بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Allah granted the du'a of Prophet Sulayman (King Solomon), peace be upon him, for a kingdom that none after him would have. Besides wisdom, Allah had blessed Prophet Sulayman with many abilities. He could command the winds and understand and talk to birds and animals.
One day Prophet Sulayman gathered his army, which comprised of different battalions of men, jinns, birds, and animals. He marched them towards a country.
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ وَادِ ٱلنَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌۭ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّمْلُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ مَسَٰكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَٰنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
"Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of the ants said: "O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulayman and his hosts should crush you, while they perceive not." Qur'an The Ant 27:18
The ant, which saw the army approaching, did not run away to save her life because she had concerned for her colony. Even if she escapes the danger, she is going to perish because she cannot survive alone.
We should have concern for the Ummah like this ant did for her colony. If we don't care about the Ummah, we are dead before we even die. Sometimes very minor things cause relationships to drift apart. We should realize we need to stick together and take care of each other or we will perish. We cannot standalone. We should find excuses for our brother/sister for their bad actions, not quick to accuse your brother/sister. Learn from the ant. The ant gave Sulayman and his army an excuse, "they don't know," instead of accusing them of intentionally wanting to harm them, while she and her colony were facing this huge danger of being crushed by Prophet Sulayman and his army.
فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًۭا مِّن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِىٓ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَٰلِحًۭا تَرْضَىٰهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِى بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِى عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
"So he (Prophet Sulayman) smiled, amused at her speech and said: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favors which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves." Qur'an The Ant 27:18
Prophet Sulayman accredited the thanks to Allah. Whenever Allah gives us something good or a blessing, our first reaction should not be jumping up and down but we say Alhamdulillah, all praises be to Allah, and follow it up with good deeds.
May Allah makes us among His grateful and righteous servants. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
I Will Not Give Up!
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Even so that wisdom did not comprehend everything. Divine knowledge, as far as man is concerned, is unlimited. Even after Prophet Musa received his divine mission, his knowledge was not so perfect that it could not receive more. So he was determined to go and learn from this mysterious teacher who he could find at the junction of two seas.
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَىٰهُ لَآ أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰٓ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِىَ حُقُبًۭا
"Behold, Musa said to his attendant, "I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travel." Qur'an al-Kahf 18:60
How far are you willing to seek Divine knowledge? If you cannot go too far, take the opportunity of the programs at your local masjid. Even if they are not quite organized and perhaps inadequate, you can still learn something. And then you can build on it and try to improve it. Have patience. Allah sees what you are doing. If the intention is sincere and you are consistent, Allah will bless your efforts and open up things for you in ways that you couldn't imagine. InshaAllah.
May Allah give you tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Even so that wisdom did not comprehend everything. Divine knowledge, as far as man is concerned, is unlimited. Even after Prophet Musa received his divine mission, his knowledge was not so perfect that it could not receive more. So he was determined to go and learn from this mysterious teacher who he could find at the junction of two seas.
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَىٰهُ لَآ أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰٓ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِىَ حُقُبًۭا
"Behold, Musa said to his attendant, "I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travel." Qur'an al-Kahf 18:60
How far are you willing to seek Divine knowledge? If you cannot go too far, take the opportunity of the programs at your local masjid. Even if they are not quite organized and perhaps inadequate, you can still learn something. And then you can build on it and try to improve it. Have patience. Allah sees what you are doing. If the intention is sincere and you are consistent, Allah will bless your efforts and open up things for you in ways that you couldn't imagine. InshaAllah.
May Allah give you tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Thursday, October 28, 2010
What Appears To Be Evil
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The story of Khidr, peace be upon him, finds its source in the Qur’an Surah Kahf 18:60-82. Khidr was met by Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, and Khidr taught Musa by means of a series of practical lessons about the Will of God and His Actions. One of the three actions of Khidr which Prophet Musa couldn't hold his patience was when Khidr killed a boy.
"Then they both proceeded, till they met a boy, he (Khidr) killed him. Musa said: "Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have committed a thing "Nukr" (a great Munkar - prohibited, evil, dreadful thing)!" (Khidr) said: "Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?" Qur'an al-Kahf 18:74-75
We can imagine how the parents of this boy reacted when they found their child murdered. If they are parents like most of us, they would cry, moan, grieve, upset and angry because they didn't know what Allah has planned for their future but Khidr knew.
(Khidr) said: "This is the parting between me and you, I will tell you the interpretation of (those) things over which you were unable to hold patience...
"And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. "So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and nearer to mercy. Qur'an Kahf 18:78-81
Allah was hiding good from them in what appeared to be evil.
We don't despair when calamity strikes, but we ask Allah to give us support in our misfortune and compensate us with something better, and give us the reward that is in the difficulties.
Always remember, we might love something but it is not good for us and we might dislike something but it is good for us.
May Allah protect us from the trials of this life and the next. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The story of Khidr, peace be upon him, finds its source in the Qur’an Surah Kahf 18:60-82. Khidr was met by Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, and Khidr taught Musa by means of a series of practical lessons about the Will of God and His Actions. One of the three actions of Khidr which Prophet Musa couldn't hold his patience was when Khidr killed a boy.
"Then they both proceeded, till they met a boy, he (Khidr) killed him. Musa said: "Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have committed a thing "Nukr" (a great Munkar - prohibited, evil, dreadful thing)!" (Khidr) said: "Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?" Qur'an al-Kahf 18:74-75
We can imagine how the parents of this boy reacted when they found their child murdered. If they are parents like most of us, they would cry, moan, grieve, upset and angry because they didn't know what Allah has planned for their future but Khidr knew.
(Khidr) said: "This is the parting between me and you, I will tell you the interpretation of (those) things over which you were unable to hold patience...
"And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. "So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and nearer to mercy. Qur'an Kahf 18:78-81
Allah was hiding good from them in what appeared to be evil.
We don't despair when calamity strikes, but we ask Allah to give us support in our misfortune and compensate us with something better, and give us the reward that is in the difficulties.
Always remember, we might love something but it is not good for us and we might dislike something but it is good for us.
May Allah protect us from the trials of this life and the next. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Beware Of Shaytan's Tricks
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Asalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
It came to my attention a claim of archeological "discovery" in Saudi Arabia which points to the annihilated nation of 'Ad mentioned in the Qur'an. Allah knows best. Since it is related to this article We Wouldn't Have Known, I thought I share these thoughts with you.
Below are links saying that this "discovery" is a hoax. I am not suggesting that you read them word for word or even read them at all and start indulging yourself in discussions about the truth or untruth of the discovery.
Remember, the Shaytan loves to distract us from our Lord and this one is among his tricks. Your time is best spent on contemplating on the creation of Allah that surround us that we know for real--the skies, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the rivers, the breeze, the changing seasons, ...etc. This can help you in your spiritual journey to know Allah. When you know Allah, you will love Him and He will love you, and you will never feel alone.
The "discovery" mentioned above, whether they are true or not, Allah knows best, is immaterial to us. We have the Qur'an, Alhamdulillah, and it is sufficient proof to us that the people of 'Ad existed and they were annihilated due to their disbelief and their disobedience.
The story of the people of 'Ad and many other previous nations mentioned in the Qur'an, serve as a warning to us of what will happen if we disbelieve and disobey Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. It should strike fear in our hearts of Allah Most High and make us rush to obedience. Allah brought everything into existence and He can bring everything out of existence. It is easy for Him. Allah Al-Mighty says, "Be and it be!" This should change us.
If we insist to disbelieve in Allah and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc,) Allah will include us in severe punishment when He decrees it. If we stick to the Truth that we have and keep away from the ways of the non-believers, and we are grateful with what Allah has given us, whenever Allah punishes the non-believers, Allah will save us because we believe in Him inshaAllah.
"And when Our Commandment came, We saved Hud and those who believed with him by a Mercy from Us, and We saved them from a severe torment. Such were 'Ad, they rejected the Ayaat of their Lord and disobeyed His Messengers, and followed the command of every proud obstinate (oppressor of the truth, from their leaders) (Qur'an Hud 11:58-59)
"When Our decree issued, We saved Shu'aib and those who believed with him, by (special) mercy from Ourselves. But the (mighty) blast did seize the wrong- doers, and they lay prostrate in their homes by the morning,- As if they had never dwelt and flourished there!. Ah! Behold! How the Madyan were removed (from sight) as were removed the Thamud!" (Qur'an Hud 11:94-95)
Our existence is to worship Allah, the only One. What we should be doing is always focus on our obligatory worship and perfecting them, while increasing our voluntary worship. We hope by these good deeds, our Lord will love us and be merciful to us.
The internet, while it is a great tool for educating the masses about Islam and other da'wah works, it is also a huge distractor and time-waster, and many people, even people with knowledge, fall into the trap. So beware. Remember, the Shaytan to the humans is a clear enemy. So treat him like an enemy.
