The School of Heart

NEVER LOSE HOPE IN ALLAH ! DO NOT DESPAIR

2018-09-12T01:44:00.000-07:00

We are sad when we think our dua is not being answered. when we are in the sadness, pains in life. But probably we don't even realize what Allah wants from us, what He loves.
This videos can change our views to life. may Allah bless us, may Allah have mercy on us.

Gratitude : A Way of Life - it's a wonderful talk by Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan in RIS convention 2013. He has talked on the 7th verse of the 14th surah of the Quran. Allah has beautifully showed His mercy and assurance for us, the believers, who are constantly satisfied and showing gratitude to the mercy of the Lord of the universe. Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfvsOD3R0gE

NEVER LOSE HOPE IN ALLAH : BILAL ASAD

DO NOT DESPAIR : MUKHTAR ASH SHANKITEE

DO NOT DESPAIR 2 : MUKHTAR ASH SHANKITEE

Hope:

Belief in Allah's Powers in light of Surah Yusuf, Sh. Mokhtar Maghraoui

lecture given in ICNA convention. Click here to watch on youtube

Dont' Be Sad : Hamza Yusuf
- link1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqfP4ADWHEQ
- link 2 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBtOrB8z2jM

Trials and Tribulations : Wisdom and Benefits
By al-Imam al-'Izz bin 'Abdus-Salam. A wonderful treatise on the reality and causes of trials and tribulations, their reasons, their benefits, there results and the correct understanding and approach towards them. People often see, and hear of, the believers being afflicted with adversity and tribulations, and conversely they often see, and hear of, the disbelievers attaining leadership and wealth in this world. This leads them to believe that well-being in this world is only reserved for the disbelievers and only a fraction of it is given to the believers; and also to believe that nobility and might is for the disbelievers in this world and for the believers in the Hereafter.

Download the book

A lecture on benefits on trials and tribulations:

A wonderful lecture by Shaykh Hamzah Yusuf is "17 Benefits of trials and tribulations" where he has discussed from the book : Trials and Tribulations : Wisdom and Benefits.

Read the Book : DONT BE SAD by Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni

At a time in which the Muslims are beset with trials from every periphery and within, comes this heartening book rooted in the commandments of Allah (swt), the Sunnah and the excellent guidance and examples of the Muslims that have come before us.Don't Be Sad is an absolute must-read for all people. It is full of practical advice on how to replace sadness with a pragmatic and ultimately satisfying Islamic outlook on life. It exposes to the modern reader how Islam teaches us to deal with the tests and tribulations of this world.
So, take heart and hold firmly onto the rope of Allah (swt).

Download from here OR Read Online from here

Hook Up with the Quran, Allah Will Hook You Up :: Maryam Amerebrahimi

2016-09-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

♣ originally posted : suhaibwebb dot com

Before I got married, I was given unsolicited advice on how to change in order to make myself "more appealing" to brothers. Sisters would voluntarily tell me I should be more outgoing when with men, dress more attractively to get their attention and stop being as involved with Islamic activism so I would not scare them away.

Since when is our purpose in life marriage? Where in theQur'an does Allah ask us to change our personalities, dress style and tone down our activism in hopes of getting hitched? Nevertheless, with marriage being such a huge concern in our community, many face the temptation to change their values to find a spouse.

Here's an idea: Instead of working to please a potential suitor, perhaps we should first seek to please Allah, the One who sows the seed of love in our hearts and can bless us with our dream husband or dream wife.

Instead of looking for marriage at every event, let's look for marriage in our relationship with al-Wahhab, the Giver of All. Let's be honest. We are talking about al-Mujeeb, the Responder to Prayer. Those are amongst the Names of Allah! Allah gives and He answers!

If you are an individual who struggles to lower your gaze and protect your eyes, heart, tongue and body from falling into theharam, don't you know that Allah will indeed reward you?

Every time you glance up and see someone you wish you could be with, turn away and in that moment ask Allah to bless you with a spouse who will be the sweetness of your eyes. Would not Allah listen to and accept your supplication to Him? How could Allah possibly not accept the supplication of His adamant worshipper who is painfully struggling to maintain his or her modesty and guard his or her chastity? The Prophet ﷺ has encouraged us to "Ask and you will be given…" (at-Tirmithi) Allah will give you! How could He not when you are striving only for His Sake?

In those moments in the last third of the night, in those two rakahs which you make out of pure frustration of your situation, weeping, asking Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala – exalted is He) to answer you – do you not think Allah the Rabb al-`alameen(Lord of the Worlds) will not respond to you? Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest), this is Allah! Without doubt Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) is going to answer you!

The Prophet ﷺ relates from Allah in a hadith Qudsi:

"Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth's sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: 'Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?'" (Bukhari)

What is hooking up with a brother or sister on gchat or facebook worth in comparison to hooking up with the One who can hook you up?

As Shaykh Muhammad Faqih once said, "Hook up with Allah, Allah will hook you up!"

Let's hook up with salah! Hook up with the Qur'an! Hook up with community work for Allah's Sake! And have certainty that when we struggle to please Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala), Ash-Shakoor is the Most Appreciative of our work and will undoubtedly reward us.

Will that reward be in the form of an amazing spouse and an amazing marriage? Allah knows best. But the best part is that Allah knows what is BEST for us and that His bounties are limitless.

The Prophet ﷺ has told us, "Any Muslim who supplicates to Allah in a du`a' which contains no sin [of] breaking of kinship, Allah will give him one of three things: either his du`a' will be immediately answered, it will be saved for him in the hereafter, or it will turn away an equivalent amount of evil (from him)…" (Ahmad).

Thus, we must know that if we connect with Allah, we can trust that Allah will grant us whatever is best, whether it be an answer to exactly what we are asking for or something better. Allah has got our backs! Who better to trust our future with than the One who already knows it?

Easier said than done? Maybe. But what have you got to lose? If at the end of the day you are only increasing in closeness to Allah, increasing in reading the Qur'an, tasting the sweetness of your salah, and making more sincere du`a' theninsha'Allah (if Allah wills) you will have gained more than simply "a spouse" if you get married and you would have gained much more than facebook "cruising for a spouse" time while you're attempting to find your better half…Insha'Allah you will gain more in this life and the next, and an unwavering relationship with Allah!

Here are some short, quick and amazing ways we can increase our relationship with Allah through good deeds massively rewarded inshaAllah:

–> Get what you really want: "Allah will grant whoever recites this seven times in the morning or evening whatever he desires from this world or the next" (Ibn As Sunni, Abu Dawood – both reports are directly linked to the Prophet ﷺ):

HasbiaAllahu la ilaha ila huwa `alayhi tawakaltu wa huwa Rabbu'l`arshi'l`atheem.

"Allah is Sufficient for me, none has the right to be worshipped except Him, upon Him I rely and He is Lord of the exalted throne."

To be recited seven times in the morning (after Fajr) and seven times in the evening (between `Asr and Maghrib).

–> Say "Subhan'Allah" (glory be to Allah) 100 times. For a person who does this, "a thousand good deeds are recorded for him and a thousand bad deeds are wiped away." [Muslim]

–> Ask Allah to forgive your brothers and sisters: "Whoever seeks forgiveness for believing men and believing woman,Allah will write for him a good deed for each believing man and believing woman." [at-Tabarani, classed as hasan by al-Albani]

–> Work to protect yourself from the Hellfire: "Allah will spare whoever says this four times in the morning or evening from the fire of Hell" (Abu Dawood, was also reported in Bukhari).

