1. The habit of looking on the bright side in every circumstance is more valuable that having
a large income.
2. The ideal person is he who takes pleasure in serving others. The noble hearted person works
for people.
3. Happiness, cheerfulness, and calmness are often more effective than doctors' pills.
4. Hardship before comfort is analogous to hunger before food -- food comes at a time when it
has its greatest effect on the taste buds.
5. Hardship is as beneficial to the soul as it is unwelcomed in one's life.
6. Whoever looks reflectively at the universe knows that the One Who created it perfectly is
All-Wise and is not playing with the dice.
7. Anger is one of the factors that cause depression and sadness -- we need to get rid of it.
8. By seeking to be the center of attention and by trying to please others, you lose both peace
and stability in your life.
9. The Muslim has a mission and a message that are more important than revenge, malice, and hate.
10. Performing noble deeds is the way to happiness -- doing good to others brings happiness to both
heart and soul.
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Saturday, December 07, 2019
Lesson of the day 1429
Ayahs of the Day:
Those to whom men said: "The enemy have gathered against you, therefore fear them," but this increased their faith, and they cried: "Allah is sufficient for us! He is the best Protector". So they returned with grace and favor from Allah, and no harm touched them. They followed the good pleasure of Allah, and Allah is infinite of grace. [3: 173, 174]
Hadith of the Day:
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah says: "When a servant of Mine approaches Me through the medium of that which I like best, out of what I have declared obligatory for Him, and continues to advance towards Me through optional prayers (Nawafil), then I begin to love him. When I make him My beloved I become his ears to hear, and his eyes to see, and his hands to grasp, and his feet to walk. When He asks Me I grant him and when he seeks My protection I protect him. [Bukhari]
Guidance of the Day:
The various causes that sow the seeds of arrogance can be: wealth, strength, having a lot of something, like a teacher having a lot of students or someone having many friends, etc., and arrogance for having knowledge.
The intellectual and volitional capacities of humankind are great responsibilities. Ironically these responsibilities have the potential of causing people to forget that every blessing we have is a gift from God and something that we are responsible for. Spending on the orphan, relieving the distressed, and all good acts are difficult for the arrogant ones, who feel their wealth, strength, and prestige are born out of their own devices.
People rejected the Prophet's message not because they were not convinced. They knew that what the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought was the truth from God Himself. But they rejected him out of arrogance. People have a problem with submitting to God, being His servant, claiming that they are "free." Astonishingly, these same "free" people are in bondage to their whims and passions. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Whenever an individual or a business decides that success has been attained, progress stops.
Those to whom men said: "The enemy have gathered against you, therefore fear them," but this increased their faith, and they cried: "Allah is sufficient for us! He is the best Protector". So they returned with grace and favor from Allah, and no harm touched them. They followed the good pleasure of Allah, and Allah is infinite of grace. [3: 173, 174]
Hadith of the Day:
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah says: "When a servant of Mine approaches Me through the medium of that which I like best, out of what I have declared obligatory for Him, and continues to advance towards Me through optional prayers (Nawafil), then I begin to love him. When I make him My beloved I become his ears to hear, and his eyes to see, and his hands to grasp, and his feet to walk. When He asks Me I grant him and when he seeks My protection I protect him. [Bukhari]
Guidance of the Day:
The various causes that sow the seeds of arrogance can be: wealth, strength, having a lot of something, like a teacher having a lot of students or someone having many friends, etc., and arrogance for having knowledge.
The intellectual and volitional capacities of humankind are great responsibilities. Ironically these responsibilities have the potential of causing people to forget that every blessing we have is a gift from God and something that we are responsible for. Spending on the orphan, relieving the distressed, and all good acts are difficult for the arrogant ones, who feel their wealth, strength, and prestige are born out of their own devices.
People rejected the Prophet's message not because they were not convinced. They knew that what the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought was the truth from God Himself. But they rejected him out of arrogance. People have a problem with submitting to God, being His servant, claiming that they are "free." Astonishingly, these same "free" people are in bondage to their whims and passions. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Whenever an individual or a business decides that success has been attained, progress stops.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Thanks giving and gratitude....
To be grateful means you are thankful for and appreciate of what you have
and where you are right now.
Gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling of being blessed with many
gifts and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path.
As you strive to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience
full wonder of "here". Gratitude is a lesson that needs to be reinforced often.
It is too easy to overlook the gifts you have when you focus on those that you
hope to obtain, and you diminish the value of where you currently are on your
path if you do not pause often to appreciate it.
There are many ways to cultivate gratitude: Imagine what your life would be
like if you lost all that you had, this will most surely remind you of how much
you do appreciate it.
Make a list of all that you are grateful for, so that you can stay conscious daily
of your blessings. Or spend a few minutes before you go to sleep giving thanks
for all that you have.
Spend time offering assistance to those who are less fortunate than you, so that
you may gain perspective. Look for the gift in each challenging incident.
However you choose to learn gratitude is irrelevant. What really matters is that
you create a space in your consciousness for appreciation for all that you have
right now, so that you may live joyously in your present moment.
[Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
and where you are right now.
Gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling of being blessed with many
gifts and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path.
As you strive to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience
full wonder of "here". Gratitude is a lesson that needs to be reinforced often.
It is too easy to overlook the gifts you have when you focus on those that you
hope to obtain, and you diminish the value of where you currently are on your
path if you do not pause often to appreciate it.
There are many ways to cultivate gratitude: Imagine what your life would be
like if you lost all that you had, this will most surely remind you of how much
you do appreciate it.
Make a list of all that you are grateful for, so that you can stay conscious daily
of your blessings. Or spend a few minutes before you go to sleep giving thanks
for all that you have.
Spend time offering assistance to those who are less fortunate than you, so that
you may gain perspective. Look for the gift in each challenging incident.
However you choose to learn gratitude is irrelevant. What really matters is that
you create a space in your consciousness for appreciation for all that you have
right now, so that you may live joyously in your present moment.
[Scott, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules]
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 430
1. Do not be shaken by criticism; instead, be firm. And know that, in proportion
to your worth, the level of people's criticism rises.
2. Patience, as opposed to anxiety, bears the fruit of comfort; and the one who does
not voluntarily show patience will have it forced upon him by circumstances.
3. Tribulation is similar to sickness; it must run its course before it goes away, and the
one who is hasty in attempting to remove it, often causes it to augment and increase.
4. It is imperative that the one who is afflicted be patient; he must wait with hope for
relief, and he must be persistent in his prayers.
5. If you are of sound judgment, show resolution. For ill judgment is in hesitation.
6. Life is too short to make it even shorter through disputes.
7. Do not grieve over trivialities -- and know that the whole world is trivial.
8. A person's value is measured according to his determination and his goal.
9. Do not grieve when you are shown overt enmity, for if you forgive and forget,
you will have achieved nobility in this world and honor in the next.
10. An angry man is always replete with poison. Who needs the poison?
to your worth, the level of people's criticism rises.
2. Patience, as opposed to anxiety, bears the fruit of comfort; and the one who does
not voluntarily show patience will have it forced upon him by circumstances.
3. Tribulation is similar to sickness; it must run its course before it goes away, and the
one who is hasty in attempting to remove it, often causes it to augment and increase.
4. It is imperative that the one who is afflicted be patient; he must wait with hope for
relief, and he must be persistent in his prayers.
5. If you are of sound judgment, show resolution. For ill judgment is in hesitation.
6. Life is too short to make it even shorter through disputes.
7. Do not grieve over trivialities -- and know that the whole world is trivial.
8. A person's value is measured according to his determination and his goal.
9. Do not grieve when you are shown overt enmity, for if you forgive and forget,
you will have achieved nobility in this world and honor in the next.
10. An angry man is always replete with poison. Who needs the poison?
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Lesson of the day 1428
Ayahs of the Day:
They [the martyrs] rejoice because of the grace of Allah and kindness, and that Allah wastes not the reward of the believers. Of those who answered the call of Allah and the Messenger, even after being wounded, those who do right and refrain from wrong, have a great reward.
[3: 171, 172]
Hadith of the Day:
The best person is he who has a long span of life and his action and conduct are good. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
All humans are dead except who have knowledge, and all those who have knowledge are asleep except who do good deeds, and all those who do good deeds are deceived except those who are sincere, and those who are sincere are always in a state of worry. [Imam Shafi]
Guidance of the Day:
As for the cure for arrogance, there are several aspects. First, we should remember our humble organic origin. This will suppress any uprisings of arrogance and conceit.
In Islam we have religious heroes for a reason. To study the personalities of the Companions of the Prophet is to study incredibly great people who were humble. Scholars say the following, "If you are not like the real people, at least mimic them." It is better to simulate humility than to be an outright arrogant person.
The cure for arrogance owing to beauty is to realize that beauty can be the most illusory of things. Social conditioning impacts our sense of beauty more than we would admit. Why should beauty ever be a cause of arrogance? First of all; God is the fashioner; It is He who gives all things their shapes and forms. Second, beauty wanes, as the pressures of age and stress tear down flesh. And what we are left with is what we should have focussed on in the first place, the content of our character, our beliefs, and our deeds. [Purification of the Heart].
Food for Thought
Nothing so conclusive proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does himself from day to day to lead himself.
