LESSON OF THE DAY 1317

Ayahs of the day:
Our Lord, do not let our hearts to deviate after You have guided us. And give us mercy from Yourself; for You are most generous. [3: 8]

Hadith of the day:
Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt. Truthfulness brings tranquility while lying sows doubts. [ Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
One's worldly abstinence is commensurate with one's longing for the world to come. The abstinent and contented one is only he who is contented and thankful with the divine decree. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]

Guidance of the day:
Be steadfast in obeying you Lord. Make your acts of obedience frequent, patiently persevere and be sincere in doing so, then persist until you meet Him -- at which time He will satisfy you, be pleased with you, and admit you to His abode of honor.

Desist from disobedience. Repent to your Lord from it before death overtakes you and you meet your Lord in a filthy and vile condition. Never feel secure, should you not hasten to repent from your disobedience, God may send down some punishment upon you, for the disobedient to their Lord are ever expose to that. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al Haddad]

Food for thought:
Five simple rules to achieve happiness:
1. Free you heart from hatred -- forgive.
2. Free you mind from worries -- most never happen.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Muslim Rage....

If you're a Muslim American whose been tuning in to the counsel of our country's religious leadership lately, you probably don't know whether to sit down, stand up or go to sleep in response to the recent film maligning Prophet Muhammad (S).

While the brunt of the reaction by mosques and Muslim organizations focused on condemning (rightfully) violence linked with anti-film demonstrators, the guidance they did offer on how Muslims should respond to insults thrown at our Prophet (S) was all over the place.

Here are some excerpts:

Accept the film as free speech: "We are committed to upholding the right to freedom of expression, and we unconditionally condemn any use of violence as a means to protest offensive or hateful speech. In the United States, this fundamental, inalienable right is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."

Protest it: "We invite all to peacefully voice their opposition to this disrespect, obscenity, hate-mongering and yet another incident of Islamophobia in a growing list of bigoted acts."

Ignore it: “We call on all Muslims around the world to ignore the irresponsible and deliberate anti-Islam films and clips that have been circulating on the web. We urge that these attempts to provoke the religious feelings of Muslims be ignored and that their extremist producers not be given the cheap publicity they so desperately seek."

So what exactly are we supposed to do???

For starters, we can learn from Prophet Muhammad (S) when his late wife Khadija, one of the four perfect women of all times upon whom God and Angel Gabriel sent salutations, was insulted.

The Prophet (Peace and blessings upon him) used to praise Khadija abundantly after her death and repeatedly ask God to have Mercy on her. One day someone objected and told the Prophet (SWS) that God had now given him better than her.

"The Holy Prophet (SWS) got furious," according to scholar Usama Abdul Ghani.

The person who mocked Khadija then prayed: "O God! If you take away the anger of the Prophet (SWS), I will never mention her name in a bad way again for as long as I live."

Anger (not acceptance or indifference), then, is the natural and appropriate reaction to offenses against holy personalities.

The real question is: How do we channel this "Muslim (& non-Muslim) Rage" so we can strive steadfastly and, in the peaceful, intellectual and all-encompassing manner taught by our Prophet (SWS), create a world free of all types of oppression, including the ridiculing of sacred religions and their personalities?

It is our duty, after all, to pioneer such an environment of peaceful coexistence:

"And do not abuse those whom they call upon besides God, lest exceeding the limits they should abuse God out of ignorance. Thus have We made fair seeming to every people their deeds; then to their Lord shall be their return, so He will inform them of what they did."(Quran 6:108)

Taken from....http://theperfectionistas.blogspot.

What is Our IQ....

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "The most intelligent person is the one who remembers death often."

If a person is thought to be very intelligent, yet fails exam after exam, soon all those around him/her will begin to think that he/she is not really very intelligent after all. To get through life with our faith intact, with good deeds, and with Allah’s pleasure as our greatest goal, is the biggest exam we will ever face.

If we fail the exam of life we cannot call ourselves intelligent, regardless of what else our “intelligence” allowed us to accumulate of education, wealth, fame or pleasure. These will all go to waste with our death, while we will still have to stand before our Lord and face the consequences for eternity.

Our intelligence would have failed us if it didn’t give us the sense to properly attempt the biggest exam of our life. Such intelligence is cursed! In an examination hall if we start watching a movie, or discussing the score of a game, or pull out a lavish meal to eat, would we be considered sensible? No matter what your I.Q., we’d be considered foolish and stupid.

This life is one big exam. Are we busy answering the questions of what to believe and what to do or are we busy entertaining ourselves? The time for enjoyment is later. Those who prepare and do well in the exam of life will be considered the intelligent ones for eternity.

The people in Hell will say about themselves, "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!" [Al-Quran 67:10]

We are so engrossed in our various pursuits that the reality of death does not occur to us. Constant remembrance of death would keep us from getting easily distracted by the glittery entertainment beckoning and attracting us from all directions, preventing us from seriously attempting the exam of life. Keeping death in mind would help us abstain from sin and motivate us to do good deeds without delay.

