Blog Archives

Congratulations for new parents and how they should respond

Baarakallaahu laka fil-mawhoobi laka, wa shakartal-waahiba , wa balagha ‘ashuddahu, wa ruziqta birrahu.

May Allah bless you with His gift to you , and may you (the new parent) give thanks, may the child reach the maturity of years , and may you be granted its righteousness . The reply of the person being congratulated is to say : Read more…

Beneficial knowledge and fruitless knowledge

And those who have been bestowed with knowledge and faith will say: `Indeed you have stayed according to the Decree of Allah, until the Day of Resurrection, but you knew not.   (Qur’an 30: 56)

There is knowledge that is useful and there is knowledge that is harmful. As for the knowledge that is useful, the believer’s faith strengthens as a result of it; on the other hand, the disbeliever does not reap any benefit whatsoever from gaining this kind of knowledge; though the information acquired is the same, the results are very different. Allah says of His enemies:

They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world [i.e. the matters of their livelihood, like irrigation or sowing or reaping, etc.], and they are heedless of the Hereafter.   (Qur’an 30: 7)

Nay, they have no knowledge of the Hereafter. Nay, they are in doubt about it. Nay, they are blind about it.  (Qur’an 27: 66)

That is what they could reach of knowledge.  (Qur’an 53: 30) 

And recite [O’ Muhammad] to them the story of him to whom we gave Our Aayaat [proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.], but he threw them away so Satan followed him up, and he became of those who went astray. And had we willed, we would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his description is the description of dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he [still] lolls his tongue out. Such is the description of the people who reject Our Aayaat [proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc]. So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect.  (Qur’an 7: 175-176)

Allah said about the Jews and their knowledge of the truth:

The likeness of those who were entrusted with the Torah, but who subsequently failed in those [obligations], is as the likeness of a donkey that carries huge burdens of books [but understands nothing from them]. How bad is the example of people who deny the Aayaat [proofs, evidences, signs, verses, etc.] of Allah?  (Qur ‘an 62: 5)

They knew the truth from the Torah, yet they were not guided by it. They distorted its words, and if that failed to work, they distorted the meanings of the words. How could people who treated knowledge in this despicable manner ever have found happiness? It was certainly not possible in their case, for they always tried to eradicate the truth using any means at their disposal.

…hut they preferred blindness to guidance… (Qur ‘an 41: 17) 

And of their saying: our hearts are wrapped [with coverings, i.e. we do not understand what the Messengers sav] – nay, Allah has set a seal upon their hearts because of their disbelief, so they believe not but a little.   (Qur’an 4: 155) Read more…

Istikharah (seeking Allah’s Counsel)

Jabir bin Abdullah (RA) said: The Prophet (SAW) used to teach us to seek Allah’s Counsel in all matters, as he used to teach us a Surah from the Qur’an. He would say: When anyone of you has an important matter to decide, let him pray two Rak’ahs other than the obligatory prayer, and then say: Read more…

Invocations for when the wind blows

Allaahumma ‘innee ‘as’aluka khayrahaa, wa ‘a’oothu bika min sharrihaa.

O Allah , I ask You for the good of it and seek refuge in You against its evil.

Reference:
Abu Dawud 4/326, Ibn Majah 2/1228. See also Al-Albani, Sahih Ibn Mjjah 2/305

Allaahumma ‘innee ‘as’aluka khayrahaa, wa khayra maa feehaa, wa khayra maa ‘ursilat bihi wa a’oothu bika min sharrihaa, wa sharri maa feehaa, wa sharri maa ‘ursilat bihi.

O Allah, I ask You for the good of it, for the good of what it contains , and for the good of what is sent with it . I seek refuge in You from the evil of it , from the evil of what it contains, and from the evil that is sent with it.

Reference:
Muslim 2/616, Al-Bukhari 4/76.

Allah, who is full of Majesty and Honor…’

In an authentic hadith, the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) advised us to repeat this phrase often:

“O’ (Allah) who is full of Majesty and Honor.”

He (bpuh) also advised us to say:

“O’ Ever Living, O’ One Who sustains and protects all that exists.” Read more…

The tax on being an eloquent speaker

We are successful to the degree that we are dutiful to Allah, and after that, to how we interact with His slaves. We can easily combine words and embellish our speech to please an audience; the difficult thing is to back up our words with virtuous deeds and a noble character.

Enjoin you Al-Birr [piety and righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allah] on the people and you forget [to practice it] yourselves, while you recite the Scripture [Torah]! Have you then no sense?   (Qur ‘an 2: 44) Read more…

Do not be sad -Repel anxiety

Idleness is destructive, and most people who suffer from worries and anxieties are the same people who are idle and inactive. Rumors and gossip are the only dividends for those that are bankrupt of meaningful and fruitful work.

Apply yourself to something and work hard at it. Read, recite, and glorify your Lord with praises. Write, visit friends, and benefit from your time. In short, do not give a single minute away to idleness. The day that you do will be the day that anxieties and worries will find their way into your life. Superstition and evil whispers will enter your mind, allowing you to become a playground for the games of the devil.

Do not grieve over the person who forgets or denies the favors you once gave to him, for your desire should be solely for the reward of Allah.

Perform righteous deeds purely and sincerely for the pleasure of Allah, and do not expect either congratulation or gratitude from any person. Do not take it to heart if you confer a favor upon someone and he then turns out to be ungrateful, showing no sign of appreciation for what you have done. Seek your reward from Allah. Allah says of His righteous slaves:

They seek Bounties from Allah and His pleasure. (Qur’an 59: 8) Say: `No reward do I ask of you for this’…   (Qur’an 25: 57)

And have in his minded no favor from anyone for which a reward is expected in return?                                                                                     (Qur’an y? 19)

[Saying]: `We feed you seeking Allah’s Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.    (Qur’an 76: 9) Read more…

Do not be crushed by what is insignificant

Many are those that are distressed not by pressing matters of great import, but by minor trifles.

Observe the Hypocrites and how weak they are in their resolution. The Qur’an relates to us some of their sayings: Those who stayed away [from Tabuk expedition] rejoiced in their staying behind the Messenger of Allah; they hated to strive and fight with their properties and their lives in the Cause of Allah, and they said: March not forth in the heat’.  (Qur’an 9: 81) Read more…

Smile – Pause to reflect

When you experienced sadness yesterday, your situation didn’t get any better by you being sad. Your son failed in school, and you became depressed, yet did your depression change the fact that he failed? Your father passed away, and you became downhearted, yet did that bring him back to life? You lost your business, and you became saddened. Did this change your situation by transforming losses into profits?

Do not be sad: You became despondent due to a calamity, and by doing so, created additional calamities. You became depressed because of poverty and this only increased the bitterness of your situation. You became gloomy because of what your enemies said to you; by entering into that mental state, you unwittingly helped them in their attack against you. You became sullen because you expected a particular misfortune, and yet it never came to pass.

Do not be sad: Truly a large mansion will not protect you from the effects of depression; and neither will be a beautiful wife, abundant wealth, a high position, or brilliant children.

Do not be sad: Sadness causes you to imagine poison when you are really looking at pure water, to see a cactus when you are looking at a rose, to see a barren desert when you are looking at a lush garden, and to feel that you are in an unbearable prison when you are living on a vast and spacious earth.

Do not be sad: You have two eyes, two ears, lips, two hands, two legs, a tongue, a heart, peace, safety, and a healthy body. Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both [jinns and men] deny?          (Qur’an SS: 13)

Do not be sad: You have the true Religion to live by, a house to live in, bread to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear, a wife to find comfort with; why then the melancholy?