A simple reminder

Sep10

Aoozubillahiminasshaitannirajeem
Bismillah Hirahamah Niraheem

What do you say of a person who is lazy to fulfill his responsibilities at work
But complains when he does not get a promotion
What do you say of someone who does not follow the rules of the company
But expects his boss to like him
What do you say of someone who does not put full effort in his job
But expects a pay rise just because he had an intention of working hard
.
.
.
If this is for humans, how much so for our Creator
We do not fulfill our obligations
But expect Him to give
We transgress and do not repent
But expect Him to forgive
We intend to do good, but do not put it into action
But expect Him to give rewards equivalent to us having done that action

Still He gives and He forgives
He is One Who Is Free Of All Needs
It is we who need Him.
Turn to Him, before it is too late.

Help me forgive

Jul22

Aoozubillahiminasshaitannirajeem

Bismillah Hirahamah Niraheem

Ya Allah,

Help me forgive those who hurt me….

Not because they deserve my forgiveness
But because I need YOUR forgiveness

Not because they offended me
But because my insecurities might have caused me to get hurt

Not because the past hurts me
But because harbouring it in my heart affects my present and future

Not because it is easier to forgive
But because forgiving makes me stronger

Do you really believe?

Sep18

Bismillah Hirahamah Niraheem 

Do you REALLY believe in Allah?

Do you REALLY believe that the Quran is the Word of God?

So are you REALLY convinced that whatever is said in the Quran is true?

And when life does not go as you expected; why is it that you complain of your desires not being fulfilled and forget what Allah says in the Quran.
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows while you know not. [Surah Baqarah 2 :216]”

Do you really believe?

Why is there no basmallah at start of Surah Tawbah?

Sep2

Bismillah Hirahamah Niraheem

Ruling on the Basmalah at the beginning of Soorat at-Tawbah

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

Part of the etiquette of reciting Qur’aan is for the reciter to always say Bismillah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) at the beginning of every soorah, except Soorat at-Tawbah.

Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: He should always recite Bismillah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem at the beginning of every soorah except Soorat Baraa’ah (at-Tawbah), because the majority of scholars said that it is a verse wherever it is written in the Mushaf, and it was written at the beginning of all the soorahs except Soorat at-Tawbah. If he recites it at the beginning of every soorah (other than at-Tawbah), then there is certainty that he had recited the entire Qur’aan or soorah, and if he fails to recite the Basmalah, he has omitted part of the Qur’aan according to the majority.

End quote from at-Tibyaan fi Adaab Hamalat al-Qur’aan, 100.

But if he recites from partway through a soorah, he does not have to recite the Basmalah and it is sufficient for him to seek refuge with Allah (by saying A‘oodhu Billaahi min ash-Shaytaan ir-rijeem (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytaan), but if he does say the Basmalah there is nothing wrong with that. For more information please see the answer to question no. 21722

Secondly:

The reason why the Basmalah does not appear at the beginning of Soorat at-Tawbah is that the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) did not write it at the beginning of this soorah in the Mushaf, following the example of the caliph ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him). At-Tirmidhi narrated in as-Sunan that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I said to ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan: ‘What made you put al-Anfaal which is one of the Mathaani, next to Baraa’ah [al-Tawbah], which is one of the Mi’een? Why did you not put the line Bismillaah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem in between them when you put it at the beginning of the rest of al-Sab’ al-Tiwaal [the long seven soorahs]?” ‘Uthmaan said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to receive revelation of soorahs with many aayahs. When they were revealed, he would call his scribes and tell them, ‘Put these aayahs in the soorah where such-and-such is mentioned.’ Al-Anfaal was one of the first soorahs to be revealed in Madeenah, and Baraa’ah (al-Tawbah) was one of the last parts of the Qur’aan to be revealed. Its stories were similar to the stories mentioned in al-Anfaal, so it was thought that it was part of it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken [i.e., died] without explaining whether it was indeed part of it, so they were put next to one another, and the line Bismillaahi ir’Rahmaan ir’Raheem was not written between them, and it [al-Tawbah] was put among the Sab’ al-Tiwaal [seven long soorahs].”

End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 4/225

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: … The correct opinion is that there is no Basmalah between it (Soorat at-Tawbah) and al-Anfaal, because the Basmalah is a verse of the Book of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and if the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not say to put the Basmalah between the two soorahs, they did not put it between them. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the one who decided and said: Put the Basmalah, and he did not tell them to put the Basmalah between Soorat al-Anfaal and Soorat at-Tawbah, so they did not write it. But it remains to be said: if he did not give instructions to this effect, why is there a separation between it and Soorat al-Anfaal? Why did they not make it one soorah? We say: Yes, they did not make it one soorah because they were uncertain as to whether it was the same soorah as al-Anfaal or they were two separate soorahs, so they said: Let us make a separation between the two soorahs and not write the Basmalah. This is the correct opinion concerning the absence of the Basmalah between Soorat al-Anfaal and Soorat at-Tawbah.

