Salt-VS-Rice....

If you were to cook three cups of rice, would you add three cups of salt to it?

No.

So, in every preparation of rice, the rice always outnumbers the salt, yet a
little salt makes a huge difference/ impact in the overall outcome.

In the room which you currently are in, look up at the ceiling....
what is the size of the light bulb compared to the size of the room?

It is probably a ratio of 1:1500.

Yet, darkness flees the entire space once the small bulb is switched on.

If I am the salt of the earth, and a light in the world, then "the little me"has
the ability to make big things happen.

Sometimes because we feel outnumbered or overwhelmed at the sheer
magnitude of evil or wrong doers, we then choose powerlessness, and
decide to go with the flow, not standing up for what we believe is right.

Little doesn't mean insignificant.

You are significant. Your presence should make a BIG difference. Stop
waiting to be on the side of the minority. They may be the minority, but
they are the trivial minority, and you are the impact full minority.

They are the rice of the world, and you are the salt of the world....
They are the room and you are the light.

Make your influence felt!

Remember:
You are the seasoning, to make the world beautiful.
You are the light to chase away the darkness...

Lesson of the day 1417

Ayahs of the Day:
From what is left by parents and those nearest related, there is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property be small or large, a legal share. If at the time of division of the
relatives are present, give them out from the property, and speak to them kindly. [4: 7,8]

Hadith of the Day: 
A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he does not harm him nor does he hand him over to his enemy. One who fulfills the need of another Muslim, Allah the Supreme, will fulfill the former's need. [Bukhari 
& Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day: 
I looked at my friends, and I did not find a better friend than safeguarding my tongue. I thought about all the outfits, but I did not find a better outfit than piety. [Omar Radi Allahu anhu]

Guidance of the Day: 
Derision or ridiculing people, making jest at their expense, is another disease. Mocking people is a form of ignorance, whether it is lampooning, caricaturing, or name calling. Humor and levity are important in life. But levity as a way of life harms the spiritual heart. And laughter and amusement at the expense of the dignity of others is wholly inappropriate, although it is the staple of the comedians of our day.

The cure for the psychology and practice of mockery is similar to that of arrogance, since a person who mocks another most likely sees himself as superior to his victim. Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "Do not belittle anyone, for he may be a saint of God." Only God knows the seal of people and their destinies. A Moroccon proverb says, "Never mock any creature of God, for it might be beloved to He Who created it."

Repentance is a recourse that the Lord of the Worlds has given humanity. Reflecting on the ethic that the Quran communicates to us, reveals that there is strength in dealing nobly with people. It is simply a better way to live. The treatment for derision is to realize that the essence of mockery is to humiliate people. Those who mock people in this life shall be mocked in the Hereafter, for it is a divine law that God recompenses people with the like of what they have done. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought: 
Healthy children will not fear life and their elders have integrity not to fear death. As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.

Pearls of Wisdom 418

1. Much may be done with those little shreds and patches of time which everyday produces,
and which most men throw away.

2. Minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars and each moment is a day.

3. Until you value yourself; you won't value time, until you value time; you will not do anything
with it.

4. Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.

5. To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom, and he who increases his riches increases
his cares, but a contented mind is a treasure hidden.

6. Patience is the companion of wisdom.

7. In seeking wisdom you are wise, in imagining that you have attained it, you are a fool.

8. Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.

9. We are made wise not by the recollection of our past but by the responsibility of our future.

10. The art of wisdom is the art of knowing what to overlook.

The good deed's shaver.....

The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said: “The diseases of the nations before you,
malice and hatred, may also overtake you. Remember, they are like shavers; but they
do not shave hair, rather, they shave virtues.” [Tirmidhi]

If somebody bothers you, do you have to hate them? If they underestimate you, don’t
show you respect, or usurp your rights, do you have to hate them? If somebody has
plenty of what you would love to have in life but have none of, do you have to hate them?

No! No! No! Focus on how you can be a better Muslim, how you can draw closer to Allah
Most High, how you can increase your remembrance of Him so that He increases His love
of you. In other words, focus on your Akhirah/next life, so you can be happy and have all
you desire forever.

This life is only a test! All situations and circumstances are prescribed by Allah Most High
for His beloved slaves so that they can earn their unique way into Jannah/Paradise.

