Khalil Gibran

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

"Your prayer cannot change the Order of the Universe,
But it is possible that praying will alter your being;
If there is a revolution in your inner Self
It will not be strange, then, if the whole world changes too"
- Allama Iqbal (rah)

Quran verse

And whosoever fears Allah and keep his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.
(Surah at-Talaaq: 2-3)

Hadith

Hadhrat Ibn Abbaas (radiallahu anhu) narrates: “I was (once) behind Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) when he said to me: ‘O son! I shall inform you of a few things. Remember Allah and He will protect you. Remember Allah and you will find Him close to you. When you have to ask for something, ask of Allah Ta’ala. When you require aid, seek His Aid. Believe firmly that if all creation desires to benefit you in anything, they can never benefit you but that which Allah has decreed for you. If they all unite to harm you, they will not be able to harm you in anything, but that which Allah has decreed for you.”
(Tirmizi)

The Dua Barometer: How Bad Do You Want It?

As salaamalaykum,

The following article is from muslimmatters.org

The Dua Barometer: How Bad Do You Want It?

What do you make dua for the most? Do you look for the special times that dua is accepted only when in a time of difficulty? Do you pray for others?

“Remember Allah in times of ease, and He will remember you in times of distress. What hit you could not have missed you, what missed you could not have hit you. Remember that victory comes with patience, relief comes with affliction and ease comes with hardship.”

After listening to a halaqah on the hadith related to dua in Riyadh as-Saliheen, and reflecting on my own situation, I began to ponder about how we are in our relationship with Allah (swt), and how we utilize this magnificent tool of dua in our lives.

I do not think it is a far stretch to say that a person (or guys at least) make dua for marriage more than anything else in their lives. Every sajdah, the end of every prayer, after every adhan, every juma, and every late night is repetitions of “Oh Allah grant me a beautiful and attractive wife who is also very pious” - or something to that effect.

In any case, the focus here is not on marriage, but rather a look at our relationship with dua. In this case, it is how a person’s desperation pushes them to such a high level of consistency and dedication. When things are good though, do we keep up that same level of dedication we had before? The time that we feel this regret most though, is when we step up our dua in face of a hardship, Allah (swt) answers our dua and grants us ease. Then when we face another hardship, we realize how negligent we were in that time of ease.

“Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible. [40:60]

Say (O Muhammad): My Lord only pays attention to you because of your du’a to Him. But now you have indeed rejected (Him), so the (torment) will be yours permanently. [Furqaan:77]

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wassallam) said,

Whoever wishes that Allah responds to his dua at times of hardship, then let him increase his dua at times of ease!” (Tirmidhi)

To make fervent dua at times of relative ease can be a tough test for the heart, especially because the duress of an immediate hardship is absent.

What Do You Pray For?

What you ask Allah for most shows what the heart is attached to. If a person supplicates only for dunya benefits, then even though he is asking from Allah, his heart is attached to the material world.

When we look at the dua’s narrated in the Sunnah (the chapter of dua in Riyadh as-Saliheen is an excellent reference for this), we find general dua’s asking for goodness. We find the same with the supplications found in the Quran. We find supplications asking for good in this life, good in the hereafter, forgiveness, contentment, chastity, righteous offspring, forgiveness for our parents, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, victory, success, guidance, mercy, Paradise, and help in worshipping Allah more. We find supplications seeking refuge and protection from evil manners, cowardliness, miserliness, fitnah, debt, torment of the grave, hellfire, knowledge that does not benefit, a heart with no khushoo’, supplications that are not answered, sickness, and evil desires.

Think about if you are a parent, what do you pray for in regards to your children? Are the supplications oriented only around their worldly successes?

Who Do You Pray For?

We know that a prayer made for someone in their absence is one of the du’as that gets accepted, and an angel supplicates for us to be granted the same thing. One of the reasons given for this is that it shows sincerity in the supplication, to remember the needs of another person and to help them in the best way possible [by asking Allah for assistance].

But who you pray for is often a bigger test. Do you pray for your children? Do you pray for your parents? How often?

