Live a Balanced Life

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), he made a brotherhood with the Muhajiruun (those who migrated to Madinah) and the Ansar (those who already lived in Madinah). There were a couple of significant brotherhoods, for example: Abdurahmaan Ibn Awf (ra) and Sa'd ibn Rabi' (ra) or Salman Al Farisi (ra) and Abu Ad-Darda (ra). Below is an instant of the brotherhood of Salman (ra) and Abu Ad-Darda (ra) of living a balanced life.

Narrated Abu Juhaifa (ra): The Prophet (saws) made a bond of brotherhood between Salman Al-Farisi (ra) and Abu Ad-Darda (ra)’. Salman (ra) paid a visit to Abu Ad-Darda’ (ra) and found Um Ad-Darda’ (ra) dressed in shabby clothes and asked her why she was in that state. She replied, "Your brother Abu Ad-Darda’ (ra) is not interested in (the luxuries of) this world." 

In the meantime Abu Ad-Darda’ (ra) came and prepared a meal for Salman (ra). Salman (ra) requested Abu Ad-Darda’ (ra) to eat (with him), but Abu Ad-Darda’ (ra) said, "I am fasting." Salman (ra) said, "I am not going to eat unless you eat".
So, Abu Ad-Darda’ (ra) ate (with Salman). When it was night and (a part of the night passed), Abu Ad-Darda’ (ra) got up (to offer the night prayer), but Salman (ra) told him to sleep and Abu Ad-Darda’ (ra) slept.
After sometime Abu Ad-Darda’ (ra) again got up but Salman (ra) told him to sleep. When it was the last hours of the night, Salman (ra) told him to get up then, and both of them offered the prayer.
Salman (ra) told Abu Ad-Darda’ (ra), "Your Lord has a right on you, your soul has a right on you, and your family has a right on you; so you should give the rights of all those who has a right on you."
Abu Ad-Darda’(ra) came to the Prophet (saws) and narrated the whole story. The Prophet (saws) said, "Salman (ra) has spoken the truth."
Fasting – Sahih Bukhari: Volume 3, Book 31, Number 189 

 Narated By Abu Huraira : The Prophet (SAW) said, "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshiping in the mornings, the nights." (Bukhari)

So basically we see that the Prophet (SAW) has ordered that we don't "overdo" it when it comes to acts of worship and start making things difficult upon our selves, for if we were to attempt to do so we won't remain consistent since we will eventually 'pop' and become bored or leave the acts of worship for good.

Worship Your Lord until there comes to you the Certainty (Death)

A man woke up early in order to Pray the Fajr prayer in the Masjid. He got dressed, made his ablution and was on his way to the Masjid.On his way to the Masjid, the man fell and his clothes got dirty.He got up, brushed himself off, and headed home. At home,He changed his Clothes, made his ablution, and was, again,on his way to the Masjid.

On his way to the Masjid, He fell again and at the same spot! He, again, got up, brushed himself off and headed home. At home he, once again, changed his clothes,made his ablution and was on his way to the Masjid.

On his way to the Masjid, he met a man holding a lamp.he asked the man of his identity and the man replied I saw you fall twice on your way to the Masjid, So i brought a lamp so I can light your way.’

The first man thanked him and the two where on their way to the Masjid. Once at the Masjid, the first man asked the man with the lamp to come in and pray Fajr with him.

The second man refused.
The first man asked him a couple more times and, again, the answer was the same.

The first man asked him why he did not wish to come in and pray.
The man replied I am Shaytan (Devil)

The man was shocked at this reply. Shaytan went on to explain,

‘I saw you on your way to the Masjid and it was I who made you fall. When you went home,cleaned yourself and went back on your way to the Masjid, Allah forgave all of your sins. I made you fall a second time, and even that did not encourage you to stay home,but rather, you went back on your way to the Masjid. Because of that, Allah forgave all the sins of the people of your household .I was afraid if i made you fall one more time, then Allah will forgive the sins of the people of your village, so I made sure that you reached the Masjid safely.’

 

“Prostrate much because there is no Muslim that prostrates to God except that God raises him one degree in Paradise by it and forgives for him a sin.” (Ahmad)

A great lecture on this topic is, "Do You Love Allah" by Omar Elbanna

The Best of Planners

It related that a woman went to a Prophet Dawud (A.S) and said “O Prophet of Allah is your Lord an oppressor or is he just?”

The prophet replied, “Woe unto you, O woman, He is the All-Just, Who never oppresses. What is your story?”

She explained that she was a widow, with three daughters and that she provided for them by what she would spin with her hands. She explained, “Yesterday, I tied what I had spun into a red cloth to sell in the marketplace so as to provide for my children.

