...searching...

Whether you are fast or slow, eventually you will find what you are seeking.
Always devote yourself whole heartedly to your search.
Even though you may limp or be bent double,

do not abandon your search,
but drag yourself towards it.

Rumi

3 last wishes...

There is very instructive incident involving the life of Alexander, the great Greek king. Alexander, after conquering many kingdoms, was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and it took him to his death bed.

With death staring him in his face, Alexander realized how his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth were of no consequence.He now longed to reach home to see his mother's face and bid her his last adieu. But, he had to accept the fact that his sinking health would not permit Him to reach his distant homeland.

So,the mighty conqueror lay prostrate and pale, helplessly waiting to breathe his last. He called his generals and said, "I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail." With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king's last wishes.

"My first desire is that,” said Alexander, "My physicians alone must carry my coffin."

After a pause, he continued, "Secondly, I desire that when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones which I have collected in my treasury."

The king felt exhausted after saying this. He took a minute's rest and continued. "My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin."

The people who had gathered there wondered at the king's strange wishes. But no one dare bring the question to their lips. Alexander's favorite general kissed his hand and pressed them to his heart. "O king, we assure you that your wishes will all be fulfilled.But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?"

At this Alexander took a deep breath and said: "

"I would like the world to know of the three lessons I have just learnt. I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor can really cure any body.

They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death.

So let not people take life for granted.

The second wish of strewing gold, silver and other riches on the way to the graveyard is to tell People that not even a fraction of gold will come with me. I spent all my life earning riches but cannot take anything with me.

Let people realize that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.

And about my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin... I wish people to know that I came empty handed into this world and empty handed I go out of this world."

With these words, the king closed his eyes....

Soon he let death conquer him and breathed his last

---------------------------

How many times do we consider we could die tomorrow, or even sooner?

How many times have we taken things in life for granted?

Will it take death to make us realise???

Think about it....

"Every soul shall have a taste of death: and only on the Day ofJudgement shall you be paid your full recompense." (Quran 3:185)

The Straying Servant

A person who is concerned for himself is like a servant whose master has dispatched him on a mission. The master has sent him to some land that the master owns in order to procure some cloth there for him.

When the servant arrives in that place, he begins to say to himself, "Where will I reside? Whom will I marry?" He gets preoccupied with these questions, expending all his energy on anxiety about these concerns until he is delinquent in executing the commands for which his master had sent him.

When his master calls on him, his reward from the master will be that the master cuts him off and seperates himself from the servant, since he was totally preoccupied by his own affairs rather than observing the perogatives and rights of his master.

So it is with you my fellow believer. The true One has dispatched you to this world and commanded you to serve in it faithfully, and has undertaken to support and sustain your existence contingent on your service. If you beome engrossed in worrying about your own concerns for yourself and neglect the rights held over you by your master, then you have turned aside from the path of right guidance and slid down the low road to ruin.

If

If you can keep your Islam
When everyone around you is losing theirs
If you can trust and call on Allah
In all your concerns and daily affairs,

If you truly believe Allah is The Best Knower
When you think ‘you’ know this or that
And remember Allah is the Only Judge
And personal opinions don’t figure in that fact

If you are constant in your Dawah
While you face the trials of this dunya
And make sure all your deeds and actions
Are in accordance with Quran and Sunnah

If you can keep up your daily salat
And your fast during Ramadhan too
Even if at school away from home
You never forget they are required of you

If you remember that even a smile is sadaqah
As you see your muslim sister every day
And make sure you offer the salaams
The moment you see a muslim coming your way

If you keep taqwa in your heart
And grow strong in your Iman
Then your sisters in Islam welcome you
For you are now a - Muslim Woman

by Mahasin Shamsid-Deen

not everything is at it seems....

The story below actually makes you think, or maybe re-think...

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.

Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhatdisappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Quran.

Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Quran?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day.

Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him hisfather had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Quran, just as he had left it years ago.

With tears, he opened the Quran and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Quran. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL.

SubhanAllaah!

How many times do we miss ALLAH'S blessings because they are not PACKAGED as we expected?

3 Tough Questions

There was a young man who went overseas to study for quite a long time. When he returned, he asked his parents to find him a religious scholar or any expert who could answer his 3 Questions. Finally, his parents were able to find a Muslim scholar.

