Honey For The Heart by Taha Chaudhary Part 6

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Roosters See Angels • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “If you hear the crowing of the rooster, then ask

Allah of His Bounty, for it has seen an angel. And if you hear the braying of a donkey, then seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytaan, for it has seen a devil.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

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• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) loves being asked and though we are entirely dependent on him we tend to forget in the busy routine of living to make Duas. Thus, the rooster’s crow can function as a reminder for us to specially ask Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) for His continued favors; and the braying of donkeys and barking of dogs can be

our alarm clocks to wake us up to seeking Allah’s protection.

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Reason to Forgive • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: “He who does not show mercy to people, Allah also does not show mercy to him.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

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• When we want to be mean to somebody or punish them, we are able to give ourselves a hundred justifications for it. This hadith gives us one huge compelling reason to put our anger and meanness aside, and practice forgiveness and gentleness instead. No one can do without Allah's mercy, so don't shut the door of goodness on yourself by

being petty with others. It's not worth it!

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Displaying Satisfaction at a Muslim’s Troubles • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not show joy at the misfortune of your brother, lest Allah

have mercy on him and afflict you with misfortune.” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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• We should always be fearful of displeasing Allah.

To be happy at the misfortune of one of Allah’s creatures is asking for trouble. Nobody should take their blessings for granted but should always be thankful to Allah and do one’s best to please Him so that He grants us His blessings for eternity. Ameen.

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Recipe for Love • Allah's Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "If Allah loves someone He calls (angel) Jibreel and says: 'I love so-and-so, so you love him.' Jibreel loves him and calls the other angels in Heaven to love that person.

They love him, then his love is made upon earth, and he becomes loved.

"And if Allah hates someone, He calls Jibreel and says: 'I hate so-and-so, so you hate him.'

Jibreel hates him and calls the angels in Heaven and says: Allah hates so-and-so, so you all hate him. They all hate him, and his hatred is made upon earth and he becomes hated." [Sahih Muslim]

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• People do all sorts of things to get others to love them. All the love you need is to be found in obeying Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Do actions sincerely to win Allah's love, and love from humans will also be yours!

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Reward of One Hundred Rakahs for One Ayat

• The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “O Abu Dharr! If you learn one verse from The

Book of Allah (The Quran), it is better for you than to voluntarily pray one hundred rakahs; and if you learn a category of knowledge (religion), regardless if it is applied or not, it is better for you than to voluntarily pray one thousand rakahs.” [Sunan ibn Majah] 2513

• The reason that acquiring religious knowledge has so much superiority over praying nafl rakahs is because of the potential of much greater benefit to oneself and society as a result of knowledge of the

Deen. The rules Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has set out for mankind are for our worldly benefit, as well as for earning everlasting happiness and perfection that can only be enjoyed in the Akhirah. Even if a person does not initially translate their knowledge of right and wrong into action, the possibility exists that they may do so. On the other hand, without guidance one

wanders around blindly. • We can start earning the reward of a hundred nafl rakahs daily by learning one ayat, its meaning and implications, every day. Similarly, we can hope for great reward from Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) for acquainting ourselves with ahadith, one of the two major sources of Islam.

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The Beautifier • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “The thing which has obscenity will be

spoilt by it and the thing which has modesty will be beautified by it.”

[Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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• In this hadith Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) tells us the secret to appearing truly beautiful. We especially need to be reminded of this hadith in current times when modesty is attacked as a lack of confidence and vulgarity is praised as boldness. SubhanAllah, truly values are inverted as the Day of Judgement approaches.

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Reliance like Birds • Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)

said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) say, 'If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance He is due, you would be given provision like the birds: They go out hungry in the morning and come back with full bellies in the evening.’”

[Sunan ibn Majah; Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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• The reliance of birds is that they do not store their livelihood. They have full trust that as Allah provided them with their food today, He will surely grant their food tomorrow as well. • Reliance does not mean that the lawful means of earning a livelihood should be abandoned. Even birds have to leave their nests in search of their

meal, and they get their food after some effort. So a Muslim should also seek his earnings through lawful means, but not be greedy.

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There is so much good that Shaytan prevents us from doing by scaring us with poverty and making us hoard. Shaytan tells us that no matter how much we have it is not enough, we need to hoard whatever we have. It is true that regardless of how much we have, it will not be enough to maintain a particular lifestyle, should the circumstances of our lives change sufficiently. What we forget is that Allah gave us whatever we accumulate. We did not snatch it from Him. Allah lovingly gave it to us. And He is the One who will give

to us later as well. On the other hand, if Allah destines calamity after calamity to befall us, God Forbid, then no amount of savings will help. •

Most people who have stopped themselves from giving, die

without that wealth having been of any use to them. Keep a modest amount for your family's needs and spend generously in the path of Allah. Know that it is Allah who is saving you from the calamities of which you are afraid and for which you are preparing. Hoarding is not the way to save yourself. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told us that the giving of sadaqah is what keeps calamities away.

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The Reward of Fasting • Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Every deed of the son of Adam will be multiplied, a Hasanah will be multiplied to ten its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said: ‘Except fasting. It is for Me and I shall reward for it. He gives up his desires and his food for my sake.’ The fasting person will have two moments of joy: Joy when he breaks his fast, and joy when he meets his Lord. And indeed the smell of his mouth is better to Allah than the fragrance of musk.” [Sahih Muslim]

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• The act of fasting is so beloved to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) that the reward He has reserved for it is beyond telling. Normal good deeds are rewarded ten to seven hundred times, but Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) just leaves us to guess how much more it is that He will reward us for fasting for His sake!

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Student Learns of a Greed A student asked his teacher, “What is Greed?” The teacher said, “In order to answer your question, go through the chocolate factory next to our school and pick the one chocolate you like the most. But there is a rule. As you pass

through the factory, you can not turn back. You must pick the chocolate as you go forward only.”

The student went to the chocolate factory. As he walked through, He saw the one chocolate wrapped nicely, he instantly liked it but he wondered that he may find much bigger one further. So, He walked further, then he saw

another chocolate. But again, he thought the same. When he started to reach near the end of the factory, he couldn’t see any chocolates as big as the one he didn’t pick earlier and started to regret his decision of letting it go.

Finally, he gave up. He went back to the teacher with an empty hand and gave an explanation of what he did.

The teacher told him, “You did like the one chocolate very much but still you kept looking for a bigger one. And later you realized that what you let go off was the best chocolate you could find there. That my dear is called Greed.”

Moral: We let go of many good things in our life because of our greed of having even better things. Our Human Nature is such that we always want better and better. But in the search of better, we let go of many good things which could have given us similar satisfaction and made us happy. Learn make your choice wisely.

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Reward of Ramadan • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever fasts Ramadhan out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins." [Sunan an-Nasai]

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• This is a great incentive to fast in Ramadan seeking the pleasure of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) and His reward.

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The Superiority of the Night of Qadr • Narrated Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) that the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever observed Saum (fast) in the month of Ramadan with sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the Salat (prayers) in the night of Qadr with sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven.â€? [Sahih al-Bukhari]

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• The excellence of the night of al-Qadr is such that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) chose this particular night to send the Quran down. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) discusses the value of this night in Surat al Qadr of the Quran and describes it as better than a thousand months. A thousand months is a little over 83 years. Thus

if one worships Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) properly and sincerely in this one night, they can hope for the reward of having worshipped for 83 years – more than the lifetime of many people!

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Do You Pass?

• Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: “None of you is truly a believer until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.” [Sahih Muslim]

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If you get two similar things, one for yourself and one to give as a gift, which one do you keep? You have passed the test of eeman (faith) if you give the better one away. If you give the inferior one away, then you need to cultivate your eeman.

Strangely, if you behave as though you had eeman, i.e. give the better one away for the pleasure of Allah, even though you don’t feel like it, then eeman will automatically develop in you. Eeman and behavior are mutually reinforcing.

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Once Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had two miswaks (natural

toothbrush). One was crooked and the other was straight.

Since Allah’s Prophet (pbuh) was of the finest character, he truly wanted everyone else to have the best. So he gave the straight miswak to his fellow Sahabah and kept the crooked

one for himself.

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Is this what you practice in your transactions or do you wish that no one had a car, house, children, education, job or clothes better than yours? Does the good fortune of others

make you happy or unhappy? The sign of a true Muslim is that they are happy at the good fortune of others and sad at the misfortune of others.

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The Obligatory Prayers • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Between a man and polytheism (shirk) and unbelief

(kufr) is the non-performance of the prayer." [Sahih Muslim]

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This hadith indicates the importance of the five daily obligatory prayers. It describes the performance of the prayer as the line of demarcation between a believer and an unbeliever.

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While the importance of the obligatory prayers cannot be stressed enough, and not performing them is a major sin, nevertheless, missing the prayers does

not take one out of Islam.

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The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Allah has made five prayers obligatory: whoever performs their ablution well and prays them in their time, completing the bowing, the humility, and the awe that is due in them, has entered a solemn pact with Allah to forgive him. And whoever does not, has no pact

with Allah: should He want, He will forgive him, and should He want, He will torment him." [Abu Dawood] 2539

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The evidence from this hadith is that the case of someone who does not pray is up to Allah's considered choice, meaning that Allah could choose not to torment him, while it is necessarily established that unbelievers will be tormented and enter Hell. This indicates that someone who neglects to pray is not an unbeliever. However, he could still

enter Jahannum as punishment for his sins and after his purification he may then enter Jannat. •

To conclude, praying is highly rewarded by Allah, as Allah's forgiveness which one receives as a result of praying, entails the entering of Jannat, and this is priceless. Not praying is a major sin, which brings one close to disbelief. Nevertheless, so long as

someone accepts that it is an obligation to pray, not praying does not necessarily take them out of the fold of Islam.

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Repeating Carelessly • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “It is lying enough for a man to repeat everything

he hears.” [Sahih Muslim]

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We need to be very guarded with our tongues. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says: “Pursue not that of which you have no knowledge. The hearing, the eyesight, the heart: all will be asked about.” [Quran 17:36] Every word that

we utter is noted down by the angels with us. Try to visualize this before carelessly repeating whatever you hear. Better still; be guarded about what you hear to give yourself less material to carelessly repeat!

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Jalal-ad-Deen Muhammad Balkhi, known commonly as Rumi, made a point with the following story: Once upon a time a Sufi by the name of Shareef stopped by a Khanqah to get some rest. He tied his donkey up and gave him plenty of grass and water to eat and drink and left him to rest. Then he went inside. The other Sufis living in the Khanqah, since they did not work, had gone without food for the past three days. When they saw the donkey they designed an evil plan. They decided to sell the donkey off and with the money buy themselves a delicious meal.

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The Khanqah was lit with many lamps and it was announced that there would be a dinner party that night followed by a Qawwali session. They made preparations for the party, all the while doing their

best to please Sufi Shareef, the owner of the donkey.

Sufi Shareef began to feel special and joined in with the festivities unaware that his donkey had been sold.

They all had a delicious meal together. After that, the

Qawwali session began and the Khanqah became full of dust as the people in a state of great excitement thumped their feet hard on the ground, clapping and singing at the same time.

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When the music and dance ceremony reached its peak, the Qawwal said a verse loudly and everybody ecstatically repeated it in chorus: “The donkey has departed, the donkey has departed, the donkey has departed.” Sufi Shareef was one of those who was excitedly repeating the verse and enjoying himself with everyone else.

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By dawn the people had calmed down, and soon the Khanqah became empty. Sufi Shareef also decided to pack up and set off. When he came for his donkey, he saw to his surprise that it wasn’t there. He held the caretaker of the Khanqah responsible who admitted to what had happened: “What could I do? They were four and I was one! They beat me and took the donkey away.”

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“But at least you could have informed me! Now that they have all left, who am I going to take to the Qazi for justice?” said Sufi Shareef. Hearing this, the caretaker said that he had indeed come inside many a time to inform him regarding what had happened; but whenever he came in he saw Sufi Shareef excitedly shouting the phrase, “The donkey has departed.” So the caretaker did not say anything to him thinking that Sufi Shareef must be aware of what had happened and had come to terms with it. Sufi Shareef replied sorrowfully that the others had been singing the

verse so beautifully that he was simply imitating them without understanding what they were saying.

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Imitating others’ statements without thought could lead to great loss.

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The Prayer of Dawud • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: "The most beloved fasting to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, is the fast of Dawud (alaihis

salam). He used to fast one day and not the next. And the most beloved prayer to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, is the prayer of Dawud (alaihis salam). He used to sleep half the night, stand for one third of it (in prayer), and sleep for onesixth of it." [Jami at-Tirmidhi] 2548

• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) likes moderation in prayer and fasting. He wants us to pray and fast in such a manner that we do not go to extremes in it. In Islam one’s body has rights on oneself, relatives and society have rights on a person, and family life is highly valued. What Christian monks enforced on themselves in the

third century and what was adopted a century later by the Christian clergy as piety, was not at all what Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) had asked them to do nor was He pleased with it.

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Saint Macarius, for instance, would always carry 80 pounds of iron on his back, slept in marsh for two months and kept his body naked to be bitten by poisonous bees. His disciple Saint Eusebius kept a weight of 150 pounds on his back and slept for three years in a dry well. Saint Sabinus would only eat that corn that had rotted after having been soaked in water for thirty days. Saint Besarion didn’t allow his back to touch the ground for forty years. Saint John stood in worship for three years without sitting or lieing down, only allowing himself to lean against a rock for rest.

Saint Simeon Stylites had a 20 feet high pillar with a 3 feet wide bowl on top built for himself, to which he confined himself for thirty years. His disciples would take food to him and remove his filth. Then he tied himself with rope till the rope got buried in his flesh and his flesh rotted. When worms would come out of his wounds, he would put them back in and tell them to partake of what God had provided them with.

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• Similar were the extremes that the Christian monks and clergy went to in cutting themselves off from their families. Marriage was looked down upon and spouses and children abandoned when one turned to a religious life.

Later marriage was banned altogether and even relations with one’s mother, father, sisters and

brothers, not to mention other relatives, had to be brutally severed.

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• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) does not consider any of this piety. He clearly defined it for us in Islam and made Muhammad (pbuh) set the highest example of a noble and God-fearing life for us.

• This hadith also gives us a glimpse into the miracle of Muhammad (pbuh). If you add a half and a third and a sixth, the total comes out to one whole. Most educated people won't think of this instinctively, yet Muhammad

(pbuh), who was illiterate and had never been through any schooling, gave this exact mathematical division in this hadith. This is another small proof that ahadith were revealed to Muhammad (pbuh) from Allah (subhana wa ta'ala).

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Roses or Thorns • Allah’s Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Keep away from illthinking, because ill-thinking is the

greatest falsehood.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

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A person thinks of others as they are themselves. A man was on his way to the Masjid to pray Tahajjud when he saw a man coming from the direction of the Masjid. He thought, “Oh, that pious man beat me to Tahajjud. I

must have missed the prayer!” The other man was not returning from the Masjid but was actually a robber on his way to rob a house. When he saw the man going to the Masjid he thought, “Look at that smart aleck robber

returning from the house that I planned to rob!”

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Evil deeds start with evil thoughts. For example, when you first mistrust your spouse, then you invite yourself and others to provide you with reasons. Once you’ve “proved” it to yourself, your behavior towards him/her reflects your low opinion, and negatively influences their behavior towards you. Your ill-thinking becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can only fight with someone if you have first come to the conclusion that the person has wronged you.

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• When you want to love someone, you must not think about the negative aspects of their personality but focus on the positive ones. Think about and list all their qualities and you will realize that they are not as bad as you initially thought. Bear in mind that there is no end to finding fault with a person, regardless of who it is.

• Whether you prefer to look at the color, shape, or fragrance of the rose or instead focus on the sharpness of the thorns, is a matter of your own choice. Think positive thoughts and see how this affects your relationships.

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The Cruel Woman • Abdullah bin Umar (radi Allahu anhu)

narrated that Allah's Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “A woman was tortured and was put in Hell because of a cat which she had kept locked till it died of hunger.”

Allah's Messenger further said, “Allah said (to the woman), ‘You neither fed it nor gave it water when you locked it

up, nor did you set it free to eat the insects of the earth.’” [Sahih alBukhari] 2559

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This hadith teaches us that showing mercy to animals is obligatory. If animals or birds are caged then those who keep them must be very particular about feeding them and taking care of their needs.

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has not created insects and vermin without reason, and the cat could have fed itself had it not been locked up. It was hard

heartedness in the extreme to kill a cat in such a manner. This cruelty landed the woman in Hell.

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Mercy, benevolence and compassion are the attributes of the Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful Allah). When they are found in a slave of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) he/she becomes nearer to Him. In contrast, hard heartedness,

brutality and cruelty are attributes of Shaytaan and tend to take their owner to the Fire of Hell.

