Ayahs of the day:
Righteousness is not that you should turn your faces to the East or the West; rather, the righteous are those who believe in God and the last day, and the angels and scriptures and prophets; and who give material gifts out of love for God, even what they care for, to relatives and orphans, and the poor and the traveler and the needy.......[2: 177]
Hadith of the day:
If the son of Adam possessed a valley of gold he would want to have two valleys, yet his mouth will only be filled by earth. Allah turns towards those who turn to Him in repentance. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise quote of the day:
A man of bad character punishes his own soul. [Imam al Ghazali]
Guidance of the day:
Courage is such a thing created by Allah that it enables a man, Muslim or non-Muslim, to accomplish exceptional feats and Allah blesses his efforts. Allah will certainly bless the courage of a believer who works hard to submit to Him and avert disobedience. Allah has blessed the quality of courage with exceptional power so that great things can be achieved with firm resolve.
The tasks that a person is asked to do are within his ability. He only has to show courage. One has to courageously show obedience and keep away from sin. One has to spend one's whole life doing it and if there ever is a slip, he must courageously renew his efforts. It is through courage that man moves forward but without courage he can do nothing in the world. Only courage enables him to do everything.
The method to correct deeds and inner condition is to oppose the sentiments of the nafs (lower self) and accustom it to hard work. The more you accustom it to hard work, the more it responds and you will get your work done, inshaAllah. As a result, the apparent deeds will be corrected and the unseen character will also be reformed. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Good judgment comes from experience and often experience comes from bad judgment. What one has not experienced, one will never understand. Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes. Learn all you can from the mistakes of others -- you won't have time to make them all yourself. Nothing is a waste of time if you use your experience wisely.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The Love of Almighty Allah !!!
It is a stage that all of those who are striving and competing are competing for it and it is a kind of life that if you are missing it you are one of the dead.
It is a light that if you are without it you are in and ocean of darkness.
It is a medicine or cure that if you are without it, your heart becomes a place of sicknesses.
It is a sweetness or pleasure that if you are without it,
life becomes a thing of worries and of pain.
“And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.”
[Ibn al-Qayyim ]
It is a light that if you are without it you are in and ocean of darkness.
It is a medicine or cure that if you are without it, your heart becomes a place of sicknesses.
It is a sweetness or pleasure that if you are without it,
life becomes a thing of worries and of pain.
“And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.”
[Ibn al-Qayyim ]
Friday, December 23, 2011
Pearls of wisdom 325
1. Do not abandon the invocation (dhikr) because you do not feel the presence of God therein. For your forgetfulness of the invocation of Him is worse than your forgetfulness in the invocation of Him.
2. Perhaps He will take you from an invocation with forgetfulness to one with vigilance, and from one with vigilance to one with the presence of God (hudur), and from one with the presence of God to one wherein everything but the invoked (al-Madhkur) is absent. "And that is not difficult for God."
3. There is no minor sin (saghira) when His justice confronts you; and there is no major sin (kabira) when His grace confronts you.
4. No deed is more fruitful for the heart than the one you are not aware of and which is deemed paltry by you.
5. He only made an inspiration (warid) come upon you so that you would go to Him.
6. He made an inspiration come upon you so as to get you out of the grip of alterities (aghyar) and free you from the bondage of created beings.
7. He made an inspiration come upon you so as to take you out of the prison of your existence to the unlimited space of your contemplation.
8. Whoever does not draw near to God as as result of the caresses of love is shackled to Him with the chains of misfortune.
9. Whoever is not thankful for graces runs the risk of losing them, and whoever is thankful fetters them with their own cords.
10. Be fearful lest the existence of His generosity towards you and the permanence of your bad behavior towards Him not lead you step by step to ruin. [Above quotes by Ibn Ataillah Iskandari]
2. Perhaps He will take you from an invocation with forgetfulness to one with vigilance, and from one with vigilance to one with the presence of God (hudur), and from one with the presence of God to one wherein everything but the invoked (al-Madhkur) is absent. "And that is not difficult for God."
3. There is no minor sin (saghira) when His justice confronts you; and there is no major sin (kabira) when His grace confronts you.