Do you pray for your teachers? I try to make du’a to Allah (swt) to cover the faults of my teachers from me, and to allow me to benefit from them, and to grant them tawfeeq and barakah in their efforts. If you are a teacher - do you pray for your students? Do you pray that Allah (swt) enables you to teach what is correct and beneficial, and for the students to learn from it and be successful?

Do you pray for those you do not like? Saying, “May Allah guide you” in an email or online chat is what comes to mind in this example, but this is usually more sarcastic than anything else. Do we actually sincerely pray for their guidance in our salaat, or our sujood? Do you pray for Allah (swt) to forgive the sins of someone who you dislike to a great extent? That is something that is really tough to do, but it is something that can humble us significantly.

Do we pray for our friends, and for their families, asking Allah (swt) to give them all the great things we wish for our own families?

I know that the articles and books on dua are quite numerous, so it is practically impossible to offer up anything that hasn’t already been covered elsewhere. I just hope that this might serve as a gentle reminder to us to revitalize the dua in our lives. I have felt many times in my life where I felt that I was making dua almost 24/7, and yet at other times it was nearly the opposite. So I hope that this might be a small nudge for those of us not at the level we know we should be at - especially with Ramadan quickly approaching.

Will You Accept the Answer?

One thing I have personally struggled with, is coming to grips with the fact that I, in fact, have absolutely no idea what the khayr is in, no matter how strongly I may feel about something. In this vein, I find myself getting further away from asking for specific things (especially dunya things) and instead making supplication for the actual objective. Case in point, you may like a particular home that is close to the masjid. Instead of supplicating for the specific house you had your eye on, you may supplicate to be granted a house close to the masjid.

What happens though, when the house you are given is next to the masjid - but it’s not the masjid you had in mind? The du’a is answered, even though in the heart it is not what you were expecting. This is a small example, but it is something we may sometimes face. Are we willing to see though, when Allah (swt) opens up a path for us, for us to embark on it? How far does our tawakkul go in leaving our affairs up to only Him?

These struggles of the heart can only be put at ease with constant dua, and in fact also asking Allah (swt) to grant us contentment with whatever He decrees.

Hamza Yusuf's Keynote speech

Prophet's Ramadan Sermon

Assalamu alaikum,

Prophet's Ramadan Sermon

O people! Ramadan is laden with blessings, mercy and forgiveness; Ramadan is a month which Allah (God) considers BEST of all months. Ramadan days, in the sight of Allah, are the best of days; its nights are the best of nights; its hours are the best of hours. Ramadan is a month in which you are invited to be the guests of Allah, and you are regarded during it as worthy of enjoying Allah's Grace. During Ramadan your breathing praises the Almighty, and your sleeping adores Him. Your voluntary acts of worship are accepted, and your pleas are answered. Ask Allah your Lord, therefore, in sincere intentions and pure hearts to enable you to fast during it and to recite His Book [the Holy Quran], for only a wretched person the one who is deprived of Allah's forgiveness during this holy month. And during Ramadan let your hunger and thirst remind you of the hunger and thirst of the Day of Resurrection. During Ramadan grant more alms to the poor and indigent among you; surround your elderly with respect, and be kind to your youngsters. Visit your kin and safeguard your tongues, and do not look at what Allah has prohibited you from seeing (the base), nor listen to anything your ears are forbidden to hear (the evil). Be kind to the orphans of others so that your own orphans will equally receive kindness. Repent your sins to Allah and raise your hands to Him in supplication during the times of your prayers, for these are the best times during which the Almighty looks with mercy to His servants and answers their pleas when they plead to Him. O people! Your souls are a pawn of your deeds; therefore, release them by seeking Allah's forgiveness. Your backs are over-burdened by the weight of your sins; therefore, lighten their burden by prolonging your prostration. Be informed that Allah, the Exalted and Mighty, has sworn by His Loftiness to relieve the torment of those who perform their prayers and prostrate to Him, and not to terrify them by the sight of Hellfire when people are resurrected for judgment. O people! Whoever among you provides iftaar (breaking fast) to a believer during Ramadan will receive a reward equal to one who sets a slave free, and his past sins will be forgiven. Shun Hellfire even by [offering] half a date! Shun Hellfire even by [offering] a drink of water [to others fasting]! O People! The one who improves his conduct during this month will have a safepassage on al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem [the straight path during the Day of Judgment], when many feet will slip away, and whoever among you decreases the burdens of his workman will be rewarded by Allah in decreasing his reckoning [on the Day of Judgment]. The one among you who abstains from harming others during this month will be spared the ire of the Almighty when he meets Him. The one among you who affords generosity to an orphan during this month will be amply rewarded by Allah on the Day of Judgment. The one among you who improves the ties with his kin during this month will be rewarded by Allah in His mercy, and the one who severs his ties with his kin during this month, Allah will withhold His mercy from him upon meeting Him [in the Day of Judgment]. The one among you who offers voluntary prayers during this month, Allah will decree a clearance for him from the agony of the Fire. The one among you who performs an obligatory prayer during this month will receive the reward of one who has performed seventy obligatory prayers in other months. The one among you who increases the sending of blessings unto me during this month, Allah will make the balance of his good deeds weigh heavily when the scales will be light [in the Day of Judgment]. The one among you who recites one verse of the Holy Quran during this month, will receive the blessing of one who recites the entire Holy Quran in another month. O people! The portals of Heaven in this month are kept open; so, pray Allah (God) your Lord not to close them against you, and the portals of the Hellfire are kept closed; so, pray Allah your Lord not to open them for you; and the devils are kept leashed; therefore, pray Allah your Lord not to unleash them against you.