Malice is a desire to harm others or to see others suffer; extreme ill will or spite. Malice
arises out of hatred. If you allow yourself to feel hatred towards others you will then try
to harm them consciously or subconsciously. Your harming others will shave your good
deeds from your record. (Daily Hadith)

Lesson of the day 1416

Ayahs of the Day:
Do not kill your children out of fear of poverty; We will provide for them, and for you. Indeed, killing them is a great sin. And do not approach adultery, for it is an obscenity and an evil way. [17: 31,32]

Hadith of the Day:
Let your tongue never cease to be moist with the remembrance of God. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Only through detachment from Dunya (this world) does the slave reach his Lord. [Shaqeeq Balkhi]

Guidance of the Day:
Gratitude: Accepting that all benefit is from the True Benefactor, the effect of which is to be happy with the Benefactor and be ever ready to render obedience to Him, is the meaning of gratitude (shukr). This entails acceptance of the fact that all benefit is from the Creator, the True Benefactor. This acceptance induces happiness with the Benefactor, and eagerness to carry out the commands of the Benefactor and to abstain from His prohibitions. One should consider all benefits, goodness,
and pleasant conditions as the bounties of the Creator and regard these to be in greater measure than what one really deserves. Praise is to be offered to Allah and His bounties should not be employed in evil and sin. His favors should be used in obtaining His good pleasure. This is the true meaning of gratitude.

This conception of gratitude will be understood only when one has realized the purpose underlying creation and the functions of the various aspects of creation. For instance, the eye is a blessing of Allah Most High. Gratitude in relation to it is to employ it correctly-- to employ it only in lawful ways, such as reading the Glorious Quran, acquiring knowledge, studying the wonderful creation of Allah so as to learn and realize the greatness and splendor of Allah Most High, and so forth. The gratitude of the eye further demands that it be restrained from glancing at and viewing objects that Allah Most High has prohibited.

Likewise, the ear is a blessing. Gratitude in relation to it is to employ it correctly, such as in listening to the remembrance (dhikr) of Allah, to such talks that remind one of the Hereafter, and to prevent it from listening to evil, nonsensical, and useless talk. [The Path to Perfection]

Food for Thought:
Wisdom is:
To do what you should do when you should.
To refuse to do what you should not do;
And, when you are not clear, wait until you are sure.

Pearls of Wisdom 417

1. Science investigates, religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power, religion gives man wisdom which is control.

2. Winners never quit and quitters never win.

3. It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

4. I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.

5. Try not to be a man of success, but rather try to become a man of values.

6. Failure is a success if we learn from it.

7. No man succeeds without a good woman behind him. Wife or mother, if it is both, he is twice blessed indeed.

8. The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing to get along with people.

9. Let him know who would enjoy a good future, waste none of his present.

10. Men talk about killing time, while time is quietly killing them.

Lesson of the day 1415

Ayah of the Day: 
Serve Allah, and do not ascribe partners to Him. And show kindness to your parents, and to your close kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and to the neighbor who is of kin, and the neighbor who is not of kin, and the fellow traveler and the wayfarer and (the bondsmen) whom your right hands possess. For Allah does not love the arrogant, the boastful. [4: 36]

Hadith of the Day: 
People are like mines of gold and silver. Those of them who are best before Islam are best in Islam, if they have religious knowledge and understanding. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day: 
And love your Lord by serving Him. For lovers are but servants of the Beloved. [a poet]

Guidance of the Day: 
Dissatisfaction is a motivator to seek out better character. A human being is spiritually stalled as long as he is content and smug with his state. The basis of achieving good is knowing yourself. When this happens, a person becomes aware of his imperfections, minor and major, and ashamed of them to the point he strives to replace them with generosity, agreeableness, honesty, reliability, dignity, and other noble traits.

When the mind is given the responsibility to decide upon right and wrong it will usually base its judgment subjectively: what advances or thwarts one's whims? Our understanding of right and wrong, licit and illicit, needs a judge higher than ourselves and our whims. We are beings who are created and, therefore, have a Creator who brought us into existence for a reason. It is His purpose and guidance that informs our sensitivity and response to right and wrong. [Purification of the heart]

Food for Thought: 
If you want to talk to Allah perform salah, and if you want Allah to talk to you, read Quran.

Facts about alcohol consumption....

Brief Medical update:
How much Alcohol is good for you?
Naveed Akhtar, MD

This study published recently in the Lancet journal is sparking discussion in the medical community.

The study, entitled the Global Burden of Disease, looked at levels of alcohol consumption in 195 countries worldwide. In depth analysis of data from millions of alcohol consumers was collected from 1990-2016 in people aged 15-96 yo and compared against a control population of those that did not drink at all or had a minimum of one alcoholic beverage daily.

The final verdict of the study was that NO AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION WAS DETERMINED SAFE OR BENEFICIAL FOR OVERALL HEALTH.