4. No deed is more fruitful for the heart than the one you are not aware of and which is deemed paltry by you.
5. He only made an inspiration (warid) come upon you so that you would go to Him.
6. He made an inspiration come upon you so as to get you out of the grip of alterities (aghyar) and free you from the bondage of created beings.
7. He made an inspiration come upon you so as to take you out of the prison of your existence to the unlimited space of your contemplation.
8. Whoever does not draw near to God as as result of the caresses of love is shackled to Him with the chains of misfortune.
9. Whoever is not thankful for graces runs the risk of losing them, and whoever is thankful fetters them with their own cords.
10. Be fearful lest the existence of His generosity towards you and the permanence of your bad behavior towards Him not lead you step by step to ruin. [Above quotes by Ibn Ataillah Iskandari]
Monday, December 19, 2011
LESSON OF THE DAY 1295
Ayahs of the day:
Believers, eat of the good things We have provided for you, and be grateful to God, if it is God that you worship. [2: 172]
Hadith of the day:
Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts and your actions. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise quote of the day:
Try to gladden the hearts of believers in every possible way, as long as these ways are not sinful.
Guidance of the day:
The lower self (nafs) is like a child. It is accustomed to sin and disobedience and finds pleasure in these things. It keeps away from obedience. If it is not stopped from sinning, it will never give up its habit. If it is prevented from those things, there certainly will be much difficulty in the beginning but finally it will relent and give up its sinful ways. Man must resist laziness and be submissive and give up his sinful ways.
Allah has given man the character trait of laziness and also courage. Courage is a great thing. It can be compared to rubber which will stretch as much as we pull it. Courage is like that. One can stretch it as much as he wills and take it to heights. The accomplishments of men in this world have courage behind them whether it relates to worldly affairs or religion. Even meaningless pursuits and sinful feats are accomplished through courage. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open mind.
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing temper or self-confidence.
Education is being able to differentiate between what we know and what we do not know.
Believers, eat of the good things We have provided for you, and be grateful to God, if it is God that you worship. [2: 172]
Hadith of the day:
Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts and your actions. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise quote of the day:
Try to gladden the hearts of believers in every possible way, as long as these ways are not sinful.
Guidance of the day:
The lower self (nafs) is like a child. It is accustomed to sin and disobedience and finds pleasure in these things. It keeps away from obedience. If it is not stopped from sinning, it will never give up its habit. If it is prevented from those things, there certainly will be much difficulty in the beginning but finally it will relent and give up its sinful ways. Man must resist laziness and be submissive and give up his sinful ways.
Allah has given man the character trait of laziness and also courage. Courage is a great thing. It can be compared to rubber which will stretch as much as we pull it. Courage is like that. One can stretch it as much as he wills and take it to heights. The accomplishments of men in this world have courage behind them whether it relates to worldly affairs or religion. Even meaningless pursuits and sinful feats are accomplished through courage. [Spiritual Discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open mind.
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing temper or self-confidence.
Education is being able to differentiate between what we know and what we do not know.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Precious words of guidance....
Imam Sufyaan once wrote to one of his Muslim brothers
May Allaah, with His Mercy, protect both me and you from the Hellfire.
I advise both you and myself to fear Allaah.
And I warn you not to turn to ignorance after you have learned, not to turn to destruction after you have seen and recognized the truth, and not to leave the (Straight) Path after it has been made clear to you.
Do not become deceived by worldly people, and do not become unduly impressed by the way they strive for and greedily gather worldly things, for the terror (that will envelop them on the Day of Resurrection) is indeed SEVERE.
The danger (of the Day of Resurrection) is grave indeed, but what is more, is that it is near at hand.
So occupy yourself exclusively with the Hereafter, and empty your heart of all other thoughts; once you have done that, work hard! Do not waste time! And flee from the world and its temptations! Travel to the Hereafter (with your worship) before you are taken there… I have indeed given you the same advice that I gave myself.
And understand that success comes from Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala). The key to gaining His help is supplication, prayer, feeling remorse for past negligence, and complete submission to Him.
Your days and nights are numbered, so use the time you have left wisely, and do not be negligent in fulfilling the rights of your Lord.
I ask Allaah, Who has blessed us to know Him, not to entrust us and you to our ownselves; and I ask Allaah to be our Guardian and Helper, just as He is the Guardian and Helper of His beloved, righteous slaves.
Beware of doing that which will spoil your deeds, and know that it is showing off that spoils a person’s deeds; and if it is not showing off, then it is conceitedness – for you to imagine that you are better than one of your Muslim brothers, when in reality he performs more good deeds than you do; or perhaps he performs his deeds with a purer intention than you do.
And even if you are not conceited, beware of developing a love for praise.
Be ever so careful not to come to love other people’s praise of your good deeds, or the respect they feel for you and bestow upon you because of your good deeds.
And beware of desiring that others should help you in your personal affairs just because they have become impressed with your good deeds.
You surely claim (as does everyone else), after all, that you are doing good deeds only for the sake of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'ala); well, then turn that claim into a reality.
If you want to be less desirous of this world – its things, wealth, and pleasures – and more desirous of the Hereafter — Paradise and its bliss – then remember death frequently.
And know that you have long term hopes for this world – which one should not have — if you fear Allaah only a little or if you recklessly perpetrate sins.
And one will be sufficiently regretful and wretched on the Day of Resurrection if he has knowledge but does not apply it.
* Transcribed from: The Biography of Sufyaan Ath-Thauree, rahimahullaah, page 181-182
May Allaah, with His Mercy, protect both me and you from the Hellfire.
I advise both you and myself to fear Allaah.
And I warn you not to turn to ignorance after you have learned, not to turn to destruction after you have seen and recognized the truth, and not to leave the (Straight) Path after it has been made clear to you.
Do not become deceived by worldly people, and do not become unduly impressed by the way they strive for and greedily gather worldly things, for the terror (that will envelop them on the Day of Resurrection) is indeed SEVERE.
The danger (of the Day of Resurrection) is grave indeed, but what is more, is that it is near at hand.
So occupy yourself exclusively with the Hereafter, and empty your heart of all other thoughts; once you have done that, work hard! Do not waste time! And flee from the world and its temptations! Travel to the Hereafter (with your worship) before you are taken there… I have indeed given you the same advice that I gave myself.
And understand that success comes from Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala). The key to gaining His help is supplication, prayer, feeling remorse for past negligence, and complete submission to Him.
Your days and nights are numbered, so use the time you have left wisely, and do not be negligent in fulfilling the rights of your Lord.
I ask Allaah, Who has blessed us to know Him, not to entrust us and you to our ownselves; and I ask Allaah to be our Guardian and Helper, just as He is the Guardian and Helper of His beloved, righteous slaves.
Beware of doing that which will spoil your deeds, and know that it is showing off that spoils a person’s deeds; and if it is not showing off, then it is conceitedness – for you to imagine that you are better than one of your Muslim brothers, when in reality he performs more good deeds than you do; or perhaps he performs his deeds with a purer intention than you do.
And even if you are not conceited, beware of developing a love for praise.
Be ever so careful not to come to love other people’s praise of your good deeds, or the respect they feel for you and bestow upon you because of your good deeds.
And beware of desiring that others should help you in your personal affairs just because they have become impressed with your good deeds.
You surely claim (as does everyone else), after all, that you are doing good deeds only for the sake of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'ala); well, then turn that claim into a reality.
If you want to be less desirous of this world – its things, wealth, and pleasures – and more desirous of the Hereafter — Paradise and its bliss – then remember death frequently.
And know that you have long term hopes for this world – which one should not have — if you fear Allaah only a little or if you recklessly perpetrate sins.
And one will be sufficiently regretful and wretched on the Day of Resurrection if he has knowledge but does not apply it.
* Transcribed from: The Biography of Sufyaan Ath-Thauree, rahimahullaah, page 181-182
Monday, December 12, 2011
Pearls of wisdom 324
1. Your postponement of deed till when you are free is one of the frivolities of the ego.
2. No search pursued with the help of your Lord remains at a standstill, but any search pursued by yourself will not be fruitful.
3. Among the signs of success at the end is, the turning to God at the beginning.
4. He who is illumined at the beginning is illumined at the end.
5. Appeal to no one but Him to relieve you of a pressing need that He Himself has brought upon you.
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. Do not keep company with anyone whose state does not inspire you and whose speech does not lead you to God.
8. You might be in a bad state: then, your associating with one who is in worse state makes you see virtue in yourself.
9. No deed arising from a renouncing heart is small, and no deed arising from an avaricious heart is fruitful.
10. Good works are the results of good states. Good states arise from the stations wherein those having spiritual realization abide. [Above quotes by Ibn Ataillah Iskandari]
2. No search pursued with the help of your Lord remains at a standstill, but any search pursued by yourself will not be fruitful.
3. Among the signs of success at the end is, the turning to God at the beginning.
4. He who is illumined at the beginning is illumined at the end.
5. Appeal to no one but Him to relieve you of a pressing need that He Himself has brought upon you.
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. Do not keep company with anyone whose state does not inspire you and whose speech does not lead you to God.
8. You might be in a bad state: then, your associating with one who is in worse state makes you see virtue in yourself.
9. No deed arising from a renouncing heart is small, and no deed arising from an avaricious heart is fruitful.
10. Good works are the results of good states. Good states arise from the stations wherein those having spiritual realization abide. [Above quotes by Ibn Ataillah Iskandari]
Friday, December 09, 2011
LESSON OF THE DAY 1294
Ayahs of the day:
Everyone has an aim, to which God gives direction; so preserve everything good. Wherever you are, God will bring you together. For God has power over everything. [2: 148]
Hadith of the day:
Fear Allah wherever you are and follow up an evil deed with a good action which will wipe it out. Treat people well. [Tirmidhi]
Wise quote of the day:
The outward appearance of an angry person is ugly enough, yet his inner appearance is even uglier. [Abdul Khaliq al Shabrawi]
Guidance of the day:
If man was free from urge to commit sin then there would have been no difference between him and angels. The angels lack the urge to sin, as also anger, sexual incitement, hunger and thirst. If man was also deprived of these things then he would have no excellence over the angels. Man enjoys excellence over them because he is endowed with the capacity to do good as well as evil and resists the temptation to do evil.
The angels are not only innocent, they are also devoted exclusively to prostration and glorifying Allah while man is endowed with possibility to commit sin and he resists that urge for the sake of Allah. The merit itself demands that the ability to err and sin should remain in him. With that possibility there, he will continue to struggle against temptation. In the beginning, the struggle will be severe but after mujahidah (striving) it will become mild. He should not be anxious or hopeless because of it nor neglect it.
In short, one should suppress the temptations and urge of the soul through mujahidah so that they are moderated and keep him away from the unlawful. He must continue this all his life. The struggle mitigates with passage of time. [Spiritual discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow. As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death. Healthy children will not fear life and their elders have the integrity not to fear death. He who doesn't fear death dies only once.
Everyone has an aim, to which God gives direction; so preserve everything good. Wherever you are, God will bring you together. For God has power over everything. [2: 148]
Hadith of the day:
Fear Allah wherever you are and follow up an evil deed with a good action which will wipe it out. Treat people well. [Tirmidhi]
Wise quote of the day:
The outward appearance of an angry person is ugly enough, yet his inner appearance is even uglier. [Abdul Khaliq al Shabrawi]
Guidance of the day:
If man was free from urge to commit sin then there would have been no difference between him and angels. The angels lack the urge to sin, as also anger, sexual incitement, hunger and thirst. If man was also deprived of these things then he would have no excellence over the angels. Man enjoys excellence over them because he is endowed with the capacity to do good as well as evil and resists the temptation to do evil.
The angels are not only innocent, they are also devoted exclusively to prostration and glorifying Allah while man is endowed with possibility to commit sin and he resists that urge for the sake of Allah. The merit itself demands that the ability to err and sin should remain in him. With that possibility there, he will continue to struggle against temptation. In the beginning, the struggle will be severe but after mujahidah (striving) it will become mild. He should not be anxious or hopeless because of it nor neglect it.
In short, one should suppress the temptations and urge of the soul through mujahidah so that they are moderated and keep him away from the unlawful. He must continue this all his life. The struggle mitigates with passage of time. [Spiritual discourses by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani]
Food for thought:
No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow. As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death. Healthy children will not fear life and their elders have the integrity not to fear death. He who doesn't fear death dies only once.
Monday, December 05, 2011
“O my eye! All men have eyes!”
Let not your tongue mention the shame of another
For you yourself are covered in shame-
And all men have tongues.
If your eye falls upon the sins of your brother
Shield them and say:-
“O my eye! All men have eyes!”
Imam Shafi'i (Rahimahullah)
"Never Despair Of The Mercy Of Allah"
'Son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days, whenever each day passes then part of you has Gone.'
[Al-Hasan Al-Basree]
For you yourself are covered in shame-
And all men have tongues.
If your eye falls upon the sins of your brother
Shield them and say:-
“O my eye! All men have eyes!”
Imam Shafi'i (Rahimahullah)
"Never Despair Of The Mercy Of Allah"
'Son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days, whenever each day passes then part of you has Gone.'
[Al-Hasan Al-Basree]
Friday, December 02, 2011
Pearls of wisdom 323
1. Remembrance of Him is the light of the heart, and His presence is the key to the invisible.
2. Real knowledge of what is good implies dwelling in it and real knowledge of evil implies departure from it.
3. Real prostration is the yielding of the heart to the ordinance of the Lord.
4. If anyone has faith in the divine apportionment (qisma), he should not dispute the divine wisdom (hikma).
5. There are two virtues that facilitate the way to God; mystical knowledge and love. Your love for material things renders you blind and deaf.
6. Mystical knowledge is that which has severed you everything except God and brought you back to Him.
7. Whenever the lower self (nafs) is dominant and the spirit (ruh) is subordinate, then occur drought and sterility, the whole order is overturned, and every evil befalls. So heed the guiding of Qur'an and the healing words of His Apostle.
8. Any affliction for which a hope for reward is entertained and punishment is feared, is not an affliction. An affliction for which a reward is not hoped nor a punishment is feared -- that only is an affliction.
9. O servant of God, detach yourself from converse with the lower-self, the desire of Satan, obedience to lust, and emotion of chronic illness, and you will be righteous.
10. Sustenance is divinely apportioned. It is not the piety of a pious man that increases it nor it is the impiety of an impious man that diminishes it.
11. Preserve God in the heart and He will preserve you. Keep God in mind and you will find Him in front of you. Worship God with means of purification and be of the thankful ones. [Above quotes by Shaykh Abul Hasan al- Shadhili]
2. Real knowledge of what is good implies dwelling in it and real knowledge of evil implies departure from it.
3. Real prostration is the yielding of the heart to the ordinance of the Lord.
4. If anyone has faith in the divine apportionment (qisma), he should not dispute the divine wisdom (hikma).
5. There are two virtues that facilitate the way to God; mystical knowledge and love. Your love for material things renders you blind and deaf.
6. Mystical knowledge is that which has severed you everything except God and brought you back to Him.
7. Whenever the lower self (nafs) is dominant and the spirit (ruh) is subordinate, then occur drought and sterility, the whole order is overturned, and every evil befalls. So heed the guiding of Qur'an and the healing words of His Apostle.
8. Any affliction for which a hope for reward is entertained and punishment is feared, is not an affliction. An affliction for which a reward is not hoped nor a punishment is feared -- that only is an affliction.
9. O servant of God, detach yourself from converse with the lower-self, the desire of Satan, obedience to lust, and emotion of chronic illness, and you will be righteous.
10. Sustenance is divinely apportioned. It is not the piety of a pious man that increases it nor it is the impiety of an impious man that diminishes it.
11. Preserve God in the heart and He will preserve you. Keep God in mind and you will find Him in front of you. Worship God with means of purification and be of the thankful ones. [Above quotes by Shaykh Abul Hasan al- Shadhili]
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