Pearls of Wisdom 401

1. Other people may complicate our lives, but life without them would be
unbearably desolate.

2. We shouldn't just do what we feel like doing; instead we need to do
what the Lord asks of us.

3. Who is wealthy? He who is content with what he has.

4. The fear of God may indeed be the beginning of wisdom and the corner
stone of proper living.

5. When we have learned how to live, life itself is a reward.

6. It is only when we are no longer afraid to die that we can say that we
are truly alive.

7. It is a sign of maturity when we stop asking -- what does life have in
store for me? And start asking -- what am I doing with my life?

8. There is no way to prevent dying. But the cure for the fear of death is to
make sure that we have lived according to the commandments of the Lord Almighty.

9. Having an impact on another person, shaping his or her life in some small
but vital way, is one of the most enduring satisfactions we will know.

10. Life, if you will, is a work of art, and if we paid loving attention to its details,
we will be able to take pride in the finished product.

Reflections: Chasing the feeling of love....

With tears in her eyes, an elderly woman’s gaze falls upon the majestic Ka’ba for the first time. Taken by surprise at its unique splendor, she immediately stops and stares upwards in awe at the grandness of the Ka’ba. Her eyes quickly trace the patterns of fine gold thread intricately weaved into its black robe. In her moment of reflection, she silently watches beating hearts encircle its structure in total unison, clusters of individual souls who meet together for the same purpose – to beseech their Creator with their endless needs. Tongues chant what hearts speak and feet move forward motivated by pure hope. Overwhelmed by her new found treasure, she utters in a low whisper, “It’s beautiful.” After living many decades of hardship and heartbreak, she finally found a focal point for perpetual love.

 Surely, it is during these intimate moments with the Divine that souls discover the true meaning of life and they are fueled to change, give back to others, and grow. When human hearts are sincerely tied to their Creator, they are deeply inspired to be the love that they crave to feel and to manifest the love that   they long to show. The centuries sought ‘fountain of life’ that grants people eternal fulfilment, empowerment, and clarity isn’t an imaginary fairytale, but it is a reality that is only found when a person cultivates a strong relationship with Allah Most High. Indeed, the quality of a person’s life is often measured by the quality of their personal connection with their Creator.

When we first married our husbands, maybe we thought differently; we felt like we hit the jackpot, and that ‘feeling’ of being in love compelled us to behave differently and to perform with great potential. The ‘high’ encouraged us to act in noble ways or to say loving words without much thought or effort. Yet, for almost everyone on the face of this planet, that fantasy wave eventually crashes, and our hearts are stranded upon the lonely shore of real life once again.

However, in this beached moment, we still have a choice of where we will direct our marooned hearts. Undoubtedly, when we convince ourselves that we’re missing something, we will inevitably start searching for what will make us feel that ‘feeling’ once more. Some may get divorced and decide to look for the ‘feeling’ elsewhere. Some may stay in their marriages but devote their attention to their children, hoping to gain the ‘feeling’ through them. Some may hang onto their spouses, riding a rollercoaster of the ‘feeling’ on and off their time together. Whatever the option may be, when we chase the ‘feeling’ of love, our hearts will ultimately settle in the same place that we desperately try to avoid being in: the rock-bottom feeling of emptiness.

Instead of chasing the temporary, we must seek what is permanent and everlasting. Namely, we need to revive our marriages with a higher purpose – to make our marriages worship with Allah and not based on a bunch of feelings.

Allah says: Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (3:31)

The only way to truly make a Muslim marriage survive and transform into an everlasting bond is to focus our hearts on following the way of the Prophet ﷺ. How did he ﷺ act within times of disappointment? How did he ﷺ respond when challenged? How did he ﷺconsistently treat those in his household?
If our love batteries are dead, then we need to recharge them, but our power source must be the Divine.

Those who are enthused to act, speak, and live for Allah’s sake will always find something different in their marriages, and the love felt between each other’s hearts easily intensify and solidify inshaAllah. So don’t gauge the quality of your relationship by the strength of the ‘feeling’ because feelings come and go. Rather, base your marriage on something permanently substantial. Ask yourself if the way that you are in your marriage is pleasing to Allah Most High. Let this guiding principle be what regulates your love meter because Allah will place His blessing in it inshaAllah. Whenever you see it is at a low, find your focal point, turn to the Ka’ba, and reconnect with the Divine.

© TayyibaatWives, 2016.

Lesson of the day 1407

Ayahs of the Day: 
Who can be better than one who submits his whole self to Allah, does good, and follows the
way of Abraham the upright in faith? Allah (Himself) chose Abraham for a friend. To Allah
belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth. It is Allah that encompasses all things.
[4: 125,126]

Hadith of the Day: 
Charity does not diminish the wealth; Allah enhances the honor of one who forgives, and
one who humbles himself for the sake of Allah, Allah exalts him in rank. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day: 
When you find yourself slipping, remember Allah and the Last Day. If you died this very
moment, is this a state you would want to die in? [Shaykh Faraz Rabbani]

Guidance of the Day: 
The treatment for miserliness is realizing that those who achieve wealth usually do so only
after exhausting themselves over long periods of time, working for it day and night. Meanwhile
life passes on, and the time runs out. The culture of wanting more for the sake of more can
literally occupy a person for life.

Reflect long and hard on the fact that just as people climb the heights of affluence and start to
achieve what they have worn themselves out for, then death assails them without invitation.
When death takes us and moves us on, our wealth stays behind for others to wrangle over
and spend.

One must also realize the level of disdain shown to misers. Nobody likes a miser. Even misers
loathe each other. Realizing the hatred people have for misers is enough to turn one away
from their disease. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought: 
The best thing to give your enemy is forgiveness, to an opponent tolerance, to a friend your heart,
to your child good example, to your father deference, to your mother a conduct that will make her
proud of you, to yourself respect and to all men charity.

Social Media...

Seeking attention on social media

The main goal of social media sharing is to gain the attention of the people while boasting and taking pride in halal and haram activities that are posted. Here are some matters through which people attract attention on social media:

1. Marital life

We may be living with the person in the same house, but it has become a trend (or an essential!) to post birthday wishes, anniversary wishes or grand declarations of love on networking sites. Gestures of love that should be personal and special between the husband and wife are uploaded for the whole world to see. This is as unpleasant as living in a house with glass walls all around, with all private on-goings made public for all to witness.

Quick tip: Instead of posting a romantic status, say these words to your spouse directly and watch how the love between you two grows.

2. Luxuries and food

It has become normal to see posts such as “I just checked into this swanky hotel!” and “here I’m with my brand new phone/laptop/car.” This gives validation to the individual as we show the whole world the material things that Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) blessed us with.
Quick tip: Instead of posting a picture of your latest gadget, make du’a to Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) that it will benefit you in this world and the Hereafter.

3. Beauty

“Looking awesome, bro!” “Hey, you look beautiful!” These comments are like drugs for some and they just cannot live without them. They get into the habit of dressing up and posting pictures with deep quotes and then, chase those posts all day long to see how many likes and comments they get. In an age of advanced photo-editing, men and women are desperate to attain an unrealistic body image, with constant selfies to try and build up their self-worth.

