Saturday, May 31, 2014

Control Your Anger Before It Controls You

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

What makes a person angry? Why do we get angry over the smallest things and blow up out of proportion with what is happening? Why do we get angry at the people we love and care about? Anger can appear to be irrational but if you learn to look below the surface you will find the real causes of anger. When you find the real causes you can successfully overcome your anger.

As Muslims, we have to realize that nothing of this world is worth it. Are you angry because someone cheated you off your money or stole your things or destroy your things? Remember those things are not lasting. One day they will perish like everything else of Allah's creation. Are you angry because someone jerks you around, or someone disturbs your sleep, or someone didn't do their job properly, or your spouse refuses to go along with a plan, or your kid doesn’t jump when told to do something, or someone says some bad things to you? Remember you cannot control people's behavior but you can control yours. Be patient and you will see the reward of your patience in this life before the next.

When people think that this world is everything they have then when something goes wrong, they can get angry and some can get into rage and fights. Remember it is not the end of the world if you lose something and it is not necessarily an enjoyment if you gain something. Whatever you have been given (things, wealth, power, children, health, company, respect, knowledge, etc), Allah says they are mataa' (utilities) -- something you use in this life only. In other words they are temporary. You have a house and it starts deteriorating, you have health and it starts withering away, you have strength and it starts weakening, you have a great car and it starts giving you problems, you have children and they start leaving home, you have water/electricity one day and you don't the next day, and so on. Things come and go.

So don't get caught up with these things. Instead, start working on better things and things that last. What is with Allah is better and more lasting than anything in this world for those who have believed and upon their Lord rely (36)

Allah Almighty says,
فَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَمَتَـٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّـهِ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ ﴿٣٦

So whatever thing you have been given - it is but [for] enjoyment of the worldly life. But what is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who have believed and place their trust in Allah (36)
[Qur'an Ash-Shura 42:36]

When you realized this then all of sudden everything here look very small. And when something goes wrong, it won't be so big of a deal for you. You can simply say inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (to Allah we belong and to Him is the return) or la hawla wala quwwata illa billah (there is no power nor might except with Allah).

If you really want to be the person who prefers the next life, learn to forgive when you are angry. Seeking justice is allowed in Islam but if you can still learn to lovingly forgive and reconcile despite your anger, your reward is so immense that cannot be described -- the only thing that can be said is that it is on Allah who will take care of your rewards.

Allah Almighty says,
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓئِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا۟ هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَ ﴿٣٧﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لِرَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَمْرُهُمْ شُورَىٰ بَيْنَهُمْ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَابَهُمُ ٱلْبَغْىُ هُمْ يَنتَصِرُونَ ﴿٣٩﴾ وَجَزَٰٓؤُا۟ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا ۖ فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴿٤٠

And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angry, they forgive, (37) And those who have responded to their lord and established prayer and whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided them, they spend. (38) And those who, when they are subjected to aggression, they defend themselves, (39) And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from Allah. Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers. (40)
[Qur'an Ash-Shura 42:27-40]

May Allah make it easy for us to curtail our anger and keep us calm and give us the ability to forgive others particularly when it comes to people in our own families. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Friday, May 30, 2014

Friday is here -- Let's Recite Surah Kahf -- Renew Your Faith

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam sacrificed a lot to become Muslims. Have we made a lot of sacrifice to come to Islam?. Most of us were born Muslims and we didn't pay a price to say la illaha illallah (there is no god except Allah). It is very easy for us to say la illaha illallah but it was very difficult for the Companions to say that. When the Companions said la illaha illallah, they paid for it with tears and blood.

Many Muslims take Islam for granted. If you don't pay a price for something, sometimes you don't value it. When you sacrificed a lot for something, you value it a lot and you have a lot of appreciation for it. The Companions became the best generation of Muslims. Why? Because they took la illaha illallah deep into their hearts and it transformed them and they sacrificed everything for Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam.

قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ﴿١١٠

Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone." (110)
[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:101]

Our Faith (Iman) is constantly being put to tests. Are we ready to face all the tests? Last week we had a set of tests ... did we pass them all or did we do horribly or just scrape by? We will receive our grade in the next life. But before we get there, this week we will have another set of tests and next week and the week after and each and every week for the rest of our lives; no doubt it will be one test after another until we die. No matter how successful you are, how wealthy you are, how famous you are, how knowledgeable you are or how pious you are, you will have to face them and no one can help you except Allah.

Allah Almighty says,
أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّـهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ ﴿٣﴾ أَمْ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا ۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ ﴿٤﴾ مَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ ٱللَّـهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ ٱللَّـهِ لَـَٔاتٍ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ﴿٥﴾ وَمَن جَـٰهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَـٰهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَغَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿٦

Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? (2) But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars. (3) Or do those who do evil deeds think they can outrun Us? Evil is what they judge. (4) Whoever should hope for the meeting with Allah - indeed, the term decreed by Allah is coming. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing. (5)
[Qur'an Al-Ankabut 29:2-5]

Ever wonder why the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam asked us to recite Surat Al-Kahf every Friday? In it there are many many lessons and reminders for us. We need the survival kits of Surah Kahf to survive the many trials in this life -- trials of faith, trials of wealth, trials of knowledge, trials of power, etc.

The Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "Faith wears out in the heart of any one of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your hearts" (Mustadrak al-Haakim).

Faith in Allah is a very serious business. It is the deciding factor whether one goes to Paradise or Hell, the two eternal abodes for humans. We need to constantly take steps to renew our faith.

Here are some basic steps to renew your faith:

1) Try to increase your prayers if you are not achieving all five. Ask for guidance, strengthening of your Iman, and forgiveness in your du'a.

2) Increase the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) by reading the Qur'an -- start with a few pages at a time with translation for those who don't know Arabic. Start learning the language of the Qur'an and proper recitation.

3) Start attending Islamic gatherings, Islamic study circles, weekend programs at the Masjid or set up Islamic study circles with your family and friends.

4) Get involved with Islamic charities and organizations: volunteering helps you realize how truly blessed you are and it helps open the door to attaining more Islamic knowledge.

5) Remember death often. There are benefits of remembering death. It was said, "Whoever remembers death frequently will benefit in three ways: he will hasten to repent, he will become content, and he will be active in worship. Whoever forgets death will be punished in three ways: he will delay repentance, he will no longer be content with what is sufficient, and he will be lazy in worship."

May Allah strengthen and increase our Iman and grant us excellent ending at the highest of iman. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Rajab is Leaving, Sha'ban is Waiting -- Rush To Remembrance of Allah.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Every Friday, Allah invites the believers to Friday prayer and leave off their business. Allah calls this for the remembrance of Allah.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّـهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٩

O you who believe, when the call for Salah (prayer) is proclaimed on Friday, hasten for the remembrance of Allah, and leave off business. That is much better for you, if you but know. (9)
[Qur'an, Al-Jumu'a 62:9]

Build into the Friday prayer is the khutbah (sermon). The essence of Friday khutbah is to remind ourselves of Allah. It is a means of refreshing our commitment and at the same time refreshing the entire community.

There are different kinds of remembrance of Allah but the ultimate remembrance of Allah is what Allah Himself calls the ultimate reminder of the Qur'an.
فَذَكِّرْ بِٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَن يَخَافُ وَعِيدِ ﴿٤٥ ...

But remind by the Qur'an whoever fears My warning. (45)
[Qur'an, Qaf 50:45]
كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ ﴿١١

No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder; (11)
[Qur'an, Abasa 80:11]
وَمَا عَلَّمْنَـٰهُ ٱلشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنۢبَغِى لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ وَقُرْءَانٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿٦٩

And We have not taught him (Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassallam) poetry, nor is it suitable for him. This is only a Reminder and a plain Qur'an. (69)
[Qur'an, Yaasin 36:69]

One of the essential roles that the Qur'an plays in the life of a believer is that the Qur'an is a reminder. A reminder is not a new information. It is something you already know but you forgot. Allah mentions the same thing many times in the Qur'an. And the proportion to which Allah mentions something more, it illustrates how quickly people forget that which He mentions more. An example of this is taqwa (Godfearingness). If Allah mentions 100 times about taqwa, even if you know about taqwa, you forget to apply it or you forget to realize it when the time comes. So we need to be reminded over and over again.

