I melt as sugar in water in boundless ocean of mystical devotion
Lo, I am with you always, means when you look for God,
God is in the look of your eyes,
In the thought of looking nearer to you than yourself,
Or things that have happened to you.
There’s no need to go outside.
Be melting snow.
Wash yourself of yourself.
A white flower grows in the quietness.
Let your tongue become that flower. - Rumi

A Contented Life

Let the days pass as they will
Be content with Allah’s will.
Do not regret what this day’s cast,
For this world’s pains for sure won’t last.
Be a man against fears strong,
Be kind and loyal, all life long.
If in folk’s eyes your faults abound,
And you wish that they be gowned:
Then shelter seek beneath kind acts,
For kindness well all blame retracts.
From enemies hide your weakness
For gloating foes do bring distress.
From misers never seek favor:
In fire there is no water.
Patience won’t reduce income,
Nor fretfulness increase the sum.
Neither pain nor joy shall last,
Nor poverty, nor riches vast.
But if your heart is satisfied
Then you do own the whole world wide.
A man on whom his fate alights
No depths shall save, nor any heights.
Allah’s earth is wide, but know,
That destiny makes it narrow.
Face each day on even keel.
There’s no balm from death can heal.

[Imam al-Shafi`i]

Reminder to self....

“…again the past is important, because it tells you what level you can reach, but you can’t hang on to that and assume that's gonna get you into Jannah, your current state is the most important thing that you should be reflecting on…”

Shaikh Husain Abdul Sattar

Do not try to run away from trials and tribulations, but endure them with patience. They cannot be avoided, and there is nothing for it but to endure them with patience. How can you expect the whole of this world, and all that has been created therein, to undergo change and transformation just to suit your convenience? The Prophets are the best of all creatures, yet they have always had to suffer afflictions and so it is for their followers, those who thread in their footsteps as they walk along their highway, emulating their example.

Allah's Love...

The sign of God’s love is to bestow three attributes on His lover: A
generosity like that of the sea, a kindness like that of the sun, and, a
humility like that of the earth.
- Bayazid

Controlling our anger....

When angered by someone, leave his presence or have him removed from your presence and drink cold water. If the anger is overwhelming then reflect: Allah Ta’ala too has rights over me and I frequently violate such rights. When He forgives us, we too should forgive the faults and errors of others. What will be my plight if He seeks to take vengeance? [Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi]

. . .

How long will you ramble on the shore of the ocean, close your eyes to the wonders of the Quran? Was it not your duty to sail to the midst of the fathomless ocean of these meanings in order to see their wonders, to travel to their islands in order to gather their best produce, and to dive into their depths so that you might become rich by obtaining their jewels? Do you not feel ashamed of being deprived of their pearls and jewels by your persistence in looking at their shores and outward appearances?

[Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali]

First Ten days of Dhul Hijjah!

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
Assalaamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

Hazrat Ibn Abbaas (Radiyallahu Anhu) relates that Rasoolullah (Sallahu Alaihe Wassalam) said: On no other days are good deeds more liked by Allah than on these days, meaning the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah." The Sahaabah (Radiyllahu Anhu) asked: O Rasoolullah (Sallahu Alihe Wassalam), not even jihaad in the way of Allah?" Rasoolulllah (Sallahu Alihe Wassalam) replied: "Not even jihaad in the way of Allah, except for that person who goes out to fight with his life and wealth and does not return with anything." (Bukhari)

The Blessed Days of Zill-Hijjah are here, so increase your ibaadat (worship of Allah) and tasbeehat and be rewarded tremendously (inshAllah)...