Allahumma inni asbahtu ush-hiduka, wa ushidu hamalata `arshika, wa mala'ikataka, wa jamee`a khalqik, annaka Ant Allah, la ilaha illa Ant, wahdaka la shareeka lak, wa anna Muhammadan `abduka wa rasuluka (when saying this in the evening, say "Allahuma inni amsaytu" instead of "asbahtu."

"O Allah, verily I have reached the morning and call on You, the bearers of Your throne, Your angels, and all of Your creation to witness that You are Allah, none has the right to be worshipped except You, alone, without partner and that Muhammad is Your Servant and Messenger."

To be recited four times in the morning (after Fajr) and evening (between `Asr and Maghrib).

The Lord of the Worlds speaks to us and tells us, "And when My slaves ask you concerning Me, then I am indeed near. I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me. So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright" (Quran, 2:186).

You are coming to Allah with rajaa (hope), with a powerful combination of seeking Allah's pleasure, striving to leave anything which may gain His displeasure and making a consistent effort to ask Him to open the best of ways for you and then putting your trust in Him that He will give you whatever is best. Of course Allah is going to answer you.

As was once stated, "A person has never held certainty in Allah only for Allah to disappoint him/her.' Never will Allah disappoint those with yaqeen (certainty), tawakkul (reliance) and husn al-dhann (good opinion) of Him." Hook up with Allah and know that without a doubt, Allah 'azza wa Jall will hook you up in the best of ways.

Veiled from sight, a young woman walked down the streets of Cairo, reciting Qur'an to herself and thinking about her goals. She loved the Qur'an and was passionate about studying and teaching it. She wanted to move to Saudi Arabia, where she knew of Qur'anic scholars from whom she dreamt of learning. She was mesmerized by Makkah and Madinah; she'd find herself spending hours making du`a' (supplication) to visit the House of her Lord in Ramadan, to make the journey of Hajj, to walk through the land of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him). Working on a Master's degree and traveling for hours in traffic to come to her students' homes and teach them Qur'an never caused her to complain. She was constantly working on reviewing her Qur'an; she had memorized it completely from years past and she continued to review it to ensure it never left her heart.

Suddenly, she was stopped by a random lady on the road. "Excuse me," the lady inquired, peering into the eyes of the girl whose heart burned with the inscription of the Words of Allahsubhanahu wa ta`ala (swt), whose face was veiled by her niqab, whose hands were covered by gloves, and whose body was cloaked by a long, flowing outer garment. "Are you married or engaged?" the lady asked. Staring at the lady, the young woman replied in the negative: hesitant, yet curious at such a loaded question from a random passerby. Considering her outer dress, the strange lady certainly was not asking because she found the young woman to be ridiculously beautiful. "I have a brother," the lady explained. "He's Egyptian, but he lives in Saudi Arabia. He has memorized the entire Qur'an. He has qualifications to teach it. He's looking to get married. Might you be interested?"

Incredulous, the young woman exchanged information with the random woman on the street. Soon, their families initiated contact and within weeks, the brother of the strange lady had come to visit the young woman and her family. With time, prayers, and lots of consultation, the young woman finally agreed. She would marry the young man with whom she would live in Saudi Arabia, the young man who helped her plan to make Hajj that very year, the young man who had already memorized the Qur'an and who had dedicated his heart to the Book of Allah (swt). This young man, now her husband, was introduced to her by a random lady on the road.

This is the story of how my Qur'an teacher was united with her better half. She had devoted her life to the Qur'an and to her studies. She focused on her objectives of being a servant of Allah (swt) and of His Book, and maintained that focus in every aspect of her life. I would never have imagined that she would get married to someone who was the missing piece to everything she was looking for and even more. I should have realized that my puny imagination is nothing in comparison to Allah's Power and Decree. Allah (swt) hooked up my Qur'an teacher big time and it could easily be argued that it was because she hooked up with the Book of Allah (swt).

Hooking up with Allah (swt) means being hooked up in the best of ways in every realm of life. Marriage, graduate school, studying overseas, relationship with one's parents, getting a job, passing the SATs with high scores… you dream of it, yearn for it… who's going to really give it to you? Your Facebook friends? Or the Lord and Ruler of all the Worlds (swt)?

Allah, the Exalted, has told us in a sacred hadith, "…the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon them; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing nawafil (voluntary prayers or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) until I love them, (so much so that) I become the hearing with which they hear, and the sight with which they see, and the hand with which they strike, and the leg with which they walk; and if they ask Me something, I will surely give them, and if they seek My Protection (refuge), I will surely protect them."

Get this: Allah (swt) might not give you exactly what you want when you beg of Him in supplication, but because He loves you, He'll always give you something better. The Prophet ﷺ has taught us, "Any Muslim who supplicates to Allah in adu`a' which contains no sin or breaking of kinship, Allah (swt) will give him one of three things: either his du`a' will be immediately answered; or it will be saved for him in the hereafter; or it will turn away an equivalent amount of evil (from him)." The companions said, "So we will ask for more." He replied, "Allahu Akthar"–Allah is even more. More than whatever they ask, more than whatever we all ask.

Maybe marriage isn't actually great for you and maybe that specific job won't actually be everything which you've dreamed. There are numerous uncertainties regarding the outcome of our affairs. However, without doubt, when we hook up with Allah, if we're sincere and determined to work, we can be certain that He will always guide us to whatever will ultimately bring us eternal happiness.

So, how can we hook up with Allah? How can we be of those who do our best to do obligatory actions and then run to our Lord through extra acts of worship?

Let's take my Qur'an teacher's example – let's hook up with the Qur'an! Let's make the intention to become the people of the Qur'an! Let's begin by believing with certainty that we want to make a connection with Allah's Words; that we want the Qur'an to play a pivotal role in our lives. Once we've made that commitment, bi'ithnillah (with the permission of Allah), here's a suggested plan of action:

    If we're in school, at work, have family or other obligations and are already squeezed for time, let's make a commitment to begin by reading the Qur'an on a daily basis and in a language we understand because the point is to understand it and make that crazy strong connection with it.
    Suggestion for those of us who just can not get off our laptops and always lament wasting time: make a sticky note to put somewhere on your laptop which reads something like, "Have you hooked up with Kitab Allah today?" or "[Your name here], don't you want Allah (swt) to hook you up?" Hooking up with Allah (swt) is beyond any hooking up we can do over social media and will bring us ridiculous quantities of benefit in this life and the next insha'Allah!
    If you are not yet able to read Arabic, keep up with reading the translation, and when you can, try to begin learning the language of the Qur'an. There are a ton of online programs for this now. However, never let language stop you from connecting with the Qur'an. Read the translation in any language with which you find easiest to connect, and with time, you will insha'Allah be pleasantly shocked at how much you're finding your personal perspective to be one of the Qur'anic narrative.
    If you already know how to read Arabic but don't understand what you're reading: begin by setting an amount of Qur'an that you'll read every day in both the Arabic and translation. For example, if I know I'm intensely busy and updating my Facebook is also a significant part of my life, let me make a commitment to start with just five verses a day, both in English and in Arabic, and let me make sure I don't sleep without doing my Qur'an for that day.
    If you can make a commitment from now to memorize the Qur'an, start looking for a teacher who can help you withtajweed and once you're ready, memorization. If you can't find anyone in your area, then find a Qur'an buddy near you who can help you read and learn the basics until you find someone who can fully teach you. If you live in the middle of nowhere and there's really no one near you at all, search online for programs which teach tajweed which you can do via Skype or other means from your own home. Readers, please comment with online programs you recommend! If you have no one but know how to read with passing tajweed, just start! Set a goal for yourself, write it down, and work on moving forward weekly. Thus, within a month, instead of having never opened the Qur'an, insha'Allah you'll have perhaps even an entire new chapter memorized!
    Finally, if sometimes you feel apathetic, find yourself slipping, or realize that your heart is feeling bored with trying to make a connection with the Qur'an, change your mindset. Stand up, say bismillah (in the name of Allah) and seek refuge with Allah (swt) from the accursed Devil. Jump up and call in a loud and exciting voice with an enormous grin on your face, "THE QUR'AN IS MY BEST FRIEND!!!" Maybe it's not completely true yet, but insha'Allah with enough convincing, and moving your body in an excitable way, your total physical response to the Qur'an combined with your newfound daily relationship with the Book of Allah, will help your neurons make positive connections which they will soon need more than your lungs need air.

