Do you have a reason to be thankful?

As young children we were always told to read the Qur’an as much as possible and then when Ramadan came along we were expected to read all of it. We should ask ourselves how many times do we read the Qur’an, and ponder upon its meanings.Reading the Qur'an reminds me that thanking Almighty Allah is an obligation upon all of us. In order to thank Almighty Allah, we must first remember the blessings we have been given, and we should also keep in mind what can happen if we are not thankful, and how we should show our gratitude.

• Do you remember the first day you lived away from your family?
• Do you remember all the times you took your mother’s cooking for granted?
• Do you recall the free time you had, and compare it to the times when you were busy?

Try to remember the times when you had energy and the times when you were too sick to walk.

Remembering Allah’s Blessings

It is important for us to appreciate the blessings we have. Everyday, at least seventeen times, we recite ‘al-hamdu lillahrabbil alamin’(thanks be to Allah the Lord of all that exists).. This verse in Surat Al-Fatiha is short yet powerful. The word ‘rabb’ here means Lord, the only one Who has the right to be worshipped, legislates, and tells us what to do.

Think about this amazing fact; research has disclosed that if a person slept eight hours at night the body moves at least 400 times. If the body was to stay in one position it would become paralyzed, but Almighty Allah through His mercy allows our bodies to move. Also, if we did not have a strong immune system, after a couple of breaths we would get very sick, due to the amount of toxins that enters the body. How many breaths did you just take? These are just two of the blessings that Almighty Allah has bestowed upon us. Many people in the world today are blessed with so much like nice homes, cars, food, and much more; however, such things are often taken for granted.

The Fateful Test

It was narrated that there were three men; one blind, one deaf and one with a skin disease. Their only wish was to be cured and live a normal life, so Allah the Almighty, through the angel Jibril (may Allah be pleased with him), cured them. Later on, they all became wealthy. Then a blind man approached the one who had been blind and asked for help but the man refused to do so and turned him away. The man reminded him of his previous situation, but it had no affect. The same thing happened with the man who was deaf. Shortly afterwards both lost all their wealth, as this was a test from Almighty Allah. The man who asked for help was Jibril (may Allah be pleased with him). They failed the test because they simply forgot to be grateful to Almighty Allah.

Unlike the man who was deaf, and the man who was blind, the one who had suffering from a skin disease offered all that he had. As a result, his wealth increased. Almighty Allah reminds us in the Qur’an that if we thank Him, He will increase what we have. We should take a moment now to reflect and think of all the bounties that have been bestowed upon us.

Throughout history those who refused to thank Almighty Allah were ultimately the losers. On the Day of Judgment all those who rejected Allah the Almighty will wish that they did not exist, and every Muslim will wish for one more second of life.

Those who are studying are aware when the exams will take place, but no one knows when death will face us. Therefore, we should take heed before it is too late. Being a Muslim is the greatest blessing a person can have. Almighty Allah reminds us that He has taken us from darkness to light, but if we fail to acknowledge His bounties and commands, we are at loss.

It is explained in the saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), that a person has shelter as well as the other basic necessities of life, he is considered a rich person. We are also taught to never look at those who have more than us when it comes to matters of this worldly life. Instead, we should think about those who are less fortunate than us.

In order to read this note, you must have a computer and internet access. Now think about how many people there are around the world who do not have these two things. There are many who do not have the blessings that you have! Thank Almighty Allah because truly we are blessed.

Think about the people who haven't got the message, and thank Almighty Allah that we got it as a gift. After receiving such a blessing, we should do good so as to thank Almighty Allah. On the Day of Judgment our book of good deeds will be presented alongside the blessings we received

I pray that we will all take Islam seriously and learn and educate ourselves so we can put it into practice.

