Anticipation

'Abd Allah Ibn Umar (RA) said, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to me:

"Be in this world as a stranger or a wayfarer and count yourself amongst the dead. If you wake up in the morning, don't think of the evening, and if you stay alive to the evening, don't think of the morning.

Save from you health to anticipate your sickness. And from your youth to your old age. And from your life to your death. And from your wealth to your poverty. Indeed! You do not know what you will be called in the future." (i.e you do not know if you will be called a righteous or evil, believer or unbeliever, in the Hereafter).

::::::SELF ANALYSIS::::::

Ok, so subhanAllah....time out....

Take a minute, re-read the above and reflect on it a moment....

....

Ahem...so the big question is, what are we doing! Are we really living for our akhirra as obedient slaves of Allaah....or are we slaves to the dunya and best friends of shaytaan (may Allah swt protect us and forgive us...)

So we all have these great plans...for the future and our perfect little lifes on the dunya...but are we really travellers....or are we building our mansions on the dunya and leaving our akhirra as little more than a pit in the hellfire?

Think about it...how much to we hoard, in anticipation of that rainy day, or that brighter future...how much time and effort do we spend on things that really do not concern us.... Are we really mindful of death or our accountability?

Spending our lives in neglect...and then having the nerve to doubt the will of Allah when a calamity strikes....Can we really, truly call ourselves believers????

Take Heed, refect and really analyse your purpose, your existance, your way of life....are you living for the dunya, or are you living for your akhirra.....

Are you a slave of Allah or a slave to your desires.

May Allah swt protect us from the lure of shaytaan and our nafs, May we die as true righteous believers and May Allah swt grant us the best and purify our intentions.

Ameen

The Believer's Vehicle

Abu Musa al-Ashar'i (RA) said, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:

"Do not curse wordly life! It is indeed a good vehicle for the believer through which he can do good deeds, and through it he will be safe from evil.

If the 'Abd (Allah's bondsmen) says, 'God damn this life.' Life will say, 'May God damn the one of us who is more disobedient to his Lord."

::: Self Analysis: Time out :::

In the midst of this everyday life, all encompassing, of deeds (for the akhirra) and activities.... how many of us, have turned and said oh we're sick of this, or sick of that...through thick and thin, are we really true to Allah and His commands? Are we really grateful for the blessings He (SWT) bestows on us, every hour of every day? Are we really taking advantage of the little time we have left on this dunya? Are we really fulfilling our duty as Muslims? Are we really carrying and spreading the message of Islam far and wide? Have you ever spoken to your neighbours about Islam? Have you ever raised your hands and showed your gratitude for each breath that leaves your body so effortlessly?

We're all too quick to curse and be ungreatful....when we subhanAllah, have so much to be thankful. Even if we spent our lifetimes on our knees repenting before Allah.....we would not appreciate how blessed we truly are. So strike a balance...take heed...and make the most of the few hours/minute/seconds you have left...don't wait till tomorrow....as you can not gaurentee you will survive tonight.

May Allah (SWT) soften our hearts and guide us.

Ameen

Beware of Excess

Abu Hurairah (RA) said, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:

" Beware of the excess of food; indeed, the excess of food hardens the heart, and slows the limbs from obedience to Allah, and deafens the mind from hearing the admonition.

Beware of the excess of looking; indeed, it sows lust in the heart and creates foolishness.

Beware of being greedy because greed fills the heart with strong avidity and seals the heart with the seal of the love of this world, and it is the key for bad deeds and the cause for foiling good deeds"

:::SELF ANALYSIS:::

Take a moment.....

As Ramadhan has finally departed for another year, how many of us have truly drawn from it the bear minimum....??? Have you?

What changes have been made permanent (atleast by intention) in your life?

How aware are you of excessiveness in all its forms????

Reflect....

Are you really doing yourself justice? Where can you improve? How are you going to do it?

May Allah swt save us from greed, and excessiveness in all its forms.

Ameen.

A Quick Reminder

Just a quick reminder for us all inshaAllah.

Ramadhan 1427: The last 10 days....

So....day 24 of Ramadhan 1427....well into the last 10 days of Ramadhan....subhanAllah...that feeling of sadness gradually creeping up on us as we try and make the most of what we have left, not knowing whether we will be alive to see it thru and be blessed enough to see the next.

For many this Ramadhan has been a time for change, a time for reflection, contemplation, and soul searching....changing ourselves, begging for forgiveness, and hoping our fasts were kept with pure intention and are accepted along side our ibadah by Allah (SWT). Many still in hope that mercy, and forgiveness may still be bestilled upon us...before the shayateen are let loose and the muslim community once again disperses for another year, as the masjids stand empty 6 days out of 7. In hope these chages are truly going to last for the next 11 months atlest!

