Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #7 (Four Simple Actions)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said,

O mankind! Spread the salutation, feed the poor and needy, join the ties of kinship and offer prayers at night while the people are asleep and you shall enter Paradise in peace.

[Ibn Majah]

With tawfiq and success, and tawfiq is from Allah alone. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #6 (Visiting a Sick Muslim)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said, “The one who visits the sick is like a person who is in a fruit garden of Paradise until he returns.” [Sahih Muslim]

The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, also taught us to make this du'a seven times when visiting the sick.

أَسْـأَلُ اللهَ العَـظيـم، رَبَّ العَـرْشِ العَـظيـم أَنْ يَشْفـيك

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said,

If anyone visits a sick whose time (of death) has not come, and says with him seven times: I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the mighty Throne, to cure you, Allah will cure him from that disease.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:

Allah (Mighty and Sublime be He) will say on the Day of Resurrection:
O son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so had fallen ill and you visited him not? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so asked you for food and you fed him not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you to give Me to drink and you gave Me not to drink. He will say: O Lord, how should I give You to drink whin You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: My servant So-and-so asked you to give him to drink and you gave him not to drink. Had you given him to drink you would have surely found that with Me.
It was related by Muslim.

May Allah let us reach Ramadhan and gaze upon us on this first night, and grant us excellent health and excellent worship throughout Ramadhan. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #5 (Be pleased with Allah, Islam and His Messenger)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

“Whoever says ‘I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion and Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) as my Prophet’ Paradise becomes compulsory for them." (Abu Dawud)

رَضيـتُ بِاللهِ رَبَّاً ، وَبِمُحَمَّـدٍ رَسـولاً وَبِالإِسْلامِ دينَـاً

radheetu billaahi Rabban, wa bi-Muhammadin Rasoolan wa bil'islaami deenan

Allah Mighty and Majestic gives such tremendous reward and makes Paradise compulsory for a person in return for such small action which requires little effort. However, this does not mean that mere utterance of these words is sufficient. One must also act upon these words by worshiping Allah alone, being pleased with Allah as the Lord, striving to perform that which He orders and avoid that which He prohibits, and following the Sunnah of His Messenger sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam and taking his path and rejecting all other paths.

May Allah grant us Tawfiq. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Preparing For The Merciful's Gaze

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Baihaqi relates,

“When it is the first night of the month of Ramadhan, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, gazes to them and the one to whom Allah looks, He does not punish him, ever.”

The place to which Allah looks is the heart. So the scholars of Islam encouraged us to prepare our hearts for Allah's gaze.

We can purify our hearts in preparation for the Merciful's gaze by pardoning His servants.

Allah says:

وَجَزَٰٓؤُا۟ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا ۖ فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from Allah. Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers. (Qur'an Ash-Shura 42:40)

If someone have wronged you, you must not seek a compensation greater than the injury suffered. The most you can do is to demand equal redress. But the ideal mode is not to slake your thirst for vengeance, but to follow better ways leading to the reform of the offender or his reconciliation. You can take steps to prevent repetition, by physical or moral means. The best moral means would be to turn hatred into friendship by forgiveness and love. In that case the compensation or reward is infinitely greater, for it wins the good pleasure of Allah.

Tabarani relates that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, said,

"A caller will call [on the Day of Rising], ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ Then he will call a second time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ It will be said, ‘Who is the one whose reward is upon Allah, Mighty and Majestic?’ He will say, ‘Those who pardon people.’ Then he will call a third time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter Paradise.’ Then so and so many thousand will stand and enter Paradise without reckoning."

One of the qualities that would prevent us from Allah's gaze is malice. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, taught us of the Night of Power and the Half Night of Sha’ban that those who harbor rancor, mistreat parents, sever bonds of kinship or drink are prevented from Allah’s merciful gaze.

There is nothing greater than winning Allah's good pleasure. So, let us now remove all malice in our hearts and pardon everybody and seek forgiveness from our parents and those we have wronged. Please forgive me for all my shortcomings.

May Allah bless us with His Merciful gaze on the first night of Ramadhan. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #4 (Praying 12 Voluntary Cycles of Prayer)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said, “Whoever prays twelve units (of voluntary prayer) during the night and day, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.” [At-Tirmidhi]

The twelve units of voluntary prayer mentioned in this hadith consists of:

Four (4) cycles before Dhuhr and two (2) cycles after it
Two (2) cycles after Maghrib
Two (2) cycles after Isha’
Two (2) cycles before Fajr

Tawfiq. Please keep us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #3 (Reciting Ayatul Kursi After Each Obligatory Prayer)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said, “Whoever recites Ayat Al-Kursi after each obligatory prayer, then nothing stands in his way to Paradise except death.” (An-Nasaa'i)

The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, described this verse as the greatest verse in the Qur'an. It is considered to be protection from all types of evil. In it the Most Great Name of Allah, Al-Adhim, is mentioned, along with other beautiful Names, Al-Hayy (The Ever Living One), Al-Qayyum (The Self-Existing One) and Al-'Aliyy (The Most High).

ٱللَّـهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

(Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:255)

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #2 (Encompass the 99 Names of Allah)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said “Allah has ninety nine Names, one less than a hundred, whoever encompasses them enters Paradise”. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Allah’s names are not restricted to 99. The meaning of “encompasses” Allah’s Names is to affirm them, memorize them and understand their meanings.

Related Archives:
Beautiful Windows
Allah

May Allah teach us the knowledge of His Names. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #1 (Four Good Deeds)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq radi Allahu anhu is the greatest companion of the Prophet sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam and was always the first in performing good deeds.

The Prophet, sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam, asked: “Who is fasting today?” Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu replied, “Me”. The Prophet, sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam, asked, “Who has followed a funeral procession today?” Abu Bakr, radi Allahu anhu, replied, “Me”. The Prophet, sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam, asked, “Who has fed a poor person today?” Abu Bakr, radi Allahu anhu, replied, “Me”. The Prophet, sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam, asked, “Who has visited a sick person today?” Abu Bakr, radi Allahu anhu, replied, “Me”. The Prophet, sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam, then said, “Any person that has done these four things in one day will enter Paradise.”
[Sahih Muslim]

This hadith shows the virtue of performing four types of actions (i.e. Fasting, Visiting a sick person, Following a funeral procession, Feeding a poor person) in one single day. The person who does these four actions in one day will be granted Paradise. Don't let the opportunity to do any of these four acts pass you by.

May Allah give us the opportunity to do all four actions in one day. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Correct Hijaab

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah says,

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١

And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed. (31)

(Qur'an an-Nur 24:31)

Wearing hijaab is not to be taken lightly. It is a command of Allah and must be observed by all women who have reached puberty. Like teaching children to pray from age 7, parents should acquaint their daughters to wearing hijaab from around this age so they become used to it and don't find difficulty to fulfill this command when it becomes obligatory upon them.

The lowest form of hijaab or minimum hijaab is to cover all of your body except your hands and face. If some hair above your forehead is showing, this is not correct hijaab. If part of your ears or neck or feet is showing, this is not correct hijaab.

If you just look around you, you will find 90-95% of women, even with their head covers and their bodies covered, are not fulfilling the requirements of hijaab. Some of them are wearing flashy and colorful clothes or wearing makeup, befitting of a fashion show. Most women who cover their heads, they also have their arms showing or their feet showing or their hair showing or their size and shape showing or you can see through their clothes or you can smell their perfume. This is not correct hijaab.

The idea of hijaab is not to draw attention to you. So, the clothes you wear should not be something that attract attention to you but something that give you more humility. The clothing must hang loose so that the shape/form of your body or part of your body is not apparent. The material must not be thin that one can see through it. The clothes should not be an adornment in and of itself. Bold designs and colors, and elaborate or fancy/flashy head covers should be avoided because this only attract attention to you. Likewise, if you decorate or paint your face (e.g. with makeup) or expose your adornment, you will naturally attract men's attention to you or even inviting men to talk to you. This defies the idea of hijaab.