They [the martyrs] rejoice because of the grace of Allah and kindness, and that Allah wastes not the reward of the believers. Of those who answered the call of Allah and the Messenger, even after being wounded, those who do right and refrain from wrong, have a great reward.
[3: 171, 172]
Hadith of the Day:
The best person is he who has a long span of life and his action and conduct are good. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
All humans are dead except who have knowledge, and all those who have knowledge are asleep except who do good deeds, and all those who do good deeds are deceived except those who are sincere, and those who are sincere are always in a state of worry. [Imam Shafi]
Guidance of the Day:
As for the cure for arrogance, there are several aspects. First, we should remember our humble organic origin. This will suppress any uprisings of arrogance and conceit.
In Islam we have religious heroes for a reason. To study the personalities of the Companions of the Prophet is to study incredibly great people who were humble. Scholars say the following, "If you are not like the real people, at least mimic them." It is better to simulate humility than to be an outright arrogant person.
The cure for arrogance owing to beauty is to realize that beauty can be the most illusory of things. Social conditioning impacts our sense of beauty more than we would admit. Why should beauty ever be a cause of arrogance? First of all; God is the fashioner; It is He who gives all things their shapes and forms. Second, beauty wanes, as the pressures of age and stress tear down flesh. And what we are left with is what we should have focussed on in the first place, the content of our character, our beliefs, and our deeds. [Purification of the Heart].
Food for Thought
Nothing so conclusive proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does himself from day to day to lead himself.
Saturday, November 02, 2019
Pleasure and Happiness....
A lot of people equate the two
The reality is they are two different things:
Pleasure is short-lived, happiness is long-lived.
Pleasure is visceral, happiness is ethereal.
Pleasure is taking, happiness is giving.
Pleasure can be achieved with substances,
happiness cannot be achieved with substances.
Pleasure is experienced alone, happiness is
experienced in social groups.
The extremes of pleasure all lead to addiction,
yet there is no such thing as being addicted to
too much happiness.
Pleasure is dopamine, and happiness is
serotonin.
There's one thing that down regulates,
serotonin, dopamine. So the more
pleasure you seek, the more unhappy
you get.
Las Vegas, Madison Avenue, Wall Street,
Silicon Valley, and Washington D.C, have
very specifically and in a coordinated
fashion confused and conflated happiness
with the term pleasure, so that you can
buy happiness.
And in the process, we have become most
decidedly unhappy. (Dr. Robert Lustig)
The reality is they are two different things:
Pleasure is short-lived, happiness is long-lived.
Pleasure is visceral, happiness is ethereal.
Pleasure is taking, happiness is giving.
Pleasure can be achieved with substances,
happiness cannot be achieved with substances.
Pleasure is experienced alone, happiness is
experienced in social groups.
The extremes of pleasure all lead to addiction,
yet there is no such thing as being addicted to
too much happiness.
Pleasure is dopamine, and happiness is
serotonin.
There's one thing that down regulates,
serotonin, dopamine. So the more
pleasure you seek, the more unhappy
you get.
Las Vegas, Madison Avenue, Wall Street,
Silicon Valley, and Washington D.C, have
very specifically and in a coordinated
fashion confused and conflated happiness
with the term pleasure, so that you can
buy happiness.
And in the process, we have become most
decidedly unhappy. (Dr. Robert Lustig)
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 429
1. Live with heart, body, and soul for today only, without dwelling upon the past and without being anxious for the future.
2. Being preoccupied with the past and dragging past woes into present -- these are the signs of an unstable and unsound mind.
3. Idleness is destructive, and most people who suffer from worries and anxieties are the same people who are idle and inactive.
4. Rumors and gossip are the only dividends for those that are bankrupt of meaningful and fruitful work.
5. Do what is right, and turn your back to every vulgar criticism.
6. Forbearance buries the faults, tolerance is superior, silence conquers the enemy, and forgiveness is honor for which you shall be rewarded.
7. When facing criticism or unjust rebuke, those who have sensitive feelings must pour a certain amount of coolness into their nerves by force.
8. Forbearance in the times of distress is the path to both success and happiness.
9. Higher goals are not achieved through dreaming or fantasizing; they can only be reached through dedication and commitment.
10. Hardships strengthen your heart, atones for your sins, and helps to suppress an inclination towards pride and haughtiness
2. Being preoccupied with the past and dragging past woes into present -- these are the signs of an unstable and unsound mind.
3. Idleness is destructive, and most people who suffer from worries and anxieties are the same people who are idle and inactive.
4. Rumors and gossip are the only dividends for those that are bankrupt of meaningful and fruitful work.
5. Do what is right, and turn your back to every vulgar criticism.
6. Forbearance buries the faults, tolerance is superior, silence conquers the enemy, and forgiveness is honor for which you shall be rewarded.
7. When facing criticism or unjust rebuke, those who have sensitive feelings must pour a certain amount of coolness into their nerves by force.
8. Forbearance in the times of distress is the path to both success and happiness.
9. Higher goals are not achieved through dreaming or fantasizing; they can only be reached through dedication and commitment.
10. Hardships strengthen your heart, atones for your sins, and helps to suppress an inclination towards pride and haughtiness
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Lesson of the day 1427
Ayahs of the Day:
Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. No, they live, finding their sustenance
in the presence of their Lord. They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah, and with regards
to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (martyrs') glory in the fact
that on them is no fear, nor have they cause to grieve. [3: 169,170]
Hadith of theDay:
Paradise is close to you than your shoe lace, and similar is the case of Hell. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The realization of La ilaha illAllah is one of the states of the heart that can neither be expressed
by the tongue nor thought out by the mind. [Ibn Ata illah]
Guidance of the Day:
The third type of arrogance is related to lineage. In some cultures, if one is aware of his "high birth"
he is obliged to behave nobly. One of the blights of many societies is racism, when people feel and act superior simply because of their race. The Quran lays waste to false claims of superiority and states that the only rank that matters relates to one's relationship with God.
Many people are honored by having lineage traceable to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his family. While this is an honor in itself, it is something to be venerated when one's actions are likewise honorable. It is said, " If your actions hold you back, your lineage will not speed you up."
No person of any consequence should respect or praise an ignorant man, even if he is of noble birth and virtuous ancestry. For to respect and praise such a person in his presence may have an adverse effect on him. It may deceive him from concerning God, render him neglectful of proper behavior, and distract him from gathering provision for the Hereafter. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Reason and judgment are the qualities of a leader. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect
Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. No, they live, finding their sustenance
in the presence of their Lord. They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah, and with regards
to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (martyrs') glory in the fact
that on them is no fear, nor have they cause to grieve. [3: 169,170]
Hadith of theDay:
Paradise is close to you than your shoe lace, and similar is the case of Hell. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
The realization of La ilaha illAllah is one of the states of the heart that can neither be expressed
by the tongue nor thought out by the mind. [Ibn Ata illah]
Guidance of the Day:
The third type of arrogance is related to lineage. In some cultures, if one is aware of his "high birth"
he is obliged to behave nobly. One of the blights of many societies is racism, when people feel and act superior simply because of their race. The Quran lays waste to false claims of superiority and states that the only rank that matters relates to one's relationship with God.
Many people are honored by having lineage traceable to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his family. While this is an honor in itself, it is something to be venerated when one's actions are likewise honorable. It is said, " If your actions hold you back, your lineage will not speed you up."
No person of any consequence should respect or praise an ignorant man, even if he is of noble birth and virtuous ancestry. For to respect and praise such a person in his presence may have an adverse effect on him. It may deceive him from concerning God, render him neglectful of proper behavior, and distract him from gathering provision for the Hereafter. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Reason and judgment are the qualities of a leader. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Time to reflect....
Happiness keeps you Sweet!!
Trials keeps you Strong!!
Sorrows keeps you Human!!
Failure keeps you Humble!!
Success keeps you Glowing!!
But only,
Faith keeps you Going.
Sometimes you are
unsatisfied with your life,
while many people in
this world are dreaming
of living your life..
A child on a farm sees
a plane fly overhead &
dreams of flying.
But,
A pilot on the plane sees
the farmhouse & dreams
of returning home.
That's life!!
Enjoy yours...
Trials keeps you Strong!!
Sorrows keeps you Human!!
Failure keeps you Humble!!
Success keeps you Glowing!!
But only,
Faith keeps you Going.
Sometimes you are
unsatisfied with your life,
while many people in
this world are dreaming
of living your life..
A child on a farm sees
a plane fly overhead &
dreams of flying.
But,
A pilot on the plane sees
the farmhouse & dreams
of returning home.
That's life!!
Enjoy yours...
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 428
1. There's only one thing more contagious than the measles; and that's a good example.
2. The reason many people don't climb the ladder of success is that they are waiting for the elevator.
3. The human soul is not made for jealousy and revenge.
4. "Today is my only day" is one of the most important statements in the dictionary of happiness, for those who desire to live life in its fullest splendor and brilliance.
5. If you desire to be accepted by all and loved by all, you desire the unattainable -- But desire to be accepted by God.
6. This is the way of the noble: they face difficulties with firm resolution, and they wrestle hardship to the ground.
7. Do not be preoccupied with matters that are insignificant. If you follow this advice, you will find that most of your worries will have left you.
8. The heart should be filled with tenderness, virtue, benevolence, and a genuine love for spreading goodness to all those that are connected to it.