InshaAllah, by this time you don't have a need to open these links.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/odd/giantman.asp
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_giant_skeleton.htm
May Allah keep us under His infinite care and have mercy on us and our parents. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Asalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
It came to my attention a claim of archeological "discovery" in Saudi Arabia which points to the annihilated nation of 'Ad mentioned in the Qur'an. Allah knows best. Since it is related to this article We Wouldn't Have Known, I thought I share these thoughts with you.
Below are links saying that this "discovery" is a hoax. I am not suggesting that you read them word for word or even read them at all and start indulging yourself in discussions about the truth or untruth of the discovery.
Remember, the Shaytan loves to distract us from our Lord and this one is among his tricks. Your time is best spent on contemplating on the creation of Allah that surround us that we know for real--the skies, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the rivers, the breeze, the changing seasons, ...etc. This can help you in your spiritual journey to know Allah. When you know Allah, you will love Him and He will love you, and you will never feel alone.
The "discovery" mentioned above, whether they are true or not, Allah knows best, is immaterial to us. We have the Qur'an, Alhamdulillah, and it is sufficient proof to us that the people of 'Ad existed and they were annihilated due to their disbelief and their disobedience.
The story of the people of 'Ad and many other previous nations mentioned in the Qur'an, serve as a warning to us of what will happen if we disbelieve and disobey Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. It should strike fear in our hearts of Allah Most High and make us rush to obedience. Allah brought everything into existence and He can bring everything out of existence. It is easy for Him. Allah Al-Mighty says, "Be and it be!" This should change us.
If we insist to disbelieve in Allah and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc,) Allah will include us in severe punishment when He decrees it. If we stick to the Truth that we have and keep away from the ways of the non-believers, and we are grateful with what Allah has given us, whenever Allah punishes the non-believers, Allah will save us because we believe in Him inshaAllah.
"And when Our Commandment came, We saved Hud and those who believed with him by a Mercy from Us, and We saved them from a severe torment. Such were 'Ad, they rejected the Ayaat of their Lord and disobeyed His Messengers, and followed the command of every proud obstinate (oppressor of the truth, from their leaders) (Qur'an Hud 11:58-59)
"When Our decree issued, We saved Shu'aib and those who believed with him, by (special) mercy from Ourselves. But the (mighty) blast did seize the wrong- doers, and they lay prostrate in their homes by the morning,- As if they had never dwelt and flourished there!. Ah! Behold! How the Madyan were removed (from sight) as were removed the Thamud!" (Qur'an Hud 11:94-95)
Our existence is to worship Allah, the only One. What we should be doing is always focus on our obligatory worship and perfecting them, while increasing our voluntary worship. We hope by these good deeds, our Lord will love us and be merciful to us.
The internet, while it is a great tool for educating the masses about Islam and other da'wah works, it is also a huge distractor and time-waster, and many people, even people with knowledge, fall into the trap. So beware. Remember, the Shaytan to the humans is a clear enemy. So treat him like an enemy.
InshaAllah, by this time you don't have a need to open these links.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/odd/giantman.asp
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_giant_skeleton.htm
May Allah keep us under His infinite care and have mercy on us and our parents. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنْيَا فَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ ثَوَابُ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًۭا
"Whoso desires the reward of this world, with God is the reward of this world and of the world to come; God is All-Hearing, All-Seeing." Qur'an An-Nisaa 4:134
Knowing one attribute of Allah should be sufficient to change our lives but when Allah mentions two of His Names together in His Speech, we should start feeling smaller than we already are.
We know that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. This should guide us towards sincerity (ikhlas) in our actions. We don't long for people to hear or see our good deeds and acts of obedience. It is sufficient that Allah hears and sees all of them because Allah is the One who can reward us. The highest reward that we can conceive is in terms of this life. But Allah can reward us not only what we can conceive but something beyond our imagination--the reward of the Hereafter.
Often, people are very careful to make sure that other people don't see or hear what sinful things they are engaging in--gossiping, looking at bad sites, cheating on their spouses, engaging in unlawful seclusion, beating their wives, stealing, drinking, or gambling, etc. They close the doors and windows so people don't see or hear their acts of disobedience. The moment they hear footsteps or they see the curtain moving (from the wind blowing it), they stop or scramble or hide, afraid getting caught. How about Allah? Are they not afraid of the One who punishes, hearing and seeing their bad acts? Allah can see even a black ant under a black stone in a pitch black night. Allah can hear even the tying of a shoelace. So, there is really no place to hide from Allah, the only One we should fear.
وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
"....And fear Allah, and know that Allah is strict in punishment." Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:196
May Allah make us among the God-fearing. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنْيَا فَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ ثَوَابُ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًۭا
"Whoso desires the reward of this world, with God is the reward of this world and of the world to come; God is All-Hearing, All-Seeing." Qur'an An-Nisaa 4:134
Knowing one attribute of Allah should be sufficient to change our lives but when Allah mentions two of His Names together in His Speech, we should start feeling smaller than we already are.
We know that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. This should guide us towards sincerity (ikhlas) in our actions. We don't long for people to hear or see our good deeds and acts of obedience. It is sufficient that Allah hears and sees all of them because Allah is the One who can reward us. The highest reward that we can conceive is in terms of this life. But Allah can reward us not only what we can conceive but something beyond our imagination--the reward of the Hereafter.
Often, people are very careful to make sure that other people don't see or hear what sinful things they are engaging in--gossiping, looking at bad sites, cheating on their spouses, engaging in unlawful seclusion, beating their wives, stealing, drinking, or gambling, etc. They close the doors and windows so people don't see or hear their acts of disobedience. The moment they hear footsteps or they see the curtain moving (from the wind blowing it), they stop or scramble or hide, afraid getting caught. How about Allah? Are they not afraid of the One who punishes, hearing and seeing their bad acts? Allah can see even a black ant under a black stone in a pitch black night. Allah can hear even the tying of a shoelace. So, there is really no place to hide from Allah, the only One we should fear.
وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
"....And fear Allah, and know that Allah is strict in punishment." Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:196
May Allah make us among the God-fearing. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Getting To Know Your Lord
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
It is said that the one who does not know Allah, does not know anything. This is because Allah is the source of all existence. He is the One that brought everything into existence. He is the King that rules everything. There is not a thing that is happening without Allah behind it. La hawla wala quwwata illa billah. There is no force nor movement except with Allah. So do not look at the hand that moves but look at the power that is behind the hand that moves, that is Allah.
Through knowing the attributes of Allah, one detaches himself from the worldly life and enter into a different world. He enters into the the world of contentment of the decree of Allah. He enters into the world where he is reminded of Allah in everything he sees. He enters into the world where he is able to submit himself to Allah because he knows who he is submitting to.
When you know Allah, it makes you love Allah more than you already do. Because you will come to the conclusion that the One who is not in need of you, loves you; the One who created you, made you love Him and then He loves you.
Allah has the might and power to do what He wants, when He wants, how He wants and to whom He wants. Nobody can stop Him. The moment you want to get to something but if Allah does not want you to get there, you will not get there, never. Allah moves everything without us seeing it.
So we should start looking and recognizing the Names and Attributes of Allah in everything that happen in our small little compartment. The Names and Attributes of Allah and the manifestations of these within our lives are clear in everything that we see.
Imagine a newborn child. We will see many things if only we reflect. When you see this child being breastfed by his mother, you see that Allah is Al-Muhyi, that Allah gives life. This tiny human being that came to the world, naked, without any clothing, found his way immediately to his mother's milk and nobody taught him how but he is able to eat. You will understand that Allah is Ar-Rahman, the Compassionate. Allah is Al-Khaliq, the Creator, Allah is Al-Musawwir, the One who gives shape to everything, Allah is Ar-Razzaq, the Provider, Allah is Al-Hayy, the One who is alive and takes responsibility over everything.
In reality, one is reminded of Allah at all times but one prefers to stay blind. But the moment that the heart becomes purified, it is no longer the eyes that see but the heart. This is the moment that he will be reminded of Allah in everything that he sees. There is not a wind that blows, not a cloud that moves, not a bird that flies, and not a leaf that falls from the tree but he sees that it is being moved by Al-Wahid, the One, As-Samad, the One who does not need anything but everything needs Him.
Knowing the Names and Attributes of Allah is important because they will give a different shape to your life. They will take you to a higher spiritual level where you will find it sufficient to be with Allah alone.
May Allah opens our hearts before opening our ears, opens our minds before opening our eyes, and makes every single limb of ours submit to Allah in complete contentment. Ameen.
Please do not forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
It is said that the one who does not know Allah, does not know anything. This is because Allah is the source of all existence. He is the One that brought everything into existence. He is the King that rules everything. There is not a thing that is happening without Allah behind it. La hawla wala quwwata illa billah. There is no force nor movement except with Allah. So do not look at the hand that moves but look at the power that is behind the hand that moves, that is Allah.
Through knowing the attributes of Allah, one detaches himself from the worldly life and enter into a different world. He enters into the the world of contentment of the decree of Allah. He enters into the world where he is reminded of Allah in everything he sees. He enters into the world where he is able to submit himself to Allah because he knows who he is submitting to.
When you know Allah, it makes you love Allah more than you already do. Because you will come to the conclusion that the One who is not in need of you, loves you; the One who created you, made you love Him and then He loves you.
Allah has the might and power to do what He wants, when He wants, how He wants and to whom He wants. Nobody can stop Him. The moment you want to get to something but if Allah does not want you to get there, you will not get there, never. Allah moves everything without us seeing it.
So we should start looking and recognizing the Names and Attributes of Allah in everything that happen in our small little compartment. The Names and Attributes of Allah and the manifestations of these within our lives are clear in everything that we see.
Imagine a newborn child. We will see many things if only we reflect. When you see this child being breastfed by his mother, you see that Allah is Al-Muhyi, that Allah gives life. This tiny human being that came to the world, naked, without any clothing, found his way immediately to his mother's milk and nobody taught him how but he is able to eat. You will understand that Allah is Ar-Rahman, the Compassionate. Allah is Al-Khaliq, the Creator, Allah is Al-Musawwir, the One who gives shape to everything, Allah is Ar-Razzaq, the Provider, Allah is Al-Hayy, the One who is alive and takes responsibility over everything.
In reality, one is reminded of Allah at all times but one prefers to stay blind. But the moment that the heart becomes purified, it is no longer the eyes that see but the heart. This is the moment that he will be reminded of Allah in everything that he sees. There is not a wind that blows, not a cloud that moves, not a bird that flies, and not a leaf that falls from the tree but he sees that it is being moved by Al-Wahid, the One, As-Samad, the One who does not need anything but everything needs Him.
Knowing the Names and Attributes of Allah is important because they will give a different shape to your life. They will take you to a higher spiritual level where you will find it sufficient to be with Allah alone.
May Allah opens our hearts before opening our ears, opens our minds before opening our eyes, and makes every single limb of ours submit to Allah in complete contentment. Ameen.
Please do not forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
We Are Being Tested, Take Action
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Before we complain about the situation of Muslims today, we should have a long look at ourselves first. Are we doing anything, anything at all, to help the situation---at the individual level and as a group?
We can do a lot! But many of us talk a lot but no action. They react to situations and after a while they calm down and back to their business as usual. Some fall into despair and think that they cannot do anything. Unfortunately, most of us won't do anything at all, either they are afraid or being selfish.
Allah tests His servants according to their iman. Like the professors, when they write an exam, they would have easy questions that can be answered by the majority of their students, some tough ones that can be answered only by A students and a few that can be answered only by A+ students. These questions will separate between the B and C students, the A and B students, and the A+ and A-. Everyone receive their questions according to their level.
Likewise, if your iman is weak, Allah will give you a simple test. If your level of iman is strong, you will receive a more difficult test.
When Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Allah be pleased with him, put his hands on the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he had the fever, the companion had to withdraw his hands because of the intense heat. He said: "You are going through very severe illness." The Prophet then said that this is because the Prophets suffer double the suffering than everyone else. Indeed, Allah put them through tougher tests because Allah loves them and because they are stronger, greater and better.
We are being tested but how many of us will fail. We have to do our part to the best of our ability and keep doing our part until we meet our Lord. No doubt, there is going to be a lot of struggling and a lot of patience. But there is no victory without struggle and without patience. May Allah save us from being the heedless and make us among the successful and victorious. Ameen.
Why did Prophet Musa, Allah grant him peace, hit the sea with his stick? Because the victory from Allah will not come until you do your part, even with a stick. It was not the stick that parted the sea which allowed the Children of Israel to escape from Fir'aun, it is the Will of Allah.
Allah says, "And We made a people, considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands in both east and west, - lands whereon We sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, and We leveled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which Fir'aun (Pharoah) and his people erected (with such pride)." Qur'an Al-'Araf 7:137
Please do your part. Sign this Petition To Save UCLA's Islamic Studies. It only takes a few clicks. May Allah count this as your good deeds that travel like pillars of light to the heavens.
May Allah increase our iman and our patience and give victory to the Muslims. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Before we complain about the situation of Muslims today, we should have a long look at ourselves first. Are we doing anything, anything at all, to help the situation---at the individual level and as a group?
We can do a lot! But many of us talk a lot but no action. They react to situations and after a while they calm down and back to their business as usual. Some fall into despair and think that they cannot do anything. Unfortunately, most of us won't do anything at all, either they are afraid or being selfish.
Allah tests His servants according to their iman. Like the professors, when they write an exam, they would have easy questions that can be answered by the majority of their students, some tough ones that can be answered only by A students and a few that can be answered only by A+ students. These questions will separate between the B and C students, the A and B students, and the A+ and A-. Everyone receive their questions according to their level.
Likewise, if your iman is weak, Allah will give you a simple test. If your level of iman is strong, you will receive a more difficult test.
When Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Allah be pleased with him, put his hands on the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he had the fever, the companion had to withdraw his hands because of the intense heat. He said: "You are going through very severe illness." The Prophet then said that this is because the Prophets suffer double the suffering than everyone else. Indeed, Allah put them through tougher tests because Allah loves them and because they are stronger, greater and better.
We are being tested but how many of us will fail. We have to do our part to the best of our ability and keep doing our part until we meet our Lord. No doubt, there is going to be a lot of struggling and a lot of patience. But there is no victory without struggle and without patience. May Allah save us from being the heedless and make us among the successful and victorious. Ameen.
Why did Prophet Musa, Allah grant him peace, hit the sea with his stick? Because the victory from Allah will not come until you do your part, even with a stick. It was not the stick that parted the sea which allowed the Children of Israel to escape from Fir'aun, it is the Will of Allah.
Allah says, "And We made a people, considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands in both east and west, - lands whereon We sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, and We leveled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which Fir'aun (Pharoah) and his people erected (with such pride)." Qur'an Al-'Araf 7:137
Please do your part. Sign this Petition To Save UCLA's Islamic Studies. It only takes a few clicks. May Allah count this as your good deeds that travel like pillars of light to the heavens.
May Allah increase our iman and our patience and give victory to the Muslims. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Monday, October 18, 2010
Why Allah Saved Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him)?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Prophet Yunus (Dhu al Nun), peace be upon him, was sent to warn the people of a town in Iraq. He made da'wah to his people but he was provoked by their animosity towards the religion of Allah. He left them in anger, discouraged at the apparent failure of his mission. He should have remained in the most discouraging circumstances, and relied on Allah. He went away to the sea and took a ship, but he was caught in a storm and thrown into the sea. He was swallowed by a big fish or whale.
"Then the (big) fish swallowed him and he had done acts worthy of blame." Qur'an As-Saffat 37:142
He ran to Allah and made sujud.
Allah says,
وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَٰضِبًۭا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
"And remember Dhu al Nun, when he departed in wrath: He imagined that We had no power over him!.But he cried through the depths of darkness, "There is no god but thou: glory to thee: I was indeed wrong!" "So We listened to him: and delivered him from distress: and thus do We deliver those who have faith." Qur'an Al-Anbiya' 21:87-88
"Had he not been of them who glorify Allah, he would have indeed remained inside its belly (the fish) till the Day of Resurrection." Qur'an As-Saffat 37:143-144
Prophet Yunus was a righteous slave of Allah. He used to do good night and day. Because he remembered Allah in times of ease, Allah took care of him in times of difficulty.
We need to remember Allah always. Remember Allah when you are young, Allah will remember you when you are old; remember Allah when you are healthy, Allah will remember you when you are sick; remember Allah when you are wealthy, Allah will remember you when you are poor; remember Allah when you have free-time, Allah will remember you when you are busy; remember Allah while you are still alive, Allah will remember you when you are dead. May Allah have mercy on us. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Prophet Yunus (Dhu al Nun), peace be upon him, was sent to warn the people of a town in Iraq. He made da'wah to his people but he was provoked by their animosity towards the religion of Allah. He left them in anger, discouraged at the apparent failure of his mission. He should have remained in the most discouraging circumstances, and relied on Allah. He went away to the sea and took a ship, but he was caught in a storm and thrown into the sea. He was swallowed by a big fish or whale.
"Then the (big) fish swallowed him and he had done acts worthy of blame." Qur'an As-Saffat 37:142
He ran to Allah and made sujud.
Allah says,
وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَٰضِبًۭا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
"And remember Dhu al Nun, when he departed in wrath: He imagined that We had no power over him!.But he cried through the depths of darkness, "There is no god but thou: glory to thee: I was indeed wrong!" "So We listened to him: and delivered him from distress: and thus do We deliver those who have faith." Qur'an Al-Anbiya' 21:87-88
"Had he not been of them who glorify Allah, he would have indeed remained inside its belly (the fish) till the Day of Resurrection." Qur'an As-Saffat 37:143-144
Prophet Yunus was a righteous slave of Allah. He used to do good night and day. Because he remembered Allah in times of ease, Allah took care of him in times of difficulty.