Our remembrance of Allah is not limited to Friday with the sermon. Let's strive to incorporate the Qur'an in our daily routine.

The sacred month of Rajab is leaving us but Sha'ban is eagerly waiting and may Allah enable us to reach the blessed month of Ramadhan, the month after it.

Ramadhan is the month of the Qur'an. Before it came to be known as the month of Fasting, the Companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam knew Ramadan as a month of the Qur'an, the last and ever lasting Divine guidance to humanity.

The revelation began in the month of Ramadan. The night in which the Qur'an began to be revealed is referred in the Qur'an as the blessed night or the Night of Decree.
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَـٰرَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ ﴿٣

By the clear Book, (2) Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night. Indeed, We were to warn [mankind]. (3) On that night is made distinct every precise matter - (4)
[Qur'an Ad-Dukhan 44:2-4]
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ ﴿١

Indeed, We sent the Qur'an down during the Night of Decree. (1)
[Qur'an, Al-Qadr 97:1]

It was the strength, clarity, simplicity, and universality of the message that the night was described as an extraordinary night.

With its 6332 Ayahs (sentences) spread in 114 Surahs (chapters) divided in seven stages and 30 parts (juz), the Quran was finalized and compiled in the lifetime of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam who alone among human beings knew what it was. Only the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam could testify, verify and approve what the Qur'an consisted of as no other human being in his time shared that experience. He put his seal of approval on the finality of the Divine Message and gave his instructions on its arrangement. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam ensured that every verse revealed to him was recorded and written at the time of its revelation.

Let's make the intention to complete the Qur'an this Ramadhan. We don't want to miss the tremendous reward of completing the Qur'an in Ramadhan. We can start the practice now. Like sports, if you don't practice, it would be very difficult to finish the game because you have not developed the stamina.

The Qur'an has 600 pages approximately (30 juz). If you read a juz (20 pages) a day, you will complete the Qur'an in Sha'ban and completing the Qur'an in Ramadhan will be a breeze for you, inshaAllah. The best time to read the Qur'an is in the morning hours before or after Fajr before all the distractions of your daily life begin. If 20 pages sound overwhelming in one sitting, then you can spread the reading throughout the day, in this case it is best if you read a few pages immediately before or after the prescribed prayers while your mind is still on worship.

May Allah grant us tawfiq and make us of those who remember Allah much. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives
The Four Sacred Months -- Do Not Wrong Yourselves Therein
Honoring Rajab 1435 AH
Completing the Qur'an
Qur'an -- A Mercy And Healing

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Attaining Divine Mercy

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.


...ٱقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِى غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُونَ ﴿١﴾ مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ إِلَّا ٱسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ ﴿٢﴾ لَاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ

[The time of] their account has approached for the people, while they are in heedlessness turning away. (1) No mention comes to them anew from their Lord except that they listen to it while they are at play (2) With their hearts distracted...


If we are hopeful for the Divine mercy, we can't just talk about it, we need to first change our attitude about obedience of Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam. There is no mercy outside of obeying Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam. We have to put the Qur'an and Sunnah into action.

Allah Almighty says,
وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴿١٣٢

And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy. (132)
[Qur'an AleImran 3:132]

This is something not limited to this verse alone. It has been repeatedly stressed throughout the Qur'an. The Qur'an is the best reminder.

The pattern of combining the command to obey Allah Almighty, immediately followed by the command to obey the Messenger, appears in the Qur'an again and again. These continued and constant statements of the Qur'an are there to remind human beings that these are the basic principles of Islam and Iman (Faith). The first part of the Iman is to affirm and declare the existence of God, His Oneness, and that man is there to worship and obey Him. The second part is the confirmation of His Messenger, and of obedience to him.

قُلْ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿٣٢﴾ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰٓ ءَادَمَ وَنُوحًا وَءَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَءَالَ عِمْرَٰنَ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿٣٣

Say, "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away - then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers. (32) Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds - (33)
[Qur'an AleImran 3:32-33]
مَّن يُطِعِ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ ٱللَّـهَ ۖ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا ﴿٨٠

He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah; but those who turn away - We have not sent you over them as a guardian. (80)
[Qur'an An-Nisa 4:80]

Whatever the noble Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam says is by Divine permission and not on his own.
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ ﴿٣

Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. (3) It is not but a revelation revealed, (4)
[Qur'an An-Najm 53:2]

The purpose behind sending the Messenger is that he should explain for people the meanings and objectives of the verses revealed to him. The obligatory functions of the Messenger are not simply limited to conveying the Qur'an to the people. There is more to it in that the Messenger is also responsible for teaching the Book, and clarifying its message. Also obvious is the fact that the addressees of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam were the eloquent people of Arabia who had command over the finer points of the Arabic language. Teaching of the Qur'an to them could never mean that they were to be taught the literal meaning of the Qur'anic words, for they themselves understood all that perfectly well. Instead, the purpose of this teaching and clarification was, and could be nothing else, that an injunction of the Qur'an stated briefly or in a summary form should be clarified and elaborated upon by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam and communicated to people with the help of a revelation which did not form a part of the Qur'an: the unrecited revelation.

Allah Almighty says,
بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَٱلزُّبُرِ ۗ وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٤٤

[We sent them] with clear proofs and written ordinances. And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought. (44)
[Qur'an An-Nahl 16:44]
وَمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَىٰكُمْ عَنْهُ فَٱنتَهُوا۟ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ ﴿٧ ...

...And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty. (7)
[Qur'an Al-Hashr 59:7]
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّـهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ﴿٢٨٥

The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." (285)
[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:285]

May Allah make us of those who say, "We hear and we obey." Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive
We Hear and We Obey

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Four Kittens -- Gifts From Al-Badee'

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

One day my neighbor pointed out to me that Soya, our female cat, was pregnant. She being our first female cat, I didn't notice it until she pointed that out. So for the past couple months my family has been anxiously waiting for the birth of our first kitten(s).

We noticed the change in Soya's moods for the past couple weeks -- sleeping more, more affectionate, eating less, sniffing in the closets and under beds. My son prepared a nesting box under his bed and a couple other nests elsewhere in the house so she could choose where she wanted to have her kittens.

[Soya showing signs of labor]

In the morning of Sunday May 25, after Fajr, Soya started to show signs of labor. She laid down on her side by me, while purring very hard and wagging her tail every few minutes. She looked quite uncomfortable. I tried to comfort her by petting her and talking to her. She looked at me and as if telling me, "I'm in pain!" Yes, I could relate to that for labor is difficult.

Allah Almighty reminds us in the Qur'an,
...وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۖ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا ۖ وَحَمْلُهُۥ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ ثَلَـٰثُونَ شَهْرًا

And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months...
[Qur'an, Ah-Ahqaf 46:15]

After the Maghrib adhan before my kids left for the masjid, one of my sons told me that from his research about cats birth, he was pretty sure Soya was nearing delivery. Just before my children came back from the masjid, Soya had delivered her first 2 kittens -- the first is white with black crown on its head (a give away as who the father is), and the second is a brown one. No wonder Squeaker, the name which we give to one of the street cats, came to our balcony door making meowing a lot around the time Soya delivered her kittens. I think he sensed that his babies were being born.

[Just born]

We missed the births. When I came to check on Soya and her kittens, she was all clean and so were her kittens and the nest. I petted her while the kittens were climbing on her. She didn't mind that at all though she looked exhausted. Within the next 2 hours she delivered another 2 kittens, both have a few small light brown spots. Alhamdulillah.

