Gems

My brothers and sisters in Islam, know that the Muslim is one who never gives up in anything that he or she does. O People! Know that the one who submits himself to Allah, should never feel like he or she does not have the capabilities to accomplish something. My brothers and sisters, sometimes we find it difficult to excel in our fields. If you’re a student — you may feel that you’re not able to get that A+ grade, you think to yourself ‘I’m not that smart, I can’t do it!

Bismillah. Check out this hadith: ‏إِنَّ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ أَيَّامِكُمْ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ فَأَكْثِرُوا عَلَيَّ مِنْ الصَّلاَةِ فِيهِ فَإِنَّ صَلاَتَكُمْ مَعْرُوضَةٌ عَلَيَّ قَالَ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَيْفَ تُعْرَضُ صَلاَتُنَا عَلَيْكَ وَقَدْ أَرَمْتَ ‏- ‏قَالَ يَقُولُونَ بَلِيتَ ‏قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى حَرَّمَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ أَجْسَادَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “Surely, among the best of your days is Friday; so increase in (invoking Allah’s) salaat upon me during it, for your (invocations for Allah’s) Salaat (upon me) will be displayed to me.

Bismillah. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in Surah Al-e-Imran ayaat 31-32: قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ قُلْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ Translation: Say: If you should love Allah, then follow me (so) Allah will love you and forgive your sins. And Allah is Al-Ghafuwr (the All-Forgiving), Ar-Raheem (the All-Mericful). Say, Obey Allah and His Messenger. But if you turn away then indeed, Allah does not love the disbelievers.

Bismillah How many times have we heard this duaa in our lives: Rabbana aatina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qinaa athaban naar. Have we ever contemplated how complete this duaa is? Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلاَقٍ وِمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ Translation: And among the people is he who says, “our Lord, give us in this world,” and he will have in the Hereafter no share.

Bismillah Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) uses amazing parables in the Qur’an that strike fear, awe and amazement in the hearts of the believers. Throughout the Qur’an, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) draws parables for us to convey the importance of certain topics, to extract lessons from them and so that we may ponder and reflect over them. We hear many times of the examples of the hypocrites, the mushrikeen (pagans) and the believers. But there is one parable that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) puts forth that increases the love and mercy between a husband and wife, and this parable is one of the most eloquent and striking in the Qur’an.

Bismillah. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the Qur’an: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِم مِّلْءُ الأرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افْتَدَى بِهِ أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ Translation: Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers – never would the [whole] capacity of the earth in gold be accepted from one of them if he would [seek to] ransom himself with it. For those there will be a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers.

Bismillah. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in Surah Al-Baqarah: وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الأَمْوَالِ وَالأنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُواْ إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ Translation: And We shall surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient. Those who when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we will return.

Bismillah. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقاً قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هَذَا قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ Translation: Every time he entered Al-Mihrab to her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: “O Maryam (Mary)! From where have you got this?

Bismillah. Learning Arabic as a second language may be difficult for many, so I decided to share some tips that assist with learning the meanings of words and their structures. Words that begin with ف usually will always mean something that breaks open, separates, or breaks apart. Check out these examples: الفجر (Al-Fajr) from ف ج ر means the dawn, but it literally means when the daylight breaks/crack through the darkness.

Time comes and goes, life slips and goes forth, what is to come? No creation knows. Sometimes, things (سبحانه وتعالى) takes it away, because in His infinite Wisdom it is something which is not good for you. However, what is to say that same thing is not good for you later in life? Time can go by, a jewel can accumulate dust, but with a blow of the mouth and a brush of the hands, it sparkles like new just as it was before.