Sometimes late at night...

… I think about all the things that have been, all the things that haven’t been and all the things yet to be. I wonder if this world will ever make sense to me, if I will ever truly understand anything… and if there’s really anything to understand at all.

... I know that i must be grateful for all i have. After all, don't our Prophet (peace be upon him) told us “Look at those who stand at a lower level than you but don’t look at those who stand at a higher level than you, for this would make the favors (conferred upon you by Allah) insignificant (in your eyes).” (Sahih Muslim).

... I asked myself.. it is too hard to say "Alhamdulillah"? If am having a hard time at work, why don't i step back and say, “Alhamdulilah, I have a job.” If i am ever get stuck in traffic, i can think “Alhamdulilah, I have the means to get around.” When the house is a mess and the dishes are dirty, i will say, “Alhamdulilah, I have shelter and food.” Isn't that a more beautiful way of looking at things? Suddenly all negative energy becomes positive, don't they?

... What if Allah take away the blessings He bestows on me?.. Astaghfirullah.. i wouldn't want that to happen, would you?.. Ibn Ata’Allah said, “If you do not know the blessings you have when you have them, then Allah will teach you about them by taking them away.”!! I am scared now. Dear friends, don’t wait until you are without, to appreciate what you have.

... Don’t use your blessings to accumulate sins. We can choose to use our tongues to backbite or dhikr. We can use our wealth for riba (usury) or sadaqa (charity).

... Remember that Allah tests us with good and bad. In good times, be grateful and in hardship, be patient. If you tried to number God's blessings, you could never count them. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nahl: 18)

... So, now.. whenever i think of the pain i have faced.. I ask Allah for forgiveness for being blinded by my hardship that i failed to see the blessings i have enjoyed.  Did he not announced "If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe."' (Surah Ibrahim: 7)?

So, friends, if you ever feel sad, alone, dejected, rejected, down etc.... stay positive and count Allah's blessings.. you wont feel so bad anymore, InsyaAllah..

:: I am only human ::

Dear Self,
You are only human.
You are not perfect,
and really if you were,
how absolutely dreadful that would be.

But Self,
do remember,
that you are not defined by your imperfections,
you are not ruled nor controlled,
merely challenged.

Think of it this way,
you now have a chance to be better than you were,
you now have a chance to understand more about yourself,
people around you,
and the world as a whole.

So in essence what separates the wise,
from those who pretty much take themselves too seriously,
is your reaction to yourself.

Lighten up.
You're not all that bad.
You're actually really good.

So when you look in the mirror,
and notice all the blemishes,
smile and say,
this too shall pass.

After all,
you are only human.

By: Anonymus 

Sitting is Killing You

As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, there is one thing nearly all modern Americans have in common: we sit all the time. Though our great shift towards computer-based work has done great things for productivity, it has, unfortunately, done terrible things for our health. From increased risk of heart disease and obesity in the long term, to sharply hampered cholesterol maintenance in the short term, the negative health effects of sitting are starting to weigh heavily against the benefits. Even the medical field – the greatest advocates of reducing sitting time – is plagued by this new health issue. Though doctors and nurses get plenty of walking time, it usually falls to the secretaries, billers, and coders to do all the sitting. And, as we can see, something has to change.

(Adapted from: http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/sitting-kills/)

Smile! It's a charity and it's free!

Assalamualaikum...

Smile is a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles most notably near both ends of the mouth. The smile can also be around the eyes. It is natural on us... research shows that even baby in womb smiles! (see:: http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v3/n3/words-are-us)

Why should we smile? (about.com,2010)

1. Smiling Makes us Attractive

We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away — but a smile draws them in.

2. Smiling Changes our Mood

Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There’s a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling is contagious

When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you’ll be better able to take action.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System.

Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

Furthermore, our beloved Prophet smiled all the time! Abdullah ibn Harith, A RadiaAllahu'anhu said " I have never seen any one who smiled more than Allah's Messenger." (Jami Tirmidhi) Don't we all wants to follow Prophet's sunnah?.. what could be the easiest sunnah, dont you think?.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Charity is prescribed for each descendant of Adam every day the sun rises.” He was then asked: “From what do we give charity every day?” The Prophet answered: “The doors of goodness are many…enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing harm from the road, listening to the deaf, leading the blind, guiding one to the object of his need, hurrying with the strength of one’s legs to one in sorrow who is asking for help, and supporting the feeble with the strength of one’s arms–all of these are charity prescribed for you.” He also said: “Your smile for your brother is charity.” – Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 3, Number 98 (http://chillyoislamyo.com/,2011)

Isnt it great? Just by smiling.. we: 1) get all the physical and psycological benefit  2) follow Prophet's sunnah.. 3) do charity! and it's free!

The Importance of Good Manner

A brother approached me recently looking for advice. He said that he had gone through several phases in his development and in each stage he would add more acts of worship to his daily life. He started by getting his five prayers down, then theirsunnahs, then adding the forenoon prayer (ḍuḥā), then trying to pray in the night, and finally, fasting Mondays and Thursdays. His concern was that recently, when he was trying to pray more in the night, he was having a hard time doing it and felt that he was stagnating.

As I thought about his situation and his struggle to improve himself, I remembered something that I was reading in Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn just a few days before. I was preparing for a talk that I was to give on arrogance and the chapter after it in Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn happened to be the chapter on good manners. I was overwhelmed.

I will mention some of the ahadith that were compiled in this section by Imam al-Nawawi and perhaps share a few thoughts on a couple of them. One thing that we will see is that sometimes we are not in need of increasing our acts of worship, but rather in improving the quality of our acts of worship and the quality of our interactions with people.

Anas radiAllahu `anhu (ra) said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had the best character of anyone.”

Anas (ra) said, “I did not touch any silk brocade nor silk softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I did not smell any scent sweeter than the scent of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I served the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for ten years and he never said to me, ‘Uff‘ nor did he say about anything I had done, ‘Why did you do that?’ nor about anything I had not done, ‘Why did you not do that?’”

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’As (ra) said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was neither obscene nor indecent. He used to say, ‘The best of you are the best in character.’”

Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The believers with the most perfect belief are the best of them in character. The best of you are the best of you towards your wives.”

‘A’isha (ra) said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘By his good character a believer can reach the same rank as someone who fasts and prays at night.”

One of the commentators on this hadith said that the reason for this is because the one who prays in the night or fasts in the day struggles against his self while being disconnected from the people, but the one who deals with the people with good character struggles against himself while dealing with others, with all their differences, so they are equal to the one who prays or fasts, or maybe even better.

Abu Umama al-Bahili (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “I guarantee a house on the outskirts of the Garden to anyone who abstains from disputation, even if he is in the right, and a house in the middle of the Garden for anyone who abandons lying, even when he jests, and a house at the summit of the Garden for anyone who has good character.”

Jabir (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Those I love most and those sitting nearest to me on the Day of Rising will be those of you with the best character. Those most hateful to me and the furthest of you from me on the Day of Rising will be the pompous, the braggarts and the arrogant.’ They said, ‘Messenger of Allah, we know the pompous and the braggarts, but who are the arrogant?’ He said, ‘The proud.’”

‘A’isha (ra) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah is kind and loves kindness and gives for gentleness what he does not give for harshness nor for anything else.”

The Prophet ﷺ said to his companions, “Shall I not tell you something that is better than fasting, and praying, and giving charity?” They said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Reconciling between people.”

O Allah (swt), bestow your peace and blessings upon the best man to ever walk the face of the earth, our Prophet and master, Muhammad ﷺ. May He allow us to be true inheritors of his legacy.

By: JAMAAL DIWAN 

http://www.suhaibwebb.com

Failure and Success

I found this article and found this is a good effort in understanding of Surah Al-Asr... 