The purpose of hijaab for women is to prevent fitnah (temptation), and this can only be avoided if you cover your body with wide and loose, and non-flashy clothes. Tight clothes, even if they conceal the color of the skin, describe the size and shape of your body or part of it, and create a vivid image in the minds of men. So, jeans, pants, tights and leggings are out--they should not be worn unless you cover them with long loose skirt/dress.

Allah says,

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَـٰبِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّـهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

(Qur'an Ahzab 33:59)

The Prophet, Allah bless him an grant him peace, said,

“If a woman prays her five (daily prayers), fasts her month (i.e. Ramadan), guards her private parts, and obeys her husband, it will be said to her, ‘Enter Paradise through whichever of the gates of Paradise you wish.’” (Bukhari)

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Striving For A Good Ending

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

All of us want a good ending. But what guarantee do we have that our end is going to be good except that we live a good life, acting in accordance with whatever that has been prescribed for us in the Shari'ah.

Whoever is of the People of Bliss then Allah will make easy for him the actions of the People of Bliss, whereas whoever is of the People of Misery then Allah will make easy for him the actions of the People of Misery.

Allah says,

إِنَّ سَعۡيَكُمۡ لَشَتَّىٰ (٤) فَأَمَّا مَنۡ أَعۡطَىٰ وَٱتَّقَىٰ (٥) وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ (٦) فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ ۥ لِلۡيُسۡرَىٰ (٧) وَأَمَّا مَنۢ بَخِلَ وَٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰ (٨) وَكَذَّبَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ (٩) فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ ۥ لِلۡعُسۡرَىٰ (١٠) وَمَا يُغۡنِى عَنۡهُ مَالُهُ ۥۤ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰٓ (١١) إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا لَلۡهُدَىٰ (١٢) وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلۡأَخِرَةَ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰ (١٣) فَأَنذَرۡتُكُمۡ نَارً۬ا تَلَظَّىٰ (١٤) لَا يَصۡلَٮٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلۡأَشۡقَى (١٥) ٱلَّذِى كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ (١٦) وَسَيُجَنَّبُہَا ٱلۡأَتۡقَى (١٧) ٱلَّذِى يُؤۡتِى مَالَهُ ۥ يَتَزَكَّىٰ (١٨) وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ ۥ مِن نِّعۡمَةٍ۬ تُجۡزَىٰٓ (١٩) إِلَّا ٱبۡتِغَآءَ وَجۡهِ رَبِّهِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ (٢٠) وَلَسَوۡفَ يَرۡضَىٰ (٢١

Verily, (the ends) you strive for are diverse. (4) So he who gives (in charity) and fears (Allah), (5) And (in all sincerity) testifies to the best,- (6) We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Bliss. (7) But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient, (8) And gives the lie to the best,- (9) We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Misery; (10) Nor will his wealth profit him when he falls headlong (into the Pit). (11) Verily We take upon Ourselves to guide, (12) And verily unto Us (belong) the End and the Beginning. (13) Therefore do I warn you of a Fire blazing fiercely; (14)None shall reach it but those most unfortunate ones (15) Who give the lie to Truth and turn their backs. (16) But those most devoted to Allah shall be removed far from it,- (17) Those who spend their wealth for increase in self-purification, (18) And have in their minds no favor from anyone for which a reward is expected in return, (19) But only the desire to seek for the Countenance of their Lord Most High; (20) And soon will they attain (complete) satisfaction. (21)
 
(Qur'an al-Lail 92:-21)

The good are distinguished here by three signs: (1) large-hearted sacrifices for Allah and people; (2) fear of Allah, which shows itself in righteous conduct for taqwa includes just action as well as a mental state; and (3) truth and sincerity in recognizing and supporting all that is morally beautiful for Ḥusn is the good as well as the beautiful.

The evil are distinguished here by three signs: (1) selfish greed and denial of other people’s rights; (2) arrogance and self-sufficiency; and (3) knowingly dishonoring Truth, or seeing ugliness where there is beauty. Such person’s decline gathers momentum as they go, and their end can be nothing but Misery.

May Allah grant us good in this life and the next and make our ending at the highest of iman. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Manners With Allah Most High

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When Allah created Adam and ordered Iblis and Angels to bow to Adam, the Angels bowed to Adam but Iblis didn't. Iblis made a mistake and he sinned. After that Allah put Adam in Paradise and said not to eat from a particular tree but Adam ate from the tree. He made a mistake. How did Adam and Iblis responded to their respective mistakes?

Adam said to Allah "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers." He sought forgiveness. Iblis said to Allah "You (Allah) misled me."

Both Adam and Iblis said something which is true--that we have a choice and Allah created everything. When Adam made his sin, he looked at the fact that he chose to do what he did. When Iblis made his sin, he looked to the fact that Allah created his action. But the outcome is different. Allah forgave Adam, chose him for his mission on earth. Adam was sent down to earth in honor. Allah cursed Iblis and he was sentenced to eternity to Hell. Iblis was sent down to earth as a trial for us.

Allah says,

فَوَسۡوَسَ لَهُمَا ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ لِيُبۡدِىَ لَهُمَا مَا وُ ۥرِىَ عَنۡہُمَا مِن سَوۡءَٲتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَہَٮٰكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنۡ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيۡنِ أَوۡ تَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰلِدِينَ (٢٠) وَقَاسَمَهُمَآ إِنِّى لَكُمَا لَمِنَ ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَ (٢١) فَدَلَّٮٰهُمَا بِغُرُورٍ۬‌ۚ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا ٱلشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتۡ لَهُمَا سَوۡءَٲتُہُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخۡصِفَانِ عَلَيۡہِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ‌ۖ وَنَادَٮٰهُمَا رَبُّہُمَآ أَلَمۡ أَنۡہَكُمَا عَن تِلۡكُمَا ٱلشَّجَرَةِ وَأَقُل لَّكُمَآ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬ (٢٢) قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرِينَ (٢٣) قَالَ ٱهۡبِطُواْ بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ۬‌ۖ وَلَكُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُسۡتَقَرٌّ۬ وَمَتَـٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ۬ (٢٤) قَالَ فِيہَا تَحۡيَوۡنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنۡہَا تُخۡرَجُونَ (٢٥

Then Shaytan (Satan) whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts (before); he said: "Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save that you should become angels or become of the immortals." (20) And he [Shaytan (Satan)] swore by Allah to them both (saying): "Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both." (21) So he misled them with deception. Then when they tasted of the tree, that which was hidden from them of their shame (private parts) became manifest to them and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise (in order to cover their shame). And their Lord called out to them (saying): "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you: Verily, Shaytan (Satan) is an open enemy unto you?" (22) They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers." (23) (Allah) said: "Get down, one of you is an enemy to the other [i.e. Adam, Hawwa (Eve), and Shaytan (Satan),]. On earth will be a dwelling-place for you and an enjoyment, - for a time." (24) He said: "Therein you shall live, and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (i.e.resurrected)." (25)

(Qur'an Al-Araf 7:20-25)

Allah says,

قَالَ يَـٰٓإِبۡلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلَّا تَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ (٣٢) قَالَ لَمۡ أَكُن لِّأَسۡجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقۡتَهُ ۥ مِن صَلۡصَـٰلٍ۬ مِّنۡ حَمَإٍ۬ مَّسۡنُونٍ۬ (٣٣) قَالَ فَٱخۡرُجۡ مِنۡہَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ۬ (٣٤) وَإِنَّ عَلَيۡكَ ٱللَّعۡنَةَ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ (٣٥) قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرۡنِىٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ (٣٦) قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنظَرِينَ (٣٧) إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡوَقۡتِ ٱلۡمَعۡلُومِ (٣٨) قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَغۡوَيۡتَنِى لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَأُغۡوِيَنَّہُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ (٣٩) إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنۡہُمُ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ (٤٠) قَالَ هَـٰذَا صِرَٲطٌ عَلَىَّ مُسۡتَقِيمٌ (٤١

(Allah) said: "O Iblis (Satan)! What is your reason for not being among the prostrators?" (32) [Iblis (Satan)] said: "I am not the one to prostrate myself to a human being, whom You created from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud." (33) (Allah) said: "Then, get out from here, for verily, you are Rajim (an outcast or a cursed one)." [Tafsir At-Tabari] (34) "And verily, the curse shall be upon you till the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)." (35) [Iblis (Satan)] said: "O my Lord! Give me then respite till the Day they (the dead) will be resurrected." (36) Allâh said: "Then, verily, you are of those reprieved, (37) "Till the Day of the time appointed." (38) [Iblis (Satan)] said: "O my Lord! Because you misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all. (39) "Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them." (40) (Allah) said: "This is the Way which will lead straight to Me." (41)

(Qur'an Al-Hijr 15:32-41)

What we learn from these incidents is our manners with Allah.

