The Midas Touch

 

 

 

We all know the story of the greedy king named Midas. He had a lot of gold and the more he had the more he wanted. He stored all the gold in his vaults and used to spend time every day counting it.

One day while he was counting a mysterious stranger came from nowhere and told the King that he would grant him a wish.

The king was delighted and said, “I would like everything I touch to turn to gold.”

The stranger asked the king, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” replied the greedy king. So the stranger said, “Starting tomorrow morning with the sun rays you will get the golden touch.”

The king thought he must be dreaming, this couldn’t be true. But the next day when he woke up, he touched the bed, his clothes, and to his surprise, everything turned to gold. Of course, the king was very delighted.

He then looked out of the window and saw his daughter playing in the garden. He decided to give her a surprise and thought she would be happy. But before he went to the garden he decided to read a book. The moment he touched it, it turned into gold and he couldn’t read it. Then he sat to have breakfast and the moment he touched the fruit and the glass of water, they turned to gold. He was getting hungry and he said to himself, “I can’t eat and drink gold.”

Just about that time his daughter came running and he hugged her and she turned into a gold statue. There were no more smiles left.

The king bowed his head and started crying. The stranger who gave the wish came again and asked the king if he was happy with his golden touch.

The king said he was the most miserable man. The stranger asked, “What would you rather have, your food and loving daughter or lumps of gold and her golden statue?”

The king cried and asked for forgiveness. He said, “I will give up all my gold. Please give me my daughter back because without her I have lost everything worth having.”

The stranger said to the king, “You have become wiser than before” and he reversed the spell. The king got his daughter back in his arms and the king learned a lesson that he never forget for the rest of his life.

Moral: Sometimes getting what you want may be a bigger tragedy than not getting what you want.

Saying and Quotes from Islamic scriptures and scholars

• And whenever you give your word, say the truth [al-An’aam 6:152]
• And seek help in patience and prayer [al-Baqarah 2:45]
• And speak good to people [al-Baqarah 2:83]
• And fulfil the Covenant of Allaah when you have covenanted [al-Nahl 16:91]
• Verily! Allaah commands that you should render back the trusts to those to whom they are due [al-Nisa’ 4:58]
• And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift) [al-Isra’ 17:29]
• Eat and drink, but waste not by extravagance [al-A’raaf 7:31]
• And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is al-taqwa (piety, righteousness) [al-Baqarah 2:197]
• And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty) [al-Talaaq 65:2]
• And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him [al-Talaaq 65:3]
• He who obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allaah [al-Nisa’ 4:80]
• By no means shall you attain al-birr (righteousness) until you spend (in Allaah’s cause) of that which you love [Aal ‘Imraan 3:92]
• Allaah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs (for us) [Aal ‘Imraan 3:171]
• And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance [al-Isra’ 17:37]
• And turn not your face away from men with pride [Luqmaan 31:18]
• And be moderate (or show no arrogance) in your walking, and lower your voice [Luqmaan 31:19]
• And give not a thing in order to have more (or consider not your deeds of obedience to Allaah as a favour to Allaah) [al-Muddaththir 74:6]
• “Pay attention to Allaah and He will pay attention to you.”
• “If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.”
• “Make sure your food is good (halaal and bought with halaal earnings), and you will be one whose prayers are answered.”
• “Fear Allaah wherever you may be.”
• “Follow up a bad deed with a good deed, to cancel it out.”
• “Mix with people with a good attitude.”
• “Keep away from prohibited things and you will be the best of worshippers.”
• “Be content with what Allaah has given you, and you will be the richest of people.”
• “Love for other people what you love for yourself.”
• “Do not laugh too much, for excessive laughter deadens the heart.”
• “Wrongdoing will be multiple darkness on the Day of Resurrection.”
• “Fear Allaah and treat all your children fairly.”
• “Fear the Fire, even if by giving half a date (in charity).”
• “Fear the prayer of the oppressed.”
• “The thing that weighs most heavily in the balance (of good deeds) is a good attitude.”
• “Deliberation is from Allaah, haste is from Shaytaan.”
• “The less your wealth, the less you will be called to account for.”
• “Do not become angry, and Paradise will be yours.”
• “The most beloved of deeds to Allaah is the one that is continuous, even if it is little.”
• “The most beloved of places to Allaah are the mosques.”
• “The most hated of places to Allaah are the marketplaces.”
• “The most beloved of food to Allaah is that which is touched by many hands (i.e., shared among many people).”
• “The most beloved of speech to Allaah is that a person should say, ‘Subhaan Allaah wa bi hamdih (Glory and praise be to Allaah)’.”
• “The most beloved of people to Allaah is the one who is most helpful.”
• “The most beloved deed to Allaah is making a Muslim happy.”
• “Whoever restrains his anger, Allaah will conceal his faults.”
• “A bad attitude spoils a good deed just as vinegar spoils honey.”
• “The most beloved of people to Allaah are those who have the best attitudes.”
• “Beware of this world, for it is sweet and tempting.”
• “Control your tongue.”
• “Trim your moustaches and let your beards grow.”
• “Give back the things you have been entrusted with to the person who entrusted them to you.”
• “Do not betray the one who betrays you.”
• “Pray to Allaah and be confident of a response.”
• “Cheer people up, do not put them off.”
• “Make things easy for people, not difficult.”
• “Eat with your right hand and eat from what is in front of you.”
• “If Allaah gives you wealth, let the blessing of Allaah be seen on you.”
• “If someone who is distinguished among his own people comes to you, then honour him.”
• “If one with whose religion and character you are pleased comes to you (to seek your daughter’s hand in marriage), then marry (your daughter) to him.”
• “If Allaah wills good to the people of a household, He guides them to be gentle.”
• “If you do something bad, follow it by doing something good.”
• “If you feel uncomfortable about something, then leave it alone.”
• “If you judge (between people), then judge fairly.”
• “If you enter a house, greet the inhabitants with salaam.”
• “If you are reminded of Allaah, stop what you are doing (of sin).”
• “If Allaah sends you some provision without you looking forward to it or asking others for it, then take it.”
• “If you ask Allaah for anything, then ask Him for al-Firdaws (the highest level of Paradise).”
• “If your good deeds please you and your bad deeds upset you, then you are a mu’min (believer).”
• “If you hear the call to prayer, then respond to the one who is calling you to Allaah.”
• “If you hear the call to prayer, then say something like the muezzin says.”
• “If any one of you becomes angry, let him keep silent.”
• “If a man becomes angry and says ‘A’oodhu Billaah (I seek refuge with Allaah),’ his anger will cease.”
• “If a man says ‘Ya seedi (sir)’ to a munaafiq (hypocrite), he earns the wrath of his Lord.”
• “When you stand up to pray, pray as if it is your last prayer.”
• “When you get dressed and when you do wudoo’, start on the right.”
• “When any one of you meets his brother, let him greet him with salaam.”
• “Remember death when you are praying.”
• “Show mercy towards those who are on earth so that the One Who is in heaven will show mercy to you.”
• “Renounce pleasure in worldly things and Allaah will love you.”
• “Show disinterest in what people have and people will love you.”
• “Feel properly shy and modest before Allaah.”
• Protect “the head and what does through it (thoughts and ideas).”
• Protect “the stomach and what goes into it.”
• “Seek help in whatever you do by being discreet.”
• “Everyone who is given a blessing will be envied.”
• “No one can keep their wudoo’ except a believer.”
• “The worst thief among people is the one who steals from his prayer, by not doing rukoo’ and sujood properly.”
• “Intercede and you will be rewarded.”
• “The most grateful of people to Allaah are those who are most grateful to other people.”
• The trouble with beauty is feelings of superiority.
• The trouble with generosity is extravagance.
• The trouble with noble descent is pride.
• The trouble with knowledge is forgetfulness.
• “Give to the one who denied you.”
• “Uphold ties with the one who cuts you off.”
• “Forgive the one who does you wrong.”
• May Allaah have mercy on the person who said “Good” and was rewarded or who remained silent and was safe.
• Wine is the key to all evil.
• The one who is more daring in giving fatwas is more deserving of Hell.
• Love the poor and mix with them.
• It is better to err in forgiving than to err in punishment.
• Do not judge between people when you are angry.
• If you want to count the faults of anyone else, count your own faults instead.
• If you commit a sin, say “Astaghfir-Allaah (I ask Allaah for forgiveness).”
• If you are given a blessing, say, “Al-Hamdu Lillaah (praise be to Allaah).”
• If some disaster befalls you, say, “Innaa Lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon (Truly, to Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return).”
• Seek rizq (provision) by giving charity
• “Give food to others and speak good.”
• “Seek a response to du’aa’s when the iqaamah for prayer is given and when rain is falling.”
• The people with the longest necks on the Day of Resurrection will be the muezzins.
• “Worship Allaah as if you see Him.”
• “The most helpless of people are those who cannot make du’aa’.”
• “The most miserly of people are those who are stingy with their salaams (i.e., do not greet others).”
• “Pay the hired worker his wages before his sweat dries.”
• “Tie up (your camel) [i.e., take the necessary precautions], and put your trust in Allaah.”
• “Make the most of your life before your death.”
• Make the most of “your health before your sickness.”
• Make the most of “your free time before you become busy.”
• Make the most of “your wealth before you become poor.”
• Make the most of “your youth before you become old.”
• “The best of dhikr is ‘La ilaaha ill-Allaah.’”
• “The best of sadaqah (charity) is that given by one who has little.”
• “The upper hand (the one that gives) is better than the lower hand (the one that takes).”
• The best of earnings is a good sale.
• “The best of the believers is one who is best in attitude.”
• “The best of the muhaajireen is the one who forsakes (hajara) that which Allaah has prohibited.”
• “The best type of jihaad is the jihaad of the one who strives against his own self (jihaad al-nafs) for the sake of Allaah.”
• “Read the Qur’aan throughout every month.”
• “Read the Qur’aan, for it will come and intercede for its readers on the Day of Resurrection.”
• “Pray for Allaah to keep you safe and sound.”
• “Most of the sins committed by the son of Adam are sins of the tongue.”
• “Repeat often ‘Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaah (there is no power or strength except with Allaah)’, for it is from the treasure of Paradise.”
• “Always remember the destroyer of joy (physical pleasure): death.”
• “Lower your gaze and guard your private parts.”
• “There is no goodness in the one who is not friendly or likeable.”
• “Stay with her (the mother), for Paradise is under her feet.”
• “Keep saying ‘Yaa Dhaa’l-jalaali wa’l-ikraam (O Possessor of Glory and Honour)’” i.e., keep repeating it persistently.
• “Islam cancels out what came before it (of sins).”
• “Every bid’ah (innovation) is a going astray and every going astray will end in Hell.”
• “Control your tongue, let your house be enough for you, and weep for your sins.”
• “(Take care of) your mother, then your mother, then your mother, then your father, then other relatives in order of closeness.”
• “Feed the poor and pat the head of the orphan (i.e., show compassion).”
• “The one who points the way to good deeds is like the one who does them.”
• This is a list of useful sayings and general rules, which we ask Allaah to make of benefit to people. When you have finished sending them out, if you would like more, just let us know so that we can compile some more. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Source: Blog- iLoveAllaah.com