As I was walking, a bird came and snatched the cloth of me and flew away, leaving me with nothing to sell for the provision of my children.”

As the woman was speaking to Dawud, someone came knocking on his door. He gave permission for them to enter and learned that they were ten businessmen bringing with them one hundred dinars each.

They said “O Prophet of Allah, give this wealth to one that is deserving.” Dawud asked them what had brought them to him with their wealth.

They explained, “O Prophet of Allah, we were on a boat, the wind was very violent, and we were about to drown when a bird came and dropped a red cloth on us. In this cloth was some yard and with this we were able to block the hole in the ship until the winds subsided and we vowed that each one of us would give one hundred dinars in charity. So give that amount to whomever you please.”

Dawud turned to the women and said, “Your Lord does business for you in the land and in the sea, yet you ask whether he oppresses!” He gave her the 1000 dinars and said, “Spend this on your children.”

 

"They planned, and Allah also Planned. Allah is the Best Planner of All."

Via Daily Islamic Stories

Dua of a Distressed Person

Anas Radiyallahu Anh narrates that there was a companion of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam called Abu Mu’liq. He was a trader who traded both his own goods as well as those of others. He was a person who was always engaged in Ibaadah and was extremely abstinent.

Once whilst he was out on business an armed robber confronted him .” Put down your goods,” the robber demanded, “ because I am going to kill you’ Abu Mu’liq RA told him: “ You may have all the goods.” “ It is your life that I want,” the robber barked.

“Then permit me to perform salaah,” Abu Mu’liq requested. The robber laughed, “You may perform as much Salaah as you please.”

Abu Mu’liq RA made wudhu and started performing salaah. One of the Du’aas he made was:

O The Most Loving! O Master of the Glorious Throne! O the One Who does as He please! By Your Honour that none can hope to have, by Your Kingdom that none can harm and by Your light that fills the foundation of Your throne do I implore You to protect me from the evil of this robber. O helper, do help me. O helper, do help me. O helper, do help me.

When he had made this Du’a thrice, a rider suddenly appeared with a spear held high above his head. The rider stabbed the spear at the robber and killed him.

Abu Mu’liq Radiyallahu Anhu went up to the rider and asked, “ Who are you?” He replied, “I am the one whom Allah has rescued you through me.

The rider went on to explain: “I am an angel of the fourth heaven. When you first made the du’aa for the first time, I heard the doors of the heaven rattle. When you made the du’aa the second time, I heard the inhabitants of the heavens cry out. When you made the du’a for the third time it was announced that this was the du’aa of a person in distress. I then sought permission from Allah to grant me the ability to kill the robber.“

You ought to know the good news that whoever makes wudhu, performs four Rakaats Salaah and then makes this Du’a, his Du’a will be answered whether he is in distress or not.[ibn Abi Dunya in his Majaabad Da’wah, as quoted in Isaabah(Vol 4/Pg 182]

Via "Daily Islamic Stories"

Bodyguard of your Grave: Surah Al Mulk

Ibne-’Abbas Radiyallahu ‘anhuma narrates that someone, amongst the companions of Nabi Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam, set up his tent over a grave, without realizing that it was a grave. Suddenly he heard the person of the grave reciting Surah Mulk, upto to end of the Surah. He came to Nabi Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam and said: O Rasulallah I set up my tent unknowingly over a grave, and suddenly I heard someone reciting Surah Mulk up to its end. Nabi Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said: It is the defender; it is the protector which safeguards him from the Punishment in the grave.
(Tirmidhi)


Abu Hurairah Radiyallahu ‘anhu narrates that Nabi Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said: Indeed, there is a Surah in the Qur’an having thirty verses, which intercedes for its reciter until he is forgiven. And that Surah is: Tabarakalladhl biyadihil mulk (Surah 67).

(Tirmidhi) 

If we were to learn a verse a day from Surah Al Mulk, it wouldn't take you more than even a month to have it all memorized.

Imam Nawawi says, “One should be especially observant in reciting Surat Ya Sin (36), Surat al Waqia (56) and Surat al Mulk.(67)”

Happiness is in the Service of Others

A young man, was one day taking a walk with his teacher, who was commonly called the student's friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.

As they went along,they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field close by,and who had nearly finished his day's work.

The student turned to the  teacher, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them."

"My young friend," answered the  teacher, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him."

The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.

While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again.

He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.

His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to the heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand,would save from perishing.

The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. "Now," said the  teacher, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"

The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: 

"It's more blessed to give than to receive."

Abdullah bin Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallAllahu alaiyhi wassallam) said that encouraging good, prohibiting evil, lifting the burden of the weak person and removing an offensive thing from a path are all acceptable prayers to Allah.