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Relieved or Relieving • “A funeral procession passed by Allah’s

Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) who asked, ‘Relieved or relieving?’ The people asked, ‘O Allah’s Messenger! What

is relieved and relieving?’ He said, ‘A believer is relieved (by death) from the troubles and hardships of the world and leaves for the Mercy of Allah (Azza wa Jal), while (the death of) a wicked person relieves the people, the land, the trees, (and) the animals from his evil, wicked actions.’” [Sahih al-Bukhari] 2564

• What kind of judgment will be passed on you?

Relieved or relieving?

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The Value of Courtesy • Abu Darda (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Nothing will be heavier on the Day of Resurrection in the scale of the believer than good manners. Allah hates one who utters foul or coarse language.” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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• Imam Malik narrated that once Eesa (alaihis salam) passed by a pig and addressed it saying, “Pass on peacefully.” He was asked in astonishment, “Do you talk to a pig in this manner?” He replied, “I am afraid that my tongue may get in the habit of rude talk.”

• What kind of language is it our habit to use?

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Definition of Success • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “He is successful who has accepted Islam,

who has been provided with sufficient for his wants and been made contented

by Allah with what He has given him.” [Sahih Muslim]

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• Nowadays when people say, ‘So and so is very successful’ what they mean is, ‘He/she is making a lot of money.’ In the above-mentioned hadith Allah explains who qualifies to be called successful. It’s not having Car X, House in W and Job Z but: 1. Islam.

2. Needs fulfilled.

3. Possession of a thankful heart.

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Rudeness is in the Fire • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Al-Haya is from faith, and faith is in Jannah.

Obscenity is from rudeness, and rudeness is in the Fire.” [Jami atTirmidhi]

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• Haya (bashfulness, modesty, and self-respect) is a state of mind reflected in one’s behavior. If a person has this, he/she feels unease and discomfort in doing something hateful to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

• Rudeness, crudeness, obscenity, lewd jokes, and unpleasantness are all impurities that belong in

the Fire of Jahannum. I should purge myself of these traits before they have to be cleansed from me.

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Rise As You Recite • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa

sallam) said: “He who recites the Quran will be told on the Day of Judgment, ‘Recite the Quran now in the same clear and distinct manner and in the same harmonious style in which you used to

recite it with care and propriety in the world and as a reward for the recitation of each Ayat you shall be elevated one degree higher and your ultimate place is near the end of the final Ayat.” [Jami at-Tirmidhi] 2578

• This hadith informs us of the wonderful incentive that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has provided us with to memorize and recite the Quran. The more that a person has memorized and is used to reciting, the higher and better will be their place in Jannah. • It makes sense that it should be so, for the more

that a person recites of the Quran the more will they be reminded of their relationship with Allah, the shortness of their sojourn on earth, and their life in the Hereafter, and the more they will work for it.

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• As far as possible, recite the Quran in a clear and distinct manner. Pronounce the letters correctly and recite with proper style and slowly. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to recite each word in a clear and distinct manner and read each Ayat separately. • May we become one of those who avail

themselves of this tremendous incentive. As we aim for better, fancier neighborhoods in the world, may we not forget the posher neighborhoods of the everlasting Hereafter.

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Travel to Visit Friends of Allah • “A person visited his brother (Muslim) in another town and Allah deputed an angel to wait for him on his way. When he came to him

he asked him, ‘Where do you intend to go?’ He said, ‘I intend to go to my brother in this town.’

He asked, ‘Have you any right over him (for the

recompense of which you go there)?’ He said, ‘No, (the purpose of the visit is) nothing but I love him for the sake of Allah, the Glorious, the Majestic.’ The angel then disclosed to him, ‘I am a Messenger to you from Allah (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake).’” [Sahih Muslim] 2581

• A believer loves for the sake of Allah and hates for the sake of Allah. This hadith teaches us to love those who love Allah. If anyone is unselfish and sincere in his love for a friend of Allah’s then he becomes the beloved of his Lord. If we love Allah’s friends sincerely, without any selfish motives, then we become

the object of Allah’s love. Such people will find themselves on pulpits of light on the Day of Resurrection. The prophets (alaihimus salam) and the Shuhada (martyrs) will envy them for the exceptional reception accorded to them and for their nearness to Allah.

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• Do you know anybody personally who loves Allah (subhana wa ta’ala)?

• Has anybody’s love of Allah inspired you to love them?

• This hadith affirms that in order to demonstrate one’s love for the sake of Allah, it is proper and rewarding to travel to meet and visit such friends

and companions.

• This hadith also informs us that angels may appear in human form. The angel had come to the central character in this hadith in human, not angelic, form.

• What is the worth of sincerity in the sight of Allah? This can be gauged from the fact that man

gets through the blessings of sincerity what he cannot earn through years of effort. This man earned the honor of the love of Allah because he was sincere in loving those who love Him.

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The Farmer And The Well A farmer looking for a source of water for his farm bought a well from his neighbor. The neighbor was cunning, though, and refused to let the farmer take water from the well. On asking why, he replied, “I sold the well to you, not the water”, and walked away. The distraught farmer didn’t know what to do. So he went to Birbal, a clever man and one of the nine courtiers of Emperor Akbar, for a solution.

The emperor called the farmer and his neighbor and asked why the man was not letting the farmer draw water from the well. The

cunning man said the same thing again, “I sold the well, not the water. So he cannot take my water”.

To this, Birbal replied, “All that sounds fine to me. But if you have sold the water and the water is yours, then you have no business

keeping your water in his well. Remove the water or use it all up immediately. If not the water will belong to the owner of the well”.

Realizing that he’s been tricked and taught his lesson, the man apologized and left.

Moral: Cheating will not get you anything. If you do cheat, you’ll pay for it soon enough.

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Rich Dressing Simply • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa

sallam) said: “Allah will adorn that man with the dress of honor and nobility who, in spite of possessing means and power, observes simplicity in dress out of humility and obedience to Allah.” [Sunan Abu Dawood]

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Prior to colonization most Muslims while well-off lived more humbly than they do today. Even well-to-do people found it sufficient to make only two new outfits a year, which they would on Eid. Display was irrelevant

to the “standard-of-living.”

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When the education system of Muslim populated lands was revamped, the recognition of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), His recommended code of conduct, and Islamic values and processes, ceased to be taught to the masses.

Thus, later generations took the simplicity of their forefathers’ way of life as an oddity. They didn’t have the evidence from the Quran and hadith to resist the onslaught of materialism. So now we have extravagance and waste in everything from clothes, shoes, and hair accessories to food, linen, crockery, furnishings, and outings.

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O Allah! Make us care only about being dressed by You in honor and nobility and may we cease to care about the changing fashions and standards of the world.

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The Scissors of Love • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) used to invoke Allah in prayer saying:

“Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min adhabil-qabri, wa a'udhu bika min fitnatil-masihid-dajjal, wa a'udhu bika min fitnatil-mahya wa fitnatil-mamati.

Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-ma thami walmaghrami. (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave and from the afflictions of Masih Ad-Dajjal and from the afflictions of life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from sins and from being in debt).” Somebody said to him, “Why do you so frequently seek refuge with Allah from being in debt?” The Prophet (pbuh) replied, “A person in debt tells lies whenever he speaks, and breaks promises whenever he makes (them).” [Sahih al-Bukhari] 2590

• Those who get in the habit of living beyond their means, on credit, end up living with humiliation and disgrace. When a loan is taken, it has to be repaid. Not being able to repay it compels a man to make promises he knows he can’t keep and tell lies to justify not paying back the creditor. A loan strains relationships

and acts as a sure scissor to cut the ties of love.

In the case of insistent or harsh creditors, a person’s whole life can become deranged because of his debt.

• Thus, where the Prophet (pbuh) sought refuge from such great trials as that of Dajjal, from the outcome of one’s sins, and from the afflictions of life and death, he also sought refuge from ever being in debt.

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2593

2594

Crossing the Bridge over Hell • It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is

the bridge?” He (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “It is the void in which one is likely to slip. In it there are hooks and tongs

and spikes like the thorns of the plant in Najd which is called As-Sa’daan. The believers then will pass over it within the twinkling of an

eye, like lightning, or the wind, or birds, and like fine horses and camels. Some will escape and be safe, some will be scratched (by the

hooks, etc.) and let go, and some will be piled up in the Fire of Hell.” [Sahih Muslim] 2595

•

After the Reckoning and weighing and intercession, finally, we will have to cross the Bridge over Hell.

He/she who is able to cross it goes to Paradise, while he/she who cared not for that Day will fall into Hell.

•

The Ayah, “There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell)…” [Quran: Surah Maryam, Ayat 71] affected the attitude of the righteous and kept them awake at

night. It changed their whole life and kept them from laughing and enjoying their pleasures to the full.

•

Ibn Katheer mentioned that when Abu Maysarah went to bed he said, “Would that my mother had never given birth to me!” Then he wept. He was asked, “Why are you weeping, O Abu Maysarah?” He said, “Allah has told us that we will pass over it (Hell), but He has not told us that we will be saved from falling into it.” [Tafseer Ibn Katheer]

2596

Race Not an Indicator • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “An Arab is no better than a non-Arab. In return, a

non-Arab is no better than an Arab. A red-raced man is not better than a black one except in piety. Mankind are all Adam’s children and Adam was created out of clay.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2597

• In the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the term “red-raced” referred to those who had white skin. The fairer, “ruddy people,” included the Levantines, Persians, Turks, North Caucasians, South Caucasians and Europeans.

• This hadith informs us that race is Allah’s creation and no indicator of Allah’s favor, past or future.

The sooner we free ourselves of this delusion the better off we will be InshaAllah.

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2599

2600

2601

Rich will be Poor • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: “Those who have the most will have the least on the Day of Resurrection, except for those upon whom Allah bestowed wealth, and they started giving it away left

and right, front and back, and used it to do good.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2602

• Those who own a lot of wealth and worldly luxuries will have the least reward on the Day of Resurrection, unless they spent their wealth in Allah’s Path without reserve.

• Wealth and poverty are both tests from Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Both require patience to deal with.

• In poverty, I must bear hunger, disease and deprivation while restraining myself from unlawful wealth and ingratitude.

• In wealth, I must restrain myself from splurging on my desires and remember that I have been chosen by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) as a channel through whom the wealth must go to causes delineated by Him.

2603

• “Behold, you are those invited to spend (of your substance) in the Way of Allah. But among you are some that are niggardly. But any who are niggardly are so at the expense of their own souls.” [Quran: Surah Muhammad, Ayat 38] • “And those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, - it is they, they that shall attain to a

happy state!” [Quran: Surah Al-Hashr, Ayat 9]

2604

2605

2606

2607

Repentance and Forgiveness • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: “I swear by Allah that I supplicate for Allah’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2608

• Al-Hasan said: “Ask for Allah’s forgiveness frequently – in your homes, at your tables, on your roads, in your markets, at your meetings, wherever you are. You never know when you will be granted His forgiveness.”

• Repentance is turning away from wrong actions with both heart and body. Seeking forgiveness is

associated with it.

• Forgiveness is being shielded from the harmful consequences of wrong actions, and the veiling of them.

• Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Allah does not inspire seeking forgiveness in any servant whom He wishes to punish.” [The Purification of the Soul]

2609

Two-Faced • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “You find that among the worst people is

someone who is two-faced, showing one face to some and another face to others.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2610

• Imam Nahlawi said: “It is seldom that a person who visits leaders and important people is free of spoken hypocrisy. Spoken hypocrisy consists of saying what contradicts one’s true state. It is one of the greatest of sins. It includes being two-faced.” [Reliance of the Traveler, by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri] • “Someone told Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu), ‘We visit our leaders and speak, but when we leave, we say something else.’ He replied, ‘In

the days of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) we considered this hypocrisy.’” [Al-Tabarani]

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2614

Stay Centrally Located • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah has written for the son of Adam his inevitable share of adultery whether he is aware of it or not: The adultery of the eye is the looking (at something which is sinful to look at), and the adultery of the tongue is to utter (what it is unlawful to utter), and the inner self wishes and longs for

(adultery) and the private parts turn that into reality or refrain from submitting to the temptation.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2615

•

Immodesty, obscenity and any form of adultery be it of the eyes, ears, tongue or thoughts makes a hole in the heart. Through this hole leaks out eeman. So no matter how much you try to fill your heart with eeman, it will constantly flow out because of this hole. While an

inappropriate thought might occur to anybody, as the Shaytaan is always trying to inspire people with these, yet it is the person who decides whether to entertain such ideas, discussion, temptation or turn away from them.

•

If you are on a plateau, the more centrally you stand the safer you are. The more you get closer to the sides, the greater is the danger that you might fall off the edge.

Therefore, to avoid the major form of adultery, the more we stay away from the minor forms of it, i.e. the adultery of the eyes, tongue, ears and thoughts, the safer we will be. Avoid movies that glamorize the immoral. Avoid hearing obscene talk. If an indecent thought occurs to you, seek refuge with Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) from the Shaytaan and don't entertain such thoughts.

2616

The Ten Near Signs • “The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) was in a room and we were below him. He looked out over us and said, ‘What are you talking about?’ We said, ‘The Hour.’ He said, ‘The Hour will not come until there have been ten signs: A collapse of the earth in the east, a collapse of the earth in the west, a collapse of the earth in the Arabian Peninsula, the Smoke, Ad-Dajjal, the Beast of the earth, Yajuj and Majuj, the rising of the sun from its place of setting, and a fire which will emerge from the furthest part of Aden and drive the people.’”

[Sahih Muslim] 2617

• “The Hour” is the Day of Judgement. This hadith mentions nine of the ten events to occur closest to the Day of Judgement. Another hadith mentions the tenth sign as being the descent of Eesa ibn Maryam (alaihis salam).

• The ten signs mentioned in this hadith are the Alamaat Qurba - the “nearest signs” to the Day of Judgment. They are also known as the Alamaat Kubra – the “biggest signs.”

• Regarding the fire that will emerge from Aden (in

Yemen); it will halt with the people when they halt, and it will stop with them when they rest.

• These ten signs are the last signs Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will show us before the Trumpet is blown.

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2620

2621

Stung Twice • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: “A believer does not allow himself to be stung twice from one (and the same) hole.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

2622

• A Muslim is required to learn from his or her mistakes, analyze their failures and if there is any shortcoming that he can avoid repeating, then he or she is required to avoid it. Once an individual or group has shown evil behavior towards us, we are not to become victims again. It is not only our personal experience that we are required to learn

from, but the experience of the Muslim Ummah and the guidance that we receive from Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) in recognizing our friends and foes. Nobody knows better than Allah what is in a creatures heart: therefore, a sensible person will avoid harm by paying heed to the advice from the All Knower, Allah (subhana wa ta'ala).

2623

Trailing Clothes • Allah’s Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever drags his clothes (on the ground) out

of pride and arrogance, will not have Allah look at him on the Day of Resurrection.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2624

• It is forbidden to have clothes so long that they drag on the ground behind one. Such long trousers that they are stepped on under one’s heels come under this category of forbidden dress.

• A woman’s ankles are supposed to be covered while a man’s ankles are supposed to be exposed. If a woman’s dress touches the ground because it is long to cover her ankles, then there is nothing wrong with that. It is the

unnecessary trailing behind that is done for fashion’s sake or to exhibit arrogance that is not allowed. Men have no reason to have their clothes trail on the ground.

2625

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2628

SALE – 100% Off!!

• The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said that Allah said: “I have prepared for My righteous servants what no eye has seen, and no ear has heard, nor has it occurred to human heart.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2629

• In other words, Jannat is better than anything you can imagine. Our human experience does not prepare us to imagine how wonderful it could be.

“And no soul knows what joy for them (the inhabitants of Paradise) has been kept hidden.”

[Al-Quran 32:17] • Ever been to a sale where everything was 100%

off?

• Actually you have. You bought Jannah for practically nothing. Allah insisted on buying our earthly lives from us in exchange for eternal life in Paradise. He made us and He made Jannah. He needs neither. Then why make either?

Because He wanted US -- you and me!

2630

• Only when you really want something do you insist on buying it despite its defects. Humans are impatient, hasty, weak, stingy and irritable, yet Allah insisted on buying our faulty earthly lives in exchange for infinite happiness. Our bargain is in the Quran: “God has bought of the believers their lives and their possessions, promising them paradise in return… a promise which in truth He has willed upon Himself… And who could be more faithful to his covenant than God? Rejoice,

then, in the bargain which you have made with Him: for this, this, is the supreme success!” [AlQuran 9:111]

2631

•

In exchange for a limited lifespan we made a deal to get pure happiness for an infinite amount of time.

Make a ratio of your time on earth compared to your time in the akhira, it would be 100 years: trillions of

years. It doesn't matter how long you live because any number when compared to infinity (life in Jannat), becomes zero. So we essentially got Jannah for free.

That is why the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said that if

a person were to be dragged on his face from the moment that he was born to the time that he dies, he would consider that insignificant on the Day of Judgment.

•

“O Allah, Make Your love the most beloved thing to me of all loves, and make my fear of you be the most fearful thing to me of all fears. Free me of the necessities of this world, by [granting me] a desire to meet You. When the eyes of the people of the world are cooled by their worldly belongings, let my eyes be cooled by Your worship.”

