"I am not worried about whether my du'a will be responded to, but rather I am worried about whether I will be able to make du'a or not. So if i have been guided (by Allah) to make du'a, then (I know) that the response will come with it."

Umar ibn al-Khattab

Do not fear living a life without luxuries, do not fear living without a car, jewellery or gadgets. Do not fear falling into poverty and failing at business.

These things come and go, and the one who doesn't have anything today may have it all tomorrow.

Rather, fear the loss of Allah from your life, fear the deprivation of Imaan and knowledge, fear the possibility of not reaching Jannah, and of not being to see His Face! And then use this fear like a ladder and work hard to earn His Pleasure.

Sh. Tawfique Chowdhury

To love Allah, to know Him intimately, to remember Him constantly, to find peace and rest in Him, to make Him alone the (ultimate) object of love, fear, hope and trust; to base one’s act on His control of His servant’s cares, aspirations and will—such is the world’s Heaven, and such is a blessing with which no other blessing can compare. 

- Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah

Every day I get closer to our Meeting.
I feel like I’ve been walking this path for a thousand years
towards You…
and yet I’m still not there.
So close, and yet so far still

But I keep walking,
despite the tears,
despite the wind,
despite the skinned knees and broken bones,
despite the bruises and scars that make this heart what it is today,
I keep walking…
toward You.
There’s only one direction,
one direction:
towards You.
From You, to You.
I have nothing else.
Nothing.
That is my poverty.

I keep walking
because behind every sun’s setting is a rising,
Behind every storm is a Refuge,
Behind every fall is a rise,
Behind every tear is a cleansing of the eyes.
And in every spot you’ve ever been stabbed, is a healing,
and the creation of skin stronger than it was.

I keep walking
because wallahi I have nothing but Your mercy.
I have nothing but Your promise
Your words
Your promise
that:
“Oh mankind, indeed you are ever toiling on towards your Lord- painfully toiling,- but you shall meet Him.” (84:6)
http://www.yasminmogahed.com/2011/11/09/keep-walking/

The hearts only find true delight and pleasure in loving Allah and drawing close to Him by doing what He loves, and this is only possible if the person turns away from every other beloved object. This is the reality of.... La ilaha ill'Allah..... and it is the religion of Ibrahim, the Khalil, and indeed, all of the Prophets and Messengers, peace and blessings be on them all.



Ibn Taymiyyah: (Majmu' Fatawa, vol. 28, 32)

At the time of death, the tongue cannot speak except, what the heart commands. Whatever is in the heart, will come out. If the heart was full of Dunya, that will speak. But, if it was full of the love of Allah, then that will speak.


Yasmin Mogahed

Remember, your peace of mind and stillness of heart must be based on your relationship with Allah, and not the world or anyone or anything in it. If you are right with Allah, you are right.



Imam Zaid Shakir

This world cannot break you—unless you give it permission. And it cannot own you unless you hand it the keys – unless you give it your heart. And so, if you have handed those keys to dunya for a while—take them back. This isn’t the end. You don’t have to die here. Reclaim your heart and place it with its rightful owner: God. 


Yasmin Mogahed

LIFE IN THIS WORLD

What are you running after? 
This Duniya? 
Will you get it? 
Well, the answer is “NO”!!! 
But in the process, you might lose the Hereafter aswell.

"O People who take pleasure in a life that will vanish, falling in love with a fading shadow is sheer stupidity" - Ibn Al-Qayyim

"Verily the dunya is coming to an end, and the âkhirah is coming to a beginning and they both have children. So, be children of the âkhirah and don’t be children of the dunya. For verily, today there is action with no account, and tomorrow there’s account with no action." 


[Related by Ibn al-Qayyim in ad-Dâ' wad-Dawâ Fasl ,15]

It will keep hurting you, until you let go and there remains nothing in the heart but Him. Once that happens you will no longer love for your own sake. Everything you want, love, or hate will be for, through and by Him.

Yasmin Mogahed

Is Allah happy with me?

One of the great zuhhaad (ascetics) was looking for the answer to this question. How am I supposed to know if Allah is happy with me or not? How do I know where I stand?

You and I have to take a good look at how we spend our day. What does Allah have us do in 24 hours? That should be a pretty good indication as to where we stand with Allah.

If Allah has opened the door for us to earn good deeds, to build, build, and build our real estates in Jannah on a daily basis.. If He is giving us the opportunity to do good to our parents, to pray salah in the masjid, to learn, teach, and share this deen… If there are things that we are doing on a daily basis and we know for a fact that they make Allah happy, that in and of itself should give us hope. It’s not a guarantee that Allah is happy with us, but at least Allah is not surrounding us with things that displease Him. At least we are in a company, environment that we know is pleasing to Him. The guarantee will come on Judgment Day.


Nouman Ali Khan

“Patience and Gratitude”

There is  a story  of one Shaikh who was once sitting and teaching his students. He was also a very wealthy businessman and at the time he had a fleet of ships which contained all his merchandise. While he was teaching, someone came rushing up to him and whispered something in his ear. The Shaikh remained very still for some time and then finally said "Alhamdu lillah." He then continued with his lesson. Some time later the same man returned and again whispered something to the Shaikh. Again the Shaikh went quiet and then said "Alhamdu lillah." The students then enquired from him as to what had happened. He told them that the first time the man had come and informed him that there had been a storm at sea and the entire fleet, with all his wealth, had been destroyed. He had then examined his inner condition and found that the news had not affected him in the least and that was why he had said "Alhamdu lillah." The second time he had been informed that the fleet had actually managed to survive the storm and all his wealth was saved. He then again looked to his heart and found that this news had also not affected him which was why he had uttered "Alhamdu lillah." His condition at all times was the same and the affairs of the dunya were of no concern to him. 