Today we live in a materialistic world, where the aim of society is to gain as much wealth as possible, for this is the way to success. Success is defined by how many college degrees you have, how much property you own, how much money you have, and so on.. In short, the more dunya you have, the more successful you are. This shows the real narrow-mindedness and heedlessness. It is as if only the rich, powerful and famous are successful while everyone else is not. In fact, this is a form of discrimination.

Allah in His Glorious Book revealed a different formula for success. It is contained in one of the shortest surahs (chapters) in the Qur’an, a chapter most Muslims have memorized and frequently recite in their prayers. The great tragedy is that the meaning this surah should have in our lives has been lost.

The surah is Surat al-`Asr – the chapter entitled “The Declining Day”:

“By time, indeed humanity is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” (Qur’an, 103)

This surah is the 103^rd chapter of the Qur’an. It is one of the shortest chapters, but it is also among the most comprehensive and discussed. The surah before it is Surat at-Takathur and after it is the Surat al-Humazah. One of the miracles of the Qur’an is the sequence of chapters; although they were revealed at various times and places, every surahhas a connection to the surah before it and after it. It seems as if they were actually revealed together. Subhan’Allah, such consistency can never be found in human speech. The chapters before and after Surat al-`Asr mention that the human being has been deluded by their search for wealth; money has given them a false security of being successful.

Allah (swt) mentions in the last verse of Surah at-Takathur that, “Then, on that Day, you shall be asked about the blessings you enjoyed” (Qur’an, 102:8). Surat al-`Asr starts with the greatest blessing that we as human beings regardless of age, sex, color, caste, religion enjoy—TIME. Allah (swt) swears by time, which shows that:

1. Time has a lofty status in the sight of Allah;
2. Allah is asking us to contemplate on the passage of time;
3. The time which we waste will never come back;
4. Time is a witness to many human beings being in a state of loss;
5. In concordance with the last verse of Surat at-Takathur, it shows that by time people become distracted by the dunyaand forget their real purpose in life.

As we move into the second verse, we find another correlation between the previous surah and this one. The central theme of the previous surah was at-Takathur which essential means the following:

1. The desire to have more;
2. Competing with others to get more;
3. Utilizing inappropriate means to win others over;
4. Taking pride in what you have.

So essentially, it is gaining in this “life” that is meant by takathur. However, the central theme of Surat al-`Asr is khusr (loss).Khusr essentially means losing everything. Subhan’Allah, Allah shows us in a subtle yet powerful way that seeking thedunya is one of the main causes of loss. If you reflect on this verse, it seems to be referring directly to this day and age, another miracle of the Qur’an. By default, human beings are losers, and on the path to destruction. However, Allah is the Most Merciful; as a sign of His Mercy, He revealed the secret to success in the final ayah (verse) of Surat al-`Asr.

This last verse essentially shows the minimum that we need to do to attain the pleasure of Allah. This verse also removes the doubts in the minds of many Muslims that just believing is enough. Even Shaytan (Satan) believes in God, so how can just believing be enough? The four criteria for going to paradise by earning Allah’s Mercy are the following:

1. Belief. Believing in Allah, His Books, His Prophets and Messengers, His Angels, the Day of Judgment, and divine decree. This belief is based upon sure knowledge; therefore we should strive to attain the necessary religious knowledge.

2.  Righteous deeds. Belief mandates knowledge, and knowledge mandates action. We should accompany our belief with righteous deeds done for the sake of Allah. Prayers, fasting, hajj and all the other obligatory acts of worship should be done only for the sake of Allah and in the way that was demonstrated by Muhammad ﷺ. However, every good that Allah loves and is pleased with is also considered an act of worship, and therefore is rewardableinsha’Allah. The obligatory deeds are the minimum.

3.  Calling others to the truth. The use of “wa tawaasi (and advise)” in the verse shows continuity. We should be calling others to the truth at all times, regardless of whether they accept it or not.

4.  The straight path is not easy. There will be difficulties, which causes some people to leave the path. We should be patient in calling to them, asking them to be patient, and persevere through the troubles. Patience is in obeying Allah, not disobeying Him, and persevering through calamities over which we have no control.

This surah is a conclusion to the message in the four surahs preceding it:Surat al-Zalzalah, Surat al-`Adiyat, Surat al-Qari`ah and Surat at-Takathur. Surah al-`Adiyat and Surah at-Takathur show the sorry state of the human beings, while Surat al-Zalzalah and Surat al-Qari`ah show the reality of the Day of Judgment. The conclusion is that human beings are in loss, except for those who follow the prescription in Surat al-`Asr. Therefore, this chapter has been precisely placed in the Qur’an as miraculous guidance. The irony of the surah is that this is the surah we often read when we are “too busy,” when we just need to get our prayers out of the way and do “more important” things. We are reciting that time is passing and mankind is in loss – and we are also demonstrating that very well! May Allah save us all.

This surah also places a great emphasis on da`wah (calling to the truth) and patience. Even though da`wah and patience are already righteous things, they are mentioned separately as they are sometimes neglected. Islam is a social religion. Not only should we do what is proper, but we should also encourage others to do so. At times, we justify not doing da`wah. Start doing da`wah – it’s a must. You can share the message of this surah with everyone, to start!

We need to fulfill all four conditions to meet the criteria for success. Human beings are losing, but we have the formula to the exceptions! We might think this formula strange, but a famous saying of Muhammad ﷺ can serve as motivation to us all, “Islam began strange, and it will become strange again just like it was at the beginning, so blessed are the strangers.” [Muslim]

Let us reflect on Surat al-`Asr the next time we recite it. Let us study a tafsir (explanation) of the Qur’an. We ask Allah to grant us barakah (blessings) in reciting and pondering upon the Qur’an, and we ask Allah to make us among those for whom the Qur’an will intercede on the Day of Judgment. Ameen.

By Raiiq Ridwan

http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/quran/failure-and-success/

:: It ain’t no use putting up your umbrella till it rains ~ Alice Caldwell Rice ::

Walking around with an open umbrella when it’s not raining doesn’t make any sense. But how often do we allow the umbrella of worry to block the sunshine of delight from warming our hearts?

Trials and tribulations are a part of life. In the extreme view, Soichiro Honda once said, success is 99% failure. We always heard from time to time that: to be successful, you must be brave enough to fail. So i wondered, what it is about failing that can make us a success? How can we use our failure, our struggles to be successful? Yes friends, u know the magic word: BE OPTIMIST!

In the Quran, Allah reminds us: Do people think that they will not be tested once they say they have accepted Allah’s message and committed themselves to it? (29:2). But, with this clear warning of the difficulties in life, Allah also gives hope to his faithful servants. Allah says: Did We not open your breast, and remove from you the burden that [almost] broke your back? Did We not exalt your name far and wide? Indeed, with every hardship there is ease; indeed, with every hardship there is ease. (94:1-6). 

And also, a scientific researh done in Harvard that followed the lives of 99 students from the age of 25 found that those who were initially classified as optimists at that young age were significantly healthier at the ages of 45 and 60. 

So, why worry? Embrace your failures, get back on your feet, learn from it and do it with a conviction that the failures we met are meant for us to be successful!  Seek out the light of optimism and hope. Pack up that umbrella of worry and doubt. Save it for a rainy day!

Source: jemima's journal, motivational-articles, islamic education

Life is like a cup of coffee

I read somewhere that life is like a cup of coffee.. and i loved it!  Here it goes.. 

Life is like a cup of coffee. Coffee is bitter but almost everyone loves it. Life has many suffering but almost everyone loves to have life. People add sugar and milk to coffee to make it less bitter. Everyone adds variety to life to make life less boring and suffering.

Life Is like a cup of coffee. Coffee is so additive. Those who drink coffee everyday cannot live a day without coffee. Life is additive as none of us is willing to give up life.

Life is like a cup of coffee. To enjoy a cup of coffee, you must enjoy every sip. To enjoy life, you must enjoy everyday of your life.

Life is like a cup of coffee. Sometimes you like to drink coffee alone and sometimes in a group. Life is the same. Sometimes you like to be alone and sometimes with your loved ones.

Life is like a cup of coffee. There are many types of coffee just like there are many different types of life.

Life is like a cup of coffee. Coffee tastes best when it is hot. Same for your life. You are enjoying life when you are "hot" in luck, "hot" among your friends and "hot" in your career. Being "hot" is like the afternoon sun, strongest and brightest part of your whole life.

Coffee, anyone?

Faults

Everybody has something that is unique in them : their own faults. Mine... is a lot. 

I am human, i am not perfect. I admit that i have done wrong, i might have hurt people along the way, i have made people cried, i have left people behind, i have hide the truth from people. But, by admitting my mistakes, am i saying that i wont do them again? I can surely try my best, but i can't promise. What i can promise is: i will learn from my mistakes. I will transform the negative experience to a useful learning experience. Yes i will!

After all, Elbert Hubbard said "Constant effort and frequent mistakes are the stepping stones of genius". I want to be a genius.. how about you? And i promise that i will forgive myself, I wont dwell into my mistakes, i will move on, knowing that should the same situation happens in the future, i will handle it more geniusly. I wont let the guilt from  past mistakes to eat me up.

Above all, i will constantly remind myself that Allah will helps lighten my burden of guilt. "Allah would make the burden light for you, for man was created weak" (4:28). Our Prophet once said  "All of Adam’s descendants constantly err, but the best of those who constantly err are those who constantly repent". Don't this just blow your mind? Indeed he is the Most Generous.. Allah forgives us for all mistakes we do no matter how many there are as long as we asked for the forgiveness! so, dont be too hard on yourself.. dont be too hard on other people.. be generous.. forgive and be forgiven!

Try, try again

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.~ Theodore Roosevelt (1).

This quote is what willpower is all about. To put your convictions into practice, you must first have willpower.  It takes willpower for a person to do something arduous. Likewise, it takes willpower for him to shun temptation. 

For me, the questions to be asked are: how to cultivate willpower and how to strengthen it on a daily basis?  I remembered when I first learn to ride bicycle, I fell down numerous times, get on the pedal countless times over until I finally get it right. That, my friend was willpower at its simplest. Indeed, the greatest exemplar of willpower was our beloved Prophet Muhammad. To live to Prophet’s example may be a bit too hard for me though, but, what we can learn from the great stories of our Prophet is that great triumph can be achieved in the times of adversity-only if we have the willpower to endure the hardships. 

In short, developing and strengthening willpower needs:  positive thinking, confidence of realizing you can do what you set your mind to, consistency and knowing that there will be reward for our effort. After all, Allah promised us that no effort will go wasted. ‘Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated.’” (Qur’an, 76:22). SubhanAllah. Isn't it great? Sometimes we deal with Allah as though He doesn’t know about the worry we feel, the stress, the striving. When we fail to see the results of our effort, we think that we failed and that it was a waste of time. But Allah (swt) tells us: “And never is your Lord forgetful…” (Qur’an, 19:64)(2). Thus, the littlest of our effort WILL be rewarded, and it gets me thinking: how about if our effort is a lot? Then, yes! A lot of rewards!!

In view of the above, when one thing in our lives doesnt work out the way we want it to be, it must not make us feel down for an extended period of time because we know that even a single effort we made is rewarded-as long as it is for the betterment of ourselves. Isnt it beautiful? We dont have to be successful at it, we just have to try and put effort! What can be more meaningful than Allah's reward? So, dont let yourself defeated internally! come on friends.. let's strive! 

*sources:(1) quotationspage.com (2)suhaibwebb.com

Let's learn with me!

This blog will light my way up the path of wisdom and confidence. I vowed to be better everyday. I pledged to be a better muslimah.  This is my views on life, the struggles, the success and how i see it. Come on friends.. learn with me and let's be better together!