sore throat

assalaam alaikum,

Sore throat+fasting is not the best combination in the world.

ahhh =(

Ramdan Kareem

Assalaam Alaykum,

Ramadan is here!! Ramadan Kareem to everyone. Such a beautiful month, mA. This is a *great* oppurtunity to renew and strengthen our relationship with Allah swt. Make the most of it before its gone!

Prophet's Khutba for Ramadan

Ibn Khuzaima reported on the authority of Salman al-Farisi that the Prophet (saaw) delivered a Khutbah on the last day of Sh'aban saying: "O people: You are about to enter the shadow of a great blessed month. A night therein is better than a thousand months. Allah (swt) made fasting during this month an obligation and encouraged people to perform extra prayers. during its nights. Seeking nearness to Allah (swt) through a good deed would be considered like performing an obligatory act of worship. In turn, performance of an obligatory act of worship during this month would be rewarded seventy times more than during any other month. It is the month of patience, and the reward for patience is Jannah. It is the month of comforting others, and the month during which believers would enjoy plentifulness." The Prophet (saaw) went on to say:" Make sure you frequently do four things, two of which would please your Lord and the other two are indispensable for your salvation in the Hereafter. As for the two things that would please your Lord, they are: testifying to the oneness of Allah (swt) and seeking repentance. And the other two are: asking Allah the favour of entering Jannah and seeking refuge in Him from the Hell Fire.

Inshallah I'll post more soon.

Take care and make dua for the ummah.

walaikumas salaam.

Long time

Assalaamu alaikum,

Wow.

Its been a while.

Months, actually.

I had totally forgotten about this blog that I had started about close to a year ago.

I have a different plan for this blog, iA.

I plan to use it as a place to post all things beneficial that I find, in addition to my sporadic musings.

To start off, I will share with you a hadith that has been on my mind for a few days now:

From Anas, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:

"Allah the Almighty has said: 'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me, and hope in Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds in the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I shall forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with an earthful of sins and were you then to face Me, without having associated anything with Me, I shall grant you an earthful of pardon."

Beautiful, isn't it?

Dua'a

Assalaam Alaykum,

Its been a while since I last wrote here.

I came across a beautiful dua'a recently:

Allahumma a'inni ala dhikrika, wa shukrika wa h usni iibaad-at'ika

Oh Allah, help me to remember You, and thank You, and worship You in the best of manners.

Its so unreal

Salaams,

so for this past week or so, I've been in a very confused state.

I was thinking back to this summer, and how fast it went by. And then I was thinking about changes. How well (and quickly) humans adapt to a new change, even though we don't like it.

And then you get SO adjusted to this new thing that you can't even remember what it felt like to be in the former state.

For example, its going to be winter soon and you can already feel the temperatures decreasing. Its weird, I don't remember what it feels like to be hot anymore.

Kinda scary almost.

(ok I reread this and its a lame example)

So along the same line, I don't remember this summer. I mean..Its almost as if it was a segment of my imagination. I know it happened, but I feel like I wasn't in it, just watching it from the sidelines. Its so unreal . ahhhh, ok I know I am not making any sense. forget it. oh well.

oh and I think I am narcoleptic. I can sleep anytime of the day.
if all else fails, take a nap!

ok I should really study for my midterms now.

-peace.

masjid

salaams,


I love having a masjid ON campus. alhamdulillah...it truly is a blessing. So convenient for all us students.



oh, and I also love not having internet. well, sort of.

according to one of my friends, I "fell off the earth"....cyber earth, that is.

I've gone on a complete hiatus from facebook, AIM, msn and all other social groups.

I kinda like it.

A lot, actually.

I like the idea of how people can't keep track of me.

The only thing alive is this "blog".

Where I talk to myself.

Repeatedly.

What a psychotic idea.



And Ramadan is ending...which makes me depressed to no end.

take advantage of these last few days before they slip away from us!



k peace out.

nice article on fasting.

salaams,

check out this awesome article on fasting:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/ramadan/2007/09/how-ramadan-puts-me-in-my-plac.html#more

Description of the God-Conscious

It is related that a devout worshiper by the name of Humam came to Imam ‘Ali, may God ennoble his countenance, and asked him to describe the God conscious people so vividly that he could almost see them. Imam ‘Ali responded: “Their speech is truthful; their clothing is moderate; and they walk with utmost humility. They lower their gaze from everything God has forbidden. They allow their ears to listen only to that which is beneficial. Their souls accept exposure to trials and tribulations [in adherence to the truth] as easily as others accept luxurious living. Were it not for their appointed term, their spirits would not have remained in their bodies the span of a twinkling of the eye due to their intense longing for their Lord. Because the Creator is magnified in their souls, everything else is viewed as insignificant in their sight. Their hearts are sober; people are safe from any wickedness from them; their bodies are slim [they don’t overindulge their appetites]; their basic needs are few; and their souls are chaste. They patiently endure the few days they spend in this world knowing that they will be followed by a long, peaceful rest—this is the profitable life-transaction which their Lord has allowed them to enter into. The world desired them; however, they had no desire for it. It imprisoned them, but they ransomed their souls from it [with their restraint and righteous deeds].

At night, their feet are arranged in ranks as they dutifully recite the Qur’an in slow measured tones. If they come upon a verse that stimulates [in them] longing [for the delightful things which God has promised] they ponder it, craving to attain them. Their souls soar due to the intensity of their longing for those delights. If they come upon a verse that frightens them [with the threat of Allah’s dreadful
punishment] they hear it reverberating in the depths of their hearts. They imagine that they hear the dreadful sounds of the Hellfire in the innermost recesses of their ears. You find them kneeling down [before their Lord], begging to be liberated from the Hellfire. As for their days, they are forbearing, clement scholars. They are righteous and pious. Fear [of Allah] piercestheir hearts like arrows. One who gazes upon them thinks that they are sick. However, they are far from being sick.

They are not satisfied with a minimal amount of righteous deeds, nor do they consider excessive amounts of worship to be great. They see their faults, and they fear that their deeds will not be accepted. If someone praises one of them, he says, ‘I know myself better than others [know me], and my Lord is more knowledgeable of me than myself. O God! Do not take me to task for what they say, and make me better than what they think of me, and forgive me for those sins which they are unaware of.”