9. If you seek happiness, then seek out knowledge and enlightenment, and you will find anxiety, depression, and grief will leave you.
10. Live every day as if it were the last day of your life -- with this frame of mind and outlook toward life, you have no reason to allow sadness or anger to steal the little time you have.
2. The reason many people don't climb the ladder of success is that they are waiting for the elevator.
3. The human soul is not made for jealousy and revenge.
4. "Today is my only day" is one of the most important statements in the dictionary of happiness, for those who desire to live life in its fullest splendor and brilliance.
5. If you desire to be accepted by all and loved by all, you desire the unattainable -- But desire to be accepted by God.
6. This is the way of the noble: they face difficulties with firm resolution, and they wrestle hardship to the ground.
7. Do not be preoccupied with matters that are insignificant. If you follow this advice, you will find that most of your worries will have left you.
8. The heart should be filled with tenderness, virtue, benevolence, and a genuine love for spreading goodness to all those that are connected to it.
9. If you seek happiness, then seek out knowledge and enlightenment, and you will find anxiety, depression, and grief will leave you.
10. Live every day as if it were the last day of your life -- with this frame of mind and outlook toward life, you have no reason to allow sadness or anger to steal the little time you have.
Monday, September 09, 2019
Lesson of the day 1426
Ayahs of the Day:
Allah did confer a great favor on the Believers when He sent among them a Messenger from
among themselves, rehearsing unto them the signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing
them in scripture and wisdom, while before that, they had been in manifest error. [3:164]
Hadith of the Day:
Three things follow a dead person; members of his family, his belongings and his deeds. The first
two come back and the third remains with him. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Be not content with stories of those who went before you. Go forth and create your own story.
[Mawlana al Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
Justice follows every vice. When it comes to arrogance, its possessors will end up being the most
abject people in the Hereafter; they will envy those whom they once thought to be beneath them in
honor and status, those who were patient, grateful and humble in this life. There are many passages
of the Quran and hadith that support this.
There are different qualities and kinds of arrogance. The first type is when a person deems himself
superior to others. Imam Ghazali said, "People of knowledge are in greater danger of arrogance than
anyone else" because the knowledge they have attained may lead them to feelings of superiority.
The second type is arrogance displayed in a person who shows contempt and scorns to others. It is a
marvel how some people act arrogantly because of their perceived piety, while the Prophet
(peace be upon him), the best of creation, remained humble. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectations. The way to get things
done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them.
Allah did confer a great favor on the Believers when He sent among them a Messenger from
among themselves, rehearsing unto them the signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing
them in scripture and wisdom, while before that, they had been in manifest error. [3:164]
Hadith of the Day:
Three things follow a dead person; members of his family, his belongings and his deeds. The first
two come back and the third remains with him. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Be not content with stories of those who went before you. Go forth and create your own story.
[Mawlana al Rumi]
Guidance of the Day:
Justice follows every vice. When it comes to arrogance, its possessors will end up being the most
abject people in the Hereafter; they will envy those whom they once thought to be beneath them in
honor and status, those who were patient, grateful and humble in this life. There are many passages
of the Quran and hadith that support this.
There are different qualities and kinds of arrogance. The first type is when a person deems himself
superior to others. Imam Ghazali said, "People of knowledge are in greater danger of arrogance than
anyone else" because the knowledge they have attained may lead them to feelings of superiority.
The second type is arrogance displayed in a person who shows contempt and scorns to others. It is a
marvel how some people act arrogantly because of their perceived piety, while the Prophet
(peace be upon him), the best of creation, remained humble. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectations. The way to get things
done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them.
Monday, September 02, 2019
Knowing oneself.....
1. To have knowledge of Allah it is necessary to have knowledge of
ourselves.
2. If we truly know ourselves, then we will know Allah.
3. If Allah allows us to know Him, we might be able to know ourselves.
4. Not only we are obligated to seek knowledge, we must also learn
how to behave in life.
5. We must first try to recognize all the faults within us, in order to
change them into qualities, in order to become our own shepherd.
6. If there are wrongs that we don't like, then the way to right them
is by curing ourselves, each one of ourselves individually.
7. When we are with others, we not only have the opportunity to
learn about them, we can also learn about ourselves.
8. Intelligence is the light of the head, arrogance is the darkness
of the head.
9. Contentment is the light of the eye, insatiable ambition (greed) is
the darkness of the eye.
10. Compassion is the light of the heart, envy is the darkness of
the heart. (Shems Friedlander)
ourselves.
2. If we truly know ourselves, then we will know Allah.
3. If Allah allows us to know Him, we might be able to know ourselves.
4. Not only we are obligated to seek knowledge, we must also learn
how to behave in life.
5. We must first try to recognize all the faults within us, in order to
change them into qualities, in order to become our own shepherd.
6. If there are wrongs that we don't like, then the way to right them
is by curing ourselves, each one of ourselves individually.
7. When we are with others, we not only have the opportunity to
learn about them, we can also learn about ourselves.
8. Intelligence is the light of the head, arrogance is the darkness
of the head.
9. Contentment is the light of the eye, insatiable ambition (greed) is
the darkness of the eye.
10. Compassion is the light of the heart, envy is the darkness of
the heart. (Shems Friedlander)
Monday, August 26, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 427
1. Other people may complicate our lives, but life without them would be unbearably desolate.
2. Don't just do what you feel like doing; instead do what the Lord asks of you.
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 you are no longer afraid to die that you can say that you 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 you 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.
2. Don't just do what you feel like doing; instead do what the Lord asks of you.
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 you are no longer afraid to die that you can say that you 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 you 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.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Time to reflect....
1. The words of the Qur'an have both an outer and
an inner meaning, the latter overpowering. Do
not regard the surface alone, for the devil never
regarded Adam as mere clay. The surface
meaning of the Qur'an is like a human torso,
features visible, but the spirit hidden.
2. Little by little God takes the beauty away.
Little by little life's luster decays.
Listen to the passage, "To whom We
grant a long life, those We cause to decline."
Seek the essence and not the structure.
The beauty of heart shall forever abide, for it
is enriched with the water of life.
3. Every prophet to the world came alone,
within him carrying a hundred unseen worlds.
The cosmos was charmed by his depth
and folded itself into his modest frame,
The foolish thought he was lonely and weak.
With the King as his companion,
how is he weak?
4. We honored man by the gift of free will.
Half of him is honeybee, the other half snake.
True believers are stores of honey.
Stores of poison are those who do not believe.
5. Many prayers are declined because of the
rank odor of a corrupt heart rising through the
beautiful words. Let the words be wrong, but
the meaning right. That flawed utterance is
dearer to God. [Mawlana Rumi]
an inner meaning, the latter overpowering. Do
not regard the surface alone, for the devil never
regarded Adam as mere clay. The surface
meaning of the Qur'an is like a human torso,
features visible, but the spirit hidden.
2. Little by little God takes the beauty away.
Little by little life's luster decays.
Listen to the passage, "To whom We
grant a long life, those We cause to decline."
Seek the essence and not the structure.
The beauty of heart shall forever abide, for it
is enriched with the water of life.
3. Every prophet to the world came alone,
within him carrying a hundred unseen worlds.
The cosmos was charmed by his depth
and folded itself into his modest frame,
The foolish thought he was lonely and weak.
With the King as his companion,
how is he weak?
4. We honored man by the gift of free will.
Half of him is honeybee, the other half snake.
True believers are stores of honey.
Stores of poison are those who do not believe.
5. Many prayers are declined because of the
rank odor of a corrupt heart rising through the
beautiful words. Let the words be wrong, but
the meaning right. That flawed utterance is
dearer to God. [Mawlana Rumi]
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Lesson of the day 1425
Ayahs of the Day:
Is the man who follows the good pleasure of Allah, like the one who draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and whose abode is in Hell? A woeful refuge! They are in varying grades in the sight of Allah, and Allah sees well, all that they do. [3: 162, 163]
Hadith of the Day:
Hell lies hidden behind evil (worldly desires) and Paradise is screened behind hard labour. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Organize your devotional practices and you will find your time is extended due to the baraka (blessings) in it. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]
Guidance of the Day:
Fakhr is the loathsome practice of bragging. Exceptionally odious is the practice of bragging about what one has not done or exerted any effort toward, like bragging about one's ancestry and borrowing from some past nobility.
Boasting is a problematic behavior that universally evokes objection and is considered a spiritual disease. No one likes a boaster, the person who cannot be in the company of others without speaking about himself or drawing attention to what he has done.
The force behind the culture of boasting is kibr (arrogance). The most villainous beings in history were filled with arrogance and false pride. God recompenses the arrogant ones by turning them away from understanding His Book, His Prophets, and His Signs placed in the horizons and in one's own self. [Purification of the heart]
Food for Thought:
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you really want to test a man's character, give him power.
Is the man who follows the good pleasure of Allah, like the one who draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and whose abode is in Hell? A woeful refuge! They are in varying grades in the sight of Allah, and Allah sees well, all that they do. [3: 162, 163]
Hadith of the Day:
Hell lies hidden behind evil (worldly desires) and Paradise is screened behind hard labour. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Organize your devotional practices and you will find your time is extended due to the baraka (blessings) in it. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]
Guidance of the Day:
Fakhr is the loathsome practice of bragging. Exceptionally odious is the practice of bragging about what one has not done or exerted any effort toward, like bragging about one's ancestry and borrowing from some past nobility.