End quote from Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, no. 18

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Source: http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/173672/Surah

My deen and my character

Sep1

Bismillah Hirahamah Niraheem

What is the use of my religious knowledge if it does not refine me
And what is the use of a refined character if I don’t have religious knowledge
Ya Allah grant me the understanding of deen which helps me refine my character
And a character that helps me come closer to YOU with my deen.

Living by Example

Aug31

Bismillah Hirahamah Niraheem 
                   There are two kinds of people in this world. One who show you how to live and another how not to live. One person of the first category is an aunt of mine. She lost her husband when she was young and had three small children to look after. Still she has neither questioned her fate nor complained about it. This patience she showed when she was neither educated nor working. She just put her trust in Allah(SWT) and continued with helping whoever she could within her means. She has also never hesitated to welcome guests and neither has she hesitated to spend money on others whenever the need arises.  Whenever possible she would feed the poor also. MashaAllah and Alhamdulillah, for her good heart, Allah has made things easy for her.
                   What a contrast to those who fail to show patience in times of difficulties and those who forget that our sustenance has already been guaranteed by Allah. What a contrast to those who keep complaining at the slightest turn of events in their fate. What a contrast to those who live in their own world with self sympathy at the smallest suffering turning blind to the needs of others. What a contrast to those who earn enough by Allah’s grace but still think to spend their money on those in need. What a contrast to those who want to save money for this world but save nothing for the hereafter. A lesson to learn for those who have husbands but are ungrateful just because he did not meet their expectations. May Allah save us from becoming one of all these.

Aleemul Hakeem

Aug30

Bismillah Hirahamah Niraheem
           The most beautiful names belong to Allah(SWT) alone and each name describes Him(SWT)   perfectly , SubhanAllah. That it is beyond the human mind to comprehend His(SWT) greatness, He(SWT) chose to reveal it Himself. Allah hu Akbar, what a great blessing that is to mankind. 
          The other day, I was listening to a lecture of a shaikh on how not to question the decisions of Allah and about the verse 
       “Vallahu ‘Aleem ul Hakeem.”(And Allah is All Knowing, All Wise) 
            If only people truly understood this attribute of His(SWT), there would be lesser worries in this world. There was a gap of three years between the marriage of my twin and that of mine. Believe me, it is not easy answering people when your twin is married and you are not. Especially when the vast majority of these people are disbelievers i.e. my co-workers. Alhamdulillah, Allah made it easy for me. 
           My parents(Ya Allah, have mercy on them both) left no stone unturned to get me married. People came up with 1000 reasons and solutions for that. Allah knows best, but the only reason can be that the right time had not come. 
         Though I did not know it then, those three years of my life were very fruitful in terms of both my dunya and deen. Had it not been for those years, Allah knows best, how different my approach towards life would have been from what it is now.  SubhanAllah, He(SWT) made me realise the good in that delay and that all His(SWT) decisions are for our own good. May Allah grant each believer the wisdom that, whatever the difficulty and whenever their prayers are being unanswered or delayed or accepted, it is for their own good. Aameen.

Ten Commandments for peace of mind

Aug29

Bismillah Hirahamah Niraheem

1.Do not interfere in others business Unless asked
**Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others’ affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform
to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of Allah. Allah has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way.
All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. There is God to look after everything. Why are you bothered? Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.

2. Forgive And Forget
This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This, in turn, results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Believe in the justice of Allah and the doctrine of Destiny. Let Him judge the act of the one who insulted you. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive, Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.
3. Do Not Crave For Recognition

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless; they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yourself in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely and leave the rest to Allah, which is Tawakkal.
4. Do Not Be Jealous

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody’s life is shaped by his or her previous Destiny. If you are predestined to be Rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.
5. Change Yourself According To the Environment

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage.
Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control. If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully, thinking, “Allah wills it so, so be it.” Allah’s plans are beyond our comprehension. Believe in it and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayers, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.
8. Meditate Regularly

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If  you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily mediation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.
9. Never Leave the Mind Vacant

An empty mind is the devil’s workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social and charitable work , may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement.  Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental reciting of Allah’s name.

10. Do Not Procrastinate and Never Regret

Do not waste time in protracted wondering ” Should I or shouldn’t I?” Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Always remember, Allah has His own plan, too for you. Value you time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time.
Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Take it as the Will of Allah. You do not
have the power to alter the course of Allah’s Will. Why cry over spilt milk? *

Best of Luck.

“May Allah grant you the serenity to accept what you cannot change
Courage to change what you can,
And the wisdom to understand the difference”.

Compiled, edited and adapted by Khalid Latif

Source : http://theonlinemuslim.blogspot.com/2008/02/ten-commandments-for-peace-of-mind.html