So, where do we look when we made a mistake? The manners with Allah and the way of the prophets is to look at ourselves. What comes out of it is repentance. Repentance is beloved to Allah.

If we do a good deed, we look at Allah who created it. What comes out of it is gratitude, humility and fear. You are grateful for your prayer, for example; you are humble before Allah because you won't be able to do it without Him, and you are afraid that He does not help you to perform the next prayer. If you look at yourself for the good deed, pride, arrogance or feeling invincible can result.

When disaster happen, you are patient and look at Allah and say "inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun" (Verily, to Allah we belong and to Him we return). You don't look at yourself and say "had I done this or that it would not have happen" because bitterness will result.

When reviewing our responsibilities to the commands of Allah, we look at our choices because planning comes about. For example, I have to pray Fajr tomorrow morning so I have to make sure I set my alarm before I go to sleep because I am responsible to fulfill Allah's command.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaaam

Upon Five Pillars

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Islam is what takes us to Paradise and saves us from Hell.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Islam has been built on five pillars: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is the Messenger of Allah, perfecting the prayers, giving the obligatory alms (zakat), making the pilgrimage to the House (hajj), and fasting in Ramadhan. (related by Bukhari and Muslim)

If you have these five in your life, your religion is supported. It might be a small amount, or big amount, but if the five supports are there, it is going to stand strong. And if you don't have these five, your house is standing on something extremely wobbly. And if a big bad wolf was to come and go huff and puff, your house would blow over. When the house is blown over, where will you end up?

Allah says:

أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ اللَّـهِ وَرِ‌ضْوَانٍ خَيْرٌ‌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُ‌فٍ هَارٍ‌ فَانْهَارَ‌ بِهِ فِي نَارِ‌ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allah and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
(Qur'an At-Tawba 9:109)

So, whoever wants to end up in Paradise, he should look at the five supports. These are the most beloved acts to Allah Most High.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Spiritual Poverty

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

If we love our worldly ties and comforts, profits and pleasures, more than we love Allah, we will be left with spiritual poverty, bereft of grace and guidance: "for Allah guides not the rebellious". It is no wonder that some people can listen to music for hours or dance all night but they can't stand listening to a few minutes of Qu'ran or stand a few minutes in prayer. They memorize songs and sing them beautifully but they won't learn how to read the Qur'an and read the Qu'ran, the words of Allah. These people and the like, they better watch out.

قُلْ إِن كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّـهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّـهُ بِأَمْرِهِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

Say: 'If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your clan, your possessions that you have gained, commerce you fear may slacken, dwellings you love -- if these are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and to struggle in His way, then wait till Allah brings His command; Allah guides not the rebellious.' (Qur'an At-Tawba 9:24)

The greatest acts of Faith is loving and hating for the sake of Allah. You love and don't love someone is based on what Allah loves and doesn't love. So, for example, you love this so-and-so because he is righteous and you don't love this so-and-so because he is not righteous, regardless of his riches, fame or beauty/looks.

How is it possible for someone to overcome his own desires and replace them with what Allah loves? The scholars said it is not possible without love of Allah itself as the guide. So, love of Allah is both a goal in religion and a means to attain closeness to Allah.

The one who loves Allah obeys Him. He will not get bored or feel bored of doing good deeds and acts that Allah loves, that will draw them closer to Allah. He always seeks and strives to do good deeds and acts and he does them only for Allah's pleasure. His heart is purified and he always remembers Allah.

O Allah I ask You that You love me and the love of those who love You and to enable me also to love every act and deed that may bring me closer to You. (Prophetic du'a)

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

The Swans

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

As the migration season was about over, the mother swan finally figured out a way to transport her 2 young children who cannot fly very well. She instructed her children to each bite on to one side of her wings and told them that they will see wonderful and exciting and not so wonderful and exciting things along the journey but warned them not to ask her any questions but hold on to the bite and be patient. So, off she went up and up the sky with her 2 children on each side of her wings. As they were passing a great valley full of colors, one of the children looked down. Curious as to what it was, he asked the mom but before long...he hit the ground. The sister who saw what happened to the brother tried to alert her mom...and before long she too hit the ground.

This is a rough summary from a children story book I read when I was 7 or 8 years old. I do wish I can find the story book because the book will give you a much better storytelling (I have forgotten most of the details).

When I told my children this story the other day, the first thing that they asked...why didn't the mom told her children that they will die if they opened their mouths?

The morale of the story is that you follow what your parents tell you. There maybe no explanation that you can understand for why they want you to do certain things; or it might take too much time to explain and there isn't much time; or it might be of little or no benefit at that moment to provide the reasons when the act being sought is of urgent nature; or any explanation might open to questions which answers do not make any difference to the command or act being sought and only lead to unnecessary waste of time.

This is also true in seeking religious knowledge or learning how to read Qur'an with proper tajweed. Maybe it gives us comfort to know the reasons and evidence for certain rulings, but we don't learn this way all the time. It is of no benefit to you when the objective is to start doing the acts properly. Already there is plenty to learn just to get our acts of worship done properly or reading the Qur'an properly for that matter. Proofs and evidences is for higher level of studies.

Here, the mother swan was more concerned of getting out of the region before the blizzards. She had a small window and the journey was long. The mother swan knew this because she had been around for a while and have experienced many migrations. Her main concern was to save her children from disaster. It is ironic that the little one's curiosity led to his demise and his sister's demise, but who to blame when they didn't listen to the one who has knowledge and wisdom?

So, we hear and we obey.

آمَنَ الرَّ‌سُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّ‌بِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُ‌سُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّ‌قُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّ‌سُلِهِ ۚ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَ‌انَكَ رَ‌بَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ‌ ﴿٢٨٥

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

May Allah help us to obey Him. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

No AC

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Some of us are experiencing the intense hot summer now. This should be nothing but a great reminder for the Day to come, when there will be no other shade except under Allah's Throne. On that day, some people will have ease while others will have tremendous difficulty.

On that Day the sinners will be in the Blazing Fire, no cool shades, no air conditioner (AC), no fans. They will only see shadow of smoke, ascending in three columns, right, left, and above, i.e., completely enveloping them.

Allah says,

وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴿٢٨﴾ ٱنطَلِقُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَا كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾ ٱنطَلِقُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ ظِلٍّ ذِى ثَلَـٰثِ شُعَبٍ ﴿٣٠﴾ لَّا ظَلِيلٍ وَلَا يُغْنِى مِنَ ٱللَّهَبِ ﴿٣١﴾ إِنَّهَا تَرْمِى بِشَرَرٍ كَٱلْقَصْرِ ﴿٣٢﴾ كَأَنَّهُۥ جِمَـٰلَتٌ صُفْرٌ ﴿٣٣﴾ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴿٣٤﴾ هَـٰذَا يَوْمُ لَا يَنطِقُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾ وَلَا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ ﴿٣٦﴾ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

Woe that day unto those who cry it lies! (28) Depart to that you cried was lies! (29) Depart to a triple-massing shadow (30) unshading against the blazing flame (31) that shoots sparks like dry faggots, (32)
(Qur'an al-Mursalat 77:28-32)

وَأَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ مَآ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ ﴿٤١﴾ فِى سَمُومٍ وَحَمِيمٍ ﴿٤٢﴾ وَظِلٍّ مِّن يَحْمُومٍ ﴿٤٣﴾ لَّا بَارِدٍ وَلَا
كَرِيمٍ ﴿٤٤

And the companions of the left - what are the companions of the left? (41) [They will be] in scorching fire and scalding water (42) And a shade of black smoke, (43) Neither cool nor beneficial. (44)
(Qur'an Al-Waqi'ah 56:41-44)

The fruits of righteousness are contentment in this life and the supreme Bliss in the next.

