Posted on January 11th, 2014 · Filed under International News
One day I gathered twelve different commentaries of the Qur’an: At-Tabari, Ibn Katheer, Al-Baghawi, AZ-Zamakhshari, Al-Qurtubi, AZ-Zilaal, As-Shinquiti, Ar-Raazi, Fath ul-Qadeer, Al-Khaazin, Abu Mas’ood, and Al-Qaasimi (some in this list are the names of the authors while others are the names of the actual books). I had intended to read every day the commentary of one verse of the Qur’an from each of these books. I planned to read the explanation of the daily verse from the first book, then the second, and so on, until I had completed them all. I tried this for a while but I quickly felt bored and exhausted. It is true that I was enthusiastic, but I had been too hasty in planning and in choosing a proper method of study. Read more…
Posted on January 9th, 2014 · Filed under International News
In the year 1400 Hijri, I participated in a campaign to propagate Islam, close to the border of Yemen. I temporarily left the camp we were staying in, intending to go with one of my professors to Abha. On the way back I was upset because he was driving his car at a very high speed. I pleaded with him to slow down, but it seemed that this only had the effect of goading him on to go faster. It was raining that night, yet he continued to drive recklessly. We ended up in a valley that was filling with water. At first the water reached a level only slightly above our tires. As we reached the middle of the valley, though, the situation got worse as water started to flow into our vehicle. We left the car and with much difficulty we managed to reach the edge of the valley. We were stuck there all night without food, drink, and more importantly, because we were wet, without blankets. We were contented and thankful for our situation though, because when the flood had overwhelmed us we had expected to die. And so we were thankful just to be alive. In the early morning somebody came and took us to safety. I am reminded by this incident of a story that took place in World War II. An American ship was hit by a missile and as a result began to sink. The captain was stranded for thirteen days with only water and bread to nourish him. He was later asked whether there was a moral that he took away with him from his experience. He said, “Something important that I took away with me from this experience is that if a person is healthy and has bread and water, he has the whole world with him.” Read more…
Posted on January 7th, 2014 · Filed under International News, MYF Latest News, MYF News, MYF Projects, UK News
Do not be sad, for sadness will weaken your determination and the quality of your worship. One of the offshoots of depression is that it often causes one to be pessimistic, to find blame in everyone, including — and we seek refuge in Allah – Allah Himself.
Do not be sad, for sadness, grief, and anxiety are the roots of mental problems, the sources of stress.
Do not be sad, for you have with you the Qur’an, supplication, remembrance, and prayer. You can lighten the load of your anxiety by giving others, doing well, and being productive.
Do not be sad, and do not surrender to sadness by taking the easy path of idleness and inactivity, but pray, glorify your Lord, read, write, work, visit relatives and friends, and reflect. Read more…
Posted on January 7th, 2014 · Filed under International News
Pain is not always a negative force and it is not something that you should always hate. At times a person benefits when he feels pain.
You might remember that, at times when you felt a lot of pain, you sincerely supplicated and remembered Allah. When he is studying, the student often feels the pangs of heavy burden, sometimes perhaps the burden of monotony, yet he eventually leaves this stage of life a scholar. He felt burdened with pain at the beginning but he shined at the end. The aches and pangs of passion, the poverty and the scorn of others, the frustration and anger at injustices these all cause the poet to write flowing and captivating verses. This is because he himself feels pain in his heart, in his nerves, and in his blood, and as a result, he is able to infuse the same emotions, via his work, into the hearts of others. How many painful experiences did the best writers have to undergo, experiences that inspired brilliant works, works that posterity continues to enjoy and benefit from today. Read more…
Posted on January 5th, 2014 · Filed under International News
It is not uncommon to see laborers who are so poor that whatever they earn on any given day is spent on that same day. Yet many of them are happy, peaceful, with strong hearts and tranquil souls. This is because they are too busy to think about yesterday or tomorrow. Their life-style has given them an appreciation of today since they have not been afforded the opportunity of thinking about anything else. Read more…
Posted on January 1st, 2014 · Filed under International News
Waiting eagerly for the call to prayer, arriving at the mosque before the commencement of prayer, bearing no personal grudges against others, leaving alone other people’s private affairs, being content with the basic necessities of life, studying the Qur’an and the Sunnah, feeling concern for the pains of other Muslims, and being charitable with one’s wealth – these are all qualities of a righteous person. Read more…