Boasting is a problematic behavior that universally evokes objection and is considered a spiritual disease. No one likes a boaster, the person who cannot be in the company of others without speaking about himself or drawing attention to what he has done.
The force behind the culture of boasting is kibr (arrogance). The most villainous beings in history were filled with arrogance and false pride. God recompenses the arrogant ones by turning them away from understanding His Book, His Prophets, and His Signs placed in the horizons and in one's own self. [Purification of the heart]
Food for Thought:
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you really want to test a man's character, give him power.
Monday, July 29, 2019
Pearls of Wisdoms 426
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.
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.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Life Advice....
1. Always be the best person you can be.
2. Be kind even when you are tired.
3. Be understanding even when you are angry.
4. Do more than you are asked, and don't ask
for anything in return.
5. Don't silently expect anything either.
6. Listen when someone talks, and really
listen too, stop just thinking of how you'll
reply.
7. Tell people that you love them and that
you appreciate them.
8. Go out of your way to do things for people.
9. When you mess up, make up for it in the next
moment or minute or day.
10. Never spend your time trying to prove anyone
that you are great, your actions will speak for
themselves.
11. We only have limited time on this earth, don't
waste it.
12. If someone doesn't see your light, don't worry.
Like moths, good people are attracted to flame
and to light, and they will come.
2. Be kind even when you are tired.
3. Be understanding even when you are angry.
4. Do more than you are asked, and don't ask
for anything in return.
5. Don't silently expect anything either.
6. Listen when someone talks, and really
listen too, stop just thinking of how you'll
reply.
7. Tell people that you love them and that
you appreciate them.
8. Go out of your way to do things for people.
9. When you mess up, make up for it in the next
moment or minute or day.
10. Never spend your time trying to prove anyone
that you are great, your actions will speak for
themselves.
11. We only have limited time on this earth, don't
waste it.
12. If someone doesn't see your light, don't worry.
Like moths, good people are attracted to flame
and to light, and they will come.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Lesson of the Day 1424
Ayahs of the Day:
If Allah helps you, none can overcome you. If He forsakes you, who is there, after that,
that can help you? In Allah, then, let believers put their trust. No Prophet could (ever) be
false to their trust. If any person is so false, He shall on the Day of judgment, restore what
he misappropriated, then shall every soul receive its due, whatever it earned and none shall
be dealt with unjustly. [3: 160, 161]
Hadith of the Day:
Should you come across some mishap, do not say: "Had I only done this and that things would
have turned out so and so; but say only Allah so determines and did as He willed." Because the
Phrase; "Had I" only opens the gates of evil conduct. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
You possess only whatever will not be lost in a ship wreck. [Imam Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
Ghill is a malady of the heart that is closely related to rancor, extreme anger, and malice.Rancor
is a pungent emotion that is rooted in being extremely angry at a person to the point that one
wishes harm to come to him. But the ultimate victim of rancor is its carrier.
If a person feels rancor toward a particular person, he should show that person good will. By nature,
people are naturally inclined to love those who do good to them. And if one shows a person good,
feelings of rancor will fall to the wayside. Satan rejoices when believers fight with one another and
bear negative thoughts.
If a person has rancor toward another believer, God shall not forgive that person until he forgives
his brother, for rancor is a serious affliction that festers in one's heart and blocks good things from
coming to one. [Purification of the heart]
Food for Thought:
Don't let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your ego
doesn't go with it.
If Allah helps you, none can overcome you. If He forsakes you, who is there, after that,
that can help you? In Allah, then, let believers put their trust. No Prophet could (ever) be
false to their trust. If any person is so false, He shall on the Day of judgment, restore what
he misappropriated, then shall every soul receive its due, whatever it earned and none shall
be dealt with unjustly. [3: 160, 161]
Hadith of the Day:
Should you come across some mishap, do not say: "Had I only done this and that things would
have turned out so and so; but say only Allah so determines and did as He willed." Because the
Phrase; "Had I" only opens the gates of evil conduct. [Muslim]
Wise Quote of the Day:
You possess only whatever will not be lost in a ship wreck. [Imam Ghazali]
Guidance of the Day:
Ghill is a malady of the heart that is closely related to rancor, extreme anger, and malice.Rancor
is a pungent emotion that is rooted in being extremely angry at a person to the point that one
wishes harm to come to him. But the ultimate victim of rancor is its carrier.
If a person feels rancor toward a particular person, he should show that person good will. By nature,
people are naturally inclined to love those who do good to them. And if one shows a person good,
feelings of rancor will fall to the wayside. Satan rejoices when believers fight with one another and
bear negative thoughts.
If a person has rancor toward another believer, God shall not forgive that person until he forgives
his brother, for rancor is a serious affliction that festers in one's heart and blocks good things from
coming to one. [Purification of the heart]
Food for Thought:
Don't let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your ego
doesn't go with it.
Monday, July 08, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 425
1. War destroys men, but luxury destroys mankind; at once corrupts the body and the mind.
2. Luxury may possibly contribute to give bread to the poor; but if there were no luxury, there
would be no poor.
3. We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.
4. A simple and unassuming manner of life is best for every one, best for both the body and
the mind.
5. The liar's punishment is not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone.
6. Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle that fits them all.
7. A man's own good breeding is the best security against other people's ill manners.
8. Marriage is that relationship between man and woman in which the independence is equal, the
dependence mutual, and the obligation reciprocal.
9. The mind is like the stomach. It is not how much you put into it that counts, but how much it digests.
Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.
10. Life is not a static thing. The only people who do not change their minds are incompetents
in asylums, who can't, and those in cemeteries.
2. Luxury may possibly contribute to give bread to the poor; but if there were no luxury, there
would be no poor.
3. We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.
4. A simple and unassuming manner of life is best for every one, best for both the body and
the mind.
5. The liar's punishment is not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone.
6. Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle that fits them all.
7. A man's own good breeding is the best security against other people's ill manners.
8. Marriage is that relationship between man and woman in which the independence is equal, the
dependence mutual, and the obligation reciprocal.
9. The mind is like the stomach. It is not how much you put into it that counts, but how much it digests.
Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.
10. Life is not a static thing. The only people who do not change their minds are incompetents
in asylums, who can't, and those in cemeteries.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Alone....
Responsibility is upon our shoulders:
(And Allah will say): "Now you have come to Us alone even
as We had created you in the first instance...."
[surah Al Anaam: 94]
Our survival on the Day of judgment is a personal project....
On this day, we will stand alone....
We will not be able to use the shortcomings of scholars or
people as an excuse for our own,
nor can we blame it on the deviation of the famous or those
who are unknown,
nor on the abandonment and betrayal of those closest to
us or those who are far....
Our life is a test we take alone...
We need to do good for ourself and strive for our soul's salvation,
even if all the people around us are tempted to sin,
and are negligent in religious matters,
and abstain from doing good....
Remember.... We alone will be held accountable for our
actions and not others.
(And Allah will say): "Now you have come to Us alone even
as We had created you in the first instance...."
[surah Al Anaam: 94]
Our survival on the Day of judgment is a personal project....
On this day, we will stand alone....
We will not be able to use the shortcomings of scholars or
people as an excuse for our own,
nor can we blame it on the deviation of the famous or those
who are unknown,
nor on the abandonment and betrayal of those closest to
us or those who are far....
Our life is a test we take alone...
We need to do good for ourself and strive for our soul's salvation,
even if all the people around us are tempted to sin,
and are negligent in religious matters,
and abstain from doing good....
Remember.... We alone will be held accountable for our
actions and not others.
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Lesson of the day 1423
Ayah of the Day:
It is part of the mercy of Allah that you deal gently with them, If you were severe and harsh hearted, they would have broken away from about you, so pardon their faults, and ask for (Allah's) forgiveness for them, and consult them in affairs (of the community). Then, when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, for Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). [3: 159]
Hadith of the Day:
People are great losers in respect of two bounties, i.e. health and affluence, as a result of which they do not worship Allah as much as they ought to. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Be extremely vigilant about avoiding positions of leadership, but should you be tried with such matters at least know your limitations. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]
Guidance of the Day:
People who turn away from the truth, God increases there heedlessness. What is interesting about heedlessness is that every one will eventually be cured of it, no matter the extent of this disease. The challenge is to be cured in this life, when it counts, when our obedience in the arena of tests and trials holds out meaning.
The moment a person dies, veils are let down. Even the denizens of Hellfire will no longer live in the Hell of heedlessness. We were created to remember God, and if it takes the heat of Hell to remind some, then so be it.
We ask God to make us among those who remember Him in this life and among those who are saved in the Hereafter, ameen. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
It is part of the mercy of Allah that you deal gently with them, If you were severe and harsh hearted, they would have broken away from about you, so pardon their faults, and ask for (Allah's) forgiveness for them, and consult them in affairs (of the community). Then, when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, for Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). [3: 159]
Hadith of the Day:
People are great losers in respect of two bounties, i.e. health and affluence, as a result of which they do not worship Allah as much as they ought to. [Bukhari]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Be extremely vigilant about avoiding positions of leadership, but should you be tried with such matters at least know your limitations. [Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq]
Guidance of the Day:
People who turn away from the truth, God increases there heedlessness. What is interesting about heedlessness is that every one will eventually be cured of it, no matter the extent of this disease. The challenge is to be cured in this life, when it counts, when our obedience in the arena of tests and trials holds out meaning.