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2634

The Illusion Of Reflection Once there was a king who had presented his daughter, the princess, with a beautiful diamond necklace. The necklace was stolen and his people in the kingdom searched everywhere but could not find it.

Some said a bird might have stolen it. The king then asked them all to search for it and put a reward for $50,000 for anyone who found it.

One day a clerk was walking home along a river next to an industrial area. This river was completely polluted, filthy and smelly. As he was

walking, the clerk saw a shimmering in the river and when he looked, he saw the diamond necklace. He decided to try and catch it so that he could get the $50,000 reward. He put his hand in the filthy, dirty river and grabbed at the necklace, but some how missed it and didn't catch it. He took his hand out and looked again and the necklace was still there. He tried again, this time he walked in the river and dirtied his pants in the filthy river and put his whole arm in to catch the necklace.

But strangely, he still missed the necklace!

He came out and started walking away, feeling depressed.

2635

The Illusion Of Reflection Then again he saw the necklace, right there. This time he was determined to get it, no matter what.

He decided to plunge into the river, although it was a disgusting thing to do as the river was polluted, and his whole body would become filthy.

He plunged in, and searched everywhere for the necklace and yet he failed. This time he was really bewildered and came out feeling very depressed

that he could not get the necklace that would get him $50,000.

2636

The Illusion Of Reflection Just then a saint who was walking by, saw him, and asked him what was the matter. The clerk didn't want to share the secret with the saint, thinking the saint might take the necklace for himself, so he refused to tell the saint anything. But the saint could see this man was troubled and being compassionate, again asked the clerk to tell him the problem and promised that he would not tell anyone about it. The clerk mustered some courage and decided to put some faith in the saint. He told the saint about the necklace and how he tried and tried to catch it, but kept failing. The saint then told him that perhaps

he should try looking upward, toward the branches of the tree, instead of in the filthy river. The clerk looked up and true enough, the necklace was dangling on the branch of a tree. He had been trying to capture a mere reflection of the real necklace all this time.

2637

The Illusion Of Reflection Material happiness is just like the filthy, polluted river;

because it is a mere reflection of the TRUE happiness in the spiritual world.

We can never achieve the happiness we are looking for no matter how hard we endeavor in material life.

Instead we should look upwards, toward God, who is the source of real happiness, and stop chasing after the reflection of this happiness in the material world. This spiritual happiness is the only thing that can satisfy us completely.

Imam Ali (as) said: “Happy is the man who always kept the afterlife in his view, who remembers the Day of

Reckoning through his deeds, who led a contented life and who was happy with the lot that Allah hath destined for him.�

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2639

Seven Hundred Times And More • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah records good and bad deeds in this way: If anyone intends to do a good deed, but does not do it, Allah still records it with Him as one full good deed. If he intends a good deed and then carries it out, Allah records it with Him as ten to seven hundred times in reward or even increases it many times more. If anyone intends to do a bad deed but does not actually do it, Allah records it with Him as one full good deed. If he intends to do a bad deed and does it, Allah records it with Him as only one bad deed.” [Sahih al-Bukhari] 2640

•

So easily does Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) reward us, that even intending to do a good deed earns us the full reward of having done it. This is great encouragement to think along constructive lines. Actually performing the intended good deed, gets us the reward of having done many good deeds. Intending a bad deed will not be punished, while abstaining from actually doing it, earns us the reward of a full good deed.

•

It is thus to be wondered how anyone can doubt the love that Allah has for His creatures! The root of mercy is love. This method of taking account of our deeds shows Allah’s extreme love for us. Suppose your son or daughter gave you $7 for safekeeping every week.

Every time your child would ask you for their money back, you would return them $700 instead of $7.

Provided you could afford to do this, could there be any reason for your doing this, other than your extreme love for your child? This is a little like Allah’s love for us, although His love is much deeper and vaster than what we are capable of imagining.

2641

• One of Allah's names is Shakoor, the One who appreciates. Nobody can appreciate the way Allah can, for even if the good deed or intention is like a grain in the middle of a rock, He will know of it. It is said that when you do good by a person, the average person will repay you by ten bad deeds. But when you do something for, no

matter how small it is, Allah will know it and repay you by multiplying it into at least ten good deeds. That is why, only the person who does good for Allah's pleasure, can remain committed in doing good: While those who seek acknowledgement from people for their deeds, can not stay committed (have istiqamat) in doing

good, because people cannot appreciate and repay the way that Allah appreciates and repays.

2642

The Mother of the Quran • Abu Saeed Al-Mualla (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Should I teach you the greatest Surah in the Quran

before I go out of the Masjid?” When the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) intended to go out (of the Masjid), I

reminded him and he said, “That is ‘Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil alameen…’ which is the seven repeatedly recited Ayaat and the

Grand Quran which has been given to me.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari] 2643

• Surah Fatiha is the Dua (prayer), in response to which Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has given the whole Quran.

• In it we plead with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to show us the straight path to Jannah, “ihdinas sirat al-mustaqeem.” So Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) put floodlights on the path that leads to Jannah. Through the Quran and Sunnah, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) tells us clearly what that path looks like and what is off the path.

2644

• Then we specifically plead with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) not to let us follow in the footsteps of those who earned His anger (the Jews) or those who went astray (the Christians); “ghairil maghzoobi ilaihim wa ladh-dhaaleen”. In response, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) starts narrating to us right from Surah Baqarah the

stories of the Bani Israil – the Jews and the Christians; to show us exactly what their misbehaviour was so we may know precisely what to stay clear of.

• There are seven Ayaat in Surah Fatiha. If one prays only the Fard Salat, even then one recites Surah Fatiha seventeen times a day. This is why Surah Fatiha is referred to as “the seven, repeatedly recited, Ayaat.”

2645

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2648

Cleanliness Prerequisite for Prayer • Allah’s Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “The Salaat (prayer) of a person who does Hadath (passes urine, stool or wind) is not accepted till he performs (repeats) the Wudhu.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

2649

• Allah says: “O you who believe! When you intend to offer prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, lightly rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. If you are in a state of Janaba, purify yourselves (bathe your whole body).”

[Surah al-Maidah: Ayat 6]

• The method that Islam has adopted to keep the body clean is in accordance with man’s material nature. If man were merely a soul, there would have been no necessity to bathe or wash. But since his soul resides in a material cover made of the earth’s elements, and he makes use of its vegetables and minerals, and he leaves the excreta

of his stomach on it, Islam has made Wudhu (ablution) and Ghusl (bathing) compulsory for him so that he may keep clean of filth.

2650

Superiority of the Learned • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: “The superiority of the learned over the devout worshipper is like my superiority over the most inferior amongst you (in good deeds). Allah, His angels, the dwellers of the heaven and the earth, even the ant in its

anthill and the fish (in water) supplicate in favor of those who teach people knowledge.” [Jami at-Tirmidhi] 2651

•

An alim (learned person) here means scholar of the Quran and Hadith, who adheres strictly to Islam himself while imparting his knowledge to others. Abid (devout worshipper) is one who spends most of his time in the

worship of Allah. The benefit of his voluntary prayer and remembrance of Allah is restricted to his own self, while the benefit of the knowledge of the scholar reaches others also. Hence, the scholar is more beloved to Allah.

•

This hadith highlights the esteem in which religious scholars are held by Allah, His angels and His other creatures. If “salat” is mentioned with reference to Allah, it denotes “Allah's Grace with Mercy;” if it is mentioned with reference to the angels, it denotes “praying for forgiveness;” and if it is mentioned with reference to other creatures - men, animals, etc., - then it means “prayer and

supplication”. Thus, Allah graces that person with His Mercy who teaches people beneficial knowledge, (i.e., the knowledge of Islam); angels pray to Allah to forgive his sins; and other creatures pray for his well-being also.

2652

•

The reason that Allah has put the love of the great Imams of our Ummah in our hearts is not only because of their extraordinary learning but also because they took a stand for

the truth. Not only did they spend their lives learning and teaching Islamic knowledge for Allah’s pleasure but, more importantly, did not compromise their Islamic understanding due to any “maslaha”. Imam Malik ibn Anas, Imam Ahmad

ibn Hanbal, Imam Ibn Taiymiyyah, Imam Abu Hanifa and others paid dearly for their adherence to the truth. They did not sell out under pressure.

•

Many scholars of this calibre are also our contemporaries, who are paying with their lives for standing clearly with Islam and the Muslims, regardless of their nationality. In the footsteps of Imam Malik ibn Anas, they do not adopt a criminal silence.

Imam Malik was beaten until his arm dislocated from his shoulder, but that did not make him hide the hadith with which Muslims were rebelling against their ruler. While the reward for a religious scholar is so great that Allah commands all creatures to pray for him, at the same time being a caller to Allah’s Deen is a heavy responsibility. Syed Qutb Shaheed

summed up this responsibility when he said: “Our words are meaningless until we give them life with our blood.”

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2655

2656

Shaytaan Gone During Ramadan

• Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘When Ramadan comes, the gates of mercy are opened and the

gates of Hell are shut, and the devils are put in chains.” [Sahih Muslim]

2657

•

The burden of Shaytaan is lifted from us in Ramadan and a real difference can be felt. However, people still commit sins during Ramadan. This is because year-round the Shaytaan is busy training our “nafs,” our lower self, to be just like it and take over in his absence. He does a pretty good job, how good can be judged by the demands that our nafs makes of us during this month! That much sin we are ready to commit all by ourselves, without any additional help from Shaytaan.

•

The nafs is like a spoilt child. A spoilt child is not dealt with by giving in to its demands. Obeying a spoilt child only turns him/her into a monster. This is why in the duas of the Prophet (pbuh) he would ask Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) not to leave him at the mercy of his nafs for even a moment.

•

Once Hazrat Umar saw a Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with him) carrying a package. He told Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he had felt like eating meat and so had gone to the market to get some. Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wonderingly asked him, "Do you do everything that your nafs tells you to do?"

2658

The Field of Life • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever is afraid of being plundered by the enemy

sets out in the early part of the night, and whoever sets out early reaches his goal. Be on your guard! The treasures of Allah are dear and precious. Wake up! The treasure of Allah is the

Garden.” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

2659

• This hadith tells us that if we hope to get some of Allah’s treasure – the Garden of Paradise then we should be making some effort for it.

• This world is like land which is cultivated for its fruits in the next world: that the heart is like the earth, that belief is like the seeds, and that acts of obedience are like ploughing up the soil and clearing it for planting and digging channels to bring water to it.

• The heart which is in love with this world is

like barren earth in which seeds cannot sprout.

The Day of Resurrection is like the day of the harvest, and no one reaps what he did not sow.

No seed other than the seed of belief can grow, and belief rarely brings forth any fruit if the heart is rotten and lacking morality.

2660

•

In the same way that seeds do not sprout in barren earth, so a servant’s hope for Allah’s forgiveness can be compared to the hope of a farmer: If anyone searches for fertile soil, sows it with good healthy seeds, supplies it

with what it needs when it needs it, pulls out the weeds and anything else that might hinder or ruin the growth of the crop, and then sits waiting for Allah’s blessings in the form of His keeping unfavorable weather and destructive

pests away until the crop has finished growing and is ripe – then his waiting can be described as hope. If, however, he sows the seeds in hard, barren soil which is too high up for water to reach it, and does nothing to care for the seedlings, and then sits waiting for a harvest – then his waiting can only be described as folly and stupidity, not hope.

•

If the servant sows the seeds of belief, and waters them with obedience to and worship of Allah, and purifies his heart of bad elements, and then waits for Allah’s blessings in the form of His keeping him steady in that state until his death, and then granting him an excellent end and His forgiveness – then his waiting is truly hoping for the best.

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2664

Speaking During the Friday Khutbah

• The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "When the imam is giving the khutbah on Friday, and you tell your companion 'Listen,' you have made an impertinent

remark." [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2665

• “It is offensive to speak during the sermon on Friday, whether it be to say ‘Subhan Allah,’ the blessings on the Prophet (peace be upon him), or to command the right or forbid the wrong.

The reason for this prohibition is that listening to the Friday prayer sermon is obligatory, as it takes the place of two of the rakahs of the noon

prayer, so things offensive during the prayer are offensive while listening to the sermon.”

[Umdat us Salik/ Reliance of the Traveller, by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri]

2666

Should You Boast • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa

sallam) said: "Allah has inspired to me that you are all to be humble towards each other such that no one transgresses against or exalts himself above another." [Sahih Muslim]

2667

• Unfortunately, the tides have so turned, that we now consider it a mark of confidence to boast about ourselves. Whatever you have, is because Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) gave it to you or allowed you to have it; whether it is intelligence, looks, wealth, lineage, faith, character or anything else.

• If someone thinks that they worked hard and achieved by their own merit alone what they got, they should look at all those who also work hard but do not reach their goals. If you studied hard and excelled, who made it possible for you to have the time to study? You could have been born into a family where children have to go to work to

make ends meet.

2668

• If you excel in your business, who allowed you to accumulate the capital to begin it, or gave you the ideas for it, or prevented accidents from befalling it? Who gave you the health to work for your business and kept debilitating illness away from you?

• If you pride yourself on your Islam, who put your

ruh into a child being born to a Muslim couple?

Had you been raised on some other religion would you have come to Islam on your own? Who has surrounded you with angels and allowed you to resist Shaitaan and not turn to Kufr?

• Lineage or looks are even more obviously Allah given. Therefore, there is nothing at all for you to boast about.

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• Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) says, "Do not praise yourselves: He knows best who is godfearing."

[Al-Quran 53:32] The only thing worthy to boast about is taqwa. And Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) forbids boasting about that too. There are two reasons for this. One is that only Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) knows how good a person really is. And

only His knowing matters. He (subhana wa ta’ala) is the one who will reward us for it.

• The other reason we are not to boast is that it is contrary to taqwa. A person who has true awareness of Allah (taqwa) is painfully aware of their own shortcomings, their dependence on Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) and the many sins they

commit knowingly and unknowingly. Therefore, a pious person is necessarily humble and modest and can never be a braggart.

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Shaitan’s Last and Desperate Attempt

• The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Verily Shaitan comes to you at all circumstances and affairs of your life, even at the time of eating.”

[Sahih Muslim]

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•

Shaitan makes his most desperate attempt at the time that a person is dying. He sees this as his last chance and is nearer to the dying person than ever before. He tries his best to have the person die as a disbeliever. This is a very intimidating moment. May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) protect us from falling prey to the accursed Shaitan. The son of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal narrates the following story about his father’s death.

•

Death had approached the pious and scholarly Imam, and the people around him were saying “Laa ilaaha illallaah”. Imam Ahmad went into a semi-conscious state and repeated, “No…not yet, not yet.” This worried

people around him as they did not expect a person of his piety to be warding death off. When Imam Ahmad regained consciousness, his son asked him about his statement. Imam Ahmad replied, "Shaitan came to me and said: 'Ahmad, you are free (meaning, I have lost you)!'" To this, Imam Ahmad replied “No, not yet, not yet.” Imam Ahmad meant that a person never gets rid of Shaitan until he actually dies.

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•

Al-Qurtubi mentions that a great number of pious and dependable scholars are known to have witnessed the presence of Shaitan at death. He relates that he heard one of his own respected teachers, Imam Abul-Abbaas

Ahmad bin Umar al-Qurtubi, say, "I visited the brother of our teacher, sheikh Abu Jafar Muhammad alQurtubi at Cordova and found him near death. It was said to him, 'Repeat Laa ilaaha illallaah', to which he

replied, 'No! No!' When he came to, we mentioned what had occurred. He said, 'Two devils came to me, one on my left and the other on my right. One of them said, 'Die as a Jew, for verily it is the best of religions,' while the other said, 'Die as a Christian, for truly it is the best of religions.' So I answered them saying, 'No! No! How dare you say such a thing to me!’”

•

May Allah Mighty and Majestic save us from loosing our foothold at this last and crucial moment.

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Tolerance is the Trait of Prophets • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “A strong man is not one who pushes down another, but a strong man is one who at the time of anger controls his Nafs.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

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•

Imaam Fakhruddeen Razi narrates an incident in his Tafseer-e-Kabeer. Once, prior to receiving prophethood, Moosa (alaihis salam)’s lamb ran away from his flock.

Moosa (alaihis salam) ran behind it for miles on end in

order to catch it. In the process he hurt his feet by running through thorn thickets which pierced his skin causing him to bleed profusely. The lamb continued running until it too was bruised and battered. Finally, it

stood at one place, breathing heavily, unable to run anymore. Moosa (alaihis salam) caught the tired little animal and instead of being angry at it, consoled the animal with tears flowing from his eyes, saying, “O sheep, if you did not feel sorry for Moosa, you should at least have pitied yourself. Why did you put yourself through so much trouble?” Before removing the thorns from his own feet, Moosa (alaihis salam) first removed the thorns from the sheep, then rubbed and pressed its legs, lifted it up onto his shoulders and carried it back to the flock.