We need to constantly remind ourselves that the most intelligent person is the one who gives the exam of  his/her life with full attention, since there are no re-takes.

Pearls of Wisdom....347

1. O All-Knowing, You opened my heart to the way
    of supplication. Yearning for Your love is glorious
    and grand; lust for other love is disgraceful and
    corrupt. Your divine court is the infinite plane.
    I leave behind the throne of honor, for the real
    throne of honor is Your way.

2. Because of your humility God granted you
    the gift of insight. Go toward the peach tree,
    which has sprung to life. It has become lush
   green by the command "Be!" Beneath its
   shade all your needs will be fulfilled. Such
   is divine alchemy that the crooked become
   straight. As God revealed, "Its roots are firm
   in the earth, its branches in the sky."

3. God calls Himself "Seeing" so that His ever-
    watching eye may scare you away from sinning.
    Whether the breeze be cold or hot, the Cognizant
    is aware, not absent, O infirm man.

4. Flee to the shelter of God's grace. He showers
    our souls with His grace. When He provides
    shelter, how can you lack shelter?  Fear not;
    water and fire will become your army. Did the
    sea not help Noah and Moses?  Did it not seek
    vengeance upon their foes?  Was not the fire a
    fortress for Abraham?  Did it not raise the smoke
    of despair in the heart of Nimrod?

5. When Ahmad passed beyond the Lote tree at
    boundary of Paradise, the Angel's frontier, he
    said, "O Gabriel, come fly with me." But Gabriel
    replied, "I cannot escort you. My wings beyond
    that point will be consumed. But the station of
    the pure before the Most Pure is nothing short
    of wonderment."  [Mawlana Rumi]

Lesson of the Day 1316

Ayahs of the day:
And be conscious of the day when you will be returned to God; then every soul will be requited for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged. [2: 281]

Hadith of the day:
The strong person is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong person is the one who controls himself when he gets angry. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
He who truly fears his Lord has freed his tongue from vain talk, He whose heart is in the awe of his Lord, every thing in creation is in awe of him. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]

Guidance of the day:
Gentleness toward believers is to show compassion and solicitude for them. This is one of the noblest characters and most superior attributes. Compassion for Muslims is a duty and an incumbent right, but for weak, the destitute, and the afflicted it is even more of a duty and a priority.

He who does not find in himself pity and compassion when faced with the weak and the afflicted among Muslims, his heart is hard, overcome with callous, deprived of compassion. It is part of being gentle and soft hearted to feel humility in the heart and weep abundantly in fear of God. This is a noble attribute and a praiseworthy endeavor. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al Haddad]

Food for thought:
In happy moments, praise God.
In difficult moments, seek God.
In quiet moments, worship God.
In painful moments, trust God.
In every moment, thank God.

Are We Lucky.....

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “How lucky is that man who adopts humbleness without having scarcity, who considers himself inferior without having to beg for anything, who spends his own earned money in the right causes without disobeying Allah, who is kind to those having little means, and
who remains in the company of learned men.” [Tibrani]

In this hadith we are told who an enviable person is:

1.    A person who is humble despite having that which makes people proud.
2.    A person who earns and spends in the path of Allah.
3.    A person who is kind to those less privileged.
4.    A person who benefits from the companionship of the learned.

Having wealth does not make one lucky; but having earned it honestly, by one's own hands and, moreover, having spent it on those things which earn Allah's pleasure, while obedient to Allah (Subhana wa Ta'ala), are what entitles one to be counted among the lucky. Wealth that is accompanied by arrogance and ignorance (ignorance of what will earn Allah's pleasure), is extremely unlucky.

Can we count ourselves among those who are really lucky? 

Pearls of Wisdom....346

1. The saints are My children in exile,
    torn away from My dominion and glory.
    Despised and alone they endure their trials;
    in secret I am their intimate friend.

2. Why should I grieve because of a thorn?
    Once it made laughter known to me.
   Whatever you lost through the stroke of destiny,
   know it was to save you from adversity.
   One small affliction off greater afflictions;
   one small loss prevents greater loses.

3. Are you oblivious of the bounty of God who
    invites you to come yonder?
    The whole world of six directions is brimming
    with His bounty. Wherever you turn, His munificence
    is manifest.

4. Practice patience; it is the essence of praise.
    Have patience, for that is true worship.
    No other worship is worth as much.
    Have patience; patience is the key to all relief.

5. I am a bridge across the ocean for my devotees,
    but become a dragon for the Pharaoh.
    Rejoice, O lovers, entreat God.
   The same door has been opened again.
   The fruit is beckoning, "Eat of me."
   The water of life is inviting, "Drink of me."

6. Bitter is made sweet through love;
    copper becomes gold through love.
    Through love dregs become clear;
    love heals all pain.
   Through love the king becomes slave;
    love brings the dead to life. [Mawlana Rumi]