***(TAKBEER-e-TASHREEQ should be recited from the Fajr of 9th Dhul Hijjah (December 7th 2008) to Asr of 13th Dhul Hijjah (December 11th 2008))***

To hear more from a learned person, I have attached a link to Shaikh Husain Abdul Sattar's 18-minute talk on this topic: http://www.sacredlearning.org/audio/general/2005/dhul_hijjah.mp3

~~~~

If you are unable to listen to the speech for whatever reason, here's a short summary:

-Increase recitation of la ilahi illallah, subhanallah, alhumdulillah, allahu akbar, (zikr/tasbeehaat). To recite the above during the first ten days of Zil-Hijjah is sunnah, and to say it loudly in the mosque, the home, the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allah. Mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allah, may He be exalted.

-Rasoolullah (Sallahu Alaihe Wassalam) said: “On no days is the worship of Allah desired more than in the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. The fast of each of these days is equal to the fast of a whole year, and the ibaadat (worship) of each of these nights is equal to the ibaadat of laylatul qadr.” (Tirmizi and Ibn Maajah) Meaning, fast for each of the first ten days of Zill-Hijjah.

~It is from the barakat (blessings) of these ten days that people who perform Hajj are able to come back with all of their sins forgiven. (SubhanAllah!)

~The Prophet (pbuh) testified that these are the best days of this world, and encouraged people to do righteous deeds on these days.

~Sacrifice. One of the good deeds that will bring a person closer to Allah during these ten days is offering a sacrifice, by choosing a high-quality animal and fattening it, spending money for the sake of Allah.

~ Sincere repentance. One of the most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin.

Repentance means coming back to Allah and foregoing all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes, out of regret for what has passed, giving it up immediately and being determined never to return to it, but to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing what Allah loves.

~Doing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are loved by Allah and will bring a great reward from Him. Whoever is not able to go to Hajj should occupy himself at this blessed time by worshiping Allah, praying (salaat), reading Qur’an, remembering Allah, making supplication (du’aa’), giving charity, honoring his parents, upholding the ties of kinship, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and acts of worship.

There is much to be gained, so make the most of the opportunity afforded by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten to do good works, before death strikes, before one can regret one’s negligence and failure to act, before one is asked to return to a place where no prayers will be answered, before death intervenes between the hopeful one and the things he hopes for, before you are trapped with your deeds in the grave.

Jazakallahu khair kaseeran katheera,
Ma'as salaama!

Gem of the Week...

Extracted from "Ramadan 2008-Fascinating Facts"

Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Raheem

Something interesting I heard which goes more or less like this:

On the Day of Judgement, after the believers go through their punishments in jahannam and come out, they will go into Jannah. Now seeing as to how they have just been in jahannam, they will be all burnt up. So all the people will line up before our beloved Prophet s.a.w, desiring for him to cleanse them of the burnt marks on their bodies by the water of Haud-e-Kauthar, so that the inhabitants of jannah won't know they had just come out of hell, and they won't have to feel embarrased. So the prophet s.a.w will be about to wash a certain person when an angel will come and say that, "Ya Rasulullah. You cannot wash this person." And our prophet s.a.w will say, "Why not? He is my ummati. He has nur on his face because he used to do wudhu and his limbs are also glowing with nur since he had done wudhu on those parts too." So the angel will reply 'You cannot cleanse him of his marks for three reasons: He did not do dawah; he did not have good akhlaaq; and he looked down upon his fellow brothers and sisters." So the prophet s.a.w will turn his face away and wait for the next person in line.

Wow..none of us would want to go through that now, would we? We think nothing's wrong with looking down on others....sadly it is one of the worst characteristics to possess...

About me....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"O Allah, You know me better than I know myself, and I know myself better than these people who praise me. Make me better than what they think of me, and forgive those sins of mine of which they have no knowledge, and do not hold me responsible for what they say."
-Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddique (radi-Allahu-anhu)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

15 things to Earning Rewards from Allah...

1- Avoid Things that Allah has forbidden, including the great sins as well as continually performing the lesser sins, and perform what Allah orders us to perform: The prophet peace be upon him said: "Allah has recorded the good deeds and the evil deeds. Then he made them clear: He who has intended a good deed and does not do it, Allah writes it down with Him as a performed good deed; but if he intends it and does perform it; Allah records for him from ten good deeds to seven hundred times that or more than that. If he intends to do an evil deed and does not do it, then Allah writes it down as a good deed; but if he intends an evil deed and performs it, Allah records it as one evil deed" (Sahih Al-Jami)

2- Reciting the Quran and pondering over it's meanings: The Prophet peace be upon him said, "Whoever recites one word from the Book of Allah will be rewarded for a good deed and ten more like it; and I don't say that Alif Lam Mim is a word but Alif is a word and Lam is a word and Mim is a word" (Alif Lam Mim is 3 Arabic Characters.)

3- Guiding people to righteous deeds: The prophet peace be upon him said, "Whoever guides one to a good thing will get the same reward as the person who performs the deed" (Sahih Al-Jami)

4- Enjoining good and eradicating evil: Allah revealed in the Quran, {Those of the children of Israel who went astray were cursed by the tongue of David, and of Jesus, son of Mary. That was because they rebelled and used to transgress. They restrained not one another from the wickedness they did. Verily, evil was that they used to do} (Al-Maida:78)
This is one of the obligatory duties that many people fail to perform today. Due to this reason, sins are being committed openly and without shame and no one is saying anything about them. The prophet peace be upon him said, "If the people see an evil deed and they do not change it, then Allah may inflict them all with a punishment".
Allah says in the Quran: "And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends of one another, they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong .. "

5- Supplications to Allah: It's the best act of worship as the Prophet peace be upon him said, "The most virtuous act of worship is supplication" (Sahih Al-Jami). It's very important to be certain that Allah will answer your supplication, the Prophet peace be upon him said: "There is no Muslim on this earth who supplicates to Allah except that Allah will give him what he asked or He will remove some evil from him, as long as he does not supplicate for something evil or as long as he does not supplicate for cutting of the ties of kinship and as long as he does not become impatient and say, 'I supplicated and supplicated and I was not responded to'"

6- Marrying religious women: The prophet peace be upon him said, "A woman is married for her religion, wealth or beauty; marry the religious women and you will prosper". He also said, "A thankful heart, a tongue that remembers Allah and a pious wife that helps you in your worldly and religious matters, is better than what the people are amassing" (Sahih Al-Jami)

7- Bringing up pious children and training them to have good Islamic character: The prophet peace be upon him said, "A man will be raised some degrees in Paradise and he will say, 'For what reason am I receiving this ?' He will be told, 'Because of your son asking forgiveness for you'"

8- Having good manners and character: The prophet peace be upon him said, "The most beloved of you to me and the closest of you to me in the Hereafter are those of you who have the best manners; the most hated of you to me and farthest from me in the Hereafter are those of you who have the best manners, those who speak and do not even care about what they are saying" (Sahih Al-Jami), and he also said, "The person of good manners will get the same reward as the person who prays during the night and fasts during the day" (Sahih Al-Jami).

9- Performing many voluntary prayers: This is particularly beneficial during the last third of the night in which the gates of the heavens are opened and the supplications are responded to. The prophet peace be upon him said, "Allah waits until one half or two-thirds of the night has passed and He says, 'My slaves, shall ask from no one except Me. Whoever asks from Me, I shall respond to him. Whoever asks Me for something, I will give it to him. Whoever asks for my forgiveness, I shall forgive him. And this continues until the dawn" (Sahih Al-Jami).
Similarly, performing the Sunnan prayers, is also a way of gaining Allah's pleasure and reward. These Sunnan prayers are two rakats before the dawn obligatory prayer, four before the noon obligatory prayer and four after it, two after the sunset prayer and two after the night prayer and the witr prayer.