 Almighty Allah loves us and showers upon us so much mercy.Undoubtedly, if we read and study the Qur’an it will make our life much easier. If we do so, when we see what is happening in Gaza, Iraq and the rest of the Muslim world, we will know how to react, and more importantly our hearts will be at ease. Let’s remember to thank Almighty Allah for all His many blessings

Life is But once!!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Today I would love to share something that has been in my mind since a few months. Before I begin I would like to quote a verse from the Holy Qur’an. The Qur’an tells us the absoluteness of man’s nature:

 

It is Allah Who created you in a state of weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength, gave you weakness and a hoary head: He creates what He wills, and He is the All-knowing, the All-powerful

 [Al-Qur’an 30:54] 

We all have seen men with hunched backs, gray hair, lost teeth and finding it difficult to walk. A man who has reached his old age; if not a lot has some difficulty in doing a lot of things which He used to do with ease and comfort in his days of youth. He finds it wearisome praying, fasting, eating and drinking.  Ask any aged person and he would tell you that those yesteryears feel just like yesterday. 50 years, 60 years, 70 years or 80 years just flew by. He too as young men do, walked, played and entertained himself.

One may think it happens to everybody! So what is the big deal about it?? The big deal is,

God almighty has given us Humans free will. It is by our will we choose good or bad for ourselves. But is it by our will that we come into this world? Is it by our own authority that we can call upon life or death?

The answer is an emphatic No!! Life is but once!

After a person has become old and weak, afflicted with many ailments it is not possible in the least bit for him to revive the past. And if He has spent or wasted his life in vain play and worthless actions, He cries over the time that has gone by, the strength which has departed him.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said :

“There are two bounties which people do not

give their due thanks (do not utilize properly): health and spare time (leisure)”.

Every new day, every hour, every minute is an Amaanaah (Amaanat). It is a valuable gift from God almighty which is given to us so that we may bank upon and make the most out of it. This man who has not utilized his days of youth in obedience of Allah swt continues to live a life of disappointment and regret. He wants to pray but does not have the strength to worship Allah due to his weakness and old age and finds it difficult to prostrate or even bend in front of his lord. He wishes to fast, but cannot.

We all have heard many when they say- ‘I will do so and so when I grow up.’  “I just want to enjoy my youth right now”

And most of them quote “ Abhi toh zindagi padi hain, kar lenge baad mein” 

I want to ask a simple question to all-

Who can guarantee that you will live until then? Until tomorrow?

I am sure you all know that death comes but suddenly and no one is spared.

The holy Qur’an says-

Every soul shall have a taste of death; In the end to Us shall you be brought back. [Al-Qur’an 29:57]  

Many generations before us that existed have perished. Some repented before time and some didn’t even get a chance to.

Why do you remain heedless and delay repentance when you know that death comes out of the blue,

 “And turn to Allaah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you may succeed.” [Al Qur'an 24: 31].

Friends! What assurance do you have that when you do reach 50, 60, 70 or even 80 you will still have your strength and ability to do all good charitable deeds in the best fashion, as you claim? Or do you even know if you would be fortunate enough to live that long?

God almighty has given us this life so that he may test which one of us is better in deeds. He also gives us the privilege of repenting at any moment we wish. Indeed He is most Merciful and most compassionate!

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, while advising a man,

 “Take advantage of five things before five other things occur; your youth before you become old, your health before you become sick, your wealth before you become poor, your spare time before you become busy, and your life before death”

Let me make this absolutely clear that

Fulfilling our wishes and enjoying life is not wrong and neither to have fun. We should all enjoy, have fun but there should be certain limits for enjoyment in order to prevent ourselves from becoming enslaved by our desires.

Lastly I would like to elaborate; why am I sharing my thoughts on this topic.

 This incident took place when I was offering prayers in the Mosque. After the obligatory prayers I usually look around and feel good looking at people of all ages making Du’as and beseeching God Almighty. An old person was offering prayers right next to me. He was gradual in his movements; bending forth and prostrating were a task for him. But for the love of God, he was there. I cannot quite figure out why I couldn’t take my eyes of him. I was wondering at him and at myself, knowing that I am also going to be like him someday. Old and feeble!!