The moment a person dies, veils are let down. Even the denizens of Hellfire will no longer live in the Hell of heedlessness. We were created to remember God, and if it takes the heat of Hell to remind some, then so be it.
We ask God to make us among those who remember Him in this life and among those who are saved in the Hereafter, ameen. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 424
1. Your souls are precious and can only be equal to the price of Paradise,
therefore sell them only for that.
2. Islam is not just a religion, Islam is everything.
3. When you mention your companion's faults, remember your own faults.
4. Learn silence as you have learned speech. Speech will guide you, and
silence will protect you.
5. Whoever desires Paradise proceeds towards goodness, whoever fears Hell
refrains from the impulses of passions.
6. Many things in life will catch your eye, but few will catch your heart, pursue
those.
7. If you are good, try to be better.
8. Only someone who is sincere recognizes what showing off is.
9. Knowledge is not merely the narrating of texts. Rather knowledge is fear of
Allah.
10. The root of good character is humility and the root of base character is
arrogance.
therefore sell them only for that.
2. Islam is not just a religion, Islam is everything.
3. When you mention your companion's faults, remember your own faults.
4. Learn silence as you have learned speech. Speech will guide you, and
silence will protect you.
5. Whoever desires Paradise proceeds towards goodness, whoever fears Hell
refrains from the impulses of passions.
6. Many things in life will catch your eye, but few will catch your heart, pursue
those.
7. If you are good, try to be better.
8. Only someone who is sincere recognizes what showing off is.
9. Knowledge is not merely the narrating of texts. Rather knowledge is fear of
Allah.
10. The root of good character is humility and the root of base character is
arrogance.
Sunday, April 07, 2019
Ten signs of good manners....
Yusuf ibn Asbat said:
There are ten signs of good manner, and they are:
1. Little arguing;
2. Listening well;
3. Avoiding searching for short comings;
4. Covering mistakes;
5. Finding excuses;
6. Patience when annoyed;
7. Blaming one's own self;
8. Seeking one's own faults rather than other
people's faults;
9. Having a beaming face with the young and
old;
10. Saying kind words to those who are below
or above one (with regards to religious knowledge,
righteousness, social status, and so forth).
[Al-Ihya, vol.3,]
There are ten signs of good manner, and they are:
1. Little arguing;
2. Listening well;
3. Avoiding searching for short comings;
4. Covering mistakes;
5. Finding excuses;
6. Patience when annoyed;
7. Blaming one's own self;
8. Seeking one's own faults rather than other
people's faults;
9. Having a beaming face with the young and
old;
10. Saying kind words to those who are below
or above one (with regards to religious knowledge,
righteousness, social status, and so forth).
[Al-Ihya, vol.3,]
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Lesson of the day 1422
Tips to make the upcoming Ramadan more blessed and productive towards attaining taqwa/righteouness:
God says, concerning His Majestic Book: The Month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed, a guidance for mankind, [containing] clear proofs of guidance, and the criterion of distinguishing right from wrong. Al-Qur’an 2:185
We encourage all of the believers to refrain from all of the ruinations of the tongue during Ramadan. In his seminal work, “Quickening the Religious Sciences,” Imam al-Ghazali mentions them as the following:
a) Speaking in matters that do not concern one.
b) Excessive speech.
c) Speaking about sinful matters.
d) Disputation and contestation.
e) Argumentation.
f) Excessively embellished speech.
g) Lewd, insulting, or crude speech.
h) Invoking the Curse of God on someone.
i) Singing indecent songs, or relating immoral poetry.
j) Excessive joking.
k) Sarcasm and ridicule.
l) Revealing secrets.
m) False promises.
n) Lying and false oaths.
o) Backbiting and slander.
p) Instigating tense relations between people.
q) Being two-faced.
r) Praising someone who is either undeserving, or unable to remain humble when praised.
s) Speaking about involved subjects and ideas one lacks the necessary knowledge or eloquence to adequately convey.
t) Ordinary folk speaking in subjects that are the domain of specialists.
May God spare us from these ruinations both during and after Ramadan.
The Prophet, Peace and Blessing of Almighty God be upon Him, said: “Whoever fails to leave off ruinous speech, and acting on it [during Ramadan], God does not need him to leave off eating and drinking.” Al-Bukahri
We encourage the believers to avoid all arguments, disputes, and unnecessary worldly entanglements during this blessed month. This is a time for deep devotion and dedication to Allah.
We encourage the believers to work to restore any severed relations or kinship ties they may be experiencing. This is a time when the gentle breezes of Divine Facilitation are blowing. Any good we endeavor during this blessed month will come to bear its proper fruits, Insha Allah.
We encourage all of the believers to eat simply during this month. One should try to make a vow to give up unnecessary, and generally unhealthy fare during this blessed month. Pizza, ice cream, fast food, pastries, and soda should all go. We should make our solidarity with our suffering brothers and sisters in other lands real, and not something confined to speeches and pamphlets.
If one is in the habit of watching television, or listening to commercial music, one should also try to give these things up for Ramadan. They are things that divert us from the remembrance of God in any case. During this special month when every letter we recite from the Majestic Qur’an is tremendously rewarded, we should busy ourselves with recitation, and drop other pastimes.
Married believers should encourage their wives to engage in spiritual pursuits during this month, i.e. reciting the Qur’an, attending Tarawih, etc. They should especially avoid burdening their wives with long hours in the kitchen in order to host extravagantIftars.
While it is certainly virtuous to provide the wherewithal for the believers to break their fast, dates, water, and simple dishes suffice in that regard.
These are some of the things we wanted to convey to you. Hopefully, they will prove of benefit. Again, we wish you a very successful Ramadan and would like to thank all of you for past, present, and future support. May Allah bless us to serve you better in the future.
On behalf of the Zaytuna Staff,
Your Brother in Islam,
Imam Zaid Shakir
God says, concerning His Majestic Book: The Month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed, a guidance for mankind, [containing] clear proofs of guidance, and the criterion of distinguishing right from wrong. Al-Qur’an 2:185
We encourage all of the believers to refrain from all of the ruinations of the tongue during Ramadan. In his seminal work, “Quickening the Religious Sciences,” Imam al-Ghazali mentions them as the following:
a) Speaking in matters that do not concern one.
b) Excessive speech.
c) Speaking about sinful matters.
d) Disputation and contestation.
e) Argumentation.
f) Excessively embellished speech.
g) Lewd, insulting, or crude speech.
h) Invoking the Curse of God on someone.
i) Singing indecent songs, or relating immoral poetry.
j) Excessive joking.
k) Sarcasm and ridicule.
l) Revealing secrets.
m) False promises.
n) Lying and false oaths.
o) Backbiting and slander.
p) Instigating tense relations between people.
q) Being two-faced.
r) Praising someone who is either undeserving, or unable to remain humble when praised.
s) Speaking about involved subjects and ideas one lacks the necessary knowledge or eloquence to adequately convey.
t) Ordinary folk speaking in subjects that are the domain of specialists.
May God spare us from these ruinations both during and after Ramadan.
The Prophet, Peace and Blessing of Almighty God be upon Him, said: “Whoever fails to leave off ruinous speech, and acting on it [during Ramadan], God does not need him to leave off eating and drinking.” Al-Bukahri
We encourage the believers to avoid all arguments, disputes, and unnecessary worldly entanglements during this blessed month. This is a time for deep devotion and dedication to Allah.
We encourage the believers to work to restore any severed relations or kinship ties they may be experiencing. This is a time when the gentle breezes of Divine Facilitation are blowing. Any good we endeavor during this blessed month will come to bear its proper fruits, Insha Allah.
We encourage all of the believers to eat simply during this month. One should try to make a vow to give up unnecessary, and generally unhealthy fare during this blessed month. Pizza, ice cream, fast food, pastries, and soda should all go. We should make our solidarity with our suffering brothers and sisters in other lands real, and not something confined to speeches and pamphlets.
If one is in the habit of watching television, or listening to commercial music, one should also try to give these things up for Ramadan. They are things that divert us from the remembrance of God in any case. During this special month when every letter we recite from the Majestic Qur’an is tremendously rewarded, we should busy ourselves with recitation, and drop other pastimes.
Married believers should encourage their wives to engage in spiritual pursuits during this month, i.e. reciting the Qur’an, attending Tarawih, etc. They should especially avoid burdening their wives with long hours in the kitchen in order to host extravagantIftars.
While it is certainly virtuous to provide the wherewithal for the believers to break their fast, dates, water, and simple dishes suffice in that regard.
These are some of the things we wanted to convey to you. Hopefully, they will prove of benefit. Again, we wish you a very successful Ramadan and would like to thank all of you for past, present, and future support. May Allah bless us to serve you better in the future.
On behalf of the Zaytuna Staff,
Your Brother in Islam,
Imam Zaid Shakir
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 423
1. If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of God, he has only to look at what place he gives God in his heart and life.
2. Do not sit idle, for indeed death is seeking you.
3. Meet people in such a manner that if you die, they should weep for you, and if you live they should long for you.
4. Whoever desires to purify his heart then let him prefer Allah to his desires.
5. What we love to have with us in the Hereafter we should advance today, and what we hate to have with us in the Hereafter we should abandon today.