10- Being obedient and respectful to one's parents: This is one of the greatest ways to attain Allah's pleasure and reward. Allah mentions worshipping Him together with obeying one's parents. Allah says in the Quran, "Your Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him, and that you show kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain to old age with you, say not 'File' unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word. And lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy and say, 'My Lord, have mercy on them both as they did care for me when I was little'" (Al-Isra)

11- Jihad in the way of Allah: A hadith of the Prophet peace be upon him says, "Being on guard in the way of Allah for one month is better than perpetual fasting for a year. Whoever dies while guarding in the way of Allah will be safe from the great frightening. And he will be provided his provisions, and smell the scent from paradise, and receive the reward of the one who guards until Allah resurrects him" (Sahih Al-Jami)

12- Remembering Allah at all times: The prophet peace be upon him stated that Allah said, "I am as My slave thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself. I make mention of him to Myself and if me makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it." (Al-Bukhari).

13- Speaking the truth and not fearing punishment of anyone: The prophet peace be upon him, "The leader of the martyrs is Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib and a person who faces an unjust ruler and advises him to do good and he is killed because of his speech" (Sahih Al-Jami)

14- Giving charity and spending in the way of Allah: Allah says in the Quran, "Those who spend their wealth by night and day, privately and publicity, verily their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve" (Al-Baqara 274). And Allah also says, "And spend of that which We have provided you before death comes to one of you and he says, 'My Lord if only You would reprieve me for a little while, then I would give alms and be among the righteous.' But Allah reprieves no soul when its term comes, and Allah is aware of what you do" (Al-Munafiqoon).

15- Learning the beneficial knowledge: One should learn that knowledge that will benefit him in the Hereafter and act by it in order to be a good example for others. The authentic knowledge is the one that is based on Quran and Sunnah.

Allah Hu Aalam

May Allah forgive us ...

Fee Aman Allah please keep me in ur duas, verily the angels ask for what you ask for a brother /SIster

....

In the intricate paths of life when difficulties and hardships confront a man, and the darkness of difficulty and suffering becomes long, it is patience only that acts like a light for a Muslim, that keeps him safe from wandering here and there, and saves him from the muddy marsh of disappointment, desperation and frustration

---abu hamid al-Ghazali

Please Forgive me...

Asalaamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

This is just a short message asking everyone (friends & family alike) to forgive me for anything I may have done, said or thought of, that might have offended any of you, whether it be intentional or unintentional or in front of or behind your back. Please forgive me. Ramadan is almost here and I would like to start it off with a clean record! And if there's anything you need me to do in order to gain forgiveness, don't hold back, please do let me know. With the Holy Month of Ramadan right around the corner I want to remind us to never to be hopeless... InshAllah ... Lets not forget that we stand infront of the Allah who has said the meaning of which is more or less, Oh my creations do as much sin as you can, fill the oceans the seas, the earth from the ground to the skies ...'If a person has sins equivalent to the foams of the sea and pebbles on a desert, Allah's mercy is so encompassing that He will forgive every sin.' In another narration, it is mentioned that Allah will speak secretly to one of His slaves on the day of Qiyaamat and remind him of all his sins. After the person will confess his sins, Allah will say to him, 'I concealed your faults in the world, today too, I will conceal your faults. Go in Jannah, I have forgiven you.' (and this is amount of sin isn't everyone put together its asking from one person alone) If one person does that much sinning and then after all that he turns to Allah and asks for forgiveness Allah will forgive all his sins as if they never happened... SubhanAllah,... that is the mercy of our Lord... Now which one of us is willing to let this chance go by unnoticed? The doors of Allah's Rehmat are open, it's up to us to knock onto them....Take good care and please keep me in your khaas duas this upcoming sacred month of Ramadan. Remember to make the most of your time! Walaikum assalaam warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu!