[ibn Majah]

(Via http://islamcan.com/islamic-stories/better-to-give.shtml)

Tunnel Vision: Story of a Young Man with Strong Desires

A young man came to a Shaykh and said, “I am a young man with strong desires. I cannot help looking at people when I am in the bazaar(market). What do I do?” The Shaykh handed him a cup of milk that was full to the brim, and told him to deliver it to an address that would take the young man directly through the bazaar (market). He then instructed the young man that the milk should not spill, and the man said that it would not. The Shaykh then summoned one of his students and told him to accompany the man through the bazaar to the destination, and to severely beat him if any milk were to spill.

This man successfully took the milk to the destination and returned to give the good news to the Shaykh. The shaykh asked, “Tell me, how many sights and faces did you see in the bazaar?” The man replied incredulously, “Sheik, I didn’t even realize what was going on around me. I was only fearful of the beating and disgrace that I would have to endure in public if a drop of milk were to spill.”

The Shaykh smiled and said,
“It is the same with a believer. The believer fears that Allah may disgrace him in front of the entire creation on the Day of Judgment if his faith were to spill over from his heart.” Such people save themselves from sin because they constantly remain focused on the 

Day of Judgment !

Honor of the Heart

Qari Muhammad Qayyam (may the mercy of Allah be upon him) related that a great deal of fighting and bloodshed had started prior to theIndo-Pakistan partition of 1947. He said that a very beautiful daughter of a very rich man in a certain community stepped out of her house to visit her aunt, who lived no more than a few streets away. Suddenly a riot erupted as she had gone halfway and she found herself trapped with apparently nowhere to go. She saw a Masjid nearby and quickly went inside, sitting in the women’s section. The rioting continued late into the night and this girl did not know what to do.

The custodian of the Masjid was a very young student there and late at night when he walked through the Masjid before locking up he noticed this beautiful young lady. He was a respectful young man who feared Allah and so politely asked her to leave, saying that if she was found there then both would be dishonored and thrown out. She pleaded with him because of the extreme danger outside and so he agreed that she could spend the night, and sat down to study at the opposite end of the masjid.

The girl was unable to sleep with the events of the day in her mind and so watched the young man sitting studying by candle light at the opposite end of the masjid. She kept watching him and was very surprised at something she saw. From time to time this young man would extend his hand and keep it over the open flame, only withdrawing it when the flame obviously became unbearable. He then would resume his studies and continued this throughout the night until the dawn broke.

The young man called the Adhan and asked the girl to leave before the congregation started coming to pray since now everything was calm outside. She agreed on the condition that he tell her why he was placing his hand on the candle flame throughout the night. The young man said that that was his own business and so the girl refused toleave until he told her what she wanted to know. The young man gave in and said, “I am at the age of youth and strong desire. We were alone and my desire was increasing, and although I was studying the Devil (Shaitan) would occasionally put temptation in my heart. Hence wheneverI would feel any temptation I would put my hand on the flame and my fingers would burn. I would say to myself that this flame is nothing compared to the fire of Hell.”

The girl left the Masjid and reached home, calming her parents’ fears as to what had happened to her. She also confided in her mother that she wanted to marry the custodian of the Masjid near their house. She related the night’s events to her parents and said that only such a man with true fear of Allah in his heart can be true to his wife. Only such a man who truly fears Allah can fulfill a wife’s rights properly.

Hence the poor custodian of the Masjid earned the daughter of a rich household in marriage. He received this honor not because of his looks but because of his character. Everything disintegrates and turns to dust but character remains strong. Honor is not bestowed because of handsome clothes or beautiful jewelry but because of what is in the heart. 

 

Knowledge is only beneficial when it is captured within the heart, and not merely written in books.

Character of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him): Argument

Once the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting with his Companions, and one person used insulting words against Abu Bakr causing him pain. But Abu Bakr remained silent. The person again used bitter words against Abu Bakr, and still Abu Bakr did not respond. The third time when this ignorant person hurt Abu Bakr with his tongue, Abu Bakr tried answering 

back. At this point the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) got up.

Abu Bakr asked him, "Are you displeased with me, O Messenger of Allah?"

The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "No, but (when you remained silent) an angel came down from the heaven responding to this man's talk. But the moment you started replying to that man, the angel went away and the devil sat down. And I cannot sit where the devil is sitting." 

[Abu Dawud]

Eyes are Always Watching

Several years ago an Imaam moved to London. He often took the bus from his home to the town area. Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the same bus.

When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him twenty pence too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, you better give the twenty pence back. It would be wrong to keep it. Then he thought, oh forget it, it’s only twenty pence. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company already gets too much fare; they will never miss it.  Accept it as a gift from Almighty Allah and keep quiet.

When his stop came, the Imaam paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the twenty pence back to the driver and said “Here, you gave me too much change.”