This refutes data from prior smaller studies that stated that moderate alcohol consumption was beneficial for health. This new study indicates that any amount of alcohol consumption can lead to various health problems even in moderate drinkers. Physicians are now advised to counsel their patients to not drink alcohol. While it will be difficult for everyone to abstain, it is up to the individual to follow medical advice. The gist of the study is that the harm from drinking alcohol is much greater than thought previously and that no amount of consumption is considered safe. These verses from the Holy Quran revealed 1400 years ago has the same conclusion with regards to intoxicants. “In them is great harm, and a benefit for the people; but their harm is greater than their benefit. (2:219)

They ask you about intoxicants and gambling. Say: “In them is great harm, and a benefit for the people; but their harm is greater than their benefit.” And they ask you how much are they to give, Say: “The excess.” It is thus that God clarifies for you the revelations that you may think. (2:219)

Naveed Akhtar, MD
Oak Brook, IL

Pearls of Wisdom 416

1. Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other.

2. Love does not dominate, it cultivates. Do all things with love.

3. The ultimate test of a relationship is to disagree, but hold hands.

4. We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.

5. If we judge people, we have no time to love.

6. What counts in making a happy relationships is not so much how compatible we are, but how we deal with incompatibility.

7. Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.

8. We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.

9. The saddest part of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than it gathers wisdom.

10. Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.

Lesson of the day 1414

Ayah of the Day: 
Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly, they will have their reward with their Lord. And they will have no fear nor will they grieve. (4: 274)

Hadith of the Day: 
Giving alms to a poor is one charity, and for a relative it amounts to two good deeds i.e. charity and benevolence to kinsmen. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day: 
Skyscraping material achievements are of no value to the true Muslim if they hinder rather than help his spiritual growth. [Abu Mohammad Asad]

Guidance of the Day: 
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "If a person is given silence, he is given wisdom." The tongue is a great temptation. It is easy to say something that brings ruin upon its speaker. Learning how to control the tongue is an enormous discipline. If it is words for the sake of words, it is a waste of time and a sign of bad character.

Imam Mawlud mentions spiritual isolation for the purpose of reflection. Some remember death through visualization, using the puissance of imagination for visualizing their bodies being washed, wrapped and lowered in the grave. Others reflect on the tributes of God the Exalted by methodically pondering the meaning of each of His divine names that speak of God's awesome power, knowledge, clemency, mercy, creative powers, and more. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought: 
If a person hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live. The one who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.

The small gestures are really BIG....

1. Never underestimate the small gestures, the choice between micro aggression
and micro compassion.

2. The difference is between making someone feel like a real human being, or
crushing their soul.

3. The human heart is too fragile; that is why the Prophet of Islam (peace and
blessings upon him) was so adamant to teach us the etiquette of emotion, the
core of character.

4. Don't whisper between two if you are joined by a third.

5. Smile, its a charity.

6. Turn your full torso when someone speaks to you.

7. Don't take someone's seat when they get up temporarily.

8. Regard anything personal someone tells you as a secret to hold close
even if you aren't told to do so.

9. Make peace between people. This is one of the best things we can do, but
the most challenging because of the big egos -- not willing to take any responsibility
for their own actions.

10. Don't hold on to anger for more than three days.

11. The big things aren't that break the hearts, the big things aren't that
destroy relationships, its the little things and the big egos.

12. Its time we take the responsibility for how we make others feel, its all
in the little things we do with wisdom, love, and patience, for the pleasure
of Almighty Allah and nothing else.

Pearls of Wisdom 415

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. You are never so strong as when you 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 you don't forgive, who and whatever will occupy rent free space in your mind.

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

9. Forgive all who have offended you, not for them but for yourself.

Lesson of the day 1413

Ayahs of the Day: 
These are the limits set by Allah; those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, to abide therein (forever) and that will be the supreme achievement. But those who disobey Allah and His Messenger and transgress His limits, will be admitted to a fire, to abide therein; and they shall have a humiliating punishment. [4: 13,14]

Hadith of the Day: 
A father is the strongest doors of Paradise. If you wish you may pull it down, or if you wish you may protect it. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day: 
The primary meaning of the word Jihad is struggle or effort. This is a very important religious principle. It reminds us that religion is never something achieved or finished. The revelation is given, but those who follow it have to make it a constant effort, day by day, year by year, to put it into practice in a flawed and tragic world. [Karen Armstrong]

Guidance of the Day: 
Next in the overall treatment for the heart is the importance of keeping the company of good people, which is God's command: O You who believe, fear God and be among the truthful ones(Quran, 9:119). It is astonishing how people can influence others simply by being in each other's company. The company one keeps has major effects. It may lead to either benefit and improvement or harm and corruption, depending on whether the company is that of pure and eminent people or those who are immoral and evil. This effect does not appear suddenly, but is a gradual process that unfolds with time.

Good company includes those who are in the state of gratitude; they are thankful for what they have and do not waste time complaining. One takes on their excellent qualities. One should befriend people who elevate one's station. Anyone who tells you to indulge in the world is defrauding you. When it comes to worldly possessions; it is good to associate with people who have lesser means. The company of wealthy people opens a person to coveting what they have. When it comes to Hereafter; it is better to associate with people who are superior to you in their desire for the understanding for it. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought: 
Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

Taqwa -- God Consciousness

What is Taqwa?

Taqwa is not just about manners.
Taqwa is not just about looking Islamic
Taqwa is not just about sporting a beard
or wearing a hijab.
Taqwa is not just about appearance

But

Taqwa is when we miss a prayer, we feel
uneasy the whole day.
Taqwa is when we speak a lie, we feel bad.
Taqwa is the guilt that follows when we hurt
someone knowingly or unknowingly.

Taqwa is the shame and regret that follows a
sin we committed knowing very well how it
stands in the sight of Allah.
Taqwa is when we cannot sleep after disobeying
or disrespecting our parents.
Taqwa is the cry in the depths of night fearing
none but the One about the Arsh (Throne).

Taqwa is the fear that refrains us from sinning
when nobody familiar is around.
Taqwa is the guts and the will to please Allah,
even when the whole world is bent on displeasing
Him.
Taqwa is to wear the beard and hijab for the sole
reason of pleasing the Creator and keep it on as
per the Sunnah.

Taqwa is to stay happy and smiling, knowing that
this world is a prison for the Believers.
Taqwa is the good manners and character we
practice for the sake of Creator.
Taqwa is the struggle to better ourselves according
to the teachings of Islam with consistency.

Taqwa is not just rising in Deen, but about falling,
and rising back again after every fall.

Taqwa is the commitment of the heart to make
everyday better than yesterday, in preparation
for the eternal life after death.

Pearls of Wisdom 414

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 you look at matters, it's what you see.

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.

10. Live everyday as if it were your last, because one of these days it will be.

Lesson of the day 1412

Ayah of the day
Allah accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them will Allah turn in mercy; for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil, until Death faces one of them, and he says, "Now have I repented indeed; nor of those who die rejecting faith; for them We have prepared a punishment most grievous. [4:17, 18]

Hadith of the Day: 
Allah has forbidden you from the disobedience of your parents, stinginess, usurping the properties of others, and the burying alive of female infants; and has disapproved for you useless talking, excessive questioning and waste of property. [ Bukhari & Muslim]

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 Allahu anhu)]

Guidance of the Day: 
Companionship yields two kinds of impact: one that drags a person down to the compost of the world and the other that points toward God the Exalted and an existence that lasts for ever. A companion who tries to sell the ephemeral stuff of this life and makes it the substance of conversation and pursuit in dragging the soul earthward.

It is better, beyond compare, to seek out the company of those who help one achieve contentment with God. When one is content, little will suffice. But without contentment, nothing suffices.

Seeking refuge with God is the most efficacious treatment for all diseases of the heart, i.e., to go to God with complete unconditional imploring. What is meant here is urgently seeking refuge in God's protection and guidance, to seek this as if one were holding on to a thread over a canyon. It is begging, which before God is honorable. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought: 
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance, it is a better safe guard of liberty than a standing army, it's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open mind.

Recipe for getting rid of disputes....

 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 the angry hearts of others, 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.

Satan 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 Satan! 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)

Pearls of Wisdom 413

1. Science investigates, religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power,
religion gives man wisdom which is control.

2. Winners never quit and quitters never win.

3. It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

4. I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.

5. Try not to be a man of success, but rather try to become a man of values.

6. Failure is a success if we learn from it.

7. No man succeeds without a good woman behind him. Wife or mother, if it is both,
he is twice blessed indeed.

8. The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing to get
along with people.

9. Let him know who would enjoy a good future, waste none of his present.

10. Men talk about killing time, while time is quietly killing them.

Lesson of the day 1411

Ayahs of the Day: 
O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of their dower you have given them--except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; On the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them it may be that you dislike
a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good. [4: 19]

Hadith of the Day: 
The noblest deed is that a person should be benevolent towards his father's friends. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day: 
Actions are but lifeless forms, whose soul is the secret of sincerity in them. [Ibn Ataillah]

Guidance of the Day: 
As for the action that is beneficial in purifying the heart, none is more effective than what is consistent, even if it is slight. It is important to know that "purification" is not a state, but an ongoing process. Just as we go through a day careful about our bodily cleanliness, we must similarly tend to our spiritual purity, for purification and sincerity do not survive a passive relationship. They are not qualities that are ignited and glow on without attendance. Left unattended, the heart becomes encrusted.

Unwholesome deeds accumulate and take away its purity. But with consistent work on self purification, the heart becomes cleansed and is kept that way. The Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were consistent with their actions once they commenced them, when they took on supererogatory rites of worship (nawafil) they did so for the duration of their lives.
It was something they embraced as a spiritual practice, and they did not abandon it.

This is not to say that this is an obligation. But if people wish to climb straight and climb right in their journey, their acts of worship should be regular and consistent. If a person sees himself inclined to a certain supererogatory worship rite, then he should follow it and be consistent. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought: 
Education is being able to differentiate between what you know and what you do not know. It is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or self confidence.

Pearls from the khutba in Arafat....2

1. Our death and meeting with our Creator is approaching and yet our biggest
worries are about the petty things of this world.

2. Soon we will just be a memory for people, and a lesson for others. We need
to try our best to be a positive influence and a good lesson for people around us.

3. Just imagine how many people were here with us last year, but no longer with
us now. Our turn is soon approaching, may Allah allow us to prepare for it.

4. We walk with our heads high up in the sky, heedless that one day we will be
trapped six feet under the ground.

5. How do we expect to get the Paradise without working for it in this world.
That is like expecting to pass an exam we never took a class for.

6. A believer may be penniless, homeless, unemployed, sick and feel like
he has nothing, but he has One thing -- he has Allah.

7. Allah knows what we want, what we need, what we deserve. We need
to trust Him, and know that His decisions are best for His creation, He
knows while we don't.

8. We need to make Qur'an our companion and a part of our life. We shouldn't
become a stranger to it. It is like a friend, the longer the friendship the more
we will know of its secrets.

9. We wouldn't throw away a diamond to pick up a rock, then how can we
throw away the Paradise by chasing after the worldly.

10. We only appreciate blessings after we lose them. The time of this world
 is the most precious thing we have to earn our Paradise, we need to make
the most of our time and not waste it.

Pearls from the khutba in Arafat....

1. Surround yourself with Muslims who practice the Deen. They are your true friends in this life and
the hereafter.

2. Not every body is out there to judge you, there are some who want the best for you and want to
help you get into Al-Jannah, value them.

3. Indeed, a friend who doesn't care about your Aakhirah (after life) is not really your friend.

4. Sometimes the hardest person for you to correct is yourself. There is no shame in being wrong,
the shame is in choosing to stay on the wrong path.

5. Whatever takes you closer to Allah, takes you away from Hellfire. Whatever takes you away
from Allah, takes you closer to Hellfire.

6. We all take tomorrow for granted because we believe tomorrow will always be there. Tomorrow
may be there, but we may not!

7. Who said tomorrow is guaranteed? Make the best use of today that you are blessed with.

8. Yesterday many thought that they would see today, and today many will think they will see
tomorrow.

9. Death could be tonight, in the next hour, the next second, yet we live as if we still have
so many years to live.

10. You may be rich, famous or have a high status in this world, but to the Angel of death
you are just another name on the list.

Lesson of the day 1420

Ayah of the Day: 
And your Lord had the proclamation made, "If you are grateful, I will grant you increase; but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe indeed." [14: 7]

Hadith of the Day: 
No one may dissociate himself from his brother for more than three nights to such an extent that when they meet, they turn away from each other. The best of them is the one who is first to greet the other. [Bukhar & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day: 
If someone gave you a beautiful, expensive new hat, wouldn't you be grateful for the generous gift? But shouldn't you be even more grateful for the One Who gave you the head to put that hat on. [Shaykh Muzaffer Ozak]

Guidance of the Day: 
Money rules our lives. You can rail against it. You can claim to be above it or indifferent to it. You can do all the moral and intellectual gymnastics that you will. But when all is said and done, money is at the very center of our existence. Yet money is not of central importance. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the lasting values that make life worth living. This is one of our great dilemmas. How are we to reconcile ourselves to something that is not important but is at the very center of our lives?

People who measure their money against their desires will never be happy, because there is always another desire waiting to lure them. People who measure their money against their needs can gain control over their life by gaining control over their needs.There are certain needs that have to be met. If the burden of poverty comes over you, do not look for money. Look for work. The money will follow, and you can begin to move money out of the center of your life and return it to its rightful place as a tool that helps you live a meaningful life.Financial well-being is nothing more than a balancing act on the back of circumstance. You can be thrown off at any time.