Reminder.....

Each morning when the limbs awaken in the spiritual world, they shudder and say to the tongue, “Fear God concerning us! For if you are straight, then we are straight, and if you deviate, we too deviate.”
This is such a strong reminder…our limbs are going to testify for us or against us on the DAY OF JUDGEMENT....

There is an unseen aspect of the heart that contains a seed that has the potential of becoming like a cancer that can metastasize and overtake the heart.
RasulAllah (sws) said: If a son of Adam sins, a black spot appears in the heart. And if the person makes repentance, it is erased. But if he does not (repent), it continues to grow until the whole heart becomes pitch black.
We know we don’t want our hearts to become like this…so why even let it get to that first spot of blackness?

Imam Mawlud emphasizes that its impossible to rid oneself of these diseases without a trace…This implies that purification is a life long process. It is not a passive relationship, one must GUARD his heart.
It is not in human nature for a man to remain stationary in one state or place. If we can imagine ourselves as a little rock on the side of a mountain. The rock can never stay in the same place, it can easily fall backwards but the only way it can move forward is if a strong force is put on it…That force is us avoiding passiveness and attempting to better ourselves for the sake of pleasing Allah SWT.

HERE BEGIN THE DISEASES OF THE HEART…

MISERLINESS (bukhl)
This is comparable to a person who fulfills his obligations without good cheer. A person who doles out difficulty without cause strips away the veils of dignity…
This is soooo true. If we have truly made the intention in our heart to do something for Allah SWT, then HOW can we not be pleased in carrying out the task? We should feel more than glad because we are doing so with the intent of making our Lord pleased with us.
A cure for this is generosity…

WANTONNESS
Wantonness is excessive mirth or excessive exuberance.
“batar”—inability to bear blessings, bewilderment, dislike of something undeserving of dislike, reckless extravagance…
A common belief is that people who eat too much become hard hearted. Literally those who eat rich foods become hard hearted! (Arterial sclerosis—hardening of the arteries).
The cure for ‘wantonness’ is intentionally engaging in hunger and reflecting on death.

HATRED (bughd)
RasulAllah (sws) once asked the companions if they wanted to see a man of Paradise. A man passed by and RasulAllah (sws) pointed him out as being one of the people of Paradise. One companion wanted to learn what deeds gave this man such an honor, he noted that the man did nothing extraordinary. He told the man what the Prophet (sws) had said and the man replied that the only thing he could think of was that he slept with no rancor in his heart towards another.
We are often taught to go through and think about our day when we are about to sleep…ask forgiveness for whatever sins we committed and also go through and forgive whoever may have said or done something to offend us… Think of how much benefit actually putting this into action will bring us…
The cure for hatred is fairly straightforward, pray for the person towards whom you feel hatred.

Something to Ponder Upon...

It is narrated that Allah Ta’ala revealed to Hadhrat Moosa (alayhis salaam): "O Moosa! There are some of My servants, if they ask of Me the entire Jannat, I will give it to them, and if they ask Me anything from this world, I will not give it to them, not because they are contemptible to Me, but because I desire to store up the treasures of bounties for them in the Aakhirah. I save them from the world like a shepherd protects his flock from a wolf." The world, Rasulullah-sallallahu alayhi wasallam- said, is carrion.

Allah always accepts prayers but only He knows where that treasure is best to be given,,,

Please keep me in ur duas

Ten Tips on Acquiring Taqwa...

Bismillahirahamanirahim

Asalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu

It is the muttaqeen (Those that fear Allah) that Allah (swt) grants assistance, victory and provides for. Thus, understanding the concept of taqwa is vital and mandatory for every Muslim. Umar ibn Abdul Aziz radiyallaho Anhu once said, "Taqwa is not by fasting the day and not by praying the night. And it's not by mixing between the two of them. But taqwa is leaving what Allah (swt) has made Haram and by doing what Allah (swt) has made Fard. After one has done this, Allah (swt) will provide good things for that person."

Hasan Radiyallaho Anhu once said, "The people who have taqwa (al-muttaqoon) are the people who avoided whatever Allah (swt) has prohibited and have done whatever Allah (swt) has ordained."

The following have been stated by the elders in Islam as a way to acquire and attain taqwa, or fearing Allah. By following these guidelines inshAllah we will all have true taqwa within us inshAllah. May Allah give us all taufeeq inshAllah Ameen!

1. Not to do Gheebat (backbiting)
2. Not to make false assumptions about people
3. Not to laugh at someone/make fun of them in a joking manner
4. Not to look at a ghair mehram* when there's a dire need to talk them
5. Not to lie, not to use the tongue in false matters, such as a false testimony
6. Not to forget the favors Allah has done upon you, the biggest favor of them all is making us Muslim
7. To spend money in Allah's path
8. Not to look down on anyone, or to think that your skills are superior to the person infront of you.
9. To pray all 5 salaah at their preferred timings, and to fulfill the rights of each rakaat.
10. To do everything according to the sunnat of the beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Salalaho Alaihi Wasalam.

* Ghair mehram- Those members of the opposite sex whom one can marry, whether it be within the family or outside the family. i.e cousins from either side of the family, brother/sister in laws, the guy next door, the girl in your chem class, etc etc...

Please do dua for the whole ummath may Allah give us all taufeeq to have the fear of Allah within our hearts Ameen Summa Ameen.

Dunya ke Musafir...

Dunya ke aih musafir, manzil teri qabar hai

Tai kar raha hai jo tu, do din ka ye safar hai
Dunya ke aih musafir, manzil teri qabar hai

Jabse bani hai dunya, laqo qaror aiye
Baqi raha na kohi, mithi main sab samaye

Iss bat ko na bulho, sab ka yehi hashar hai
Dunya ke aih musafir, manzil teri qabar hai

Ankhon se tune apne, kitne janaze dekhe
Haathon se tune apne, dafnaey kitne murdey

Anjaam se tu apne, kyun itna be khabar hai?
Dunya ke aih musafir, manzil teri qabar hai

Ye unche unche mahal, kuch kaam ke nahin hai
Ye aali shaan bangle kuch kaam ke nahin hai

Do gaz zamin ka tukra, chota sa tera ghar hai
Dunya ke aih musafir, manzil teri qabar hai

Makhmal may sone wale, mithi pe sora hai hai
Sab mil rehai hai yahan par, sab aik ho re hai hain

Dono huwe barabar, maut ka yehi asar hai,
Dunya ke aih musafir, manzil teri qabar hai

Mithi ke putle tujko, mithi me hai samaana
Ek din tu yahan pay aaya, ek din yahan se hai jaana

Rehna nahin hai tujhko, jari tera safar hai
Dunya ke aih musafir, manzil teri qabar hai

Waqt hai tu apnay maula se dil lagale
Karle khuda ko razi, kuch nekiyan kamale

Saman tera yehi hai, tu saha besafar hai
Dunya ke aih musafir, manzil teri qabar hai

Tai kar raha hai jo tu, do din ka ye safar hai
Dunya ke aih musafir, manzil teri qabar hai

Words from Mufti Hussain Kamani...

Jaisi karni waisi bharni

Na maanay to kar kay dekh

Jannat hai, Jahannum bhi hai

Na maanay to mar kay dekh

18 Golden Words of Hazrat Ali Radiyallaho Anho

Respect three things:
Your teachers,(ustaad)
Your parents, (waldain)
You Elderly (buzrugh)

Keep three things with you at all times:
Truth (Sachai)
Imaan (Faith) (Imaan)
Good Deeds (naikee)

Remember three things:
The good that others have done for you (ehsaan)
Advice (naseehat)
Death (maut)

Fight for three things:
Your country (watan)
Truth (Haq)
Your respect/honor/dignity (izzat)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله رب العالمين وبه نستعين
والصلاة والسلام على سيدنا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم

“The Lord to his devotee: Love me, love me alone. Love yourself in me, in me alone. Attach yourself to me, No one is more inward than I. Others love you for their own sakes, I love you for yourself. And you, you flee from me. Dearly beloved! … if you approach me, It is because I have approached you. I am nearer to you than yourself, Than your soul, than your breath. Who among creatures Would treat you as I do? I am jealous of you over you, I want you to belong to no other, Not even to yourself. Be mine, be for me as you are in me, Though you are not even aware of it.” Ibn al-’Arabi(ra) (1165-1240)

Things Learned...

Eight Things to Learn

One time a scholar asked one of his students, "You have spent a long time with me, what have you learned?

He said I learned eight things:

First, I looked to the creation. Everyone has a loved one. When he goes to the grave, he leaves his loved one. Therefore, I made my loved one my good deeds; that way, they will be with me in the grave.

Second, I looked to the verse, 'But as for him who feared to stand before his Lord and restrained his soul from lust,' and, therefore, I struggled against my desires so I could stay obeying Allah.

Third, I saw that if anyone has something with him that is worth something, he will protect it. Then I thought about the verse, 'That which you have is wasted away; and that which is with Allah remains,' therefore, everything worth something with me I devoted to Him so it would be with Him for me.

Fourth, I saw the people seeking wealth, honor and positions and it was not worth anything to me. Then I thought about Allah's words, 'Lo, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most aware of Allah,' so I did my best to become aware of Allah in order to nobility in his sight.

Fifth, I saw the people being jealous towards each other and I looked at the verse, 'We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of the world,' so I left jealousy.

Sixth, I saw the people having enmity and I thought about the verse, 'Lo, the devil is an enemy for you, so take him as an enemy,' so I left enmity and I took the Satan as my only enemy.

Seventh, I saw them debasing themselves in search of sustenance and I thought about the verse, 'And there is not a beast in the earth but the sustenance thereof depends on Allah,' so I kept myself busy with my responsibilities toward Him and I left my property with Him.

Eighth, I found them relying on their business, buildings and health and I thought about the verse, 'And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, He will suffice him,' therefore, I put my trust only on Allah.

For the Wisdom Seeker....

Do not try to run away from trials and tribulations, but endure them with patience. They cannot be avoided, and there is nothing for it but to endure them with patience. How can you expect the whole of this world, and all that has been created therein, to undergo change and transformation just to suit your convenience? The Prophets are the best of all creatures, yet they have always had to suffer affliction and so it is for their followers, those who tread in their footsteps as they walk along their highway, emulating their example...
-Muhyuddin Abdul Qadir Jilani

the Duniya

The deceitful character of the world comes out in the following ways. In the first place, it pretends that it will always remain with you, while, as a matter of fact, it is slipping away from you, moment by moment, and bidding you farewell, like a shadow which seems stationary, but is actually always moving. Again, the world presents itself under the guise of a radiant but immoral sorceress, pretends to be in love with you, fondles you, and then goes off to your enemies, leaving you to die of chagrin and despair. Isa (Jesus) (upon whom be peace!) saw the world revealed in the form of an ugly old hag. He asked her how many husbands she had possessed; she replied that they were countless. He asked whether they had died or been divorced; she said that she had slain them all. “I marvel”, he said, “at the fools who see, what you have done to others, and still desire you.” - Al Ghazzali

. . .

“If the first inward thought is not warded off, it will generate a desire, then the desire will generate a wish, and the wish will generate an intention, and the intention will generate the action, and the action will result in ruin and divine wrath. So evil must be cut off at its root, which is when it is simply a thought that crosses the mind, from which all the other things follow on.”

- Imam Al-Ghazzali in ‘Ihyaa Uloom al-Deen’, 6/17

"Whoever proposes to the world

Then the world would not be satisfied until he gave up his Deen as dowry"

...Unfolding a Rose...

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله رب العالمين وبه نستعين
والصلاة والسلام على سيدنا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم

A young, new ustadh (teacher) was walking with an older, more seasoned ustadh (teacher) in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what Allah had for him to do, he was asking the older ustadh for some advice. The older ustadh walked up to a rosebush and handed the young ustadh a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young ustadh looked in disbelief at the older ustadh and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of Allah for his life and ministry.

But because of his great respect for the older ustadh, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact… It wasn’t long before he realized how impossible this was to do. Noticing the younger ustadh’s inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older ustadh began to recite the following poem…

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of Allah’s design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
ALLAH opens this flower so sweetly,
Then in my hands they die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of Allah’s design,
Then how can I have the wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I’ll trust in Allah for leading
Each moment of my day.
I will look to Allah for His guidance
Each step of the way.

The pathway that lies before me,
Only Allah knows.
I’ll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.