[8-10 hours old]

[8-10 hours old]

[14-16 hours old]

[14-16 hours old]

It is amazing to see the little creatures, how quickly the kittens bond with their mother and how their mother with them. Soya was a great mom (we were a little worried if she does not know how to handle the kittens during delivery etc). She is only out of the nest to eat and drink and clean herself. She eats and drinks a lot. I have never seen her eat like that before. She is also a very loving and tender mom. She would lift her legs to let her kittens pass through, and when she enters the nest, she enters with much care so she does not step on her kittens. MashaAllah.

It seems that all animals know how to take care of their young properly and they seem experts except humans -- people are having a hard time being good parents. Allah knows this and so He sent us prophets and Messengers to teach us. But how many humans want to learn and take heed?

How amazing when you look at the hair color of the kittens. Something to reflect on...imagine the infinite combination of colors and arrangements but Allah chose those particular color and arrangement for each of Soya's kittens. Hence, there are no two the same. SubhanAllah. Truly Allah is Al-Badee', both the unique Originator and the Originator of all that is unique! He is the One who is the unique Originator and His incomparable power originates, invents and brings into existence all of the unique creation without following any prior model or unlike any similarity to anything that ever existed.
بَدِيعُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ ﴿١١٧

Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, "Be," and it is. (117)
[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:117]

Allah created us as unique human beings. Sadly, we don't appreciate our uniqueness and so we find people try to change their looks -- they have this certain definition of beauty -- so they spend lots of money changing their looks, ranging with makeup to cosmetic and plastic surgeries. The makeup industry is booming and plastic surgery spending is surging. It was reported that Americans spent $10.4 billion on cosmetic surgery in 2011. That's more than the gross domestic product of nations such as Chad, Liechtenstein and Suriname. In 2009, Americans forked over more than $38 million on chin jobs, having one every 25 minutes, according to American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The procedure costs an average of $1,851. Certain surgeries could run $5000 to $15000 a pop. What does this all mean? It means people are not happy with the way Allah created them. So they have to find plastic surgeons to make them look beautiful. For whom? Do they think those plastic surgeons are better than their Creator?
لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّـهُ ۘ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضًا ﴿١١٨﴾ وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّـهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينًا ﴿١١٩

They call upon instead of Him none but female [deities], and they [actually] call upon none but a rebellious Satan. (117) Whom Allah has cursed. For he had said, "I will surely take from among Your servants a specific portion. (118) And I will mislead them, and I will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah." And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allah has certainly sustained a clear loss. (119)
[Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:118-119]

As Muslims, we can learn from the animals. We must be grateful with the looks that Allah had determined for us. It is the best.

Allah Almighty says,
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِىٓ أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ ﴿٤﴾ ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَـٰهُ أَسْفَلَ سَـٰفِلِينَ ﴿٥﴾ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ فَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ ﴿٦﴾ فَمَا يُكَذِّبُكَ بَعْدُ بِٱلدِّينِ ﴿٧﴾ أَلَيْسَ ٱللَّـهُ بِأَحْكَمِ ٱلْحَـٰكِمِينَ ﴿٨

Verily, We created man in the best stature (form), (4) Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low, (5) Save those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous deeds, Then they shall have a reward without end (Paradise). (6) Then what (or who) causes you (O disbelievers) to deny the Recompense (i.e. Day of Resurrection)? (7)
[Qur'an At-Tin 95:4-7]

These verses inspire in the believer’s heart a desire for righteousness and a feeling of hope. Whether we look at the human being’s physical construction, or consider the human potential, or the human soul and mind, we get a profound glimpse of Allah’s wisdom in these verses. Allah promises that after this life which must inevitably come to an end, there is an immense reward in the Hereafter for the righteous. Though all human beings are subject in this world to the laws of nature – everyone will age and die – the righteous (regardless of how they look in this life) will enjoy an eternal, blissful life in the Hereafter.

Soya won't worry if nobody loves the way her kittens look. Like her, when you submit to the will of Allah, you have no worries. Allah will take care of you. Allah has put the love in my family for cats, for her and for her kittens and either He care for Soya through us or others, her kittens will be loved and well taken care of. They don't need any cosmetic or plastic surgery for people to love them. They are just fine with being felines and with whatever shapes and colors they were born with!

Don't be wasting money and time to change your looks to look pretty for other humans...for what people think of your looks doesn't matter. The only One who matters is Allah.

Abu Hurairah (radhiAllahu anhu) narrated: Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said, “Allah does not look at your figures, nor at your attire but He looks at your hearts [and deeds].”
[Muslim]

Allah does not look at the figures of His servants, if they are big or small, healthy or sick, nor at their looks if they are beautiful or not. He does not look at their lineage, whether it is prestigious or not, nor does He look at their wealth, or any of these factors at all. The only connection between Allah and His servants is through taqwa (righteousness), so whoever has more taqwa of Allah is closer and more honorable in the sight of Allah. So do not be proud of your wealth, your beauty and body, your children, your mansions or cars, or with anything of these worldly matters at all. However, if Allah has enabled you to be righteous and have taqwa, then this is from the blessing of Allah upon you, so thank Allah and praise Him for it.

The most important thing: Always attend to your heart, constantly wash it until it is purified. Allah Almighty says:
أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَن يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْ

Those are they for whom Allah does not desire that He should purify their hearts.
[Qur'an al-Ma'idah 5:41]

Therefore, purification of the heart is the crucial matter, not your 2-inch makeup on your face, botox injections, nose or chin reconstruction, etc.

On the Day of Resurrection, only those who come to Allah with a healthy heart will be saved. Allah Almighty says:
يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى ٱللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿٨٩

The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." (89)
[Qur'an, Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]

We ask Allah to purify our hearts and to make us sincere to Him and enable us to walk on the footsteps of His beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives
Fitrah of a Kitten
Shepherding Our Flocks

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Shepherding Our Flocks

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Our concern for our children is built into our Deen (the religion of Islam) and it is a very fundamental aspect of our Deen. Some of our children will be easy and some of our children will be a test. This is part of life and from the destiny of Allah. No two children are going to be the same. We have to work with all of them.

Even prophets had troubles with their children. We see in the family of Prophet Ya'qub alayhissalaam -- 2 of his children were wonderful -- Yusuf alayhissalaam and Benyamin, but most of them were not so wonderful. We don't believe that Prophet Ya'qub, a prophet of Allah, treated Yusuf better and he treated his other kids worse that they turned out the way they were because one thing all prophets do is to live by justice. But he was extremely patient and worked with them. In the end the bad kids repented and the family reunited. That is a great gift that Allah gave to Prophet Ya'qub and he was grateful. [story in Surah Yusuf]

We strive, we seek knowledge, we do our best, we make du'a, we forebear and exercise beautiful patience. How our children turn out to be is in the hands of Allah. If they turn out wonderful, that is the destiny of Allah and we thank Allah. If they turn out bad, that too is the destiny of Allah and we are patient. We don't despair.

Prophet Nuh alayhissalaam prayed for his son and asked Allah to save his son, but Allah drowned him. But how did Nuh responded?
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّىٓ أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْـَٔلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۖ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِى وَتَرْحَمْنِىٓ أَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ ﴿٤٧

[Noah] said, "My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers." (47)
[Qur'an Hud 11:46]

Allah describes Prophet Nuh as being an extremely grateful servant. Gratitude is a trait in the Qur'an to which Allah describes the most exalted of people. The highest rank is a mark of perfection in man who are grateful.
رِّيَّةَ مَنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا ﴿٣

O descendants of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah. Indeed, he was a grateful servant. (3)
[Qur'an, Al-Isra' 17:3]

The prophets were shepherds of their people. It was mentioned that the first profession of prophets was shepherding. Allah trained all prophets to be leaders by having them go through this line of work -- shepherding.