Quick tip: Next time you want to post a selfie, post a picture of beautiful scenery or nature instead and ponder over Allah’s subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) creation, so that we learn to detach from our ego. Believe that Allah is ‘Al-Musawwir’ (The Fashioner), Who fashioned you in the best shape – you do not need to display and get approval of from the world.

4. Agonies

It is not just the happy moments, people also go on to share their agonies and painful moments with the whole world, be it a failed love story, a broken marriage or an ailment they may be suffering from.
Quick tip: In order to be successful, we are required to be patient during trials. Complaining to people contributes to being ungrateful towards the Lord and hence, should be avoided. We also end up exposing our weaknesses to friends and foes. So expose your problems only to Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He)and seek His help.

5. Religious duties

The sad reality is that the attention seeking behavior has crossed the boundaries and infiltrated our religious duties as well. More of worshippers are found busy filming themselves in Haramain rather than concentrating on worshipping Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He).

Quick tip: Keep your ibadah a secret!

Click to read more: http://productivemuslim.com/like-o-maniac/#ixzz4RnxZlWNi 

The Muslim Identity

Pearls of Wisdom 400

1. There is a big difference between having a good time, and having time to
be good.

2. A credit card adds to your credit; but adds even more to your creditors.

3. A truth told with bad intent, beats all the lies you can invent.

4. Friendship is a living thing that lasts as long as it is nourished with kindness,
sympathy, and understanding.

5. True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in the worth and
choice.

6. Discussion is an exchange of knowledge. Argument is an exchange of ignorance.

7. Tell your child to lie for you, and your child will learn to lie to you.

8. A good leader takes a little more than his share of blame, and a little less than his
share of credit.

9. The pursuit of happiness is the wrong goal. You don't become happy by pursuing
happiness. You become happy by living a life that means something.

10. One human being is no human being. None of us can truly be human in isolation.
The qualities that make us human emerge only in the ways we relate to other people.

Remembering death is the key to every good....

Rasul Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: “Remember often death -- the Ender of Pleasures.” [Nasai]

Those who sleep on velvet, will surely, one day sleep in soil. Kings and paupers alike will have a bed in the earth. Traveler through life, your destination is the grave. What you are traversing is two days journey.

To remember death is like for a student to remember that there will be an exam at the end of the year. The more conscious he is of it, the more he will consistently prepare for it, and the better he will do when the time comes. He who parties away, heedless of his studies, will not fare well, and at the end of the year the exam will bring an end to his pleasures.

It is recommended for everyone to frequently remember death, and to prepare for it by obeying Allah Most High and repenting of his/her sins. A saying in Persian goes, “If childhood is spent in play, youth in mischief, and old age in laziness, when will one worship Allah?”

Lesson of the day 1406

Ayahs of the Day 
Say (O' Mohammad): " If you do love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Say: " Obey Allah and His Messenger"; but if they turn back, Allah loves not those who reject Faith. [3: 31,32 ]

Hadith of the Day 
By his good character traits a believer will attain the degree of one who prays during the night and fasts during the day. [Abu Dawud]

Wise Quote of the Day 
Whoever remembers death frequently will be rewarded in three ways: he will hasten to repent, he will become content, and he will be active in worship. [Shaykh al Daqaq]

Guidance of the Day 
We are warned against desiring death in a hadith, one should desire life in order to repent and make amends of past iniquities. If one did much good, he should want more life to perform more righteous deeds. If one's past has been marred with evil, then there is a new day and opportunity to turn things around.

People who recognize the urgency of the human condition and their own impending mortality do not squander their time. They set out positive deeds. It is no coincidence that those very people who do good and hope to do more of it are in fact those who reflect on death and work for the Hereafter the most, so the day of judgment will be a moment of joy and light for them. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought 
You end up as you deserve. In the old age you must put up with the face, the friends, the health, and the children you have earned.

The ritual washing (wudu) is a prevention against trachoma -- an eye disease

  I have recently read a medical article about an eye disease called “Trachoma”, a disease that infects the conjunctiva and retina of the eye. It has different phases, or stages, whereby it develops, beginning with slight agitation and itching and ending in blindness.

However, this is not our concern, for it is a purely medical issue the facts of which have to be sought in books of medical science. What concerns us here is that a female medical specialist wrote an article in a science magazine issued by the Information Office of the UN. In her article, the writer confirms that repeated and regular wash of the body as well as Wudu’ (Ritual Ablution), witnessed in the Muslim communities, are very helpful in the confinement of this disease, Trachoma, which is considered as the main cause of blindness in countries of the third world.

The writer adds that nearly 500,000,000 people, from all countries of the world, suffer from this disease, which is avoidable by adopting the Muslim way of cleanliness that Muslims have to observe before performing their prayers. She also reiterates that the average of the spread of this disease in committed Islamic communities is very low. It even rates to 0 % in those Islamic communities where Muslims are committed to performing Wudu’ (Ritual Ablution) five times a day.


  In the light of the above-mentioned facts, it should be believed that such Islamic commandments and practices are all from Allah, All-Mighty, Creator of mankind. Furthermore, it is naïve to think that Allah’s Divine Commands have only one or two benefits. Nay! Their benefits are unlimited!

The above-mentioned foreign writer has nothing to do with the religion of Islam, but while carrying out her research, studies, investigations, and calculations, she found out that the average of the spread of this disease, from which more than 500,000,000 people suffer all over the world, is very low in Muslim communities, which are committed to cultic purity and cleanliness. This is Allah’s Religion! And this is why scholars say: “The relationship between religious commitment and its consequences is a scientific one, and so is the relationship between religious non-commitment and its consequences.”

To wrap up, since man is naturally predisposed to love his existence, safety of his existence, perfection of his existence, and continuity of his existence, he should obey his Lord, Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, and he should follow His Divine Religion. To this effect, Allah, Glory to Him, says,
“And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed achieved a great achievement.”
[Al-Ahzab; 71]

Translation  : Khaled Al- Athmed

Pearls of Wisdom 399

1. Other people may complicate our lives, but life without them would be
unbearably desolate.

2. We shouldn't just do what we feel like doing; instead do what the Lord
asks of us.

3. Who is wealthy? He who is content with what he has.

4. The fear of God may indeed be the beginning of wisdom and the corner
stone of proper living.

5. When we have learned how to live, life itself is a reward.

6. It is only when we are no longer afraid to die that we can say that we are
truly alive.

7. It is a sign of maturity when we stop asking -- what does life have in store
for me? And start asking -- what am I doing with my life?

8. There is no way to prevent dying. But the cure for the fear of death is to
make sure that we have lived according to the commandments of the Lord
Almighty.

9. Having an impact on another person, shaping his or her life in some small
but vital way, is one of the most enduring satisfactions we will know.

10. Life, if you will, is a work of art, and if we paid loving attention to its details,
we will be able to take pride in the finished product.

Time to fix oneself....

I have to live with myself and so I want to be fit for myself to know.

I want to be able as days go by to look myself straight in the eye.

I don't want to stand with the setting sun (time of death) and think
of things I have or haven't done, I want to go with my heart erect.

I want to deserve all men's respect, I want to be able to like myself.

I don't want to look at myself and know that I am a bluster, a bluff
and an empty show.

I can never hide myself from me, I see what others may never see.
I know what others may never know.

I can never fool myself and so whatever happens, I want to be self-
respecting and conscience free.

Lesson of the day 1405

Ayahs of the Day 
Say: "Whether you hide what is in your hearts or reveal it, Allah knows it all; He knows what is in the heavens, and what is on the earth. And Allah has power over all things. On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between it and its evil. But Allah cautions you (to remember) Himself. And Allah is full of kindness to those that serve Him. [3: 29,30]

Hadith of the Day 
Whoever travels a path seeking knowledge (of the deen), Allah eases for them a path to paradise. [Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day 
The best remembrance of Allah is that which involves both the tongue and the heart. [Ibn Ataillah]

Guidance of the Day 
Believers are not anti-worldly in a sense propagated by some Christian theologies. The world is a place made for us to enjoy, but not to the point that we forget our purpose and ultimate destiny.

When a person suffers the passage of time without consistent and serious reflection about the Hereafter, the world takes hold of his heart more and more, which has a way of making the heart hard. Those with hard hearts become corrupt. This dynamic applies to societies as it does to individuals.

Although long hopes can harden hearts, there are exceptions, like a scholarly work from which many people may benefit. It is one of the highest things a person can do. In fact, it is a form of sadaqa jariya (a continuos charity). In cases like this, one is not censured for wanting a long life, because one seeks to strive in ways that serve God, His religion and humanity. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought 
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty, anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep the mind young.

Pearls of Wisdom 398

1. There is a big difference between having a good time, and having time to be good.

2. A credit card adds to your credit; but adds even more to your creditors.

3. A truth told with bad intent, beats all the lies you can invent.

4. Friendship is a living thing that lasts as long as it is nourished with kindness,
sympathy, and understanding.

5. True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in the worth and choice.

6. Discussion is an exchange of knowledge. Argument is an exchange of ignorance.

7. Tell your child to lie for you, and your child will learn to lie to you.

8. A good leader takes a little more than his share of blame, and a little less than his
share of credit.

9. The pursuit of happiness is the wrong goal. You don't become happy by pursuing
happiness. You become happy by living a life that means something.

10. One human being is no human being. None of us can truly be human in isolation.
The qualities that make us human emerge only in the ways we relate to other people.

Eid Mubarak!!!

Beautiful Dua...

O اللَّه , help me to say words of truth in the face of the mighty....
And to refrain from speaking ill in order to gain the applause of the weak...
And do not let me accuse my adversaries of treachery because their opinions oppose mine...

O اللَّه , should You give me wealth, do not take away my happiness...
And should You give me might, do not take away my wisdom....
And should You give me success do not take away my humility...
And should You give me modesty do not take away my sense of dignity...

O اللَّه, teach me to love others as I love myself...
And teach me to judge myself as I judge others...
And teach me that forgiveness is one of the greatest steps towards strength...

O اللَّه , do not curse me with arrogance should I be successful...
And neither with despair and hopelessness should I fail...

O اللَّه, remind me always that failure is the trial that precedes success....
Should You take away my wealth, do let me keep my hopefulness...
And should I fail, do let me keep the power of determination...
And should You take away the blessing of good health do let me keep the blessing of faith...

O اللَّه , should I have harmed others give the courage to apologize...
And should others harm me, do bless me with the courage to forgive...
And should I forget You Ya اللَّه  I beg that You should not exclude me from Your compassion and clemency...

For You are The Greatest, The Vanquisher, The All Powerful on all things!!!

The most needed preparation for Hajj....

​The One Thing You MUST Leave Behind When Going to Hajj 
If there is one thing that separates a Muslim or Muslimah from Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) it is their ego! Whatever journey you are going on, ego always seems to want to travel with you. Here at Productive Muslim, as we reflect on Hajj, I aim to show you why you need to leave this kind of baggage at home.

Hajj is once more upon us and the checklist is out, as you decide what needs to be taken with you on the holiest of pilgrimages. You have gone through the useful Productive Muslim Tips for a Productive Hajj and what every Productive Muslim Should Pack articles. Twice, maybe. Qur’an, check. Travel prayer mat, check. Miswak, check. Ego, check. Uh-oh, that wasn’t supposed to be there! So you unpack everything and re-do your luggage again. Sunglasses, check. Perfume-free soap, check. Ego, check! It is that one piece of baggage we could do without! But it is still there and far from helpful when it comes to avoiding misconduct and arguments as instructed by Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) in the Noble Quran, “And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is [God-consciousness/righteousness]…” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 197]

So what is Ego?
What Western thinkers refer to as “ego” we -in Islamic terms- refer to as an-nafs-ul-‘ammarah, mixed with a reasonable dose of kibr (arrogance or superiority over others; pride). Now, I am not saying that we Muslims purposefully strut around with our ego on the high street or on the plane to Mecca, but if there is one thing that separates a Muslim or Muslimah from God it is their ego. So, in other words, it is better to acknowledge the existence of ego, especially if you are anything like me, fervently denying that you have a problem, especially when compared to a whole host of Muslims and non-Muslims you could name!

I mean who hasn’t ever got angry, felt a little jealous, annoyed even, when someone else got promoted, got that bigger house, better school or university grades, or seemingly nicer husband? It is perfectly human to complain about such things, right? Well, there are somethings that I shouldn’t have to do, right? This has nothing to do with ego, right? Wrong! And if that’s what you have been saying since your friend or spouse emailed you this article to read, wave to your ego for me because he or she is sitting on your lap, which means you came face to face and lost the battle… again!

No wonder the fight against ego is the greatest struggle (Jihad al-Akbar) that a Muslim can endure. It is also why Hajj is a pillar of our faith and a testament to Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) which demonstrates that we prefer Him over our egos.

Flattening an Inflated Ego with Every Hajj Step
In Hajj, we Muslims set out to enhance our Taqwa, to return to a purified state at one with our Creator, more aware of His Divine Nature and Presence. We are reminded on this pilgrimage of the trials of the great men and women of Islam who sacrificed their sense of self for a profound belief in God.

For evidence of this, take the re-enactment of Hajar’s exhausting and repeated run through the two hills, Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, in search for water for her baby Ismail, barefoot and alone in the desert. It is in performing the Sa’ee that we can come to appreciate how that it was only in the shedding of her ego that Hajar found her courage and faith, which led to the appearance of the Zamzam well. We are further reminded of ego’s power, human fragility and sinfulness when we shave or cut a lock of our hair on the final day of Hajj, following the completion of ramī al-jamarāt(the Stoning of the Devil).

Ego, like our hair, will grow back. To stop both from becoming unruly and tangled, they need a frequent trim and a daily brush or comb. Hajj is the ultimate conditioner. If applied right, it will make ego more manageable. It won’t, however, remove it completely. For that you need Tazkiah, specifically tazkiyatul -nafs or “purification of the self”.

Productive Muslim

Lesson of the day 1404

Ayahs of the Day 
Say O'Allah! Lord of Power, You give power to whom you please, and take it from whom You will. You exalt whom You will and abase whom You will. In Your hand lies all that is good; You have power over all things. You cause the night to pass into the day, and the day to pass into the night. You bring forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living; and you give sustenance to whom You choose, without measure. [3: 26,27]

Hadith of the Day 
Whoever protects the honor of his brother in his absence, Allah will protect his face from the fire on the Day of Judgment. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day 
Know that hearing and sight are two open doors, whatever enters through them reaches the heart. [Ibn Alawi al Haddad]

Guidance of the Day 
The world is divided into two types of people: sa 'id (felicitous) and shaqi (wretched.) There is not a third category.