*Comprehensive and beneficial du’aa – for the Best of Both Worlds*

Allahumma Innee As'alukal-huda, wat-tuqaa, wal-áfaafa, wal-ghinaa

Imaam as-Sa’dee (rahimahullaah) said:"This du’aa is from the most comprehensive and beneficial du’aas, since it includes asking Allaah for well-being with regards to both the Religion and the world. Thus, al-hudaa (the guidance) is beneficial knowledge, and at-tuqaa (i.e. taqwaa or piety) is righteous actions and leaving-off what Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden; and this is (asking) for correctness and well-being of a person’s Religion. For indeed, the Religion comprises of beneficial knowledge and recognizing the truth – which is guidance – and standing firm upon obedience to Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – and this is piety.
And al-’afaafa (well-being and safety) and al-ghinaa (contentment and sufficiency) comprises of being safe from (the harms of) the creation and that the heart is not attached to them. And it also comprises of being contented with Allaah and what He provides, and seeking whatever will cause the heart to be satisfied with Him. So with this, happiness in this worldly life is completed, and the heart tastes true sweetness and delight – and this is a goodly life. So whosoever is granted the provisions of guidance, Piety. well-being and contentment has indeed achieved true happiness, and has acquired all that could be possibly sought after, as well as being saved from all that is dreadful and frightening."

[Bahjatul-Quloobul-Abraar (p.198)]

If you ever have time and find yourself in ease, then take advantage of prayer, to draw near to Allah; If you ever wish to speak ill a word of falsehood, then instead put in its place, a word of glorification; Because taking advantage of silence is better than speaking frequently, even if you are eloquent in speech.



Ibn Al-Mubarak (rahimahullah)

Death (mawt) is enough as an admonition; certainty (yaqeen) is enough as richness; and worship (ibadah) is enough as an occupation.

Umar Ibn Al Khattaab (radi Allahu ánhu) [Jaami-ul Uloom Wal-Hikam: page: 308]

Jafar ibn Abu Talib’s Speech to the Negus

The Muslims were forced out of their land because of the persecution of the polytheist Arabs, who tortured them because they said, “our Lord is one”. The Prophet Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم) commanded the Muslims to migrate to Abysynnia, to live under the Negus, a just ruler. The Polytheists refused to let them leave peacefully, and confronted the king to demand the return of the Muslims. Jafar was chosen as the spokesperson for the Muslims to the king.

He said:

O King, we were a people in a state of ignorance and immorality, worshipping idols and eating the flesh of dead animals, committing all sorts of abomination and shameful deeds, breaking the ties of kinship, treating guests badly, and the strong among us exploited the weak. We remained in this state until Allah sent us a Prophet, one of our own people, whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness, and integrity were well-known to us.

He called us to worship Allah alone, and to renounce the stones and the idols which we and our ancestors used to worship besides Allah.

He commanded us to speak the truth, to honor our promises, to be kind to our relations, to be helpful to our neighbors, to cease all forbidden acts, to abstain from bloodshed, to avoid obscenities and false witness, and not to appropriate an orphan’s property nor slander chaste women.

He ordered us to worship Allah alone and not to associate anything with him, to uphold Salat, to give Zakaah, and fast in the month of Ramadan.

We believed in him and what he brought to us from Allah, and we follow him in what he has asked us to do and we keep away from what he forbade us from.

Thereupon, O King, our people attacked us, visited the severest punishment on us, to make us renounce our religion and take us back to the old immorality and the worship of idols.

They oppressed us, made life intolerable for us, and obstructed us from observing our religion. So we left for your country, choosing you before anyone else, desiring your protection and hoping to live in Justice and in peace in your midst.

The Negus was impressed and was eager to hear more. He asked Jafar, “Do you have with you something of what your Prophet brought concerning God?” “Yes,” replied Jafar.

“Then read it to me,” requested the Negus. Jafar, in his rich, melodious voice, recited for him the first portion of Surah Maryam, which deals with the story of Jesus and his mother Mary.

On hearing the words of the Quran, the Negus was moved to tears. To the Muslims, he said: “The message of your Prophet and that of Jesus came from the same source…” To Amr and his companion (the men who were trying to convince the Negus to hand over the Muslims), he said: “Go. For, by God, I will never surrender them to you.” 

Every single night our soul is taken, and every single night the Angel asks before bringing it back, “Ya Allah, what about this one? Do You want to send it back? Do You want to pull the plug or should we keep the rûh (soul)?” And every night Allah gives permission to the Angel to let us live one more time.

Nouman ‘Ali Khan

*POETRY*

A Book that makes you cry.
A Book that makes you notice,
How much harder you can try.

A Book that makes you realize,
What true love really is...

A Book that gives you direction,
for all of life’s tough biz.

A Book that gives you hope,
that Someone somewhere is watching over you.

A Book that helps you out,
Through all the times your blue.

A Book that was revealed to our beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
over a period of 23 years,

Once you put faith into this Book,
You can handle worldly fears.
A gift sent down from Heaven,
A treasure from above,
Written proof that shows us

How blessed we are with Allah's love!