Pearls of wisdom 238

1. Be steadfast in the path of truth, the people's love will come to you.

2. Be truthful in your quest and you will inherit heart vision. The fountain heads of gnosis will appear before you.

3. Be truthful in your quest and you will be given divine facilitation to distinguish the true value of all knowledge that comes to you.

4. Advancement is for one who strives and reverence (of God) is for one who knows.

5. Reliance is for one who trusts and fear is for one who is certain.

6. Increase is for one who is thankful.

7. You should know that whatever (understanding) the servant obtains, it is proportionate to his intellectual sagacity, the existence of his knowledge, and his consciousness and obedience of God.

8. Upon whoever God bestows the gift of sound intellect, enlivens with knowledge after bestowing faith upon him, bestows heart-vision through certainty, and gives insight into his own faults; (for such a person) God has facilitated all of the characteristics of righteousness.

9. Seek righteousness through God-consciousness, and take knowledge from reverent people.

10. Know that every intellect not characterized by three things is a source of treachery -- it prefers obedience to sin; it prefers knowledge to ignorance; and it prefers religion to the world. [Above quotes by Imam Harith al Muhasibi]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1201

Ayahs of the Day:

Then when the eyesight is dazzled and the moon is eclipsed and the sun and moon are joined, man will say that day, "Where is the escape?" No, there is no refuge -- To your Lord is as far as you will get that day. Man will be told that day about what he preferred and what he deferred: and man will be evidence against himself, even though he present his excuses. [75: 7 to 15]

Hadith of the Day:

If death comes upon a person while in the pursuit of knowledge, that person is received by his Lord. The spiritual level he attains is so high that the difference between him and the prophets is in the prophethood given to the prophet. [Tabarani]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Hopes of forgiveness have deceived some people until they left the world as bankrupts, that is devoid of good works. [Hasan al-Basri]

Guidance of the Day:

You must show fortitude (sabr), for it is one of the matters of foundations and is inescapable as long as you are in this abode. It is a noble trait and a great virtue. The Messenger of God, many blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Fortitude is the commander of the believers' soldiers.' And: 'There is much good in the patient endurance of that which one finds unpleasant.' And his advice to Ibn Abbas: 'Know that victory comes with fortitude, relief with hardship, and that with each difficulty comes ease.'

Know that happiness depends on the occurrence of nearness to God, which in turn depends on always following the truth and avoiding falsehood. The soul is by its nature inclined to detest truth and lean toward falsehood. The determination of the seeker of felicity is thus always in need of fortitude, sometimes to force the soul to follow the truth and sometimes to force it to avoid falsehood. [Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:

The person who has firm trust in the Supreme Being is powerful in His power, wise in His wisdom, happy in His happiness. Religious faith, indeed, relates to that which is above us, but it must arise from that which is within us. The primary cause of unhappiness in the world today is lack of faith.

Pearls of wisdom 237

1. Guard your intellect by adopting the way of clement people.

2. Let patience accompany you in every situation.

3. Maintain a constant spiritual retreat through the remembrance of God.

4. Accompany blessings with thankfulness.

5. Seek the help of God in everything, and His guidance in every situation.

6. Constantly undertake those acts you would wish to meet God with.

7. Avoid everything you hate in others.

8. Reject the companionship of anyone who does not increase your goodness on a daily basis.

9. Engage in your fair share of pardoning and clemency.

10. Know that a believer's truthfulness is tested in every situation. [Above quotes by Imam Harith al Muhasibi]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1200

Ayahs of the Day:
I swear by the day of resurrection, and I swear by the accusing self. Does man assume We can't reassemble his bones? On the contrary, We are capable of arranging him to the fingertips. But man wishes to live dissolutely as long as he can: he questions, "When is the day of resurrection?" [75: 1 to 6]

Hadith of the Day:
The best worship for the faithful is to know what is right and what is wrong, with the intention of applying it in their lives. And the best of piety is to avoid that which is doubtful. [Tabarani]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Your life should become a beacon of guidance and it should become a means of dawah. [Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi]

Guidance of the Day:
The basis of hope is the heart's knowledge of the immensity of God's mercy and generosity, the magnitude of His favors and kindness, and His gracious promise to those who obey Him. This knowledge generates a state of joyous relief which is termed 'hope', the intended result of which is that one hastens to acts of goodness and is careful in the performance of one's acts of obedience, for obedience is the road to God's Good Pleasure, and His Garden.