For others, who are looking forward to Eid, and the copious amount of food, free mixing and entertainment, the freedom to go to the cinema, and do all that is haram for the body and the nafs in this life and the akhirra....did you truly understand the concept of Ramadhan, do you truly understand the power of Allah (swt), or have you become blind to the beauty of the deen that has been given to you ...the guidance that is clearly prescribed for you??? All to fulfil your worldly desires, succumb to shaytaan, and feed your nafs all it desires....

MUSLIMS!!!!

Yes, you!

Watch out....the clock is ticking, there is little time left, as another blessed Ramadhan passes us by? Have you done enough, should you die tomorrow? Are you happy with the way you have reformed your characer? Have you removed your bad traits and begged for forgiveness?

Noone....not one of you, can truly say you have done enough....and I for one, put myself at the top of the list! But what are we going to do about it? Wait in awe of Eid, or get down on our knees, hold our hands in dua'a, recite Quran, in hope of some salvation....

Before it's too late....

The poem below is written by myslef....in hope it will make you think and reflect inshaAllah before Ramadhan passes us by, and we succumb to shaytan, our nafs, and worldly desires...

May Allah swt have mercy on us, accept our actions, and distance us from our sins, and the lure of our rotten nafs

Ameen.

Dunya vs. Akhirra...

"Rivalry in worldly increase distracteth you, Until ye come to the graves.Nay, but ye will come to know!Nay, but ye will come to know!Nay, would that ye knew (now) with a sure knowledge!For ye will behold hell-fire.Aye, ye will behold it with sure vision.Then, on that day, ye will be asked concerning pleasure."

(Surah At Takathur)
You have this great plan, of how you want your life to be;

Planning for the dunya, when only He can but foresee.

Studying, working, purchasing, a brand new house or car;

In this wild delusion that this world may take you far.

Distracted from your duties, never mindful of your death,

Not knowing when or where, you might take your last few breaths.

Every day taken for granted, every hour wasted in awe,

Materialistic dunya, ungrateful servants wanting more.

You all manage to fast okay, practice the hunger and the thirst;

Turning your backs then to backbite, envy, hate or worse.

Once a year, in Ramadhan, you all try to do more;

As soon as Eid ul fitr comes, Islam goes out the door.

In a place where there’s no wealth except your deeds, both good and bad;

What use is all this money, when you wasted what you had?

You never spent in Allah’s cause, for fear of poverty;

You embraced the dunya, forgot about Eternity.

When you see, all those you wronged, take the few good deeds you had;

When you see that all your wealth you’ll leave behind, will you be glad?

On the final day of reckoning, when you stand before Allah,

Will you be sent to Hell, or granted access to Jannah?

What’s going on O Muslims? Why do you think that you;

Might escape the punishment, no matter what you do.

The End is but inevitable, the grave your place of rest,

Even the rich amongst you, will have to pass the test.

Control of your Nafs, Purifying your intention,

Don’t let the Shayatin, give bad deeds even a mention.

Live each day as it’s your last, don’t withhold enmity,

Forgive and forget, in hope of pure serenity.

Take heed today o Muslims, and be thankful to Allah;

Turn and Repent, Help others, give Zakah.

Be mindful of your speech, be grateful of your health

Read Quran and Salaah, for truly they will be your wealth.

Soul Scripture, Ramadhan 1427

Ramadhan 1427 (9): How does the ear fast?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the All-Merciful
The ear is responsible before Allah for what it hears. The righteous people are those who listen carefully to what is said and follow it.
The ears fast from listening to obscenities, music and lewd material. To the righteous there is an illustrious fast from hearing things that may anger Allah (SWT) both in and outside of Ramadhan.
There are those amongst us, that fill their ears with forbidden sounds and sinful words and fofbid their ears from the Noble Quran, the noble, distinct and divine audition. Listening to the Quran bears the fruit of faith, guidance, light and prosperity; filling the heart with wisdom, tranquility, intimacy and contentment. It is a source of protection from dangerous, deviant, and and sinful thoughts. So the power of the ears lies in rememberance, beneficial knowledge, good advice, profound manners,and good speech.

Some words on fasting of the ears:

And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge (e.g. ones saying: "I have seen," while in fact he has not seen, or "I have heard," while he has not heard). Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allah).

(Surah Al-Isra: Verse 36)

And surely, We have created many of the jinns and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones.

(Surah Al-Araf: Verse 179)

Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. (i.e. even worst than cattle).