The driver with a smile replied “Aren’t you the new Imaam in this area? I have been thinking lately about going to worship at your mosque. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change.”

When the Imaam stepped off the bus, his knees became weak and soft. He had to grab the nearest light pole and held for support, and looked up to the heavens and cried “Oh Allah, I almost sold Islam for twenty pence!”

Remember, we may never see the impact our actions have on people. Sometimes we are the only knowledge of Quran someone will read, or the only Islam a non-Muslim will see.

What we need to provide, Insha Allah is an example for others to see. Be careful and be honest everyday, because you never know who is watching your actions and judging you as a Muslim.

"One positive incident,one incident involving you taking a brown paper bag of sandwich and giving it to somebody is enough to undo twenty years of fox news programming in their heads.one incident. One encounter."

Little Thanks We Give

A young and successful executive was travelling down a neighbourhood street going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! He slammed on the breaks and drove the Jag ba

ck to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost me a lot of money. Why did you do it?”

The young boy was apologetic. “Please mister...please, I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop.” With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. “It’s my brother. He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.”

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his handkerchief and wiped at the fresh scrapes and cuts. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair- bound brother down the sidewalk toward home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar.

The damage was very noticeable but the driver never repaired the dented side door. There are many lessons in this story: but he kept the dent to remind him of this message:

Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention. Every day we are reminded of the ‘whisper’ of our experiences around. When our Creator has blessed us with ‘sight’; then why do we continue life so blindly? Sometimes when we don’t take the time to take heed, a ‘brick’ is thrown at us; so that we may take lessons there from.

Character of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him): Providing for those in Need

"A woman gave the Messenger of God (pbuh) a Burdah (gown). The Prophet (pbuh) asked his Companions: ‘Do you know what a Burdah is?’ They replied, ‘Yes, O Prophet of God! It is a piece of woven cloth [similar to a shawl]. The woman said: ‘O Prophet of God! I have woven this shawl with my own hands, for you to wear.’ The Messenger of God (pbuh) took it while he direly needed it. After a while, the Messenger of God (pbuh) came out of his home wearing it, and a Companion said to the Messenger of God (pbuh): ‘O Prophet of God! Grant me this shawl to wear!’ The Messenger of God (pbuh) said: ‘Yes.’ He then sat for awhile, and headed back home, folded it and gave it to the person who asked for it. The Companions scolded him saying: ‘It was not appropriate for you to ask for his shawl; especially since you know he does not turn anyone down or send them away empty-handed! The man said: ‘By God! I only asked him to give it to me because I want to be shrouded in this shawl when I die.’ Sahl, the narrator of the Hadeeth said: ‘The shawl was used as a shroud for that man when he died." 

(Bukhari #1987)

Miracle from the Quran: Darkness under the Sea

Allah (SWT) says in t:he Quran:

 Or [the state of a disbeliever] is like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by dark clouds, (layers of) darkness upon darkness: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light.

[Surat An-Nur, verse: 40]. 

The explanation of the verse:
God be he blessed and exalted talks in this Quranic text about those who disbelieved in God's verses and denied His meeting and disclaimed the Prophet. So those people and their works that they have done in their lives are like a man that runs behind a mirage, panting behind it and when he reaches it he found nothing but his bad work. And this unbeliever is like a man living in the darkness of a deep sea and can hardly see anything because of the accumulated darkness.

Al-Imam Al-Qurtuby may Allah have mercy on him said: (in a vast deep sea) is the sea that we couldn't see its bottom and vast means the sea when the waves clash. And it was recently discovered that there are interior waves in the deep sees.

Scientific fact:
When scientists went down to the depths of the oceans, they found that deep sees have great darkness. And at the depth of one kilometer one could hardly see something and the darkness increases if the surface sea waves are high as they contribute in blocking the sunlight.

They have also found that at the depths of the deep sees, there are internal waves that no one could see unless he goes down to depths of more than one thousand meters and these waves could be harder than the surface waves.

In this Quranic text there are two scientific signs:
1-Talking about the darkness in the deep sees and this is what scientists have recently discovered and it wasn't known at the time of the coming down of Quran.

2-Referring to the internal deep waves and it was also recently discovered by scientists and it was mentioned in the verse as Almighty God says: (overwhelmed with waves topped by waves).

Below is a video of Mufti Menk giving a better explanation of this Miracle

 Via Facebook Group: Scientific Miracles of Islam

How to make this your Best Ramadan

Below are a few tips from Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari

Ramadan is on our door step, Al-Hamdulillah! May Allah accept our worship, protect us from His disobedience and engulf us with His mercy, Ameen. I would like to share a few reminders with you:

1) Prepare for this blessed month from now – if you haven’t already done so. Sort things out and manage your time carefully. Make a timetable, if possible. It is good to make a to-do list (Qur’an, tahajjud, salawat, dhikr, dua, charity) and to-not-do list (watching TV, smoking, backbiting, slandering, hurting feelings, arguing, etc).