Let's make the Qur'an our best friend! When we're sad, lonely, depressed and frustrated, let's say, "I needa vent with the Book of Allah," and just recite it all out. We will find ourselves connecting with Allah's Words, awed by the relevance of His Book to the exact tribulation we're experiencing. When we're elated, let's say, "I can't wait to tell all of this to my best friend" and run to the Qur'an! Not excited? Fake it till you convince yourself to make it, insha'Allah! Insha'Allah we will be shocked at the fact that even though we've read the same surah (chapter) a hundred times over, we don't remember ever reading the very same dynamic words before. And when we're too busy, let's realize how eager we'd be if some public figure we thought was amazing just called us up on our cells. Wouldn't we make time, wouldn't our adrenaline suddenly rush when we see whose actually calling us?

So then, let's rush with that same vigor to drop everything and make time for the most important One – the Rabb al `alameen, the Lord of the Worlds. Let's develop a strong relationship with the Words which He has revealed to take us from the darknesses of this life to the one light and to help us be a means of benefit in society.

The Prophet ﷺ taught us, "The Companions of the Qur'an are the people of Allah, and His favored people" [Nisai]. Let us be of Allah's favored people – those who work to recite the Qur'an by day and night, work to memorize, understand, and live by it! Let us consciously decide to strive to take it as our best friend!

Whatever we're seeking, in this life or the next, let's hook up with the Book of Allah and have certainty that because of the sincerity of our investment, Allah (swt) will hook us up in whatever ways are best.

RE-Claim your Right on God !

2016-04-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

I remember when I first read this write-up I several times tried to hold my tears falling but I failed. Something that reminded me my very right on my God, that I had always, I lost it and I was lost for it. I collected it from the blog of sister Shohana Akter. May Allah reward her for the reminder. For HE is the only One who can give the best of the rewards, absolutely....

One of my sisters is going through really bad time. She is in a dilemma about a decision. She is not being able to firm her heart about a certain matter. So I told her why don't you pray salatul Istikhara (prayer of seeking divine guidance) even after knowing this fact she doesn't pray five times neither she does hijaab. I got the reaction according to my expectation , she reacted the way I assumed. She laughed out loud and said "I don't pray obligatory prayer and here you are suggesting me to pray Ishtikhara salaah which is voluntary ?" So I said "you never called your mom doesn't mean you WILL never call her. You didn't do doesn't mean you will never do!"

This is not her fault that she feels in this way rather its my fault and fault of those people who are like me.

We show our slave-hood to Allah through two kinds of actions. One of these are personal act of obedience .i.e praying five times ,fasting in Ramadan etc.. etc. Another way of showing our obedience to Allah is through our relationship and interaction with His creations.

One day I was praying in my University, in our department office. It was Maghrib time , I had two of my class mates sitting near me. After finishing my prayer I asked whether they would want to pray as I had a prayer mat with me. So one of them replied that she is not as good as me , as in she is not going to pray. So I had to clarify that praying five times doesn't ensure my goodness.

For some reason we take our "goodness" guaranteed when we pray five times and do all those formal ritualistic acts of obedience. Praying five times doesn't give me a copyright over God. I belong to Him as much as those sisters of mine who don't pray five times or doesn't do Hijab (I despise to identify these sisters of mine with this particular name like "non-hijabi" sisters). My five times prayer doesn't give me a supreme position with Allah because I don't know how my prayers are taken , whether with honor or with disgust , I certainly don't know. If I think of myself having a supreme position with Allah , that is so only in my little dream. Don't you remember what Allah says in Surah Al-Maun?

Have you considered him who calls the judgment a lie?

That is the one who treats the orphan with harshness

And does not urge (others) to feed the poor.

So woe to the praying ones....

M the praying one who doesn't take care of the poor and orphan ....I know my class mate in Literature class who doesn't pray five times but she goes to the orphanage and old-age home every week ......Now you tell me ?

Sister , no one is perfect ...m doing something from my obligatory duties ...and you are doing something else from the obligatory duties. Let me tell you the biggest obligatory duty "Striving to become a better human being". Not praying five times should not stop you from being a good human being , it should not stop you from claiming your rights on the Magnificent GOD !

God has promised to listen to my call as much as He has promised to listen to the call of those who doesn't pray five times. God almighty calls Himself "Lord of the Mankind" (surah an-Naas) , He never addresses Himself as the "Lord of the people of prayer only !" , He says in surah al Fatiha "praise to the lord of the entire creation ! "

sister , you are my sister whether you pray five times or not, whether you do hijab or not. The bond, whose witness is Allah Himself , certainly I can not nullify that bond.

Allah is your , as much as He is mine...He will listen to you , the way He listens to me. You never called Him (consciously) doesn't mean you will not call Him ever.

look at this saying of the prophet which confirms my truthfulness , which confirms I am not saying all these just to make you happy !

Allah the Most High says, ‘I am with my slave when he thinks of Me and I am with him when he mentions Me. For if he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in a gathering, I mention him in superior gathering. If he approaches Me by a hand's width, I approach him by an arm's length, I approach him by two arms length. And if he comes to me walking, I hasten to him swiftly.’ [Bukhari]

Just call Him , He will certainly run to you.

May be you are not ready to pray five times but whats wrong in remembering Him ?Remember what our prophet Muhammad said ?

"Allah the Most High says, ‘I am with my slave when he thinks of Me and I am with him when he mentions Me. For if he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in a gathering, I mention him in superior gathering................."

so every time I say "Allah" , He says "Shohana"

every time I think "Allah need you", Allah thinks "I am with you"

When you think "I don't pray five times , I don't do Hijab then whats the use of praying to Allah ?"

Allah says "O man! What has made you careless concerning your Lord, the Most Generous?"

or "O man ! What has made you stay away from your Lord , THEE MOST GENEROUS ???"

Sister don't let people like us take away your divine right on Allah. Re-claim your right on Allah.

A Sweetest Wonderful Article : Dua

2016-04-02T04:38:00.000-07:00

Dua by Shohana [collected from her blog]

(This is from my Diary which I wrote during my stay in Medina on Umrah)

14th March. Place : Hotel Room , Medina Al-Munawwarah; Time : Near Dhur time.

***************************

When talking about conditions for dua getting accepted, scholars have written many books on it, both contemporary and classical.

I felt in my last few days on my stay in Mekkah that conditions for your dua to get accepted are

- Having good opinion about Allah

- Understanding and believing that Allah's capacity is immeasurable

- Understanding and believing that Allah only wants khair/good for us

- Believing that Allah's divine treasure never decreases

- Believing that Allah is not miser in His giving rather He hates miserliness.

- Believing that your dua got accepted (this is the hardest part)

lastly the person has to act upon all these beliefs while making a dua.