Narrated Abu Huraira, Allah be well pleased with him: The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah did not send any prophet but shepherded sheep." His companions asked him, "Did you do the same?" The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied, "Yes, I used to shepherd the sheep of the people of Mecca for some qirats." (Bukhari)

We are all shepherds in this life.

Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of the people of his house and he is responsible. A woman is the shepherd of the house of her husband and she is responsible. Each of you is a shepherd and each is responsible for his flock."

As shepherds, we can reach the highest rank with Allah. But we have to do our job here. We have to take this job of shepherding our flocks seriously and always be grateful with what Allah sent us -- good and bad.

We are compassionate and merciful to our flock and we exercise lots of forbearance and patience. We try our best to protect our flocks from the various dangers -- seen or unseen, wolves and other beasts, diseases, etc and we try our best to make sure that they get home safe.

The most important lesson from shepherding that the prophets learned is responsibility. A shepherd is accountable for his flock. A shepherd cannot go back to the owner and said, "I am sorry, I lost one sheep because that sheep happened to be stupid." It doesn't matter what the sheep do, you are responsible for anything that happened to the flock even if the sheep is wrong. The prophets are going to be accountable for their people one day, and we are going to be accountable for our family one day.
ا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ اللَّـهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٦﴾ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا الْيَوْمَ ۖ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٧

O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded. (6) O you who have disbelieved, make no excuses that Day. You will only be recompensed for what you used to do. (7)
[Qur'an At-Tahrim 66:6-7]

Shepherding also teaches the prophets patience. Taking out sheep to graze requires a lot of patience. Sheep take their time, they are slow, but you have to wait. You have to be patient. They might end up fighting with each other or they might end up playing but you have to be patient. You have to wait. You can't really tell them "finish up, we have to leave." They are going to take their time and you have to sit there waiting. That's why sometimes you see a painting of a shepherd sitting on a rock looking at his sheep grazing. Shepherds wait until their sheep have their fill. They do this day in and day out, leave in the morning and come back at sunset. You have to be patient and have to bear with them, whether they are communicating well with you or not, you still have to be patient.

Prophet Musa alayhissalaam was very patient with Bani Israel. It was an unbearable task to deal with them but Musa alayhissalaam had a training in shepherding longer than any prophets. He was a shepherd for 10 years. He went through a lot but he was patient. Prophet Nuh alayhissalaam went through 950 years in da'wah. He tried every different ways to get his people to believe in the One God--publicly and privately, at night and daytime, but they rejected the message. They were very bad to him, ridiculed him, etc. Imagine doing the same thing, meeting the same people who turned you down for 950 years! Patience.

One of the wisdoms behind having the prophets as shepherd before prophethood so that they may become skilled in herding the flock as they will be responsible for their respective nations in the future. In herding one attains forbearance and mercy and imbues patience for when the shepherd is obliged to gather his flock and herded from one area to another at once knowing the traits of all, and all the while protecting the flock from predators, he has thus attained the skills necessary to lead the nation and protect it from enemies both from within and abroad. They learn patience and attain the understanding of the different nature of people. They learn to show kindness to the weak and resolve with the dominant, the reasons for which Allah chose the sheep for the prophets as opposed to communal animals (such as cows or camels) because they are animals that are weak and need extra guidance and attention. Sheep are more difficult to maintain as a flock because of their propensity to go astray and wander away. This is akin to human society and it is the Divine wisdom of Allah to train the prophets this way. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioning this humble trait shared by all prophets attesting to his humility to Allah. [ibn Hajar[

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.

May Allah grant us success.

وَمَا تَوْفِيقِىٓ إِلَّا بِٱللَّـهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ

And my success is not but through Allah. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I turn (repentant). [Qur'an Hud 11:88]

Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Saturday, May 24, 2014

What Are You Doing With Your Children?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

What the family looks like today is not what it looked like in human history. How children are raised today is not how they were raised in any culture in human history. The world has changed dramatically. The extreme form of consumerism has invaded our homes with the invention of mass media, electronics, the internet and wifi. People have become addicted to consumer products to the worst degree.

We actually assume that our worth as human beings is related to these products. If you are not wearing a certain brand name clothes/shoes or the latest fashion (even hijabs and jilbabs), if you don't have the kind of phone that everybody has, if you don't have the internet speed as everybody else, if you don't buy the latest toy in the market for your kids, that you are worth less and somehow you are not equal to others. The moment you walked out of the Apple Store with a new iPhone, suddenly you feel cool. We have become zombie consumers.

Our children follow suit. We expose them to media where they are told to basically beg us to get them the new stuff. And we get them by hook or by crook. Where did we get all this money? WORK, WORK, WORK. So we find families whose children hardly see their parents because both parents have to work and if only one parent is working, usually the father, then that parent is pretty much an absent or a weekend parent.

So this is how we define success -- having lots of money to buy things. Essentially our idea of success has become money. And our idea of education has become a career that makes a lot of money. We sacrifice our life and our Deen to make sure our children become doctors, lawyers, engineers, or another high paying jobs so they can make lots of money to buy things.

This is very different from the old times. In the old times, to have an education means to understand yourself, to understand the world around you and to contribute to the world to make it a better place. To do this, you can't have just one field of study. You have to study many fields -- religion, Qur'an, Arabic, history, journalism, political science, math, science, etc. The most successful communities are the ones that don't limit their children in one field. Real education is not C++, Cisco certified, MBA or PhD or MD or JD/LLB. All that mean is that you can make money. It does not mean you are educated and it does not make you a better human being. There are many physicians, computer engineers, scientists, lawyers and other high paying professionals who are terrible human beings. Is this the "success" you want for your children?

If our children don't see in us the right definition of success in our conversations, they won't be able to understand what success mean. When parents are talking, children are listening. If your conversation is about movies, upgrading your house, bills, money, vacations, ballgames, concerts backbiting others, your children will come to know those things are important in life. But if you talk about Qur'an and the next life, about doing good to each other and helping someone, about visiting families, about the life of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, about going to umrah/hajj and preparing for Ramadhan, then they will come to know that those things are important in life. You are the real counselors of your children.

Children and parents had a very organic relationship in the old world. Today, there is no conversation -- parents don't have time with their children. They don't really communicate with their children. We need to step up on our parenting. We have to have conversations with our children everyday, not a series of interrogations and commands, "Have you done your homework?," "Where is your grade/report card?" "Have you brush your teeth?," "Go brush your teeth!," "Go eat!," "Take the trash out!," "How much do you need?," "How late did you stay up last night?," but just talk with them, listen to them, even if they are talking nonsense. Don't be a wall in the house that, while walls are important to keep eyes from looking in and protect them, you need to take an active part in their lives, or you will suffer the consequences later when they don't need you to give money to them anymore.