The basis of fear is the heart's knowledge of the majesty of God, His invincible might, His independence of any of His creatures, and the severe punishments and painful torments with which He has threatened those who disobey Him and contravene His commands. This knowledge generates a state of apprehension which is termed 'fear', the intended result of which is that one abandons sins and thoroughly guards oneself against them, for sin is the road leading to God's wrath and His place of punishment. [Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:
In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage. More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse. The bonds of matrimony are like any other bond they come slowly.

Pearls of wisdom 236

1. Make the world a vehicle, and the Hereafter an enduring home.

2. Beware of places that lead to heedlessness, and the attacks of your whims.

3. Beware of the flame of your carnal lust, and of the whimsical desires of your soul.

4. Make your bodily actions subservient to knowledge, focus your concerns by knowing just how close God is to you.

5. Stand before Him like a hired servant, you will find Him Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

6. Know that whoever gives preference to God, God prefers him.

7. Protect your heart from having a bad opinion of people by the best possible interpretation.

8. Repulse jealousy by cutting short your worldly expectations.

9. Leave every action that will demand an apology from you.

10. Avoid every situation that will encourage pretentious behavior. [Above quotes by Imam Harith al Muhasibi]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1199

Ayah of the Day:

Every soul is hostage to what it does except the company of the right, in gardens: they will inquire about the sinners: "What made you enter hellfire?" They will say, "We were not in the habit of praying, and we weren't in the habit of feeding the poor, and we used to become obsessive along with the obsessed, and we used to deny the reality of the day of requital, until certainty came to us." So the intercession of the intercessors is of no avail to them; [74: 38 to 48]

Hadith of the Day:

The superiority of the one who knows (i.e. scholars) over the faithful who spend time in prayer is like the brilliance of the moon over the stars. [Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Beware of every hour and how it passes, and only spend it in the best possible way, do not neglect yourself, but render it accustomed to the noblest and best of actions, and send to your grave that which will please you when you arrive to it. [Imam Ibn al-Jawzi]

Guidance of the Day:

Have hope and fear, for these are two of the most noble fruits of faith, and God has attributed them to the Foremost among His servants. God the Exalted has said: "By My might and majesty, I shall not unite two safeties or two fears in My servant. If he feels secure from Me in the world I shall make him fear on the day I resurrect My servants, but if he fears Me in the world I shall make him secure on the day I gather them together"(Hadith Qudsi).

Any hope or fear which does not lead to adherence to obedience and the renunciation of transgressions is considered by the people of inward vision to be useless illusion and folly, for the one who (really) hopes for something seeks it and the one who (really) fears something flees from it invariably. [Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:

The happiest people are most forgiving. Every person should have a special cemetery lot in which to bury the faults of friends and loved ones. He who forgives ends the quarrel. Never does the human soul appear so strong and noble as when it foregoes revenge, and dares to forgive an injury.

Pearls of wisdom 235

1. Move away from excessive extremes and you will be safe.

2. Visit the graves with single-minded focus -- they will remind you of death.

3. Take a journey to the place of the Resurrection in your heart.

4. Be the executor of your soul and do not make others your executor.

5. Approach your affairs intelligently.

6. Wake up from your slumber -- you are responsible for your lifespan.

7. Know that whoever makes the Hereafter his ultimate concern, God suffices him in his worldly affairs.

8. Act on those things that cause you to be spiritually alert.

9. Awareness of God's surveillance should be your greatest goal.

10. Make your spare time a source of enrichment. [Above quotes by Imam Harith al Muhasibi]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1198

Ayahs of the Day:

No! By the moon and the night, as it recedes, and the morning as it glows, this is certainly one of the most important matters, a warning to humanity, to any one of you who wishes to go ahead or stay behind. [74: 32 to 37]

Hadith of the Day:

Allah leads to Paradise the one who travels far seeking knowledge. The angels spread their wings under his feet for him to tread on. All that is in the heaven and on earth, even the creatures in the sea, beg God for the forgiveness of the sins of the one who seeks (sacred) knowledge. [Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Be with God as if (there were) no creation, and be with the creation as if (you had) no ego. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]

Guidance of the Day:

Ask for forgiveness repeatedly, night and day, especially the last hours of the night. The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'God will grant the one who perseveres in asking for forgiveness relief from everything that worries him, a way out of every difficulty, and provision from whence he did not expect it.