We need to remember Allah always. Remember Allah when you are young, Allah will remember you when you are old; remember Allah when you are healthy, Allah will remember you when you are sick; remember Allah when you are wealthy, Allah will remember you when you are poor; remember Allah when you have free-time, Allah will remember you when you are busy; remember Allah while you are still alive, Allah will remember you when you are dead. May Allah have mercy on us. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Golden Advices From an Illuminated Heart
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
An absolute gem!!! ...Advice from a blind Shaykh
Enjoy the poetry and put into practice. May Allah grant you tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Aisha
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
An absolute gem!!! ...Advice from a blind Shaykh
Enjoy the poetry and put into practice. May Allah grant you tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Aisha
Thursday, October 14, 2010
We Wouldn't Have Known
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The stories of the Prophets in the Qur’an are not to entertain or mere narratives or histories, but to reflect and derive lessons. They teach us the highest spiritual Truth; they give us advice, guidance and warning, as to how we should govern our lives, and they awaken our conscience and remind us of the working of Allah’s Law in human affairs.
"All that we relate to you of the stories of the messengers - with it We make firm your heart: in them there come to you the Truth, as well as an exhortation and a message of remembrance to those who believe." (Qur'an Hud 11:120)
"We relate unto you (Muhammad, Allah bless him and grant him peace) the best of stories through Our Revelations unto you, of this Qur'an. And before this (i.e. before the coming of Divine Revelation to you), you were among those who knew nothing about it (the Qur'an)" (Qur'an Yusuf 12:3)
"These are some of the stories of communities which We relate unto thee: of them some are standing, and some have been mown down (by the sickle of time.)" (Qur'an Hud 11:100)
Among the communities which remained standing is in Egypt. We have the pyramids and some ruins, although Fir'aun and his wicked people were drowned in the sea.
There are remnants of Thamud. The Thamud lived in huge houses that they carved out of the huge rocks in the mountains - and the remains of these houses are still visible in northwest Saudi Arabia. The were arrogant and they oppressed the poor among them. Prophet Saleh, whom they respected very much for he was the most righteous among them, was sent to them as a warner. They rejected him. Allah destroyed them by a terrible storm of thunder and lightning.
"But the Thamud - they were destroyed by a terrible Storm of thunder and lightning!" (Qur'an Haaqqa 69:5)
There are no remnants of the people of Ad. Ad were unjust and arrogant people spoiled by their prosperity, power and strength. The Prophet Hud preached to them in vain. Allah erased them from the face of the earth by furious wind. If Allah didn't tell us about Ad, where they lived, we wouldn't have known about them. Now, the City of Iram with lofty pillars, the homes of 'Ad as described in the Qur'an, is a land of sand dunes in Hadramawt.
"And the ‘Ad, they were destroyed by a furious Wind, exceedingly violent; He made it rage against them seven nights and eight days in succession: so that you could see the (whole) people lying prostrate in its (path), as they had been roots of hollow palm trees tumbled down!" (Qur'an Haaqqa 69:6-7)
If we disbelieve in Allah and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc,) Allah will include us in severe punishment. If we stick to the Truth that we have and keep away from the ways of the non-believers, and we are grateful with what Allah has given us, whenever Allah punishes the non-believers, Allah will save the ones who believe in Him.
"And when Our Commandment came, We saved Hud and those who believed with him by a Mercy from Us, and We saved them from a severe torment. Such were 'Ad, they rejected the Ayaat of their Lord and disobeyed His Messengers, and followed the command of every proud obstinate (oppressor of the truth, from their leaders) (Qur'an Hud 11:58-59)
"When Our decree issued, We saved Shu'aib and those who believed with him, by (special) mercy from Ourselves. But the (mighty) blast did seize the wrong- doers, and they lay prostrate in their homes by the morning,- As if they had never dwelt and flourished there!. Ah! Behold! How the Madyan were removed (from sight) as were removed the Thamud!" (Qur'an Hud 11:94-95)
May Allah grants us mercy from Himself and save us from His Punishment. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Aisha
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The stories of the Prophets in the Qur’an are not to entertain or mere narratives or histories, but to reflect and derive lessons. They teach us the highest spiritual Truth; they give us advice, guidance and warning, as to how we should govern our lives, and they awaken our conscience and remind us of the working of Allah’s Law in human affairs.
"All that we relate to you of the stories of the messengers - with it We make firm your heart: in them there come to you the Truth, as well as an exhortation and a message of remembrance to those who believe." (Qur'an Hud 11:120)
"We relate unto you (Muhammad, Allah bless him and grant him peace) the best of stories through Our Revelations unto you, of this Qur'an. And before this (i.e. before the coming of Divine Revelation to you), you were among those who knew nothing about it (the Qur'an)" (Qur'an Yusuf 12:3)
"These are some of the stories of communities which We relate unto thee: of them some are standing, and some have been mown down (by the sickle of time.)" (Qur'an Hud 11:100)
Among the communities which remained standing is in Egypt. We have the pyramids and some ruins, although Fir'aun and his wicked people were drowned in the sea.
There are remnants of Thamud. The Thamud lived in huge houses that they carved out of the huge rocks in the mountains - and the remains of these houses are still visible in northwest Saudi Arabia. The were arrogant and they oppressed the poor among them. Prophet Saleh, whom they respected very much for he was the most righteous among them, was sent to them as a warner. They rejected him. Allah destroyed them by a terrible storm of thunder and lightning.
"But the Thamud - they were destroyed by a terrible Storm of thunder and lightning!" (Qur'an Haaqqa 69:5)
There are no remnants of the people of Ad. Ad were unjust and arrogant people spoiled by their prosperity, power and strength. The Prophet Hud preached to them in vain. Allah erased them from the face of the earth by furious wind. If Allah didn't tell us about Ad, where they lived, we wouldn't have known about them. Now, the City of Iram with lofty pillars, the homes of 'Ad as described in the Qur'an, is a land of sand dunes in Hadramawt.
"And the ‘Ad, they were destroyed by a furious Wind, exceedingly violent; He made it rage against them seven nights and eight days in succession: so that you could see the (whole) people lying prostrate in its (path), as they had been roots of hollow palm trees tumbled down!" (Qur'an Haaqqa 69:6-7)
If we disbelieve in Allah and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc,) Allah will include us in severe punishment. If we stick to the Truth that we have and keep away from the ways of the non-believers, and we are grateful with what Allah has given us, whenever Allah punishes the non-believers, Allah will save the ones who believe in Him.
"And when Our Commandment came, We saved Hud and those who believed with him by a Mercy from Us, and We saved them from a severe torment. Such were 'Ad, they rejected the Ayaat of their Lord and disobeyed His Messengers, and followed the command of every proud obstinate (oppressor of the truth, from their leaders) (Qur'an Hud 11:58-59)
"When Our decree issued, We saved Shu'aib and those who believed with him, by (special) mercy from Ourselves. But the (mighty) blast did seize the wrong- doers, and they lay prostrate in their homes by the morning,- As if they had never dwelt and flourished there!. Ah! Behold! How the Madyan were removed (from sight) as were removed the Thamud!" (Qur'an Hud 11:94-95)
May Allah grants us mercy from Himself and save us from His Punishment. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Aisha
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Barakah
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We often think of our wealth in terms of numbers. $1000 is more than $100. But it is not necessarily so. $100 can be more than $1000. This is the concept of barakah. Barakah is the secret Allah puts in the money. $1 that has barakah could go a long way and $1 that does not have barakah can cause your destruction.
You see this a lot. There are people who don't have a lot of money but they have a pleasant and content life. This is because Allah puts barakah in their lives. But there are people who have lots of money, but they live a miserable life. Why? Because the barakah is missing in the equation.
People who don't have belief (iman) will think that if they cheat, they will make more money. But they wound up losing it eventually--sometimes sooner than they could imagine. It manifested in many ways. For those who have iman and follow the laws of Allah in their dealings, whatever they get is better for them, no matter how small it is, because there is barakah in it.
The laws of Allah is not something we keep in the masjid or something we keep as an individual or we apply it when it is convenient for people. If we want barakah in our lives, the laws of Allah should control our lives--day and night in all aspects.
May Allah gives us barakah in that which He has provided us and have mercy upon us. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We often think of our wealth in terms of numbers. $1000 is more than $100. But it is not necessarily so. $100 can be more than $1000. This is the concept of barakah. Barakah is the secret Allah puts in the money. $1 that has barakah could go a long way and $1 that does not have barakah can cause your destruction.
You see this a lot. There are people who don't have a lot of money but they have a pleasant and content life. This is because Allah puts barakah in their lives. But there are people who have lots of money, but they live a miserable life. Why? Because the barakah is missing in the equation.
People who don't have belief (iman) will think that if they cheat, they will make more money. But they wound up losing it eventually--sometimes sooner than they could imagine. It manifested in many ways. For those who have iman and follow the laws of Allah in their dealings, whatever they get is better for them, no matter how small it is, because there is barakah in it.
The laws of Allah is not something we keep in the masjid or something we keep as an individual or we apply it when it is convenient for people. If we want barakah in our lives, the laws of Allah should control our lives--day and night in all aspects.
May Allah gives us barakah in that which He has provided us and have mercy upon us. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Monday, October 11, 2010
Your First Obligation
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Our first obligation is to know Allah and to know Him as He really is. This is not for His benefit but for ours. He doesn't need us but we need Him. We need Him for every moment of our lives. He knows us more than we know ourselves. He is the only One who can help us in all our situations. Our lives depend on Him.
"It was We who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein." (Qur'an Qaf 50:16)
But how many people really know and certain about this. We get disappointed, upset and angry when things don't go the way we want them to be. We become impatient when we don't see things happening. We complain to everybody except Allah, We run to everybody for help except Allah. We spend and waste so much resources (time, money, etc) looking for and seeking help from people, but we forget the One who can truly help. If you just just walk to Him, He will come to you at speed.
So, when situations started to overcome your good judgment, calm down, take wudu' and perform 2 cycles of prayer.
It is reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The closest that a servant can be to his Lord is when he is in prostration."
Ask Him, talk to Him. He has all the time for you and you are not going anywhere without His Will and things aren't going to get any better without His Will.
We received encouragement in our works when we see the fruits. But when we see our efforts yield nothing and situation is not improving, and the more work we put in, the worse things are, it is extremely difficult to go on, unless we have Faith in Allah and reliance and trust in Allah. We can only have this through knowing Him as He really is.
Remember the story of Prophet Nuh, Allah grant him peace, with his people. For 950 years (!), he dealt with his people, calling them to the worship of Allah alone, counseling them to be mindful of their duties to Allah, to fear Allah and to obey him (the same message brought by all the Prophets). He appealed to them publicly and privately, day and night. His people made fun of him and ridiculed him as a mad man. Whenever he tried to convey the message of Allah to them, they began to thrust their fingers into their ears! But because Prophet Nuh, Allah grant him peace, had the iman and tawakkul in Allah, he kept on going and persisted with his da'wah for 950 years. The unbelievers were drowned (in flood) because of their sins.
"...So persevere patiently: for the End is for those who are righteous." (Qur'an Hud 11:49)
He (Nuh) said: "O my Lord! I have called to my People night and day. "But my call only increases (their) flight (from the Right).And every time I have called to them, that thou might forgive them, they have (only) thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, grown obstinate, and given themselves up to arrogance. So I have called to them aloud; Further I have spoken to them in public and secretly in private,..Because of their sins they were drowned (in the flood) and were made to enter the Fire (of Punishment): and they found― in lieu of Allah― none to help them. And Nuh said: "O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers, a single one on earth! For, if Thou do leave (any of) them, they will but mislead Your devotees, and they will breed none but wicked ungrateful ones." (Qur'an Nuh 71:5-27)
May Allah makes us among the righteous and the patient. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Our first obligation is to know Allah and to know Him as He really is. This is not for His benefit but for ours. He doesn't need us but we need Him. We need Him for every moment of our lives. He knows us more than we know ourselves. He is the only One who can help us in all our situations. Our lives depend on Him.
"It was We who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein." (Qur'an Qaf 50:16)
But how many people really know and certain about this. We get disappointed, upset and angry when things don't go the way we want them to be. We become impatient when we don't see things happening. We complain to everybody except Allah, We run to everybody for help except Allah. We spend and waste so much resources (time, money, etc) looking for and seeking help from people, but we forget the One who can truly help. If you just just walk to Him, He will come to you at speed.
So, when situations started to overcome your good judgment, calm down, take wudu' and perform 2 cycles of prayer.
It is reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The closest that a servant can be to his Lord is when he is in prostration."
Ask Him, talk to Him. He has all the time for you and you are not going anywhere without His Will and things aren't going to get any better without His Will.
We received encouragement in our works when we see the fruits. But when we see our efforts yield nothing and situation is not improving, and the more work we put in, the worse things are, it is extremely difficult to go on, unless we have Faith in Allah and reliance and trust in Allah. We can only have this through knowing Him as He really is.
Remember the story of Prophet Nuh, Allah grant him peace, with his people. For 950 years (!), he dealt with his people, calling them to the worship of Allah alone, counseling them to be mindful of their duties to Allah, to fear Allah and to obey him (the same message brought by all the Prophets). He appealed to them publicly and privately, day and night. His people made fun of him and ridiculed him as a mad man. Whenever he tried to convey the message of Allah to them, they began to thrust their fingers into their ears! But because Prophet Nuh, Allah grant him peace, had the iman and tawakkul in Allah, he kept on going and persisted with his da'wah for 950 years. The unbelievers were drowned (in flood) because of their sins.
"...So persevere patiently: for the End is for those who are righteous." (Qur'an Hud 11:49)
He (Nuh) said: "O my Lord! I have called to my People night and day. "But my call only increases (their) flight (from the Right).And every time I have called to them, that thou might forgive them, they have (only) thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, grown obstinate, and given themselves up to arrogance. So I have called to them aloud; Further I have spoken to them in public and secretly in private,..Because of their sins they were drowned (in the flood) and were made to enter the Fire (of Punishment): and they found― in lieu of Allah― none to help them. And Nuh said: "O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers, a single one on earth! For, if Thou do leave (any of) them, they will but mislead Your devotees, and they will breed none but wicked ungrateful ones." (Qur'an Nuh 71:5-27)
May Allah makes us among the righteous and the patient. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Sunday, October 10, 2010
It Is A Done Deal
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We worry about tomorrow. We worry about how to make it in the future. We worry about lack of enough savings to send our children to college, no retirement funds to support ourselves when we reach old age, etc...We are always in the state of despair when it comes to money. Money is in the top 10 causes of marital discord and family breakups.
Why worry? Why fight over money? Your provision is a done deal. What you are going to get was written before the creation of the heavens and the earth. So, don't worry. Your job is to work, not to turn yourself into a workaholic, and neglect your duties to Allah. Leave the bottom line to the Provider (Ar-Razzaq).
When we had to leave Paradise to earth with our father, Adam, and our mother, Hawwa, it is only for an appointed term. We are not going to be here forever. We don't belong here. We should busy preparing ourselves to go home. If we want to go back to a nice home, we better start setting our priorities right, Allah before anything, and straighten out our acts. Allah is watching everything we do. Not a leaf that falls is without His Knowledge.
We know how Shaytan deceived Adam into eating from the forbidden tree and that was how our father and mother got out of Paradise. We also have a long history of mankind to derive lessons from. So learn from their mistakes and don't make the same mistakes.
(Allah) said: "Get down, one of you is an enemy to the other. On earth will be a dwelling-place for you and an enjoyment, - for a time." He said: "Therein you shall live, and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (i.e.resurrected)." O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better. Such are among the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, that they may remember. O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytan deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwa out of Paradise, stripping them of their raiments, to show them their private parts. Verily, he and Qabiluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them. Verily, We made the Shaytan (devils) Auliya' (protectors and helpers) for those who believe not. (Qur'an Al'Araf 7:24-27)
May Allah increase our Iman and taqwa, and protect us from Shaytan. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We worry about tomorrow. We worry about how to make it in the future. We worry about lack of enough savings to send our children to college, no retirement funds to support ourselves when we reach old age, etc...We are always in the state of despair when it comes to money. Money is in the top 10 causes of marital discord and family breakups.
Why worry? Why fight over money? Your provision is a done deal. What you are going to get was written before the creation of the heavens and the earth. So, don't worry. Your job is to work, not to turn yourself into a workaholic, and neglect your duties to Allah. Leave the bottom line to the Provider (Ar-Razzaq).
When we had to leave Paradise to earth with our father, Adam, and our mother, Hawwa, it is only for an appointed term. We are not going to be here forever. We don't belong here. We should busy preparing ourselves to go home. If we want to go back to a nice home, we better start setting our priorities right, Allah before anything, and straighten out our acts. Allah is watching everything we do. Not a leaf that falls is without His Knowledge.
We know how Shaytan deceived Adam into eating from the forbidden tree and that was how our father and mother got out of Paradise. We also have a long history of mankind to derive lessons from. So learn from their mistakes and don't make the same mistakes.
(Allah) said: "Get down, one of you is an enemy to the other. On earth will be a dwelling-place for you and an enjoyment, - for a time." He said: "Therein you shall live, and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (i.e.resurrected)." O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better. Such are among the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, that they may remember. O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytan deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwa out of Paradise, stripping them of their raiments, to show them their private parts. Verily, he and Qabiluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them. Verily, We made the Shaytan (devils) Auliya' (protectors and helpers) for those who believe not. (Qur'an Al'Araf 7:24-27)
May Allah increase our Iman and taqwa, and protect us from Shaytan. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Friday, October 8, 2010
Seeing Things In Different Light
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Asaalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
As a Muslim you have a broad perspective of life. You are not constricted to the narrowness of this world. You are not in the dark. You have the Qur'an to guide you.
Without Qur'an, you are living for today. You eat to live and you live to eat.
But when you recite the Qur'an, you see the entire span of creation in front of your eyes--the heavens and the earth, the Prophets (started with Adam, Allah grant him peace, to Muhammad Rasulullah, Allah bless him and grant him peace), the nations before us (Fir'aun, Bani Israel, people of Salih, Hud, Shu'aib, etc), and the future (death, resurrection, Day of Judgment, Paradise and Hell.)
With Qur'an, you see the vastness of this life and the after life. You see things in a different light.
So, why are we worried of what people say when we try to do something good? Why do we give up so soon when things become difficult? He is the Creator of everything and to Him we shall return for accounting. Don't give up, turn to Him for help. "...And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed." (Hadith Qudsi related by Bukhari)
If you have Iman and Taqwa, you will succeed in the good you want to do, no matter how impossible that task may seem, no matter what eyes may see and what ears may hear.
Remember, the story of Musa, Allah grant him peace, and his people--the sea was in front of them and Fir'aun and his army were pursuing them? His people were afraid and said, "We are sure to be overtaken!". But Musa turned to Allah to guide him (to show him some way of escape from the danger). Fir'aun was drowned and Musa and his people were taken across the sea safely. Surely, the faith of Musa stands in strong contrast to the fears of his people.
There are many many stories in the Qur'an which are meant for us to learn from and guide us through our lives. That is why it is recommended to recite the Qur'an everyday. The closer you are with the Qur'an, the easier your life will be.The blessings of reciting Allah's Speech are tremendous. If you start now, you are ahead of those who haven't started or have slackened. Don't procrastinate. InshaAllah.
"This is the Book (the Qur'an), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun [the pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]." Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:2
"Recite the Qur'an, for on the Day of Judgment it will come to intercede for its companion." (related by Muslim)
Read more at Completing Qur'an
May Allah draws us closer to Him. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Asaalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
As a Muslim you have a broad perspective of life. You are not constricted to the narrowness of this world. You are not in the dark. You have the Qur'an to guide you.
Without Qur'an, you are living for today. You eat to live and you live to eat.
But when you recite the Qur'an, you see the entire span of creation in front of your eyes--the heavens and the earth, the Prophets (started with Adam, Allah grant him peace, to Muhammad Rasulullah, Allah bless him and grant him peace), the nations before us (Fir'aun, Bani Israel, people of Salih, Hud, Shu'aib, etc), and the future (death, resurrection, Day of Judgment, Paradise and Hell.)
With Qur'an, you see the vastness of this life and the after life. You see things in a different light.
So, why are we worried of what people say when we try to do something good? Why do we give up so soon when things become difficult? He is the Creator of everything and to Him we shall return for accounting. Don't give up, turn to Him for help. "...And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed." (Hadith Qudsi related by Bukhari)
If you have Iman and Taqwa, you will succeed in the good you want to do, no matter how impossible that task may seem, no matter what eyes may see and what ears may hear.
Remember, the story of Musa, Allah grant him peace, and his people--the sea was in front of them and Fir'aun and his army were pursuing them? His people were afraid and said, "We are sure to be overtaken!". But Musa turned to Allah to guide him (to show him some way of escape from the danger). Fir'aun was drowned and Musa and his people were taken across the sea safely. Surely, the faith of Musa stands in strong contrast to the fears of his people.
There are many many stories in the Qur'an which are meant for us to learn from and guide us through our lives. That is why it is recommended to recite the Qur'an everyday. The closer you are with the Qur'an, the easier your life will be.The blessings of reciting Allah's Speech are tremendous. If you start now, you are ahead of those who haven't started or have slackened. Don't procrastinate. InshaAllah.
"This is the Book (the Qur'an), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun [the pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]." Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:2
"Recite the Qur'an, for on the Day of Judgment it will come to intercede for its companion." (related by Muslim)
Read more at Completing Qur'an
May Allah draws us closer to Him. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Why Say Bismillah?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (BismillahirRahmanirRahim) before we start our actions. We say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم before we eat, before we cook, before we enter the bathroom, before we put our clothes on, before we comb our hair, before we step out of the house, before we turn the car ignition, before we write, before we turn on the computer, before we take the exam, before an important job interview, before we make wudu', before we enter the masjid, before praying, before reading the Qur'an, before so many things that we do. Allah knows how many times we say Bismillah everyday. He does not miss it. May Allah accept our Bismillah as good deeds. Ameen.
But what is it that we are really saying when we say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ?
When you say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم you are intending to perform the action in the Name of Allah alone, not in the name of yourself, your friends, your teacher, your boss, your spouse, your children, the person next to you or anyone or anything else.
So at the outset, it reminds us of Allah. It reminds us to make our intentions purely for Allah. Our focus now is towards Allah. We are doing this action for His sake alone and with His help alone. He is the One who gives us the tawfiq to do this. And if He does not will this to happen, even this piece of fish that I am about to chew can fall out of my mouth and be picked up by the cat, or even what I am about to write, will not happen or flow the way I want it, if Allah does not give me the tawfiq.
It is meant for us not to have this feeling of self-consequence or pride, rather to have this feeling of gratitude towards Allah, Lord of the Worlds, who nourishes and benefits us. So we will use what He gives us for the purpose He has created them for us and in the manner He wants us to use them.
Take this simple example, when you put your clothes on your body, it is not to show to people how rich or beautiful you are, but simply to cover your nakedness to please Allah. You feel grateful that He provided you with the means to have this beautiful clothes and a beautiful body to put it on, so you stay away from disobedience of Allah by showing off or looking down upon the less fortunate, for example, and do more good deeds by helping the less fortunate by giving away some of your nice clothes which you haven't worn for many years! And you can think of the many examples that apply to you and take the action. InshaAllah.
And we seek His Mercy and Compassion to give us the blessings and acceptance in what we are about to do.
This is what we should have in our minds and in our hearts when we say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim, and we follow it with the good action and more good actions with the tawfiq from Allah.
So, pause a little bit after you say Bismillah, and reflect on the blessings. Don't rush your Bismillah (or neglect to say the Basmalah) to get to the action without a moment of reflection.
Teach and remind your children this. InshaAllah.
And Allah knows best.
May Allah brings us closer to Him and gives us tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (BismillahirRahmanirRahim) before we start our actions. We say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم before we eat, before we cook, before we enter the bathroom, before we put our clothes on, before we comb our hair, before we step out of the house, before we turn the car ignition, before we write, before we turn on the computer, before we take the exam, before an important job interview, before we make wudu', before we enter the masjid, before praying, before reading the Qur'an, before so many things that we do. Allah knows how many times we say Bismillah everyday. He does not miss it. May Allah accept our Bismillah as good deeds. Ameen.
But what is it that we are really saying when we say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ?
When you say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم you are intending to perform the action in the Name of Allah alone, not in the name of yourself, your friends, your teacher, your boss, your spouse, your children, the person next to you or anyone or anything else.
So at the outset, it reminds us of Allah. It reminds us to make our intentions purely for Allah. Our focus now is towards Allah. We are doing this action for His sake alone and with His help alone. He is the One who gives us the tawfiq to do this. And if He does not will this to happen, even this piece of fish that I am about to chew can fall out of my mouth and be picked up by the cat, or even what I am about to write, will not happen or flow the way I want it, if Allah does not give me the tawfiq.
It is meant for us not to have this feeling of self-consequence or pride, rather to have this feeling of gratitude towards Allah, Lord of the Worlds, who nourishes and benefits us. So we will use what He gives us for the purpose He has created them for us and in the manner He wants us to use them.
Take this simple example, when you put your clothes on your body, it is not to show to people how rich or beautiful you are, but simply to cover your nakedness to please Allah. You feel grateful that He provided you with the means to have this beautiful clothes and a beautiful body to put it on, so you stay away from disobedience of Allah by showing off or looking down upon the less fortunate, for example, and do more good deeds by helping the less fortunate by giving away some of your nice clothes which you haven't worn for many years! And you can think of the many examples that apply to you and take the action. InshaAllah.
And we seek His Mercy and Compassion to give us the blessings and acceptance in what we are about to do.
This is what we should have in our minds and in our hearts when we say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim, and we follow it with the good action and more good actions with the tawfiq from Allah.
So, pause a little bit after you say Bismillah, and reflect on the blessings. Don't rush your Bismillah (or neglect to say the Basmalah) to get to the action without a moment of reflection.
Teach and remind your children this. InshaAllah.
And Allah knows best.
May Allah brings us closer to Him and gives us tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
Wassalaam
Monday, October 4, 2010
If You Want More, You Give More
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Generosity is one of the highest virtues of Islam. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the most generous of people. Generosity is an expression of gratitude to Allah, the Generous One (Al-Karim,) the Provider of all wealth and provision (Ar-Razzaq). If you are grateful to Allah, He swears that He will give you more.
If we claim we are grateful to Allah for His blessings, we should be generous to His creations. If you are not a generous person, you pretend to be one by forcing your hand to give even though your heart refused. One day, inshaAllah, your hand and your heart will work together in harmony in spending Allah's blessings for His sake only.
If it is still difficult to give in charity or pay zakat, remember death will take you and move you on one day. And when that happens, all your possessions will stay behind for others to spend or fight over, while you are facing the trials of the grave alone. May Allah saves us from the trials of the grave. Ameen.
Ali, Allah be pleased with him, said, "The worst person is the miser. In this world he is deprived of his own wealth, and in the Hereafter he is punished."
A miser is constantly worried about money and would not spend his money even on himself or his family for fear of poverty or fear of not having enough. No one like the miser. Even misers loathe each other. This should be enough to turn you away from being one.
"For those who give in Charity, men and women, and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan, it shall be increased manifold (to their credit) and they shall have (besides) a liberal reward." Qur'an Al-Hadid 57:18
"The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower." Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:261
"And the likeness of those who spend their wealth seeking Allah's Pleasure while they in their ownselves are sure and certain that Allah will reward them (for their spending in His Cause), is the likeness of a garden on a height; heavy rain falls on it and it doubles its yield of harvest. And if it does not receive heavy rain, light rain suffices it. And Allah is All-Seer of (knows well) what you do. Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:265
May Allah makes us among His generous servants and protect us from miserliness. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Generosity is one of the highest virtues of Islam. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the most generous of people. Generosity is an expression of gratitude to Allah, the Generous One (Al-Karim,) the Provider of all wealth and provision (Ar-Razzaq). If you are grateful to Allah, He swears that He will give you more.
If we claim we are grateful to Allah for His blessings, we should be generous to His creations. If you are not a generous person, you pretend to be one by forcing your hand to give even though your heart refused. One day, inshaAllah, your hand and your heart will work together in harmony in spending Allah's blessings for His sake only.
If it is still difficult to give in charity or pay zakat, remember death will take you and move you on one day. And when that happens, all your possessions will stay behind for others to spend or fight over, while you are facing the trials of the grave alone. May Allah saves us from the trials of the grave. Ameen.
Ali, Allah be pleased with him, said, "The worst person is the miser. In this world he is deprived of his own wealth, and in the Hereafter he is punished."
A miser is constantly worried about money and would not spend his money even on himself or his family for fear of poverty or fear of not having enough. No one like the miser. Even misers loathe each other. This should be enough to turn you away from being one.
"For those who give in Charity, men and women, and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan, it shall be increased manifold (to their credit) and they shall have (besides) a liberal reward." Qur'an Al-Hadid 57:18
"The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower." Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:261
"And the likeness of those who spend their wealth seeking Allah's Pleasure while they in their ownselves are sure and certain that Allah will reward them (for their spending in His Cause), is the likeness of a garden on a height; heavy rain falls on it and it doubles its yield of harvest. And if it does not receive heavy rain, light rain suffices it. And Allah is All-Seer of (knows well) what you do. Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:265
May Allah makes us among His generous servants and protect us from miserliness. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Relationship
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Remember all your close friends from grade/elementary school or high/secondary school or college/university? You used to share a lot of things with each other--good days and bad days, good news and bad news, you laugh and cry together. You used to see each other everyday and when school was out, you called or wrote to each other. But where are they now? If you are like me, I don't know where most of them are.
At the very core of every relationship is commitment. If you are not committed to a relationship, you have no reason to keep contact, and the relationship will fade away or die. Most can be revived if you want to put the effort into doing so.
Our relationship with Allah is similar to relationships between people except that Allah does not need us but we need Him in every breath we take. It is said that if you want to speak to Allah, make du'a, and if you want Allah to speak to you, read the Qur'an.
So, it is important that we pray and read Qur'an, not once in a while, once a year, but everyday much, to establish and maintain a close relationship with Allah. InshaAllah.
"Verily, those who recite the Book of Allah (this Qur'an), and establish regular Prayer, and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, they hope for a (sure) trade-gain that will never perish. That He may pay them their wages in full, and give them (even) more, out of His Grace. Verily! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (good deeds and to recompense)." Qur'an Fatir 35:29-30
May Allah bring us closer to Him. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Remember all your close friends from grade/elementary school or high/secondary school or college/university? You used to share a lot of things with each other--good days and bad days, good news and bad news, you laugh and cry together. You used to see each other everyday and when school was out, you called or wrote to each other. But where are they now? If you are like me, I don't know where most of them are.
At the very core of every relationship is commitment. If you are not committed to a relationship, you have no reason to keep contact, and the relationship will fade away or die. Most can be revived if you want to put the effort into doing so.
Our relationship with Allah is similar to relationships between people except that Allah does not need us but we need Him in every breath we take. It is said that if you want to speak to Allah, make du'a, and if you want Allah to speak to you, read the Qur'an.
So, it is important that we pray and read Qur'an, not once in a while, once a year, but everyday much, to establish and maintain a close relationship with Allah. InshaAllah.
"Verily, those who recite the Book of Allah (this Qur'an), and establish regular Prayer, and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, they hope for a (sure) trade-gain that will never perish. That He may pay them their wages in full, and give them (even) more, out of His Grace. Verily! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (good deeds and to recompense)." Qur'an Fatir 35:29-30
May Allah bring us closer to Him. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Friday, October 1, 2010
Guide To Prosperity
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Communication from God does not happen to every individual. It only happened to Prophets who inform people of Allah's intent. People are not responsible for their actions until a Prophet is sent. Allah says, "We never punish until We have sent a messenger." This means that the purpose of our lives is tied with finding the true prophet and following his teachings. Our job finding them is the purpose of our lives.
We know someone is true in his claim to Prophethood through the miracles given to them by Allah. A miracle is a breaking of the normal observed order at the hands of a Prophet conjoined with a challenge to meet it. The miracle is as if Allah is telling us that this man is true in what he conveys and they are from Allah. If one cannot match it then one should realize that he cannot do it himself but through the Will of Allah.
Allah has created this universe in certain order. Every single day we see things working the same way. When a man comes and says he represents Allah and the proof is that the stick he is carrying will become a snake when he throws it, and that is what happens, this is a sign that Allah is lifting the norms of nature for this man and telling the people this man is truthful and he should be followed.
This is the case of Prophet Musa, Allah grants him peace. There are other miracles that manifested in his hands mentioned in the Qur'an, for example, the splitting of the sea. In the case of Prophet Isa, Allah grants him peace, among the miracles which were manifested in his hands were bringing the dead to life, curing leper, and creating a bird from a clay and then breathed life into it.
In the case of our Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, he had many miracles. The Qur'an was the greatest miracle. He lived for 40 years among his people and was known for his honesty. He was not able to read or write. At the age of 40, he made a claim to Prophethood and started reciting verses of the most astounding beauty and depth. These verses that he recited had magical effects on the audience.
The Arabs were people of language who were proud of their poetry and literature. They were people whose pride and dominant art form was beautiful language, who would vie in beautiful poetry. When they heard the Qur'an it was altogether a different experience. They were hearing something which really gripped them. It had them wondering and decided to call it magic and woo the Arabs to stay away from this man.
The verses that were recited to them show depth in language and absolute beauty in them. It is a miraculous eloquence. Eloquence is not about being flowery, but about being effective, using the best words to portray the best meaning ordered together in the best way that suits the needs and dictates of the circumstance. Human eloquence has a limit in which it is able to control the audience--perhaps with flashes of brilliance but Allah's speech is all brilliance--every word and every theme. The One who knows what people need and able to offer it, He is the One whose speech is mesmerized. All of it control the heartbeat, all are relevant, all the meanings are majestic, all of it keep one standing on end going through subtle transition from topic to topic. This was a powerful experience for the Arabs.
As an alternative to the charges of being a soothsayer or a madman or a disgruntled poet, there is the charge of a forger or fabricator applied to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he produced the Message. This implies that there can be no revelation or inspiration from God. But if this is so, can they produce a work of man that can compare with the inspired Word of God? They cannot.
'Or they say, "He (Prophet Muhammad SAW) forged it (the Qur'an)." Say: "Bring you then ten forged Surahs (chapters) like unto it, and call whomsoever you can, other than Allah (to your help), if you speak the truth!" If then they answer you not, know then that it [the Revelation (this Qur'an)] is sent down with the Knowledge of Allah and that La ilaha illa Huwa: (none has the right to be worshiped but He)! Will you then be Muslims (those who submit to Islam)? Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter; to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire; and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do.' Qur'an Hud 11-13-16
"Or say they: He has invented it? Nay, but they will not believe! Then let them produce speech the like thereof, if they are truthful." Qur'an The Mount 52:33-34
The Arabs fought battles and died but they did not meet the challenge. Their inability to meet the challenge has been transmitted by mass transmission, which means there is no doubt that they did not meet the challenge.
For those who might say "I don't know Arabic, and so how could this be verified?", the answer to them as well that all our knowledge with respect to layman are based on what expert agreed upon. For example, what we know about the solar system to be true is because the experts agree to the facts. We accept them as facts even though we never been to the solar system. Similarly, if all of the scientist in the world discovered that toothpaste is deadly, you would accept this as true and not use toothpaste anymore. All of our knowledge, with respect to layman, work like that.
It is sufficient to say that the people who were contemporary to Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, were the greatest experts of the Arabic language and they all concurred that this Qur'an is miraculous. They concurred by their actions and refusal to meet the challenge despite the repetition and despite the ease of what they have been asked about.
In fact the inability or the non performance of the Arabs to match this revelation is stronger than following the experts about science. Why? Because they were enemies. If enemies bear witness you are on the truth then you are on the truth. The witness of enemies is stronger than witness of friends because they have an interest to disprove you. The Arabs, in laying down their lives and refusing to indicate that this is a crazy challenge, that it doesn't make sense, that everyone can do this, that we have done that, all of that is the witness of enemies to the truthfulness of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Like fire burns is a conventional norm, if we deny conventional norms, then we have to deny all our knowledge. The Arabs whose ways and religion are being insulted, who hated the Prophet and his message, who tried to kill him and his companions would want to put an end to Islam. The Arabs whose pride and dominant art form was beautiful language, who would vie in beautiful poetry, would stand up to a challenge in their own art. Had they felt that they could have done it, they would have done it and shown the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, to be a liar. Had they shown him to be a liar, he would not repeat the challenge, and people would not flock to him. We know this through mass transmission. This gives us knowledge that the Qur'an is miraculous in its language even if we do not know the language.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, had other miracles, for example, the splitting of the moon, water coming out from his fingers, hearing inanimate objects and his prayers were answered. The sum total of these miracles have come through mass transmission. So we know him to be true in his claim to Prophethood, which means that he is true and trustworthy in what he conveys from His Lord, which is a book of direct speech from Allah, the Qur'an, and his own sayings, the Sunna.
Every word of the Qur'an has reached us through mass transmission. Extreme effort was put into memorizing the Qur'an from the time of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and in every generation after that. People were preferred over others through their memorization. There were huge efforts to memorize in each city the companions and their students went to. There were huge efforts to document the Qur'an in writing and transmit throughout the lands (Kufa, Damascus, etc). All the sects that have appeared in Islam who denied this and that, but no sect have denied that the Qur'an has not been transmitted.
We have no doubt that the Qur'an "...is the Book, whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun [the pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]" Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:2
May Allah guides us, grants us tawfiq and makes us among His righteous slaves. Ameen. Please don't forget me in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Communication from God does not happen to every individual. It only happened to Prophets who inform people of Allah's intent. People are not responsible for their actions until a Prophet is sent. Allah says, "We never punish until We have sent a messenger." This means that the purpose of our lives is tied with finding the true prophet and following his teachings. Our job finding them is the purpose of our lives.
We know someone is true in his claim to Prophethood through the miracles given to them by Allah. A miracle is a breaking of the normal observed order at the hands of a Prophet conjoined with a challenge to meet it. The miracle is as if Allah is telling us that this man is true in what he conveys and they are from Allah. If one cannot match it then one should realize that he cannot do it himself but through the Will of Allah.
Allah has created this universe in certain order. Every single day we see things working the same way. When a man comes and says he represents Allah and the proof is that the stick he is carrying will become a snake when he throws it, and that is what happens, this is a sign that Allah is lifting the norms of nature for this man and telling the people this man is truthful and he should be followed.
This is the case of Prophet Musa, Allah grants him peace. There are other miracles that manifested in his hands mentioned in the Qur'an, for example, the splitting of the sea. In the case of Prophet Isa, Allah grants him peace, among the miracles which were manifested in his hands were bringing the dead to life, curing leper, and creating a bird from a clay and then breathed life into it.
In the case of our Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, he had many miracles. The Qur'an was the greatest miracle. He lived for 40 years among his people and was known for his honesty. He was not able to read or write. At the age of 40, he made a claim to Prophethood and started reciting verses of the most astounding beauty and depth. These verses that he recited had magical effects on the audience.
The Arabs were people of language who were proud of their poetry and literature. They were people whose pride and dominant art form was beautiful language, who would vie in beautiful poetry. When they heard the Qur'an it was altogether a different experience. They were hearing something which really gripped them. It had them wondering and decided to call it magic and woo the Arabs to stay away from this man.
The verses that were recited to them show depth in language and absolute beauty in them. It is a miraculous eloquence. Eloquence is not about being flowery, but about being effective, using the best words to portray the best meaning ordered together in the best way that suits the needs and dictates of the circumstance. Human eloquence has a limit in which it is able to control the audience--perhaps with flashes of brilliance but Allah's speech is all brilliance--every word and every theme. The One who knows what people need and able to offer it, He is the One whose speech is mesmerized. All of it control the heartbeat, all are relevant, all the meanings are majestic, all of it keep one standing on end going through subtle transition from topic to topic. This was a powerful experience for the Arabs.
As an alternative to the charges of being a soothsayer or a madman or a disgruntled poet, there is the charge of a forger or fabricator applied to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he produced the Message. This implies that there can be no revelation or inspiration from God. But if this is so, can they produce a work of man that can compare with the inspired Word of God? They cannot.
'Or they say, "He (Prophet Muhammad SAW) forged it (the Qur'an)." Say: "Bring you then ten forged Surahs (chapters) like unto it, and call whomsoever you can, other than Allah (to your help), if you speak the truth!" If then they answer you not, know then that it [the Revelation (this Qur'an)] is sent down with the Knowledge of Allah and that La ilaha illa Huwa: (none has the right to be worshiped but He)! Will you then be Muslims (those who submit to Islam)? Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter; to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire; and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do.' Qur'an Hud 11-13-16
"Or say they: He has invented it? Nay, but they will not believe! Then let them produce speech the like thereof, if they are truthful." Qur'an The Mount 52:33-34
The Arabs fought battles and died but they did not meet the challenge. Their inability to meet the challenge has been transmitted by mass transmission, which means there is no doubt that they did not meet the challenge.
For those who might say "I don't know Arabic, and so how could this be verified?", the answer to them as well that all our knowledge with respect to layman are based on what expert agreed upon. For example, what we know about the solar system to be true is because the experts agree to the facts. We accept them as facts even though we never been to the solar system. Similarly, if all of the scientist in the world discovered that toothpaste is deadly, you would accept this as true and not use toothpaste anymore. All of our knowledge, with respect to layman, work like that.
It is sufficient to say that the people who were contemporary to Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, were the greatest experts of the Arabic language and they all concurred that this Qur'an is miraculous. They concurred by their actions and refusal to meet the challenge despite the repetition and despite the ease of what they have been asked about.
In fact the inability or the non performance of the Arabs to match this revelation is stronger than following the experts about science. Why? Because they were enemies. If enemies bear witness you are on the truth then you are on the truth. The witness of enemies is stronger than witness of friends because they have an interest to disprove you. The Arabs, in laying down their lives and refusing to indicate that this is a crazy challenge, that it doesn't make sense, that everyone can do this, that we have done that, all of that is the witness of enemies to the truthfulness of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Like fire burns is a conventional norm, if we deny conventional norms, then we have to deny all our knowledge. The Arabs whose ways and religion are being insulted, who hated the Prophet and his message, who tried to kill him and his companions would want to put an end to Islam. The Arabs whose pride and dominant art form was beautiful language, who would vie in beautiful poetry, would stand up to a challenge in their own art. Had they felt that they could have done it, they would have done it and shown the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, to be a liar. Had they shown him to be a liar, he would not repeat the challenge, and people would not flock to him. We know this through mass transmission. This gives us knowledge that the Qur'an is miraculous in its language even if we do not know the language.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, had other miracles, for example, the splitting of the moon, water coming out from his fingers, hearing inanimate objects and his prayers were answered. The sum total of these miracles have come through mass transmission. So we know him to be true in his claim to Prophethood, which means that he is true and trustworthy in what he conveys from His Lord, which is a book of direct speech from Allah, the Qur'an, and his own sayings, the Sunna.
Every word of the Qur'an has reached us through mass transmission. Extreme effort was put into memorizing the Qur'an from the time of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and in every generation after that. People were preferred over others through their memorization. There were huge efforts to memorize in each city the companions and their students went to. There were huge efforts to document the Qur'an in writing and transmit throughout the lands (Kufa, Damascus, etc). All the sects that have appeared in Islam who denied this and that, but no sect have denied that the Qur'an has not been transmitted.
We have no doubt that the Qur'an "...is the Book, whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun [the pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]" Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:2
May Allah guides us, grants us tawfiq and makes us among His righteous slaves. Ameen. Please don't forget me in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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