(Surah Al-Furqan: Verse 44)

And when they (who call themselves Christians) listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger (Muhammad SAW), you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognised. They say: "Our Lord! We believe; so write us down among the witnesses. (Surah Al-Maeda: Verse 83)

And whenever there comes down a Soorah (chapter from the Quran), some of them (hypocrites) say: "Which of you has had his faith increased by it?" As for those who believe, it has increased their faith, and they rejoice. But as for those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubt, disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add suspicion and doubt to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt, and they die while they are disbelievers.

(Surah At- Taubah: Verse 124-125)

And those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allah has forbidden).

(Surah Al- Mu'minoon: Verse 3)

And when they hear AlLaghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk), they withdraw from it and say: "To us our deeds, and to you your deeds. Peace be to you. We seek not the ignorant."

(Surah Al-Qasas: Verse 55)

May Allah (swt) protect us from the evil, sounds, words, and acts of disbelief evil or hypocrisy and keep us rightly guided on the one true path. Purifying our hearts, so that we may find peace and true serenity in listening, understanding and learning from the beautiful words of the Holy Quran.
Ameen!

Ramadhan 1427 (8): How does the eye fast?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the All-Merciful

So as we all know, fasting isn't just about the thirst and hunger, but also involves fasting with all the parts of the body. Those include the heart, the tongue (hence avoiding Al-Ghiba), the eyes, ears, hands and feet.

So now we've looked at the fasting of the tongue, and avoiding the major sin of Al-Ghiba, lets look at the fasting of the eye inshaAllah.

Allah (swt) says in the Quran:

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss."

(Quran:Surah 24: verse 30 and 31)

The eye is an opening to the heart and a door to the spirit.

Ali ibn Abi Talib once asked the Prophet (saw) about the gaze. He (saw) replied: 'Lower your gaze' Hence whoever does not lower his gaze will be afflicted by 4 calamities.

1. The disposing of the heart in every direction, and its tearing apart in every field. As a consequence, it has no stability and enjoys no inner peace. Neither is it able to mobilize all its power. It is wounded and weakened and quite rightly complains of the misdeeds of the eyes, its gazes and glances.

2. Punishments of the soul and training it with the loss what is saw and did not get. the soul, because of the act of the eye, is in constant distress, anxiety and turmoil.

3. With the release of forbidden glances, the sweetnesses of worship and obedience is lost. Thus, say goodbye to the light of faith if the eye is not disciplined and made to fast from the unlawful sights. The souls will neither taste faith not find conviction except through the control of the eye.

4. Because of the great sin incurred by its violation of honour and privacy, the eyes would be rewarded with great sin. No one ever fell into filth and perversion except after his eyes had gone astray. Surely there is no movement and no power except with Allah the most High, the most Magnificent.

5 Benefits of Lowering the gaze:

1. Obedience to Allah (swt) command to lower the gaze and hence a blessing and honour in this world and the akhirra inshaAllah.

2. Peace of the heart, its nourishment as well as its realization of its full potential, comfort, happiness and ease.

3. Avoidance of calamaties and safety from trials and misdeeds.

4. Allah opens for His servants the doors of Ilm, understanding, success and uprightness; a fitting reward for piety.

5. Allah will instil a sense of discernment in the heart of the learned and His perfect light in the souls of the truthful; again a reward for those who lowered their gaze.

Summary

So the eyes are expected to fast in obedience to the Ever living, the Selfsubsisting.

There are people whose stomach fasts from food and dirnk but their eyes graze shrubbery of forbidden sights. Such people do not know the real essence of fasting.

So, let our eyes fast from the unlawful things in the same way that we abstein from food and drink inshaAllah.

Let our hearts be healthy and our spirits relax.

The Quran says:

"May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon the one whose eye fasts for the pleasure of His Lord."

(Surah 76: verses 11 and 12)

May Allah (swt) make us worthy of his peace, blessings and mercy.

Ameen!

Ramadhan 1427 (7): Al-Ghiba'a, A Summary (Part III)

Lessons regarding Al-Ghiba:

1. Al-Ghiba, is backbiting, and means t mention something bad about a person in their absence.

2. If what is said is not true, it is called slander.

3. The one who listens to backbiting is one of the backbiters.

4. The backbiter pays for the sins of the person who did the wrong.

5. A backbiter is not forgiven by Allah until the person He spoke ill of forgives him.

6. People normally backbite about: character, deeds, religious or worldly affairs.

7. Speaking ill of a leader about his wrongs is not backbiting.

8. It is not backbiting if one warns other Msulims about the practices of someone or to speak ill of a person who is known for his bad habits.