I have seen people asking Allah to bring them back to His house once they visit the house of Allah. As John Constantine says "always a catch", yes the catchy part is understood when you hear these people talking when they are leaving Mekkah. Most of them will say something like what one of my relative said

"will I be able to come here again ? "

So one day I asked this relative of mine , "didn't you ask Allah to bring you back to His house ?" The answer is obvious one "Yes I did. Many TIMES." So I told her in reply "If you have asked Allah to bring you to His house again then why do you think you will not be able to come here again ?" (Told you , there is always a catch)

But it seemed my relative did not quiet understand what I said or what I TRIED to say because throughout our journey I heard her saying this many times.

Looking at the possibility of dua coming true is not of our business. Checking the feasibility of the dua coming true is not of our business. This is purely divine business and believers do not interfere in God's business.

Musa , Isa and Muhammad (Peach be upon them all) had so many miracles. My God ! Musa could turn his wooden stick into a snake and Isa could cure the blind. Tradition says Isa could even walk on the water (How awesome is that !). And my God our Muhammad could split the moon. But there is this Constantine catch. The catch is, Miracle was not in the stick of Musa or in the feet of Isa, neither it was in the fingers of Muhammd (May Allah have His infinite mercy upon them all) rather the Miracle was in their hearts , I mean the belief. Heart is the house of Miracle , thousands of miracles happen in this house of divinity. No wonder Allah keeps the heart of His slaves between His two fingers.

When Allah asked Musa to strike the sea with his stick , Musa did not start doing a feasibility check on probability of Sea getting divided by the strike of a wooden stick. As you can guess for sure that if he would start thinking like this then Bani Israel would die in the hand of Firaun and Israel would never get to live in the Land of Canan , the land of Milk and honey (Palestine), above all, history would not be made.

Once someone asked Isa , “How are you able to walk on water?”

Isa replied, “With certainty.”

Then someone said, “But we also have certainty!”

Isa then asked them, “Are stone, clay,and gold equal in your eyes?”

They replied, “Certainly not!”

Isa responded, “They are in mine.”

(ahmad)

This is the certainty about Allah and His majestic kingdom. This is certainty in the statements made by Allah , verses like

Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime,the Tremendous.

and who can be more truthful than Allah ?

This is about being certain that all matters are the creation of Allah i.e. slave of Allah. Fire will not burn and the water will not drown even though this sounds crazy ! Creations will leave their nature in one single command of Allah the glorified God. These all creations move according to the will of Allah , His superiority is unimaginable, even the infinite is finite when His superiority is explained. No wonder Prophet Muhammad (May Allah give him highest rank) was commanded by Allah to say :

"Had the ocean served as ink to write about Allah, then surely the ocean would run out, but the narrative about Allah would not."

Who can explain Allah in His best other than Himself ? Do we even have words in our lowly tongue ?

So don't torture your little brain by analyzing the probability of a dua coming true and just ask like the Nike logo "Just do it". Because if you do not get what you wanted then know palaces made of precious stones are waiting for you and you will have green carpet (best better than Hollywood red carpet) in green robes and this time no camera flashlights are flashing rather it's your own noor which will even blind the mortal eyes (KILL ME !!!!).

Ok now some of you may ask me , "so.....I will get an Unicorn if I ask Allah ?"

answer : No, you won't sweet heart. Because you yourself do not believe that you will get one....that is why you asked this question (there is always a catch).

But sometimes we do pray the insincere prayers (not really from heart) but still a lot of them come true. How?

Just because "Praise to the Lord of the Worlds , Thee compassionate , Thee most Merciful"

Even though you called an Insincere calling but He heard theee most Sincere hearing.

Don't write everything you feel and realize : KSM

2016-01-17T00:11:00.000-08:00

When u come across an intriguing piece of wisdom, u feel sort of an excitement. You feel that u know something that most of the people perhaps don't know. So u get an impulse to share it with other people. When u eventually let it gush out through your writing, your excitement dies. But if u can suppress that early excitement, you will not lose the interest on the topic. You can ponder on it and can bring out something deeper from that piece of wisdom.

-- KSM

Tawakkul (Reliance on Allah)

2015-05-20T22:37:00.003-07:00

Written by guest writer, Umm Yusuf. Taken from MuslimMatters.

* * *
I used to think that tawakkul was just making dua for good to happen in your life and expecting good to happen with certainty (no matter how uncertain the situation may be). I realize now that tawakkul is also a belief in the Grand Plan of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) and that, in the worst times of your life when you think you have been abandoned, when you are tested, tawakkul is to also believe there is good in the test that you are going through…and even that test is a mercy of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala). Remember Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) loves you more than your mother does and, although you cannot imagine doing this, one day you will thank Him for giving you that test because through it you gained so many blessings.

"And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know." Qur'an(12:20)

Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) mentions this ayat to us in Surah Yusuf after Yusuf ('alayhisalaam) is thrown down a well by his own brothers, separated from his beloved father by their envy and sold as a slave, and this is BEFORE the test of the women and prison…why? Whereas the majority of people when placed in difficult times would lose hope in the mercy of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) and despair and give up on making du'a we musn't be fooled by the difficult times in our life – that things may get worse and continue to, but we have to remember Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) is completely in control of our affairs and that with this difficulty there is some ultimate benefit for us both on the day of Judgement and also in this world.

"…and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know." (2:216)

Since He (subhanahu wa ta'ala) has placed us in this difficulty, He, too, will remove us from this difficulty just as in the same way as with Yusuf ('alayhisalaam). Had Yusuf ('alayhisalaam) not been thrown down the well by his brothers, he would not have become the financial minister of Egypt. The day he was thrown in the well was the day that his path to blessings was made easy for him. The blessing of becoming financial minister of Egypt, the blessing of wealth and honour and provision. The blessing of prophethood and the blessing of Jannah. Yusuf ('alayhisalaam) eventually saw the fruits of his patience. Similarly, we have to have patience because the day our test began is the day our path to honour, blessings and ease had also similarly begun.

The Prophet (sallalaahu 'alayhi wasallam) said "…"Be mindful of Allah, you will find Him in front of you. Become beloved to Allah during times of prosperity, He will know you in times of adversity. Know that what has passed you by was never to befall you. And (know that) what has befallen you was never to have passed you by. And know that victory accompanies perseverance, relief accompanies affliction and ease accompanies hardship". (At-Tirmidhi Hadith #19 in An-Nawawi's 40 Hadith)

The Arabic word "ma'" means "with" and when this word connects victory with perseverance, relief with affliction and so forth, then this means (according to explanations from scholars as explained in Zarabozo's explanation of An-Nawawi's 40 Hadith) is not that one follows the other after some time but that one thing follows the other very closely as if they are coming together. So as the trial starts, so does the relief - giving us comfort that whatever problems we may face, we have to be patient for a little while because the relief is also on its way.

One of the most painful experiences in life is to lose someone you love. When this happens, sometimes the thought may enter our mind - who could be better than this person? This was the exact thought that entered the mind of the companion of the Prophet Muhammad (sallalaahu 'alayhi wasallam), Umm Salamah when her husband Abu Salamah died. She had shared so much with him and she couldn't imagine who could be better than this man.

Umm Salamah narrated that the Prophet (sallalaahu 'alayhi wasallam) said: "There is no Muslim that is afflicted with a calamity, and he says what Allah has commanded him to say: "To Allah we belong and to him we will return! O Allah! Give me the rewards (of being patient over) this calamity, and grant me something better than it to replace it," except that Allah will give him something better to replace it."