There are well-known signs of wretchedness. The first is having a hard heart. A person who has sympathy and softness in the heart is said to have a moistened eye. If it is dry and unmoved to tears, this is an indication of a hard heart. The second sign is a lack of modesty. From the first words of prophecy, it was said, "If you have no shame, do what you will."

The third sign is coveting the world. It is said that no one increases his good share in the Hereafter without incurring loss in his worldly affairs. The last sign is having long hopes which can also generate indolence regarding one's obligations. This indolence (kasl) shows itself in lack of energy in working for the Hereafter, which includes performing the obligatory acts of worship. There are people who find reservoirs of energy when it comes to worldly matters, but are overcome with sloth when it comes to matters of the hereafter.[Purification of the heart]

O' Allah help us prepare for the Hereafter to the best of our ability, ameen.

Food for Thought 
A comfortable old age is the reward of a well-spent youth.

Pearls of Wisdom 397

1. We need our mistakes -- we have to experience how error feels to begin to be free from it.

2. We may become wise enough to welcome difficult times because we can trust that they are,
in truth, opportunities for transformation.

3. Death sets a limit on our time in this life and urges us to do what we need to do in the time
we are given.

4. Death is a friendly but invisible companion, reminding us to live our lives and not just exist.

5. Whatever prepares us for death enhances our lives. Awareness of our mortality will facilitate
important shifts in our priorities and values.

6. The best way to fight evil is to make energetic progress in the good.

7. Prayer and meditation are disciplines on our life journey toward our spiritual journey.

8. Take the spiritual side of life seriously.

9. Practice forgiveness. It changes everything, and its rewards are permanent.

10. Sort out and pass along the things from your attic, garage, basement, closets that you
no longer use.

In the shade of faith....

Faith is the only shade from the scorching heat of life's calamities.
You will not find shelter outside of faith when the desert sun is at its peak,
bearing  down pushing you into the dusty ground.
You will not find a drink cooler than reliance on Allah when your throat
is dry and your breathing is labored.
You will not find a resting place on this difficult journey safer than the
piece of ground that you pray.

You need belief in Allah more than your lungs need air.
You need hope in His mercy and trust in His wisdom
more than your heart needs to keep beating.
You need His remembrance more than you need your
limbs, your eyesight, or your hearing.

You need to worship Him more than you need to be alive.
What is the purpose of life -- the purpose of air in your
lungs and the blood pumping through your veins -- if the
essence of your soul is already dead.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"He who remembers his Lord and he who does not
remember his Lord are like the living and the dead."

[Temporary Gift by Asmaa Hussein]

Lesson of the day 1403

Ayahs of the Day 
Those who say; "Our Lord! we have indeed believed: forgive us, then, our sins, and save us from the punishment of the fire." Those who show patience, firmness and self control, who are true (in word and deed), who worship devoutly, who spend (in the way of Allah), and who pray for forgiveness at the time before dawn. [3: 16,17]

Hadith of the Day 
You cannot reach all people with your wealth, so let your smiling face and good character reach them. [Hakim]

Wise Quote of the Day 
Know that you should reflect on God's complete awareness of you, and His seeing and knowing all about you. [Ibn Alawi al Haddad]

Guidance of the Day 
For most people today, happiness is sought by acquisition of material goods. The believer, though, finds happiness in genuine worship, a connection with other-worldliness. The human being is a creature which cannot pursue two things simultaneously, especially when they are on the opposite poles of the universe.

Islam connects the definition and understanding of happiness with what is permanent and real. True happiness is derived from one's relationship with God and happiness in the Hereafter. This includes living a life that prepares one for this destiny. Regarding one who is engaged in preparing for tomorrow or writing works of knowledge, extended hope is not blameworthy.

If one is happy in the next world, this is the greatest possible achievement, regardless of one's material accomplishments in this life. [Purification of the Heart]

O'Allah grant us the true understanding of this world and the next,ameen.

Food for Thought 
Some people no matter how old they get never lose their beauty, they merely move it from their faces to their hearts

Pearls of Wisdom 396

1. We need our mistakes. We have to experience how error feels to
begin to be free from it.

2. We may become wise enough to welcome difficult times because
we can trust that they are, in truth, opportunities for transformation.

3. Death sets a limit on our time in this life and urges us to do what
we need to do in the time we are given.

4. Death is a friendly but invisible companion, reminding us to live
our lives and not just exist.

5. Whatever prepares us for death enhances our lives. Awareness
of our mortality will facilitate important shifts in our priorities and values.

6. The best way to fight evil is to make energetic progress in the good.

7. Prayer and meditation are disciplines on our life journey toward our
spiritual journey.

8. Take the spiritual side of life seriously.

9. Practice forgiveness. It changes everything, and its rewards are
permanent.

10. Sort out and pass along the things from your attic, garage, basement,
closets that you no longer use.

Thank the Channel too....

Rasul Allah (Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “He who is not thankful to men is not thankful to Allah.” [Tirmidhi]

Why is the word “Thank you” so difficult to utter? Some can spit it out, but can they say what it is supposed to mean: “I am grateful to you.” Some think that it is a formality not necessary to use in the immediate family, with one’s spouse, children, siblings, parents, etc; while, in fact, these are the relationships that require acknowledgement the most! If someone gets you a glass of water, or irons your clothes for you, or drives you somewhere, or cooks for you, or helps you with your homework… they deserve your gratitude!

If they did it for Allah’s pleasure, He will surely reward them; but that does not mean that the recipient of the favor should not express his/her gratitude. This is something that Rasul Allah (Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) promotes in this hadith, that we thank Allah (Subhana wa ta’ala) and the channel through which He chose to do us the favor.
[Daily Hadith]

Lesson of the day 1402

Ayahs of the day:
God is the one who made you deputies on earth and raised some of you in ranks over others, in order to test you in what God gave you; for your Lord is swift in punishment, and yet is truly forgiving and merciful. [6: 165]

Hadith of the day:
Giving charity extinguishes sins just as fire extinguishes fire. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
Put aside your pride, set down your arrogance and remember your grave. [ibn Ataillah]

Guidance of the day:
Short hopes, frequent remembrance of death, and preparing for it, their benefits are immense and their merits great. He whose hopes are short and his remembrance of death abundant will be resolute in good works, not subject to procrastination or laziness, detached from this world and desirous of the hereafter, swift to repent and return to God the Exalted, distance from whatever may distract him from obedience to God the Exalted and from following the path leading to His good pleasure. He whose hopes are long and remembrance of death scarce will be the opposite of all this.

If you heed the above advice you will be endlessly happy when death comes, but if you procrastinate and neglect, death will come unexpectedly and you will be endlessly remorseful. When morning comes, people are grateful for having traveled by night. When death comes, certain news come with it; and you shall learn about it in due course. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Nothing will work until you do. Work is not man's punishment, it is his reward, strength and pleasure. Work is the true elixir of life, the busiest man is the happiest man. Opportunities are usually distinguished as hard work. The harder we work the luckier we get. The one thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work. The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

Eid Mubarak!

Imam Ibn al-Jawzi (ra) in his letter of advice to his son, wrote:

Know, dear son, that days are but hours, and hours are but breaths, and every soul is a container, hence let not any breath pass without any benefit, such as on the Day of Judgment you find an empty container and feel regret! Be aware of every hour and how it passes, and only spend it in the best possible way; do not neglect yourself, but render it accustomed to the noblest and best of actions, and send to your grave that which will please you when you arrive to it."

This world is transitory and our life therein but a moment borrowed, our breaths numbered, yet our indifference reckless. [Abu Bakr al Siddiq]

Strive for Paradise. A small nook within its bliss is better than the whole world and all the riches within. [al Hadith]

A believer is never tired of hearing about good deeds until he enters Paradise. [al Hadith]

Pearls of Wisdom 395

1. Even when people tell you there isn't any hope, there is. There is always hope, purpose,
and a new magical lesson.

2. Nourishing the soul is a life long journey -- traveled day by day, that is worth making
the most important focus of our lives.

3. Good lies in what God chooses.

4. Contentment is a treasury of good living and ease of life. While greed is a mine of loss
and abasement.

5. The cost of change is high, but the cost of not changing may be higher.

6. Those who change in accordance with the deeper design of life will reap benefits
themselves and those around them.

7. One learns by pain and experience, that one could not control everything, and
that life is temporary.

8. The challenging journey of life requires honesty, integrity, perseverance,
openness, and much more.

9. Life is a generous giver, let's not throw those gifts away unopened.
That which seems hard "bad luck" on the surface, can be a hidden blessing.

10. Continual playing without significance will turn sour. How long can
you just play golf and still respect yourself.

Lesson of the day 1401

Ayahs of the day:
Say, "My prayer and my devotion, my life, and my death, are for God, Lord of all worlds, Who has no partners; that is what I have been ordered, and I am the first to acquiesce." [6: 161,162]

Hadith of the day:
Nothing repels the decree except supplications and nothing increases one's lifetime except righteousness. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
Love your Lord by serving Him -- for lovers are but the servants of the Beloved [a poet]

Guidance of the day:
Another kind of reflection is to reflect on this world and how evanescent it is, how full of preoccupations and vexations. Reflecting deeply on this leads to detachment from it, forsaking and losing desire for it.

Yet another is to reflect on the hereafter, how unending it is, how unadulterated its bliss, and how permanent its pleasures and joys. Reflecting deeply on these leads to preferring the hereafter, desiring it, and striving for it with determination.

There are many more avenues of reflection. The sharper a servant's insight and the broader and more abundant his knowledge, the vaster and more abundant his reflection. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Failure is a success if we learn from it. The one who has done his level best is a success, even though the world may write him down as a failure. Always remember that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. Formula for success -- rise early, work hard with ability and courage.

Muhammad Ali's 10 best quotes....

May Allah Almighty grant him the best place in Jannah, ameen.

http://www.espn.in/boxing/story/_/id/15930888/muhammad-ali-10-best-quotes

Diffused Congruence Podcast: Ramadan Fitness and Fiqh-ness Special

Lesson of the day 1400

Ayahs of the day:
As for those who divide their religion into sects, you have nothing to do with them; their business is up to God, who will inform them of what they were doing. For whoever brings about good, there is ten times its like; and whoever brings about ill will not be repaid but by the same; and they will not be wronged. [6: 159,160]

Hadith of the day:
All humans are sinners, and the best sinners are those who repent much. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
This worldly life is a deceiving form of enjoyment if it diverts the person from seeking the Hereafter. However, if it calls a person  to seeking Allah's pleasure and seeking the Hereafter, then it is an excellent means. [Sa'eed ibn Jubair radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the day:
Upright reflection has numerous benefits and great benefits. There are different kinds of reflection. The best and most noble is to reflect on Divine acts and signs and wonders of His making in earth and heavens. He who reflects deeply in these gains an increase in his knowledge of God, which is the greatest elixir.

Another kind of reflection is to reflect on the favors and blessings that God bestows upon you, both religious and worldly. Reflecting deeply on these leads to an increase in one's love for God and induces one to thank Him.

Another kind of reflection is to reflect on the immensity of God's rights upon you and your numerous short comings in fulfilling His rights of Lordship. Reflecting deeply on these leads to fear, awe, and shyness of God the exalted and induces one to strive resolutely and in earnest to obey Him and fulfill His rights. [Counsels of Religion by Iman al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Life is a long lesson in humility. Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well. Do not dwell in the past, do not dream about the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. The great use of life is to spend it for something that will out last it.

Pearls of Wisdom 394

1. The only way to have a friend is to be one.

2. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

3. It's not what we look at matters, it's what we see that matters.

4. Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those we hold well.

5. The purpose of life is a life of purpose.

6. Life is like a coin, we can spend it any way we wish, but we can only spend it once.

7. It is not the length of life, but the depth of life that matters.

8. The great use of life is to spend it for something that will out last it.

9. Life is not a sum of what we are but what we yearn to be.

What's a secret....

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “When a man says something, then glances left or right, his words are a confidence to be kept.” [Hasan hadith. Tirmidhi]

Children make their friends swear to keep their secrets. It is considered necessary to say the words “I promise I won’t tell anyone.” However, this is completely unnecessary for Muslims. A Muslim is bound to keep a secret without swearing or promising to do so. When a person glances furtively left and right, or speaks in whispers, these are indications that the person doesn’t wish others to know what he/she is saying. When a Muslim senses this then they automatically become bound by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to protect the other’s privacy and keep to themselves what they are being told, as it constitutes a “secret”.

Imam Nahlawi says: “Telling a secret means to inform others of a remark, action, or state which one learns of from someone who wants it to remain hidden, whether it be good or bad. This is hurting him, and hurting others is unlawful.”

“Whenever people meet, it is obligatory to keep secret any act that occurs, any word spoken, or any state attributable to someone, when these concern something one would normally wish to remain confidential.” [al-Durar al-Mubaha fi al-Hazr al-Ibaha, quoted in “Reliance of the Traveller” by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri] The secret may only be divulged if concealing it hurts the Allah-given rights of another. It may then only be divulged to the concerned party.

People get to know their in-laws in ways not known to others. To divulge their weaknesses to others is to harm them and reveal their secrets. Husbands and wives need to be particularly careful regarding what they say to others about their spouse. This is one of the most sensitive and important relationships that needs to be protected zealously.

Children are often sensitive about what is said about them. They get upset when parents tell others the amusing or not so amusing things their children say or do. If the child doesn’t want to be talked about then this too is a secret that should be kept. [Daily Hadith]

lesson of the day 1399

Ayahs of the day:
Are they waiting for anything but for the angels to come to them, or your Lord to come to them, or some of the signs of your Lord to come to them? The day some of the signs of your Lord come, no one will profit from faith in them if he didn't believe in them before, or accomplish good through faith in them. Say, "Wait and see, for we are waiting." [6: 158]

Hadith of the day:
A person's feet will not move away on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about his life and how he spent it, about his knowledge and how he acted upon it, and his wealth and how he earned and spent it,and about his body and how he used it. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
Repentance is not simply a matter of stopping one's sins but it is also to refrain, in the most beautiful manner from sinning and to amend for one's deeds in the best way possible. [Al Raghib al Isfahani]

Guidance of the day:
Vigilance means feeling God's permanent nearness to the servant, His encompassing him, being with him, aware of him, and gazing at him. The prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said: "Excellence is to worship God as if you saw Him, for if you see Him not, He sees you."

Thus vigilance belongs to the station of excellence and he who realizes it achieves awe of God -- shyness lest God sees him where He has forbidden him or misses him where He has enjoined him to be, distracted from His service, forgetful of His remembrance or of proper conduct toward Him. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Peace and justice are the two sides of the same coin. Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding. It isn't enough to talk about peace, one must believe in it and work at it. Peace begins with a smile. If we have no peace it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other. Peace is not absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition, benevolence, confidence and justice.

Pearls of Wisdom 393

1. "I can forgive but I cannot forget," is only one way of saying, "I will not forgive."

2. Forgiveness aught to be like a canceled note, torn into two, and burned up,
so that it never can be shown against one.

3. The glory of Islam is to conquer by forgiveness.

4. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does change the future.

5. Life is an adventure in forgiveness. We are never so strong as when we forgive.

6. He who cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself,
for every man has the need to be forgiven.

7. As long as we don't forgive, who and whatever will occupy rent free space in our mind.

8. To err is human, to forgive is divine.

9. We need to forgive all who have offended us, not for them but for ourself.

Preparing for Ramadan al Kareem....

Cleansing of the heart

May Allah Almighty grant us success, and make this upcoming Ramadan the best for our hearts and spirituality, ameen.


http://www.halaltube.com/ismail-ibn-musa-menk-forgive-and-cleanse-the-heart

Lesson of the day 1398

Ayahs of the day:
This is my path, which is straight; so follow it. And do not pursue paths that would separate you from this path. That God has commanded you, so you may be conscientious. [6: 153]

Hadith of the day:
Do not say any word -- you will have to apologize for tomorrow. [Ibn Majah]

Wise quote of the day:
What you love to have with in the Hereafter you should advance today, and what you hate to have with you, you should abandon it today. [Salman ibn Dinar]

Guidance of the day:
Beginning of veracity is to avoid lying in all speech, following which veracity should have a share in all works, intentions, states, and stations. Veracity here means steadfastness in all these and performing them in the best and most cautious manner, doing one's best, being serious and resolute to the extreme, both outwardly and inwardly.

 The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said; "Veracity leads to benevolence and benevolence leads to the Garden. A servant is veracious and perseveres in veracity until he is  recorded with God as truly veracious. Lying leads to corruption and corruption leads to Fire. A servant will lie and persevere in lying until he is recorded with God as a liar." [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
It's what we do with life counts. Life is not a sum of what we are but what we yearn to be. It is not the length of life, but the depth of life. The great use of life is to spend it for something that will out last it. All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. Life is like a coin -- you can spent it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once. The purpose of life is a life of purpose -- to strive to earn the pleasure of the Creator.

Pearls of Wisdom 392

1. By forgiving the person who hurt us, we strengthen our souls.

2. Generosity goes hand in hand with compassion. If we have no compassion we cannot have generosity.

3. All adversity is really an opportunity for our souls to grow; all adversity is really a form of growing pain.

4. A truly wise person will have the wisdom to know what he can do, accept what he can't do, and have the generosity of spirit to extend himself in ways that can make a difference.

5. To hold a grudge against anyone is like carrying the devil on our shoulders.

6. Two things, at minimum, are needed -- an ability to appreciate the positives in our life, and a commitment to action to do good.

7. Peace of mind has nothing to do with the external world; it has only to do with our connection with God.

8. The fact that we are praying and meditating is not as important as how much good we bring back from our prayer and meditation.

9. Often it is the lowest points in life that we learn the most. Those low moments are the magical moments. They are the beginning stages of our journey to our Lord.

10. We came here because the earth is abundant and alive -- a rich, rich field of lessons for us to learn. Let's get educated for our own souls.

A head start for the Blessed Month....

Rajab: Sow The Seeds
Imam Zaid Shakir


Rajab al-Hanbali said "Rajab is the key to the months of goodness and blessings that follow it". Abu Bakr b. al-Warraq al-Balkhi said: “Rajab is the month to sow the seeds; Sha’ban is the month to irrigate the crop; and Ramadan is the month to reap the harvest.” It has similarly been related from him: “Rajab is like the wind; Sha’ban is like the water-laden clouds; and Ramadan is like the rain.” Someone else mentioned: “The year in its entirety is like a tree: during Rajab its buds sprout; during Sha’ban it sends forth its branches; during Ramadan its fruit ripens; and the believers are the farmhands who harvest that fruit.”

It is opportune for anyone who has darkened the scroll of their deeds with sins to cleanse it with repentance during this month. Likewise, anyone who has squandered his lifetime without taking advantage of the opportunities to benefit his soul should take advantage of what remains of his life—starting with this month.

A poet said:
So cleanse your darkened hearts within Rajab;
with deeds that spare the soul Hellfire’s wrath.

One of the sacred months has come along;
no one who calls on God will be forlorn.

Heaven is for the one’s who cleanse their hearts
with lewd indecent deeds they’ll have no part.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to do righteous deeds during this month is a source of great gain. While filling each moment of the month worshiping God is a bounteous virtue. End quote from Ibn Rajab.

Let us all take advantage of the weeks that come before the blessed month of Ramadan. If we begin to fast voluntarily now, the fatigue and discomfort that sometimes accompanies the beginning of our obligatory fast will be behind us and we will enter the month with great spiritual momentum.

Similarly, if we begin increasing our reading of the Qur’an now we will find it easy to read an even greater amount during the month of Ramadan, a month when we celebrate the revelation of our blessed scripture. An athlete who enters a race with a running start achieves a far faster time than one who starts the race from a stationary position. Let us take advantage of these days to get a running start into Ramadan.

Lesson of the day 1397

Ayahs of the day:
And do not approach the property of the orphan, except with what is better, until he comes to age. And give full weight and measure, with justice. We do not burden any soul beyond its capacity. So when you speak, be fair, even if it concerns a close relative. And fulfill the covenant of God; that God has commanded you, so you may be mindful. [6: 152]

Hadith of the day:
Do not insult the dead, for they have moved onto what they sent forth. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
I looked at all my friends, and I did not find a better friend than safe guarding my tongue.
I thought about all the garments, but did not find a better garment than piety.
I thought about all types of wealth but did not find a better wealth than contentment in little.
I thought of all types of  good deeds but did not find a better deed than offering good advice.
I looked at all types of sustenance, but did not find a better sustenance than patience. [Omar radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the day:
Make numerous good intentions for each activity; whether devotional or merely permissible, you will thus receive, by the grace of God, a full reward for these intentions. Those activities you are incapable of, intend to perform when able to. Say with sincerity, resolution, and good intention, "Had I been able to, I would have done them." You will thus obtain recompense similar to that of he who has actually done them.

Sincerity is to have no purpose other than to draw nearer to God. No other purpose should exist, such as showing off, seeking approval of others, or desiring what can be obtained from them. Sincerity is that one's movements and standstills, private or public, should be for God, unadulterated by anything else, whether ego, passion or this world. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Life belongs to the living and he who lives must be prepared for changes. The world hates change, but it is the only thing that has brought progress. Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken. If there is something we wish to change in a child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.

Pearls of Wisdom 391

1. By forgiving the person who hurt us, we strengthen our souls.

2. Generosity goes hand in hand with compassion. If we have no compassion we cannot have generosity.

3. All adversity is really an opportunity for our souls to grow; all adversity is really a form of growing pain.

4. A truly wise person will have the wisdom to know what he can do, accept what he can't do, and have the generosity of spirit to extend himself in ways that can make a difference.

5. To hold a grudge against anyone is like carrying the devil on our shoulders.

6. Two things, at minimum, are needed -- an ability to appreciate the positives in our life, and a commitment to action to do good.

7. Peace of mind has nothing to do with the external world; it has only to do with our connection with God.

8. The fact that we are praying and meditating is not as important as how much good we bring back from our prayer and meditation.

9. Often it is the lowest points in life that we learn the most. Those low moments are the magical moments. They are the beginning stages of our journey to our Lord.

10. We came here because the earth is abundant and alive -- a rich, rich field of lessons for us to learn. Let's get educated for our own souls.

It's not about the weight....

A Psychologist walked
around a room while
teaching Stress Management to an
audience.

As she raised a
glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked
the "Half empty or Half full" question.

Instead, with a
smile on her face, she inquired:
"How heavy is this glass of water?"
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied,
"The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long I hold it.

If I hold it for a
minute,
it's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour,
I'll have an ache in my arm.

If I hold it for a day,
my arm will feel numb and paralyzed.

In each case,
the weight of the glass
doesn't change,

But
The longer I hold it,
the heavier it becomes.

She continued,
"The Stresses and Worries in Life ,
are like that Glass of Water...

Think about them for
a while and nothing
happens.

Think about them
a bit longer and they begin to hurt.

And
If you think
about them all day long,
you will feel paralysed –
incapable of doing
anything."

Remember to put the Glass Down!

Lesson of the day 1396

Ayahs of the day:
Come, and I will declare what your Lord has forbidden you. You should not associate anything with God; you should be good to your parents, and not kill your children on account of poverty -- We provide for you and for them. And do not approach indecencies, whether outward or inward. And do not kill a  person -- who God has made sacred -- except by justice. Thus has God commanded you, that you may understand. [6: 151]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever believes in Allah and the last day should say the good or remain silent. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
If men wish to draw near to God, they must seek Him in the hearts of the men. They should speak well of all men, whether present or absent, and if they themselves seek in a light to guide others, like the sun, they must show the same face to all. [Abu Sa'id bin Abil Khair]

Guidance of the day:
Good intention and sincerity are among the greatest and most important of saving things. Intention is the act of the heart and because the heart is superior to the members, therefore its acts are superior to theirs; and because the intention is itself profitable, whereas without intention the works of the members are valueless.

Persevere in good sincere intentions, and never perform any act of obedience without intending it to be for God's sake, to draw nearer to Him, attain to His good pleasure, and obtain the recompense promised by God. Never initiate a  permissible activity, even eating, drinking, or sleeping without intending it to be of help in obeying God and to give you strength in worshipping Him. The deprived is he who is deprived of good intentions. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the after glow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best. Look at a day  when you are supremely satisfied at the end -- it is not a day when you lounge around doing nothing, it is when you had everything to do and you have done it.

Pearls of Wisdom 390

1. Never do people know the force that is in them until some mighty affliction or grief has humanized the soul.

2. The time people spend in trying to impress others could be spend in doing the things by which others would be impressed.

3. Any person worth their salt will stick up for what they believe in, but it takes a slightly bigger person to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that they are in error.

4. Think of your own faults the first part of the night when you are awake, and the faults of others the latter part of the night when you are asleep.

5. Religion is an examination, a test, which distinguishes elevated spirits from base ones.

6. Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be.

7. You can tell more about a person by what they say about others than you can by what others say about them.

8. This world is a moment; fill it with obedience -- this life is only one opportunity.

9. To exist is to change; to change is to mature; to mature is to create oneself endlessly.

10. If you heed Satan and your self, you will fall to the lowest of the low. But if you heed Truth and the Quran, you will rise to the highest of the high and become the most excellent pattern of the universe.

As you will be....

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “As you will be, so will be those who shall be put in command over you.” [Baihaqi]

This is true on all levels. Regarding corrupt leaders this is true.

This is also true for marriage. Every person has the power of bringing out the best in their partner. Just try the time-tested formula of becoming the way you want them to be. What happens mostly is that instead of earning respect we expect respect or instead of giving love, we demand love.

Allah (Subhana wa ta’ala) only helps those who help themselves. Do not sit around and complain. Make an effort to become a better person yourself and bestow your partner with whatever you need, in order to witness the enchantment of getting all the things that you long for.

Daily Hadith

Lesson of the day 1395

Ayahs of the day:
What you have been promised is coming, for sure; and you cannot thwart it. Say, "O my people, work according to your ability; I myself am working. Then you will know who will end up home in paradise. It is certain that those who do wrong will not succeed. [6: 134,135]

Hadith of the day:
Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts (intentions) and your actions. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
Do not dispute with anyone in any matter as much as possible. For in argument lies much harm and its evil is greater than its benefit. [Imam al Ghazali]

Guidance of the day:
Contentment with God the Exalted is a noble state. He who is contented with God is he who is satisfied with His decrees. When He decrees for him that which runs against his desires and displeases him, such as injury to self or property, or hardship, difficulty, or affliction, he must accept it with contentment, neither being angry with God's decree, nor panicky, nor impatient, for God the Exalted has the right to do as He pleases in His kingdom and none may either dispute or object to His sovereignty.

Let the servant beware of "if only", "why"?, or "how"? Let him know that God the Exalted is wise and fair in all His acts and decisions, that He never decrees something for His believing servant, even if detestable to the latter, without there being good in it, for it will be good choice and have good consequences. Let him think well of his Lord, be contented with His decrees, return to Him with humility and neediness,stand before Him submissive and subdued, thank and praise Him in profusion, whether in times of ease or hardship, difficulty or affluence. All praise belongs to God, Lord of the worlds. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
He who angers you conquers you. If a small thing has the power to make you angry, does that not indicate something about your size. For every minute you remain angry you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind. Holding to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing at someone else, while you are the one who gets burned.

Pearls of Wisdom 389

1. Keeping the company of the bad people will lead to the bad opinion of good people.

2. It is the virtuous and the seeker of virtue who finds the company of virtuous.

3. Contentment is a treasure of good living and ease in life, while greed is a mine of loss and abasement.

4. We must, like a painter, take time to stand back from our work, to be still, and thus see what's what -- true repose is standing back to survey the activities that fill our days.

5. Silence is one great art of conversation. According to the rule, "a fool should be answered with silence".

6. Every thing in this life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.

7. If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.

8. We "meet" God when we pray, when we are helpful and kind, when we overcome nasty habits, addictions, and pettiness in our lives.

9. Each time we choose to help others, our soul grows and flourishes.

10. Each day we are faced with opportunities to help others, to forgive them, to have compassion for them, to be tolerant of them. Do we seize these opportunities, or do we let them slip by?

The scientific "secret" discovery that helps you lead a productive life

Lesson of the day 1394

Ayahs of the day:
Can one who was dead but whom We revived and gave light whereby to walk among humanity be like one in the darknesses from which there is no emerging? Thus are the doings of the atheists made to seem pleasing to them. [6: 122]

Hadith of the day:
Part of the excellence of a person's Islam is in leaving alone what does not concern him. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
The source of every obedience, vigilance, and virtue is dissatisfaction with one's self. The source of every disobedience, indifference and passion is satisfaction with one's self. [Ibn Ata illah]

Guidance of the day:
Love of God is one of the most noble and elevated stations. He who is sincere in loving God the Exalted is driven thereby to prefer Him above all else, move with determination along the road of His proximity and good pleasure, strive in earnest in His obedience, do his utmost in His service, and forsake everything likely to distract him from His remembrance and proper behavior toward Him.

To love God the Exalted is for the servant to feel inclination in his heart, attachment, and passion for that holiest and loftiest of presences, extreme awareness of its sanctity and transcendence, together with extreme reverence of awe, free from any thoughts of comparability or illusions of limitation, for God is too Exalted. One of the best proofs that one loves God is to follow with excellence the Messenger of God -- may God's blessings and peace be upon him. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
When a noble life has prepared old age, it is not decline that it reveals, but the first days of immortality. We pay when old for the the excesses of youth. We end up as we deserve. In old age we must put up with the face, the friends, the health, and the children we have earned. A comfortable old age is the reward of a well spent youth.

Pearls of Wisdom 388

1. A saint is not one never fails, it is the one who gets up and goes every time he fails.

2. God comforts us, not just to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters.

3. It is where one spends their money that shows where their heart lies.

4. It's not the place that makes the person, but the person that makes the place honorable.

5. Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must.

6. Never look down on someone unless you are helping them up.

7. The biggest mistake you can make is to assume to always be right.

8. Worry is like a rocking chair -- gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere.

9. One who wants to leave foot prints in the sands of time must wear work boots.

10. Be like the farmer who faithfully plants in the spring who reaps a harvest in the autumn.

Lessons on the seasons of life....

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. In order to teach he sent them each on a quest,to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the fourth in the fall.

When they all went and came back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.
The first son said "the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted".
The second son said "it was covered with green buds and full of promise".
The third son disagreed; he said "it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful".
The fourth son disagreed with all of them; he said "it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment".

The father then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the life of the tree. He told them that we cannot judge a tree, or a person, or anything by only one season -- the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If we give up when it's winter, we will miss the promise of our spring, the beauty of our summer, fulfillment of our fall. We shouldn't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

We shouldn't judge life by one difficult season. We need to persevere through the difficult patches -- and better times are sure to come sooner or later

Lesson of the day 1393

Ayahs of the day:
And do not partake of anything over which the name of God has not been invoked, for that would be immoral. And the devils will surely inspire their friends to contend with you; and if you were to obey them, you would be idolaters. [6: 121]

Hadith of the day:
Be in the world as though a stranger or a passerby. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
Allah's generosity is connected to gratitude, and gratitude is linked to increase in His generosity. The generosity of Allah will not stop increasing unless the gratitude of the servant ceases. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the day:
Reliance upon God is one of the most noble stations of the people of certitude and one of certitude's most invaluable consequences. The essence of reliance is certainty that all matters are in God's hand, in His fist, that none other than He can cause either harm or benefit, or give or withhold. The heart must be easy; confident in God's promise and His guarantee, so that it neither trembles nor becomes agitated when stricken by hardships or problems, neither is it to seek refuge and assistance with other than God the Exalted when afflicted by difficulties and worries. Were one ever to seek any of this with a created being, it should never be inwardly, but only outwardly, and according to the dictates of Divine law.

It is not a condition of reliance to abandon worldly means. On the contrary, one may very well join reliance with making use of secondary causes, so long as one relies on God, not on these causes. The sign of sincerity is that one does not depend on them so as to feel at peace when they are available, but anxious and agitated when they are absent and muddled. A servant may well have no worldly means, yet not be reliant. This is when he is attached to them, attentive to created beings, and desirous of what is in their possession. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Faith means not worrying. He who has faith has an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well, even though outwardly it might not be seen that way. Faith is courage, it is creative. In  faith there is enough light for those who want to believe. Faith is passionate intuition.

Pearls of Wisdom 387

1. Begin each morning with a talk with God; Prayer is an armor, do not go into the
day without it.

2. Prayer does one of two things -- it either frees us from the trouble we fear or gives
us the strength and courage to meet the trouble when it comes.

3. If God abides in your home, His presence cannot be hidden.

4. Discontentment makes rich men poor, while contentment makes poor men rich.

5. You can't always have everything, but you can always make the best of what you have.

6. It is nice to be important; but it is more important to be nice.

7. Deal with the faults of others as gently as you deal with your own.

8. For every minute that you are angry with someone, you lose sixty seconds of
happiness that you can never get back.

9. Blowing out another person's candle won't make our's any brighter.

Islamic guidance toward maintaining physical health....

~Eat Less & stay healthy~

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said: “The human does not fill any container that is worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat what will support his back. If this is not possible, then a third for food, a third for drink, and a third for his breath.” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

Commentary: Eating and drinking is not the be all and end all of man’s life. The main purpose of our creation is to fulfill our oath of allegiance to Allah and earn our place in Jannah. To do so a healthy body helps and a healthy body is maintained by keeping a part of our stomachs empty at meal times. We need to stop eating while we still feel a little hungry. To constantly keep eating till we feel satiated causes our stomachs to go bad. We would, therefore, be well advised to eat only as much as is necessary.

Islam’s holistic approach to health includes treating our bodies with respect and nourishing them with, not only faith, but also with lawful, nutritious food. A major part of living life according to the Creator’s instructions is implementing a suitable diet. Choosing wholesome food and avoiding the unwholesome is essential to good health. Allah says in the Qur'an, “Eat of the good things which We have provided for you.” (Qur'an 2:172) “Eat of what is lawful and wholesome on the earth.” (Qur'an 2:168). The Qur'an contains many verses of advice about healthy eating that relate to the interconnectedness of physical and spiritual health.

Also fasting two days a week -- Mondays and Thursdays, is the Sunnah way towards maintaining good health, all of the above has been scientifically proven.

Lesson of the day 1392

Ayahs of the day:
So abandon sin, open or secret; for those who commit sin will be repaid for what they perpetrated.[6: 120]

Hadith of the day:
It is sufficient evil for a  man to look down upon his Muslim brother. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
Every sin is a result of a person's putting the desires of his soul above his love for Allah and His Messenger. [Ibn Rajab]

Guidance of the day:
He who desires and pursues the world, but is unable to acquire it, remaining poor and destitute, he is a poor man, not a renunciate. If he is patient and contented in his poverty, he will have great merit and reward.

As for he who takes a large share of the world and enjoys its pleasures freely, then claims he neither desires nor loves it in his heart, he is presumptuous self deceiver. His claim is groundless and he cannot pretend to be following the example of any of the rightly-guided leaders and virtuous scholars, neither among the ancient nor the latecomers. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Life is an adventure in forgiveness. You are never so strong as when you forgive. Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge. He who cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself, for every man has need to be forgiven. The weak can never forgive, forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.