2) Ramadan is a month of Taqwa. ‘Taqwa’ refers to being mindful that we will be answerable to God concerning all that we do, say and write. Although fasting, tarawih and other acts of worship are important; the most important thing is to avoid sins – especially those related to the rights of creation (huquq al-ibad). Quarrelling, arguing, backbiting, swearing, slandering, obscenity and other similar acts must be avoided at all costs. It is better to sleep all day (doing only the fard acts) and avoid sins than worship Allah accompanied with sins! The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, “[A true] fast is not to [merely] avoid food and drink; it is to avoid sinful and obscene acts.” (Ibn Hibban)

3) Please take extra care in guarding yourself from the sins of the tongue. Backbiting (ghiba) and other such sins must be avoided. The great Tabi’i, Imam Abu ‘l-Aliya said, “A fasting person remains in a state of worship even if he remains sleeping on his bed, as long as he does not backbite.”

4) A hungry man is an angry man! As such, control your anger. Why wash away all the rewards of fasting by doing something foolish, especially near the end when tempers can really flare up! Avoid arguments and fights over parking, in the Masjid or kitchen at Iftar time, and do not unnecessarily scold children. Remember, Ramadan is a month of mercy; and if we want Allah’s mercy, we need to show mercy to others.

5) Ramadan has a special connection with reciting the book of Allah. Spend as much time as possible in recitation. Focus more on quality than quantity, meaning recite slowly with reflection and understanding. Imam Malik would stop teaching Hadith (and other sacred sciences) in Ramadan, and focus on reciting Qur’an.

6) It is highly important not to disturb others during Ramadan. Whilst attending the Masjid, remember the neighbors may be sleeping and have to wake up early for work. Do not disturb others, or park your cars as you wish - thinking that we have a God-given right to do as we wish!

7) It is Islamically wrong to come for prayers at the Masjid with bad body/mouth odor. The Prophet (peace be upon him) condemned it emphatically saying, “He who has eaten garlic or onion [or anything else with a strong smell] should keep away from us or our mosques.” (Bukhari) As such, ensure to brush your teeth, clean your mouth and apply some fragrance (for men)! It is wrong to harm others with bad body or mouth odor. This is especially important at Maghrib (after Iftar, when you might have just consumed something) and Tarawih. Don’t burp whilst in Salat, and don't smoke just before entering the Masjid!

8) Maximize your time and do not waste it. If possible, take a break from social media; and even better, from the internet altogether. I also will not be posting any messages during Ramadan. I ask all of you to remember me in your prayers. Ramadan Karim!

Bear with Patience whatever Befalls You

ALLAH says: And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient; Who, when calamity strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to ALLAH, and indeed to HIM we will return.” Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. (Surah Al-Baqarah 155-157)

This story was recounted by Prof. Khalid Al-Jubeir, consulting cardiovascular surgeon, in one of his lectures:

Once I operated on a two and a half year old child. It was Tuesday, and on Wednesday the child was in good health. On Thursday at 11:15 am – and I’ll never forget the time because of the shock I experienced – one of the nurses informed me that the heart and breathing of the child had stopped. I hurried to the child and performed cardiac massage for 45 minutes and during that entire time the heart would not work.

Then, ALLAH decreed for the heart to resume function and we thanked HIM. I went to inform the child’s family about his condition. As you know, it is very difficult to inform the patient’s family about his condition when it’s bad. This is one of the most difficult situations a doctor is subjected to but it is necessary. So I looked for the child’s father whom I couldn’t find. Then I found his mother. I told her that the child’s cardiac arrest was due to bleeding in his throat; we don’t know the cause of this bleeding and fear that his brain is dead. So how do you think she responded? Did she cry? Did she blame me? No, nothing of the sort. Instead, she said “Alhamdulillah” (All Praise is due to ALLAH) and left me.

After 10 days, the child started moving. We thanked ALLAH and were happy that his brain condition was reasonable. After 12 days, the heart stopped again because of the same bleeding. We performed another cardiac massage for 45 minutes but this time his heart didn’t respond. I told his mother that there was no hope. So she said: “Alhamdulillah. O ALLAH, if there is good in his recovery, then cure him, O my Lord.”

With the grace of ALLAH, his heart started functioning again. He suffered six similar cardiac arrests till a trachea specialist was able to stop the bleeding and the heart started working properly. Now, three and a half months had passed and the child was recovering but did not move. Then just as he started moving, he was afflicted with a very large and strange pus-filled abscess in his head, the likes of which I had never seen. I informed his mother of the serious development. She said “Alhamdulillah” and left me.

We immediately turned him over to the surgical unit that deals with the brain and nervous system and they took over his treatment. Three weeks later, the boy recovered from this abscess but was still not moving. Two weeks pass and he suffers from a strange blood poisoning and his temperature reaches 41.2°C (106°F). I again informed his mother of the serious development and she said with patience and certainty: “Alhamdulillah. O ALLAH, if there is good in his recovery, then cure him.”

After seeing his mother who was with her child at Bed#5, I went to see another child at Bed#6. I found that child’s mother crying and screaming, “Doctor! Doctor! Do something! The boy’s temperature reached 37.6°C (99.68°F)! He’s going to die! He’s going to die!” I said with surprise, “Look at the mother of that child in Bed#5. Her child’s fever is over 41°C (106°F), yet she is patient and praises ALLAH.” So she replied: “That woman isn’t conscious and has no senses”. At that point, I remembered the great Hadith of the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam): “Blessed are the strangers.” Just two words… but indeed two words that shake a nation! In 23 years of hospital service, I have never seen the likes of this patient sister.

We continued to care for him. Now, six and a half months have passed and the boy finally came out of the recovery unit – not talking, not seeing, not hearing, not moving, not smiling, and with an open chest in which you can see his beating heart. The mother changed the dressing regularly and remained patient and hopeful. Do you know what happened after that? Before I inform you, what do you think are the prospects of a child who has passed through all these dangers, agonies, and diseases? And what do you expect this patient mother to do whose child is at the brink of the grave and who is unable to do anything except supplicate and beseech ALLAH? Do you know what happened two and a half months later? The boy was completely cured by the mercy of ALLAH and as a reward for this pious mother. He now races his mother with his feet as if nothing happened and he became sound and healthy as he was before.

The story doesn’t end here. This is not what moved me and brought tears to my eyes. What filled my eyes with tears is what follows:

One and a half years after the child left the hospital, one of the brothers from the Operations Unit informed me that a man, his wife and two children wanted to see me. I asked who they were and he replied that he didn’t know them. So I went to see them, and I found the parents of the same child whom I operated upon. He was now five years old and like a flower in good health – as if nothing happened to him. With them also was a four-month old newborn. I welcomed them kindly and then jokingly asked the father whether the newborn was the 13th or 14th child. He looked at me with an astonishing smile as if he pitied me. He then said, “This is the second child, and the child upon whom you operated is our first born, bestowed upon us after 17 years of infertility. And after being granted that child, he was afflicted with the conditions that you’ve seen.”

At hearing this, I couldn’t control myself and my eyes filled with tears. I then involuntarily grabbed the man by the arm, and pulling him to my room, asked him about his wife: “Who is this wife of yours who after 17 years of infertility has this much patience with all the fatal conditions that afflict her first born?! Her heart cannot be barren! It must be fertile with Imaan!”Do you know what he said? Listen carefully my dear brothers and sisters. He said, “I was married to this woman for 19 years and for all these years she has never missed the [late] night prayers except due to an authorized excuse. I have never witnessed her backbiting, gossiping, or lying. Whenever I leave home or return, she opens the door, supplicates for me, and receives me hospitably. And in everything she does, she demonstrates the utmost love, care, courtesy, and compassion.” The man completed by saying, “Indeed, doctor, because of all the noble manners and affection with which she treats me, I’m shy to lift up my eyes and look at her. So I said to him: “And the likes of her truly deserve that from you.”

Sleep when the Wind Blows

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the ocean, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the little man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired man's sleeping quarters. Farmer shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.

The farmer then understood what his hired man meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired man in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.

Via (Daily Islamic Stories - Facebook)

If You are Thankful, Allah will Give you More

It is he who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing, and he gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection so that you may give thanks (to God) 

(An-Nahl 16: 78)

Salman al-Farsi (r) said: "There was a man who was given many of the luxuries of this world, and then they were taken away from him. But he continued to praise and thank Allah until everything had been taken from him, even his bed. And then he still praised and thanked Allah. Another man , who had also been given many of the luxuries of this world asked him, "What are you praising and thanking Allah for?" The man said, "I am praising and thanking Allah for blessings which, if others asked me to give them to them in return for all that they have, I would never give them up." "What can they be?" asked the second man. "Can't you see?" asked the first man. 

"I have my eyesight, my tongue, my hands, my feet."

Sujuud As-Shukr

When the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) used to receive good news, he would prostrate himself (sujud) and give thanks to Allah. Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf (radee Allahu 'anhu) narrated: "The Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) entered upon us in the mosque, stood facing the qiblah, then prostrated himself and remained in sujud for a long time. I said to him, "O Messenger of Allah, you prostrated yourself for such a long time that we thought Allah had taken your soul." He said "Jibril came to me with good news. He told me: "Allah says, Whoever sends blessings o­n you, I will send sixty blessings o­n him in return and whoever salutes you, I will salute him in return", so I prostrated myself and gave thanks to Allah."

How to be Grateful?

1. Recognize Allah's favor upon us.

2. Use what we are given in the obedience of Allah

3. Be in the assistance of others

Allah says in the Quran:

"If you are Thankful, I will give you more"

(14:7)

Allah (SWT) Conceals our Sins through his Mercy

A pious person narrates, I saw a young man frequently reciting the words, 

'Oh Eternal being, Your Kindness is so Eternal!'

One day I asked him, "Why do you recite these words so often?"

He answered, "I do because of a strange incident that changed my life. When I was younger I would attend weddings and functions frequented by females. I would dress as a women and draw a veil over my face so that they would not identify my gender. In this way I would join in their functions and sit amongst them. One day there was a wedding function in the house of the ruler. I attended as usual. Incidentally a piece of jewellery which was valuable was stolen and the ruler instructed all the women be searched.

Accordingly, they were instructed to remove their veils. When this happened I began to recite these words, "O Eternal Being, Your Kindness is also Eternal.' I also took a pledge to ALLAH that if HE concealed my identity, I would never attend female functions again. As they were about to search me, it was announced that the remaining women should be left alone as the jewellery had been recovered.

That day, I repented to ALLAH and promised to never revert to such a sin again."

Below is a video clip of Shaykh Abdulnasir Jangda narrating a story of how Allah (SWT) concealed one of the sins of a companions of Musa (AS)

 

"When Allah conceals the Sins of a person, what does he do? He calls people or in our case posts a status, picture or tweet and says, "I did such and such last night" When the Almighty Lord has concealed him, the next morning he uncovers what Allah has concealed for him."

-Abdulnasir Jangda

Character of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him): Prayer

When Mu'aawiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Salami came to Madeenah from the desert, he did not know that it was forbidden to speak during the salah. He relates: "Whilst I was praying behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), a man sneezed, so I said 'Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allah have mercy on you).' The people glared at me, so I said, 'May my mother lose me! What is wrong with you that you are looking at me?' They began to slap their thighs with their hands, and when I saw that they were indicating that I should be quiet, I stopped talking (i.e., I nearly wanted to answer them back, but I controlled myself and kept quiet).

When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had finished praying. I have never seen a better teacher than him before or since - he did not scold me or hit me or put me to shame. 

He just said, 'This prayer should contain nothing of the speech of men; it is only Tasbeeh and Takbeer and recitation of the Quran.'" 

Source: Saheeh Muslim, 'Abd al-Baaqi edn., no. 537.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon) made people feel joyful, he never made anybody feel depressed for the actions they have done.

Be Patient on the Jealousy of a Jealous Man, Your Patience will Kill Him

Hasad (jealousy and envy) is among the most destructive emotions or feeling which a man may have towards his fellow human being.

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 

"Beware of envy. Envy devours good actions as fire devours wood." (or he said, "dry grass"). 

[Abu Dawud]

There was a story about Qaroun and Musa (AS) where Qaroun was jealous of his cousin Musa (AS). Qaroun memorized the whole Tawrah and he was amongst the 70 people who Musa (AS) took to Mt. Tur. Qaroun was jealous of his cousins Musa and Harun (AS) and his story is mentioned in a Hadith and also in the Quran (Surah Qasas Ayahs 76-83)

The Hadith is:

Narrated Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) Musa (alayhis salam) would instruct the 'Bani Israel' about Allah's commandments until he began telling them about their wealth. This was too difficult for Qaroun to bear, so he spoke to some of them saying "Musa says that a person who commits fornication will be stoned to death, let us give a prostitute a sum of money to say that Musa (alayhis salam) did this, and we will finally rest ourselves from him. So when Musa (alayhis salam) exhorted them they said to him "What if you are the adulterer?" He replied, "Even if I am the adulterer" Then they caused the woman to allege that Musa (alayhis salam) had done this (adultery). Musa (alayhis salam) then asked the woman to swear by the 'One who split the seas for Bani Israel' if she was speaking the truth. She then admitted to the plot and Musa (alayhis salam) fell to the ground in prostration crying. Allah inspired him thus: I have commanded the earth to obey you, so do with them what you want. So Musa (alayhis salam) commanded, and the earth swallowed Qaroun and those with him.

The detailed story is in this video from 3:45 to 7:09

The cure for Envy can be found in the Quran in Surah Al-Falaq which was revealed when witchcraft was done to Prophet Muhammad (SAW). By reciting this surah, in the last Ayah we are asking protection from the one who envies.