Umm Salamah said "So when (my husband) Abu Salamah died, I said this du'a, but could not help thinking, "Who is better than Abu Salamah (i.e. no one can replace Abu Salamah)?" Then the Prophet (sallalaahu 'alayhi wasallam) himself sent me a messenger proposing to me, so Allah blessed me with someone better than Abu Salamah" (Muslim, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi).

And who did Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) replace Abu Salamah with? Someone who was so much better than him in worldly status and in the status of the akhirah – Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (sallalaahu 'alayhi wasallam). Prophet Muhammad (sallalaahu 'alayhi wasallam) approached her. She didn't have to get his attention or compromise her faith or herself for him. He came to her even though she was old, widowed with children and he accepted her even though she admitted to having character deficiencies. And had Umm Salamah not gone through the pain of losing Abu Salamah, she would never have had the honour of being the wife of the final Messenger of Allah (sallalaahu 'alayhi wasallam) in this world or the next.

When we face difficulties or we lose something, and we equally say the above mentioned du'a and have patience, insha'Allah, whatever we have lost, Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) will compensate us in this world and the next with that which is abundantly better. When we experience that blessing we will thank Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) for taking us through that test and we will understand that we were never abandoned, our dua's were heard (every single one of them) and Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) was always in control of our affairs.

Pearls of Islamic Scholars : Quotes [15]

2015-05-20T22:25:00.003-07:00

Whoever fears Allah, everything fears him. And whoever does not fear Allah, Allah makes him fear everything. —salaf

(Read on pg 30, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Hasad: A Condemnation of Envy and Envious People. Tasdeeq Publishers. Doha:2010.)

"If you think Allah will not listen to your prayer because of your sins, remember the prayer of satan was accepted when he asked for more time."
-- Suhaib Webb [fb page, 08/02/2015]

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen: Treat your wife the way you want your daughter to be treated. (Ash-Sharh Al-Mumti’, 12/381)
Abu al-Layth as-Samarqandee:"If when you are a child you are playing with other children.And if when you are a youth you are heedless due to amusements.And if when you are an old man you become weak.When will you then perform deeds for the sake of Allaah?" (Tanbeeh al-Ghaafileen 1/38)

al-Awza'i : "A believer speaks little and does a lot, but a munafiq (hypocrite) does little and speaks a lot." [siyar a'lam al-nubala, 13/146]

"Laziness is an illness"-- Shaykh Akram Nadwi
[official facebook page, 12/02/15]

Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr as-Sadeeq: "The worst type of sin, is for the slave to belittle his own sinful activities." (al-Mujaalasah p. 398)

We forget though the pen is mighty, the tongue is mightier."
-- Hamza Yusuf [fb, 05-03-15]

Sufyaan ath-Thawree 161 AH (May Allah have mercy on him) said:“There is nothing more difficult upon me to observe than my intention, as it is always changing.” [Jaami’ ‘Uloom p. 16]

Abdullah ibn Mubaarak 171 AH (may Allah have mercy on him) said:“Perhaps a small deed becomes great because of the intention behind it, and perhaps a big deed becomes insignificant because of the intention behind it.”[Jaami’ ‘Uloom p. 16]

the sincerity of Yusuf (alayhis salam) to His Lord was greater than the beauty of the one that tried to seduce him. Ibn Taimiyyah
[imam omar suleiman fb, 15/4/15]

Abdur-Rahman Al-Awzaa’ee 157 AH (May Allah have mercy on him) was asked if Imaan increases. He said:
“Yes, until it becomes like a mountain”
He was then asked if it decreases and he said:
“Yes, until there remains nothing from it”
[Asbaab Ziyaadatil Imaan wa Nuqsaanihi p. 6]

Ibraaheem ibn Adham once passed through the market in Basrah. People gathered around him and asked:O Abu Ishaaq, Allah the Exalted says in his Book. ‘Call on me, I will answer your prayers’, but we have been calling on Him for a long time and He does not answer our prayers.

[Ibraaheem] replied, “O people of Basrah, your hearts have died in respect to ten things: First, you know Allah but you do not give Him His rights; second, you have read Allah’s Book but you do not act by it; third, you claim to love Allah’s Messenger – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – yet you abandon his Sunnah; fourth, you claim to be enemies to Shaytaan but you conform to [his ways]; fifth, you say you love Paradise yet you do not work for it; sixth, you say you fear The Fire yet you put yourselves closer to it [by sinning]; seventh, you say death is true but you do not prepare for it; eighth, you busy yourselves with the faults of others and disregard your own; ninth, you consume the favors of your Lord but are not grateful for them; and tenth, you bury your dead but take no lesson from them.”[Aboo Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyaa’ 8: 15, 16]

Purification of Heart by Shaikh Hamza Yusuf [book & Audio Link]

2015-05-19T04:46:00.001-07:00

Links to download Shyakh Hamza Audios:
http://seedsofguidance.com/hamza-yusuf-lectures/

Book Link:
https://archive.org/stream/PurificationOfTheHeartByHamzaYusufcomplete

Two Beatiful Lectures : Must watch for Ummah at this stage by Dr. Yasir Qadhi

2015-05-05T23:56:00.000-07:00

Two Beatiful Lectures : Must watch for Ummah at this stage by Dr. Yasir Qadhi. Presented on September 2013

1. Reflections on the Hadeeth of the 73 Sects by Dr. Yasir Qadhi - #Sunni #Shia
2. Dealing with Theological Differences in the Real World - Dr. Yasir Qadhi

Reflections on the Hadeeth of the 73 Sects by Dr. Yasir Qadhi - #Sunni #Shia | 1st September 2013

Dealing with Theological Differences in the Real World - Dr. Yasir Qadhi | 1st September 2013

[video] The Destroyer of Pleasures by Mukhtar Ash-Shinqitee

2015-01-14T00:29:00.000-08:00

The Destroyer of Pleasures...
by- Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Ash-Shinqitee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMITZtKt1dA

[video] Friendship - Muhammad Mukhtar Ash-Shinqitee

2015-01-14T00:25:00.001-08:00

Friendship - Muhammad Mukhtar Ash-Shinqitee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJi_y5KdPds

Pearls of Islamic Scholars : Quotes [14]

2015-01-05T10:35:00.003-08:00

Shaykh Abdul-Rahman as-Sa'di: "Allaah showed Adam's excellence via knowledge. Knowledge is one of the noblest qualities a servant can possess." (Taysir-ul-Karim, p. 49)

Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah:
"Allah becomes angry if you abandon asking Him whereas the sons of Adam become angry when asked."(Madarij al-Salikin 2/98)

“Whoever complained of a calamity to other than Allah, he will not find the sweetness of obedience.”- Shaqiq al-Balkhee, (al-Siyar, 9/315)

Imam Muhammad ibn Hibban:"The most beautiful beauty is fine behavior. The one who does not have it, has no beauty."(ar-Rawdhah, pg. 2220)

Abu Darda Al-Ansari (radiyAllahu'anhu):“You will not become an ‘aalim (scholar) until you become a mut’alim (student) and you will not become a muta’alim (student) until you act upon the knowledge you posses.”

(Iqtidaa-u Al'Ilmi Al-'Amal, 29)

Ibn-ul-Jawzee:"He (Abu Bakr) is the first one to have gathered the Qur'an. He neither drank Alcohol in Jaahiliyyah nor in Islam."(Sifat us-Safwah 1/105)

Ibn Al Qayyim said:

"Seek out your heart in three places:

1) When listening to the Qur’aan,

2) In the gatherings of [Allaah’s] remembrance,

3) and when [alone] in privacy.

And if you do not find it in these places, then ask Allaah to grant you a heart - for verily, you do not have one.”