A Handy Plan To Behave In The Same Way As The Prophet (PBUH)‏

 

 

 

If you are a person who really loves the Prophet (PBUH) then you should have his qualities :

1-Avoid lewdness which is every bad speech or action.

2-Don't speak loudly and lower your voice mainly in public places such as streets, mosques, parties… etc., except if being a lecturer or advisor or being an Imam in a mosque.

3-Repel evil someone cause to you with that which is best. Forgive him and do not punish him or desert him.

4-Don't reproach or insult your servant or your colleague or your son or your student or your wife because of a mistake or an uncompleted job.
5-Do your duties very well and do not diminish others' rights in order to prevent them from reprimanding you.

6-Don't be laughing all the time and let your laugh be a nice smile.

7-Be always ready to help the weak, the indigent and the women without arrogance.

8-Helping your family in doing some of the house work even if it's something easy.

9-Wear the best of your clothes mainly for praying, on the celebration days (Aïd) .
10-Don't be prideful to eat on the ground, eat what is given to you, be satisfied with few of food and don't criticize badly what you eat.

11-Joining workers and helping them in their work ( as helping in carrying dust or digging…etc.) as a sign of humility and making the workers feel others’ sympathy and respect towards them.

12-Don't accept exaggerated praise from someone, but some words of thank that are equal to the work done.

13-Avoid saying bad or aggressive statements even if you are joking.
14-Don't say something evil and don't commit it.

15-Don't attack your brothers evilly.

16-Speak in a correct way and let your words be nice and not hurting.

17-Decrease your jocks and don't say anything but the truth.
18-Be merciful to human beings and to animals so that Allah the Almighty keeps his mercy upon you.

19-Avoid avarice because it's repelled from Allah the Almighty and people.

20-Sleep early and wake up early starting your day with worshiping Allah, hard work and diligence.

21-Don't miss the prayers in group in the mosque.
22-Be aware of angriness and its bad results. If you become angry you should say: « Audhu Billahi Mina Shaytan ar-Rajim

’, which means, ‘I seek refuge from Satan, the devil »

23-Be aware that every single word you say is recorded ; try to be as quiet as possible.

24-When you recite the Quran you have to understand what you are reading and you should feel the verses. It's also recommended that you listen to the Holy Quran recited by others. The most important thing you have to do, is to make the Quran your way of life which means to apply every single word practically.

25-Don't reject ''permissible'' perfumes offered to you and use them especially when you pray.
26-Use the siwak (miswak : stick of arak for cleaning teeth) mainly before prayers because it's very beneficial.

27-Be courageous and say the truth even if it's against you.

28-Accept advice from anyone and never refuse it.

29-Treat your family with just, and be just in every single work you do.
30-Forgive the one who hurts you, and be patient so that Allah the Almighty forgives you.

31-You should love for the others what you love for yourself.

32-Don't forget to greet when entering and leaving your house and when you enter shops.

33-Use always the Islamic greeting form : « Assalamu Alaykom wa Rahmato Allah wa Barakatoh » which means :” Peace, blessing and mercy of Allah be upon you”

34-Pay attention to your clothes, appearance and personal cleanness.

35-Colour your grey hair in yellow or red and avoid the black colour as the Prophet ordered (PBUH).

36-May Allah guide us to practise his book and the tradition of His Prophet (PBUH) and may Allah guide us to love His Prophet (PBUH) and to merit his intercession in the Day of Judgement. Aameen

Mistakes that prevent du’aa’ from being accepted

Question:-  There are many mistakes that happen with regard to du’aa’ and prevent the du’aa’ from being accepted. What are these mistakes?.