9. Just as you would hate to eat the flesh of your dead brother, so too, you should hate to hurt the feelings of a Muslim by backbiting.

10. If you conceal the faults of others, Allah will conceal yur faults in this world and the Hereafter.

11. If you see one virtue in a person do not mention the 10 faults they have.

12. Paradise is for him who controls his tongue.

13. Do not speak ill of good people; you then do them wrong.

14. Do not speak ill of the wicked; you then make an enemy of them.

15. Do not slander another; lest you make another enemy.

Ramadhan 1427 (6): Al-Ghiba'a (Part II)

Causes of Al-Ghiba

There are 7 causes of Al-Ghiba

1.Venting one's Anger:
For example in an arguement between two people, and later one backbites the other to justify or gratify their anger.

2. Desire to fit in and be accepted by one's companions:
When you hear your friends speak ill of others behind their back and you don't stop them or warn them, you join them! Take heed of the verse:
"..friends on that day will be foes one to another, except the righteous people."
Al Zakhruf: Verse 67

3. To raise oneself by degrading another:
In the same way one becomes jealous when another is praised, and then seeks to disparage them. Or when one's knowledge, honour, and good qualities are praised in front of him and he says, yes but he also has such and such bad qualities. This is shaytaan, luring you to believe this is sincere advice, but if it was, you would give it privately not expose him publicly.

4. Sheer Envy:
Envy is an evil. Shaytaan decieves us by envying the benefits of others and waiting for Allah (swt) to remove them. Hence the only way to disparage them is to speak ill of them behind their back. Muslims, be aware! Allah only gives His benefits, to those whom He likes, and no one can change this decree.

5. Joke and Amusement:
Backbiting in order to make others laugh. This is a grave sin as the Prophet (SAW) said:
"It is a serious evil for a Muslim to look down upon his Brother Muslim."
Sahih Muslim: On the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA).

6. Pretending to Show Mercy:
Someone may say: poor so and so, I feel sorry for him, he takes the Fajr prayer so lightly, or he has shaved his beard or been tested by such and such offence. If the backbiter was sincere, he would be genuinely distressed, and not spread the misdamenours but invoke Allah (swt) to help him overcome their problems, advising them in secret.

7. Forcing oneself to be angry for the sake of Allah:
For example whem one says: Look and so and so and how he transgresses against Allah's boundaries or violates His Commands. This person is wicked and evil, because if he is honest he would have met him and commanded him to do good and forbid him frm evil.

The cure for Al-Ghiba

One can overcome Al-Ghiba in 5 ways:

1. Realise:
Ghiba is a sin that exposes you to the displeasure of Allah (swt) and remember just what the punishment is.

2. Remember:
That your good deeds are going to the one you are backbiting, and their sins are being given to you, on the Day of Judgement, you might be in need of that one good deed to save you from Hellfire.

3. Be Mindful:
Put yourself in the shoes of the one you are backbiting. Would you like it that someone else back bite you?

4. Purify:
Clean your heart from that which causes you to backbite a fellow Muslim; such as hatred, ency, glory (self praise), arrogance, and other diseases.

5. Reflect:
Ponder over your own faults instead of backbiting other people, and occupy yourself with correcting them. Feel ashamed to discuss others faults when you have so many. If you are really free from faults, be thankful to Allah as backbiting is one of the major sins.

"O Children of Adam, you will not achieve the reality of Eeman until you stop finding faults with people when you yourself have so many faults, and until you start correcting them. If you do so, occupy yourself with your own self, because the dearest servants of Allah are those who are like this."
Al-Hassan Al-Basri (may Allah have mercy upon him)

Reflect:

If your soul drives you to mention other people's faults, first ask yourself:

- Have you prayed with the Imam the 5 daily prayers in the Masjid?

-Have you performed the Night prayers?

- Have you recited part of the Quran today?

- Have you invoked Allah (swt) for helping Muslims today?

- Have you invoked Allah (swt) for your parents today?

- Have you given sadaqah today to the poor?

- Have you fasted one day for Allah (swt) this week?

- Have you performed your prayers today, submissively in the presence of Allah (swt)

- Have you prayed Du'ah (forenoon) Salaah today?

- Have you maintained your voluntary prayers?

- Have you mentioned the morning and afternoon Adhkaar?

- Have you remembered Allah (swt) today and cired or were you negligent?

Take time to look at yourself, and take advantage of your time by asking for Allah's forgivenness, and occupying yourself with your own problems and flaws.

May Allah (swt) purify us and distance us from the evil fo Al-Ghiba, bringing us closer to Him and may He purify our intentions and accept our good deeds.
Ameen