Insignificant good deeds....

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Save yourselves from the fire of Hell even if it be by giving away a bit of a date, or by uttering a good word." [Sahih Bukhari]

Even a most ordinary good has its weight and value, and the same is true of evil. Even a most ordinary evil will be considered and taken into account; it will not be overlooked. Therefore, no good act however small and insignificant should be left undone, for many such good deeds can collect and be regarded as a major good in the reckoning with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Likewise, even a most ordinary evil deed should not be committed, for a large number of such ordinary errors can become serious sins.

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) encouraged us to do good deeds, even if they appeared to be very small. He (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Do not look upon any good work as insignificant, even if it be emptying a bucket into the vessel of one asking for water, or receiving a brother of yours with a pleasant face." In an advice to women he said: "O Muslim women, no woman should look upon sending a gift to her neighbor as mean, even if it be the hoof of a goat." [Sahih Bukhari]

Lesson of the day 1326

Ayahs of the day:
You are the best community evolved for humankind; you enjoin what is fair, and forbid the repugnant; and you believe in God.....[3: 110]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
There is no hajj nor guarding the enemy lines and no jihad which is more difficult than restraining the tongue. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]

Guidance of the day:
Make hast, postpone not, for procrastination is an evil, since human beings are liable to suffer from various problems and become occupied with numerous things.

The stronger one's faith and the better one's works -- the greater one's fear will be; and the weaker one's faith and the worse one's works -- the less one's fear will be and the more likely one is to feel secure and deceive oneself. Observe this in yourself and in others, you will see how evident it is. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Between two evils, choose neither; between two goods, choose both. Life often presents us with a choice of evils rather than of goods. He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determine the end. Life is all about choices -- we cannot escape the consequences of wrong choices.

Death -- Tuhfa tul Momin -- Gift for the Believer

1. The greatest dignity to be found in death is the dignity of the life that preceded it.\

2. Good health doesn't guarantee anything, the wisest thing to do is to live everyday as though it will be our last.

3. There is always a dignity that proceeds from the life well-lived by preparing for the next world, and from the acceptance of one's own death.

4. Death makes more precious each hour of those we have been given, it demands that life must be useful and rewarding.

5. It is not in the last weeks or days that we compose the message that will be remembered, but in all the decades that preceded them.

6. The uniqueness of each of us extends even to the way we die -- unique circumstances of death will be granted to someone with a unique personality.

7. The race of men is like the race of leaves. As one generation flourishes, another decays.

8. Death is easiest for those who during their lives have given it most thought -- as though always to be prepared for its imminence.

9. It is possible to die resigned and reconciled, patiently and tranquilly, having experienced life more fully because of the constant awareness that life may soon come to an end.

10. The utility of living consists not in the length of days, but in the use of time, a man may have lived long, and yet lived but little.

11. Death has ten thousand several doors for men to take their exit, every life is different from any that has gone before it and so is every death.

12. When death comes to man who has completed his mission -- he has nothing to fear nothing to dread.10. The utility of living consists not in the leng days, but in the use

A freindly reminder....

7 key ingredients to finding peace, contentment, and barakah in our lives:

1. Being punctual with all 5 payers -- it is the first thing we will be questioned about on the day of judgment.

2. Reciting a portion (quarter juz to a juz) every day with understanding and implementing its commands and prohibitions in our lives.

3. Always being grateful -- no matter what the circumstance is.

4. Being mindful of the needy and the poor, visiting the sick.

5. Realizing our sins, repenting for them and making a conscientious effort not to repeat them.

6. Always treating parents and relatives with respect and being tolerant towards them.

7. Reciting Surah Yasin in the morning and Surah Waqiyah in the evening.

"The deeds most beloved to Allah Most High are those done regularly, even if they are small " [Bukhari]

Purity does not lie in rituals, nor can human nature be changed by effort. Those who love God and remain conscious only of their Beloved attain purity. [Al Hujwiri]

Life is too short -- best possible advice....

The Foundation for Eliminating Disputes

Disputes, in whatever manner they appear, should be resolved immediately.  Human life being what it is, there is no guarantee as to who will be carried into the grave first.  At the occasion of death, friends, enemies, all gather to mourn anyway.  It is best that one’s heart be cleansed of all grudges regarding all Muslims.  Soothe another’s angry heart and see how tranquil life becomes.  The weightiness in one’s own heart is removed.
Always act towards mending relationships.  As a result, one will attain barakah in one’s time and provision.