Young man: Who are you? Can you answer my questions?

Scholar: I am one of Allah (SubHana Wa Ta`ala )'s slaves and Insha-Allah (God willing), I will be able to answer your questions

Young man: Are you sure? A lot of Professors and experts were not able to answer my questions.

Scholar: I will try my best, with the help of Allah(SubHana Wa Ta`ala).

Young man: I have 3 questions: 1. Does God exist? If so, show me His shape.
2. What is thaqdir (fate)?
3. If shaitan (Devil) was created from the fire, why at the end he will be thrown to hell that is also created from fire. It certainly will not hurt him at all, since Shaitan (Devil) and the hell were created from fire. Did God not think of it this far?

**Suddenly, the Scholar: slapped the young man's face very hard.**

Young man: (feeling pain): Why do you get angry at me?

Scholar: I am not angry. The slap is my answer to your three questions.

Young man: I really don't understand.

Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?

Young man: Of course, I felt the pain.

Scholar: So do you believe that pain exists?

Young man: Yes.

Scholar: Show me the shape of the pain!

Young man: I cannot.

Scholar: That is my first answer. All of us feel God's existence without being able to see His shape... Last night, did you dream that you will be slapped by me?

Young man: No.

Scholar: Did you ever think that you will get a slap from me, today?

Young man: No.

Scholar: That is takdir (fate) my second answer........ My hand that I used to slap you, what is it created from?

Young man: It is created from flesh.

Scholar: How about your face, what is it created from?

Young man: Flesh.

Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?

Young man: In pain.

Scholar: Thats it. this is my third answer, Even though Shaitan (Devil) and also the hell were created from the fire, if Allah wants, insha-Allah (God willing), the hell will become a very painful place for Shaitan Allah SWT said: "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you."

Soul Scripture's AKA Appeal Online

Assalaamu 'Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu

Dear Respected Brother / Sister

‘Surely they who recite the Book of Allah and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them secretly and openly, hope for a gain which will not perish’ [Surah al Fatir, Verse 29]

Sheikh Riyadh ul Haq set up the Al Kawthar Academy in Leicester a few years ago to serve as a place to hold gatherings and organise the da'wah and talks which take place. The building in Leicester is literally an old factory and is very simple but Alhamdulillah has served its purpose. It was purchased through Qardh Hasan and most of these were for 2 years. 2 years is now up an the Academy is in serious financial difficulties. The outstanding Qardh Hasan currently stands at over £170,000 and needs to be paid back urgently.

Shaytaan threatens us with poverty by making us believe charity decreases wealth. I'm sure many of us can vouch that you can feel the barakah in your money afterwards when you donate to charities. But Allah subhana wata'ala says in the Quran:

"The parable of those who spend their property in the way of Allah is as the parable of a grain growing seven ears (with) a hundred grains in every ear; and Allah multiplies for whom He chooses; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing." (Surah Baqarah 261)

We all have the opportunity either in person or online to benefit from the academy (visit http://www.alkawtharacademy.org to learn more inshaAllah). If you haven’t already, I’m sure you will in the near future, benefit from the work of the Academy. SubhanAllah the least we owe to our Ulema is to allow them to disseminate their 'ilm, by providing financial assistance…

JazakhumAllah Khair for your efforts, may Allah subhana wata'ala strengthen us all in emaan and grant us success in this dunya and most of all in the akhiraah. Please make du'a for the maghfirah of the whole ummah including myself and of course the Al Kawthar Academy and forward this link to others...

May Allah aza wa'a jal bless us all with the opportunity and ability to work for His deen (Ameen).

Wa'alaikum asalaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu

CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW INSHA'ALLAH : http://www.justgiving.com/soulscripture

(All major debit and credit cards are accecpted online, and it takes about a minute in all!)

Virtues of the Hijab

"You're far more Precious than Diamonds and Pearls"

Taken from the book: "More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali's Life Lessons Through His Daughter's Eyes."

"If memory serves me correctly, I was wearing a little white tank top and a short black skirt. I had been raised Orthodox Muslim, so I had never before worn such revealing clothing while in my father's presence. When we finally arrived, the chauffer escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father's suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day. My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget.

He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them." He looked at me with serious eyes. "Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too."