بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Imagine, you are very young and your older siblings are jealous of you and they throw you in a well. You then get picked up by strangers and taken far away and sold into slavery. Imagine you are now a little older and people slandered you and accused you of wrongdoing and despite your innocence, you were imprisoned, and you stayed in prison for the next 20-30 years. Imagine you become very powerful in the land and have the power to punish those people who have wronged you.
Can you forgive those people and see the kindness of Allah? A beautiful person can.
This, you can find in the story of Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him, in Surah Yusuf.
'They said: "By Allah! Indeed Allah has preferred you above us, and we certainly have been sinners. He (Prophet Yusuf) said: "No reproach on you this day, may Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!' Quran Yusuf 12:91-92
'And he (Prophet Yusuf) said: "O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream aforetime! My Lord has made it come true! He was indeed good to me, when He took me out of the prison, and brought you (all here) out of the bedouin-life, after Satan had sown enmity between me and my brothers. Certainly, my Lord is the Most Courteous and Kind unto whom He wills. Truly He! Only He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.' Qur'an Yusuf 12:100
When Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him, recounted Allah's favor, he did not bring up what his brothers had done to him. He never said Allah took him out of the well but said Allah took him out of prison. He concealed and covered his brothers' mistakes and not let his brothers dwell in their wrong against him. Such is a beautiful person.
His beauty caused havoc in the hearts of the ladies to a grand banquet of the wife of the Aziz, a prominent and powerful figure of that society. The ladies were just about to cut the fruit with their knives, when, behold! Prophet Yusuf was brought into their midst, they lost self control and cut their fingers!
Two men came to the prison about the same time as Prophet Yusuf. Both these men felt not only that Prophet Yusuf had wisdom, but that he was kind and benevolent, and would give of his wisdom even to strangers like themselves. They therefore told him their dreams and asked him to interpret them. Prophet Yusuf gave the interpretation of their dreams, which came true--one man was executed and another man was released to serve the King. Prophet Yusuf asked the man to mention him to the King but he forgot and so Prophet Yusuf stayed in prison for another few years. Years later when this man came back to ask Prophet Yusuf for the interpretation of the King's dream, the magnanimous Prophet Yusuf had not a word of reproach, but got straight on with the interpretation.
Prophet Yusuf had a great share of Allah's beautiful attributes, and Allah made him beautiful.
May Allah enable us to realize His beautiful Names. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
We Don't Know Much
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Knowledge is a very special gift from Allah. Allah gives knowledge to whoever He wills. When He loves a person, He draws him close to Him and teaches Him. The All-Knowing loves the learned, not a learned of academia, but a learned of realities.
"...He (Allah) knows what happens to them in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. They don't encompass His Knowledge except that which He wills..." Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:255
Allah is the All-Knowing. We should not be quick to judge people or anything that is happening because we don't know much. We should not think that we know it all, rather we should be humble to Allah. We surrender to Allah's knowledge, wisdom and destiny.
When Khidr, peace be upon them, killed a boy, Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, saw this as a cruel act. But Allah knew the reality of that child and what would be better for his righteous parents.
"And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and nearer to mercy." Qur'an Al-Kahf 18:80-81
May Allah give us the ability to use our knowledge to draw nearer to Him. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Knowledge is a very special gift from Allah. Allah gives knowledge to whoever He wills. When He loves a person, He draws him close to Him and teaches Him. The All-Knowing loves the learned, not a learned of academia, but a learned of realities.
"...He (Allah) knows what happens to them in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. They don't encompass His Knowledge except that which He wills..." Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:255
Allah is the All-Knowing. We should not be quick to judge people or anything that is happening because we don't know much. We should not think that we know it all, rather we should be humble to Allah. We surrender to Allah's knowledge, wisdom and destiny.
When Khidr, peace be upon them, killed a boy, Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, saw this as a cruel act. But Allah knew the reality of that child and what would be better for his righteous parents.
"And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and nearer to mercy." Qur'an Al-Kahf 18:80-81
May Allah give us the ability to use our knowledge to draw nearer to Him. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Reaching Human Perfection
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. Beauty is in the Names of Allah. So whoever seeks to be beautiful, he should draw himself close and near to the Names of Allah.
Human perfection is a mirroring of Divine perfection. It is not the true mirroring because we don't know the reality of Allah's Names. Allah is beyond our imagination but Allah has described Himself with words, which in our limited way, we are able to emulate. In emulating the meanings of the Names of Allah, we are drawing ourselves close and near to Allah.
Allah expects us to strive towards perfection and beauty and there is no perfection or beauty except in His Names. So our perfection and our beauty is to strive to emulate Allah's Names, not merely just to be aware of the words.
For example, we are taught to begin everything with بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate). These are not mere words that we utter or write. There should be this feeling of great love of our Lord, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate, deep in our hearts when we say these words. This love will necessarily drive us to be just like His Names.
"Those merciful, the All-Merciful will show mercy to them. Show mercy to those on earth, the One in Heaven will show mercy to you." (Tirmidhi)
A person who is devoid from wanting to be like the Names of Allah, he doesn't know perfection and excellence. Someone who knows the perfection in Allah's attributes, how can he not wanting to have a share in this. A student who has a great teacher, he would want to be like him.
"Should I not tell you of the best of you?...Those who when they are seen, Allah is remembered." (Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad, Ahmad)
May Allah guide us and give us success to reach the highest level of human perfection. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. Beauty is in the Names of Allah. So whoever seeks to be beautiful, he should draw himself close and near to the Names of Allah.
Human perfection is a mirroring of Divine perfection. It is not the true mirroring because we don't know the reality of Allah's Names. Allah is beyond our imagination but Allah has described Himself with words, which in our limited way, we are able to emulate. In emulating the meanings of the Names of Allah, we are drawing ourselves close and near to Allah.
Allah expects us to strive towards perfection and beauty and there is no perfection or beauty except in His Names. So our perfection and our beauty is to strive to emulate Allah's Names, not merely just to be aware of the words.
For example, we are taught to begin everything with بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate). These are not mere words that we utter or write. There should be this feeling of great love of our Lord, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate, deep in our hearts when we say these words. This love will necessarily drive us to be just like His Names.
"Those merciful, the All-Merciful will show mercy to them. Show mercy to those on earth, the One in Heaven will show mercy to you." (Tirmidhi)
A person who is devoid from wanting to be like the Names of Allah, he doesn't know perfection and excellence. Someone who knows the perfection in Allah's attributes, how can he not wanting to have a share in this. A student who has a great teacher, he would want to be like him.
"Should I not tell you of the best of you?...Those who when they are seen, Allah is remembered." (Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad, Ahmad)
May Allah guide us and give us success to reach the highest level of human perfection. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Is There A Caller?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends,
I pray that you are well.
Allah hears everything and His hearing covers everything. Whether you say or do something in secret or in the open, Allah hears them.
"It is the same (to Him) whether any of you conceal his speech or declare it openly; whether he lie hid by night or walk forth freely by day." Qur'an Ra'd 13:10
Relationship is communication. Our communication with Allah is to call upon Him. The connection between a slave and His Lord is that the slave knows his Lord hears him. The slave who knows his Lord hears everything, he speaks to Him a lot. He doesn't cease talking to Allah wherever he is.
"Verily, Allah gives respite until when the first third of the night departs, He descends to the lowest heaven and says, "Is there a seeker of forgiveness? Is there a repenter? Is there an asker? Is there a caller? until the break of the dawn." Related by Muslim
Imagine that you have a very rich man walking next to you and ask you to tell him what you want and that he would give it to you. You would tell him what you want. Why? Because he is going to listen to you.
This is your Lord, the All-Hearing. He created you to speak to Him. He created your lips to speak to Him. And everyday He asks, is there anyone asking, so He can answer. So ask Allah for everything. Even when you tie a shoelace, ask Him to help you to tie the other shoelace. This is the way of the knower of Allah. They ask Allah for everything because they know He hears them and they know He is the All-Powerful and they are the all needy. This knowledge pushed them to talk to Allah a lot and to ask Allah a lot.
Allah knows when we have been wronged, mistreated or oppressed. Our knowledge of the All-Hearing gives us strength. We know that we don't have to file a complaint with someone because the One who we want to complain to knows what is happening. We don't worry about revenge and defending ourselves because Allah sees and hears those who are wronging us. We suffice ourselves with Allah.
Allah hears us when we call upon Him. So we too must hear when He orders us. The way of the believer is we hear and we obey. Allah gives us hearing to hear His address and to hasten to His worship. We listen to Allah through the revelation. So the hearing that we have is the hearing of obedience to Allah, not the hearing of sound waves. Hearing is the greatest gift that Allah bestows on a person. So use
this blessing to listen to the Qur'an and guidance.
May Allah give us strength to obey Him. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends,
I pray that you are well.
Allah hears everything and His hearing covers everything. Whether you say or do something in secret or in the open, Allah hears them.
"It is the same (to Him) whether any of you conceal his speech or declare it openly; whether he lie hid by night or walk forth freely by day." Qur'an Ra'd 13:10
Relationship is communication. Our communication with Allah is to call upon Him. The connection between a slave and His Lord is that the slave knows his Lord hears him. The slave who knows his Lord hears everything, he speaks to Him a lot. He doesn't cease talking to Allah wherever he is.
"Verily, Allah gives respite until when the first third of the night departs, He descends to the lowest heaven and says, "Is there a seeker of forgiveness? Is there a repenter? Is there an asker? Is there a caller? until the break of the dawn." Related by Muslim
Imagine that you have a very rich man walking next to you and ask you to tell him what you want and that he would give it to you. You would tell him what you want. Why? Because he is going to listen to you.
This is your Lord, the All-Hearing. He created you to speak to Him. He created your lips to speak to Him. And everyday He asks, is there anyone asking, so He can answer. So ask Allah for everything. Even when you tie a shoelace, ask Him to help you to tie the other shoelace. This is the way of the knower of Allah. They ask Allah for everything because they know He hears them and they know He is the All-Powerful and they are the all needy. This knowledge pushed them to talk to Allah a lot and to ask Allah a lot.
Allah knows when we have been wronged, mistreated or oppressed. Our knowledge of the All-Hearing gives us strength. We know that we don't have to file a complaint with someone because the One who we want to complain to knows what is happening. We don't worry about revenge and defending ourselves because Allah sees and hears those who are wronging us. We suffice ourselves with Allah.
Allah hears us when we call upon Him. So we too must hear when He orders us. The way of the believer is we hear and we obey. Allah gives us hearing to hear His address and to hasten to His worship. We listen to Allah through the revelation. So the hearing that we have is the hearing of obedience to Allah, not the hearing of sound waves. Hearing is the greatest gift that Allah bestows on a person. So use
this blessing to listen to the Qur'an and guidance.
May Allah give us strength to obey Him. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Allah Is Sufficient
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Our faith are tested by many things--at times we are tested by hardships or calamities, and at other times we are tested by the good things of this life. Whether we pass or fail the test, in the end, we will return to our Creator, and our life will be appraised of its true value.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةًۭ ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
"Every soul shall have a taste of death and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us must you will be returned." Qur'an Al-Anbiya' 21:35
If we truly understand this, we will know where our focus should be--it is not the creation but the Creator.
The world and nothing of this world is worth fighting about. We will one day leave this world and this world cannot help us in our graves and it too will perish. Allah is sufficient for us.
Abdullah ibn 'Umar, Allah be pleased with both father and son, used to say: In the evening do not expect to live until the morning, and in the morning do not expect (to live until) the evening. Take advantage of your health before times of sickness, and take advantage of your life before your death. (related by Bukhari)
May Allah not leave us alone even for a blink of an eye and save us from the trials a tribulations of this life and the next. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Our faith are tested by many things--at times we are tested by hardships or calamities, and at other times we are tested by the good things of this life. Whether we pass or fail the test, in the end, we will return to our Creator, and our life will be appraised of its true value.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةًۭ ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
"Every soul shall have a taste of death and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us must you will be returned." Qur'an Al-Anbiya' 21:35
If we truly understand this, we will know where our focus should be--it is not the creation but the Creator.
The world and nothing of this world is worth fighting about. We will one day leave this world and this world cannot help us in our graves and it too will perish. Allah is sufficient for us.
Abdullah ibn 'Umar, Allah be pleased with both father and son, used to say: In the evening do not expect to live until the morning, and in the morning do not expect (to live until) the evening. Take advantage of your health before times of sickness, and take advantage of your life before your death. (related by Bukhari)
May Allah not leave us alone even for a blink of an eye and save us from the trials a tribulations of this life and the next. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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