledge.
7. Nothing benefits the heart more than a spiritual retreat, where it enters the domain of meditation.
8. The source of every disobedience, indifference, and passion is self-satisfaction.
9. The source of every obedience, vigilance, and virtue is dissatisfaction with one's self.
10. Your being at the look out for the vices hidden within you is better than your being on the look out for the invisible realities veiled from you. [Above quotes by Ibn Ata'Allah]
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