(Fawaaidul-Fawaaid, p.479)

Imam Malik ibn Anas:"It is not the knowledge which should come to you, it is you who should come to the knowledge."(Adab Shar'iyyah 2/144)

Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah: "Every punishment from Him is pure justice and every blessing from Him is pure grace." (Majmuu` Fataawaa 10/85)

"The tiger walks alone. Sheep have lots of company." (Leadership Lessons from the life of Rasoolullah, p. 159 - Mirza Yawar Baig)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: "Nobody loved the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) as Abu Bakr. Therefore, those who hate Abu Bakr belong to the greatest hypocrites." (al-Minhaj 4/300)

Hatim Bin Al-A’sim said: “If a respectable good man sits with you, you would be watching every word you utter so that you do not say something wrong. Yet, you know that your words are watched by Allah but you still do not watch the words you utter!” [Aldaa Wa Al Dawaa, by Ibn Al-Qayyim]

"Women are better at LOVE than men, that's why Allaah SWT made them Mothers." --Shaykh Hamza Yusuf [OnIslam.net twitter, 09/09/14]

Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (radiyAllahu'anhu) :“Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people see it as something good.” [Abu Shaamah, #39]

You know what the Quran teaches me? The Quran teaches me that an incredibly wealthy man can be a failure (Firaun) and a homeless man can be successful (Prophet Ibrahim). It teaches me that success has nothing to do with wealth and failure has nothing to do with poverty. -- Nouman Ali Khan [fb, 2 oct 14]

Al-Hasan Al-Basree said:“The life of this world is made up of three days: yesterday has gone with all that was done; tomorrow, you may never reach; but today is for you so do what you should do today.”

[Al-Bayhaqî, Al-Zuhd Al-Kabeer, p.197]

"When the wise man is alone with his wives, he should then leave his intellect in a corner as a respected shaykh and (start) joking and fooling around with them to give them and their souls it's rights. And when he is alone with his children, then he should come to them in their shape (i.e. act like them, be like them etc)."____Ibn Aqeel [Aadaab ush-Sharee'ah 3/388]

Shaykh ibn al-‘Uthaymeen:"If you want that your property grows and your sins to be forgiven, then you should give charity."(Ahkam-ul-Qur’an, 2/293)

Imam Abu'l-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi:"Ibn 'Awn was never angry. If a man angered him he would say to him, 'May Allah bless you'."(Tibb ar-Ruhani pg: 51)

Whoever turns to Allah completely, Allah will turn to them completely. Whoever turns away from Allah completely, Allah will completely turn away from them. —salaf (Read on pg 30, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Hasad)

Random quotes

2014-12-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

"I believe in Islam like I believe in the sun rising, not just because I can see it, but because, by it, I see everything".

"Be like the sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night to cover others' faults. Be like running water for generosity. Be like death for rage and anger. Be like the Earth for modesty. Appear as you are. Be as you appear."
― Rumi

I tell you to keep going, not because it's easy. Not because it doesn't hurt. I tell you to keep going because there's no other way. To stop is to die. Life is in motion. In growth. In change. Life is in seeking and in finding. Life is in redemption. Each moment is a new birth. A new chance to come back, to get it right. A new chance to make it better.
- Yasmin Mogahed

between you and God, every person, every experience, every gift, every loss, every pain is sent to our path for one reason and one reason only: to bring you back to him. - Yasmin Mogahed [official twitter, 17/06/2014]

Words can mend, or break. Strengthen, or shake. Use these powerful tools, and gifts of God wisely. -- Yasmin Mogahed [official twitter, 15/06/2014]

We spend so much time asking God to cure us of our hardships. But we never stop to consider that our hardships are curing us. -- Yasmin Mogahed [official twitter, 13/06/2014]

Once upon a time, When Window was just a square hole in a room & Application was something written on a paper. When Keyboard was a Piano and Mouse just an animal. When File was an important office material and Hard Drive just an uncomfortable road trip. When Cut was done with knife and Paste with glue. When Web was a spider's home and virus was flu. When Apple and Blackberry were just fruits ....That's when we had a lot of time for Family and Friends!

- Sheikh Zahir Mahmood [fb, 23 aug 14]

********

A Crow Lived in the Forest and was absolutely satisfied in life.
But one day he saw a swan...

IS THE GRASS GREENER ON THE OTHERSIDE

This swan is so beautiful ...the crow thought. This swan must be the happiest bird in the world.

He expressed his thoughts to the swan. "Actually," the swan replied, "I was feeling that I was the happiest bird around until I saw a parrot, which has two colors.
I now think the parrot is the happiest bird in creation."

The crow then approached the parrot.
The parrot explained,
"I lived a very happy life—until I saw a peacock.
I have only two colors, but the peacock has multiple colors."

The crow then visited a peacock in the zoo and saw that hundreds of people had gathered to see him.

After the people had left, The crow approached the Peacock..

Dear Peacock, You are so beautiful.
Every day thousands of people come to see you.
When people see me, they immediately shoo me away.
I think you are the happiest bird on the planet.

The peacock replied, I always thought that I was the most beautiful and happy bird on the planet. But because of my beauty, I am entrapped in this zoo.

I have examined the zoo very carefully, and I have realized that the

crow is the only bird not kept in a cage.

So for past few days I have been thinking that if I were a crow,
I could happily roam everywhere.

That's our problem too.

We make unnecessary comparison with others and become sad.

We don't value what has God given us.
This all leads to the vicious cycle of unhappiness.

Value the things god has given us.

Learn the secret of being happy and discard the comparison which leads only to unhappiness..

-- shaykh zahir mahmood

24/12/2014

[collection from IOU fb page]

Sometimes Allah takes things away from us to remind us that this dunya is temporary and everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him.

Make your best friends your good deeds, for your good deeds will never leave you

When you are going through tough times remember that someone out there is going through worse.

Never lose hope and trust in the power of du'a. Allah will grant you everything you want as long as it is good for you.

The Qur'an has a solution for every problem. You just need to accept the guidance.

Arrogance and pride were the reasons Shaytaan was expelled from paradise. Do not let it be the reason you don't enter paradise

Instead of being the person that puts someone down, be the person that builds someone up. Spread positivity.

Islam is not about 'we are better than you'... Islam is about 'let me show you something that is better for you'.

The Qur'an does not open up its secrets to you unless you open up your heart to it. The Qur'an does not spill its pearls to the undeserving.

Having Allah on your side does not mean sailing in an ocean with no waves. It means sailing in a ship which no storm can sink.

Manners are contagious - Be careful of who you hang out with!

Love of this world will make you forget about the Hereafter.

Cleanse your soul with tears that fall for the sake of Allah.

One of the best ways to be able to forgive someone is to make sincere du'aa for them.

You are not responsible for what people think about you, but you are responsible for what you give them to think about you.

Pearls of Islamic Scholars : Quotes [13]

2014-12-15T05:58:00.002-08:00

If you live in a time where sinning is easier; understand that it is a time where the reward of being a person of TAQWA is also GREATER! -- Sajid ahmed umar [fb, 26/08/14]

Shaykh Hamad al-Ansaari: "To me, books are better than the castles of the kings." (al-Majmu' 1/395)

‘Abdullah bin al-Mubarak recorded in az-Zuhd [p. 51] that al-Hassan al-Basri said, "I saw those people [the salaf] and how they were more careful about their time than about their Dirhams and Dinars [i.e. their money].”
Imaam al-Zuhri said: “You should eat honey because it is good for the memory.”
He also said: “Whoever wants to memorize hadeeth should eat raisins.”
(Fromal-Jaami’by al-Khateeb, 2/394).