Answer:-

Praise be to Allaah.

The mistakes that may be made in du’aa’ are very many; most of them come under the heading of transgression in du’aa’, such as:

1 – When the du’aa’ includes shirk or association of others with Allaah, such as calling upon someone or something other than Allaah along with Him, whether it is a person, a tree or a grave, because du’aa’ is an act of worship and directing it towards anyone other than Allaah is shirk, and shirk is the worst of sins by which Allaah is disobeyed. In the hadeeth it says: Which sin is worst before Allaah? He said: “To appoint a rival to Allaah, when He has created you.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.

2 – When the du’aa’ includes some innovated means of tawassul (seeking to draw closer to Allaah), such as tawassul by means of the person of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or by his status. Islam is based on following, not on innovating.

3 – Wishing for death because of a calamity that has befallen one. In the hadeeth it is narrated that Khabbaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Were it not that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to pray for death, I would have prayed for it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6350) and Muslim (2681).

In the hadeeth it says: “No one of you should wish for death because of some harm that has befallen him. If he must wish for it, then let him say: ‘O Allaah, keep me alive so long as living is good for me, and cause me to die when death is good for me.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6531) and Muslim (2680).

4 – Praying for the punishment to be hastened. It is better to ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound in this world and in the Hereafter. When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw a Muslim man who was sick and had grown feeble like a chicken. The Messenger of Allaah (S) said to him: “Did you pray for anything or ask for it?” He said: Yes, I used to say: O Allaah, whatever punishment You would give me in the Hereafter, bring it forward in this world. The Messenger of Allaah (S) said: “Subhaan Allaah! You cannot bear it. Why didn’t you say, O Allaah, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire?” Then he prayed to Allaah for him, and He healed him. Narrated by Muslim (2688).

5 – Du’aa’ against one’s family and wealth. In the hadeeth it says: “Do not pray against yourselves, do not pray against your children, and do not pray against your wealth, lest that coincide with an hour when Allaah is asked and He answers your prayers.” Narrated by Muslim (3009).

6 – Praying for the severing of family ties, such as praying against someone and asking that there be a rift between him and his wife or some of his relatives.

7 – Praying for a limitation of mercy, such as saying: O Allaah, send rain upon our land only, and so on.

8 – Failing to observe proper etiquette in making du’aa’ to Allaah, such as saying du’aa’ in a manner that is not appropriate. Al-Khattaabi said: It is not proper to say, O Lord of the dogs, or O Lord of the pigs and monkeys, even though all creatures are created by Him and He has complete power over all of them. Sha’n al-Du’aa’ (153).

 What is appropriate when calling upon one’s Lord is to observe proper etiquette as much as possible and to avoid anything that is not befitting. The attitude should be one of humility and submission.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to praise his Lord a great deal in his du’aa’, to such an extent that it seemed that he could not praise Him enough. He said: “I seek refuge in You from You; I cannot praise You enough.”

9 – Relying on someone else in du’aa’. You see some people who do not call upon Allaah themselves on the basis that they are sinners, so they always ask others to make du’aa’ for them. Although this is permissible in general, there are some reservations concerning it. Hence one should make a great deal of du’aa’ and think positively, and think of the greatness of Allaah’s bounty and generosity, no matter how great one’s sin, for the mercy of Allaah will encompass him. If Allaah answers the prayers of the mushrikeen when they are in dire straits, then He is more likely to answer the prayers of the believers, despite their shortcomings.

A man came to Maalik ibn Dinar and said: I ask you by Allaah to pray for me, for I am in dire straits. He said: “Then ask of Him (yourself), for He answers the one who is in dire straits.” al-Jaami’ li Ahkaam il-Qur’aan (13/223).

10 – Despair and lack of certain faith of an answer to the du’aa’. Some people, when they are afflicted with a chronic disease, think that they cannot be cured and they give up du’aa’ and fail to turn to Allaah, and perhaps the shaytaan makes them think that there is no need for du’aa’.

This is one of the most serious mistakes, and it is ignorance of Allaah and His power and kindness, for Allaah is Able to do all things, and when He wills a thing He says to it “Be!” and it is.

When Zakariya (peace be upon him) was an old man and his wife was barren, he prayed for offspring: “O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:38]. And Allaah answered his prayer: “Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in Al-Mihraab (a praying place or a private room), (saying): “Allaah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John)…” –Aal ‘Imraan 3:39]. So do not despair of the help of Allaah or think that the Mercy of Allaah is limited.

11 – Going to extremes in raising the voice, especially in the presence of loudspeakers. The voices of those who are making du’aa’ may be heard from afar, and this is a mistake and transgression, and it is a form of showing-off. It is better to raise the voice only so much as is needed for the worshippers to hear if they are saying Ameen behind you.

12 – Saying, “O Allaah, I am not asking You to change the decree, rather I am asking You to help me in dealing with it.” This is wrong because Allaah has prescribed for us to ask Him to change the decree, because every calamity that befalls a person is divinely decreed.

In a well known du’aa’ it says: “Protect me from the evil of that which You have decreed, for You decree and no decree is passed over You.” al-Bukhaari said: “Chapter on one who seeks refuge with Allaah from calamity and a bad fate, and the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: I seek refuge with (Allaah), the Lord of the daybreak” [al-Falaq 113:1]. Then he mentioned the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Seek refuge with Allaah from hardship, calamity and a bad fate.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7/215).

13 – Making du’aa’ al-Qunoot lengthy. Praying in a manner that does not befit what is sought, especially at times of calamity, because Qunoot at times of calamity is only prescribed to pray for some people or against others.

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The one who is praying Qunoot should say at such times the du’aa’ that is suited to that calamity. Al-Fataawa 22/217.

And he said: The Sunnah is to pray Qunoot at the time of calamity and to ask for what is appropriate for those people who are at war against the Muslims. Al-Fataawa, 21/155.

These are some of the mistakes that are made in du’aa’.  We ask Allaah to guide us aright and to help us to do and say the right thing... Ameen

Motherhood and Miracles

Motherhood and Miracles

By Dalia Mogahed

According to the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him)...God created mercy, and spread one part of it among all the mothers on the Earth, the human, the jinn and the animals, that they should love and nurture their young, from the beginning of time until the end. And He saved ninety-nine parts of mercy for Himself to use when judging the children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection.

My 2-month-old baby Tariq had been crying for the past six hours. His rhythmic plea, whah, whah, whah, whah; was a desperate cry for help, an appeal to humanity. I was pacing with my arms wrapped around his soft but strong 12-pound body as he howled; his back arched, face red, eyes pinched and mouth gaping in audible torment.

The dim night light in the open kitchen enveloped the adjoining living room in a brown film, as a fan on the counter hummed at full blast,unable to cut through the heavy humid air. It was 2:37A.M. and a blistering summer night.
I was one of those moms who wanted to do everything right; no short cuts. I took Tariq on long walks in a front carrier and pointed out every flower, every bird, every ladybug I noticed, and told him these were all gifts from God. We spent hours in the rocking chair while I read to him from colorful board books, knowing how precious this time was, and knowing that before too long I will be the one trying to squeeze into his busy schedule. I cuddled my baby, nursed him before he had to cry out of hunger, played with him, and describing every activity I did in that motherly running-commentary fashion the baby books encouraged. My sense of well-being was innately tied to his, and as long as the sun was shining, I was a capable, in control mother, with a happy, well cared for child.