Parents have to teach Islam to their kids. It has to come from you, not the Iman of the masjid, not the scholars. Whenever Allah talks about children getting guidance in the Quran, it is always from parents and within the parents, it is always the father [examples Luqman, Prophet Ibrahim, Prophet Ya'qub).
وَإِذْ قَالَ لُقْمَـٰنُ لِٱبْنِهِۦ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُۥ يَـٰبُنَىَّ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّـهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٣

And [mention, O Muhammad], when Luqman said to his son while he was instructing him, "O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allah. Indeed, association [with him] is great injustice." (13)
[Qur'an, Luqman 31:13]
يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنَّهَآ إِن تَكُ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ فَتَكُن فِى صَخْرَةٍ أَوْ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ أَوْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَأْتِ بِهَا ٱللَّـهُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌ ﴿١٦﴾ يَـٰبُنَىَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱنْهَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَكَ ۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ ﴿١٧﴾ وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ ﴿١٨﴾ وَٱقْصِدْ فِى مَشْيِكَ وَٱغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ ۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ ٱلْأَصْوَٰتِ لَصَوْتُ ٱلْحَمِيرِ ﴿١٩

[And Luqman said], "O my son, indeed if wrong should be the weight of a mustard seed and should be within a rock or [anywhere] in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Indeed, Allah is Subtle and Acquainted. (16) O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination. (17) And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful. (18) And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys." (19)
[Qur'an, Luqman 31:16-19]

Islam is not on auto pilot, not before, and certainly not today. You have to steer it into your homes so you can wash away the pollution that you have allowed to enter into your homes. We have to learn Qur'an and love it. When your children become parents, they will tell their children about how much you love Islam and the Qur'an and their children will tell your grandchildren how much you and their parents love Islam and the Qur'an and the tradition goes on until Qiyamah, inshaAllah. This is what happen with Ibrahim, Ishaq and Ya'qub (alayhumus salaam) as Allah told us in the Qur'an.
وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَآ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَـٰبَنِىَّ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿١٣٢﴾ أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَآءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِى قَالُوا۟ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـٰهَكَ وَإِلَـٰهَ ءَابَآئِكَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ إِلَـٰهًا وَٰحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ ﴿١٣٣﴾ تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْـَٔلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٣٤

And Ibrahim (Abraham) instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Ya'qub (Jacob), [saying], "O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims." (132) Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya'qub, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Ibrahim and Ismail (Ishmael) and Ishaq (Isaac) - one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him." (133)

That was a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do. (134)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:132-134]

Indeed, we will be asked about what we used to do. So, what are you doing with your children?

Begin sitting with your family and recite Qur'an together for 20-30 minutes everyday. Also listen to/read the explanation of what you have recited with them. Pick a good time (after Fajr prayer or between Maghrib and 'Isha prayer). Commit to this with your children. Tell your children the amazing stories in the Qur'an -- but remember you can't tell them that the stories are amazing if you yourself are not amazed with the stories. The Qur'an have the best of stories.

The memory that we want to leave with our children after we die is something like this - "My father really liked soccer but he loved Qur'an much and he made sure we love Qur'an much too" and "My mother really liked to try new recipes but she loved Qur'an much and made sure we love Qur'an much too." Not which TV series you loved to watch, which football player/ball team you loved, what kind of movies you loved to see, what concerts you loved to go to, what music you loved to listen to, who were your favorite entertainment artists, etc.

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives
Stories of Prophets in the Qur'an
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Friday, May 23, 2014

Friday is here -- Let's Recite Surah Kahf -- Renew Your Intentions

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said:

"Whoever reads Surah al-Kahf on the night of Jumu’ah, will have a light that will stretch between him and the Ka’bah."

"Whoever reads Surah al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah, a light will shine for him from beneath his feet to the clouds of the sky, which will shine for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be forgiven (his sins) between the two Fridays."

What distinguishes the 'best in deed' is sincere intention. Materialism or the love of 'adornments on the earth' can make even acts of worship to be done for worldly gains, recognition, respect, power and money. Renew our intentions often as intention that once good and sincere may become rusty.

أَفَحَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا۟ عِبَادِى مِن دُونِىٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۚ إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ نُزُلًا ﴿١٠٢﴾ قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَـٰلًا ﴿١٠٣﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا ﴿١٠٤

Say, [O Muhammad], "Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds? (103) [They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work." (104)
[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:103-104]
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ﴿٧

Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed. (7)
[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:7]

Sincere intention is indispensable prerequisite for the acceptance of a good deed.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “Deeds are according to their intentions and every person will receive according to what he/she intended…” (Bukhari)

Allah accepts an act which is pure and sincere.
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ﴿١١٠

Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone." (110)
[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:110]

A sincere person (mukhlis) sets himself at the disposal of Allah, seeking only His pleasure, and in doing so, he attains honor and nobility.

Anyone who strives in the way of Allah will be guided by Allah toward His path.
وَٱلَّذِينَ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٦٩

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (69)
[Qur'an, Al-Ankabut 26:69]

Valuable sincerity should be in the context of society, among the people, and accompanied by social responsibilities and activities. The sincere person must keep himself pure in the midst of an impure and corrupt environment, and free his actions from ostentation. Someone who is suffering from ostentation, it is because he has not yet attained the level of certainty (yaqin) and faith.

It is possible for a person to have knowledge of Allah, the hereafter, spiritual reward, etc. but as long as knowledge has not reached the level of certainty and faith, it will not have the necessary effect. Everybody knows that the dead are incapable of doing anything, but in spite of this knowledge, so many are afraid of a corpse.

If we are certain that Allah is the Creator of the universe; that honor and disgrace are in His hand; and that the world and its manifestations are trivial, fleeting and deceptive assets, we will be drawn toward sincerity in action.

Allah Almighty says,
وَٱعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ ٱلْيَقِينُ ﴿٩٩

And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death). (99)
[Qur'an, Al-Hijr 15:99]

Sincere intention will get important work done even from those who are considered incapable. If the intention is sincere, there will be no apathy, hesitation, or despair. Kind-hearted, benevolent and sincere individuals are more successful even in economic and occupational affairs, and their sincerity supports social prestige, customer attraction and people’s trust in dealing with them. Good-natured and well-intentioned persons are held in high esteem by people, and even if they commit a mistake, their lives will not become bitter and the people will still love them because of their sincerity and goodness of intention. If the administrators of society conduct their affairs with goodness of intention and sincerity, better results can be achieved and justice can be observed.

Some of the ways of acquiring sincerity in intention and action are as follows:

1. Attention to the real value

Allah alone offers the best bargain for our actions:

1. He pays the most (Paradise and more ... His Noble Countenance);
... إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ ٱشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَٰلَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةَ

Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise...
[Qur'an, At-Tawba 9:111]

2. He accepts small deeds

"So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it" [Qur'an, Al-Zalzala 99:7]

When Mu’adh ibn Jabal asked the Prophet for an advice, he said to him, “Be sincere in your religion, even small deed will be enough for you.” (Mustadrak Hakim 7844)

3. He rewards good intentions; and

4. He conceals wicked and corrupt acts and manifests good deeds.
وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ فِى جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدُونَ ﴿١٠٣

But those whose scales are light - those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally. (103)
[Qur'an, Al-Mu'minun 23:103]

2. Reflecting on creation

Reflecting on creation enhances our cognition of the grandeur and Power of Allah, and as a result, we direct our deeds toward Him with greater sincerity and purity of intention.

3. Attention to the Attributes of Allah

Learning, reciting and remembering the Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, keeps our focus in the right direction, detaches us from all besides Him, and gradually elevates us.

4. Attention to His blessings

Recognizing the blessings of Allah and thankful for them draw man toward Allah and make his heart the sanctuary of His love.

5. Attention to the sure gain

Those who strive for the sake of the world and other than Allah may or may not attain their objective. The gain and outcome of the works of those who strive in the way of Allah and the hereafter, however, are certain.
وَمَنْ أَرَادَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا ﴿١٩

But whoever desires the Hereafter and exerts the effort due to it while he is a believer - it is those whose effort is ever appreciated [by Allah]. (19)
[Qur'an Al-Isra' 17:19]

6. Attention to worthlessness of the world

Allah Almighty says,
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ ۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا ۖ وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ ۚ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ ﴿٢٠

Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion. (20)
[Qur'an Al-Hadid 57:20]
وَمَا هَـٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ ۚ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٦٤﴾

And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter - that is the [eternal] life, if only they knew. (64)
[Qur'an Al-Ankabut 29:64]
وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ ﴿١٨٥ ...

...The present life is but the joy of delusion. (185)
[Qur'an AleImran 3:185]
ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦

Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. (46)
[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:46]

7. Attention to impotence of created beings

Absolute power belongs to Allah Almighty and none other than Him. Therefore, anyone who is created by Allah is not worthy of being the focus of attention or worship. Imagine, they are incapable of creating even a single fly.

