It takes a village

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

I pray that you are well.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. Indeed, raising children to be good people, good citizens, good children, good spouses, good parents, good...is a mighty task! We don't have a village to help us raise even one child, let alone 2,3,4...but does this mean our children is finished? No, of course not, inshaAllah. There is still hope. We can create a village for them. If we teach them not to be selfish, 90% of the job is done.

Start by living this famous hadith ourselves as we are their foremost examples: "None of you truly believes (in Allah and in His religion) until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself" (Bukhari and Muslim)

The idea is that we love for other Muslims what we love for ourselves. We should care for and help one another. Loving goodness for others is part of loving them. We love good things for them as much as we love those things for ourselves. We wish other Muslims to be better than us in worshiping and manners and at the same time we strive to be better than what we are now. We treat them the way we want them to treat us. We are merciful and compassionate in our treatment of others. Part of good treatment of others are excusing them and giving them fair chances. For example, if a person commits a mistake, then we should find excuses for them and not jump to conclusions. There are many ways to excuse others who did mistakes, so we can live together peacefully and avoid confrontations. If they commit a sin then we love for them that they leave the sinful act. We advise them out of our love for them. We should choose the best words in our conversation. Good words can bring happiness to people's heart and can avoid confrontations and quarrels.

The Qur'an says:

"O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear Him, and speak always the right word." Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:70

"And tell My servants that they should always say those words that are the best. Satan verily, sows a state of conflict and disagreements among them." Qur'an Al-Isra' 17:53

So this is where we start building the village for our children to raise their children. Remember, we each have a role to play and changes to be made. We cannot aimlessly go through lives today the same way as yesterday, this year the same way as last year or 5 or 10 years ago. If each one of us understand our role and make a change, our children will have a huge village to grow up in, in no time. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the early Muslims and the Companions, Allah be very pleased with them all, suffered persecutions and many trying times and fought selflessly in battles just so Allah's words can come to us. We should learn and apply them in our lives.

May Allah give us tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

Wassalaam

Veil

BismillahirRahmanirRahim
Assalaamu alaykum

I pray that you are well.

People around you may admire you, may like you, may adore you, but what does that do to you? Does that increase your gratitude to Allah or does that increase your pride? This is your test. Allah test you through ease and through afflictions, through happiness and through sadness. In times of difficulties you be patient and in times of ease and happiness you be grateful. He created those humans and they adore you because Allah made them adore you. When people admire you, like you, adore you, know that they see the veil Allah placed between their eyes and our sins. So be grateful to Him. Allah knows what's inside that chest cavity of yours. He sees all that you do in private. He hears all that you say in private. So be shy before Him that you are not really who people think you are. Ask for His forgiveness much.

Between you and Allah, love your heart--don't let it get infected with pride, arrogance, vanity, envy, rancor, anger, hate and many other diseases of the heart. It can easily creep inside of you if you are not aware. If you don't treat it quickly, it could be deadly. There are cures for these. Knowledge and remember death are potent remedies.

"You have had a good example in God's Messenger for whosoever hopes for God and the Last Day, and remembers God much." Qur'an al-Ahzab 33:21

"And as for those who came after them, they say, 'Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers, who preceded us in belief, and put Thou not into our hearts any rancor towards those who believe. Our Lord, surely Thou art the All-gentle, the All-compassionate.' Qur'an A-Hashr 59:10

May Allah give you and I tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget me in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

Wassalaam