This sense of competence would unravel with the fading of the daylight. It was always the same: my otherwise contented, healthy child would begin to fuss at around 6:00 p.m. and then his irritation would turn into all out war by around 8:00 p.m. and continue into the night. I dreaded the darkness, the backdrop to my weakest moments. After the third hour of trying unsuccessfully to comfort him, I would move beyond rational thought, when all that would seem real was the screaming, when it was the only sound I could imagine. No matter what anyone tried to tell me about how "normal" it was, Tariq's inconsolable crying tormented me with worry and shook my mothering confidence at the root.Doctors told me all this was "just'"colic. But with my husband working nights, to me it was no less than a test of faith.

That night, as the summer heat wrapped around my body like a heavy wool coat, I bounced Tariq, walked across the living room, and sang every song I knew. Water! The faucet had worked last night, I desperately remembered. I turned on the water in the kitchen sink full blast. The crying ceased. Tariq looked at the sparkling stream in silent surprise.Thank God, I sighed and leaned against the counter. At that moment, he started screaming again; the novelty of the water had worn off.

I turned my mind from problem solving to desperate prayer. Please God,I am so in need. Oh please God, I need strength, give my baby peace,give me patience. I have no power except by You, I have no strength except what you give me. I am your humble servant, and I need your help.I felt so vulnerable, so weak, so exposed and so painfully in need of God. Tariq continued to scream, as if begging me for help. "Something hurts me, Mommy. Rescue me," I heard him cry to his powerless mother. As a last desperate attempt and more to calm myself than Tariq, I began to say the call to prayer(Azaan) as loud as I could, Allahuakbar...Allaaaaaaaahu akbar ; "God is greater, God is greater." The profound meaning of these familiar words came alive for me in this moment of need. God is greater than this situation, I thought. God is greater than this moment of difficulty. God is greater than this weakness I feel.

Apparently startled, Tariq stopped crying and looked at me with his round black eyes glistening in the glow of the kitchen night-light.Ash-hadu aLa Ihlaha illah Allah, I went on: "I bear witness there is no god but God." He is sufficient as a helper, I told myself, He is sufficient as a friend. I was not alone.I felt the weight of Tariq's head as he rested it against my shoulder while I continued, Ash-hadu annah Muhammadan rasul allaaaaaaaah: "I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God." I let the heavy meaning of this statement sink into my consciousness, now rendered pliant by my new found humility, ready to hear, ready to understand. He is the prophet of God, I silently repeated. What he said was Truth, absolute truth, and I must believe it whole-heartedly.

When Muhammad(peace be upon him) told a man to stay home from jihad to take care of his mother because "paradise is at her feet," that was truth, and when he advised another to honor his mother three times above his father, that was truth.

Such status cannot be easy to achieve, I realized. Such reverence is earned. There is honor in this endeavor, there is privilege in it. I was joining the ranks of some of the greatest and most important people in human history. I was a mother!

Hayaa alasalaah, hayaa ala alfalaa: "Come to prayer, come to success." The words continued to resonate within me; prayer was the model for success in life. Success was submission to God's will. Success was perseverance, was patience, was finding in myself the strength that could only be born in a trial. Success was discovering the love that my heart was capable of by giving birth to a human being that I would take a bullet for without a second thought. This experience itself was success; it was not a struggle in vain.

An immense wave of tranquility had drowned my tension. The drone of the fan seemed imposing now in the new stillness of the room. The small couch and chair in the living room, my silent witnesses, were covered with a golden blanket of soft light, thrown upon them by the tiny lamp in the kitchen. Tariq's soft cheeks were pressed against my shoulder and he was sound asleep.
I looked down at my son, the test, responsibility, and gift God had entrusted me with, and was awestruck. There in the dim light with his eyelids closed and laced with long black eyelashes, his pink cheeks bulging into his button nose, and his heart-shaped lips resting peacefully, he was a miracle, a sign of the Divine.I understood at that moment that to draw closer to the Merciful, I had to strive to eternalize His attributes as much as is possible with my limited human capacity.

This bittersweet journey called motherhood had brought me one step closer to understanding Ar-Rahman, A-Raheem; the All Merciful, the Most Benevolent. For I knew that the immense love, tenderness and compassion that I felt for my son, all my unconditional love, all my limitless giving, was infinitely dwarfed by God's love and mercy. I was just one mother, one insignificant speck in the family of creation, sharing in the mercy bestowed on mothers by God.

Recognizing my smallness erupted in me an epiphany of God's greatness,and the magnitude of His benevolence. While bestowing one part of mercy on the Earth for all mothers to share, He had saved ninety-nine parts for Himself.

I felt hot tears well up in my eyes as I whispered, Allahu akbar,Allahu akbar, La illah illa Allah;"God is greater, God is
greater,there is no god but God," completing the ancient call to prayer(Azaan) as it had been recited by billions before me for the past 1400 years. Yet on that night, I felt these words were spoken especially for me, like a personal letter from a friend.

81 ways to win your Wife’s love

 

 

1. Make her feel secure, don’t threaten her with divorce.
2. Give sincere Salaams.
3. Treat her gently, like a fragile vessel.
4. Advise in private, at the best time, in the best way and atmosphere.
5. Be generous with her.
6. Warm the seat for her, you will warm her heart.
7. Avoid anger, be in Wudhu at all times.
8. Look good and smell great for your wife.
9. Don’t be rigid or harsh-hearted or you will be broken.
10. Be a good listener.
11. Yes for flattery. No for arguing.
12. Call your wife with the best names, cute nicknames, and names she loves to hear.
13. A pleasant surprise.
14. Preserve and guard the tongue.
15. Expect, accept, and overlook her shortcomings.
16. Give sincere compliments.
17. Encourage her to keep good relations with her family.
18. Speak of the topic of her interest.
19. Express to her relatives, how wonderful she is.
20. Give each other gifts.
21. Get rid of routine, surprise her.
22. Have a good opinion of each other.
23. Have good manners, overlook small things, don’t nitpick.
24. Add a drop of patience, increase during pregnancy, menses.
25. Expect and respect her jealously.
26. Be humble.
27. Sacrifice your happiness for hers.
28. Help at home, with housework.
29. Help her love your relatives, but don’t try to force her.
30. Let her know that she is the ideal wife for you.
31. Remember your wife in Du’a.
32. Leave the past for Allah, don’t dwell on, dig into, or bring it up.
33. Don’t act as if you are doing her a favor by working or providing, Allah is the Provider, the husband is the carrier of the sustenance to the family.
34. Take Shaitan as your enemy, not your wife.
35. Put food in your wife’s mouth.
36. Treat your wife like she is the most precious pearl that you want to protect.
37. Show her your smile.
38. Don’t ignore the small things, deal with them before they be come big.
39. Avoid being harsh-hearted.
40. Respect and show that you appreciate her thinking.
41. Help her to find and build her inner strengths and skills.
42. Respect that she might not be in mood for intimacy, stay within Halaal boundaries.
43. Help her take care of the children.
44. Give her gifts with your tongue, be an artist with your compliments.
45. Sit down and eat meals together.
46. Let her know that you will be traveling or returning from travel, give her sufficient notice.
47. Don’t leave home in anger.
48. Maintain the secrecy and privacy of the home.
49. Encourage each other in worship.
50. Respect and fulfill her rights upon you.
51. Live with her in kindness, goodness, fairness in good and bad times.
52. Kiss your wife, foreplay, don’t jump on her like a bull.
53. Keep disputes between the two of you, don’t take it outside.
54. Show care for her health and well-being.
55. Remember you are not always right or perfect yourself.
56. Share your happiness and sadness with her.
57. Have mercy for her weaknesses.
58. Be a firm support for her to lean on.
59. Accept her as is, she is a package deal.
60. Have a good intention for her.
61. Cook a dish for her.
62. Designate a nice, clean, spacious area in your home for the two of you to pray at night whenever you can.
63. Women love flowers. Make a trail of them on the floor leading to the gift you made for her.
64. Give her a nice massage when she least expects it.
65. Send your wife a text message out of the blue with a message of love.
66. Send your wife an email without a reason.
67. Go out on a date or a get-away for the weekend in a nice location, preferably without kids.
68. Do something for your wife’s family, whether it is a gift, or a chat with her teen brother who needs mentoring, or whatever. It will get you lots of brownie points.
69. Do not keep reminding and demanding your rights all the time.
70. Shop groceries for her and call her from the store and ask her what she needs for the home, for herself or for her to give to people as gifts.
71. Ask her if she would like to invite her female friends over for ladies only get together and arrange for the dinner.
72. Ask her to send gifts to her parents and siblings.
73. Help her parents pay off debt. Send her poor relatives some money.
74. Write love notes or poems and place them in the book she’s been reading.
75. If she tells you something she had just learned from the Qur’an or Hadith, do not dismiss her or ridicule her effort, instead listen to her and take her word.
76. Plant her a kitchen garden with all kind of herbs she needs for cooking.
78. Update her PC or laptop with a new one or get her a new mobile phone.
79. Learn to do a special massage technique and surprise her with your new expertise.
80. Teach your children to respect and honor their mother.
81. Be humorous with her when she makes a mistake in the kitchen (like when she put too much salt or burnt her baking). – SG