 By God’s grace he was in a condition to pray. My eyes had gone moist by now. I joined my hands and prayed to God asking Him to let me serve Him till my Last breath and the best would be when death becomes me while I am at sajda(prostration). I thanked God for all the mercies and blessings He has bestowed upon me and all. We can walk, talk, do everything that a normal person can but we do not value these gifts.

   I think we spoke for long enough, so why don’t we start acting? I agree that it is difficult at first, like it was for me few years back but remember the saying of the Prophet (pbuh)

 “There are two bounties which people do not give their due thanks (do not utilize properly): health and spare time”

We are in the age of strength and health, and have a lot of time to utilize, so let us make the most of this time by using it to do what brings us closer to God and benefits you in the Hereafter?

Let us remember,

That this life is an Amaanaah(Amaanat), and it is only once!

Let us know our Lord, our God and follow His commandments.

Let us be at our best with our parents.

Let us be good to our neighbors.

Let us do charity if not with wealth but at least with a good word.

And let us all repent for all the wrong we have done and pledge to do good henceforth.

Ameen.

Are you Forgiving enough to let go?

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

I dedicate this note to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). Indeed, He (s.a.w) was the most sublime (in character) and the most generous among people.   He (s.a.w) was the humblest even at the zenith of his achievements. The Holy Qur’an tells us-

There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.   [Al-Qur’an 33-21] 

And Most Certainly, thou (O Muhammad) are of most sublime and exalted character.   [Al-Qur’an 68-4] 

 Doesn’t it take great courage to forgive someone who has treated
you really badly?

 Even thinking about the ways to “Give it back” makes some of us feel excited, and if something bad happens to the one who has hurt us, it pleases us. One of the greatest qualities of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was that he never took revenge on anyone for personal reasons and always forgave even his firm enemies. Let’s see how the greatest person in the history of mankind acted when he encountered hatred and mischief.

In the tenth year of his prophethood, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) visited the city of Ta’if, which is situated in a valley between great mountains. Until then, he had found very little success in preaching the message of God to the leaders of Makkah, who were not welcoming this message and were making life miserable for the few who did become Muslims. Therefore, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), with his companion Zaid, decided to spread the message to other places and made Ta’if their destination.

The people of Ta’if were very happy with their lives; they had a beautiful valley to live in, enjoyed good food and passed their time in ease and comfort. They also were not willing to listen to this newcomer who was telling them to give up their evil ways and to listen and bow to this One God who they couldn’t even see.

When Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and Zaid reached Ta’if, the leaders of the city made it impossible for the two of them to preach the message of God, and treated Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) in the worst possible manner. They made street boys run after our beloved Prophet and his companion and throw stones at them. These boys were merciless and they pelted Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)  to such an extent that his shoes filled with blood. They took refuge in a garden and laid down to rest.

God, the Exalted, the Mighty, sent down angel Jibril (Gabriel) to tell Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) that if the Prophet so wished, God would crush the whole valley of Ta’if along with its non-believers under the mountains surrounding them.

And what do you think our dear Prophet said? Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was such a compassionate and forgiving person that instead of asking for revenge on the people of Ta’if, he asked God, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful, to forgive them and made Du’a that God may show the people of Ta’if the right path.

He spoke unto Angel Gabriel the following words- “so what if these people have rejected faith today, their future generations will”. This was the level of compassion and mercy that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) had for his enemies, for the people who had caused him great pain and had completely rejected him and his message.

I believe if we have even a small portion of that compassion in our hearts, in our lives, we would not only be better human beings, but would also make everyone around us happy and content. Isn’t it easier to make up and forgive than to nurture thoughts of enmity and revenge and torture our own selves and others? So, if we want to become a little like our dear Prophet (s.a.w)  and follow his ways, let us do it now:

Forgive others and ask forgiveness for our actions that may have hurt others.

Ameen.