LESSON OF THE DAY 1263

Ayahs of the Day:
We have revealed this during the night of the Decree. And what will convey to you what the night of the Decree is? The night of the Decree is better than a thousand months: the angels and the spirit descend therein, by permission of their Lord, on every matter. It is peace: this till the rise of dawn. [97: 1 to 5]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever withholds his anger, Allah will withhold His punishment from him. [Tabarani]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Only someone who is sincere recognizes what showing off is. [Imam al-Shafi'i]

Guidance of the Day:
Don't talk behind their backs. Breaking this habit is easier than you might think. Once you see how truly nasty the habit really is, the rest seems to fall gently into place. At first, you might not notice yourself being critical until after the fact. You'll remember when it's too late. Don't be hard on yourself. Instead, be grateful that your old habit came to mind and that your goal is to stop doing it.

The next time, you might catch yourself right in the middle of a conversation about someone else. You can then say something like "Whoops, there I go again being critical about someone who isn't even around." Then gently shift the conversation. At some point, it will become easy. You'll feel yourself about ready to be critical but stop short of actually doing so. You'll "see it coming," observe your own thoughts and behavior, and rip them in the bud. In time, you'll rarely be critical of others when they're not around.

Even when the people around you are talking about others, you can gently refuse to get involved. Instead, you can guide the conversation elsewhere by remaining quiet, saying something nice, or defending the person being criticized or changing the topic altogether. The benefits of being less critical behind the backs of others can be dramatic and instantaneous. Give it a try and you will feel better right away. [Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff -- with your family]

Food for Thought:
Take plenty of time to count your blessings, but never spend a minute in worry. Blessed is the man who is too busy to worry in the daytime, and too sleepy at night. Anxiety springs from the desire that things should happen as we wish rather than as God wills.