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•

Imagine what we would have done to the animal it had caused us so much trouble and pain. Perhaps we would have beaten the poor animal or even slaughtered it. But what did Moosa (alaihis salam) do?

He showed no sign of anger, instead he showed great mercy for the weak creation of Allah.

•

Imaam Fakhruddeen Razi writes that the angels said to Allah, “O Allah! This person is worthy of becoming a prophet because of his qualities of tolerance and patience. O Allah! Do make him a prophet.” (This incident took place before Moosa (alaihis salam) was given prophethood.) Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) replied, “I have already chosen him to be My prophet.”

•

Those for whom Allah has destined high stages, He imbues with noble qualities and strength of tolerance.

It is not correct to become mad with anger at the slightest provocation.

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The Good Deeds Shaver • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “The diseases of the nations before you, malice and hatred,

may also overtake you. Remember, they are like shavers; but they do not shave hair, rather, they shave virtues.”

[Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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•

If somebody bothers you, do you have to hate them? If they underestimate you, don’t show you respect, or usurp your rights, do you have to hate them? If somebody has plenty of what you would love to have in life but have none of, do you have to hate them?

•

No! No! No! Focus on how you can be a better Muslim, how you can draw closer to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), how you can increase your remembrance of Him so that

He increases His love of you. In other words, focus on your Akhirah so you can be happy and have all you desire forever.

•

This life is only a test! All situations and circumstances

are prescribed by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) for His beloved slaves so that they can earn their unique way into Jannah.

•

Malice is a desire to harm others or to see others suffer;

extreme ill will or spite. Malice arises out of hatred. If you allow yourself to feel hatred towards others you will then try to harm them consciously or subconsciously. Your harming others will shave your good deeds from your 2685

record.

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Ulama Su’ • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “There will appear in the end times, people who seek the Dunya with religion.

In front of the people they wear clothes made of wool to give the impression of their humility, their speeches are sweeter than sugar, but their hearts are the hearts of wolves (very fond of wealth and position). Allah says, ‘Are you fooled

by Me (the mercy and opportunities I give) or that you dare towards Me? By My Self, I swear.

I will send down disasters from among their own on those who turn decent people into confusion, so they are not able to get away from it.’” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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•

Indeed, the Ulama are like the stars in the heavens. It is through their hands that mankind obtains guidance. They are the ones who explain the way of guidance and the way to remain upon that guidance. It is through them

that the Ummah understands the ways in which evil approaches us and how to avoid it.

•

However, after the spread of Fitnahs, Su’ Ulama emerge who sell the Deen to make their Dunya. Sometimes they are more eloquent, and their explanations more easily accepted than those of sincere, Allah-fearing Ulama. They present bad things in the shape of goodness. They bootlick rulers and take orders from indirect colonizers for the sake of obtaining positions, ranks, influence, appreciation and the adornments of the world. Or they do it to deliberately oppose Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) and

His Prophet (pbuh). Their trademark is that they twist the well-known principles and teachings of Islam to suit popular opinion. Thus, they are no other than the Khalifahs of Shaytan or the representatives of Dajjal.

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• The Sahabi Hudhaifah (radi Allahu anhu) said: “If you see an Alim at the door of the ruler, his Deen is debatable. So it is not of them [the Ulama] to take a part from their [the rulers] Dunya, except that those rulers will take from their [the Ulama’s] Deen in proportion.”

• The righteous Ulama’s sacrifices are proven in the

restrictions imposed upon them, the torture they suffer in jail, and the hardships they have to face living in hiding. This is not the case of the Ulama Su whose lives are filled with comforts and whose work is facilitated by governments.

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2693

Be Careful What You Plant An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different.

He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you.”

The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here after one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!”

One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story.

She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

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Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.

Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.

Ling didn’t say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, “Hey nice try.”

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When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. “What great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the emperor. “Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!” All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. “The emperor knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!”

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. “My name is Ling,” he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him.

The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, “Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!” Ling couldn’t believe it. Ling couldn’t even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow.

All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.

When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted

another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!”

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If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.

If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony. If you plant hard

work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.

If you plant patience, you will reap improvements. If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

But If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.

If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness. If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.

If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.

If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation. If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation. If you plant greed, you will reap loss.

If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies. If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles. If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

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“Remember your graves because your way passes over it. You will be dealt with as you deal with others, you will reap what you sow, and what you

send today will meet you tomorrow.� Imam Ali (AS) Moral: So be careful what you plant now, It will determine what you will reap tomorrow, The seeds you now scatter, Will make life worse or better, your life or the ones who will come after.

Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today.

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Supplicating for Deceased • It was narrated that Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "When An-Najashi died, the Prophet

(salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, 'Pray for forgiveness for him.'" [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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• We learn from this hadith that on being informed of a Muslim’s death one should supplicate for his/her forgiveness. When we pray for another’s forgiveness we hope that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) will forgive us as well.

• We should also say, "We belong to Allah and to Him we return/ inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajioon."

This is a reminder to us that we all have to die one day and return to our Creator. Keeping this in mind will allow us to lead a successful life; a life spent trying to earn the pleasure of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). This wordly life is the one in which we plant the seeds: its harvest we are to consume in the form of Jannat or Jahannum.

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Urine of Shaytaan is Laziness • “Mention was made in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) of a man who slept a whole night until morning. He said,

‘That is a man in whose ear the Shaytaan has urinated.’” [Sahih alBukhari]

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• Imaam Ibn al-Jawzi, quoting one of the Salaf, said: “I warn you against ‘Sawfa’ (i.e. saying ‘I will do…’) because it is one of the greatest troops of Iblees. The likeness of the one who strives resolutely and the one who is content with the idea that he has plenty of time is that of a group of people who are on a journey and enter a town.

The one who is resolute goes and buys the supplies he needs to complete his journey and sits ready to resume his journey. The negligent one says, ‘I will get ready, but probably we will stay here for a month (so I have plenty of time).’

So when the call to resume the journey comes, the one who was prepared is happy to move on,

whilst the one who was negligent becomes very confused and distressed.

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• “This is the likeness of people in this world. Some of them are prepared and alert, and when the angel of death comes they feel no regret, but the others who are deluded and procrastinate, will feel bitter regret at the time of departure. If it is in a person’s nature to like to procrastinate and feel that he has plenty of time, then Iblees comes and

encourages that person to act in accordance with his nature, so it becomes difficult for him to strive. But the person who is concerned about himself knows that he is in a battlefield and that his enemy will not give up. Although he may appear to be leaving him alone for a while, in secret he is plotting against him and setting a trap

for him.” [Talbees Iblees]

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Speak Up • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Let not respect for men prevent any of you

from speaking the truth when he knows it." [Sahih Muslim]

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• Sometimes people are silent because they are afraid of offending somebody, when they should be speaking up with the truth. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has more right that He should not be offended. When the truth is covered up it is distasteful to Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). Truth leads to Jannah and falsehood and lying lead to

the Fire of Hell [Sahih Muslim]. Therefore, we should be careful to always side with the truth and speak it when necessary. • Nothing is as important as your character. Know when to keep silent and when to speak up. Know truth, understand it, believe in it, and practice it.

In the end, nothing survives but the truth.

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Sponsoring a Widow • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "The one who strives to sponsor a widow, or a poor

person is like the one who strives in Jihad in the cause of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. [Sunan An-Nasai]

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• Sponsoring a widow, taking care of her financial needs, is a deed of supreme merit, provided that one's objective is to earn the pleasure of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) and one’s motive for helping is not desire for fame, or to make another indebted to oneself, or some other worldly gain.

• We should always seek reward from Allah

(subhana wa ta'ala) alone, as nobody and nothing else can match what Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) can give. It is worthwhile to note here that the reward for a person sponsoring a widow or needy person is like the reward for a Mujahid. The reward for Jihad is so great that no other act equals it in merit.

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Unconscious with Trumpet-Blast • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Then the Trumpet will be blown, and no one will hear it but will tilt his head. The

first one to hear it will be a man who will be repairing a trough for his camels. He will fall unconscious and the people will fall unconscious.”

[Sahih Muslim]

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• This strange and wonderful universe in which we live, filled with constant motion, teeming with life and living things, both visible and invisible, will remain like this until the Day comes.

• When the Day of Judgement is to commence, the Trumpet will be blown, and this trumpet-blast will put an end to life on earth and in the

heavens, and only Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will remain. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says in the Quran: “Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish.” [Surah Rahman: Ayat 26] and “Everything will perish save His Face.”

[Surah Qasas: Ayat 88]

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Settlement on the Day of Judgment • Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him): “Allah’s Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his reputation or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Resurrection when there will be

no money (to compensate for wrong deeds), but if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to the oppression which he

has done, and if he has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari] 2720

• Nothing goes unnoticed by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), nor does He, in His infinite Justice, let the slightest injury go uncompensated for. Should a person settle his account with others before his/her death it is best for them. Otherwise, they will have to pay with their good deeds on the Day of Judgment.

• When all of one’s good deeds vanish and accounts still have to be settled with others, they will be settled by having the sins of the victim put to the account of the offending party. May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) save us from having to pay our debts on the Day of Judgment.

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Useless Deeds • Aisha (radi Allahu anha) asked: “O

Messenger of Allah! During the Jaahiliya, Ibn Jad’aan used to uphold the ties of kinship and feed the poor; will that benefit him at all?” The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) replied: “It will not be of any benefit to him, because he

never said a single day, ‘O Lord, forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgement.’” [Sahih Muslim]

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• “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.” [Quran: Surah Aal-e-Imraan, Ayat 85] • For deeds to be considered “good” by Allah, they must have been done not only as per His instructions, but also only for Him, seeking His

pleasure and fearing His punishment. Otherwise, the world may consider those deeds “good” but they will carry no weight with Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala).

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• If you do good deeds for the world, the world repays you by praising you and remembering you by good names such as noble, generous, kind, courageous.

• If you do good deeds for yourself, your ego repays you by making you feel good about yourself.

• If you do good deeds for Allah’s Pleasure, He repays you by granting you forgiveness for your sins and an abode in Jannah.

• Suppose you employed someone, but your employee spent all his time working for some stranger instead of you. Would you feel like paying his salary at the end of the month? Then how do we expect Allah to recompense us if it is the world, or our ego, or other people, we do things for?

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Treasures of Life for Who Don’t Want Them

• The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever is preoccupied with the next life, Allah will place his wealth within his heart, and gather his

people around him, so that life will come and offer itself to him.” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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•

The special blessings of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) descend on the person who lives in a state of preparedness for the next life to begin. This person’s first thought is always about Allah, “What will Allah

think of my doing this? Will he like it?” So he preoccupies himself with doing the actions Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has described as beneficial.

•

Since this person is working for Allah, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) Himself sees to it that his worldly needs are taken care of.

•

Allah saves this person from worrying about wealth and as a result he feels content with his blessings.

•

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) sees to it that the people important to him love him and are in sync with him.

•

Life itself throw its treasures at his feet, but this friend of Allah’s cares nothing for them, for it is less than a shadow of the real thing which is the next life.

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So Allah and the People Love Me • Sahl bin Sad As-Sai’di (may Allah be

pleased with him) reported: “A man came to the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, guide me to such an action which if I do Allah will love me and the people will also love me.’ He (pbuh) said, ‘Have no desire for this world, Allah will love you; and have no desire for what people possess,

people will love you.’” [Sunan ibn Majah]

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•

To “have no desire for what people possess” means to not be envious of others. When a person is not envious of what others have, they feel safe with him/her and like him/her.

•

To “have no desire for this world” means to remember that

our real home and time for enjoyment are in Jannah. When a person has mansions and palaces in one city will he desire to stay in a cramped, dirty, motel room in some other city? On earth we are only taking an exam, which we

would like to have end as soon as possible, so we can go to our mansions and palaces where delicious food and a life of enjoyment and relaxation awaits us.

•

As long as we live we are in an examination hall. Till we

die we are taking the exam of life that will qualify us for either Jannah or Jahannum. Some academic exams take place in 5 star hotels, and some take place in village school rooms. He, whose exam is in a 5 star hotel, is in

comfortable conditions but cannot afford to forget that he is there to take an exam. If he begins to enjoy himself in the hotel, roaming around and entertaining himself, he will fail his exam.

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• A king once passed by a pious person in the marketplace and asked him what he was doing.

The pious man replied, “I’m trying to get people to be friends with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).” The king asked, “How’s it going?” The man replied, “Allah is willing, but the people are not willing.”

Some time later the king passed by the same man

in a graveyard. The king asked him again what he was doing. The man replied, “I’m trying to get (the dead) people to befriend Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Now the people are willing, but Allah is not willing.”

• May we not be those lowly creatures that cling to earthly life but those who have the vastness of

Jannah before their eyes.

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Significance of Intention • Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be

pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Deeds are considered by intentions, and a person will be rewarded according to his intention. So whoever

emigrated for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration would be for Allah and His Messenger; and whoever emigrated for

worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration would be for what he emigrated for.� [Sahih al-Bukhari]

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•

According to some other ahadith, the context of this hadith is that a person sent a proposal of marriage to a woman named Umm Qais, which she turned down saying that he would have to emigrate to Madina to marry her. Accordingly, he did it for this specific purpose, and the two were married there. On account of this event, the man came to be known among the Companions as “Muhajir Umm Qais” (emigrant for Umm Qais).

•

On the basis of this hadith, Ulama are of the unanimous opinion that the real basis of one’s actions is Niyyah (intention) and everyone will be rewarded or punished according to his Niyyah. Niyyah is founded in one’s heart, that is to say that one has to first make up one’s mind for what he intends to do. It becomes evident from this hadith that Ikhlas (sincerity) is a must for every good deed. In other words, in every righteous deed one should seek only the pleasure of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), otherwise it will not be accepted by Allah.

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•

There are many traditions in our Religion that should be understood collectively to have thorough understanding of our Deen. So in addition to the tradition you posted, there is another tradition narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, from the way of our Mother Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said that: the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever innovates an action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected”, and in the narration of Muslim it clarifies that: Whoever just does or acts upon an innovated action will have it rejected, even if he was not the one that innovated it himself.

•

Al-Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with him) said in

Sharh Muslim: "What this means is that such deeds are invalid and do not count. This hadeeth represents an important principle of Islam, and it is an example of the concise speech of the Prophet (pbuh). It is a clear rejection of every innovation. This hadeeth should be memorized and used to demonstrate the invalidity of reprehensible actions and should be propagated as evidence against all innovations".

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•

Thus our scholars based on this tradition and the one about the intention came with two general principles:

1) The bad/insincere Intention ruins a prescribed righteous action: This is evident from the tradition where a Mujahid fought and died for what he claimed to be the sake of Allah, a Scholar taught people the Quran for what he claimed to be the sake of Allah, and Generous man donated generously to the poor for what he claimed to be the sake of Allah. In the Hereafter, when they mention there actions and intentions for Allah they would be told that they lied and it was not for His sake, rather it was for the sake of the people and so that they would praise them, and such was said ... so they would be dragged to Hell.

•

So notice how these prescribed righteous actions had their reward ruined due to the bad and insincere intention behind them

2) The Correct intention does not Correct the false action:

This is evident from the above tradition and can be seen in the case when a companion (Rifaa'ah ibn Rafi' -may Allah be pleased with him) entered the Masjid and prayed. His intention was pure and sincere, however his prayer lacked elements of the prayer prescribed by the Messenger of Allah, so when he returns to the Messenger of Allah, he told him: Go back and pray for you have not prayed.

•

So see how the sincere intention did not correct the action.

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• Another example is in the case of those who mocked the Messenger and his companions and by doing so fell into Kufr, yet their intention was just to joke and play around not to commit an act of Kufr. Yet Allah stated in the Quran that this intention of theirs and their apologies that followed will not benefit them and has no effect in

changing the fact that they have fallen into Kufr.

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• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) gathered these in a verse Surat Al-Kahf, and said that: “Whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work

righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner” [Al-Kahf 18:110] • Ibn Katheer (may Allah be please with him)- said in his Tafseer: (So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord,) i.e., hopes for a good reward and recompense, (let him work righteousness) meaning, in accordance with the prescribed laws of Allah, (and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.) This is what is meant by seeking the pleasure of Allah alone with no

associate or partner. These are the two basic features of acceptable deeds: their intent is for the sake of Allah alone, and are done in accordance with the way of the Messenger of Allah.

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Visiting the Sick • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "The one who visits the sick is in fact like one who is

in the fruit garden of Paradise so long as he does not return." [Sahih Muslim]

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•

There is great merit in paying a visit to the sick, whether one knows the patient or not. The following is a story of how a man came to take the shahada.

•

The man was in a hospital sharing a room with a

Muslim. One day some people came to visit the Muslim.

They came in, hugged the Muslim brother, kissed him, and talked to him with love and affection. They stayed for a while and shared a closeness that was true. After

they left, the man asked the Muslim if those were his brothers who had just visited him. The Muslim replied, "No, they learned that I was sick today, at the Friday prayer, and so they came to visit me. I just met them

today." This shocked the man. Those people had not acted in an awkward stranger fashion but like true brothers.