"O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly should steal away from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued. (73)" [Qur'an, Al-Hajj 22:73]

8. Learning from the experiences of others

Many of those who focused their attention on other than Allah, met a painful and dismal fate. Taking one look at their fate can teach man the futility of worshipping anyone other than Allah.

Some examples from the stories in the Qur'an:

** The son of Prophet Nuh alayhissalaam who turned his back on God and relied on the mountain’s height to be saved from the flood was helplessly drowned in the great deluge. [Qur'an, Hud 11:42-43]

** Qarun (Korah) did not pay heed to the sincere invitation of Prophet Musa alayhissalaam and took pride in his abundant wealth, but he was miserably swallowed by the earth and none of his supporters was able to rescue him. [Qur'an, Al-Qasas 28:81]

** Many rich and affluent garden owners went away and left behind all the things they had accumulated. All their wealth was of no avail.

"How much they left behind of gardens and springs (25) And crops and noble sites (26) And comfort wherein they were amused. (27)" [Qur'an, ad-Dukhan 44:25-27]

"And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, 'Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone.'" (42) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:42]

Allah exposed and unveiled the true nature of so many who deceptively showed themselves for sometime to be sincere and pious. Those who want to dupe the people and deceive Allah by means of ostentation and pretension, the Divine scheme will encompass them and they will be exposed.

"And [recall] when you slew a man and disputed over it, but Allah was to bring out that which you were concealing. (72)" [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:72]

9. Attention to final end of hypocrites in the hereafter

"So woe to those who pray (4) [But] who are heedless of their prayer - (5) Those who make show [of their deeds] (6) And withhold [simple] assistance. (7)" [Qur'an Al-Ma'un 107:4-0]

May Allah make us of those who are sincere and grant us company of the sincere. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Du'a # 23 (Let me live as long as You know that life is good for me)


بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum


اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad

O Allah, send peace and blessings upon Muhammad (ﷺ) and the family of Muhammad (ﷺ)


اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْرًا لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْرًا ليِ اللَّهُمَّ وَأَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ وَأَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ وَأَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْفَقْرِ وَالْغِنَى وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيمًا لَا يَنْفَدُ وَأَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضَاءَ بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ وَأَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَأَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ اللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الْإِيمَانِ وَاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِينَ

O Allah, I ask You by Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over the creation, to let me live as long as You know that life is good for me and let me die when you know that death is good for me. O Allah, I ask You to grant me Your reverence in private and in public. I ask You to help me say the truth whether I am pleased or angry. I ask You to be moderate in poverty or in riches. I ask You the blessing that does not end, the coolness of the eyes that never cease, and the satisfaction with Your decisions. I ask You the coolness of life after death and I ask You the joy of looking at Your face and the longing to meet You without any harmful difficulty or misleading trial. O Allah, give us the beauty of faith and make us guides who are guided.

[Al-Nasa’i, Hadith no. 1288]

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "There is nothing more honorable to Allah than supplication." [Tirmidhi]

Aisha (radhiAllahu anha) said that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Tawfiq.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive
Learn the Prophetic Supplications

How To Accomplish Big

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

If you want to accomplish big in this life, you have to stick to a course of action to achieve it. These are goals. If you want to lose 10 pounds by next month, for example, you have to identify the things you need to do and do it. You can't lose 10 pounds next month just by talking about it.

Goal setting is something that we hear about throughout our lives, but very few people actually sit down and articulate the things they want. They wake up, do things, sleep, wake up, do things, sleep ... no clear direction.

You won't be able to accomplish something big without real hard work and big sacrifices. Can you be a doctor with your high school diploma? Of course not. You have to do more years of studies and training and that requires more work, more time, and more money. You can't be a great professional basketball player by shooting some baskets in your backyard, you need a lot of training and years of competing in tournaments.

Take a moment and think what you really want in life bearing in mind that if you want this dunya (which is perishing), Allah will give it to you -- He will make you busy with this dunya and you are on your own. But if you want the Hereafter (which is eternal), He will facilitate your journey and He will meet you at the end of your journey. Do you get the picture?

As Muslims, our goal in this life should be Allah. Yes, Paradise is great and Allah has promised Paradise for doers of good, but there is something better than Paradise -- Allah's Beatific Vision, Allah's Noble Countenance. Each person of Paradise will differ in his experience of His Noble Countenance based on their individual rank with Him. So won't you set yourself up for the highest? Won't you want a home in Jannah with a view of His Throne and you can see Allah at anytime? All of us have that potential to be there. But the journey begins here. If you miss the boat, you won't get there. So let's not wait till the last minute to prepare for your journey.

Let's start by setting some goals in these areas -- improving worship, increasing knowledge and service.

1) Improving Worship

First, you have to change your day -- go to bed early, get up before Fajr and stay up after Fajr. Your day will have more blessings and you will get more things accomplished. Your mind is clear and creative ideas will start coming to you. Read a portion of the Qur'an everyday and put together Qur'an memorization schedule for yourself.

2) Increase Knowledge

Be educated Muslims. We should have some minimal level of knowledge of the religion. In the next year, you should make sure you have studied the Seerah and once every year thereafter, learn the Seerah from different sources, one at a time -- books, lectures, articles, etc. The life of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassallam is our vision and inspiration. It will give you perspective and contemplation.

At the same time you have to make substantial gain in your Qur'an -- proper recitation, memorization, vocabulary, understanding. Qur'an memorization is the fundamental key to understand it.

3) Service

Set some time on a weekly or monthly basis to help people, not necessarily under the Islamic banner. If there is a good cause, be a part of it. Maybe you can help a poor or war refugee family abroad with food and clothing. Maybe you can help clean up your neighbor's yard. You don't need to publicize it (in FB status, tweeting it, etc). Do it for yourself. This will make you a better person.

These three things, if you stick to it, will make you a better Muslim immediately. Your love for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam is increasing because you learn about him. The salawat you have been doing is deeper felt. Knowledge of du'a will bring you closer to Allah because you know what you are asking Him. This is knowledge. If knowledge is not helping your worship, then it is not knowledge.

Tips on creating actionable goals:

Specific -- When setting goals, they should answer the highly specific questions of who, what, where, when, and why. Instead of the general goal, "I want to improve on my worship," try for a specific goal, "I want to memorize the entire Qur'an by 2017," "I want to complete a course in Arabic and tajweed by end of this year," "I want to complete reading the Qur'an every month."

Measurable -- In order for us to track our progress, goals should be quantifiable. "I'm going to memorize the Qur'an" is far more difficult to track and measure than "I'm going to memorize 3 lines after each prayer everyday."

Attainable -- It is important to evaluate your situation honestly and recognize which goals are realistic, and which are a little far-fetched. Instead of, "I am going to lead the prayers at the Haramain," while admirable, it might be more realistic to say, "I am going to wake up before Fajr, pray Tahajjud, and go the masjid for Fajr." Instead of, "I am going to memorize all the hadiths in the Bukhari," it might be more realistic to say, "I am going to memorize the 40 hadith of Imam Nawawi,"

Relevant -- Is this goal relevant to your ultimate goal? Some good questions to ask yourself when figuring this out are: does it seem worthwhile? Is now the right time for this? Does this match my needs?

Time-related -- Setting a "due date" to meet goals not only keeps you on track, but it prevents pesky daily roadblocks from getting in the way. Instead of saying "I'm going to learn Arabic," you might consider saying, "I'm going to finish a course in Arabic by end of next year," Instead of saying, "I am going to learn the tafsir of the Qur'an," you might consider saying, "I am going to finish learning one tafsir of the Qur'an by next Ramadhan."

