Showing Gratitude
“Whoever does not give thanks to the people does not give thanks to Allaah” (a saheeh hadeeth narrated by Imaam Ahmad, 2/258).
Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “He who is favoured by another and says to his benefactor: `Jazak-Allah khairan (may Allah reward you well)’ indeed praised (the benefactor) satisfactorily.”
[At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: If one is unable to return someone’s kindness with kindness, he should say, “Jazak-Allahu khairan (may Allah reward you well).” This means: “I am unable to reciprocate your kindness. May Allah grant you the best reward for it.” Obviously there is no match for the reward that one gets from Allah. For this reason the Prophet (PBUH) said that it was the best of the praise for a benefactor.
It’s time to walk the talk
I choose not to be a common man,
it is my right to be uncommon, if I can.
I seek opportunity, not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen,
humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk;
to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole;
I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence;
the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of Utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence
nor my dignity for a handout.
I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid;
to think and act for myself, to enjoy the benefit of my creations
and to face the world boldly and say: This, with God’s help, I have done.
- Unknown
The Business Mastery Seminar
Have you ever wanted to start your own business
but did not have
>The information?
>The knowledge?
>The plan?
>The money?
>The guts?
Are you someone who
>Uses credit cards
>Goes to work evey day dreaming of the day you’ll never have to work again?
>Wishing you could become financially free? Independent? Self-sufficient?
>Running a business that is not meeting your expectations?
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Desiring a better life for you and your family,
Aymen Ahmed Roshan.
Spots limited.
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When would now be a great time to do things a little differently, live the life!
If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!
–Rudyard Kipling
Achieving High Aims
Achieving High Aims
by Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
Al-Fawa’id
© 2004 Umm Al-Qura
http://islaam.com//Article.aspx?id=671
Achieving high aims depends upon having a firm intention and a strong will. Whoever loses them will never attain one’s goals, because when one’s intention is firm, it adheres to the plan, and if one’s will is strong, the servant will walk along the right way that leads to that aim. Having a strong will opens the way and a resolute intention focuses one on the aim. If one’s aim coincides with the way that reaches to it, one will be successful.
If one’s intention is weak, one will not have a high aim. If one’s will is not strong, it will (also) not lead one to the aim. The whole matter depends upon the will and the intention of the servant, and they will never be achieved without the following:
First, neglecting innovations which people make.
Second, abandoning worldly benefits and vain pleasures, which hinder one from one’s way and aim.
Third, purification of one’s heart from any vain desires that will distract one’s intention.
Baking pies is about?
Michael Gerber in his book, The E-Myth Revisited uses the example of Sarah, a bakeshop entrepreneur whose aunt admonished her on baking pies in a hurry:
“Sarah, baking pies is not about getting done, baking pies is about baking pies.”
I repeated this sentence to myself countless times last night and each other time an incident flashed before my eyes where I aimed at getting done: how in this rat race I had emptied out of me the love of my art and left my hands at the disposal of an empty-hearted technician whose sole interest was to get things done.
An outstanding lesson: “Baking pies is not about getting done, baking pies is about baking pies.”
“Getting done” lately?
Delusion
Fudayl said: O Miskin! You commit wrong but you think that you are good
You are ignorant but you think you are knowledgeable
You are miserly but you think you are generous
You are a fool but you think you are intelligent
Your time is brief but your hopes are far sighted!
Want love?
Riyad as-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous) by Imam Nawawi: Chapter 47: On the signs of Allah’s love for His slave and urging that it be taken on and that one should strive to obtain it
Allah Almighty says, “Say (Muhammad (s.a.w)): ‘If you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive you for your wrong actions, Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (3:31)
And the Almighty says, “O you who believe! If any of you renounce your deen, Allah will bring forward a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble to the believers, fierce to the rejectors, who fight to the utmost in the Way of Allah and do not fear the blame of any blamer. That is the unbounded favour of Allah which He gives to whoever He wills. Allah is Boundless, All-Knowing.” (W5:56;5:54)
386. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah Almighty says, ‘I have declared war against anyone who shows enmity towards a friend of Mine. My slave does not draw near to Me with anything I love more than what I made obligatory for him. Then My slave continues to draw near to Me with superogatory actions until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight by which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. If he asks of Me, I give to him. If he seeks refuge with Me, I give him refuge.’” [al-Bukhari]
387. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When Allah Almighty loves a slave, He calls out to Jibril, ‘Allah Almighty loves so-and-so, so love him!’ and Jibril loves him. Then a call goes out among the people of heaven, ”Allah Almighty loves so-and-so, so love him!’ and the people of heaven love him. Then acceptance is placed in the earth for him.” [Agreed upon]
In a variant of Muslim, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When Allah Almighty loves a slave, He calls out to Jibril, ‘Allah Almighty loves so-and-so, so love him!’ and Jibril loves him. Then a call goes out among the people of heaven, ”Allah Almighty loves so-and-so, so love him!’ and the people of heaven love him. Then acceptance is placed in the earth for him. When He hates a slave, He calls out to Jibril, ‘Allah Almighty hates so-and-so, so hate him!’ and Jibril hates him. Then a call goes out among the people of heaven, ”Allah Almighty hates so-and-so, so hate him!’ and the people of heaven hate him. Then hatred is placed in the earth for him.”
388. ‘A’isha reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent a man on an expedition and he used to recite for his companions in the prayer, ending with “Say: He is Allah, One.” When they returned, they mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah and he said, “Ask him why he did it.” They asked him and he said, “Because it is the description of the All-Merciful. So I love to recite it.” The Messenger of Allah said, “Tell him that Allah Almighty loves him.” [Agreed upon]
Islam has altered humanity’s understanding of cause and effect to what it truly is. Strive to understand.
How do you look for love? How will this change today?
Outrageous Questions
If your colleague, friend, child, or even a stranger were to ask you an outrageous question, what would your response be? Often times, people ask outrageous questions or make incessant pleas for trivial things. How does one respond?
Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Umamah saying that a young man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Give me permission to commit Zina (unlawful sex).” The people surrounded him and rebuked him, saying, “Stop! Stop!” But the Prophet said, “Come close.” The young man came to him, and he said, “Sit down” so he sat down. The Prophet said, “Would you like it (unlawful sex) for your mother?” He said, “No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you.” The Prophet said, “Neither do the people like it for their mothers.” The Prophet said, “Would you like it for your daughter?” He said, “No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you.” The Prophet said, “Neither do the people like it for their daughters.” The Prophet said, “Would you like it for your sister?” He said, “No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you.” The Prophet said, “Neither do the people like it for their sisters.” The Prophet said,”Would you like it for your paternal aunt?” He said, “No, by Allah, O Allah’s Messenger! may I be ransomed for you.” The Prophet said, “Neither do the people like it for their paternal aunts.” The Prophet said, “Would you like it for your maternal aunt?” He said, “No, by Allah, O Allah’s Messenger! may I be ransomed for you.” The Prophet said, “Neither do the people like it for their maternal aunts.” Then the Prophet put his hand on him and said, “O Allah, forgive his sin, purify his heart and guard his chastity.” After that the young man never paid attention to anything of that nature. [Ahmad]
I would welcome you to share the lesson(s) that you learnt from this true narrative. Just click “leave a comment” on the top left-hand corner of this post. We ask Allah to guide us to the way of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when such situations arise and to help us overcome our shortcomings. Ameen.
Contempt
It is said that one should never look at another with contempt or disdain. Why?
Were the people of Paradise and the people of Hellfire clearly recognizable, the matter would have been decided, and it would have been possible for people to judge people.
The fact of the matter is, and this is the reason why no human has the right to judge another or look down on another: You never know the people upon whom Allah has blessed with His Love.
It is common for people to think that a person always seen at the mosque or calling people to Islam, or giving the most charity is the most pious and the one seen hanging out here and there may be pious, but to a lesser degree.
Only Allah knows the condition of the hearts and therefore only He is eligible to be the Judge.
Imam ash-Shafi used to say, “O my eyes, all men have eyes.”