•

This led to the man asking more questions and finally accepting Islam. This duty of visiting the sick was as always blessed by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). In addition, this time it also served as a vehicle to guide a man to Islam.

2743

2744

2745

2746

Vows – Nazr • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade vowing and said, “In fact, vowing does not prevent

anything, but it makes a miser spend his property.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2747

•

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Allah said, ‘vowing does not bring to the son of Adam anything I have not already written in his Qadar (preordainment)…Through vowing I make a miser spend of his wealth.’”

•

Examples of vows are: “If a son is born to me I will feed 100 poor people.” Or, “If I get admission in this university, I will give so much wealth in Sadaqa.” Or, “If I recover from this illness, I will sacrifice a goat for the

needy.”

•

Whatever good deed one vowed to do, they should have done without vowing. They shouldn’t have made it a sort of bargain with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala) is not in need of any of our deeds. We do good deeds for our own benefit and we are always in need of our own good deeds, regardless of whether the son is born, the admission granted, or the illness recovered

from. We will not change the course of what was destined to happen for us by vowing anything. By vowing, a miser is made to spend what he/she refused to spend before, although it would have been for his/her own benefit.

2748

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2750

The Seven Wonders Anna was a 9-year-old girl from the small village. She finished attending elementary school till 4th grade at her village. For the 5th grade onwards, she will have to get an admission in a school at a city nearby. She got very happy knowing that she was accepted in a very reputed school in

a city. Today was the first day of her school and she was waiting for her school bus. Once the bus came, she got in it quickly. She was very excited.

Once the bus reached to her school, all students started

going to their classes. Anna also made it to her classroom after asking fellow students for direction. Upon seeing her simple clothing and knowing she is from a small village, other students started making fun of her. The teacher soon arrived, and she asked everyone to keep quiet. She introduced Anna to the class and told that she will be studying with them only from today.

2751

Then the teacher told the students to be ready for the surprise test now! She told everyone to write down the 7 wonders of the world. Everyone started writing the answer quickly. Anna started to write the answer slowly.

When everyone except Anna had submitted their answer paper, the teacher came and asked Anna, “What happened Dear?

Don’t worry, Just write what you know as other students have learned about it just a couple of days back”.

Anna replied, “I was thinking that there are so many things, which 7 I can pick to write!” And, then she handed her answer paper to the teacher. The teacher started reading everyone’s answers and the majority had answered them correctly such as

The Great Wall of China, Colosseum, Stonehedge, Great Pyramid of Giza, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Tajmahal, Hanging Gardens of Babylon etc.

The teacher was happy as students had remembered what she

had taught them. At last the teacher picked up Anna’s answer paper and started reading.

2752

“The 7 Wonders are – To be able to See, To be able to Hear, To be able to Feel, To Laugh, To Think, To be Kind, To Love!”

The teacher stood stunned and the whole class was speechless. Today, a girl from the small village reminded them about the precious gifts that god has given us, which are truly a wonder.

Moral: Value what you have, use what you have, trust what you have. You don’t always have to look away to find an inspiration. Allah (swt) has

given you all the strength to reach your goals.

2753

2754

Sixty Years of Age • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah will not accept the excuse of any person whose instant of

death is delayed till he is sixty years of age.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2755

•

When a person reaches sixty years of age, he has no right to ask Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) for a new lease of life to make up for his past shortcomings, for Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says: “Did We not give you lives

long enough, so that whoever would receive admonition – could receive it? And the warner (of Allah) came to you…” [Quran 35:37] •

Some men go abroad to earn for their families while their families remain behind in their home countries.

These men live on the bare minimum, work hard, and save whatever they can so that when they are with their families again they can enjoy it all together.

•

This is what Muslims are supposed to understand about how to live in this world. The place of real and never-ending enjoyment is Jannah. That is where our real home and family is. We came to this world to earn and save for our real home, to enjoy with our real family. Our problem is that we forgot about that and started living only for this world.

2756

• So we remain busy in our jobs, education, relationships, lifestyles - trying to live as enjoyable a life as we can - all our lives long. We don’t live with the intention of trying to save all our good stuff to enjoy in the next life. When we retire at sixty years of age, we wish that we didn’t have to retire, because we can think of nothing

else to do with our lives. We are only used to earning money to spend in this life. We are used to only thinking about and living for this worldly existence. Even if it is at sixty that you turn to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) -- better late than never.

2757

Vinegar Excellent Condiment • Jabir (radi Allahu anhu) said: “I entered the house of the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) with him

and there was some bread and vinegar.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, ‘Eat; what a good condiment is vinegar.’’’ [Sunan anNasai]

2758

•

The foods eaten by the Prophet (peace be upon him) were simple. The focus of his life was the Akhirah. His concern was to obtain Allah’s Pleasure, and do his best to have everyone else taste the sweetness of Eeman too.

•

When a caring person moves from the hot sun into pleasant shade, he/she wants to have others also

partake of this relief. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) as a mercy for all mankind. Thus, no one has wanted more than him to bring others into the shade of Allah’s mercy. Hence,

his life revolved around trying to share the goodness of Islam with others, rather than elaborate meals and menus.

•

Vinegar has been praised in this hadith as something good. From this hadith we also learn that bread and vinegar is a meal.

2759

2760

2761

2762

Sins Like Sea Forgiven • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever says, ‘Subhan Allahi wa bi hamdihi’ one

hundred times, his sins will be forgiven even if they were like the foam of the sea.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

2763

•

“Subhan Allahi wa bi hamdihi” means that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is pure of defects and praise belongs to Him alone.

•

To really understand that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is pure of defects implies not ascribing any shortcomings to Him. We think that we don’t ascribe any shortcoming to Him but when we question fate, when we talk about

“untimely deaths,” or when it comes to adopting a Hukm Shari and we don’t, justifying our stance with “We know our situation better” we are in fact attributing defects to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). With

such statements we are implying that Allah doesn’t know better, that His wisdom is not infinitely more than ours, that His love of us isn’t infinitely more than our love of ourselves. With such statements we negate the ‘SubhanAllah’ that roll off our tongues.

2764

• Nothing is worthy of praise except Allah, since anything praiseworthy is so because He made it so. It is only a minute fraction of the good and beauty that is with Him. • Thus, when we say “Subhan Allahi wa bi hamdihi” we should keep its meaning in mind and feel it in our hearts. We should stop for a

moment to think about what we are saying, so that we don’t live our lives in contradiction to it.

• Saying “Subhan Allahi wa bi hamdihi” a hundred times causes minor sins to be forgiven no matter how many they are in number. For the expiation of major sins it is necessary that we be aware of the mistake we are asking forgiveness for and intend to avoid committing the same in future.

2765

Visit Cemeteries • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “I had forbidden you to visit graveyards. But now if you wish

you may go to cemeteries, for the sight of graves makes one remember the life hereafter.” [Sahih Muslim]

2766

•

In the early days of Islam, when people were still very close to Jahilliya, only recently having forsaken its beliefs and practices, they were forbidden from visiting graves for fear that they might revert to their ignorant practices of Shirk with respect to graves.

But once Eeman was firmly rooted in their hearts they were instructed to visit graves to motivate themselves to prepare better for the Hereafter.

•

“Once Ali (radi Allahu anhu) visited a graveyard with Kameel (radi Allahu anhu) accompanying him. On reaching the graveyard, Ali (radi Allahu anhu) looked at the graves and then addressing the inmates of the graves said: ‘O inmates of graves! O inhabitants of ruins! O those who live in isolation in a land of wilderness! Say, how are you? As regards conditions over here, the assets left over have been divided, the offspring are rendered orphans, the widows have entered into new marriage contracts. This is the state of affairs in our world. Now tell us what is happening to you.’ “Ali (radi Allahu anhu) then remained silent for some time. Then turning to Kameel (radi Allahu anhu) said: ‘Kameel, if the inmates of these graves were allowed to speak they would say, ‘Piety is the most valuable treasure.’’ Having said this, Ali (radi Allahu anhu) wept and continued to weep for a long time. He later remarked: ‘Kameel, the grave is an enclosure where only deeds matter and as soon as one meets death he realizes this fact.’” [Etiquettes of Life in Islam

by Muhammad Yusuf Islahi]

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2769

2770

Simple Dress • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever leaves valuable dress out of humility to

Allah while he is able to afford it, Allah will call him before all of creation on the Day of Judgment so that he can choose whichever Hulal of faith he wishes to wear.” [Jami at-

Tirmidhi]

2771

• “Hulal of faith” are the garments of Jannah which are given to the people of faith. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) loves the act of a Muslim who, though wellto-do and rich, avoids wearing ostentatious garments out of modesty, so as not to show off and make other people feel inferior.

• This recommendation to avoid ostentation and display can be applied to housing, furniture, décor, mannerisms, meals… everything. Whatever I have is a gift and a test from Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). It should be used to earn my Akhirah, so that these blessings can be mine forever, and not just for as long as I live on earth.

2772

•

When I am given something by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) do I feel further indebted to Him? Do I feel even more love for Him than before? Do I desire to serve Him with every ounce of my strength, and every penny

of my wealth, and every second of my time? He who has no need of me, compared to Whom a trillion like myself have no significance, has chosen to favor me with His countless blessings! Will I show my gratitude

to Him (subhana wa ta’ala) or use His blessings to subdue others?

•

This hadith is a glad tiding to those who do not use Allah’s blessings to rule over other people by awing and humbling them. Those who take care of the feelings of others in this respect will be granted garments of their choice before all creation on the Day of Judgment. Then everyone will come to know how well-off they had been in the world and that they had not flaunted their wealth.

2773

Vessels of Gold and Silver • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “The one who eats and drinks from vessels of gold

and silver is pouring the Fire of Hell into his stomach.” [Sahih Muslim]

2774

• We have been sent to earth to earn our everlasting abodes in Jannah and not so that we try to make our Jannahs here. Whoever tries to do so is actually being very foolish, for the Paradise that one makes on earth must come to an end while the one prepared by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will be enjoyed by its inheritors for ever.

Secondly, the Paradise that one makes on earth cannot compete in grandeur, beauty, comfort or happiness with the Paradise that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has prepared for us.

• To eat or drink from containers of gold or silver betrays weak conviction in the promises of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). These luxuries are for the

disbelievers in this world and for us in the Hereafter.

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Sweet Basil Waving in the Breeze • Usamah bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said one day to his Companions, ‘Who will strive hard with sincerity for Paradise? For there is nothing like Paradise. By the Lord of the Kabah, it is sparkling light, sweet basil waving in the breeze, a lofty palace, a flowing river, abundant ripe fruit, a beautiful spouse and many fine

garments, in a place of eternal abode, in ease and luxury, in beautiful, strongly-built, lofty houses.’

They said, ‘We will strive hard for it, O Messenger

of Allah.’ He said, ‘Say: In sha Allah (if Allah wills).’ Then he mentioned Jihad and encouraged them to engage in it.” [Sunan ibn Majah] 2779

•

The delights of Paradise surpass the imagination and defy description. They are like nothing known to the people of this world; no matter how technologically advanced we may become, what we can achieve is

nothing in comparison with the beauty and joys of the Hereafter.

•

Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has reserved a place for you in Jannah. It is up to you whether you wish to claim it or forfeit it. Try to imagine it, it really is there waiting for you. A home in hills, clouds near the base of it. The weather is beautiful all year round. A gentle, pleasant breeze sometimes carries the scent of basil and sometimes the sweet smell of wild red roses. Rivers flow by your palace. The view is breathtaking. The architecture is splendid and to your taste. There is never any plumbing issue nor any need for maintenance or repair. A gorgeously good-looking spouse loves you and is the delight of your eyes. You have a neverending life of happiness and luxury…

2780

Seventy Snakes • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) clasped some of his fingers between others and said: “Seventy giant serpents will constrict him, if even one of them were to hiss on the earth, nothing upon it would grow as long as it remained. They will chew on him and bite him until he is

brought to the Reckoning.” [Jami atTirmidhi] 2781

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said this about a person who is a wicked worshipper or a disbeliever. The grave does not welcome him, it punishes him and constricts upon him. In addition, seventy venomous snakes wrap themselves around his body and continuously bite him and chew on him.

• Once in a while we get to hear of a person’s grave being opened for some reason but then quickly closed when it is found to be full of snakes. May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) save us from such punishment. Ameen.

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Shaytan an Alim without Amal • Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) deputized me to keep (guard over) Sadaqah of Ramadan. Someone came and started taking handfuls of the Sadaqah quickly. I took hold

of him and said, 'By Allah, I will take you to the Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'I am needy and have many dependents.' I released him, and in the

morning the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) asked me, 'What did your prisoner do yesterday?' I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! The person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so I pitied him and let him go.'

2786

Shaytan an Alim without Amal...

The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, 'Indeed, he told you a lie and he will return.' I believed that he would return again as the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) had told me that he would return. So I waited for him watchfully. When he returned and started stealing handfuls of foodstuff I caught hold of him again and said, 'I will definitely take you to the Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'Leave me, for I

am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again.' I pitied him and let him go.

2787

Shaytan an Alim without Amal...

In the morning, the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) asked me, 'What did your prisoner do?' I replied, 'O Messenger of Allah! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took

pity on him and set him free.' The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, 'Verily, he told you a lie and he will return.' I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he came and started stealing handfuls of the Sadaqah, I caught hold of him and said, 'I will surely take you to the Messenger of Allah as it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come.'

2788

Shaytan an Alim without Amal...

He said, 'Forgive me and I will teach you

some words with which Allah will benefit you.' I asked, 'What are they?' He replied, 'When ever you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi: 'Allah – There is no God but He, the Living, the Everlasting', till you finish the whole verse. If you do so, Allah will appoint a guard for you who

will stay with you and no devil will come near you till morning.' So, I released him.

2789

Shaytan an Alim without Amal...

In the morning, the Messenger of Allah

(salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) asked, 'What did your prisoner do yesterday?' I replied, 'He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will benefit me, so I let him go.' The Messenger of Allah (salla

Allahu alayhi wa sallam) asked, 'What are they?' I replied, 'He said to me, ‘When ever you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi from the beginning to the end: ‘Allah – There is no God but He, the Living, the Everlasting.’

2790

Shaytan an Alim without Amal...

He further said to me, ‘If you do so, Allah

will appoint a guard for you, who will stay with you, and no devil will come near you till morning.’ The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, 'He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu

Hurairah?' Abu Hurairah said, 'No.' He said, 'It was Shaytan (the Devil).'"

[Sahih al-Bukhari] 2791

• This hadith reminds us that Shaytan is also an alim (learned one), but an alim who does no amal (acts) according to his knowledge. His transgression is that he chooses to disobey Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) despite his knowledge of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala), Jannat and Jahannum.

Let us not be like the Devil. • The second thing that we learn from this hadith is that reciting Ayat al-Kursi at night keeps Shaytan away from us till the morning. Who wouldn't

want their houses to be free from evil during the night, while they are asleep? Make a habit of reciting it at night and teach your children from a young age to read Ayat al-Kursi as soon as they lay down in bed. Habits made at an early age are the easiest the keep.

2792

Value of Bismillah • A Companion was riding behind the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) when his mount stumbled, so

he said: “May Allah destroy Shaitaan.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Do not say this, for it makes Shaitaan grow in stature so much that he becomes as great as a

house. Say, ‘In the name of Allah,’ for this makes him as insignificant as a fly.” [Sunan Abu Dawood]

2793

• Shaitaan’s shrinking happens as a result of the blessing of saying, “In the name of Allah (Bismillah).”

• A scholar was expounding the virtues of “Bismillah” when a man in his audience, himself well known, wondered aloud how such benefits were possible with only the taking of Allah’s

name. The scholar said, “You donkey! What do you know?!”

• The man broke out in a sweat and turned red with embarrassment at being called a foolish animal in front of such a large crowd. The scholar asked him why he looked so peeved. The man mentioned it was his use of the word “donkey” for him. So the scholar said, “When the word ‘donkey’ can have such an effect, can’t the word ‘Allah’ have any effect?”

2794

• This Hadith teaches us that if you stumble, or your child trips, or you have a tire blowout, say “Bismillah.” The mishap didn’t happen because of Shaitaan, but was from Allah’s Decree.

• If a person attributes the accident to Shaitaan (such as by saying, “May Shaitaan perish!”) this false attribution of power to Shaitaan makes him

swell with arrogance. The remembrance of Allah reduces Shaitaan in size and humiliates him.

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2798

What’s Awaiting • It is related on the authority of Anas

(radi Allahu anhu) that Allah’s Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “If you knew what I know you would laugh little and weep much.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2799

• If you had gone out somewhere but received news that a fire might have destroyed your home, would you be able to enjoy yourself until you returned home and checked that your house and family were intact? Would it be possible for you to think, “Well there’s a 50% chance everything will be alright, so I’ll worry about what I’ll find when I

get home. What’s the use of worrying about it now?” No! The worry about what you might find on your return would not allow you to laugh, giggle and joke with this uncertainty looming over you.