Also keep incremental goals small. Set priorities -- At any given moment, you have a number of goals all in different states of completion. Deciding which goals are more important, or time-sensitive, than others is crucial. Keep track of your progress. Journaling is a great way to keep track of progress. Checking in with yourself and acknowledging the progress made towards a certain goal is key to staying motivated.

Keep your focus on the big prize.
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ ﴿٢٢

[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, (22) Looking at their Lord. (23)
[Qur'an, Al-Qiyamah 75:22-23]

And do things only for the sake of Allah.
إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ ٱللَّـهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَآءً وَلَا شُكُورًا ﴿٩

[Saying], "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude. (9)
[Qur'an, Al-Insan 76:9]

May Allah enable us to grow in His religion and make us among those who He is pleased with and grant us His Noble Countenance. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Remind, Remind, Remind

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Everybody benefit from a sincere reminder. Allah Almighty says,
وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٥٥

And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers. (55)
[Qur'an, Adh-Dhariyat 51:55]

Who are the people who can best remind us when we forget or when we slip? It's our family (our spouses, our parents, our siblings and even our own children) and people who are very close to us outside our family.

Why? Because all these people know our private life better than anyone else and have dealt with us regularly in many ways. One scholar remarked that no one knows the religiosity of a man better than his wife. So a person may have all the characteristics of a religious person outwardly, but he never wakes up for Fajr, at least not by himself. No one can remind him except his wife and his children.

When people close to us give us advice, we have to remember that it is because they want good for us. Most people don't take advice easily and pleasantly (outwardly or inwardly) and you have to appreciate that this person cares enough about you that he/she would risk losing your good side or getting attacked and ridiculed. Not many of us are well verse in human psychology or experienced enough, so if the approach is wrong or you don't like the advice, you overlook that and be grateful that someone is trying to correct you and remind you of the good. Even if you think you are better than them or have more knowledge than them or you are 100% right, this is your chance to look inside of you. One of the ways you can gauge if you have a superiority complex, an ego or arrogance is by your first reaction to reminders and criticisms. If your immediate reaction is not of gratitude and humility, then you have a real problem.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "No one who has an atom's weight of pride in his heart will enter the Garden." [Muslim]

How to remedy pride and arrogance?

1) Remember Allah often. Allah Almighty says,
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا ﴿٤١﴾ وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا ﴿٤٢

O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance (41) And exalt Him morning and afternoon. (42)
[Quran Al-Ahzab 33:41-42]

How often do you remember Allah? Remembering Allah is not just the adhkar which are great in themselves. But if they are thoughtless and not reflected upon, then it is just review. When you say Alhamdulillah, for example, it should come to heart that Allah should be thanked and praised for everything. Despite your troubles, you never stop thanking Him. Whatever is happening must be good and so you thank Him and you praise Him with your tongue and in your heart.

When somebody comes and talk real nasty to you or being condescending, immediately thank Allah. Don't get upset. It may be that it is a gift of humility to you. Ibn Taymiyya had this attitude when someone offended him, he said: "I think it is a gift from Allah that He is teaching me humility."

You should have certain amount of adhkar that you recite daily but learn their meanings and internalize them when you say them.

Fill up your time with acts of worship so that no period of time elapses, whether by night or by day, without being used in some act of goodness. This is how barakah (blessings) within time is made manifest, the purpose of life fulfilled, and the approach of Allah made constant.

2) Learn to serve people for the sake of Allah. When you do things for the sake of Allah, you don't get burned out and you don't go through high emotions when you don't get good results or when you don't get appreciation or credit. Why? Because results and people's appreciation or credit are not the reasons you are doing the good. Results are in the hands of Allah, and people are not the ones who are paying you, it is Allah. You already received your credit from Allah when you make your sincere intention to do the good, and your wages continue to pile up as you put your sincere effort into it, whether you get the results or not, whether people appreciate you or not. Realizing this will make your job more satisfying. Your job is putting the effort -- the only questions that you should ask yourself in what good you do, "Did I do my part?" "Did I put enough effort?" "Were my efforts sincerely for the sake of Allah?" Regardless the answer, you put better effort next time. Always renew your intentions because it can become rusty after a while.

If someone praises you for your success, for your great job, etc, you should feel uncomfortable and be quick to give the credit to Allah and immediately put yourself down. Praises can actually hurt you because it boosts up your ego, so be careful with your praises of others. It might harm them.

3) Find company better than yourself

4) Learn to control your tongue. When someone give you advice or criticize you, "Say good or remain silent."

Sincere reminder to others benefit us first. Because you are accepting that the words are coming from you, but the effect comes from Allah. If they don't listen to you, your first reaction is not to condemn because that they don't listen to you. Go back to your intentions -- are you doing this for the sake Allah or not? If not, fix your intention.

If you see something really bad, find a humble way to advise a Muslim. Think...are the words you are going to say are going to make them more averse to the religion or perhaps a soft loving words, without compromising the religion, would slowly bring them back to the religion? You try to change their hearts first because if the heart is changed, the behavior will follow. Know that you can only remind them and Allah is the One who can change their hearts. You shouldn't give up. Have hope.

Allah Almighty reminds us,
ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّـهَ يُحْىِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١٧

Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its lifelessness. We have made clear to you the signs; perhaps you will understand. (17)
[Qur'an, Al-Hadid 57:17]

So now we may reflect: can the one who gives life back to the dead land not give life back to the dead heart?

The Prophet sallallahu alayhissallam went through 10 years of da'wah to really bad people of Makkah and within his lifetime these people, who were once great enemies of Islam, embraced Islam and became great companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam and instrumental in the spread of Islam long after the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam had passed away.

You may not see the benefit of your reminding, but there are definitely benefits. Don't worry about the results...do what you are supposed to do.

Allah Almighty says,
وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٥٥

And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers. (55)
[Qur'an, Adh-Dhariyat 51:55]
... لِذَٰلِكَ فَٱدْعُ ۖ وَٱسْتَقِمْ كَمَآ أُمِرْتَ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ

So to that [religion of Allah] invite, [O Muhammad], and remain on a right course as you are commanded and do not follow their inclinations ...
[Qur'an, Ash-Shura 42:11]

Remember, this Deen is only for those who humble themselves to Allah.

Ponder upon these verses:
وَمَا تَفَرَّقُوٓا۟ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْعِلْمُ بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى لَّقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُورِثُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ لَفِى شَكٍّۢ مِّنْهُ مُرِيبٍ ﴿١٤

And they did not become divided until after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And if not for a word that preceded from your Lord [postponing the penalty] until a specified time, it would have been concluded between them. And indeed, those who were granted inheritance of the Scripture after them are, concerning it, in disquieting doubt. (14)
Qur'an Ash-Shura 42:14]
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّـهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ ﴿١٥٩

So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. (159)
[Qur'an AleImran 3:159]

May Allah make us of people of His remembrance and of those who put our trust in Him, grant us better company than ourselves that keep our ego in check, make us capable of taking advice and give advice to people around us sincerely for His sake, and forgive our shortcomings and make us of those whose hearts are being perpetually purified. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Aim For The Stars

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

All of us has the potential to reach high ranks with Allah. Set very high goals for yourself -- because if you aim for the stars and fall short, you might land on the moon, but if you aim to just get by and fall short, you failed. I always tell my children to aim for the highest Jannah because if you don't get there, you will still be in Jannah by Allah's Mercy but if you aim to scrape by into Jannah, if you fall short, it's Hell. May Allah grant us all Jannatul Firdaus without reckoning and save us from Hell.

No matter how busy you are with your work, family, community projects, studies (secular or religious), you must find time to implement this Deen in your day-to-day practice and keep improving yourself on a daily basis. If you can't change your day to fit the religion, how can you expect the Muslim society to change, let alone to revive Islam?