Admission

The primary act which ends a dispute is admitting one’s fault.  If it is your fault then admit it and take account of your faults.  It is essential to recognize the excesses one has taken to transgress upon others.  Ultimately, the greatest reality of life is recognition of one’s faults.  The secret of all forms of betterment in life lies in this recognition, because man always errs.  If he does not recognize his faults, then there is no other course for his betterment.  Recognition is the door to all successes, but seldom it is that man is willing to subject himself to it.  When such an occasion arises, it becomes a matter of ego.  Instead of admitting his fault, he attempts to cover it up.  The result is that this fault of his continues to grow unchecked.

Making Excuses and Reconciling

Regardless of whose fault it is, when a dispute occurs, you will always share its blame to a certain extent.  This being the case, you should rise to the occasion and apologize for that which is of your own doing.  Consequently, the one with whom your are disputing will soften his attitude towards you.  You should always have a positive attitude towards others.  Keep a goodly opinion regarding others.  A misunderstanding should be clarified by discussing it as soon as possible.
Establish an attitude of selflessness and sacrifice.  Save yourself from stubbornness and obstinacy.  Suppress your anger.  Adopt a manner which always seeks reconciliation.  Pray for your friends, family, and those with whom you have disputes.

Shaytan struggles tirelessly to create disputes between Muslims.  Truly the greatest weapon he wields to destroy this Ummah is to make Muslims fight each other over any excuse.  Remember that non-Muslims   CANNOT    overcome Muslims under any circumstance.  Thus, we are made to fight each other.

Leave behind obedience and slavery to Shaytan!  Attain firmness in the virtues of admitting one’s faults, asking forgiveness, and forgiving!

Above and beyond this, strive to make peace between two Muslims, for this is a tremendous act of worship indeed!

By Muhammad Bashir Jumah
(An excerpt from his work in Urdu,  The Journey to Success on the Road of Life)

Time -- the most precious thing we have.

1. We need to live mindful of how brief our life is -- there is but a step between us and death.

2. Most of us spend our lives as if we had another one in the bank -- the highest value of time is found in the stewardship of time.

3. The most important thing in our lives is what we are doing now -- wasted time means wasted lives.

4. Know the true value of time -- no idleness, no laziness, no procrastination, never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

5. Time is a very precious gift of God -- so precious that it's given to us moment by moment.

6. As every thread of gold is valuable, so is every moment of time -- spend it wisely.

7. Dollars cannot buy yesterday, lost time is never found -- time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.

8. Time is the substance of life -- when anyone asks you to give your time, they are really asking for a chunk of your life.

9. Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of -- one man gets only a week's value out of a year while another man gets a full year's value out of a week.

10. Have a time and place for everything, and do everything in its time and  place, and you will not only accomplish more, but have far more leisure than those who are always hurrying.

11. The one who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life.

Lesson of the day 1325

Ayahs of the day:
And let there be a people among you who invite to good and enjoin what is fair, and forbid what is repugnant; it is they who thrive. [3: 104]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him uphold ties of kinship. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
Unless there is consciousness in the heart, no amount of effort or ritual can change one as a person. [Ali al-Hujwiri]

Guidance of the day:
It is said that in the hereafter each human being is shown the hours of his days and nights in the form of closets, each day and night make of twenty four closets. Those hours which were occupied with service to God will be seen to be filled with light, those which were occupied with disobedience will be filled with darkness, while those where neither obedience nor disobedience took place will be empty.

When he will look at the empty closets he will become filled with regrets for not having filled them with light by acts of obedience. But when he will look at those which are filled with darkness, at that moment were it possible for him to die of regret and grief he would have died, but there is no death in the hereafter.

He who has acted in obedience to God will constantly be joyous and satisfied, his joy and happiness increasing as days go by. But he who has disobeyed God will be distressed and aggrieved; his distress and grief increasing endlessly. So choose for yourself -- may God have mercy on you -- since you are still in the place of choice, that  which will benefit and elevate you, for once you die you loose all your choice. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer up somebody else. So of cheerfulness, and or  good temper, the more it is spent, the more it remains. The cheerful live longest in years, and afterwards in our regards. Cheerfulness is the off-shoot of goodness. Cheer up! The worst is yet to come!

Insight of the day....

People are often unreasonable and self-centered -- forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives -- be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you -- be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous -- be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow --do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough -- give your best anyway.

 In the end, it is between you and God -- it was never between you and them anyway.


Mother Teresa