• Then when one is unaware, whether the grave awaiting them is a pit of fire or garden of Paradise,

how can they be so indulgent in the pleasures of this world?

2800

• Once when Maimun bin Mihran and Umar bin Abdul Aziz (considered the fifth rightly guided khalifa) were visiting the graveyard together, the latter began to cry, and turning towards the former, he said, “O Abu Ayyub (i.e. Maimun), these are the graves of my fathers from Banu Umayyah. When I see their graves now, it seems

as if they never participated with the dwellers of the world in their pleasures and (enjoyment-filled) lives. Do you not see how they are inextricably beset by trials? The insects are feeding off of their bodies..,” Umar then began to weep until he fainted. When he regained consciousness, he said, “Let us go, for by Allah, I do not know of anyone

who is more blessed than he who comes to these graves yet is saved from the punishment of Allah!”

2801

Seeing Allah is Most Precious • “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) recited, ‘For those who have done good is the best (reward, i.e. Jannah) and even more (i.e., having the honour of glancing at the countenance of Allah)’ [Quran: Surah Yunus, Aayat 26] and said: ‘When the people of Jannah have

entered Jannah, and the people of Jahannum have entered Jahannum, a caller will proclaim, ‘O people of Jannah, Allah made a promise to you that He wants to fulfill.’ They will say, ‘What is it? Did He not make our balance weigh heavy, and make our faces white, and admit us to Jannah, and save us from Jahannum?’ Then the veil will be lifted, and they will see Him, and they will never be given anything more precious to them than seeing Allah, the All-Majestic.

This is ‘Az-Ziyaadah’ (the ‘even more’ referred to in the Aayah).’” [Sahih Muslim]

2802

•

The rewards that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will bestow on some people will be “even more” than Jannah. It is difficult to imagine what could be more than the best. For “the best” includes everything that the heart desires, things so wonderful that no eye has ever seen them, no ear has ever heard of them, and no one has ever even imagined them. But, in addition to all of this is “even more.” This “even more” refers to seeing the Face of Allah (azza wa jal). This is the most precious gift that

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will bestow on the believers.

•

As for the evildoers, those who belied Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), is the Aayat: “Nay! Surely they (evildoers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day.” [Quran: Surah

Al-Mutaffifin, Aayat 15] This is truly the greatest deprivation mankind can suffer.

•

Imam Ash-Shafi’i said: “As those (evildoers) will be veiled from seeing Allah because of His wrath towards them, this indicates that these people (the believers) will see Him because He will be pleased with them.” [At-Tabari]

•

This is the greatest success of the believers and will be the greatest source of happiness to them.

2803

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2805

2806

When Words Count • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "All of a human being's words count against him and not for

him, except commanding the right, forbidding the wrong, and the mention of Allah Most High." [Jami atTirmidhi]

2807

•

The importance of keeping guard over what our tongue utters is so important that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that he would guarantee Paradise to whoever could control his tongue and private parts from sin. The misuse of these is a common cause of being led to Jahannum. When Hazrat Abu

Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) heard this, he put a large stone in his mouth to prevent himself from speaking without thinking. He would take the stone out if he had to speak, but then put it in again. How far we are from the example of the Sahabah...

•

We should adopt silence as our modus operandi, but silence when speaking is required is not commendable. Our words count in our favour, and should be uttered, when we command the right, forbid the wrong or are engaged in the remembrance of Allah Most High. Abul Qasim Qushayri said, "Safety lies in remaining silent, which should be one's basis.

Silence at the appropriate time is the mark of men, just as speech at the appropriate time is one of the finest qualities. I have heard Abu Ali Daqqaq say, 'He who is silent when

something should be said is a tongueless villain.'" [r 1.1: Reliance of the Traveller by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri] •

“All that is required for the triumph of evil is for good men to remain silent.”

2808

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2810

The Mayonnaise And The Coffee When things in your life seem almost too much to

handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise Jar...and the Coffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise Jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the Jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the Jar. He shook the Jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the

open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the Jar was full. They agreed it was.

2811

The Mayonnaise And The Coffee The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the Jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the Jar was full. The students responded unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of Coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the Jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this Jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things, your faith, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions things that if everything

else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.”

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else the small stuff.

2812

The Mayonnaise And The Coffee “If you put the sand into the Jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.” The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your

happiness. Play with your children. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Coffee represented. The professor smiled.

“I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s

always room for a couple of cups of Coffee with a friends.”

2813

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Smile the Most • Abdullah bin Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) related: “I have never seen a person who smiled more

often than the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam).” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

2815

• Behave cheerfully while you are in the company of family or friends. Avoid being gloomy and making them gloomy. Be informal and good natured amidst them. Do not frown nor behave with formality. Try to act as an informal companion, a good-natured mate and a cheerful friend. Your relatives and friends should not feel

bored with your presence; rather they should feel happy and alive in your company and should feel drawn towards you.

2816

Work on a Priority Basis • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Never save anything for tomorrow.” [Jami at-

Tirmidhi]

2817

•

This hadith refers to those important things which if you miss doing could be a cause of eternal regret. For example, if you have an opportunity to do sadaqah today, don’t put it off till tomorrow. You could forget about it tomorrow, Shaytaan could convince you not to do it, or you could lose the means to do the good deed. Thus, you end up missing an opportunity to earn Allah’s eternal pleasure.

•

“Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrated that a man once visited Salman al-Farisi (radi Allahu anhu) and saw him engaged in

kneading dough to bake his daily bread. The man was surprised, and he commented: ‘What are you doing! Do you regularly do that yourself?’ Salman replied: ‘I have sent my helper on an errand, and I hate to impose two tasks on him in

the same day.’ The man then said: ‘I bring you the greetings of so and so.’ Salman asked: ‘When did you arrive in this town?’ The man replied: ‘It’s been some time since I arrived in this town!’ Salman then commented: ‘To convey someone’s greeting is a trust and should one fail to deliver it at the time he reaches his destination, he will be asked about it on the Day of Judgement.’” [Hilyat-ul Awliya wa Tabaqaat al-Asfiya

by Imam Abu Naim al-Asfahani] 2818

• Salman (radi Allahu anhu) explained the delivery of salam to be required on reaching one’s destination. However, even if it is not required to be done as soon as possible, it is nevertheless an obligation pending fulfillment. Should one die before having fulfilled one’s obligations he/she will be held accountable before Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala).

• The Sahabah had Akhirah before their eyes all the time. This made them keen not only to fulfill their obligations as soon as possible but also to utilize the resources at their disposal as soon as possible, seeking Allah’s pleasure. They didn’t want to take the chance of losing their resources

without deriving everlasting benefit from them.

Time is one such resource.

2819

2820

2821

2822

Stir the Sugar • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa

sallam) said: “Offer prayer (Dua) with firm conviction in Allah’s favor. Allah does not accept a prayer sent forth by an inattentive heart.” [Jami atTirmidhi]

2823

• Ask Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) with concentration and conviction in His favor. Instead of looking at your insignificance and the enormity of your sins, look towards the unlimited kindness and countless blessings of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

The prayer of a person whose thoughts aren’t focused on Allah and who is only mumbling half-

heartedly, on a whim, without anticipating the favor of Allah, is in vain.

• It is as though you put sugar in your cup of tea, but not really believing in its sweetness you didn’t stir it. Till you stir it, it won’t sweeten your tea. So also, conviction in Allah’s powers and favors is what must permeate you, in order for your asking

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to be effective.

2824

What Your Heart Desires •

The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam)said: “The situation of this Ummah (Muslims) is similar to four people: “(1) A person that Allah has given property and knowledge to who uses his wealth according to his knowledge. (2) A person whom Allah

has granted knowledge to, but not wealth. He prays to Allah: ‘O My Lord! If I had richness like that person, I would also do like him.’ So he gets the reward of the first one and they become equal in merit. (3) A person that Allah has given wealth to but not knowledge. He spends his riches as a rebel to Allah. (4) A person that Allah has given neither wealth nor knowledge to. He

tells Allah: ‘If I had wealth like that person, I would also spend it on sinful acts like he does.’ So the two of them become equal in committing sin.” [Sunan ibn Majah; Jami at-Tirmidhi]

2825

•

This hadith is a serious call for us to examine what is in our hearts and what it is that we secretly desire.

•

The most highly rewarded are those who have wealth which they spend Fee Sabeel Allah (in Allah’s Path). Some people do not have much money but sincerely feel that if only they did they too would spend it in Allah’s Path. They wish that they too could give as much as those others are giving to make Allah’s Deen strong. Such people get the reward of spending as much money as they wished that they could spend! Without doing anything except wishing, they get the same reward as the ones who are generous in discharging their responsibilities towards Allah’s Deen.

•

On the other hand, there are people who spend money on music, movies, concerts, or in holidaying and entertainment wherein Allah’s boundaries are not respected, or extravagance in food and clothing. If, when we see such people, we wish that we too had money to spend as they are spending, then we get the same sin as those actually spending the money in disobedience to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

2826

2827

2828

2829

Serve Your Parents • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa

sallam) said: “Let that man be disgraced, and disgraced again, and let him be disgraced even more.” The people inquired: “O Prophet of Allah (pbuh) who is that man?” The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “I refer to the man who finds his parents old in age – both of them or one of them – and yet does not get

entitled to Jannah by rendering good service to them.” [Sahih Muslim] 2830

• Take good care of your parents with sincerity and love. If Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has offered you the opportunity to serve your parents, it is actually a chance for you to earn a place in Jannah and win Allah’s Pleasure.

• Good service to parents will secure blessings for you in both worlds. It will also save you from

calamities in this world and the next.

2831

What’s there to Forgive • It was reported that the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) stayed up all night, standing (in prayer) until his

feet became swollen. When he was asked, “Why are you doing this, when Allah has forgiven all your past and future wrong actions?” he replied, “Should I not be a grateful slave?”

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

2832

•

A worshipper worshipped Allah for fifty years, so Allah told him that He had forgiven him. The man said, ‘O Allah, what is there to forgive when I have not committed a wrong action?’ So Allah caused a nerve in his neck to give him pain, so he could not sleep or pray. When the pain eased and he was able to sleep, an angel came to him. He complained to the angel of the pain he had suffered. The angel told him: ‘Your Lord says to you that your fifty years of worship is to pay for the soothing of your pain.’” [Uddat as-Sabirin wa

Dhakhirat ash-Shakirin, by Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah] •

The deeds of a man cannot pay for even one of the many blessings of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), because even the smallest of Allah’s blessings and favors on us far outweigh

the deeds a human can perform. So bear in mind the rights which Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has over us.

•

From the above story we may understand the meaning of the hadith: “If Allah were to punish the people of heaven and

earth, He would have done that without being unjust towards them, and if He were to have mercy on them, His Mercy would be far better for them than their deeds.” [Sunan Abu Dawood] 2833

2834

2835

2836

Sign of Faith: Simplicity of Dress • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Simplicity of dress is one of the signs of faith.” [Sunan Abu Dawood]

2837

• Simplicity of dress is a sign of Eeman because it shows that the person believes in Allah’s promises of the Hereafter. Such a person works for the everlasting rewards and beautiful clothes of Jannah and is thus not overly concerned with the clothing of this world. • Wear simple, dignified clothes and spend

moderately on them. Avoid extravagance and finesse in matters of dress. Keep yourself focused on matters of everlasting significance.

2838

With Whom You Love • “A man asked the Prophet (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam), ‘When will the Hour be established, O Allah’s Messenger?’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘What have you prepared for it?’ The man said, ‘I haven’t prepared for it much of

Salaat (prayers) or Saum (fasts) or Sadaqa (charity), but I love Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet (peace be upon

him) said, ‘You will be with those whom you love.’” [Sahih al-Bukhari] 2839

•

Notice that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked when the Day of Judgement would be, he asked in return ‘What have you prepared for it?’ This is because what matters is not when it will happen, but what will happen to you when it happens. Although nobody knows the exact time of its occurrence, it is sure to happen. Each and every person to have ever lived on the face of the earth will be resurrected and present on the occasion. So when it happens is immaterial. Of much greater significance is the preparation we make for it.

•

The second and extremely important thing we learn from this hadith is the value of loving the right people. Those

who love the prophets, the Shuhada, the Mujahideen, the Siddiqeen, will be with them. The man who asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) was a sincere Muslim. He would discharge his religious obligations (Faraaid) but said that he did not have a whole lot of extra deeds of worship (Nawafil) prepared. However, he loved Allah and Allah’s Messenger. This was reason enough for the Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell him that he would be with him.

2840

• On the other hand, those who love sinners, liars, unfair and oppressive people, fornicators, and rebels against Allah, should be prepared to be thrown into the Fire with them. Those who love evil doers, hang out with them, and suck up to them, should be prepared to be their Companions in Hell as well.

2841

2842

2843

2844

Stolen Wealth on Shoulders • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “I do not want to see any of you coming on the Day of

Resurrection with a bellowing camel on his shoulders, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, help me,’ and I will say to him, ‘I cannot do anything for you, I conveyed the message to

you.’” [Sahih Muslim]

2845

•

Whatever anybody steals, misappropriates, or takes unjustly from another, will be laden onto his shoulders and be hanging around his neck on the Day of Judgment. He will have to carry that burden, and everybody will see what he stole. This includes the stealing of rulers, employers, employees, workers and governors from public coffers.

•

There was once a rich and powerful king called Hakam II who ruled over Spain. One day he was riding around his country when he saw a beautiful piece of land. It belonged to an old widow who refused to sell it.

Hakam had her evicted and began construction of a large palace on it. The old lady went to the Qazi (judge) for help. He told her he had an idea but that she would have to wait.

•

When the palace was complete, Hakam arranged a party in it and invited many people, including the Qazi.

They arrived with magnificent presents, but the Qazi arrived on a donkey with two empty sacks and asked Hakam for two favors.

2846

• Hakam said he would oblige, so the first request the Qazi made was to be allowed to fill his two sacks with earth from the palace garden. Hakam agreed. Once they were full, the Qazi requested Hakam to load the sacks onto the back of the donkey. The request was strange but Hakam obliged again.

• Though he heaved and pulled, Hakam could not lift the heavy sacks. “I’m sorry my friend, but I cannot lift these sacks!” he said. The Qazi replied, “If you cannot lift these two sacks today, how will you carry the weight of this whole garden and palace on the Day of Judgment when Allah asks you why you took it from the widow?”

• Hakam realized his mistake, apologized to the widow, and returned her land to her with palace and presents.

2847

Who to Criticize • Anas (radi Allahu anhu) reported: “On occasions when we went on journeys with the Prophet (salla

Allahu alayhi wa sallam), some of the Companions observed fasts and others did not. However, neither those who had kept fast criticized those who had missed the fast, nor did the latter

object to the fasting of the former.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari] 2848

•

If a person happens to be traveling during Ramadan, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has allowed such a Muslim not to fast then, but instead make the fast up after Ramadan is over. This concession may be used, but if a person wishes to fast even while on a journey, he/she may do so.

•

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says: “But whosoever among you is sick or on a journey (he is required to observe fasts in replacement of those days) the same number of other days.”

[Quran 2:185]

•

The attitude of the Sahabah is what is particularly noteworthy here. They did not sit to criticize each other over their personal preferences. Whatever was Halal, they let be. To fast or not to fast, while traveling, are both Halaal. Both groups of Sahabah were acting in line with Allah’s commands – and they respected each other for that.

•

Where Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has allowed more than one course of action, we need to tolerate it too, rather than insist on our opinion. Today, we leave alone the person who is involved in Haraam and pick fights with those who are following Allah’s commands. May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) give us the desire and strength to correct ourselves. Ameen.

2849

2850

2851

2852

Saved for Me • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Every Prophet has one supplication that is granted to

him, and every Prophet hastened to make that supplication (in this world).

But I have postponed my supplication in order to intercede for my Ummah on the Day of Resurrection.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2853

•

Every grief and injury that could touch a person befell the Prophet (pbuh). His beloved uncle Abu Talib died in the state of Kufr, his beloved wife Khadeeja who he could never forget died, three of his daughters died in adulthood

and his sons died in infancy. Yet he didn’t use his wish to save any of them. He saved that wish for you and me, so that he could save us from the Fire of Hell on the Day of Resurrection. Do I care to be saved from the Fire of Hell?

•

What have I done for him (peace be upon him) in return?

How much have I loved him in return?

•

Love demands sacrifice. What have I sacrificed out of love for Muhammad (peace be upon him)?

•

Love extracts a tax: to love those who love the beloved and hate those who hate the beloved. Do I love those who love him and hate those who hate him (peace be upon him)?

•

When I love someone their wish is my command and their commands are heavenly decrees. Is my love manifest in my behavior? Can anyone tell I love my Prophet (peace be upon him)?

2854

White Hair is Noor • “The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade plucking out white hairs and said: ‘It is the light of

the believer.’” [Sunan ibn Majah]

2855

• Plucking white hair from one’s head is forbidden.

Old age is a cause of honor for a believer (Momin) – that they grew old in the service of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

• It is also a good reminder to one of his/her fleeting stay in this world; the fact that their time is coming to an end sooner rather than later.

• The white hair of a believer will be Noor (light) for him/her on the Day of Judgement; a muchneeded commodity that Day. Noor will allow us to see on the Day when it is pitch dark and none except those with light can cross over the bridge spanning Hell. White hair should thus be cherished.

2856

2857

2858

2859

• Some of the favorable conditions for making Dua are at the time of rain fall, at the time that armies fighting in the way of Allah march out, the time between the Adhan and the Iqama and at the time of being in the position of Sajdah.

2860

While Waiting In Line • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “The nearest to me on the Day of Resurrection will be

those who invoke blessings on me frequently.” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

2861

• The closer we are to the Prophet (pbuh) on the Day of Resurrection the greater can be our expectation of happiness and reward.

• While you are sitting with nothing to do, send blessings to the Messenger (pbuh) by reciting the Durood that you do towards the conclusion of the prayers, right before the Tasleem.

• In fact, while you are driving, or cooking, or waiting in line, make extra use of your time and increase your nearness to the Prophet (pbuh) by sending Durood on him (pbuh).

2862

2863

2864

Words And Actions Should Be The Same There once was a boy who loved eating sweets. He always

asked for sweets from his father. His father was a poor man. He could not always afford sweets for his son. But the little boy did not understand this and demanded sweets all the time.

The boy’s father thought hard about how to stop the child asking for so many sweets. There was a very holy man living nearby at that time. The boy’s father had an idea. He decided to take the boy to the great man who might be able to persuade the child to stop asking for sweets all the time.

The boy and his father went along to the great man. The father said to him, “O great saint, could you ask my son to

stop asking for sweets which I cannot afford?” The great man was in difficulty, because he liked sweets himself.

How could he ask the boy to give up asking for sweets?

The holy man told the father to bring his son back after one

month.

2865

During that month, the holy man gave up eating sweets, and when the boy and his father returned after a month, the holy man said to the boy “My dear child, will you stop asking for sweets which your father

cannot afford to give you?”

From then on, the boy stopped asking for sweets.

The boy’s father asked the saint, “Why did you not ask my son to give up asking for sweets when we came to you a month ago?” The saint replied, “How could I ask a boy to give up sweets when I loved sweets myself. In the last month I gave up eating sweets.”

Moral: A person’s example is much more powerful than just his words. When we ask someone to do something, we must do it ourselves also. We should not ask others to do what we do not do ourselves. Always make sure

that your actions and your words are same.

2866

2867

Special Times for Dua • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “A servant is nearest to his Lord when he is in

prostration, so increase your supplication when in prostration.”

[Sahih Muslim]

2868

• Although a Momin remembers Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) all the time, there are some special times and conditions that are considered to be especially favorable for making Dua. • Of the special times for supplication is the day of Arafat from the days of the year, the month of Ramadan from the months of the year, Friday

from among the days of the week, and the early morning hours from the times of the day.

2869

Show Love through Obligatory Deeds

• The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has said, ‘My

servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than what I have made Fard for him.’” [Sahih alBukhari]

2870

• The best love, the most exalted and elevated love, the most sincere love and the most beneficial kind of love is most certainly the love of the One Whom hearts were created to love, and for whom creation was brought into existence to adore.

• Hearts, as they mature, come to love whomever is merciful and kind towards them. So how much

greater is their love for Him from Whom all kindness springs.

• Every good thing enjoyed by Allah’s creation is one of His limitless blessings, and He is One, with no associates and no partners. “And whatever good you have – it is from Allah; and then, when misfortune comes to you, you cry to Him for help.” [Quran: Surah An-Nahl, Ayat 53]

2871

•

How can a servant not love, with all his heart and body, the One Who is constantly Merciful and Generous towards him in spite of all his wrong actions? Allah’s Mercy descends upon His servant from the heavens, while the servant’s wrong actions rise up to him from the earth.

•

He, Glorious is He, created us for Himself and He created everything for us, both in this world and in the next. Who else, then, deserves to be loved and pleased more than Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) ? Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) tells us that the deeds through which we best show our love for Him are the deeds He has made obligatory (Fard) for us. These deeds please Him more than all others.

•

Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak recited: You disobey Allah, and yet you still claim to love Him.

By Allah, such behavior is disgusting, by any standard!

You would have obeyed Him had your love been true, For the lover is always obedient to the Beloved!

2872

2873

2874

2875

Charity or Snake • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi

wa sallam) said: “The wealthy man who has not paid the rights of others from his wealth, will have his treasure become a snake on Doomsday, which will chase him with open mouth. Then a voice will be heard, ‘Catch hold of your wealth which you had concealed, and I am unconcerned with this.’

When he will see that there is no escape, he

will put his hand in its mouth, and it will bite him as a bull eats grass.” [Sahih alBukhari]

2876

• Wealth, from which the rights of poor and needy people are not met, becomes the cause of its owner’s punishment and disgrace. A person may lie in this world and say that he doesn’t have any money with which to help others, but such concealed wealth is like a snake hiding in its hole waiting to bite him. This wealth will be turned

into a living snake on the Day of Judgment and it will chase to attack and bite its owner.

• The next time Shaytaan or your Nafs try to prevent you from giving to those who have rights upon your wealth, ask yourself what’s preferable: Putting your hand in your pocket now, or having it bitten off by a snake later as a bull bites grass?

2877

Spreading Lies • Narrated Samura bin Jundub: “The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) often used to say to his companions, ‘Has anyone among you seen a dream?’ Then whoever Allah willed would tell of his dream. One day he said to us, ‘Two (angels) came to me last night and woke me up, then they said to me, ‘Let’s go!’… so we set out and came to a man who was lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck) and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back.

2878

Spreading Lies…

Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did just as he had done with the other side.

Hardly had he completed this side when the first side was restored to its normal state. Then he went back and did that all over again. I said to my two companions, 'Subhaan Allah! Who are these two persons?' They said to me, ‘Move on, move on!' ….(Then he said, describing how the two angels explained the things that he had seen): ‘As for the man you came across, the sides of whose mouth, nostrils and eyes were being torn off from front to

back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world.’” [Sahih al-

Bukhari]

2879

• In this age of false information, the media is a powerful tool of propaganda. It has proved itself to be biased and a disburser of whatever is required to support a particular foreign policy position. Not only are the people working for TV channels, movies, newspapers, magazines, etc. cautioned in this hadith, but also the common

man who close-mindedly repeats whatever he/she hears. Each propagates lies that spread all over the world and do untold damage. We should desperately seek Allah's help to sift through correct information and lies.

2880

2881

2882

2883

The Not So Rich Millionaire • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Richness does not lie in the abundance of (worldly)

goods, but richness is the richness of the soul (heart, self).” [Sahih Muslim]

2884

• There are millionaires who are obsessed with making more money, always worried that their wealth is not going to be enough for them. Their insecurity does not let them enjoy what they are blessed with. Such a person despite having riches cannot be called a rich person. For what good is wealth that does not allow its possessor to feel

rich, secure or happy? True wealth is the wealth of contentment. This is a gift from Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) and it lives as contentment in the heart of a person.

2885

Yawning is from Shaitaan • Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) reported

that the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah likes sneezing and dislikes yawning. When any one of you sneezes and

says ‘Al-hamdulillah’ (praise be to Allah), it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim who hears him to respond with ‘Yarhamuk-Allah’

(may Allah have mercy on you). Yawning is from the Shaitaan. When one of you feels like yawning, he should restrain it as much as

possible, for the Shaitaan laughs at you when one of you yawns.” [Sahih al-Bukhari] 2886

• Sneezing is something that purifies the body and brings one comfort. It is therefore something good and one should glorify Allah for it.

However, yawning is indicative of gluttony, sloth and heaviness and is considered disagreeable.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded us to stop it either by closing our mouth or by

putting our hand across it in order to avoid an act which pleases Shaitaan.

2887

2888

2889

2890

Sinners Among Believers • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi

wa sallam) said: “The people of Jahannum will remain there, never dying and never living. But there are people who will enter

Jahannum because of their sins and will be killed therein they turn like coals.

Permission will be granted for intercession

to be made, and they will be brought out of it in groups and spread over by the side of the rivers of Jannah, and it will be said: ‘O people of Jannah, pour water on them. Then they will grow like seeds in the silt left by a flood.’” [Sahih Muslim]

2891

•

The value of Tawheed is that it will enable a person to escape from Jahannum. A Muslim may be punished because of their sins but no matter how severe the punishment, at last they will be brought out. They will have burned so much that they will look like coals. But after the Prophet’s (pbuh) intercession for them, they will be brought out of the Fire and scattered on the banks of the rivers of Jannah. The people of Jannah will be asked to pour water on them, and they will do so.

These people, burnt to coals, will be brought to life again and with the pouring of water will spring into

beautiful creatures once more.

•

This hadith tells us that the sinners among the believers (Muwahhideen) will eventually be brought out from Jahannum and will enter Jannah through intercession.

May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) save us from having to spend even the shortest amount of time in the Fire.

Ameen.

2892

Three Types of Soil • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “An example of the guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is that of a rain that falls on different kinds of lands. One land is good; it accepts water and produces vegetation and grass in plenty. Another kind of land is dry with a solid bed that preserves the rainwater so that people

can drink and irrigate from it. The third kind of land is porous that can neither retain water nor produce vegetation. This is the example of those who acquire knowledge of the Deen and benefit from that which Allah sent me with, and of those who do not take heed and insist on rejecting Allah's Guidance.” [Sahih alBukhari] 2893

• The Messenger (peace be upon him) likens the knowledge of Islam to rain, because both are causes of life. Rain is the cause of life for the body, while knowledge is the cause of life for the heart.

Thus, just as there are three kinds of lands or soil, there are also three kinds of hearts: 1) The first is fertile land which accepts water and is

ready to produce vegetation. When rain falls on it, it absorbs the water eagerly, giving rise to all sorts of pleasant vegetation. This is the example of a healthy, pure, and intelligent heart, which embraces knowledge, is guided by its intelligent nature, and thus blossoms wisdom and faith. It is eager to take knowledge, and ready to bear fruits.

It is like a rich businessman who has experience and knowledge, which enables him to invest his wealth in that which brings the best profit.

2894

2) The second kind of land is hard. It can hold water as a reservoir does and can be used to drink or irrigate from. This is the example of the heart that preserves knowledge so as to convey it accurately to others. But this person cannot extrapolate or derive conclusions from the knowledge himself.

He is like a rich man who does not possess the

ability to invest his wealth and increase it, but who knows how to preserve it.

3) The third kind of land is barren. It is incapable of producing vegetation or even holding water. No matter how much rain falls on it, it does not benefit by it. This is the example of the heart that does not accept any knowledge or wisdom at all.

It is like a poor man who neither possesses wealth nor can he increase or preserve it.

2895

• The first of the above three examples applies to a learned man who teaches knowledge, and who calls people to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) with clear guidance; such are the inheritors of the Prophets.

The second applies to one who preserves the knowledge and transmits what he hears precisely; he carries to other people precious goods that they

can use for trade and investment. The third applies to one who neither accepts Allah's Guidance nor benefits from it.

2896

2897

2898

2899

Two Grave Sins • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) passed by two graves and said: “Both of them (the persons in these graves) are being tortured, and they are not being tortured for a cardinal sin.

But indeed they are great sins. One of them

used not to save himself from being soiled with his urine, and the other one used to go about with calumnies (among the people to rouse hostilities).� [Sahih al-Bukhari]

2900

•

One of the two sins mentioned here is not cleaning oneself properly after urinating or not saving oneself from being splashed with drops of urine. However, “La yastatiru min baulihi” has another meaning too, that

“he does not pass urine in privacy but does it shamelessly in the presence of other people.”

Shamelessness is a sin and a characteristic of evil people. A hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) tells us that

“modesty comes from Eeman (faith).” [Sahih Bukhari] •

Therefore, a dearth of modesty is a reflection of a scarcity of Eeman.

•

The other sin that results in punishment in one’s grave is tale bearing, a common social evil. This is when one goes to a person and tells him that so-and-so says about him such and such evil thing. This results in creating ill feelings among Muslims and spoiling their sense of brotherhood. Therefore, this is also a very serious sin that we must consciously be on the look out against committing if we want to not be in pain in our graves.

2901

Zuhud’s Three Stages • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: “Had the world been worth even the wing of a gnat to Allah, He would not have even given a drink of water from it to a Kafir.”

[Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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• The ahadith which scorn worldly goods and describe how worthless they are in the sight of Allah are many. What matters is Allah’s pleasure, and whatever we have to give up to obtain it, is insignificant compared to what Allah will give us in return.

• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says: “You desire the

attractions of this world, but Allah desires the next world for you.” [Quran: Surah al-Anfaal, Ayat 67] • Any person who exchanges the things of this world for the next world is doing without something in this life and so may be considered a Zahid. There are three stages of Zuhud.

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• The first stage is to withdraw from the life of this world, even though you may still have a great desire for it and your heart is still drawn towards it. The self is still pre-occupied with the world, even though you struggle with it and restrain it. • The second stage is to acquire detachment from this world and to do without in it, in order to

obtain your reward for avoiding it. Here, it is your doing without which preoccupies you. This is the state of the person who gives away a dirham in order to obtain two. • The third stage is that of the one who willingly puts the world to one side without even a thought for what he has abandoned. This is the one who has exchanged a fragment of broken pottery for a jewel.

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• Or it is like someone who, seeking to gain entrance to see the King, is prevented by a dog at the gate. By throwing the dog a scrap it is distracted, and this makes it possible for him to gain entrance to the King’s audience chamber. Shaytaan is like that dog,

standing at the gates of Allah. He tries to prevent people from entering them, even though the gates are wide open and the world is just a scrap which you can toss aside without a second thought.

• So cash your expensive meals, outings, and fashionable clothes for the never-ending Pleasure of Allah and the never diminishing joys of Jannah.

• What in life I can do without, that I can spend in Allah’s Path instead, only I know. I have to take the first few steps and Allah will give me the strength to walk farther and faster.

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Don’t Let Shaytaan In • Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) saying, "If a person mentions the Name of Allah upon entering his house or eating, Shaytaan says addressing his followers: 'You will find nowhere to spend the night and no dinner.' But if he enters without mentioning the Name of Allah, Shaytaan says (to his followers); 'You have found (a place) to spend the night in.' And if the person does not mention the Name of Allah at the time of eating, Shaytaan says: 'You have found (a place) to spend the night in as well as food.’” [Sahih Muslim]

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•

What might happen if an evil person entered your house? He might steal, plant false evidence, anger relatives against each other, cause fights, hurt people, make people abuse their time on sinful activities...

Shaytaan is the most evil entity. If you allow him and his followers to enter your house with you, don't be surprised if the harmony of family life goes missing.

To prevent this from happening, the Prophet (pbuh)

told us to recite the following dua when entering our house: “Allahumma inni as'aluka khairal-mawliji wa khairal-makhraji. Bismillahi wa lajna, wa bismillahi kharajna, wa `ala rabbina tawakkalna.” (O Allah! I ask you

for what is good of entrance and what is good for exit. With the Name of Allah do we enter, and with the Name of Allah do we leave, and upon our Lord Allah have we put our trust).

•

If one doesn't know or remember the dua, one should at least say 'Bismillah'. By taking Allah's name we seek His protection. We should say 'Bismillah' when starting any activity.

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Rewarded both Places if Pure of Shirk • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah does not deal unjustly with the believer with regard to his Hasanaat. He gives him things in return for it in this world

and will reward him for it in the Hereafter.” [Sahih Muslim]

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• A believer is rewarded for his/her good deeds in this world as well as in the Hereafter. This is true for those who not only believe in Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala) but also keep away from associating partners with Him. The Kuffar in the Prophet’s time did believe in Allah but not in the way that

was His right to be believed in: They did Shirk.

• Shirk (associating others with Allah) negates Islam and cancels out good deeds. Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala) says: “If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely, (all) your deeds will be in vain.” [Quran: Surah Az-Zumar, Ayat 65]

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• Shirk is of four types: 1. Shirk in Allah’s Lordship. Allah is the Creator, Sustainer and Cherisher of all that exists. An

example of Shirk in Allah’s Lordship is to believe that “nature” or “natural law” operates independently or outside of His Will and Control.

It makes “nature” a God along with or in place of Allah.

2. Shirk in Allah’s Names and Attributes; to

believe that anyone or anything shares any of Allah’s attributes is Shirk, e.g. to believe that anyone besides Allah is “Knower of the Unseen,”

as Shiah claim about their Imams, is Shirk.

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3. Shirk in Allah’s Sole Right to Legislate; to believe that anyone has the right to make laws against what Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has legislated or outside the limited scope in which Allah has allowed us to legislate. For example, modern parliaments make laws on the basis of what the majority allows, disregarding what

Allah has allowed or forbidden. This is Shirk in Allah’s Haakimiyyah.

4. Shirk in Allah’s Right to Alone be Beseeched for Help; to pray to any entity other than Allah, such as to idols, or pious people in graves, or at shrines, is Shirk.

• In order for us to be rewarded by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) in this world and in the Hereafter, our beliefs and deeds need to be pure of Shirk.

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Three Lasting Good Deeds • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except

for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); knowledge which is beneficial; or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (the deceased).”

[Sahih Muslim]

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•

“His deeds come to an end” means that he/she is not able to perform any deeds any more and therefore does not receive reward for actions anymore. But there are three categories of actions for which he/she can receive

reward even after death.

•

First, Sadaqah Jariyah: This is any good deed done from which people continue to benefit despite the demise of the person who originated it. For example, the establishment of a madrassa or masjid from which people are rightly guided will be sadaqah jariya for the person who established it. Having a well dug or a shade or fruit tree planted will also accrue good deeds for a person, as long as the well or tree benefits people.

•

Second, “knowledge which is beneficial” means knowledge imparted verbally or by any other means through which people become better Muslims. As long as people benefit from this knowledge, the teacher will receive reward for it.

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• A third source of reward is having virtuous descendants. Training of children on the right lines and then making dua for them to be among the righteous is essential, so that after a person's death they continue to pray for him or her. The prayer of righteous children in favor of parents is very useful.

• Needless to say all such deeds have to be done with sincerity (ikhlas) in seeking the pleasure of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Only when they are done to earn Allah’s pleasure will they be rewarded by Him. If they are done for fame, monetary gain, or any other worldly benefit, then the outcome one achieves in this world is all that

they will get for it.

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The Signs Of Happiness There was a young couple who led a very happy life together. The only thing that they worried about was, whether their happiness would last forever or would they too would have to face problems. One day, they heard that a wise old man had come to

town; he could solve all kinds of problems and guide people. So the couple decided to visit the wise old man and tell him their source of worry.

The wise old man told them; “Travel around the world and seek a man and a woman who are perfectly happy as a couple. When you find such a couple, ask them for a piece of cloth from the man’s shirt, then keep that piece of cloth with you, and you always remain happy.”

The young couple began their journey, to find the happiest couple in their world. In one place they heard that the governor and his wife were the happiest people, so they went to their palace and

asked them, “Are you the happiest couple?”

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The governor and his wife replied, “Yes, we are happy in every way except for one thing; we do not have any children.”

Well that didn’t make the governor and his wife the happiest couple. So they continued their journey. They arrived in one city where they had heard that the happiest couple lived.

They went to their house and asked them, “Are you the happiest couple?”

The couple replied, “Yes, we are really happy in every way

except that we have too many children which make our life a bit uncomfortable.”

No, this couple did not sound to be the happiest. And, so they continued their journey. They visited many countries, cities, towns and villages asking the same question but they did not find what they were looking for.

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One Day the young couple came across a shepherd in the desert. The shepherd was grazing his sheep when his wife and

child came along. The shepherd greeted his wife and gently patted the child she was carrying. She laid the mat and started to eat contentedly. The young couple came to them and asked them,

“Are you the happiest couple?”

The shepherd and his wife replied, “Nobody is unhappier than the king.” The young couple immediately realized that they were the happiest couple and asked them for a piece of the shepherd’s shirt, so that their happiness too would last throughout.

The shepherd said, “If I give you a piece of cloth from my shirt

then I will be left without any clothes since I own just one shirt.”

The young couple at once understood that it is very difficult to find perfect happiness anywhere in the world. The couple

decided to return to their own country.

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They went to the wise old man and related all that had taken place. They also complained that his guidance was difficult to abide by.

The wise old man laughed and said, “Was your journey useless or did you learn something from it?”

The young man replied, “Yes, after this trip I have learnt that in this world, nobody is perfectly happy, only that person is happy who does everything to please God.” In Quran (2:38), Allah (swt) says: “And whosever follows My (Allah’s) guidance, on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.”

The wife said, “I have learnt that in order to be happy it is important to remember two things; first, all human beings should be thankful and contented with whatever they have.”

Allah (swt) also says in the Quran (14:7): “And your Lord declared publicly: if you are grateful, I will add more favors unto you.”

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And secondly, for ultimate happiness one must always practice patience.

In another Surah (Quran 2:45), Allah (swt) says: “Seek help through patient perseverance and prayers.”

After that, young couple thanked the wise old man for his guidance and returned home. The wise man prayed for them and said, “Indeed the sign of happiness is in their heart and they have good manners and if the lifetime is spent in pleasure of God there would be no

differences in the existence of mankind.”

Allah (swt) also says in the Holy Quran (20:123-124) says: “Whosoever follows My (Allah’s) guidance, will not loose his way or fall into misery But whosoever

turns away from My message, verily for him is a miserable life.”

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Clean Up Time • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Cleanliness is half the faith (Emaan).” [Sahih

Muslim]

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• When you clean up your home, or room, wash your clothes, wash the dishes, take a bath, trim your nails, tidy up … do you realize that you are getting rewarded by Allah for it, if you are doing it because Allah told us to take care of cleanliness?

• Next time make a conscious intention to clean up for Allah’s Pleasure and pray to Allah to reward

you maximally for your efforts.

• Filthiness does not go with Eeman and Islam.

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The Triple Filter Test • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Keep away from ill-thinking/suspicions because

ill-thinking is the greatest falsehood.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

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•

During the Abbasid period one of the scholars in Baghdad was greeted by an acquaintance who said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"

Scholar: "Hold on a minute, before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

The Man: "Triple Filter Test?"

Scholar: "That's right, before you talk to me about my friend it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

The Man: "No, actually I just heard about it and ..." •

Scholar: "All right, so you don't really know if it's true or not.

Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you

are about to tell me about my friend something good?"

The Man: "No, on the contrary..."

Scholar: "So, you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: The filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"

The Man: "No, not really."

Scholar: "Well, if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

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• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) asks us: "O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh (meat) of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most

Merciful." [Quran 49:12] • Let's pass our intended speech through the triple filter test before we madly utter our every thought. And lets subject others to the triple filter test too before we hear any number of damaging things from them.

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The Imam Should be Considerate • Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "When any of you lead other people in prayer, you should

make it short, for among you there are weak, sick and old people. When you pray by yourself, you can make it as long as you wish." [Sahih al-Bukhari]

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• Another version states that among the people praying are, "those who have a need to attend to.“ • This hadith shows us how Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was always considerate of other people. He commanded the fulfillment of religious obligations but did not want to burden people with what was not required of them. He

encouraged people to lengthen their prayers, but not when they were leading others, as within the jamaat (congregation) could be people who had other needs to attend to or who did not have the stamina of the Imam. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) came as a mercy to the universe and did not want to make things unnecessarily difficult for

others.

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Reward Your Host • “Abu Athhim bin Tahan (radi Allahu anhu) once invited the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and his illustrious Companions (radi Allahu anhum) to a meal. When the meal was over, the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Reward your brother.’ The Companions asked: ‘How can we reward him, O Prophet of Allah (pbuh)?’ The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘When a man pays a visit to his brother and eats and drinks there, he can reward his brother by praying for Allah’s favor and blessings upon his brother.’” [Sunan Abu Dawood] 2942

• When you eat at somebody’s house, say a prayer at the end of the meal invoking Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to bless the host with extensive means, grace, favor, forgiveness and mercy.

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Surah ad-Dhukhan • Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa

sallam) said, "Whosoever recites Surah ad-Dhukhan every night, seventy thousand angels will ask forgiveness for him." [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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•

When one is aware of the content of this Surah it cannot help but act as a nightly cleanser of one's faith.

We are very concerned about removing the minutest amount of dirt and filth from our faces and bodies,

with expensive facials and body scrubs, but what about the dirt that accumulates on our souls and on our eeman? This filth needs to be regularly removed too. •

Although the whole Quran is for recitation, not just portions of it, yet the surahs that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) associates particular reward with and which were recited at particular times by the Prophet (pbuh), must definitely contain certain key reminders for us that are cleansers of our faith.

•

Reaffirming and cleansing our faith before we go to sleep each night is important, so that if our time of

death comes during our sleep, we die in a state of eeman. In addition, who would not like to have 70,000 angels praying for his/her forgiveness?

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The Benefit of Conveying Religious Knowledge

• The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "God, His angels and all those in the Heavens and on Earth, even ants in their anthills and fish in the water, call down

blessings on those who instruct others in beneficial knowledge." [Jami atTirmidhi]

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• The Sahabah, in their study groups, would tell their students regarding each and every ayah that they taught: "This ayah is better than the world and all that it contains." The most beneficial knowledge is

that which saves one from an eternity of suffering and brings one to an eternity of joy. Thus, the knowledge of greatest value is revelation from Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), for only that has the power to bring us to eternal joy in a world of perfection (Jannah). This knowledge is what we should be most concerned about conveying.

• When we convey beneficial knowledge to others, we cause all the angels and all other creatures in the heavens and on earth, including all the fish, birds, ants, etc, to send blessings on us. The Prophet (pbuh) told people to convey from him, even if it was only a single ayah that they knew.

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Cleanse Yourself Properly • The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) passed by two graves and said: “The two are being tormented, and not

for anything excessive: one of them did not free himself of traces of urine, while the other was a talebearer.”

[Sahih Muslim]

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• In other words, these two deeds we must avoid – having traces of urine on ourselves and telling tales on people. This is because the torment of the grave is too awful to risk undergoing because of them. Why incur it on things that can be avoided with a little care.

• After you’ve relieved yourself, clean yourself

properly. If you have access to water, use that as well to clean yourself. Allah (commands us in the Quran about keeping our clothes clean: “And your raiment purify” [74:4] • As for telling tales on people, we spot it easily in children, but don’t realize how often grown-ups do it, and what a huge factor it plays in souring our relationships and ruining our peace of mind.

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Thoughts – Your Currency • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “For those of my Ummah, Allah overlooks the

thoughts that come to mind as long as they are not uttered or acted upon.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

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•

Researchers have discovered that the average person thinks about 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day. Since the majority of us are awake 16-18 hours a day, we think a thought on average every 1.1 second. Most of the time we

are not consciously thinking; therefore, many are the thoughts that are planted in our minds from Shaitaan. As soon as such a thought occurs to one of us, we should deliberately reject it and put our mind to some other task.

So long as we do not entertain Shaitaan’s thoughts, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will forgive their occurring to us.

•

It is one thing to have the majority of worthless thoughts forgiven. But with so much thinking going on, why not

tap into this power of the mind? Your thoughts lead to actions. Your actions create habits. The habits of your life will determine your ultimate destiny. Everybody’s ultimate destiny is either the Fire or the Garden. With a

purposeful goal, all this thought energy could actually be utilized to achieve something worthwhile. Why not focus it on something meaningful?

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•

The most meaningful goal any one of us could achieve is to get a guarantee of being happy forever. We focus on acquiring a certain level of education, or certain degrees, in the expectation that we will then be able to get certain jobs, have a particular income, be able to maintain a certain standard of living and with it all - be happy. But it turns out that neither the job is guaranteed, nor riches, nor happiness. We might still go bankrupt, we might still have a miserable family life, we might still be lonely and sad.

•

Only Allah’s promise of Jannah is a guarantee of happiness.

This is happiness that will never wane, only increase. This is happiness that will never end. This is happiness unblemished by worry or cares. If we focus our thoughts on how to get to

Jannah, by reading and studying and thinking over the Quran and ahadith, our mind will be occupied with thoughts of it.

Our thoughts will become our actions. Our actions to gain Allah’s pleasure, will become our habits. And such habits will InshaAllah, take us to our ultimate destiny of The Garden.

•

Thoughts become things and we get whatever we focus upon.

If your thoughts are your currency for getting what you want, then what is it that you are spending your currency on?

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Cowardice and Stinginess • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “The most evil (traits) in a man are: severe stinginess

and uninhibited cowardice.” [Sunan Abu Dawood]

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• To love wealth is a part of human nature. But to let this love control you and prevent you from spending in the Path of Allah is sinful. Whatever we have, is bestowed on us from Allah in order to see what we do with it. The purpose of life on earth is not to reward or punish anybody here but to see whether we fulfill our commitment to Allah

and qualify for His Jannah or not.

• Similarly, to feel fearful is natural. But to let your fear control you to the extent that it prevents you from fulfilling your obligations (of obedience to Allah and protection of His deen and Muslims) is a sin.

• Do you control the stinginess and cowardice of your soul or is it controlling you?

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This, Too, Will Pass • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “O Allah!

There is no life worth living except the

life of the Hereafter, so (please) make righteous the Ansaar and the emigrants.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

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•

This life, however, it is, will pass. A drop compared to the ocean is what this life is like compared to the Hereafter. And the ocean of the next existence will be wonderful only for the righteous. That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to make his Companions righteous.

•

A powerful king, ruler of many domains, was in a position of such magnificence that wise men were his mere employees. And yet one day he felt himself confused and called the sages to him.

He said: “I do not know the cause, but something impels me to seek a certain ring, one that will enable me to stabilize my state. I must have such a ring. And this ring must be one which, when I am unhappy, will make me joyful. At the same time, if I am happy and look upon it, I must be made sad.”

•

The wise men consulted one another and threw themselves into deep contemplation. Finally, they came to a decision as to the character of this ring which would suit their king.

•

The ring which they devised was one upon which was inscribed the legend: THIS, TOO, WILL PASS

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Surah Baqarah keeps Shaitaan Out • Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "Do not turn your houses into graves. Shaitaan is barred

from any house in which Surat alBaqarah is recited." [Sahih Muslim]

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• Some houses have a happy, welcoming feel to them while others have a depressing, desolate aura about them. A house that is haunted inspires in the person who enters it, the feeling that one should not be there and makes one feel like running away from it. One of the ways to keep the Shayateen (devils) out of your house is by reciting

Surah Baqarah in it frequently. When a house is free of Shayateen you will feel peaceful and comfortable in it.

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The Only Thing that’s Yours for Keep

• Allah’s Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “When carried to his grave, a dead person is followed by

three, two of which return (after his burial) and one remains with him. His relatives, his property, and his deeds follow him; his relatives and his property return while his deeds remain with him.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

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• How many are the sins we commit that are either to please relatives or to make money! Often the two are combined together. Yet neither wealth nor family will go in the grave with you. You will be expeditiously buried, cried over, and left alone to face your accountability in the grave. Your relatives will not stop eating and drinking - their

lives will go on. Your wealth will no longer be yours but others’ property. Then why not focus on your deeds when that is all that you will take with you.

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Treading the Path to Knowledge • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah makes the way to the Garden easy for whoever treads a path in search of knowledge.” [Sahih Muslim]

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• Traveling on the path to knowledge refers both to walking along an actual pathway, such as going on foot to the assemblies of the Ulema, as well as to following a metaphysical road, such as studying and memorizing Quran, Hadith, Fiqh, etc. • This Hadith also alludes to the road leading to the

Garden on the Day of Judgment, which is the straight path.

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Beautiful Gift!

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As

Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. On the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study.

His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Holy Qur’an. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you give me a Holy book?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book.

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He never contacted his father again for long time. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business.

He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized

his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day.

Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away and willed all of his

possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father’s important papers and saw the still new Holy Qur’an, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Holy Qur’an and began to turn the pages. As he Read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Holy Qur’an. It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the

tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL. How many times do we miss Allah (swt) blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

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Useless Treasure • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Knowledge from which no benefit is derived is like

a treasure out of which nothing is spent in the cause of Allah." [Jami atTirmidhi]

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•

One reason that a miser is considered a fool is that he or she does not benefit from what they crave yet possess.

Similarly, a person who has been given a lot of wealth but does not purchase Paradise with it is also a fool. Whatever comfort you can buy in the world with your wealth, will nevertheless be taken away from you at your death. If instead, you use your wealth to purchase Jannah, you will have bought the best of luxuries that will never be taken away from you.

•

By the same token, knowledge of Islam is a treasure that can be utilized to purchase Jannah by bringing one’s feelings and actions in line with what one has learnt. Only

then is the knowledge of lasting benefit to the person. A person who is not able to earn Jannah from his/her knowledge of Islam is but a loser. His/her case is comparable to that of the person who has treasure but does not use it to purchase Jannah.

•

Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Rehmat-ul-lilAlameen (mercy for all the worlds) because he showed us how to convert the brief pleasure that life on earth can

offer, into everlasting pleasure.

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Sitting on Graves • The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "If any one of you were to sit on a live coal until it

burns his garment, that would be better for him than to sit on a grave."

[Jami at-Tirmidhi]

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• If something is marked as a grave then we should not sit on it. Exactly how this damages us we have not been told, but the analogy of the harm done makes it clear that we should not do so: Sitting on something that might set fire to your clothes is preferable to sitting on graves. • Our limited human capabilities are not able to

comprehend the world of the deceased to the extent that this warning makes sense to us. But the fact that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) revealed to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) to tell us not to do so is sufficient for the believers.

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