Allah says,

إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى ظِلَـٰلٍ وَعُيُونٍ ﴿٤١﴾ وَفَوَ‌ٰكِهَ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾ كُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ هَنِيٓـًٔۢا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾ إِنَّا كَذَ‌ٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٤٤

Truly the Godfearing shall dwell amid shades and fountains, (41) and such fruits as their hearts desire: (42) 'Eat and drink, with wholesome appetite, for that you were working.' (43) Even so do We recompense the good-doers. (44)
Qur'an al-Mursalat 77:41-44)

وَأَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْيَمِينِ مَآ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْيَمِينِ ﴿٢٧﴾ فِى سِدْرٍ مَّخْضُودٍ ﴿٢٨﴾ وَطَلْحٍ مَّنضُودٍ ﴿٢٩﴾ وَظِلٍّ مَّمْدُودٍ ﴿٣٠﴾ وَمَآءٍ مَّسْكُوبٍ ﴿٣١﴾ وَفَـٰكِهَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ ﴿٣٢﴾ لَّا مَقْطُوعَةٍ وَلَا مَمْنُوعَةٍ ﴿٣٣﴾ وَفُرُشٍ مَّرْفُوعَةٍ ﴿٣٤﴾ إِنَّآ أَنشَأْنَـٰهُنَّ إِنشَآءً ﴿٣٥﴾ فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُنَّ أَبْكَارًا ﴿٣٦﴾ عُرُبًا أَتْرَابًا ﴿٣٧﴾

The companions of the right - what are the companions of the right? (27) [They will be] among lote trees with thorns removed (28) And [banana] trees layered [with fruit] (29) And shade extended (30) And water poured out (31) And fruit, abundant [and varied], (32) Neither limited [to season] nor forbidden, (33) And [upon] beds raised high. (34) Indeed, We have produced the women of Paradise in a [new] creation (35) And made them virgins, (36) Devoted [to their husbands] and of equal age, (37)
Qur'an Al-Waqi'ah 56:27-37)

May Allah grant us His shade, save us from the Hellfire and enter us into His Gardens among the righteous. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

P.S. my banana tree indoor project to cool my environment inshaAllah. Stay in touch for updates.

Day 1...Planted June 29, 2011

Day 11...a new leaf in the center opens

Day 19...keep growing

Looking Back

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Someone brought to my attention to an old posting Completing The Qur'an and I thought I share with you here. It's been more than 18 months since it was posted and many things have changed in our lives since then (and we are that much closer to our graves) but have we improved in our relationship with Allah?

If someone were to keep up with reading and learning the meanings, even a page a day, it would have definitely improved his connection with Allah, inshaAllah, and he should by now about to complete reciting the entire Qur'an, the Book of Guidance. And if he read a juz (about 20 pages) or half a juz (about 10 pages) a day, he would have completed the whole Qur'an many times over, and would have reaped tremendous blessings, by His mercy and generosity.

If you have neglected to read the Qur'an everyday, it is never too late to start. Think about this. How long really does it take to read a page or two of a book. Many people can finish reading a novel in a day and some children complete reading a Harry Potter book, which some are thicker than the Qu'ran, within a few days.

One of the best ways to motivate yourself and keep on top of this is to gather your family members (and friends) and assign a number of pages for each person to read on a daily basis and do a khatma after everyone has finished their portion--it can be weekly or bi-weekly, monthly or bi-monthly depending on how many committed people you have. And each person will continue reading the next pages for the next khatma. In that way each person would complete reciting the entire Qur'an after a few rounds of khatma. If Allah has blessed you with a few children and they can read, you already have your own group. If you are married, you and your spouse can start this. It is a great means to keep your loved ones together and a good preparation for Ramadhan.

We cannot bring back the moment that has gone by. Remember, "Verily, Man is in loss, except those who believe, and do righteous deeds, and counsel each other to the truth, and counsel each other to be steadfast. (Qur'an al-Asr) So make sure we are acutely aware of what we do from this moment onward and not waste time but rush to do good.

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), who said:

Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has supernumerary angels who rove about seeking out gatherings in which Allah's name is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other, filling that which is between them and between the lowest heaven. When the people in the gathering depart, the angels ascend and rise up to heaven. He, Allah bless him and give him peace said: Then Allah (mighty and sublime be He) asks them - though He is most knowing about them: From where have you come? And they say: We have come from some servants of Yours on Earth: they were glorifying You (SubhanAllah), exalting you (Allahu akbar), witnessing that there is no god but You (La ilaha illa llah), praising You (Al-Hamdu lillah), and asking [favors] of You. He says: And what do they ask of Me? They say: They ask of You Your Paradise. He says: And have they seen My Paradise? They say: No, O Lord. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Paradise! They say: And they ask protection of You. He says: From what do they ask protection of Me? They say: From Your Hell-fire, O Lord. He says: And have they seen My Hell-fire? They say: NO. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire! They say: And they ask for Your forgiveness. He (the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace) said: Then He says: I have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for,and I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection. He (the Prophet, Allah bless him and gran him peace) said: They say: O Lord, among then is So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with them. He (the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: And He says: And to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not suffer.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i).

May Allah give you tawfiq. Ameen. Please remember us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Raising A Good Muslim

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Our children are our responsibility before Allah. It is obligatory to raise them well as Muslims and teach them obligatory knowledge. Some of the traits that we should inculcate in them is humility, haya' (sense of shame), and respect for their parents, elders and teachers.

If we raise our children well, we will share the reward for their good deeds, and if we don't, we will share the sin of their bad deeds. We should neither be too strict nor too lax with them. There should be a balance but Islamic principles should not be compromised.

Children are very influenced by the company they keep. If they have good company, it will not make your job so difficult to raise them as good Muslims. By good means practicing Muslim with good character. So, this should be your top order of things--weed out their friends. It is easier to do this now than later when you are trying to fix things that have gone bad. I always believe that it is better for them not to have any friends than having one non Muslim friend, even if this non Muslim has an excellent behavior, because he does not pray. Allah knows best.

I remember one of my children came up with this brilliant argument in order to persuade me to let him go out with his school friends (non Muslim) or to have them come over--he said he can do da'wah to them. We know all too well that it is easier to follow bad than to follow good. Who is going to remind him to pray when no one else prays, just to name one very important duty that we should teach our children and not be lax about with them right from beginning. Prayer is the mark of a Muslim. So, I told him that it was more important that he did da'wah on himself, and show him the areas that needed it--and for majority of our children (and us, for that matter), this is not difficult to do; we have many shortcomings.

Reading Surah Luqman (and meanings) with them regularly is a helpful reminder.

This Surah relates to Wisdom and the Qur’an is appropriately called the Wise Book, or the Book of Wisdom. In verse 12 there is a reference to Luqman the Wise. "Wise" in this sense (Hakim) means not only a man versed in knowledge, human and Divine, but one carrying out in practical conduct ('amal) the right course in life to the utmost of his power. His knowledge is correct and practical, but not necessarily complete: for no man is perfect. The ideal was fulfilled in a most remarkable degree in the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and in the Sacred Book which was revealed through him.

Therefore, it is of great importance to teach our children the life of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and cultivate the love for him, for he is the best role model.

The righteous can be distinguished by three marks, which are summed up in the phrase "doers of good" in this Surah, i.e. (1) they yearn towards Allah in duty, love and prayer, (2) they love and serve their fellow-men in charity, (3) they win peace and rest for themselves in the assured hope of the Future. They get the blessings because they submit their will to Allah’s Will and receive His guidance. They will do well in this life (from the highest standpoint) and will reach their true Goal in the Future.

May Allah guide us and help us raise our children well. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

A Trust

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

A trust is something given to a person, over which he has a power of disposition: he is expected to use it as directed or expected, but he has the power to use it otherwise. There is no trust if the trustee has no power, and the trust implies that the giver of the trust believes and expects that the trustee would use it according to the wish of the creator of the trust, and not otherwise.

Allah says,

إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنسَانُ ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا ﴿٧٢﴾ لِّيُعَذِّبَ اللَّـهُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ وَالْمُشْرِكَاتِ وَيَتُوبَ اللَّـهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٧٣

Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant. (72) [It was] so that Allah may punish the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and the men and women who associate others with Him and that Allah may accept repentance from the believing men and believing women. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (73)

The heavens, the earth and the mountains preferred to submit their will entirely to God’s Will, which is All-Wise and Perfect, and which would give them far more happiness than a faculty of choice, with their imperfect knowledge. But Man was too audacious and ignorant to realize this and undertake the trust. Man as a race has been disrupted: the evil ones have betrayed the trust and brought Punishment upon themselves, though the good have been able to rise far above other Creation, to be among the Muqarrabin, the nearest ones to God

أُولَـٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ

Those are the ones brought near [to Allah]
(Qur'an Al-Waqi'ah 56:11)

تَرْجِعُونَهَا إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾ فَأَمَّا إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ ﴿٨٨﴾ فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٍ ﴿٨٩

Then, if he be of those brought nigh the Throne, (88) there shall be repose and ease, and a Garden of Delight; (89) (Qur'an Al-Waqi'ah 56:88-89)

One's faith is not complete, no matter if the person prays and weeps during prayer, or puts on a beard or turban (for man) or hijab or niqab (for woman), if the person is not trustworthy, i.e. if the person betrays His Trust. This outward deeds and appearances are not all; it is only the beginning of the journey. There is more to Islam than this. Islam is a Trust to us all mankind. Your womenfolk, children, parents, body, wealth, knowledge, and the environment are part of this Trust. You are to follow the instructions of the Creator in discharging your responsibility. Otherwise, the Creator may punished you when you are brought back to Him to account for what you have done.

Hadith: "There is no true believer who is not trustworthy.

Our religion is intertwined with having good morals. As Muslims, we should stand out by our good morals and be good examples to others and non-Muslims so they might follow us instead of we following them.

“A Muslim is he whom other Muslims are safe from his words and actions, and the believer is the one whom people trust their money and their lives.” (Tirmidhi)

May Allah guide us and join us with the muqarrabin. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Like Moths In A Fire

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We can tell our youths "don't do this" and "don't do that", "it is bad, it is going to hurt you or even kill you", until you raise your blood pressure (and that might kill you first), but they will not get it because their perception of fun and glitter is different from those who are raised in a true Islamic home or environment. Also, our children today are not like our parents yesterday who would "listen and obey" their parents. They live in a culture that essentially tells them that they have the right to live their lives the way they want to, and they also lack good role models..

Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah: Allah's Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

My example and your example is that of a person who lit the fire and insects and moths began to fall in it and he would be making efforts to take them out, and I am going to hold you back from fire, but you are slipping from my hand. (Muslim)

So, how do you make sure that your children obey Allah and stay away from acts of disobedience? There is nothing better than from your own good examples and having good characteristics.

The most important characteristic in a person is trustworthiness. Being untrustworthy is a despicable trait. Everyone detests an untrustworthy person. We take our example from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The most famous characteristics of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, before his Prophethood was honesty and trustworthiness. Even his enemies trusted him with their property. At the end of his final farewell sermon, he said: “O people, whoever of you who has been entrusted must render their trusts.” Then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, extended his hands and said, “Now I have passed the message so it’s up to whoever has seen me to pass this on to those who aren’t here, for perhaps someone who hears it from them will benefit more than the one who passed it on”.

Allah Most High says,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَخُونُوا اللَّـهَ وَالرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوا أَمَانَاتِكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

O ye that believe! betray not the trust of Allah and the Messenger, nor misappropriate knowingly things entrusted to you. (Qur'an Al Anfal 8:27)

If we leave the orders of Allah and His Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we are essentially betraying the trust of Allah and His Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Everything in our lives is in the form of a trust from Allah--our body, our possessions, our knowledge, our environment and so on. Everything belongs to Allah. Nothing belongs to us. We cannot do whatever we like with them. We must follow what the Owner wants us to do with them. Just like if your neighbor gives you the keys to his house and asks you to take care of his house for a month while he goes and visits his parents abroad, you do just that--take care of his house. You will make sure the lawn is watered and no menace comes to the house. Actually you would take care of his house better than you would yours if you are a good neighbor. But you don't invite your friends and have a party by his pool. Just because you have access to his house, that doesn't mean you own his house.

Violating the trust of Allah is not a small matter. We will be accountable in the Day of Judgment and the consequence is grave. Actually, we we will see the ill consequences of the violation in this life before the next. Our children should know this. As well, we should know that our children are a trust to us. If we don't teach them to worship their Lord and how to worship Him, we have violated that trust, and everyone will suffer, not just your children, not just you, it is the society as a whole as well.

One of the great concerns of many parents is the issue of boyfriend-girlfriend and fornication. Of course, we all know there is no such thing in Islam as boyfriend and girlfriend. You are either married or you are not. This is what we have to ingrain in our children at the early age, and to not allow free mixing of genders at all. If you allow free mixing, thinking that it is a harmless culture, you are opening the door wide open for the Shaytan to destroy them and our families.

And so, it is important that we start teaching our children haya' (modesty, shyness, sense of shame) especially around the opposite gender. Regarding shyness, we have a great example. Abu Said Al Khudri, Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was more shy than a virgin girl in her own room. (Bukhari)

If we instill haya' in them at an early age then, whenever our children are near the vicinity of the opposite gender, they will feel shy and, therefore, will not act inappropriately. It is also important that we keep the communication channels open with our children so that we can talk and explain to them things, and they can ask us questions, without any party feeling embarrassed. Then, when they are older, and with help from us, they will begin to understand why it is that there cannot be a thing called 'the boyfriend-girlfriend relationship'.

For girls, it is important to teach them not to make their voices seductive or sweet in front of non-Mahrams (Mahrams are people they cannot marry in Islam). This is done by lowering the voice and not being flirtatious. As Allah addressed to the wives of Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, "...If you fear Allah, then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech." (Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:32). Thus, it is not appropriate for girls to giggle or laugh aloud with guys.

We should acquaint our girls with wearing proper hijabs and modest, non-fitting clothing before puberty so they are used to them before they reach puberty. And by the time they reach puberty they are already wearing hijab and they learn not to draw attention to themselves. It is a big mistake to begin your little girls with dresses or clothing that are considered seductive in women and to allow or encourage them to put nail/toe polish or make up, even for play or at home. What is the benefit?

As well for the boys, you should teach them to wear appropriate, non-fitting clothing; make them use to wearing long sleeves shirt and long pants; no tight jeans or shorts. Even though men's awra (nakedness) is much less than women, that doesn't mean they should show their chest and armpit hair and legs in public (especially in the masjid). There is nothing manly about it, in fact it is pretty gross. Imagine your wife with proper hijab or niqab walking beside you while you are in T-shirt and pants up to your knees in hot weather. What is wrong with this picture? Aren't you supposed to be the strong one?

We should tell the story in the Qur'an about Prophet Musa, alayhissalaam, with the people of Madyan. This is to teach your boys and girls proper manners when dealing with the opposite gender. It is one of honesty (no hidden agenda) and one of haya'. When the people of Madyan went to collect water, Prophet Musa alayhissalaam, found two women standing to the side, not able to get to the well to get some water because of the crowd. He didn't stay in his place, believing it would be rude to go speak to them? He went to them and asked them what was wrong in only two words مَا خَطْبُكُمَا. He didn’t elaborate and say ‘good evening, how are you? My name is such and such, what’s yours’ like most of us today. They told him that they couldn’t get any water because of the crowds and that their father was old which is why he couldn’t come himself. So he fetched their water. Notice how quick it was? Straight away he went and got their water. Look how gallant and gentlemanly he was, and look at the balance of his treatment. He didn’t ignore them and at the same time he didn't go off tangent and carry on with them. Then he went off to one side, as if he was the one who was shy! He stood to one side in the shade; he didn’t take out his card or give out his phone number or email address and tell them if they needed him again tomorrow to contact him! The girl described him as trustworthy. The Qur'an described the woman as being full of modesty when she was coming toward Prophet Musa alayhissalaam. She was covered with haya'. Everything she did was clear to the point and she avoided all misunderstanding.

وَلَمَّا تَوَجَّهَ تِلْقَاءَ مَدْيَنَ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبِّي أَن يَهْدِيَنِي سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ ﴿٢٢﴾ وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَاءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ امْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ ۖ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِي حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَاءُ ۖ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ ﴿٢٣﴾ فَسَقَىٰ لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلَّىٰ إِلَى الظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ ﴿٢٤﴾ فَجَاءَتْهُ إِحْدَاهُمَا تَمْشِي عَلَى اسْتِحْيَاءٍ قَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِي يَدْعُوكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا ۚ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفْ ۖ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٢٥﴾ قَالَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ ۖ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُ ﴿٢٦

And when he directed himself toward Madyan, he said, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to the sound way." (22) And when he came to the well of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women driving back [their flocks]. He said, "What is your circumstance?" They said, "We do not water until the shepherds dispatch [their flocks]; and our father is an old man." (23) So he watered [their flocks] for them; then he went back to the shade and said, "My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need." (24) Then one of the two women came to him walking with shyness. She said, "Indeed, my father invites you that he may reward you for having watered for us." So when he came to him and related to him the story, he said, "Fear not. You have escaped from the wrongdoing people." (25) One of the women said, "O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy." (26) (Qur'an 28:22-26)

Be careful not to lose our sense of shame because the one whose sense of shame has been removed, has effectively lost himself.


The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

"Once Allah wants to perish a servant, He would remove his haya' from him. Once haya' is removed from him you’ll find him nothing but despicable. Once you find him despicable, honesty is removed from him. Once honesty is removed from him you’ll find him nothing but a treacherous person. Once you find him nothing but treacherous, mercy will be removed from him. Once mercy is removed from him you find him nothing but a damned and a cursed person.” (Ibn Majah)

May Allah give us haya' and make us among the trustworthy. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Every Soul Shall Have A Taste Of Death

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

This life is but a preparation for the real Life, which is in the Hereafter. So, this world's vanities is to be taken only for what it is worth, which is nothing, and not be allowed to deflect our minds from the requirements of our souls that really matters. All that we possess, all that we desire, however fine, beautiful, splendid, strong, cool, awesome and tremendous, relatively before the eternal Reality they are nothing.

Allah says,

كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ

Every soul shall have a taste of death. In the end to Us shall you be brought back. (Qur'an Ankabut 29:57)

وَمَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا لَهْوٌۭ وَلَعِبٌۭ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ لَهِىَ ٱلْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ

What is the life of this world but amusement and play? but verily the Home in the Hereafter,- that is life indeed, if they but knew.
(Qur'an Ankabut 29:64)

May Allah increase our iman and bring us back to Him at the highest of iman. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayer. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

The Remainder Of Trustworthiness (Honesty)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Narrated Abdullah bin Umar, Allah be pleased with him:

I heard Allah's Messenger, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, saying, "People are just like camels, out of one hundred, one can hardly find a single camel suitable to ride." (Bukhari)

Hudhaifa ibn Al-Yaman, Allah be pleased with him, said:

Allah's Messenger sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, related to us two prophetic narrations one of which I have seen fulfilled and I am waiting for the fulfillment of the other. First, he, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said: Indeed, trustworthiness (honesty) was preserved in the roots of the hearts of men (in the beginning) and then they learned it (trustworthiness) from the Qur'an, and then they learned it from the (Prophet's) Sunna (tradition). He also told us about its disappearance, saying, "A man will go to sleep whereupon trustworthiness will be taken away from his heart, and only its trace will remain, resembling the traces of fire. He then will sleep whereupon the remainder of the trustworthiness will also be taken away (from his heart) and its trace will resemble a blister which is raised over the surface of skin, when an ember touches one's foot; and in fact, this blister does not contain anything. So there will come a day when people will deal in business with each other but there will hardly be any trustworthy persons among them. Then it will be said that in such-and-such a tribe there is such-and-such person who is honest, and a man will be admired for his intelligence, good manners and strength, though indeed he will not have belief (faith) equal to a mustard seed in his heart." The narrator added: There came upon me a time when I did not mind dealing with anyone of you, for if he was a Muslim, his religion would prevent him from treachery; and if he was a Christian or a Jew, his Muslim ruler would prevent him (from wronging me); but today I cannot deal except with so-and-so and with so-and-so. (Bukhari)

Indeed, the truth of the hadith above can be seen widespread in our time. Just look at the people you have dealt with; how many of them you have trusted but they cheated you? How many times have you been cheated out of your money? Don't be surprised if you get cheated out of your money by people who have religious knowledge or memorize the words of Allah. This is a sad reality. If you take your Islam from their character, you will be disappointed and can make you shy away from Islam, but if you take your Islam from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, you will never be disappointed. Don't mind those people who proved to be untrustworthy. This is one of the many trials before the Hour. It is meant for us to draw closer to Allah.

The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, is the true exemplar of perfect character. When inquired about the character of Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, his wife Aisha, radiallahu anha, replied, "His character is the Qur’an." It behooves us, as Muslims, to learn the Qur'an and study the Prophetic noble character and try to emulate him in all our dealings.

Character weighs heaviest on the scale in the Day of Judgment, so we should strive to have the best character. One of the attributes of noble character is trustworthiness. One of the attributes of hypocrisy is the opposite. But why do people who know this still acting in a dishonest fashion? Greed is top on the list of reasons. They have greed because they have so much love of this world and this love make them lose sight of what is going to befall them in Day of Judgment.

We should also look deep into our hearts if we possess this bad trait and kill it. The most effective way to kill it is through much dhikr (remembrance of Allah). Dhikr is the flag of Islam, the polish of hearts, the essence of the science of faith, the immunization against hypocrisy, the head of worship, and the key of all success.

Allah says:

اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ ۖ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّـهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٤٥

Recite, [O Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do. (Qu'ran Ankabut 29:45)

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ ﴿١٤﴾ وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّىٰ ﴿١٥

He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself (14) And mentions the name of his Lord and prays. (15)
(Qur'an Al-A'la 87:15-15)

وَأَنَا اخْتَرْتُكَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَىٰ ﴿١٣﴾ إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي ﴿١٤﴾ إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا لِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَىٰ ﴿١٥﴾ فَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكَ عَنْهَا مَن لَّا يُؤْمِنُ بِهَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَتَرْدَىٰ ﴿١٦

And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed [to you]. (13) Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance. (14) Indeed, the Hour is coming - I almost conceal it - so that every soul may be recompensed according to that for which it strives. (15) So do not let one avert you from it who does not believe in it and follows his desire, for you [then] would perish. (16)

(Qur'an Ta-Ha 20:14-16)

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"If your hearts were always in the state that they are in during dhikr, the angels would come to see you to the point that they would greet you in the middle of the road." (Narrated by Muslim)

Mu`adh ibn Jabal said that the Prophet also said:

"The People of Paradise will not regret except one thing alone: the hour that passed them by and in which they made no remembrance of Allah." (Narrated by Bayhaqi)

A man came to the Prophet and said: "O Rasulallah, the laws and conditions of Islam have become too many for me. Tell me something that I can always keep (i.e. in particular, as opposed to the many rules and conditions that must be kept in general)." By reading that the man said there were too many conditions to keep, one must understand that he was unsure that he could keep them all. He wanted something that he would be sure to keep always. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said: "(I am advising you in one thing:) Keep your tongue always moist with dhikrullah."

Allah Most High says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّـهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا

O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance.

(Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:41)

The signs of people of wisdom are those "who remember Allah standing, and sitting, and lying on their sides and give though to the creation..." by day and by night. Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, said, as narrated by Muslim, that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned/remembered Allah at all times of the day and night.

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿١٩٠﴾ الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّـهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿١٩١﴾ رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ مَن تُدْخِلِ النَّارَ فَقَدْ أَخْزَيْتَهُ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ ﴿١٩٢

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. (190) Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire. (191) Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire - You have disgraced him, and for the wrongdoers there are no helpers. (192)

(Qur'an Ale-Imran 3:190-192)

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Sins and Repentance

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Righteousness is good morality and sin is that which causes discomfort (or pinches) within your soul and which you dislike people to become informed of.” (Muslim)

Sins can be against Allah (e.g. you don't perform the 5 prescribed daily prayers, fast in Ramadhan, pay zakat), against brotherhood (e.g. slander, backbite, steal, cheat, hurt and oppress your brother) or against humanity (e.g. squander, harm or destroy the environment.) A Muslim should make every effort to abstain from sins and strive to do righteous acts. Allah warns all of mankind that everything mankind does in this world will be put before us on the Day of Judgment.

يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِّيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ ﴿٦﴾ فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ ﴿٧﴾ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ﴿٨

Upon that day men shall issue in scatterings to see their works, (6) And he who does an atom’s weight of good shall see it. (7) And he who does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it. (8)
(Qur’an Az-Zalzala 99:7-8)

Allah also warns mankind that the one whose bad deeds (sins) are heavy will be in Hell.

فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ ﴿٦﴾ فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ ﴿٧﴾ وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ ﴿٨﴾ فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ ﴿٩﴾ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا هِيَهْ ﴿١٠﴾ نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ ﴿١١

Then, as for him whose scales are heavy (with good works), (6) He will live a pleasant life. (7) But as for him whose scales are light, (8) The bereft and Hungry One will be his mother, (9) Ah, what will convey unto thee what she is! - (10) Raging Fire. (11) Qur'an Al-Qari'ah 101:6-11)

A Muslim’s strife is to live the life of a believer and separate from the likeness of sinners. Allah differentiates the Mu’min (believer) from the fasiq (sinner).

أَفَمَن كَانَ مُؤْمِنًا كَمَن كَانَ فَاسِقًا ۚ لَّا يَسْتَوُونَ ﴿١٨﴾ أَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ الْمَأْوَىٰ نُزُلًا بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٩﴾ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فَسَقُوا فَمَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ ۖ كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَن يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا أُعِيدُوا فِيهَا وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ النَّارِ الَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ ﴿٢٠

Then is one who was a believer like one who was defiantly disobedient? They are not equal. (18) As for those who believed and did righteous deeds, for them will be the Gardens of Refuge as accommodation for what they used to do. (19) But as for those who defiantly disobeyed, their refuge is the Fire. Every time they wish to emerge from it, they will be returned to it while it is said to them, "Taste the punishment of the Fire which you used to deny." (20)
(Qur’an As-Sajda 32:18-20)

There are many harmful effects of sins, which include the following:

Being deprived of (Islamic) knowledge
The blessings of Allah will disappear
His du’a is not answered
Less help from Allah
Loss of gheerah (protective jealousy)
Loss of modesty
Difficulties and calamities
Anxiety
Terror in the heart of the sinner
Physical weakness
Being unable to do acts of worship
Easy to do more bad deeds
Getting used to sin
The curse of the animals will be upon him
He becomes insignificant in the sight of Allah and in the sight of people
Feelings of alienation in the heart
His heart will be sealed and he will come under the curse (of Allah)
Cause of mischief on land and sea
He will bear marks of humiliation
Falling into the clutches of the Shaytan
A bad ending
Punishment in the Hereafter.

Knowing some of these harmful effects of sin should be enough for one to keep away from sin altogether, but some people may move from one sin to another. They do this for a number of reasons, including: The means of doing it are readily available and widespread (e.g. watching pornography on the internet); The friends are committing this sin and they find it difficult to be different (e.g. not wearing proper hijab); a particular sin may give a person some status among his friends and he does not want to lose this status, so he continues to commit that sin (e.g. owning a fancy car on borrowed money with interest, attending business or social function where alcohol is served or loose mixing of opposite genders); Thinks that the sin is less serious than the sin before; Everybody is doing it or there is some fatwa out there so it must be ok or benign--your own ignorance (e.g. smoking, buying a home on interest, going to the movies, learning to dance or play certain musical instrument, praying incorrectly).

We should hasten to repent from our sins. Delaying repentance is in and of itself a sin for which repentance is required.

Allah Most High says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا

"O you who believe! Turn to Allah in sincere repentance..."
(Qu'ran At-Tahrim 66:8)

Repentance is something more than seeking forgiveness. Because this is a serious matter, there are conditions attached to it.

1. Leaving the sin immediately
2. Regretting or being remorseful for having committed the sin
3. Resolving not to return to the sin.
4. Making amends to those you have wronged. If it relates to the rights of another person, then one return the right or property one wrongly took.

You should give up the sin for the sake of Allah alone, and not for any other reason such inability to do it or repeat it, or fear of what people think or say. If you are sincere in your repentance to Allah, then expect your sin to be forgiven.

Allah Most High says:

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّـهِ إِلَـٰهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّـهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا ﴿٦٨﴾ يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا ﴿٦٩﴾ إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَـٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّـهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ غَفُورً‌ا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٧٠﴾ وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّـهِ مَتَابًا ﴿٧١

And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. (68) Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated - (69) Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (70) And he who repents and does righteousness does indeed turn to Allah with [accepted] repentance. (71)
(Qur'an Furqan 25:68-71)

We should make up the duties towards Allah that we have missed. Destroy all haram things in our possession. We should keep away from places of sin, bad company and those who helped you to commit sin.

Allah Most High says:

الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ

“Friends on that Day will be enemies to each other except Al-Muttaqoon (the righteous)” (Qur'an Zukhruf 43:67)

Choose righteous friends and companions for they are your soldiers to fight against your nafs. Strive to attend circles of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and gatherings of knowledge and fill your time with beneficial things so the Shaytan does not have any opportunity to whisper evil ideas and his tricks into your heart. Seek out halal substances with which to nourish your body so that your flesh will be renewed with halal substances. Do lots of good deeds (e.g. giving charity and helping people in need), for good deeds cancel out bad deeds.

May Allah forgive all our sins, give us strength to do what pleases Him and protect us from ignorance and His disobedience. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Pleasure and Pain

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

So many people are on a treadmill powered not so much by basic needs and necessities but by endless fanciful wants--vacations, dine out, new gadget, nice house, nice car, nice clothes, new furniture. It is their desires for things they don't really need, that put them on the treadmill and hold them there.

When people's attachment is with the dunya, when they follow other people like sheep, they become the slaves of the dunya and the people, propelled by their desires. So, whatever their hearts desire, they will go out and buy. When they do that, they almost always do it by borrowing. They borrow when they buy a house, in the form of a mortgage. They borrow when they buy a car, in the form of auto financing. And for a whole lot of the rest of the things that they buy they use credit cards, and pay a little every month at exorbitant interest rates. If you do this, you have put yourself in haram and you are in a deep trouble already in the next life unless you repent. Plus you have committed yourself to a treadmill in this life. You are giving yourself obligations that you must tend to.

When before you only work 8 hours a day, now you have to put in 15-17 hours a day trying to make more money. As your wants increases, the wife must take a job to help meet the obligations. Then you have to start paying for childcare, making for new expenses. And before you know it, heavier financial burdens are forcing you to look for second or third job. You are forced to pedal faster and faster to keep the boat from sinking.

Where do you find time to engage in the remembrance of Allah; to do that extra prayers, to lead the prayer at home, to teach your kids and your wife Islam, to learn Islam yourself, to pray at the local masjid and help your masjid community/youth grow? As it is you are probably having a hard time finding time to sit and eat a proper meal. Your job becomes even more important now. It is the only means for you to meet your obligations. A threat to your job is a threat to your lifeline. When recession hits and you lose your job, it pains you and starts affecting your health and your marriage. You have dug yourself a big hole and you don't know how to get out. You have become the slave of the treadmill of your own making.

We all seek pleasure and we don't want pain. Pleasure is not in the things of this dunya. When we get a piece of this dunya, we anticipate that we will be satisfied, but we aren't satisfied because the pleasure is not found there. We are merely going from one place to another and it is a never ending search. Things of this dunya are always accompanied by problems, worry and bitterness even though they appear outwardly to be pleasurable.

Pain comes when we want something besides Allah. When you unattached your heart and desire from things and attached your heart to Allah you will never feel pain. When you lose your job, you merely lose a tap. You haven't lost the source; the water will come out from another tap. You have complete reliance on Allah to take care of all your affairs and you always turn to Him for everything. You can never be bored because your heart and all of your self is occupied with His remembrance.

You will find the happiest person are those who have relationship with Allah. They are happy even if they don't have the things that you want. And they are happier than you will ever be even if you get the things that you want. This is because Allah creates happiness in the heart of the servant when he attaches his heart to Allah. We think otherwise because we are distracted by dunya, other people, shaytan and our lusts, desires and ego (nafs).

May Allah draw us closer to Him. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Don't Spoil Your Good Deeds

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

If our good deed such as praying, fasting, giving charity, teaching or reciting Qu'ran, helping people, is driven by habit or force or for some worldly benefit and gain, this is not worship of Allah. The acceptance and correctness of any action depends upon the intention behind it.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have only that which he intended. Thus he whose migration (Hijrah to Madinah from Makkah) was for Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated."

An action which is apparently good, such as giving charity, will be rejected if the intention behind it is wrong, such as to show off. If a person performs an act for Allah's sake and also for the sake of someone else, then Allah will reject the deed entirely and leave the whole of it for the partner that the person made.

The one who genuinely does a good deed for the sake of Allah alone, turning his entire being to Him is the one who will get the reward for his good deed compounded over and over again. So pay attention to our intention when we do something.

The top on the list of enemies that can spoil our good deeds is our own lust and ego, our lower self (nafs).

Allah says:

أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا

Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own lust? (Qur'an Al-Furqan 25:43)

and

وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ ۚ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث ۚ ذَّٰلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا ۚ فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own desire. So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he [still] pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought. (Qur'an Al-A'raf 7:176)

And about the person who controlled the passion of his lust and ego, Allah says:

وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ ﴿٤٠﴾ فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىٰ ﴿٤١

But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, (40) Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge. (41) Qur'an An-Nazi'at 79:40-41)

Also, beware of the accursed shaytan, who has vowed to take us to the wrong path. Most hearts have been seized by the soldiers of shaytan, who fill them with the whispers that call one to love this passing world and disregard the next. The shaytan stands for waswasa against inspiration (ilham), success (tawfiq) against disappointment (khidhlan).

الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ ۖ وَاللَّـهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ۗ وَاللَّـهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

The devil threatens you with poverty and enjoins you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. (Qur'an Al-Baqara 2:268)

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, said: "There is none among you in whom there is not a devil" They said: "Even in you, O Messenger of God?!" He said: "Even in me, but God helped me to overcome him and he has submitted to me, so he doesn't order anything except good" [Muslim]

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

If He Loves You

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We should worship Allah for Allah. This means that we are not showing off to people our good deeds; we are not afraid of what people might say to us when we perform certain acts of obedience, or when we avoid the unlawful or the doubtful or certain permissible; or we are not waiting for praises nor become disappointed if people don't notice our good deeds or don't compensate us for our good deeds. We do things to please Allah and nothing besides Him. This is being sincere in our worship and the reward is tremendous. But to reach this level of worship is a constant battle; you have to fight all those wolves in sheep's clothing waiting in ambush, forever lurking. They are your enemies to true happiness in this life and the next.

How do you begin to fight your enemies? First you have to know who your enemies are and this is not apparent if you keep certain kind of company. So first, don't keep the company of people who, the way they are, do not uplift you with Allah. Second, don't keep the company of those who keep company of you because they want something in return from you.

When you have done this, half of your battle is gone. Who is left to help you fight your battle? Who is best to befriend other than Allah? He is fully aware of your situation. Who else know your secrets better than Allah? He is fully aware of how bad or how good you are. Who can give more than He? He does not need anything from you but He rewards your good deed multiple times over. He is the best Protector and Patron. If He loves you, He will protect you from all your enemies and He will be at war with them.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, Allah be pleased with him, who said that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Allah, Mighty and Sublime be He, said:

"Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him. (related by al-Bukhari)

There is nobody except the All-Generous should matter in our lives. And we should strive to do works to please Him and nothing and nobody besides.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Laugh A Little, Cry A Lot

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When our faith and actions are sincere, we will realize how far from perfection we are, and we humbly pray to Allah for the forgiveness of our sins.

Sincere people are not arrogant because they know they have nothing to be arrogant about. To Allah belongs everything; Allah has power over everything; and to Allah is the end of our journey. What is our provision for the next life if we are endlessly chasing after this world, laughing and enjoying ourselves, and heedless of Him?

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wassallam, said:

“If you knew what I know you would laugh a little and cry a lot!”

Once Hasan al-Basri, Allah be pleased with him, passed by a man who was laughing. He asked him: “Oh my nephew! Have you safely passed over the Sirat (the bridge over Hell)?” He replied, “No.” Hasan al-Basri then asked: “Have you received news whether you will end up in Paradise or Hell?” The man replied that he had not. So Hasan al-Basri asked, “Why do you laugh then, may Allah save you, while the matter ahead is horrifying?” That man was never seen laughing until he died. (But he smiled as this is a part of the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wassallam.)

Allah says,

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلَـٰقِيهِ ﴿٦﴾ فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ ﴿٧﴾ فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا ﴿٨﴾ وَيَنقَلِبُ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِۦ مَسْرُورً‌ۭا ﴿٩﴾ وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـٰبَهُۥ وَرَآءَ ظَهْرِهِۦ ﴿١٠﴾ فَسَوْفَ يَدْعُوا۟ ثُبُورً‌ۭا ﴿١١﴾ وَيَصْلَىٰ سَعِيرًا ﴿١٢﴾ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فِىٓ أَهْلِهِۦ مَسْرُورً‌ا ﴿١٣﴾ إِنَّهُۥ ظَنَّ أَن لَّن يَحُورَ‌ ﴿١٤﴾ بَلَىٰٓ إِنَّ رَبَّهُۥ كَانَ بِهِۦ بَصِيرًا ﴿١٥

O mankind, indeed you are laboring toward your Lord with [great] exertion and will meet it. (6) Then as for he who is given his record in his right hand, (7) He will be judged with an easy account (8) And return to his people, rejoicing. (9) But as for he who is given his record behind his back, (10) He will cry out for destruction (11) And [enter to] burn in a Blaze. (12) Indeed, he had [once] been among his people, rejoicing; (13) Indeed, he had thought he would never return [to Allah]. (14) But yes! Indeed, his Lord was ever of him, Seeing. (15)

(Qu'ran Inshiqaq 84:6-15)

Allah says,

لِّلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۗ وَإِن تُبۡدُواْ مَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِڪُمۡ أَوۡ تُخۡفُوهُ يُحَاسِبۡكُم بِهِ ٱللَّهُ‌ۖ فَيَغۡفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ

To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and whether you disclose what is in your own selves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Able to do all things.

(Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:284)

Allah says,

ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

The Messenger (Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wassallam) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers.(They say), "We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers" and they say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).

(Qur'an Al-Baqara 2:285)

Allah says,

ٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ ٱلطَّٰغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ ٱلنُّورِ إِلَى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ ۗ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ

Allah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Auliya (supporters and helpers) are Taghut [false deities and false leaders], they bring them out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.

(Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:257)

May Allah guide us to His Light and save us from the Fire. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam