What Do You Really Want In Life?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

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

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

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

May Allah grant us tawfiq in realizing those goals. Aameen

www.darannoor.com

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- The Best Gift For Your Children

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

The best gift for your children is your righteousness, not things. You are the number one role model for your children. Children, no doubt, are tests for parents. 

Allah Almighty says,

نَّمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ ۚ وَٱللَّـهُ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٥

Indeed, your wealth and children are a trial.

[Quran At-Taghabun 64:15]

The wealth and the children are a test from Allah to His slave, so that He may know his ability of (correct) upbringing of his children, and the payment of the zakah on his wealth.

Raising children to be good Muslims and decent human beings is a huge challenge. They have so many windows available to look into. It's scary out there. Shaytan is everywhere. We have to try our best to direct our children to the right windows and always seek Allah's help and make lots of du'a for them.

The one consolation for us parents is in the story of Musa and Al-Khidr, peace be upon them. Al-Khidr reinforced a broken wall in a town in which people were selfish and inhospitable. Beneath the wall lay a treasure that belonged to two orphans, so in order to protect the treasure from the people of the town, Al-Khidr fixed the wall. It was revealed that the reason he was ordered to fix the wall for the orphans was because their father was a righteous man. [Surah al Kahf ayat 82]

May Allah make us righteous parents and protect our families . Ameen.

www.darannoor.com

Finding Balance In Life

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Finding balance in life...

In the Quran, Allah mentions the three components of our creation -- dirt, ruh (spirit) and in between, balance.  Our entire life is supposed to be a struggle to find that balance, to find that real worth in ourselves, so that we are not looking forward in other people, things, posts, engagement or followers. So that we are not looking for worth in the clothes we wear, in the car we drive, in the house we live in, but we are looking for worth in what we give to Allah. 

May Allah grant us that balance in life. Aameen.

www.darannoor.com

Engaging In Lifelong Learning

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

If you think you have nothing to offer, stop thinking that way. Everyone of us is a learner until we die. There is no age limit.  The more you learn, the more you enrich yourself. The more you enrich yourself, the more wisdom you can give, naturally, the world around you is enriched. 

May Allah increase us in knowledge and grant us wisdom. Aameen.

www.darannoor.com

Balancing Confidence And Humility

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Our worthiness before Allah is something that should make us humble. Allah gives human beings such a high position and we better put that to work and live up to it. We have to step up. 

On one hand we value ourselves but actually we are supposed to value the ability to make the effort that Allah gave us, not the things that Allah gave us. The things that Allah gave us, He can give to somebody else and the things can come and go. The thing of value before Allah and before ourselves is just our efforts. Human beings will have nothing of worth on the Day of Judgment except the effort that they made.

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ‎﴿٣٩﴾‏

And that there is not for human beings except that [good] for which he strives

[Quran, anNajm 53:39]

One of the most amazing qualities that Allah put inside us is the spiritual and material qualities. There is this confidence and there is humility. They both coexist and we have to strike a balance. Too much self worth or confidence will turn into arrogance and too much humility will make you think "I am nobody."  

In the Quran Allah mentions the three components of our creation -- dirt, ruh (spirit) and in between them, balance. Our entire life is supposed to be a struggle to find that balance, to find that real worth in ourselves, so that we are not looking forward in other people, in things, posts, engagement or followers. We are not looking for worth in the clothes we are wearing, in the car we drive. In the house we live in, but we are looking for worth in what we give to Allah. 

May Allah enable us to find that balance in a way pleasing to Him. Aameen.

www.darannoor.com