6. If we want to talk to Allah, we should perform salah, if we want Allah to talk to us, we should read Qur'an.
7. Be hard on yourself, easy on others.
8. Action is the biggest measurement of knowledge.
9. Love your Lord by serving Him, for lovers are but servants of the Beloved.
10. Put down your pride, set down your arrogance and remember your grave.
2. Do not sit idle, for indeed death is seeking you.
3. Meet people in such a manner that if you die, they should weep for you, and if you live they should long for you.
4. Whoever desires to purify his heart then let him prefer Allah to his desires.
5. What we love to have with us in the Hereafter we should advance today, and what we hate to have with us in the Hereafter we should abandon today.
6. If we want to talk to Allah, we should perform salah, if we want Allah to talk to us, we should read Qur'an.
7. Be hard on yourself, easy on others.
8. Action is the biggest measurement of knowledge.
9. Love your Lord by serving Him, for lovers are but servants of the Beloved.
10. Put down your pride, set down your arrogance and remember your grave.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Practical Advice on Parenting....
Dalia Magahed
I often get asked for advice about how to parent rebellious
teenagers by struggling parents. I'am usually like "please
let me know when you find out."
So what I'm about to share is from the deepest part of humility.
It's hard as hell. But there are a few thoughts on the matter,
things that have helped me and that I've observed in the lives
of others.
1. Know this: your kids are separate human beings, not a
reflection of you. They are not trophies. They cannot be
extensions of your ambitions, unfulfilled dreams or to make
up for what you failed to achieve. They don't exist to be
your fulfillment. They are servants of God. Allow them their
individual dreams, personalities, goals.
2. Even if they don't tell you, you are still their first and
biggest example. Be a person they can respect and
admire without being shamed into doing so. Work on
yourself so that the kind of man or woman you wish them
to grow up to be would look up to someone like you. Be
a role model. Be kind, generous and patient if that's what
you'd like for them. Call your parents. Cook for your sick
friend. They will do what you do, not what you say.
3. Humans have at least three essential needs: security,
belonging and purpose. They will find and fulfill these
needs, or numb the unfulfillment of them, one way or
another. If the home doesn't provide a safe space to be
who they are and be loved, they will find that elsewhere.
If the home and the mosque isn't a place of belonging,
they will find that elsewhere. If they have no sense of
purpose other than avoiding punishment, they will
search for it elsewhere or numb it's absence.
4. Your kids will likely disappoint you on occasion, or a
lot. Refer to point number one. You can do everything
perfectly and you still won't have perfect kids. It's not
your fault. Prophets had kids who rebelled. It doesn't
mean you failed. They are not an extension of you.
They have agency. We are only accountable for our
intentions and actions, not the way others behave,
even our kids. Don't indulge in self flagellation.
5. If your kids are perfect, praise the Lord, not yourself.
Don't take credit. Children are a gift, like health or wealth.
Those who say "it's because of my own effort" weren't
dealt kindly in the Quran. Don't feel superior to another
parent who is struggling anymore than you should look
down on a person with less money than you. God gives
to who He pleases. It's not a sign of your awesomeness.
It's a sign of His generosity.
I often get asked for advice about how to parent rebellious
teenagers by struggling parents. I'am usually like "please
let me know when you find out."
So what I'm about to share is from the deepest part of humility.
It's hard as hell. But there are a few thoughts on the matter,
things that have helped me and that I've observed in the lives
of others.
1. Know this: your kids are separate human beings, not a
reflection of you. They are not trophies. They cannot be
extensions of your ambitions, unfulfilled dreams or to make
up for what you failed to achieve. They don't exist to be
your fulfillment. They are servants of God. Allow them their
individual dreams, personalities, goals.
2. Even if they don't tell you, you are still their first and
biggest example. Be a person they can respect and
admire without being shamed into doing so. Work on
yourself so that the kind of man or woman you wish them
to grow up to be would look up to someone like you. Be
a role model. Be kind, generous and patient if that's what
you'd like for them. Call your parents. Cook for your sick
friend. They will do what you do, not what you say.
3. Humans have at least three essential needs: security,
belonging and purpose. They will find and fulfill these
needs, or numb the unfulfillment of them, one way or
another. If the home doesn't provide a safe space to be
who they are and be loved, they will find that elsewhere.
If the home and the mosque isn't a place of belonging,
they will find that elsewhere. If they have no sense of
purpose other than avoiding punishment, they will
search for it elsewhere or numb it's absence.
4. Your kids will likely disappoint you on occasion, or a
lot. Refer to point number one. You can do everything
perfectly and you still won't have perfect kids. It's not
your fault. Prophets had kids who rebelled. It doesn't
mean you failed. They are not an extension of you.
They have agency. We are only accountable for our
intentions and actions, not the way others behave,
even our kids. Don't indulge in self flagellation.
5. If your kids are perfect, praise the Lord, not yourself.
Don't take credit. Children are a gift, like health or wealth.
Those who say "it's because of my own effort" weren't
dealt kindly in the Quran. Don't feel superior to another
parent who is struggling anymore than you should look
down on a person with less money than you. God gives
to who He pleases. It's not a sign of your awesomeness.
It's a sign of His generosity.
Saturday, March 09, 2019
Lesson of the day 1421
Ayah of the Day
When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed (close to them), I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me. Let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me. That they may walk in the right way. (2: 186)
Hadith of the Day
If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening full. (Tirmidhi).
Wise Quote of the Day
If someone's state does not lift you up, and his words do not lead you to Allah, then do not keep his company. (Ibn ata Illah)
Guidance of the Day
Ramadan is a merciful portal of time that opens and then closes, and none of us know whether or not we will see another Ramadan. So seize the moment to gain God's mercy, forgiveness and salvation. There is no capital more worthy of our concern and effort than this.
The time between late afternoon and sunset is a special time for Dhikr. Asr time is the signaling of the end of another day we have been blessed to see, the sunset signifies the end of a life time. Ramadan is an exceptional opportunity to cleanse our hearts of the diseases of them. Recitation of the Quran during Ramadan is especially effective in reviving one's relationship with the book of God. (Purification of the heart)
Food for thought
The beauty of life does not depend on how happy we are, but how happy others can be because of us.
When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed (close to them), I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me. Let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me. That they may walk in the right way. (2: 186)
Hadith of the Day
If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening full. (Tirmidhi).
Wise Quote of the Day
If someone's state does not lift you up, and his words do not lead you to Allah, then do not keep his company. (Ibn ata Illah)
Guidance of the Day
Ramadan is a merciful portal of time that opens and then closes, and none of us know whether or not we will see another Ramadan. So seize the moment to gain God's mercy, forgiveness and salvation. There is no capital more worthy of our concern and effort than this.
The time between late afternoon and sunset is a special time for Dhikr. Asr time is the signaling of the end of another day we have been blessed to see, the sunset signifies the end of a life time. Ramadan is an exceptional opportunity to cleanse our hearts of the diseases of them. Recitation of the Quran during Ramadan is especially effective in reviving one's relationship with the book of God. (Purification of the heart)
Food for thought
The beauty of life does not depend on how happy we are, but how happy others can be because of us.
Saturday, March 02, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 422
1. Try to gladden the hearts of believers in every possible way, as long as
these ways are not sinful.
2. A man of bad character punishes his own soul.
3. The straight path is the shortest distance between the two points.
4. To advice others is an easy matter, the difficulty is accepting advice, since it is bitter for those who follow their own inclinations and desires.
5. 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.
6. Know that you should reflect on God's complete awareness of you, and His seeing and knowing all about you.
7. Islam will prevent us from sins, or sins will prevent us from Islam.
8. The spiritual warrior is the one who breaks an idol, and the idol of each person is his ego.
9. The lower self is greedy, teach it to be content.
10. Do not fix hopes on your health, and do not laugh away life. Remember how they walked and now their joints lie separately and the tongue with which they talked is eaten away by the worms.
these ways are not sinful.
2. A man of bad character punishes his own soul.
3. The straight path is the shortest distance between the two points.
4. To advice others is an easy matter, the difficulty is accepting advice, since it is bitter for those who follow their own inclinations and desires.
5. 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.
6. Know that you should reflect on God's complete awareness of you, and His seeing and knowing all about you.
7. Islam will prevent us from sins, or sins will prevent us from Islam.
8. The spiritual warrior is the one who breaks an idol, and the idol of each person is his ego.
9. The lower self is greedy, teach it to be content.
10. Do not fix hopes on your health, and do not laugh away life. Remember how they walked and now their joints lie separately and the tongue with which they talked is eaten away by the worms.
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim's practical advice....
This is one of the most beautiful and amazing advice by the great scholar Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah):
A friend will not (literally) share your struggles, and a loved one cannot physically take away your pain, and a close one will not stay up the night on your behalf. So look after yourself, protect yourself, nurture yourself and don't give life's events more than what they are really worth.
Know for certain that when you break no one will heal you except you, and when you are defeated no one will give you victory except your determination. Your ability to stand up again and carry on is your responsibility.
Do not look for your self-worth in the eyes of people; look for your worth within your conscience. If your conscience is at peace then you will ascend high and if you truly know yourself then what is said about you won't harm you.
Do not carry the worries of this life because this is for Allah. And do not carry the worries of sustenance because it is from Allah. And do not carry the anxiety for the future because it is in the hands of Allah.
Carry one thing: How to please Allah. Because if you please Him, He pleases you, fulfills you and enriches you.
Do not weep for a life that made your heart weep. Just say, "O Allah compensate me with good in this life and the hereafter."
Sadness departs with a Sajdah. Happiness comes with a sincere Du'a. Allah does not forget the good you do. Nor does He forget the good that you did to others and the pain you relieved them from. Nor will He forget the eye which was about to cry but you made it laugh.
Live your life with this principle:
Be good even if you don't receive good, not because of others' sake but because Allah loves those who do good.
A friend will not (literally) share your struggles, and a loved one cannot physically take away your pain, and a close one will not stay up the night on your behalf. So look after yourself, protect yourself, nurture yourself and don't give life's events more than what they are really worth.
Know for certain that when you break no one will heal you except you, and when you are defeated no one will give you victory except your determination. Your ability to stand up again and carry on is your responsibility.
Do not look for your self-worth in the eyes of people; look for your worth within your conscience. If your conscience is at peace then you will ascend high and if you truly know yourself then what is said about you won't harm you.
Do not carry the worries of this life because this is for Allah. And do not carry the worries of sustenance because it is from Allah. And do not carry the anxiety for the future because it is in the hands of Allah.
Carry one thing: How to please Allah. Because if you please Him, He pleases you, fulfills you and enriches you.
Do not weep for a life that made your heart weep. Just say, "O Allah compensate me with good in this life and the hereafter."
Sadness departs with a Sajdah. Happiness comes with a sincere Du'a. Allah does not forget the good you do. Nor does He forget the good that you did to others and the pain you relieved them from. Nor will He forget the eye which was about to cry but you made it laugh.
Live your life with this principle:
Be good even if you don't receive good, not because of others' sake but because Allah loves those who do good.
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Lesson of the day 1420
Ayah of the day
It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards east or west; but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the last day and the angels and the book and the messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for him for your kin, for orphans, for needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves, to be steadfast in prayer and practice regular charity, to fulfill the contracts which you have made, and to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of the panic. Such are people of truth, the God fearing. (2:177)
Hadith of the Day
Any one who shows the way to something good has the same reward as the person who does it. (Muslim)
Wise Quote of the Day
Goodness of character was the attribute of the master of messengers, and was ever the most righteous action of the truthful saints. (Imam Ghazali)
Guidance of the Day
Taking control of the desires defeats satan. Patience is the key to spiritual wayfaring. If we do not learn patience from the act of fasting, then we have missed something about this great rite of worship.
Scholars throughout the ages recommended that in order to get the most from Ramadan one should not engage in excessive speech,this is an Islamic ethic that should be practiced in general. But in Ramadan, it is especially advised to be vigilant about what we say, since higher fasting involves the tongue. Also it is important to utilize our time well. (Purification of the heart)
Food for thought
What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.
__._,_.___
It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards east or west; but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the last day and the angels and the book and the messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for him for your kin, for orphans, for needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves, to be steadfast in prayer and practice regular charity, to fulfill the contracts which you have made, and to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of the panic. Such are people of truth, the God fearing. (2:177)
Hadith of the Day
Any one who shows the way to something good has the same reward as the person who does it. (Muslim)
Wise Quote of the Day
Goodness of character was the attribute of the master of messengers, and was ever the most righteous action of the truthful saints. (Imam Ghazali)
Guidance of the Day
Taking control of the desires defeats satan. Patience is the key to spiritual wayfaring. If we do not learn patience from the act of fasting, then we have missed something about this great rite of worship.
Scholars throughout the ages recommended that in order to get the most from Ramadan one should not engage in excessive speech,this is an Islamic ethic that should be practiced in general. But in Ramadan, it is especially advised to be vigilant about what we say, since higher fasting involves the tongue. Also it is important to utilize our time well. (Purification of the heart)
Food for thought
What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.
__._,_.___
Saturday, February 09, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 421
1. When the inward is good the outward is also inevitably so, for the outward follows the inward,
whether for good or evil.
2. Prove the sincerity of your respect for the Qur'an by putting its teachings into practice, not by
arguing about it.
3. You must fill your time with worship so that no period of time elapses whether by night or by day,
without being used in some act of goodness.
4. Good character consists in three traits: avoiding that which is forbidden, seeking that which is
permitted, and being generous.
5. Whoever busies himself with that which does not concern him, then he misses out on much of
that which does concern him.
6. If we spend our time paying attention to the wisdom of our heart rather than the wisdom of our
head, we will benefit greatly.
7. Love is always the answer to every question and problem. We are here to love and be loved and
learn a few things in the process.
8. To begin anew, we must say good-bye to who we once were.
9. Have the courage to begin the new life that each day brings you. No matter what changes and
losses you have experienced, step back and see where you need to begin.
10. How do we find joy in our lives? Too often it comes at a significant price. We learn that we are
mortal and suddenly what used to seem important isn't. Things that used to bother us don't anymore.
What then becomes significant are the people who we love and who love us.
whether for good or evil.
2. Prove the sincerity of your respect for the Qur'an by putting its teachings into practice, not by
arguing about it.
3. You must fill your time with worship so that no period of time elapses whether by night or by day,
without being used in some act of goodness.
4. Good character consists in three traits: avoiding that which is forbidden, seeking that which is
permitted, and being generous.
5. Whoever busies himself with that which does not concern him, then he misses out on much of
that which does concern him.
6. If we spend our time paying attention to the wisdom of our heart rather than the wisdom of our
head, we will benefit greatly.
7. Love is always the answer to every question and problem. We are here to love and be loved and
learn a few things in the process.
8. To begin anew, we must say good-bye to who we once were.
9. Have the courage to begin the new life that each day brings you. No matter what changes and
losses you have experienced, step back and see where you need to begin.
10. How do we find joy in our lives? Too often it comes at a significant price. We learn that we are
mortal and suddenly what used to seem important isn't. Things that used to bother us don't anymore.
What then becomes significant are the people who we love and who love us.
Saturday, February 02, 2019
Lessons to be learnt.....
Steve Gouves dies a billionaire, with a fortune of $ 7 billion, at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer,
and here are some of his last words:
In other eyes, my life is the essence of success, but aside from work, I have a little joy, and in the end
wealth is just a fact of life to which I am accustomed.
At this moment, lying on the bed, sick and remembering all my life, I realize that all my recognition and wealth that I have is meaningless in the face of imminent death.
You can hire someone to drive a car for you, make money for you – but you can not rent someone to carry the disease for you. One can find material things, but there is one thing that can not be found when it is lost – “life”.
Treat yourself well, and cherish others. As we get older we are smarter, and we slowly realize that the watch is worth $ 30 or $ 300 – both of which show the same time.
Whether we carry a purse worth $ 30 or $ 300 – the amount of money in the wallets are the same.
Whether we drive a car worth $ 150,000, or a car worth $ 30,000 – the road and distance are the same, we reach the same destination.
If the house we live in is 300 square meters, or 3000 square meters – the loneliness is the same.
Your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you’re flying first class, or economy class – if the plane crashes, you crash with it.
So, I hope you understand that when you have friends or someone to talk to – this is true happiness!
Five Undeniable Facts-
1. Do not educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy. – So when they grow up they will know the value of things, not the price.
2. Eat your food as medicine, otherwise you will need to eat your medicine as food.
3. Whoever loves you will never leave you, even if he has 100 reasons to give up. He will always find one reason to hold on.
4. There is a big difference between being human and human being.
5. If you want to go fast – go alone! But if you want to go far – go together!
And in conclusion,
The six best doctors in the world.
1. Sunlight
2. Rest
3. Exercise
4. Diet
5. Self-confidence
6. Friends
Keep them in all stages of life and enjoy a healthy life.
“Love the people God sent you, one day he’ll need them back.”
🙏🙏Something worth sharing!🙏🙏
and here are some of his last words:
In other eyes, my life is the essence of success, but aside from work, I have a little joy, and in the end
wealth is just a fact of life to which I am accustomed.
At this moment, lying on the bed, sick and remembering all my life, I realize that all my recognition and wealth that I have is meaningless in the face of imminent death.
You can hire someone to drive a car for you, make money for you – but you can not rent someone to carry the disease for you. One can find material things, but there is one thing that can not be found when it is lost – “life”.
Treat yourself well, and cherish others. As we get older we are smarter, and we slowly realize that the watch is worth $ 30 or $ 300 – both of which show the same time.
Whether we carry a purse worth $ 30 or $ 300 – the amount of money in the wallets are the same.
Whether we drive a car worth $ 150,000, or a car worth $ 30,000 – the road and distance are the same, we reach the same destination.
If the house we live in is 300 square meters, or 3000 square meters – the loneliness is the same.
Your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you’re flying first class, or economy class – if the plane crashes, you crash with it.
So, I hope you understand that when you have friends or someone to talk to – this is true happiness!
Five Undeniable Facts-
1. Do not educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy. – So when they grow up they will know the value of things, not the price.
2. Eat your food as medicine, otherwise you will need to eat your medicine as food.
3. Whoever loves you will never leave you, even if he has 100 reasons to give up. He will always find one reason to hold on.
4. There is a big difference between being human and human being.
5. If you want to go fast – go alone! But if you want to go far – go together!
And in conclusion,
The six best doctors in the world.
1. Sunlight
2. Rest
3. Exercise
4. Diet
5. Self-confidence
6. Friends
Keep them in all stages of life and enjoy a healthy life.
“Love the people God sent you, one day he’ll need them back.”
🙏🙏Something worth sharing!🙏🙏
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Lesson of the day 1419
Ayah of the Day:
O you who believe! Be not like the Unbelievers, who say of their brethren, when they are traveling through the earth or engaged in fighting; "If they had stayed with us , they would not have died, or been slain." This is that Allah may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their
hearts, it is Allah that gives life and death, and Allah sees well all that you do. [3: 156]
Hadith of the Day:
The wise man is one who keeps watch over his bodily desires and passions, and checks himself from that which is harmful and strives for that which will benefit him after death; and a foolish person is one who submits himself to his cravings and desires and expects from Allah the
fulfillment of his futile desires. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not sit idle, for indeed death is seeking you. [Hasan al Basri]
Guidance of the Day:
The third cure for heedlessness is to invoke benedictions (durood) on the Prophet (peace be upon him). This is, in fact, a command from God the exalted Himself: O you who believe, invoke benedictions upon (the Prophet) and salutations of peace (Quran, 33:56).
There is great light associated with invoking prayers of benediction upon the Prophet (peace be upon him). If one does not have a murabbi (a spiritual mentor), then saying prayers of blessings on the Prophet (peace be upon him), will act as a murabbi. Many scholars have accounted
for the fact that prayers of blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) purifies the soul. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Success and failure are caused more by mental attitude than by mental capacities. If you listen to your fears you will die never knowing what a great person you might have been.
O you who believe! Be not like the Unbelievers, who say of their brethren, when they are traveling through the earth or engaged in fighting; "If they had stayed with us , they would not have died, or been slain." This is that Allah may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their
hearts, it is Allah that gives life and death, and Allah sees well all that you do. [3: 156]
Hadith of the Day:
The wise man is one who keeps watch over his bodily desires and passions, and checks himself from that which is harmful and strives for that which will benefit him after death; and a foolish person is one who submits himself to his cravings and desires and expects from Allah the
fulfillment of his futile desires. [Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
Do not sit idle, for indeed death is seeking you. [Hasan al Basri]
Guidance of the Day:
The third cure for heedlessness is to invoke benedictions (durood) on the Prophet (peace be upon him). This is, in fact, a command from God the exalted Himself: O you who believe, invoke benedictions upon (the Prophet) and salutations of peace (Quran, 33:56).
There is great light associated with invoking prayers of benediction upon the Prophet (peace be upon him). If one does not have a murabbi (a spiritual mentor), then saying prayers of blessings on the Prophet (peace be upon him), will act as a murabbi. Many scholars have accounted
for the fact that prayers of blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) purifies the soul. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Success and failure are caused more by mental attitude than by mental capacities. If you listen to your fears you will die never knowing what a great person you might have been.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 420
1. Nothing will work until we 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.
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.
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Dear Muslimah....
Modesty is a woman's best weapon!
Be like a diamond, precious and rare, not like a stone found every where.
Every precious thing is covered! A woman modestly dressed is like a pearl in its shell.
You may not be a fairy tale princess, but you are always a princess of Islam.
Your value as a women is not measured by the size of your waist or the number of men
who like you.
Your worth as a human being is measured on a higher scale of righteousness and piety.
Hijab includes the way you walk, talk, look, and think -- all of it should be done modestly.
The sun doesn't lose its beauty when its covered by the clouds, the same way your beauty
doesn't fade when you are wearing a hijab.
Your purpose in life despite what the fashion magazines say is something more sublime
than just looking good for men.
Your beauty is for your man (husband), not for the mankind.
Even though a man is responsible for his gaze, you are responsible for what you give him
to gaze at, so guard your modesty.
Hijab with a bad attitude isn't hijab. Hijab with tight clothes on isn't hijab.
Hijab with layers of makeup isn't hijab. Hijab is beautiful, so make it look beautiful.
Wear it with love, wear it with pride, and most of all wear it Right.
The nobel prize winner Tawakkul Kamran from Yemen, when asked about her hijab by
journalists and how it is not proportionate with her intellect and education, she replied:
"Man in the early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing
clothes. What I am today and what I am wearing represents the highest level of thought
and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It's the removal of clothes
again that is regressive back to ancient times."
Be like a diamond, precious and rare, not like a stone found every where.
Every precious thing is covered! A woman modestly dressed is like a pearl in its shell.
You may not be a fairy tale princess, but you are always a princess of Islam.
Your value as a women is not measured by the size of your waist or the number of men
who like you.
Your worth as a human being is measured on a higher scale of righteousness and piety.
Hijab includes the way you walk, talk, look, and think -- all of it should be done modestly.
The sun doesn't lose its beauty when its covered by the clouds, the same way your beauty
doesn't fade when you are wearing a hijab.
Your purpose in life despite what the fashion magazines say is something more sublime
than just looking good for men.
Your beauty is for your man (husband), not for the mankind.
Even though a man is responsible for his gaze, you are responsible for what you give him
to gaze at, so guard your modesty.
Hijab with a bad attitude isn't hijab. Hijab with tight clothes on isn't hijab.
Hijab with layers of makeup isn't hijab. Hijab is beautiful, so make it look beautiful.
Wear it with love, wear it with pride, and most of all wear it Right.
The nobel prize winner Tawakkul Kamran from Yemen, when asked about her hijab by
journalists and how it is not proportionate with her intellect and education, she replied:
"Man in the early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing
clothes. What I am today and what I am wearing represents the highest level of thought
and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It's the removal of clothes
again that is regressive back to ancient times."
Sunday, January 06, 2019
Lesson of the day 1418
Ayahs of the Day:
O you who believe! If you obey those who disbelieve, they will drive you back on your heels, and you will turn back (from faith) to your own loss. But Allah is your protector, and He is the best of helpers. Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they ascribe
partners to Allah, for which He had sent no authority; their abode will be the Fire; and evil is the home of wrongdoers. [3:149, 150,151]
Hadith of the Day:
Bear in mind that if all the people combine together to grant you some benefit, they would not be able to do so except that which Allah has determined for you and that if all of them were combined together to harm you, they would not be able to do so except that which Allah has determined for you. The pens have been set aside and the writings of the book of fate have become dry.[Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A man while he is alive, needs a decent house to live in respectably. If he has such a house, he should endeavor for a house in the next world.
[Imam abu Hanifah]
Guidance of the Day:
The second cure for heedlessness is in visiting (ziyara) righteous people, those with sound heart and excellent character. More specifically, those who fulfill God's commandments, and avoid what is prohibited, who have excellent behavior towards other people, who do not cheat or lie. He or she is
the kind of person whom one should seek out as company. Scholars have always encouraged visiting righteous people as part of the protocol of the spiritual ascendency.
These people include the living as well as the dead. The Prophet (peace be upon him) visited the grave sites of his fallen companions. Visiting graves is a poignant reminder of death and the Hereafter. It is an armament against heedlessness.
When visiting a righteous person, the discourse should be substantive and not one of idle talk. The benefits one should seek are gaining knowledge and the supplication of the righteous person. In fact, ask them to remember you in their prayers, for their prayers might be more acceptable to God than yours. Just as one is recommended to visit the righteous, one should strive to be the righteous person that others seek out to visit. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Don't just retire from something, have something to retire to. If one does not know to which part one is sailing, no wind is favorable.
O you who believe! If you obey those who disbelieve, they will drive you back on your heels, and you will turn back (from faith) to your own loss. But Allah is your protector, and He is the best of helpers. Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they ascribe
partners to Allah, for which He had sent no authority; their abode will be the Fire; and evil is the home of wrongdoers. [3:149, 150,151]
Hadith of the Day:
Bear in mind that if all the people combine together to grant you some benefit, they would not be able to do so except that which Allah has determined for you and that if all of them were combined together to harm you, they would not be able to do so except that which Allah has determined for you. The pens have been set aside and the writings of the book of fate have become dry.[Tirmidhi]
Wise Quote of the Day:
A man while he is alive, needs a decent house to live in respectably. If he has such a house, he should endeavor for a house in the next world.
[Imam abu Hanifah]
Guidance of the Day:
The second cure for heedlessness is in visiting (ziyara) righteous people, those with sound heart and excellent character. More specifically, those who fulfill God's commandments, and avoid what is prohibited, who have excellent behavior towards other people, who do not cheat or lie. He or she is
the kind of person whom one should seek out as company. Scholars have always encouraged visiting righteous people as part of the protocol of the spiritual ascendency.
These people include the living as well as the dead. The Prophet (peace be upon him) visited the grave sites of his fallen companions. Visiting graves is a poignant reminder of death and the Hereafter. It is an armament against heedlessness.
When visiting a righteous person, the discourse should be substantive and not one of idle talk. The benefits one should seek are gaining knowledge and the supplication of the righteous person. In fact, ask them to remember you in their prayers, for their prayers might be more acceptable to God than yours. Just as one is recommended to visit the righteous, one should strive to be the righteous person that others seek out to visit. [Purification of the Heart]
Food for Thought:
Don't just retire from something, have something to retire to. If one does not know to which part one is sailing, no wind is favorable.
Tuesday, January 01, 2019
Pearls of Wisdom 419
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.
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.
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