One of the signs [of such a person] is that you observe strength in his religion. His gentleness is accompanied by sobriety. His faith is coupled with certainty. He longs for knowledge. He acts with forbearance. He lives moderately, even when blessed with wealth. He is humble in his worship. He endures poverty with dignified grace. He patiently endures trying circumstances. He seeks his sustenance from the lawful. He hastens to right guidance. He is agitated if he perceives greed in himself. He works righteousness all the while trembling, [fearing that his deeds won’t be accepted]. His greatest concern is gratitude. In the morning preoccupied with the Remembrance of God. He goes to bed at night overwhelmed, apprehensive. He rises in the morning overjoyed. His apprehension arises from the awareness of his heedlessness. His joy is caused by the bounties and mercy [God has opened up for him during the coming day]. If his soul presses him with something he despises, he does not concede [to it] and withholds from it what it desires. The comfort of his eye is that which is permanent [the reward of his righteous deeds]. His abstinence from that which is temporal. He mixes clemency with knowledge, and speech with action. He expects death at any moment. His slips are few [because of his cautiousness and deliberateness in speech and actions]. His heart is content. He is easy-going. He is constantly on guard against assaults upon his religion. His lusts are dead. His anger is suppressed. People anticipate goodness from him. They are safe from any wickedness from him. If he is in the company of the heedless, he is recorded as being mindful [of his Lord].

He overlooks those who oppress him. He gives to those who deny him. He joins relations with those who cut him off. He is far removed from any indecency. His speech is gentle. You find nothing bad in him. He is always a source of good. During calamities, he is composed. In dire straights, he is patient. In times of ease, he is thankful. He does not oppress those he dislikes, nor does he sin for the sake of those he loves. He admits the truth before his witnessing is sought. He preserves all he is entrusted with. He does not hurl abusive names at people. He never harms his neighbor, nor does he find joy in afflictions that befall his enemy. If he is transgressed against, he perseveres until God takes revenge for him. He relies on himself while he himself is a source of relief for others [they can rely on him]. He tires himself for the sake of his salvation, not burdening others in any way. His distance from those he avoids is a form of abstinence, while his drawing near to people is from his gentleness and mercy. Hence, his distance from people does not arise from arrogance and haughtiness, nor is his closeness to them motivated by cunning and treachery.”

Hearing this, Humam dropped dead. Imam ‘Ali, may God be pleased with him said, “This is what I feared would happen to him. Thus is the effect of a penetrating word when it reaches a receptive heart.”

- From Nahj al-Balagha

Translated by Imam Zaid Shakir,

under construction

salaams,

this blog is very much under construction. I am still trying to figure out how this whole thing works...haha its actually a lot of learning...templates, widgets, and all that technical stuff.

oh and here is a quote I'd like to share..

My dear son...
Live as long as you may, for verily you must die. Love whoever you wish, for one day you shall taste its separation. And do what you will, you will be rewarded accordingly. -Imam Ghazali

sigh. thats it for now.

wow....how profound

"bal tasirunal hayatad dunya, wal akhiratu hairu wa abqah."
No, you prefer the life of this world, but the hereafter is better and everlasting.

Surah Alaa, I believe.

Some Reminders About Ramadan...

SubhanAllah....this month is truly blessed..

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡڪُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِڪُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ

O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - see V.2:2). (2:183)


Here are some hadith regarding it:

In Paradise there is a gate called al-Rayyaan, through those who fast will enter, and no one will enter it except them; when they have entered it will be locked, and no-one else will enter through it. (al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 1797).

Fasting is not about starving yourself until its time to eat...instead its more of a self check on your actions throughout the day.

"Whoever does not stop speaking falsehood and acting in accordance with it, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink.”

(Al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 1903).

First Post!

Assalaamo Alaykum,

I am really surprised at myself for starting this blog because I never usually voice my thoughts to the public, let alone post them on the internet for the whole world to see! But inshallah I am hoping this blog will be beneficial to me at a personal level. Right now, I look back on events in my life..and I wonder what exactly I was feeling at that given time. I feel it'll be an incredible experience looking back through my old posts months and years from now. I really don't expect anyone to ever read this "blog" (haha still not used to saying that name) but if you are reading this, feel free to leave comments.

And before I forget, Ramadan Kareem to all of you! May Allah swt accept our ibadah, purify our souls and forgive our sins.