There is always a better prayer, fast, Qur'an recitation, teacher, student, leader, parent, child, brother/sister, spouse, neighbor, friend, and so on. Each and everyone of us has plenty of room to improve in our personal practice of this religion and you must strive to keep improving until you meet your Lord.

Start your day by waking up early (for that you have to go to bed early, not midnight or after midnight) and not missing the Fajr prayer (and for men, start praying at the masjid for Fajr and 'Isha, and don't miss Friday prayer). Start staying up after Fajr (don't go back to sleep) and read and memorize some Qur'an after Fajr. Devote some time in the morning to read the tafsir of what you have read and memorize and learn the meanings and vocabulary. This all will bring you closer to Allah and things will start opening up for you and you will feel good about yourself throughout the day.

In less than 40 days, we will enter the noble month of Ramadhan and half a year is almost gone. We can wait for Ramadhan and fast, do more prayers, give more charity, but what if you don't get to see Ramadhan this year? What are you going to say to Allah when you meet Him and you have nothing much to show for?

One day we will be asked by the Almighty about our life -- don't think you can get away with this. What are you going to tell Him? Are you going to tell Him, "Sorry, I was busy working trying to keep my family happy, buy all the things they want, pay my mortgage...didn't have time to pray?" "Sorry, I was busy with law school...didn't get the chance to learn the Qur'an!?; "Sorry, I was always busy at work, long meetings, many conferences, have to keep my bosses happy...sometimes I even forgot my lunch or dinner...honestly, I hardly play with my kids -- I left home before they woke up and I came home when they were already in bed....by night I was exhausted...couldn't wake up for prayer anymore!?" "Sorry, I was trying to finish reading all the books I have been buying at the Islamic conferences, sometimes I didn't go to sleep until 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning...couldn't wake up for Fajr!" "Sorry, I know why you want me to wear hijab -- to protect me from all the evil lustful men, but I was pretty safe -- men are not that way in my land, they were accustomed to see half naked women (on TV, on the beach, on the internet, on the streets)...I didn't see the need to wear hijab/I didn't see that it applied to me!?" and so on...

Allah created us to worship Him Alone and He sent messengers to teach and show us how to worship Him. It is not acceptable for people to ignore this. Ignoring this is violating His purpose of creating us.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (56)
[Qur'an Adh-Dhariyat 51:56]

No excuses! Even though they are wisdoms and objectives of the Islamic law -- some we know and some we don't, it doesn't change the fact that you have to obey the commandments simply because you are a slave and He is the Lord. Our life is about total submission to the Will and Command of the Lord. We are expected to submit whether we know the "goodness" of the command or not. We cannot pick and choose what we want to follow either.

When Prophet Ibrahim alayhissalaam was commanded to take his beloved wife and infant son to an uninhabited desert in Makkah and leave them there, he submitted -- no question asked. Then when he was commanded to slaughter his son, he submitted -- no question asked. He didn't say, "O Allah, I will do everything else but I won't leave my beloved family to die in the desert." "O Allah, you just reunited me with my son, why are you doing this to me! I won't kill him...besides killing someone is wrong. I will do everything else you want me to do, but not kill my son!" Rather, he submitted to Allah's commands because he understood what it means being a slave. Whatever Allah wants, Ibrahim was there to surrender. This is the essence of Islam -- humble slavehood. His Lord rewarded him and made him the father of Prophets, among them is the best of creation, His beloved Messenger, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassallam. What a tremendous honor!
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّـهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿١٢٠﴾ شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿١٢١﴾ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿١٢٢

Indeed, Abraham was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah. (120) [He was] grateful for His favors. Allah chose him and guided him to a straight path. (121) And We gave him good in this world, and indeed, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. (122)
[Qur'an Ibrahim 16:120-122]

If you want the best in this life and the next, you don't hesitate to act upon Allah's commands. For example, when Allah commands men and women to lower their gazes, you lower your gaze. Women are commanded to wear hijab, i.e. you are only allowed to show your face and hands and nothing else before non-mahram (marriageable kin), that include all your cousins and brother/sister-in-laws of the opposite gender. [Surah An-Nur 24:30-31] So you cover your body properly -- i.e. no hair showing, no neck showing, no ears showing, no arms showing, no tight clothing/pants so your shape is showing, no see-throughs. Children are commanded to be kind to their parents in words and action, so you be respectful and kind to your parents even if they are harsh to you...and so on.

How do we know what Allah wants from us? First you immediately implement what you already know. For those who don't know, start seeking. In this age of information and technology, it is not difficult to find knowledge. But be careful who you take from. Do lots of salawat and du'as and inshaAllah Allah will bless you with good teachers.

And Alone grant success (tawfiq). May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Monday, May 19, 2014

Believer's Support and Absolute Tranquility

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The prayer (as-salat) is our support and strength, and joy for those people who Allah blessed them in their prayers. The prayer is an absolute peace and tranquility. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "The coolness of my eyes is in the prayer."

The call to prayer is a comfort to People of Allah. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said :"O Bilal, comfort us with it." Meaning give the call to prayer.

There is no act more powerful than the prayers, especially the five times prescribed daily prayers -- Dhuhr (afternoon), 'Asr (mid-afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), 'Isha (night) and Fajr (dawn). The five prayers take the weight of fifty prayers. It is a very potent concentrated medicine to pray five times daily. It is our personal school as long as we keep it for the rest of our lives. We will learn knowledge that we cannot learn from books.

Imagine someone who prays five times everyday no matter where they are, no matter what conditions they are in, the prayer will teach him things that books cannot teach. Praying in parking lots, sidewalks, roadside, airports, malls and many other awkward places, would teach him who is more important and whose eyes he care about more. Books cannot teach him that.

Imagine praying five times everyday in places where there are the four seasons -- summer, fall, winter and spring. It can be quite challenging in the winter when Fajr is very early in the morning and in the summer when 'Isha is very late at night. It requires planning and readjusting your sleep and work schedule in order to perform the prayers at their prescribed times. This teaches us an important virtue in our daily lives -- being flexible. Books cannot teach us this.

Someone who prays five times everyday faithfully under whatever circumstances and wakes up in the middle of night and pray is not an ordinary person with Allah. He is a very special person.

Allah created us and so He knows what is best for us. We don't need to guess. We simply obey His commands. He has commanded us to pray because He knows we need the prayers. He is All-Knowing. And if we don't pray, we are simply denying a precious gift from the Most Generous. And this is not a wise thing to do. Would you deny a billion dollars that is given to you with no string attach? How much can you do with a billion dollars? The prayer is worth more than a billion dollars. In fact, it is worth everything you have and all the wealth on this earth and the Most Generous will reward you for your prayers and expect nothing in return.

There is no better way to expose ourselves to the Mercy and sweet breezes of the Mercy of Allah other than through the prayers and in particular praying as our Prophet ﷺ prayed, inwardly and outwardly. Our lives change at least 5 times a day, with our 5 daily prayers, and it is an amazing change.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٢٧٧

Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakah will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. (277)
[Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:277]
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّـهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ ﴿٢٩

Those who rehearse the Book of Allah, establish regular Prayer, and spend (in Charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a commerce that will never fail. For He will pay them their wages, nay, He will give them (even) more out of His Bounty: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (service).
[Qur'an Fatir 35:29-30]

The prayer is the ascent of a believer. So, understand that that it is something big -- bigger than any PhD projects, in fact bigger than all the projects of the world and all the great businesses of this life. The prayer is the greatest opportunity to draw near to the Lord of the worlds. As soon as the prayer time enters we should be longing to stand before our Lord. The more longing we have to stand before our Lord, it would directly translate into the next world and our degree of closeness to Him.

So let's pray and do not leave and neglect your prayers. When the prayer is intact and in shape then everything else will be intact and in shape as well, inshaAllah.

May Allah grant us excellence in worship, steadfastness and tranquility in prayers and good health so we may worship Him more and better. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam