Another year gone...

Another year gone....

Staring at the calendar it's impossible not to notice that there are just two pages left on the calendar and November is almost over. Where did the time go? Where did the year go? What did we do with the time? Questions without answers, but there are answers. The answers are in how we spend our time. Every one of us is given the same 24hours in a day, the same 86'400 minutes for the year. What we choose to do with it is entirely up to us. As the adage goes:

Bad News is that time flies. The good news is that you are the pilot.

More than the time lost are the lost moments. Opportunities to share precious moments lost when we focussed on 'more important' things. Events and objects that we have attached importance to and given them a valuable space in a major part of our lives – our jobs, careers, enjoyment are all important but not as important as the people around us. To date no one has been recorded as saying while on his deathbed "I should have spent more time at the office." This touching story brings the point home with stark reality:

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a lady on a bench near a playground. "That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.

"He's a fine looking boy" the lady said. "That's my daughter on the bike in the white dress." Then, looking at her watch, she called to her daughter. "What do you say we go, Melissa?"

Melissa pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Mum Please? Just five more minutes."

The lady nodded and Melissa continued to ride her bike to her heart's content. Minutes passed and the mother stood and called again to her daughter. "Time to go now?"

Again Melissa pleaded, "Five more minutes, Mum. Just five more minutes."

The lady smiled and said, "OK."

"My, you certainly are a patient mother," the woman responded.

The lady smiled and then said, "Her older brother Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with Melissa. She thinks she has five more minutes to ride her bike. The truth is, I get five more minutes to watch her play."

Life is all about making priorities, what are your priorities?
Give someone you love 5 more minutes of your time today. So drop the pens, pots, money and just make the time to give someone you love a call or a hug just for the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala That opportunity may not arise again so grab it and make it a moment to remember. . And give thanks to Allah that He granted us such special people in our lives – people without whom life would be constrained and devoid of pleasure.

Time is not about counting the moments but about making the moments count.

Formula for Success

Formula For Success

 

 

Malik bin Anas (Rahimahullah) reports that a saying of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) had reached him in which he said: I have left with you two things; and you shall never go astray as long as you hold fast to them; the Book of Allah and the Sunnah(way of life) of His Prophet(peace be upon him).

[Hadith-Muwatta Imaam maalik]

Choosing a Marriage Partner

Choosing a Marriage Partner

"Women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity " (Quran 24:26)

Messenger of Allah Muhammad [Peace be upon him] said: "A woman may married for four reasons: for her property, for her rank, for her beauty, and for her religion (and character). So marry the one who is best in the religion and character and prosper". (Hadith-Bukhari and Muslim)

The following advice is relevant for both men and women equally.

Once there was a very handsome, pious, well educated young man, whose parents emphasised for him to get married. they had seen so many marriage proposals, and he had turned them all down. The parents thought it was becoming a little ridiculous or suspected that he may have someone else in mind.

However every time the parents left the girls house, the young man would always say "she's not the one!"
The young man only wanted a girl who was religious and practicing, however one evening his mother arranged for him, to meet a girl, who was religious, and practicing.

On that evening, the young man, and girl, were left to talk, and ask each other questions. (As one would expect).

The young man, being a gentleman that he was allowed, the lady to ask first.
The young girl asked the young man so many questions, she asked about his life, his education, his friends, his family, his habits, his hobbies, his lifestyle, his enjoyment, his pastime, his experiences, his shoe size..

The young man replied to all of her questions, without tiring, and politely, with a smile the young girl took up nearly all of the time, over an hour, and felt bad, and asked the young man do you have any questions?

The young man said, it's ok. I only have 3 questions…

The young girl thought, wow, only 3 questions okay, shoot.

The young man's first question was, Who do you love the most in the world, someone who's love nothing would ever overcome?

She said, this is an easy question; my mother.

He smiled second question, he asked, you said that you read a lot of qur'an, could you tell me which surahs you know the meaning of?

Hearing this she went red and embarrassed and said, I do not know the meaning of any yet, but I am hoping to soon insha'allah I've just been a bit busy.

The third question the young man asked, was I have been approached for my hand in marriage, by girls that are a lot prettier than you, why should I marry you?

Hearing this the young girl was outraged, she stormed off to her parents with fury, and said I do not want to marry this man he is insulting my beauty, and intelligence.

And the young man and his parents, were once again, left without an agreement of marriage.

This time, the young man's parents were really angry, and said what did you do to anger that girl, the family were so nice, and pleasant, and they were religious like you wanted. What did you ask the girl?? Tell us!

The young man said, firstly I asked her, who do you love the most? she said, her mother,

The parents said so, what is wrong with that??

The young man said, "no one, is Muslim, until he loves Allah, and his messenger (saw) more than anyone else in the world"

If a woman loves Allah and the Prophet (pbuh) more than anyone, she will love me and respect me, and stay faithful to me, because of that love, and fear for Allah (swt). and we can share this love, because this love is greater than lust for beauty.

The young man said, then I asked, you read a lot of qur'an, can you tell me the meaning of any surah?

And she said no, because I haven't had time yet.

So I thought of that hadith "All humans, are dead except for those who have knowledge"

She has lived 20 years and not found ANY time, to seek knowledge, why would I marry a woman, who does not know her rights, and responsibilities, and what will she teach my children, except how to be negligent, because the woman IS the madrasa (school) and the best of teachers. And a woman who has no time for Allah, will not have time for her husband.

The third question I asked her was, that a lot of girls, more prettier than her, had approached me for marriage, why should I choose you?

That is why she stormed off, getting angry.

The young man's parents said that is a horrible thing to say, why would you do such a thing, we are going back there to apologize.

The young man said I said this on purpose, to test whether she could control her anger.

The Prophet (saws) said "do not get angry, do not get angry, do not get angry" when asked how to become pious; because anger is from Satan."

If a woman cannot control her anger with a stranger she has just met, do you think she will be able to control it with her husband??

So, the moral of this story is, a marriage is based on:
*knowledge, not looks,
*practice, not preaching,
*Forgiveness, not anger,
*spiritual love, not lust.
*and compromise

One should look for a person who:

1) Has love for Allah (swt) and Muhammad [Peace be upon him]
2) Has knowledge of the deen, and can act upon it.
3) can control their anger
4) and willing to compromise.

 

IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE PRIOR TO MARRIAGE

 

• Dua/Istikhara[prayer to seek Allah's Guidance]- Ask help and guidance from Allah, Most High, in the matter of finding and choosing a mate. As often as you feel it necessary, pray Salaah al-Istikhara, Islam's special prayer for guidance, in order to reach a suitable decision.
• Consult your heart. Listen to what your inner voice, the 'radar' which Allah has given you to guide you, tells you about the prospective partner. It is likely to be more correct than your mind, which often plays tricks and can rationalise almost any- thing.
• Enquire. Find out the reason why this man wants to marry you. Is he interested in you as an individual or will just any person do? Is it a marriage just for convenience (citizenship, money, property, etc.), than forget it. This spells trouble. Consult with elders and wise people deeni (islamically educated) persons. Find out more about the  persons character, lifestyle, family, education, personality etc
• Understand each other's expectations. Try to get a sense of your prospective partner's under- standing of the marriage relationship, how he will behave in various situations, and what he wants of you as his spouse.
• Don't be in a hurry. So many marriages have broken because the partners are in such haste that they don't take time to make such vital checks as the ones outlined above and rush into things. Never allow yourself to be pressured or talked into a marriage. Keep your eyes open and take your time. Since marriage is for life, for eternity, hurrying into it for any reason whatsoever is the act of a foolish or careless person who has only himself or herself to blame if things go wrong.
• Ask yourself, Do I want this man/woman to be the father/mother of my children? If it doesn't feel just right to you, think it over again. Remember, marriage is not just for today or tomorrow but for life, and for the primary purpose of building a family. If the person in question doesn't seem like the sort who would make a good parent, you are likely to find yourself struggling to raise your children without any help from him or her - or even with negative input - in the future.
• Never date or be alone with prospective partners -Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed:"No man has the right to be in the privacy with a woman who is not lawful for him. Satan is their third party unless there is a mahram". (Hadith-Ahmad)

 

This advice is for both, so women seeking a man, should look for the same things.

 

The Prophet (saws) said "Three groups of people Allah has obliged Himself to help them: Mujahid in the cause of Allah, a worker to pay his debt, and the one who wants to marry to live a chaste[pure]life". (Hadith-Tirmidhi)

Insha'allah, may Allah make every marriage a success, and let us create Love for Allah and his Messenger(saw) so that Allah can bless us, and create love in our lives.

Messenger of Allah Muhammad [Peace be upon him] said:

 

"There is no better structure founded in Islam other than marriage "

THE COVER GIRL

THE COVER GIRL

 

 

Walking down the road, sporting the latest handbag , designer shoes and the trendiest figure hugging abayah….Wow is she turning heads around here! Is this our new cover girl?

 The Beloved Messenger of Allah( S.A.W ) said: There are two types of people who will be punished in hell and whom I've not seen:(the second type)Women will be dressed but appear to be naked, they will attract others to themselves, and they themselves will be  attracted to others. Their heads will appear like the humps of the camels, they will not enter Paradise and they will not smell its fragrance which can be smelt from such and such a distance.

Shaytaan's ambition is to mislead. When a muslimah makes a niyyah to wear the hijaab he jumps into action.

Plot 1: He tries to stop her. If he fails…

Plot 2:Misleads her in donning hijaab. She thinks she is covering,but chooses a figure hugging abayah or she lifts the jalabeeb instead of lowering….

So lets ask ourselves,are we really covered girls or do we want to be "cover girls?"

There is a parable of a flower and a pearl both striking in their beauty, lets ponder and take a lesson, which one do we want to be?

Suddenly, a tinge of distress appeared on the flower. "Nothing accounts for sorrow in your talk; so why are u depressed?" The pearl asked."Human beings deal with us carelessly; they slight us. They don't grow us for our sake but to get pleasure from our fragrance and beautiful appearance. They throw us on the street or in the garbage can after we are dispossessed of the most valuable properties; brilliance and fragrance"

The flower sighed. And then  the flower said to the pearl: "Speak to me about your life! How do you live? How do you feel it? You are buried in the bottom of the sea. "

The pearl answered: "Although I have none of your distinctive colours and sweet scents, humans think I am precious. They do the impossible to procure me. They go on long journeys, dive deep in the seas searching for me. You might be astounded to know that the further I lay, the more beautiful and brilliant I become. That's what upraises my value in their thought. I live in a thick shell isolated in the dark seas. However, I'm happy and proud to be in a safe zone far from wanton and mischievous hands and still the humans consider me highly valuable" Do you know what the flower and the pearl symbolize?

 Think ..Think..

You will find that The flower is the woman who shows her charms and the pearl is the veiled woman who conceals her beauties.

Ponder  about it!

"O Prophet(pbuh)! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their outer garments (jilbabs) close around themselves; that is better that they will be recognized and not annoyed. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.(Al Quran Al-Ahzab:59)

Unfolding a Rose

Unfolding a Rose

 

 

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of Allah's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
with these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers
is not known to such as I.
Allah opens this flower so sweetly,
When in my hands they die.
If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of Allah's design,
Then how can I have the wisdom
to unfold this life of mine?
So I'll trust in Him for leading
each moment of my day.
I will look to him for His guidance
each step of the pilgrim way.
The pathway that lies before me,
Only ALLAH knows.
I'll trust Allah to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.

 

 

Haj

Hajj 

 

 

 

"And pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah,upon everyone who is able to undertake the journey to it"–[ 3:96 Quran]

 

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah Muhammad [Peace be upon him] said,: 

"Whoever performs the Hajj and commits no lustful act during it nor disobeys Allah (in any other way) shall return from it as pure and sinless as he was at the time of his birth." Bukhari & Muslim 

"From one Umra to another (i.e. the two Umras) become an atonement for the sins committed during the period intervening between them and the reward on Hajj-e-Mabroor (i.e. pure and untainted Haj) is paradise itself and nothing less." Bukhari & Muslim 

"Those who make the pilgrimage for the Hajj or Umra are the guests of Allah. The petitions[duas] they make will be granted and if they seek deliverance from sins, their sins will be forgiven." Ibn-Maja 

 

It is related by Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah Muhammad [Peace be upon him] said,: 

 "Any one who Allah has given enough to perform the Haj, and he also has a conveyance which can take him to the House of Allah. If he still fails to do so then it does not matter whether he dies a Jew or Christian, and it is so because Allah has said: Pilgrimage to the House (of Allah) is a duty men owe to Allah – those who can afford the journey." Hadith-Tirmizi 

 

DEATH may occur at any time, so if HAJ is compulsory on you ……PERFORM IT!...DONT DELAY!

Love Her...

Love Her…

 

Love her …when she sips on your coffee or tea. She only wants to make sure it tastes just right for you.

Love her…when she "pushes" you to pray. She wants to be with you in Jannah (Paradise).

Love her…when she asks you to play with the kids. She did not "make" them on her own.

Love her...when she is jealous. Out of all the men she can have, she chose you

Love her…when she has annoying little habits that drives you nuts. You have them too.

Love her…when her cooking is bad. She tries.

Love her…when she looks dishevelled in the morning. She always grooms herself up again.

Love her…when she asks to help with the kids homework. She only wants you to be part of the home.

Love her...when she asks if she looks fat. Your opinion counts, so tell her she's beautiful.

Love her…when she looks beautiful. She's yours so appreciate her.

Love her...when she spends hours to get ready. She only wants to look her best for you.

Love her…when she buys you gifts you don't like. Smile and tell her it's what you've always wanted.

Love her…when she has developed a bad habit. You have many more and with wisdom and politeness you have all the time to help her change.

Love her…when she cries for absolutely nothing. Don't ask, tell her its going to be okay

Love her…when she suffers from PMS. Buy chocolate, rub her feet and back and just chat to her (trust me this works!)

Love her…when whatever you do is not pleasing. It happens and will pass

Love her…when she stains your clothes. You needed a new thobe (kurta) anyway

Love her…when she tells you how to drive. She only wants you to be safe.

Love her…when she argues. She only wants to make things right for both

Love her…she is yours. You don't need any other special reason!!!!

All this forms part of a Woman's Character. Women are part of your life and should be treated as the Queen.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) advised concerning the woman:

·         Treat the women well.

·         The best of you are those who are the best in the treatment of their wives.

·         No one honours the woman except an honorable man. And no one humiliates her or holds her in contempt except one who is evil, vile, wicked and depraved.   

Don't wait for that special occasion,take time now to make her feel Special in Every Way!

Importance of Time

Importance of Time

 

 

 

 

"The Qur'an and the Sunnah make it clear that time is very valuable. Almighty Allah says: "By the time! Verily man is in loss."     (Al-`Asr:1-2)

 

 

 

Take benefit of five before five

 

"Take benefit of five before five:

your youth before your old age,

your health before your sickness,

your wealth before your poverty,

your free-time before your preoccupation,

and your life before your death."[Hadith- al-Haakim, al-Bayhaqee, Saheeh]

 

The importance of time!

 

 MANY people forget or neglect the importance of time although man's life on earth is a span of time. Islam gives due attention to the issue of time because if people waste their time, they are actually wasting their life.

The Holy Qur'an gives due attention to the idea of time and this is clear in many verses of the Qur'an when Allah swears using the different places of times of the day to reveal the importance of time, "By the break of Day," (Qur'an, 1:89) "By (the Token of) Time (through the ages),' (Qur'an, 1:103) .etc.

 

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says in one Hadith: "There are two things that people are not aware of how important they are: health and time." This Hadith stresses two facts: People are not aware of the importance of being in good health till they fall ill and people are not aware of the importance of time and therefore waste their time doing trivial things.

 

There was research published in one of the magazines about how man spends his time. The research revealed that if man lives for 60 years, he spends one third of his life sleeping because man usually sleeps eight hours a day. Remaining years are spent in public transportation, watching TV, eating, in the bathroom.etc. This means that the larger part of man's life is spent in worldly matters. Karen Armstrong, refers to this aspect of time in Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) life. She indicated that what the Prophet (peace be upon him) did in 23 years was miraculous and what he accomplished required thousands of philosophers, reformers, intellectuals and mentors to do in hundreds of years.

 

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who has failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a pre-mature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a daily wage labourer who has kids to feed.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the bride who is waiting to meet her groom
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who has missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who has avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND, ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

 

The Characteristics of Time

 

We are to bear in mind that time has certain characteristics, among of which are the following:

1.  Time passes quickly.

2.  Time that passes can never return, nor can it be compensated for, for time is irretrievable.

3.  Time is the most precious thing that man possesses.

 

The following are some of the most important duties demanded of Muslims:

1.  Ensuring benefitting from time

2.  Utilizing leisure time

3.  Racing for good deeds

4.  Learning from the passage of time

5.  Seeking the superior times

6.  Planning and organizing time

7.  Fulfillment of time commitments

8.  Necessary awareness of time wasters

 

One of the methods of managing his time properly is for a Muslim to get up early and sleep early, for early hours always yield great blessings. Starting his day with prayer and the supplication of the morning brings the Muslim Allah's grace. A Muslim should always bear in mind that every time has its own task that suits it. Doing tasks in their due times brings about peace of mind and comfort. The most important aspect being gaining such knowledge of Islam that will enable and empower one to do such actions at a given time that pleases Allah abundantly! A Muslim is disciplined and uses every second constructively and productively!

 

Mu`adh ibn Jabal quotes the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as saying: "A servant of Allah will remain standing on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about four things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it up, his property and how he acquired and managed it and his knowledge and how he utilized it." [HADITH]

 

May Allah guide us to use our time correctly and beneficially!!!...Ameen

Marriage: Look Beyond the Packaging!

Marriage: Look Beyond the Packaging!

 By W Abdelgawad

 

 

Is his hair nicely styled? Is he the perfect height?

Is her makeup just right? Does her body have the perfect curves?

This is packaging, it's irrelevant.

American, Pakistani, Mexican, Egyptian, Bengali, Indonesian, black, white, brown, this is a veneer. It's unimportant in the long run. When you're sick and battling to recover, it's not an American who holds you and tells you that it will be okay, who makes you chicken soup with lemon and ginger… It's a human being, a husband or wife who loves you.

We must get beyond superficial and meaningless classifications like race and nationality.

Does he wear Armani suits cut just right? Are his shoes sleek and shiny? Does her clothing drape elegantly on her figure?

You know what? That Armani suit can't stand on its own. It needs a hangar just to stay upright. That elegant clothing can't raise your children right.

We must learn to look beyond appearances. I'm not saying that appearance is irrelevant, but how much of our attraction is based on true human beauty, and how much is based on distorted standards and poisonous imagery pumped into our brains by TV, movies, advertising, magazines and billboards? In other words, to what degree have we been brainwashed?

The world of advertising teaches us to focus on the wrong things. Consultants are paid millions of dollars to design the perfect package for a box of cereal or an energy drink, just the right shape and bright color to catch your eye and entice you to buy. Meanwhile, the product – as often as not – is actually bad for you, consisting of empty calories, sugar, chemicals and dyes. They are teaching us to make choices based on packaging and image, and what they are teaching us is entirely ruinous and wrong.

Human beings, however, are not consumer products. We're not disposable. When you marry someone you're in it for the long haul. You're with them when they wake up in the morning with crust in their eyes and hair stuck to one side of the their head; when they get laid off from their job and you don't know how the bills will get paid next month; when they're depressed, tired, sick; when they make mistakes, when they say and do the wrong things, when they lose their temper, when they're afraid or insecure…

This is as serious as it gets. This is life, and the right package won't get you through it, won't help on you the path, won't hold you up when you're weak, or put a smile in your heart when you're down. The package can't do that. Remember that when you buy something, the package ends up in the trash. If you choose someone for the package only, you may be bitterly disappointed when the storm comes and no one is there to keep you safe.

These are lessons learned through heartache and disappointment. These are lessons I have learned.

Look deeper. Find a gentle heart, a strong backbone, a striving spirit. Look to what the person does, how they live, how they treat people, how they relate to the Almighty. Look to that shimmering soul inside, and discern whether it's a selfish and bitter soul, or loving and true. Look beyond the packaging to the person inside, and trust your fitrah-based instincts, and you'll find yourself a rare happiness, and a precious partnership.

The most beautiful, powerful things in the world don't come in packages. Mountains, trees, ocean, sky, stars… their true attributes are bared to the world. They don't need packages because they are beautiful and profound in their essence.

By basing your life choices on matters of substance, you'll avoid social and financial traps that ruin so many. You'll build friendships as real and solid as mountains, with people you can trust with your honor, your heart and your life. You'll do work that matters, and leave a legacy that improves people's lives in unforgettable ways.

The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:

"A woman may be married for four qualities, for her property, her rank, her beauty, and her religion (piety); so get the religious one and prosper."

 

 (Hadith  Bukhaari (5090), Muslim (1466) )

SIN-O- METER

SIN-O- METER

 

 

 

 

Want to know for sure something is a sin?

I don't mean missing Fajr prayer, or back-biting. These are clearly bad.

No, I mean the things that you habitually do, that you maybe know might, perhaps, just maaaaybe wrong. but your mind somehow makes okay.

The litmus test: the month of Ramadan.

If you feel truly uneasy doing this deed in Ramadan, it's most likely a sin.

If you have the self-control to give it up completely, Masha'Allah, it's 99.9999% likely a sin, or at the very least, a waste of your precious time.

So, really, let's reflect on that for a moment. If the above is true, then we should ideally never resume committing those doubtful acts after Ramadan, right? I mean, what's a sin in Ramadan, is still a sin on Eid day, and onwards still.

If gold, and diamonds, and oyster pearls are precious by their rarity alone, then it is clear that every moment we exist, every breath we inhale, then exhale after that, is pure gold dust, if only because they are all rarer than the rarest gemstones; never to be seen again, until the day that our deeds are played back to us on the ultimate cinematic, widescreen, surround sound, ultra high def experience of Yaum al-Qiyamah(The Day of Judgement).

So what makes those acts that seem wasteful in Ramadan, suddenly become a good use of our time after the month has swiftly past through our fingers?

What validation do we put forth for our thinly veiled hypocrisy?

Weakness? Perhaps. We are made weak. But still. We have a month to train hard. To build up our spiritual muscles. Yes, you can get that emaan six-pack you always wanted - and in just THIRTY DAYS, insha'Allah!

So, take another look at that mental list you wrote; the one titled, "What I plan to give up during Ramadan", and ask yourself: "If I can last 30 days without it. and with it, my Ramadan is tainted then is it really that important to me? And do I really want it back in my life ever again?".

The Messenger of Allah Muhammad(peace be upon him)said: "Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you do not want people to know about." [Muslim]

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said to his Companion: "You have come to ask about righteousness ?" "Yes," I answered. He said: "Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels tranquil and the heart feels tranquil, and sin is what creates restlessness in the soul and moves to and fro in the breast, even though people give you their opinion (in your favour) and continue to do so." [A good hadith transmitted from the Musnads of the two Imams, Ahmad bin Hanbal and Al-Darimi]

May Allah guide us to the true answer to those questions, and make it easy for us all to do the right thing.! Ameen

Lets make a firm and sincere decision to give up each and every one of those sinful or non-beneficial habits. During this month of Ramadan there are tons of moments when duas are accepted so lets not miss out on this opportunity! Lets ask Allah to assist us in leading a true,pure and noble life according to Allah's commandments and the Sunnah practice of our beloved Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] which will truly help us not only in this world but also in the life after death! Ameen

Save the Changes: Ramadhaan

Ramadan: Save the Changes

 

 Don't Press the "redo" after we "undo" and "save the changes"!!!

 

 

 During the Mubarak and beautiful month of Ramadhaan many have navigated themeselves to the Deen of Allah and have brought about substantial positive deeni changes. Now is a critical time to click on the right tab- Save those changes!

 

Nearly everyone in this age of modern technology has at some stage worked with a P.C. We have used it to draft documents, amend these documents, copied and pasted onto documents, used the 'undo' icon, edited documents, just to mention a few of the time saving operations that we find on this device.

After opening a document that we have worked upon previously and made the necessary changes and improvements a little box appears on the screen asking the question: Do you want to save the changes you have made to this document? You are then given the option of selecting the YES tab or the NO tab. Selecting the YES tab will give you the desired results while selecting the NO tab literally takes you back to square one. All the effort made in editing, improving and shaping the document becomes an exercise in futility.

Don't we all find ourselves in a similar predicament when the blessed month of Ramadaan passes us? Just think of your book of deeds like a document on your P.C. During the month of Ramadaan we have done amongst other things the following-

· Increased our Ibaadah and acts of charity;

· Took control of our feelings and emotion;

· Responded with compassion and sensitivity to the needs of other;

· Multiplied our good deeds;

-Repented: we have spent many hours on the Musallah begging for Allah's forgiveness for our sins, errors and transgressions.

The vital question that needs to be asked is :

Do we want to save the changes that we have made in the month of Ramadaan? Are we going to press the YES tab or the No tab?

Pressing the YES tab will leave us with a new, improved version. A version of heightened spirituality, a version of righteousness, a version that is pleasing to our Creator. Pressing the NO tab will take us back to square one; back to our old habits before Ramadaan, back to the life of sin and immorality, back to a life of heedlessness and back to a life subjecting ourselves to the wrath of the Almighty.

How do we improve on this document; the document of our lives, the document of our deeds, the document that we are going to present to Allah the Almighty on the Day of Reckoning? Here are some hints: Copy and Paste from the life of our illustrious master Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi Wasallam.

Use the 'undo' icon by making Taubah immediately after any transgression as the Hadith states "The one who repents from sin is like one who has committed no sin at all"

There may not be a need to do a "spell check" but there is certainly a need to do a "sincerity check" and a "Shari'ah check"? Are we complying?

There may be files and folders that we want to keep while there could be some others we would not even want others to know exist. Many of us begged Allah to "delete" our sins and dark deeds .We cried before Allah, shed tears of remorse and vowed not to commit those sins in future. Going back to the sins that we have asked Allah's forgiveness for would be like making a visit to the "recycle bin".

What about viruses? P.C. users are also very wary about e-mails they receive and the sites that they visit, fearing the admission of a virus that may pollute their system and cause it to malfunction.The environment and people who we associate with could adversely infect us!Why do we then subject our minds and thoughts to immoral sites and dens of vice which would pollute our moral system and cause us to malfunction? What anti-virus software have we installed to ward off the variety of Fitnahs that confront us everyday?

We need to install the right version of the anti-viruses. There is indeed only One version. Without delay install every Commad of Allah and the Sunnah of Rasulullah ( Salallaho alaihe wassallam) onto our hardrives (lives). This will allow us to repel the attemps by shaytaan and other evil forces to infect our PC's (souls).

It s Now time to Run the Programs...

Begin By:

Connecting ourselves to the right network. When we need an I.T solution we go to I.T specialist. In our lives we need to consult with Ulama(Islamic Scholars) and pious people so that we are connected to the right network!

Delete ALL harmulful programs Permanetly! Lets Repent over past evil deeds and make a firm niyyah (intention) NEVER to Redo those evil deeds

Ensure that the service provider provides the installation guide for the following must install programs to be run on your PC:

Program 1:

Dawat (Inviting ourselves, families, communities and humanity towards Allah Ta'ala and His Beloved Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). Also help Allah's Deen by striving to uplift it)

Program 2:

Taalim (Learning and teaching Deen)

Program 3:

Ibaadat-Worship ( Salaah,Haj, Umrah, Quran, Zikr, Dua and all other forms of Ibadat)

Program 4:

Khidmat- Acts of Charity ( All acts of Charity including Zakaah especially helping the Ummah in whatever possible way, respecting and fulfilling the rights of people and other creation of Allah.)

Now lets connect ourselves to Deen of Islam and the Amaal (good actions) that takes place in our Musjids...as no one knows when his or her PC will crash(when we will die)! By performing Good Deeds we will have Permanently Backed Up our records in Jannah(Paradise). Be carefull not to engage ourselves in Evil lest we Back-Up our evil deeds in Jahannam (Hell)

Fortunate is the person who has "saved the changes". Extremely unfortunate is the person who has made no changes as he /she has nothing to save.!

IMPORTANT: As we dont know the time when ou PC will shut down ...Make those Change Now and more importnat.........Save it!