Inshallah, do your own research and I suggest you read this Surah on the daily if you haven't already been doing it. 

Killing Something Very Valuable

A farmer in Bangladesh was preparing his land for planting crops. As he dug through the soil the equipments kept getting stuck in one place. Out of curiosity he decided to check out what was in there. He dug the ground and discovered a big box. The farmer quickly opened the box to see what was in it but to his disappointment, there were only black stones inside the box. He decided to throw those stones at the birds when they come to eat the crops at the time for harvesting. Eventually, a day came when the crops were ready and the birds came to eat them. So, he started throwing the stones at the birds from where ever they showed up. One day a man was walking by the field who sells precious stones such as pearls, diamonds, rubies etc. Two stones happened to fall right in front of him when the farmer threw them at the birds. The man brought the stones to the farmer and asked if he was willing to sell them to him for $5,000 each. The farmer thought that the man was joking so he replied, "No." Then the man offered $50,000 for each stone and explained that they were precious jewels. Now the farmer started crying saying that he had only 1 or 2 stones left and the rest were thrown away.

The moral of this story is that every second of our time is very valuable. Today, we are just throwing them away here and there. But on the Day of Judgement, we will realize how valuable they were but it will be too late. Now is the chance to use our time properly.

"I met some people who were more stingy with their time than their money"

Al Hasan Al-Basri

"Wasting time is worse than death, because death separates you from this world whereas wasting time separates you from Allah"

Ibn Qayyim

Did you Expect it Coming?

A man had accumulated, by effort and lending, three hundred thousand dinars. He had lands and buildings, and all kinds of wealth. He then decided that he would spend a year in enjoyment, living comfortably, and then decide as what his future should be. But, almost as soon as he had stopped accumulating a large amount of money, the Angel of Death appeared before him, to take his life away. The man tried, by every argument which he could muster, to dissuade the Angel. Then the man said: "Grant me but three more days and I will give you one-third of my possessions." The angel refused, and pulled again at the man's life, tugging to take it away. Then the man said: "If you only allow me two more days on earth, I will give you two hundred thousand dinars from my store." The Angel still wouldn't listen to him. The men then said: "Please, then give me just time enough to write one little thing down." This time the Angel allowed him this single concession, and the man wrote with his own blood:  

"Make use of your life. I could not buy 10 minutes for three hundred thousand dinars. Make sure that you realize the value of your time."

When Alexander the Great was on his death bed and he was not Muslim, he requested three wishes, He said: “My first wish is to have my physician bring my coffin home alone. After a gasping for air, Alexander continued: “My second wish is scatter the gold, silver, and gems from my treasure-house along the path to the tomb when you ship my coffin to the grave.” After wrapping in a woolen blanket and resting for a while, he said: “My final wish it to put my hands outside the coffin when I passes away." The people surrounding him all were very curious, but no one dare to the reason. Alexander's most favored general kissed his hand and asked: "We will follow your instruction, but can you tell us why you want us to do it this way?" After taking a deep breath, Alexander said: "I want everyone to understand the three lessons I have learned. To let my physician carry my coffin alone is to let people realize that the physician cannot really cure people's illness. Especially when they face death, the physicians are powerless. I hope people will learn to treasure their lives. My second wish is to tell people not to be like me in pursuing wealth. I spent my whole life pursuing wealth, but I was wasting my time most of the time.  

My third wish to let people understand that I came to this world in empty hands and I will leave this world also in empty hands.”

 he closed his eyes after finished talking and stopped breathing. 

With every Problem there's a Solution, and With every Sickness there's a Cure

Except Death.

Hood of Brothers

Allah said in Surah Hujurat:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islâmic religion). So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allâh, that you may receive mercy

Shuaib received an automobile from his brother as an Eid present. On Eid day when Shuaib came out of his house, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Uncle?" he asked. Shuaib nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Eid." The boy was astounded.

"You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated. Of course Shuaib knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Shuaib all the way down to his heels. "I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." Shuaib looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?" "Oh yes, I'd love that."

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Uncle, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Shuaib smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Shuaib was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Shuaib heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

"There it is, little brother, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Eid and it didn't cost him a penny. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it...then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Shop windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

Shuaib got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable ride. That Eid, Shuaib learned what the RasulAllah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) meant when he had said: "love for your brother what you love for yourself". 

I leave you with a Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW):

“Do not be envious of one another; do not artificially inflate prices against one another; do not hate one another; do not shun one another; and do not undercut one another in business transactions; and be as fellow-brothers and servants of Allah.

A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. Piety is here – and he pointed to his chest three times. It is evil enough for a Muslim to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for another Muslim: his blood, his property and his honour.”