If you know how to be poor with dignity and grace, nothing short of massive financial disaster can disturb your peace of mind. Knowing how to be poor means developing an unerring instinct for the difference between what is essential and what is desirable. It means knowing how to take control of your life--how to repair and maintain the things around you, how to purchase wisely and well, how not to purchase at all when you do not have the means to do so, how to take joy in simple pleasures of life. It means not getting caught up in what is lacking, but finding meaning in what you have. It means knowing how to live with style and creativity without basing your life on money. [Simple Truths by Kent Nerburn]

Du'a of the Week: 
Allhumma innee as'aluka'l huda, wa'ttuqa, wa'l afaafa,wa'l ghina. (O Allah I ask You for guidance, piety, dignified restraint, and freedom from need).

Food for Thought: 
There are many ways to seek wisdom. Life itself will grant you wisdom in ways you may neither understand nor choose. The true measure of your education is not what you know, but how you share what you know with others.
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Pearls of Wisdom 412

1. Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other.

2. Love does not dominate, it cultivates. Do all things with love.

3. The ultimate test of a relationship is to disagree, but hold hands.

4. We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.

5. If we judge people, we have no time to love.

6. What counts in making a happy relationships is not so much how compatible we are, but how we deal with incompatibility.

7. Let our religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.

8. We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.

9. The saddest part of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than it gathers wisdom.

10. Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.

18 Signs of Maturity....

How mature are we?

1. Maturity is when we stop trying to change people and instead focus on changing ourself.

2. Maturity is when somebody hurts us and we try to understand their situation instead of
trying to hurt them back.

3. Maturity is when we accept people for who they are.

4. Maturity is when we understand that everyone is right in their own perspective.

5. Maturity is when we realize nothing is more important in this world than us and our
family.

6. Maturity is when we understand that whatever we do, we do for our own peace.

7. Maturity is when we stop proving to the world how intelligent we are.

8. Maturity is when we focus on positives in people.

9. Maturity is when we do not seek approval from others.

10. Maturity is when we stop comparing ourselves to others.

11. Maturity is when we are at peace with ourself.

12. Maturity is when we can differentiate between Need and Want, and we can let
go of our wants.

13. Maturity is when we stop attaching Happiness to material things.

14. Maturity is when we learn to Let go, accept the situations and move on.

15. Maturity is when we don't react to the behavior of insane people.

16. Maturity is when we are able to drop expectations from a relationship and
give for the sake of giving.

17. Maturity is learning to walk away from people and situations that threaten our
peace of mind, self-respect, values, morals and self-worth.

18. Maturity is when we have a lot to say, but we choose to remain silent in front of fools.

Lesson of the day 1419

Ayah of the Day: 
The acts of those who repudiate their Lord are like ash blown violently by the wind on a stormy day.
They have no control over any thing they have earned, that is the outlandish error. [14: 18]

Hadith of the Day: 
Do not hate or envy one another. Instead, be slaves to Allah and brothers. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day: 
Understanding is what makes relationships. Many a spoken word is more piercing than an attack.
[Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day: 
Stay away from debt in your personal life. Debt, not poverty, is the greatest enemy of financial
well-being and peace of mind. There are massive forces arrayed in the world to tell you of the
great benefits of debt. They will tell you that by borrowing you establish your legitimacy in the
eyes of lenders, and that you can have tomorrow's pleasures at today's prices.

They will present arguments and inducements that are convincing and seductive. They dress
debt in a suit and call it credit. But it all comes down to the same thing: You have mortgaged
your future to pay for your present, and this is something you don't ever want to do. Debt can
make you money because it allows you to invest. Debt can help you in the present and leave
your problems for what you hope will be a better time in the future.

But debt defines your future, and when your future is defined, hope begins to die. You have
committed your life to making money to pay for your past. Stay away from debt if you can.
There is no sadder sight than the person with dreams and promise whose eyes have dulled
and whose days are spent pushing the heavy wheel of debt toward an endless horizon.
[Simple Truths]

Food for Thought: 
Be careful what you wish for. The faculties of humanity were not given in order to gain
worldly life like an animal.

Eid Mubarak....

Seven Truths of Life

1. We shouldn't let someone become a priority in our life, when we are
just an opinion in their life. Relationships work best when they are
balanced.

2. We should never explain ourself to anyone. Because the person
who likes us doesn't need it, and the person who doesn't like us
won't believe it.

3. When we keep saying we are busy, then we are never free. When
we keep saying we have no time, then we will never have time. When
we keep saying we will do it tomorrow, then our tomorrow will never
come.

4. When we wake up in the morning, we have two simple choices --
Go back to sleep and dream, or wake up and chase those dreams,
choice is ours.

5. We make them cry who care for us. We cry for those who never
care for us. And we care for those who will never cry for us. This is
the truth of life, it's strange but true. Once we realize this, it's never
too late to change.

6. We shouldn't make promises when we are in joy. We shouldn't
reply when we are sad, and we shouldn't take any decisions when
we are angry. We need to think twice, and act once.

7. Time is like a river. We can't touch the same water twice, because
the flow that has passed will never pass again. We need to value our
time the most.

Reformation of family life -- 3

Islamic Upbringing of Children

These are summary of lecture series @ Islamic Center of Fremont, CA
by Mufti Muddassir Owais.

1. Parents must make an effort to understand their children well.
Each child is different.

2. Don't reprimand elder kids in front of younger kids.

3. Try to find out root cause for everything that might seem wrong
in your children. Ponder over where that came from.

4. Talk to children to understand where the bad habits are coming
from.

5. Talk at the level of the child.

6. Have at least one meal together as a family.

7. Talk to have a conversation during meal.

8. Try to instill the love of Allah, the love of the Prophet (peace
and blessings upon him), and the love of the family of the Prophet.

9. Teach the children to ponder and meditate over:
Allah is with me, Allah is watching me, Allah is present with me.

10. Parents should realize that their children are a blessing as
well as a test for them.

11. Increase shukr and sabr, make your life an example, improve
relationship with each other, correct the environment at home
through kindness, love and respect for each other.

May Almighty Allah make it easy and grant us success, ameen.

Reformation of Family Life -- 2

Islamic Upbringing of Children

These are summary of lecture series @ Islamic Center of Fremont, CA
by Mufti Muddassir Owais.

1. Bring those qualities in yourself that you want to see in your children.

2. Bring excellence of those qualities in yourself, become a role model.
This is an important and basic rule.

3. Take guidance from seerah of the Prophet (peace and blessings
upon him).

4. Give lots of love, balance softness with reprimanding.

5. Make a lot of dua along with regular sadaqa, never ever despair.

6. Make dua at tahajjud time. Do nafl fast and make dua for your
children -- these are the times when duas are answered.

7. Give your children the proper Islamic environment.

8. Parents should respect each other and teach the children to
respect their parents, teachers, elders and each other.

9. Parents must never contradict each other.

10. Parents and teachers need to have a lot of patience.

Reformation of family life -- 1

Islamic Upbringing of Children

These are summary of lecture series @ Islamic Center of Fremont, CA
by Mufti Muddassir Owais.

1. Upbringing does not mean harshness.

2. Reprimand your children without harshness.

3. Make a lot of dua for your children. This is an important aspect of
upbringing.

4. Become a role model for your children. Change yourself first.

5. Repercussions of sins/disobedience is that Allah Most High
removes the respect/dignity of elders from the hearts of youngers.

6. Try your utmost to abstain from sin and disobedience of Allah Most
High, seek a lot of forgiveness, make a lot of istighfar.

7. Do the upbringing focussing on the hereafter.

8. Upbringing in its intrinsic nature has to be done gradually
and consistently.

9. Upbringing has two aspects -- Planning and Patience.

10. Guard yourself against cursing your children.

Beautiful advice....

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 411

1. Nothing will work until you do. Every noble work at first is impossible.

2. To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness.

3. Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

4. Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.

5. The one thing that over comes hard luck is hard work.

6. The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

7. The best prize life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

8. Sometimes it takes a disaster to wake us up and make us realize the blessings we have.

9. Too often it takes a direct confrontation with one's mortality to learn the value of the
limited time we have on earth.

10. Many of us believe that time is money. Time isn't money; time is everything. The way
we spend our time is what our life is all about.

Lesson of the day 1418

Ayahs of the Day:
If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden, WE will remit from you your evil deeds, and make you enter a Gate of Honor. And do not covet the things in which Allah has made some of you excel others. To men is allotted a share of what they earn, and to women a share of what they earn, (Do not fall prey to envy), but ask Allah of His bounty. For Allah has
full knowledge of all things. [4: 31,32]

Hadith of the Day: 
The most excellent worship is expectation of relief. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
You can't separate peace from freedom, because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom. [Malcolm X]

Guidance of the Day: 
The root cause of all of the diseases of the heart is love of the temporal world and self satisfaction. The source of every disobedience, indifference, and passion is self satisfaction. The source of every obedience, vigilance, and virtue is dissatisfaction with one's self. It is better for you to keep company with an ignorant man dissatisfied with himself than to keep company with a learned man satisfied with himself. For what knowledge is there in a self satisfied scholar? And what ignorance is there in an unlearned man dissatisfied with himself?

There are three signs of being overly content with the soul. First is being sensitive to one's own rights and indifferent to the rights of others. In Islam, one's responsibilities preponderate over one's rights. The second is ignoring one's faults, as if he has none, while being preoccupied with the faults of others. A contented eye does not see faults. The third sign is giving oneself too much leniency. [Purification of the Heart]

Food for Thought: 
An educated person learns from all ages, even from the last minutes of his life, he accepts and understands his own mortality and its reasons. he understands that without death and aging nothing would have any meaning.

Secrets of Success....

When I woke up this morning I asked myself;
What are some of the secrets of success in life?

I found the answer right there in my room;

The fan said; Be cool.
The roof said; Aim high.

The window said; See the world.
The clock said; Every minute is precious.

The mirror said; Reflect before you react.
The door said; Push hard for you goals.

And don't forget, the carpet said;
Kneel down and pray.

Have a beautiful day!

Pearls of Wisdom 410

1.People look at secondary causes and think they are the origin of everything
that happens, but it has been revealed to the saints that secondary causes
are no more than a veil.

2. Each and every part of the world is a snare for the fool, and a means of
deliverance for the wise.

3. When patience and intellect go, your ego incites to evil.

4. The sensual ego is blind and deaf to God.

5. Things become clear through their opposites. God created suffering
and heartache so that joyful-heart might appear through its opposite.

6. No opposite can be known without its opposite. Having suffered a
blow, you will know a caress.

7. Everything is good and perfect in relation to God. For example; in a
king's realm there are prisons, gallows, robes of honor, estates, banquets,
etc. In relation to the king, everything is good.

8. Knowledge and wisdom exist to distinguish the right from the wrong,
if everything were the right way, the wisdom would be useless.

9. Commands are only proper if the act which is commanded is disliked
by him who is commanded to perform it. Like wise, it is not proper to prohibit
things which man dislikes. You cannot say; "Do not eat stones and thorns,"
and if you say it, it is not a prohibition. [Spiritual Teachings of Rumi]

Lesson of the day 1417

Ayah of the Day: 
The acts of those who repudiate their Lord are like ash blown violently by the wind on a stormy day.
They have no control over any thing they have earned, that is the outlandish error. [14: 18]

Hadith of the Day: 
Do not hate or envy one another. Instead, be slaves to Allah and brothers. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day: 
Understanding is what makes relationships. Many a spoken word is more piercing than an attack.
[Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Stay away from debt in your personal life. Debt, not poverty, is the greatest enemy of financial
well-being and peace of mind. There are massive forces arrayed in the world to tell you of the
great benefits of debt. They will tell you that by borrowing you establish your legitimacy in the
eyes of lenders, and that you can have tomorrow's pleasures at today's prices.

They will present arguments and inducements that are convincing and seductive. They dress
debt in a suit and call it credit. But it all comes down to the same thing: You have mortgaged
your future to pay for your present, and this is something you don't ever want to do. Debt can
 make you money because it allows you to invest. Debt can help you in the present and leave
your problems for what you hope will be a better time in the future.

But debt defines your future, and when your future is defined, hope begins to die. You have
committed your life to making money to pay for your past. Stay away from debt if you can.
There is no sadder sight than the person with dreams and promise whose eyes have dulled
 and whose days are spent pushing the heavy wheel of debt toward an endless horizon.
[Simple Truths by Kent Nerburn]

Food for Thought:
Be careful what you wish for. The faculties of humanity were not given in order to gain
worldly life like an animal.

Purification....

 

Pearls of Wisdom 409

1. Be joyous only for an increase in knowledge or in good works, for they are your
two companions who will accompany you in your grave when your family, wealth,
children, and friends stay behind. [Imam al Ghazali]

2. Every attribute that appears in the heart leaves traces on the limbs, and every action
of the limbs can leave traces in the heart, so the relationship is reciprocal. [Zafar Othmani]

3. The quality of our supplication (dua) depends upon the purity of our hearts, for it is
with our hearts that we connect to God. [Imam Mohammad Magid]

4. If you remember death and prepare for its coming, you will know endless joy when
death arrives, whereas if you are complacent and procrastinate, death will come to you
at an unforeseen moment and you will know regrets without end. [Imam al Ghazali]

5. Each of your breaths is a priceless jewel, can never be retrieved. Do not be like the
deceived fools who are joyous because of an increase in their wealth while their life
shortens. [Imama al Haddad]

6. The disobedience that begets humility and broken heartedness is better than the
obedience that begets honor and pride. [Ibn Ata'Allah]

7. Whoever truly follow the Prophet (peace be upon him) do not have their own
choice in matters. Rather, nothing stirs in their hearts except that which Allah and
His messenger love. [Sahl al Tustari]

8. Be with the people in such a way that if you should die, they weep for you; and if
you live, they long for you. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

9. If you do not believe that God can take you at this moment and make you one of
His saintly believers (awliya), then you are ignorant of His power. [Ibn Ata'Allah]

10. Be not content with the stories of those who went before you -- go forth and create
your own story. [Maulana Rumi]