Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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)

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

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)