Medical Benefits of Salah

There are several medical benefits of Salat (Namaz):- of offering Salah and as every Muslim knows that the best part of Salah is the sujood, that is the prostration.

No wonder the Quran has mentioned the word sujood, prostration no less then 90 times in the glorious Quran. Where [do] you do sujood in the Salah? Normally when you [stand] erect, blood does flow into the brain but it is not sufficient for a healthy brain. During Salah when you [go into] sujood extra blood flows into the brain, which is very important for [a] healthy brain. When you do sujood, this extra blood supply to the skin on the face [helps] prevent diseases such as chilblain etc.
When you do sujood there is drainage of sinuses and there are fewer chances that a person will have sinusitis, that is inflammation of the sinus, this drainage of module sinus, of the frontal sinus, and a person has less chances of having inflammation of the sinus, that is sinusitis.
There are various benefits. [For example], when a person does sujood even the bronchitis's, the secretion of the bronchitis, they get drained, there are less chances of having bronchitis.
When a person breathes normally only two thirds of the capacity of the lung is exhaled out, the remaining one third remain in the lung as a residual air, now when you do sujood the abdominal visra, they press against the diaphragm and the diaphragm presses against the lower part of the lungs, the lower lobes, and when you breath during sujood even this one third residual air is aired out and that's very important for a healthy lung. There are less chances of having diseases of the lungs.
When you do sujood, there is increased venes return there is less chance of having hernia, etc. Due to posture in sujood there is less chances of having hemorrhoid, that is piles.
In a salah we stand up and we sit down, do qayam, rukuh, sujood and when we stand up from same position the weight is localized on the bottom of the feet and the calve muscle and the thigh muscle are activated and they increase the blood supply to the lower part of the body, which is very important. Further we do various postures like standing erect, bowing down, prostrating, the vertebra column takes various postures and there are less chances of having disease of the vertebrae, of the spine.
There are medical benefits [and] you can give a talk only on this topic. But we Muslims, we offer Salah to thank Allah (SWT), to praise Him. These are just side dishes. They are like dessert. You know it may attract a person who is a non-Muslim, towards Salah but our main meal, our main biryani, our main course is to thank Allah (SWT) and to obey the commandments of Allah and the Prophet. That is the reason we offer Salah.
Why 5 times daily salat:-
As I mentioned in the earlier episode that Salah is a sort of programming towards righteousness, that we are programmed towards righteousness. And the requirement [is] that it should be repeated [a] minimum [of] 5 times a day. For example for a very healthy body, a doctor will tell you, you require [a] minimum [of] 3 meals a day. Similarly for a spiritual soul, a person is required to offer Salah 5 times a day. And the requirement is, [that] there are chances that because of the evil in the society around us, we may get de-programmed. So if we are kept on being re-programmed, there are more chances that you will remain [steadfast on the] Sirat al mustaqeem, on the straight path. Therefore it is compulsory that every Muslim should offer Salah [a] minimum [of] 5 times a day.
Doesn't Salat disturb my job productivity. If you know the rules of management, [you will know] that a person cannot work continuously for hours together. If a person comes to office at 9 o'clock in the morning and sits till 6 o'clock in the evening, continuously for 9 hours, in fact he will be less productive. That is the reason that there are some short breaks given in between. So a person can get re-created, you know we have recreation. Similarly Salah is a sort of recreation. It rejuvenates you. If someone tells me that I am losing time, I am less productive, because I waste 15 minutes having lunch break, I would say that he is not a logical person because only if he has meals regularly, can he do more work. Similarly if a person offers Salah at intervals, I do agree he may have to work for a few minutes but when he stops and he comes back to work he works with a much better frame of mind and productivity overall will be much better. So for a logical person and a modern person he has to agree that there should be breaks so that a person can get recreated and Salah is the best form of rejuvenating your mind.
 

By Dr Zakir Naik

How To Erase Our Sins

 

 

www.WondersOfAllah.blogspot.com

Following is a compilation of Ahadîth that speaks of ways in which we can erase our sins, InshaAllâh!

Repenting

A servant [of Allâh's] committed a sin and said: O Allâh, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said:O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins. Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you. [Hadîth Qudsi]

O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it. [Hadîth Qudsi]

Abû Bakr radhiAllâhu `anhu reported:

"I heard the Prophet sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam saying: 'Allâh forgives the man who commits a sin (then feels ashamed), purifies himself, offers a prayer and seeks His forgiveness.' Then he recited the 'ayyah: 'And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allâh and implore forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allâh? - and will not knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did. The reward of such will be forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever- a bountiful reward for workers."' [al-'lmrân: 135-136]. [Abû Dawûd, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, al-Baihaqi, and at-Tirmidhî who calls it hasan.]