Use the prayer of Dhu'n-Nun, peace be upon him: La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu min az-zalimin. (There is no God but You, Transcendent are You! I have been one of the unjust, 21: 87). For it has been related it contains God's Supreme Name and that no-one who is worried or aggrieved repeats it but God grants him relief. God the Exalted has said: We answered him and rescued him from grief, and in such wise do we We rescue the believers, (21: 88). [Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:

The test of any man lies in action. By his deeds we know a man. It is in your act that you exist, not in your body. Your act is yourself, and there is no other you. A human being has no discernable character until he acts. To do is to be. To be is to do.

Pearls of wisdom 234

1. Be preoccupied with addressing your faults from not seeking out the faults of others.

2. It is sufficient proof that a person's character is flawed that he finds in others the same faults that he himself possesses, yet they are hidden from him.

3. Do not be overly pleased by easy times. Verily, gold is tested for its purity by fire. Likewise, a righteous servant is tested by tribulations.

4. You will not reach the level you anticipate except through persevering with what is displeasing to you.

5. Exert your utmost in guarding the obligations God has made incumbent upon you.

6. Speak the truth and act on it, God will increase you in light and heart-vision.

7. Humble yourself before the truth and make yourself subservient unto it.

8. Constantly remember God and you will obtain nearness to Him.

9. Know that the one who has given you sincere advice has displayed love for you.

10. Prefer the truth in every situation and you will benefit. [Above quotes by Imam Harith al Muhasibi]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1197

Ayahs of the Day:

You covering yourself, arise and warn and glorify your Lord and keep your clothing clean and avoid filth; and don't be generous expecting much, but be constant for your Lord. Then when the trumpet is sounded, that will be, that day, a dire day, not easy on the disbelievers. [74: 1 to 10]

Hadith of the Day:

Don't insult my Companions. Even if someone should donate as much gold as the mountain of Uhad, he will not receive praise from Allah equal to that received for a half a handful donated by my Companion. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Know that days are but hours, and hours are but breaths, and every soul is a container, hence let not any breath pass without any benefit such as on the Day of Judgment you find an empty container and feel regret. [Imam Ibn al-Jawzi]

Guidance of the Day:

Beware of wilful persistence, which is to sin and not repent immediately. It is a believer's duty to guard himself against sins, both small and great, in the way he would against burning fire, engulfing waters or lethal poisons. He should neither commit nor intend a sin, neither talk about it before nor delight in it after it has happened. If he does fall into it he should conceal and hate it, and hasten to repent immediately.

Renew your repentance frequently, for sins are numerous and a servant is never free, outwardly or inwardly, from a great number of rebellious acts, even if his state is good, behavior upright, and obedience continual. It should suffice you (to know) that the Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, infallible and absolutely perfect as he was, repented to God and asked for His forgiveness more than seventy times each day. [Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:

Of all acts of man, repentance is the most divine. The greatest of all faults is to be conscious of none. When the soul has laid down its faults at the feet of God, it feels as though it has wings. Death-bed repentance is burning the candle of life in the service of the devil, then blowing the snuff in the face of heaven.

Pearls of wisdom 233

1. The tribulation of the seeker of the world is the idling of his heart from remembrance of the Hereafter.

2. You should know that God has chosen from His believing servants those intelligent folk who know Him and acknowledge His command. He has described them as being faithful, virtuous, fearful, and reverent.

3. Know that the obligation owed to the Book of God is to act on the basis of the rulings conveyed by its commandments and prohibitions; to respond to its threats with fear, to its promises with longing, to have faith concerning the truthfulness of its obscure statements, and to reflect on its stories and parables.

4. Know your objective -- verily recompense is based on intention.

5. Be very mindful of the commandments and prohibitions of God.

6. Take yourself to account for every thought.

7. Be very mindful that God is watching over you with every breath that you take.

8. Fear God in your religion, and hope for good from God in all of your affairs.

9. Patiently endure whatever afflicts you.

10. You should know that the relationship between patience and faith is like the relationship between the head and the body. [Imam Harith al Muhasibi]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1196

Ayahs of the Day:

We have sent you a messenger as a witness regarding you, as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh; Pharaoh defied the messenger, so We punished him severely: so how will you be wary, if you scoff, of a day that will make children grey, and the sky split apart? That promise will inevitably be fulfilled. This is a reminder; let whoever will take a path to his Lord. [73: 15 to 19]

Hadith of the Day:

If you can pass a the day into night and the night into day with your heart clean of any feeling of enmity or vengeance against anyone, be so, for this is how I feel always. And anyone who likes to be like me, certainly must love me. And whoever loves me is with me in this world and in the Paradise and in the Hereafter. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:

If you cannot be of benefit to the Muslims, then do not harm them;

If you cannot please them, then do not abuse them;

If you cannot make them happy, then do not make them sorrowful; and

If you cannot praise them, then do not disparage them. [Yahya ibn Mu'adh]

Guidance of the Day:

You must repent of every single sin, small or great, outward or inward. For repentance is the first step that a servant takes on the Path, and is the foundation of all other stations, as God loves the penitent. The Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'The one who repents of a sin is as he who has not sinned.'

Know that repentance cannot be sound unless the sin itself is renounced, remorse is felt, and there is present a determination never to repeat it for the rest of one's life. The true penitent is characterized by signs, among which are a softness of the heart, frequent weeping, adhering to obedience, and forsaking evil companions and places. [Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:

Life has meaning only if one barters it day by day for something other than itself. The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. Live every day as if it were your last, because one of these days it will be. May you live every day of your life.

Pearls of wisdom 232

1. One who rectifies his inner self with an awareness of God's surveillance and sincerity; God adorns his outer self with devotional acts and adherence to the Prophetic way -- Sunnah.

2. Anyone divested from the world finds his divestment in proportion to his knowledge, his knowledge in proportion to his intellect, and his intellect in proportion to the strength of his faith.

3. Good character is bearing abuse, rarely becoming angry, a pleasant face, and sweet speech.

4. Everything has an essence. The essence of a human being is his intellect, and the essence of his intellect is patience.

5. The oppressor is remorseful even if people praise him.

6. The oppressed is safe even if people condemn him.

7. The content person is wealthy even if he is hungry.

8. The covetous person is impoverished even if he owns plenty.

9. One who does not thank God for a blessing has called for its eradication.

10. The best person is one who does not allow his Hereafter to preoccupy him from his worldly affair, nor does he allow his worldly affair to preoccupy him from his Hereafter. [Above quotes by Imam al Harith al Muhasibi]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1195

Ayahs of the Day:

You wrapping yourself, stand through the night, except a little -- half, or a little less, or more; and chant the Qur'an rhythmically: for We will send you a weighty word. Indeed, rising by night is most intense as a disciple, and most appropriate for receptivity to the Word. You have along course during the day, yet remember the name of God, and devote yourself wholly to God, Lord of the East and the West -- there is no other deity, so take God as a guardian. And endure what they say patiently, and remain aloof from them with a graceful detachment. [73: 1 to 10]

Hadith of the Day:

If your worldly desires are not adapted to the divine orders sent through me, your faith is incomplete. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Let us eschew evil, but not pay back evil in its own coin, however great the temptation: no chance will there be to retrieve our conduct, once death cuts us off. [Abdullah Yusuf Ali]

Guidance of the Day:

Know that Muslims have many mutual obligations. If you want to fulfil these properly then behave towards Muslims, whether they be present or absent, as you would like them to behave towards you. Oppose your own soul, and accustom your heart to wish for Muslims every good that you wish for yourself, and detest for them every evil that you detest for yourself.

The Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'None of you has believed until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.' And: 'Muslims are to one another as one building, each part of which supports the others, and as one body, which when one of its organs suffers the rest of the body suffer with it.' People are either afflicted or free (of affliction) so be compassionate to the afflicted and thank God for freedom (from affliction). [Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than to have words without a heart. Prayer is something deeper than words. It is present in the soul before it has formulated in words. And it abides in the soul after the last words of prayer have passed over our lips. The best prayers have often more groans than words.

Pearls of wisdom 231

1.Some of the most sublime bestowals of God are contentment with the reliance upon God in hardships, and recourse to Him in reverses of fortune.

2. Love is a seizure that God grants to the heart of His servant and that distracts him from everything save Him, so that you can see the soul inclining to obey Him.

3. With God, love consists in casting off the appetitive desires and personal wishes.

4. Allow not your soul to be attached to anything, and you will be one of those well rooted in religious knowledge.

5. If thoughts of disobedience and the world occur your heart, caste them under your feet with disdain and indifference, and your heart will be filled with knowledge and right guidance.

6. There is no guidance at all except for one who fears God, and there is no fear of God (taqwa) except for one who shuns the world.

7. He who neglects his heart despises his religion, and he who is preoccupied with his outer behavior is taking his religion as a jest.

8. If you desire to look toward God with the sight of faith and firm belief continually, then be thankful for the favors of God and be content with His decree . Whatever favor you have is from God.

9. Good intention in relation to matters between God and you means turning the heart respectfully toward God, with respect for the commanding of God, and with respect to what He has commanded.

10. The understanding man is one who has an understanding from God of His signs and whose occupation is remembrance (dhikr) of God and reflection upon His favors -- he appeals to God and so God responds to him. [Above quotes by Shaykh Abul Hasan al Shadhili]

LESSON OF THE DAY 1194

Ayahs of the Day:

By no means! For that is raging fire pulling insistently by the scalp, calling those who turn their backs and avert their faces, and accumulate a hoard. For man was created anxious, unhappy when ill afflicts him, and stingy when good befalls him; except the prayerful who are constant in their prayer, and those in whose wealth is an acknowledged right for the beggar and the outcast, and those who recognize the reality of the judgment day, and those who fear punishment from their Lord. [70: 15 to 27]

Hadith of the Day:

The Devil has given up hope of being worshipped anymore in your land. He is satisfied that you follow him with your little errors, things that you consider trivial. Beware of following him. [Hakim]

Wise Quote of the Day:

Every drop of sweat and every breath we take in life, if not taken for the sake of Allah, will lead to regret and sorrow on the Day of Judgment. [Ibn al-Qayyim]

Guidance of the Day:

Make frequent supplications, and ask for forgiveness for yourself, your parents, relatives, friends, and all other Muslims, for the prayers of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is answered. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Some prayers have no veils between them and God -- the prayer of the wronged, and that of a Muslim for his brother in his absence.' And: 'When a Muslim prays for his brother in his absence the Angel says: "Amen! And for you the same!"

Maymun ibn Mihran, may God have mercy on him, said: 'Anyone who asks forgiveness for his parents after each obligatory prayer has thanked them as he was ordered to do. It has been related that the one who asks forgiveness twenty-seven times a day for 'the believing men and women' will be among those whose prayers are answered and through whom people are given provision and rain, and these are the attributes of the saints. [Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance]

Food for Thought:

The purpose of life is not to be happy -- but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make a difference that you lived at all. The true purpose of education is not only to fill man's mind with knowledge and his belly with food, but to deepen his spiritual insights. By having reverence for life, we enter into a spiritual relation with the world.

Pearls of wisdom 230

1. Religious works revolve around four things -- love, sincerity, shame, and faith.

2. Four virtues needed to enjoy the felicity are -- religious knowledge, scrupulousness, awe before God, and humility towards the servants of God.

3. Serving God consists in reflecting upon God's commands and studying thoroughly the religion of God.

4. The sign of love is the lover being occupied with nothing except his Beloved.

5. The sign of commitment to God is the lack of distress when distasteful things befall.

6. Whenever you come to see that in everything that exists you have no Benefactor except Him, then you will be a thankful servant.

7. May your main concern be three things -- repentance, piety, and vigilance.

8. The work most indicative of love to Him is disdain of the world and despair of its people through living in harmony with them.

9. The Divine ordinances are well known, and the acts of disobedience are common knowledge -- keep the Divine ordinances and shun the acts of disobedience.

10. The love of God is an axis upon which good deeds turn, and a comprehensive principle for the various kinds of Divine gifts. [Above quotes by Shaykh Abul Hasan al Shadhili]