A profile picture speaks volumes of who we are, what we stand for and promote. Choose very wisely. Mufti Ismail Menk [IOU fb, 22/09/14]

A lot of problems in the world would disappear if we talked to each other instead of talking about each other. - Dr bilal philips [19 sep, 2014/fb]

If you sacrifice something for the sake of Allah, He will replace it with something you couldn't imagine having. --Dr Bilal Philips [fb, 29 sep 14]

Al-Khateeb reported in al-Jaami’ (2/387) that Yahya ibn Yahya said:
“A man asked Maalik ibn Anas, ‘O Abu ‘Abd-Allaah! Is there anything
that will improve my memory?’ He said, ‘If anything will improve it,
it is giving up sin.’”
Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid (islamqa.info/en/3328)

The following words were attributed to al-Shaafa'i, may Allaah have mercy on him: “I complained to [my shaykh] Wakee’ about my bad memory, and he taught me that I should keep away from sin.
He said that knowledge of Allaah is light, and the light of Allaah is not given to the sinner.”
Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid (islamqa.info/en/3328)

Imam Al-Dhahabi: "Knowledge is a sea without a shore, divided amongst the Ummah, available for those that seek it." (Siyar A'alam al-Nubala, 68/12)

‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he said: “Do not think badly of a word uttered by your brother, when you can find a good interpretation for it.” end quote. Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz (26/365).

The names that like the most are Abdullah & Abdulrahman. When my son Abdulrahman died in an accident, I named another son after him. - Dr Salman Al Odah [fb, 1-10-14]

News reached 'Umar ibn Abdul Aziz Rahimullah that his son bought a ring for one thousand dirhams, so 'Umar Rahimullah wrote to him:

"It has reached me that you bought a stone for one thousand dirhams so when you get my letter, sell the ring and fill the hunger of one thousand stomachs. Then buy a ring for two dirhams and make its stone from Chinese iron and write on it, 'May Allah have mercy on a person who knows his worth.'"
[Madarij Al-Salikeen]

Imam al-Qurtubee: "It is obligatory upon a person that his speech towards the people is gentle." [al-Jaami’ li-Ahkaam il-Qur’aan, (2/16)]

Imam Abu Hanifa was known for his scholarship and worship, but also for his sense of humor. Once, a man asked: "O Imam! When I take a bath in the river, should I face the Qibla or turn away from the Qibla." The Imam solemnly replied, "If I were you I would face my clothes, to make sure that no one runs off with them!" [Islamic Online University via Yasir Qadhi, 16/10/2014]

Looking from other perspective: How blessed we are!

2014-11-28T05:04:00.000-08:00

A famous writer was in his study room. He picked up his pen and started writing:

**Last year, I had a surgery and my gall bladder was removed. I had to stay stuck to the bed due to this surgery for a long time.

**The same year I reached the age of 60 years and had to give up my favourite job. I had spent 30 years of my life in this publishing company.

**The same year I experienced the sorrow of the death of my father.

**And in the same year my son failed in his medical exam because he had a car accident. He had to stay in bed at hospital with the cast on for several days. The destruction of car was another loss.

At the end he wrote: Alas! It was such bad year!!

When the writer's wife entered the room, she found he husband looking sad lost in his thoughts. From behind his back she read what was written on the paper. She left the room silently and came back with another paper and placed it on side of her husband's writing.

When the writer saw this paper, he found this written on it:

**Last year I finally got rid of my gall bladder due to which I had spent years in pain.

**I turned 60 with sound health and got retired from my job. Now I can utilize my time to write something better with more focus and peace.

**The same year my father, at the age of 95, without depending on anyone or without any critical condition met his Creator.

**The same year, Allah blessed my son with a new life. My car was destroyed but my son stayed alive without getting any disability.

At the end she wrote:
This year was an immense blessing of Allah and it passed well!!

See!! How amazing!!!!!
The very same incidents but totally different viewpoints!!!

If we ponder with this viewpoint that what could have happened more, we would truly become thankful to Allah Almighty.

Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur'aan: "And indeed, your Lord is full of bounty for the people but most of them do not show the gratitude."
(An naml : v 73)

collected from:
Shaikh Zahir Mahmood facebook page. on 26 Nov, 2014
https://www.facebook.com/ShaykhZahirMahmood/posts/733064210112505

Education, philosophy and science of our world :: hamza yusuf

2014-11-21T08:20:00.001-08:00

You are a dangerous man when you go against the tide of this society...and we all need to be committed to become dangerous people...

A wonderful lecture...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYcNgANdX1Y

Islam, Democracy & ISIS - Dr Tareq Al Suwaidan

2014-11-15T06:25:00.001-08:00

A wonderful video by Dr Tariq Swaidan on Islam, democracy and ISIS

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IlLPIMJ0rZg

The Reality of Sihr (Black Magic) by Dr Yasir Qadhi

2014-11-11T23:18:00.000-08:00

The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szMpZQL9HZo

Topics covered in the talk are:

What is Sihr (Black Magic)?
Why mankind and the Jinn get involved in Sihr?
What do the Jinns want from mankind?
What do magicians want from Jinns?
How do magicians learn Sihr?
How can we detect if someone has Sihr (Black Magic) done on them?
What is possession & exorcism?
How to combat Sihr & Jinns?

* *

This talk is the most-awaited sequel to the original talk entitled "The Reality of Jinn in the Qur'an and Sunnah" which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzhSw...

Is magic real? Can people actually be 'possessed'? How do we understand this phenomenon in modern times?

From spine-chilling late night stories among friends, to gory Hollywood horror movies - the world of Black Magic, Jinn Possessions & Exorcisms has thrilled & terrified people all over the globe.

In this most-awaited sequel talk on Jinns, Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi discusses the 'The Reality of Sihr (Black Magic), Exorcisms & Jinns' in light of the Qur'an and Sunnah, and presents solutions on how to protect oneself from Sihr (Black Magic) and the world of Jinns.

Separate fact from fiction and truth from myth in this exciting talk!

In this talk recorded on 31st October 2014 (where many celebrate Halloween), Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi discusses the concept of Sihr (Black Magic), exorcisms & Jinns.

[Amazing Video] Signs of the Last Day : Hamza Yusuf

2014-11-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

Unbelievable miracles of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ foretelling the signs of the last day. From musical instruments to television screens and satellite communication. There is no way he could have known these things, except for the fact he was the Prophet of Allah.

This talk is given by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCMgwwDkFxE

[video] Re-thinking Education in Islam: Dr. Yasir Qadhi

2014-11-10T21:04:00.001-08:00

Re-thinking Education in Islam: Reviving the Legacy of Muslim Scholars ~ Dr. Yasir Qadhi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE2ufcIhhlk

Between The Deen and Halloween :: Imam Zaid Shakir

2014-11-02T20:58:00.000-08:00

One the tragedies of our times is found in the easy willingness some Muslims accept practices, rituals or cultural symbols that have their roots in demonic or occult practices. Halloween is a perfect example. Most scholars trace the origins of Halloween to the then pagan Celtic people who believed that on a certain night, the dead would come alive and could walk among the living. On this night some of these people would dress up in ghoulish costumes believing that the spirits of the dead would mistake them for one of their own and not harass them. Others would offer these "spirits" sweets in order to earn their good favor. This is the origin of the Halloween costumes and the gifts of candy.

As for the hollowed-out pumpkin with the candle inside -the Jack-O-Lantern- the candle symbolizes a soul trapped in Purgatory, a state between Heaven and Hell. Some say the lantern is to ward off evil spirits. The darkness surrounding these practices is compounded by the representations and symbols rooted in the world of the occult and demons, such as witches, werewolves, vampires, etc.

Like many aspects of demonology and the occult, Halloween has been sanitized and made to appear as something "cute." Along these lines, some Muslims actually have "Halaloween" parties. It's just "fun." This is one of the ways children in our society, increasingly Muslim children are no exception, are introduced to occult and demonic symbols and rituals. Make it appear cute and fun and no one will notice the dark underside. Consider the Smurfs, little sorcerers performing actual witchcraft rituals during the cartoon show, or Micky Mouse, the sorcerer's apprentice, and the countless other "cute" and "fun" aspects of our popular culture.

As Muslims, we have been enjoined to protect ourselves and our family members from the torment of Hell. Keeping ourselves far removed from such practices, practices that not only have no basis in the teachings of our religion, but are in fact antithetical to those teachings, is a great way to start. May Allah bless us to see the truth as truth and to follow it, and to see falsehood as falsehood and to avoid it.

Halloween as well as Halaloween are Haram!

-- Imam Zaid Shakir

[facebook page, 29 Oct, 2014]

[Video] Ihsan With Allah

2014-10-07T22:25:00.001-07:00

Ihsan With Allah, Ihsan Between Us
- by Shaykh Omar Suleiman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJwSwk7Nsbo

Dazzling Quran

2014-08-24T02:51:00.000-07:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgbWamEDui8

40+ Dazzling Quran kinetic typography . lecture by Nouman Ali Khan

Pearls of Islamic Scholars : Quotes [12]

2014-08-14T07:10:00.003-07:00

First duty of a Muslim husband is to provide spiritual guidance for his wife. - Dr Bilal Philips [official twitter, 15th May,2014]

Change is instantaneous, what takes time is decision to change. - Dr Bilal [twitter, 14 may,2014]

Bishr Ibn Al-Haarith: “You will not find the sweetness of worship until you place a barrier between yourself and your lusts.” (As-Siyar, 10/473)

“We all must suffer from one of two things, The pain of discipline or the pain of regret." -- Mirza Yawar Baig [Speech in Dhaka. 9-10 April, 2014]

To be safe from trial and thankful is more beloved to me than to be tested and patient. —Abū Bakr [d. 13H/634CE] [Ibn Battaal]

Allah will never burden you with something you cannot manage. If you are going through a test, believe you can get through it ... Sh. Sajid Ahmed Umar [alKautharInstitute, 09/06/2014]

Obedience and worship are easy in times of difficulty, but so difficult in times of ease. But we must worship Allah and follow His commands especially in the best of times. Dr Bilal [25-04-14]

It is reported that Muhammad b. Al-Hanafīyah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:Whoever has self respect does not give any value to the worldly life (dunyā).Ibn Al-Jawzī, Sifatu Al-Safwah 2:77.

When you're in pain, remember this: that He knows what He's doing with you. - Yasmin Mogahed [fb page, 04/04/2014]

No knowledge, no freedom, because ignorance is your first jail -- Tariq Ramadan [31 dec, 2013, twitter]

If you want to get married, ask Allah for 3 things in a spouse:
1. Grant me someone who will remind me of you.
2. Grant me someone who will hold my hands in jannah.
3. Grant me someone who will elevate my eeman.
-- Musleh khan [fb, june 4]

"Pleasing a human is very difficult, pleasing God is the easiest" -- Tariq Ramadan [official twitter, 23 October 2014]

Remain positive. Everything in your life has meaning, even if you don't know what it means now. -- Tariq Ramadan

Qaasim al-Joo’ee said:
“I advise you with five matters:
(1) when you are treated unjustly, do not behave unjustly;
(2) when you are praised do not become happy;
(3) when you are criticised, do not become upset;
(4) when you are not believed, do not become angry;
(5) and if the people act deceitfully towards you, do not act deceitfully towards them.”
(Related by Ibn al-Jawzee in Sifatus-Safwaa, 2/200)

Be humble. Don't let what you have make you believe it will last forever. Many who have had much more than us, now have nothing. May the Almighty protect us. -- Mufti Ismail Menk [ IOU fb, 22/06/2014]

Umar bin al-Khattaab (radiyAllahu'anhu) used to say: "Come, let us make our Iman arise, to thereafter remember Allaah." (ash-Sharee´ah, p. 117 by al-Aajurree)

Sayyidina, Imam 'Ali (God be pleased with him) advised his son, "Son! Fear God to the extent that if you were to meet to him with good equal to all the good done by humanity, he would not except it from you; and hope in him to the extent that if you meet him with evil equal to that done by all people, He would forgive you.'" [suhaib webb official fb, 29/06/2014]

Ibn Abi Mulaykah narrated:"'Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl used to press the Mushaf to his face and cry, saying: "The Book of my Lord! The Words of my Lord!""[Reported by 'Abdullah bin al-Mubarak in 'al-Jihad'; # 56]
Ibn Al-Jawzee: “Let the tears you shed in the darkness of the night be your intercessors for when you make mistakes.”(Kitaab Al-Lataa'if Fil-Waa'iz, p. 51)

It was said to Ibn Mas’ood (radiyAllahu'anhu): “We are not able to perform the qiyaam al-lail.” He replied, “Distance yourselves from your sins!”
(Lataa'if al-Ma'aarif pg. 98)

Ibn Qayyim: "Motions, stillness, speech and actions first take place after His (Allaah's) Permission and Will. Nobody moves without His Permission, nobody acts without His Will." (al-Fawaaid p. 92)

Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzi:"The Prophet (peace be upon him) established a relationship between the fear of Allah and good character, because fearing Allah improves the relation between the servant and Allah, and good character improves the relation between a person and others. Therefore, fearing Allah makes it possible for Allah to love him, and good manners makes it possible for people to love that person." (Al-Fawaa'id, pg.85)

The more you care how you appear to Allah, the less you will care how you appear to people. -- Yasmin Mogahed [official twitter, 14/06/2014]

"We don't doubt Islam, but we should doubt our understanding about Islam to avoid arrogance." -- Shaykh Hamza Yusuf [fb, 22/06/2014]

And to have spent the night sleeping and awoken regretful is better than to have spent the night standing (in prayer) and awaken impressed with oneself. —Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah [d. 751H/1350CE]
(Madarij as-Saalikeen, Volume 1, p.183, Maktabah Dar al-Bayyan)

Abd al-Qâdir al-Jilâni commented: "In the interest of your safety, and to avoid torment, speak little. Do not fill the pages of the book which records the actions of your life with gossips!. The Day of judgment, the only thing that will be useful for you is the remembrance of God. " [Tariq Ramadan fb, 16/07/2014]

Imam Abu Hanifah and a man from Basrah were partners in a business. On one occasion, Abu Hanifah sent 70 expensive garments to him, sending with them a note which read: "One of them is defective, and it is such and such garment, so when you sell it, make sure that you point out the defect (to the buyer). The man sold them for 30,000 dirhams and when he came with the money to Abu Hanifah, he asked, "Did you point out the defect?" He said, "I forgot.' Abu Hanifah took nothing from the profit, but instead gave it all in charity. (Gems and Jewels, pg. 124)

Dawud at-Ta’i: "Consider the life of the world like a day during which you fasted, and then broke your fast by the approaching of death." (Sifatus-Safwah, 3/134)

An Overview on Gaza Crisis: Hamas's Chances

2014-08-03T02:48:00.001-07:00

Hamas's Chances : Written by Nathan Thrall

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n16/nathan-thrall/hamass-chances