Performing Wudhû

Narrated Abû Hurayrah radhiAllâhu `anhu: Allâh's Apostle sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said:

When a bondsman - a Muslim or a believer - washes his face (in course of ablution), every sin he contemplated with his eyes will be washed away from his face along with water, or with the last drop of water ; when he washes his hands, every sin they wrought will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet have walked will be washed away with the water, or with the last drop of water, with the result that he comes out pure from all sins. [Sahîh Muslim]

Narrated Uthmân ibn AffânradhiAllâhu `anhu:

The Messenger of Allâh sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said: He who performed ablution well, his sins would come out from his body, even coming out from under his nails. [Sahîh Muslim]

Performing Prayer

Narrated Uthmân ibn Affân radhiAllâhu `anhu: "I heard Allâh's Apostle sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam say:

When the time for a prescribed prayer comes, if any Muslim performs ablution well and offers his prayer) with humility and bowing, it will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he has not committed a major sin; and this applies to for all times. [Sahîh Muslim]

Narrated Abû Huraira radhiAllâhu `anhu: "Allâh's Apostle said,

"The congregational prayer of anyone amongst you is more than twenty (five or twenty seven) times in reward than his prayer in the market or in his house, for if he performs ablution completely and then goes to the mosque with the sole intention of performing the prayer, and nothing urges him to proceed to the mosque except the prayer, then, on every step which he takes towards the mosque, he will be raised o ne degree or o ne of his sins will be forgiven. The angels will keep o n asking Allâh's forgiveness and blessings for everyone of you so long as he keeps sitting at his praying place. The angels will say, 'O Allâh, bless him! O Allâh, be merciful to him!' as long as he does not do Hadath or a thing which gives trouble to the other." The Prophet further said, "One is regarded in prayer so long as o ne is waiting for the prayer." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Narrated Abû Hurayrah radhiAllâhu `anhu:

"The Messenger of Allâh sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said: He who purified himself in his house, and then he walked to o ne of the houses of Allâh for the sake of performing a fard (obligatory act) out of the Fara'id (obligatory acts) of Allâh, both his steps (would be significant) as o ne of them would obliterate his sin and the second o ne would raise his status. [Sahîh Muslim]

Attending the Jumu'ah Salâh

Narrated Abû Hurayrah radhiAllâhu `anhu: The Messenger of Allâh sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said:

Five prayers and from o ne Friday prayer to (the next) Friday prayer is an expiation (of the sins committed in between their intervals) if major sins are not committed. [Sahîh Muslim]

Narrated by Salman Al Farsi radhiAllâhu `anhu: The Prophet sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said,

"Whoever takes a bath o n Friday, purifies himself as much as he can, then uses his (hair) oil or perfumes himself with the scent of his house, then proceeds (for the Jumua prayer) and does not separate two persons sitting together (in the mosque), then prays as much as (Allâh has) written for him and then remains silent while the Imam is delivering the Khutba, his sins in-between the present and the last Friday would be forgiven." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Doing good deeds

Narrated Ibn Masud radhiAllâhu `anhu: A man kissed a woman and then came to Allâh's Apostle and told him of that, so this Divine Inspiration was revealed to the Prophet sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam:

"And offer Prayers perfectly at the two ends of the day, and in some hours of the night; (i.e. (five) compulsory prayers). Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (small sins). That is a reminder for the mindful." (Qur'aan : 11.114) The man said, Is this instruction for me o nly?" The Prophet said, "It is for all those of my followers who encounter a similar situation." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Performing Umrah and Hajj

Narrated by Abû Huraira : The Prophet sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said,

"Whoever performs Hajj for Allâh's pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return (after Hajj free from all sins) as if he were born anew." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud radhiAllâhu `anhu narrated that the Prophet sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said:

"Alternate between Hajj and 'Umrah (regularly), for these two remove poverty and sins just as the blacksmith's bellows removes all impurities from metals like iron, gold and silver. The reward for Hajj Mabrur is nothing short of Paradise." [Nasa'i and Tirmidhi, who regards it a sound hadîth ]

Narrated Abû Huraira radhiAllâhu `anhu: Allâh's Apostle sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said,

"(The performance of) 'Umra is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous o ne). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the o ne accepted by Allâh) is nothing except Paradise." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Saying Amîn'

Narrated by Abû Huraira radhiAllâhu `anhu: The Prophet sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said,

"When the Imâm says 'Aamîn', then you should all say ‘Aamîn’, for the angels say ‘آmîn’ at that time, and he whose ‘آmîn’ coincides with the ‘آmîn’ of the angels, all his past sins will be forgiven." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Fasting and performing prayers in the night of Qadr in Ramadân

Narrated by Abû Huraira radhiAllâhu `anhu: The Prophet sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said,

"Whoever fasted the month of Ramadân out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allâh, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allâh, then all his previous sins will be forgiven ." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Sending salutations

Abû Talha Al Ansari radhiAllâhu `anhu said, "The Prophet, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, woke up o ne day cheerful and beaming. His companions exclaimed, 'O Prophet of Allâh, you woke up today cheerful and beaming.' He replied,

'Yes! A messenger of Allâh, the Mighty and the Glorified, came to me and said, "If anyone from your ummah sends you a salutation, Allâh will record for him ten good deeds, wipe off ten of his sins, and raise him thereby ten degrees in rank, and He will return his salutation with a similar salutation".' [Ahmad] Ibn Kathîr considers this a sound hadîth ]

Being kind to animals

Narrated Abû Huraira radhiAllâhu `anhu: Allâh's Apostle sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said,

"While a man was walking he felt thirsty and went down a well and drank water from it. o n coming out of it, he saw a dog panting and eating mud because of excessive thirst. The man said, 'This (dog) is suffering from the same problem as that of mine. So he (went down the well), filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth and climbed up and watered the dog. Allâh thanked him for his (good) deed and forgave him." The people asked, "O Allâh's Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving (the) animals?" He replied, "Yes, there is a reward for serving any animate." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Narrated Abû Huraira radhiAllâhu `anhu: Allâh's Apostle sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said,

"A prostitute was forgiven by Allâh, because, passing by a panting dog near a well and seeing that the dog was about to die of thirst, she took off her shoe, and tying it with her head-cover she drew out some water for it. So, Allâh forgave her because of that." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Leaving grey hair

Amr ibn Shu'aib related o n the authority of his father from his grandfather that the Prophet sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said,

"Do not pluck the grey hairs as they are a Muslim's light. Never a Muslim grows grey in Islam except that Allâh writes for him, due to that, a good deed. And he raises him a degree. And he erases for him, due to that, o ne of his sins." [Related by Ahmad, Abû Dawûd, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah] And Anas said, "We used to hate that a man should pluck out his white hairs from his head or beard." [Sahîh Muslim]

Some simple supplications through which we can erase our sins, Insha'Allâh!

Narrated Abû Huraira radhiAllâhu `anhu: Allâh's Apostle said,

"Whoever says, 'Subhan Allâh wa bihamdihi,' o ne hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Narrated Abû Huraira radhiAllâhu `anhu: Allâh's Apostle sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said,

"Whoever says: 'La ilaha illal-lah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu-l-mulk wa lahu-l-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadir,' o ne hundred times will get the same reward as given for manumitting ten slaves; and o ne hundred good deeds will be written in his accounts, and one hundred sins will be deducted from his accounts, and it (his saying) will be a shield for him from Satan o n that day till night, and nobody will be able to do a better deed except the o ne who does more than he." [Sahîh Al-Bukhari]

Narrated Abû Hurayrah radhiAllâhu `anhu: Allâh's Apostle sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam said:

If anyone extols Allâh after every prayer thirty-three times [SubhanAllâh], and praises Allâh thirty-three times [Alhamdulillah], and declares His Greatness thirty-three times [Allâh hu Akbar], ninety-nine times in all, and say to complete a hundred: "There is no god but Allâh, having no partner with Him, to Him belongs sovereignty and to Him to praise due, and He is Potent over everything," his sins will be forgiven even if these are as Abûndant as the foam of the sea. [Sahîh Muslim]

Abû Hurairah radhiAllâhu `anhu reported that the Prophet, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, said,

