Lesson of the day 1322

Ayahs of the day:
Say, "If you love God, then follow me; God will love you and forgive you your sins; for God is most forgiving, most merciful." [3: 31]

Hadith of the day:
Do not envy one another, do not artificially inflate prices against one another, do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another, do not undercut one another. Be, O slaves of Allah, brothers." [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
The result of fear (of Allah) is that one is able to leave the forbidden, and the result of hope (in Allah) is that one remains firm footed in one's obedience. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]

Guidance of the day:
Know that frequent remembrance of death is a good thing and to be encouraged. It brings important benefits and profits, among which are short hopes, detachment from the world, contentment with little, and desire for the hereafter accompanied by gathering provision of good works in preparation for it.

One of our ancestors said, "Consider, anything that you do and would be pleased for death to come to you while doing it, keep to it; but anything that you do and would detest death to find you doing it, avoid it!" Reflect on these words -- may God have mercy on you -- for they are of immense benefit for he who would act accordingly. Success and help are from God, there is no other Lord than He. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Hadda]

Food for thought:
The way of seeking guidance is to have close living relations with living scholars in one's land. The point of life is not to live the minimum, but to follow the means of increasing in faith and piety (taqwq), which are the best keys for electhood (wilaya), and the good pleasure of Allah Most High.

Convey an ayah....

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Convey from me even an Ayah of the Quran; relate traditions from Banu Israel, and there is no restriction on that; but he who deliberately forges a lie against me let him have his abode in Hell.” [Sahih Bukhari]

This hadith contains the following three important points:

1. It stresses the importance of acquiring knowledge of the Quran and Hadith and imparting it to others. Regardless of whether one has a little knowledge or a great deal, he or she must communicate it to others. There is no justification to leave inviting to the Message of Allah to those who are well-versed in this sphere. It is a duty upon every Muslim to learn something and pass it on. So much so that if a person knows even a single ayah/verse of the Quran, that is, a single injunction of Allah, they should communicate it to others.

2. It allows the communication of Jewish Traditions but this permission is subject to the condition that such Traditions are not against the elucidations of the Quran and Hadith.

3. There is a stern warning on attributing anything to the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) that he did not say. It is a grave offence and serious sin. Therefore, one should be very careful to quote only Sahih ahadith. Only Muhaddith are in a position to sort through weak ahadith and see what the grade of weakness is, i.e. if the hadith may be used since its meaning is supported by authentic ahadith even if its isnad is faulty.

thttp://dailyhadith.adaptivesolutionsinc.com

Pearls of Wisdom 322

1. When the craft of making armor was made known,
    iron became wax in your hands. The mountains became
    your accompanists; they chant the psalms along with you,
    like those who teach the recitation of the Qur'an with you.

2. As God made the Qibla manifest, abandon your search.
    Hark, turn away from all futile search, now that the House
    has come to view. If you forget this Qibla for one moment,
    you will be overcome by the qibla of desires.

3. Very high, very grand, and very wide is the ocean of God,
    the Water of life. You went after the form and were lead
   astray. How can you see it? You abandoned the truth.
   Sometimes it is named "tree," sometimes "sun," sometimes
   "ocean," sometimes "cloud," one thing from which scores
   of discoveries arise, its slightest definition an everlasting
   life.

4. You see throngs of afflicted feeble folk seated at the
    door in ardent hope. O you who are crushed, your
    pleas have been heard. Hark! Rush toward the mercy
    of God and be delivered of pain. How often has your
    disease been cured! How often your soul been
    delivered of grief!!

5. When a magician sleeps, so does his sorcery and
    his craft. When the shepherd sleeps, the wolf becomes
   assertive. But he who has made God his shepherd,
   how can the wolf make him prey? The alchemy of God
   is trustworthy and true. It is villainous to confuse it with
   sorcery. [Mawlana Rumi]

Lesson of the day 321

Ayahs of the day:
Say, "O my God, possessor of all power, You empower whomever You will, and You strip power from whomever You will. You honor whomever You will. All good is in Your hands. Truly You are capable of everything." [3: 26]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever does not show mercy to people, Allah will not show mercy to him. [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
The one who is esteemed by people should deem himself worthy of no such honor or respect, so as not to fall into delusion. [Abdullah ibn Mubarak]

Guidance of the day:
Feel the imminence of death, for it is "the nearest hidden thing lying in waiting." A human being does not know, it may be that only very little of his lifetime remains, yet he is attending to this world and forgetful of the hereafter. Should he die in this state, he will return to God unprepared to meet Him. He might then wish to be reprieved, but will  never be granted that.

Only a fool who is prey to illusion harbors long hopes, procrastinates, and neglects preparing for death. Long hopes are but part of following the passions of one's soul and being deceived by its false hopes. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Behind every sin, there are various detriments and harms; spiritual, physical, social, financial, and many others. Some sins encompass all the harms whereas others some of them. The next time we feel like committing a sin, we should try to explain to ourselves that these body parts of ours if used against the wishes of Allah will be our enemies tomorrow.

Test Questions....

Here are some test questions to see how you are spending your time on earth.

1. What is one thing you love about being alive?

2. How would you finish this sentence:  Thank God I'am ------------------?

How long did it take you to answer each question? If you had to stop and think, you took too long. These answers should flow easily. If they don't, it is a sign you are not in touch with your heart and that it needs to be nourished.

Now answer this question:

When you look at the garden do you see the weeds or the flowers?

If you had trouble with the answer, perhaps it is because you need to take off the blinders others have put over your eyes. You do not have to see what they tell you is before you. You have a choice in how you perceive your world. The true answers to all of these questions can only come from your heart.

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.