"If anyone sits in an assembly where there is much clamor and says before getting up to leave, "Subhanaka Allâhumma wa bihamdika, ashadu an-la illaha illa-anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayka" (Glory be to You, O Allâh, and I begin with declaring all praise is due to You, I testify that there is no god but You; I ask Your pardon and turn to You in repentance), he will be forgiven any sin that he might have committed while in that assembly. [Tirmidhi and Al-Baihaqi, (Kitab ad-D'wat Al-kabir)]

Mu'adh b. Anas radhiAllâhu `anhu reported that the Prophet, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, said,

"If anyone wears a new garment and says, "Alhamdu lillahillazi kasaabi hazaa wa razakabehi min ghairi hawlin minna walaa kuwwata" 'All praise be to Allâh, Who clothed me with this garment and provided it for me, with no power or strength from myself' Allâh will forgive all his previous sins." [Abû Dawûd, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah]

Source: http://blog.iloveallaah.com

Take Advantage of Five Before Five

 

---

Written by Yasir Birjas

 

 

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam has been blessed with jawaami' ul kalim, the most concise, or precise, speech. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, "I have been blessed with concise speech." Therefore, when we look at the precious pearls that came out of the Prophet’s mouth, sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, we find that many of his ahadith are in fact treasure chests of wisdom. The words might be small, but the meanings behind them are great. The speech might be succinct, but the benefits and the blessings that can be derived from them are innumerable.

And of the ahadith that are jawaami', or comprehensive in nature, is the hadith of ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu reported in the mustadrak of Al-Haakim, musnad Imam Ahmad, and others, with an authentic chain of narration. In this hadith the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to a man while he was advising him:

"Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth, before you become old; and your health, before you fall sick; and your richness, before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death."

The first word, ightanam comes from same root that signifies sheep - ghanam. Sheep, in Arabic, means ghanam, and ightanam is from the same root that also signifies sheep. What exactly is the meaning of ightanam? Ightanam is used to indicate any good that can be obtained without much effort. Just like sheep, they can easily be caught if they go astray. This is why the war booty that is found on the battlefield after the army has fled is called ghaneemah. It is easy to take, just like the sheep. You can grasp it without much effort. Ghaneemah, ightanam, and ghanam are all from the same root.

So it is as if the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is pointing out that these five matters are very easy to obtain. They are easy to prey on and catch, and very simple to benefit from. That is because they are treasures that everyone possesses but few people appreciate.

What are these five things?

#1: Take Advantage of Your Youth Before Your Old Age

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam started off and said shabbab or shab, a youth or young person. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Take advantage of your youth before your haram.” And the word haram means old age, maybe even senility. It is an age in which the person does not have the power or mental faculties that he had while he was a youth.

Youthfulness is a time when a person is the most energetic, when he lays out the foundations for his future, and when he plans his life. So the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to take advantage of this time before the time comes when you do not have that enthusiasm, when you do not have that zeal, or that outlook. The enthusiasm and energy that you have been blessed with will never again be given to you after this age. Therefore, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to seize the moment and take advantage of it. A person should exercise this energy for the sake of Allah by procuring knowledge of Allah, obtaining halal sustenance, and worshipping Allah through acts that he might not be able to do later on in life.

Youth here does not mean the western concept of youth that youthfulness finishes when someone is eighteen or nineteen years old. In the Islamic Shari’ah, a man's life has been divided into a number of sectors or stages. Shabbab or shab, according to the strongest opinion, means before reaching the age of forty. This is because forty is the prime of life, when mental and physical capabilities have reached a peak, and after that they start to go down.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"Seven are the people that will be sheltered on the Day of Judgment, the day in which there is no shade except the shade of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.”

One of the seven people, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned was a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. Remember, the youth is up to forty. So this young person, whether he is twenty or thirty or right before reaching the age of forty, he has grown up and has been raised or has raised himself busy in the worship of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

Likewise, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said in an authentic hadith that Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala is pleased with and amazed at the youth who does not have any evil inclinations. This means he does not do evil. Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala loves such a youth who is straight in the worship of Allah and does not turn left or right to the paths of Shaytaan. Allah loves this person and is amazed at him because in general it is the youth, due to their virility and strong desires, who swerve left and right away from the path of the worship of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. So this is the first of the five: “your youth before your old age.”

#2: Take Advantage of Your Health, Before You Fall Sick

The second of the five matters is, "your health, before you fall sick." The fact that one lives a normal life and is not afflicted with diseases and plagues, represents a person’s health. Take advantage of this before diseases and plagues come because mankind, being mankind, will fall sick. Everyone falls sick. If we did not fall sick, we would not be humans, we would be divine.

There will come a time when we will fall sick. Some of those times the sicknesses will be more severe, and for certain people even more severe. So the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is reminding us that we do not know when we will have full possession of our faculties, of our strength, of our mental powers, before we will fall sick. Therefore, take advantage of it before that time comes.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"There are two blessings the majority of mankind have been deceived concerning." The majority of mankind do not appreciate these two blessings. They are "health," good health, "and free time."

Once a person came to Yunus ibn 'Ubayy, one of the scholars of the Salaf, and he complained of extreme poverty as he had not been blessed with much. Yunus ibn Ubayy asked him, "Would you be willing to give away your sight for a certain amount of money?" The man said, "No, of course not." Then he asked him, "Would you be willing to give your hands away?" He said, "No, of course not." He asked, "Your feet?" He said, "Of course not." When he finished he said "I see that you have hundreds of thousands of millions of blessings, yet you are complaining of poverty?"

We have our full faculties, we can see and hear. Look at someone who Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala has tested with blindness. It is a very severe test, and that is why the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam has said in an authentic hadith:

"There are two things if Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala takes them away from a person and he is patient, he is guaranteed Jannah. These two things are the two eyes."

In other words, if a person is blind, and we seek Allah's refuge from the physical and the spiritual blindness in this world and in the hereafter, then Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala is testing him. And if he is patient, then Allah will reward him with Jannah.

How about one who has been blessed not just with eyesight, but with hearing, health, arms, limbs, energy, vitality, enthusiasm, and many other things. Should we not appreciate the blessing from Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala? Do we not realize how sweet health is? It can be used for the worship of Allah. When we are blessed with these bodies, why do we not use them in the worship of Allah?

The least we can do, brothers and sisters, is the faraa'id (obligatory actions) such as salah five times a day, fasting in Ramadan, and going for the Hajj. All of these require that we use our physical bodies. That is the least that we can do, the bare minimum. Of course, the more that one does, the better it is for him.

This is the second of the five matters: “your health before you fall sick.”

#3: Take Advantage of Your Richness Before Poverty

The third is, "your richness, before poverty." One day we might not have anything, and the next we might have much more than we need. One day, a person might have the best of jobs and the largest of salaries, yet, the next day, something happens and he does not have that job anymore and loses his source of income. So the wise person uses his richness before he becomes poor. He invests for his future.

As for the investments of this dunya, then the kafir and the Muslim are both the same; they both do that. Even the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam would store staple food items even up to a year. Sometimes he would store barley and grain for a whole year for his family. So this is obviously something halaal as the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam himself did it, and we should do it too. We should make sure we have enough money for our family and our children and ourselves, so we are not poor and we are not beggars. There is no doubt that this is a part of our Shari’ah as well.

But while we are doing this, let us not forget that we also need to invest for the Akhirah. Should we not think about investing this money so we can pick it and pluck it in the Hereafter when we need it far more than we need it in this world? We need to invest for the real future, our real life after our death.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam once asked his companions, "Who amongst you loves his inheritors' money more than his own money?"

The meaning of this hadith is that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is asking for example, does the father love the money of his son or does he love his own money? Of course, the father loves his own money. Likewise, every person will love his own money more than he loves the money of other people.

The Sahabah said, "Yaa RasulAllah, all of us love our own money more than we love the money of our inheritors. We all love our own money. We guard it and protect it more than the money of our inheritors.”

Then the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Verily, the money that you spend in charity is your money, and the money that you leave behind is the money of your inheritors."

Ponder over that hadith for a while, how true it is. As for the father who loves his own money more than the money of his son, does he not realize that one day his son will take that very money of his and he will have nothing to do with it? All that is left of his money is what he spent during his life for the sake of Allah, if there was any such money. Any of it spent in charity for the sake of Allah, is money that will be yours permanently. The Arabic word for charity includes zakah, sadaqah, waqf, and any type of monetary good that you did. Everything besides this will go into the hands of your inheritors.

Remember that feeding your family is an ibaadah if you are doing it for the sake of Allah. If you are doing it for the sake of Allah, you will be rewarded. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said that, "A morsel of food," one morsel of food, one handful of food, "if you put it in your wife's mouth, this will be a reward for you on the Day of Judgment." Now everybody, Muslim or non-Muslim, feeds his family. But will everybody be rewarded for that? No. Because only the one who does it remembering Allah, thinking about Allah, and doing it for the sake of Allah will be rewarded.

Ask yourself if the last time you went shopping, Allah was in your mind? Did you think of doing this for Allah? When you picked up the milk and the bread, was your heart thinking, "Oh Allah, I am buying this food through halaal money, and this is halaal food, because I want to feed my family and this is an obligation that You have put upon me, therefore, I am doing it for your sake." Who amongst us has this in his mind?

When we say, "That is spent for the sake of Allah," we are not just talking about money, zakah, sadaqah, and charity. Of course, giving in charity is the best thing you can do with your money. But do not forget that the majority of income that we spend, and in fact for the mu'min, all of the income that he spends, can be for the sake of Allah as well. This means thinking of Allah, spending for the sake of Allah, and having the intention of pleasing Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

This is the third of the five things: “your richness, before poverty.”

#4: Take Advantage of Your Free Time Before You Become Busy

This is yet another great treasure that every single one of us possesses. Every single one of us must use our free time before we become busy. How much free time do we have and what do we waste it on? Think about it. Think about how much free time all of us have been blessed with. We have hours and hours every day and they go by. What do we waste it on? Primarily, in this country at least, television. It is also wasted on gossip and socialization of which there is no benefit whatsoever, in this world nor the hereafter.

Remember the hadith of the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam that we just quoted about the two blessings (health and free time) most people have been deceived by. In other words, they don't realize their blessings of health and free time. You may have to work eight hours a day, no problem. Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala has allowed this for you. He has obligated it upon you. When you come home, you have four or five hours, so spend them wisely for the sake of Allah.

Spending time wisely does not necessarily mean purely religious deeds. But spending your time wisely and even be something in this world. Learn a trade. Learn something that can benefit you in this world and that can benefit other people as well. Islam is a complete way of life, a complete code. Do not forget that all of the acts a mu'min does can be transformed into acts of worship if, and only if, he does them for the sake of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

Of course that there are religious deeds which are the best deeds to do. Every one of us should recite the Qur'an everyday, even if it's only for five or ten minutes. You should have some relationship with the Qur'an. Every one of us should pray some extra prayers as well, a few sunnahs or the nafls, if not the continual sunnahs that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam used to pray. This is the most important thing for us to do. But at the same time, do not forget that there can be many acts that can be rewarded if you change your niyyah and do them for the sake of Allah.

Do not waste your time. The greatest waster of time is the television. You turn it on, and an hour or two go by, and not only have you not gained anything for the Akhirah, you have not gained anything for this world. You have literally killed, murdered your time, and done absolutely nothing with it. And realize that you are lucky if you don't come away from those two hours without any sin. How many are the sins that are in television, with music, and the women, and other things. In my opinion, it is better for a mu'min not to even have this instrument in his house because of the evil that comes from it. Like Allah says about alcohol, the evil that comes from it is more than the good that is obtained from it.

When you have some free time, take advantage of it. The greatest thing that we can do in this free time is to worship Allah. And one of the greatest acts of worship is to seek knowledge. Take a book out to read, listen to some cassettes, or listen to some CD's. Do whatever you can do to increase your 'ilm. Attend some classes or even visit one another for the sake of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. Visit your Muslim brother with the proper Islamic etiquette and adab. This is an act you can do that will pass your time away, and be worthwhile.

This is the fourth of the five matters: "take advantage of your free time before you become busy."

#5: Take Advantage of Your Life Before Your Death

This one phrase summarizes it all: "take advantage of your life before your death." Every one of us has a life. That is why we are here right now. Every one of us without a doubt will die. Allah says:

You are going to die and they too are going to die.

And it is as Allah said, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam passed away and so did the people that opposed him and believed in him. They all have passed away. And the turn came for those after them, and then those after them, until it is our turn.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam therefore reminded us, "Take advantage of your life before your death." This is the greatest of foresight. Hence the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam concluded the hadith with this phrase.

How are we going to use this life before death comes? As for the kafir, he will totally waste it because he will make this life his goal. He will live only to appease and satisfy every desire of his. Then on the Day of Judgment, he will beg Allah to send him back to this life. Allah describes this in the Quran:

When death comes to them, he will say, “O my Lord!”

All of a sudden, when his Lord comes to him he remembers Allah. Whereas throughout all of the years that he lived, Allah was nowhere near him; Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala was the furthest thing from his death. On the Day of Judgment when he is resurrected, he will say:

Oh my Lord! Allow me to go back so that I may do good in the time that I had left.

Allah obviously will say, "Kalla” – no. You have only been allowed one life and you will not be able to go back and change that life. For every good you do you will be rewarded, and for every evil you do you will be punished.

Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala also describes them in the Qur’an as saying on the Day of Judgment:

O our Lord, we have seen and we have heard. Let us go back to do good deeds; we are now believers.

They claim to believe in Allah and the Day of Judgment but Allah will not allow this to happen because everyone has only one life. That is what Allah has given and this is what we must make the best of in this world so that we are compensated accordingly in the Hereafter.

These are the five things that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam told the man to do. He advised him:

"Take advantage of five matters before five others: your youth, before your old age; and your health before you fall sick; and your wealth before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life before your death."

This hadith deals with responsibility, wisdom, foresight, long-term planning, and good strategy. Every one of us has been blessed with these five blessings. There is no one amongst us who has not been blessed with these five things. So how do we utilize them? What do we utilize them for? Why do we utilize them?

The wise person is the one who strives to achieve the pleasure of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala and then expects the best from Allah. The wise one is one who tries to arrive at the goal and then has tawakkul in Allah. Tawakkul does not mean to sit back and say, "Oh, this will happen to me." Rather, you must strive for it. The fool is the one who follows his desires and then presumes that Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala will reward him.

We ask that Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala makes us amongst those who can ightallim, those who can seize these five things, who can take advantage of them before the five will come. These five matters will inevitably be taken away from us, and substituted by the others that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned.