Gems

Not enough time to do what you want in life? Are you over-worked, over-stressed, and over-tired? Looking for that one key element that’ll make everything fall into place time-wise? Schedule around salaah. Try it–plan your day around your salaah. “I’ll do x, y, z after Fajr.” “I can fit these things in before Dhur …” “Sorry bro, I can’t meet up until after Isha” etc. And see the difference it makes.

One question that plagues many new students of the Arabic language is the difference between hadhaa kitaabun and hadhaal kitaabu … The difference is best demonstrated by example: hadhaa kitaabun kabiyrun means “this is a big book,” and “hadhaal kitaabul kabiyru” means “this big book …” Get the difference? The first (hadhaa kitaabun) is talking about any book. “This is a book.” Nothing special. The second–hadhaal kitaabu–is talking about a specific book.

In a very beautiful hadith, our beloved Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: __ “There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but be says: ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.

In the fast-paced world we live in, we often lose the righteousness needed to attain the closeness to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) that we desire. We go through constant struggles, fighting with ourselves to do what is good and to stay on The Straight Path. At times we prosper and succeed, but much of the time, we lose the fight, but why? Why do we succumb to the temptations of this world?

Innal-Hamdu lillah was-Salaatu was-Salaam `alaa Rasoolillah “Lucky escape … hmmm … Nah! It just wasn’t my time to go yet; Allah saved me and gave me a little longer …” Driving home from work after having a late staff meeting, it was an ordinary evening not much traffic on the road. I got onto the dual carriage, I was in the right lane doing around 60-70 miles an hour, then all of a sudden *BANG* the bonnet of my car flew open and smashed against my car windscreen, *SMASH* all the glass cracked and from the great impact, my back view mirror had completely broken off.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the Qur’an: اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ~َ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لاَ تَأْخُذُه ُُ سِنَة ٌ وَلاَ نَوْم ٌ لَه ُُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ~ُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِه ِِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْء ٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ~ِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَاءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَلاَ يَئُودُه ُُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ “Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal.

So, do you want to enter Jannah? Think about it for a second. OK, that was an easy one. Here’s a more difficult question, how do you plan on getting there? Take your time and think about that one. That thinking in and of itself will help you get to Jannah, inshallah ta’ala. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will make the path easier for those who sincerely desire to come closer to Him and find ways to do so.

Humankind is witness to the blessings that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has bestowed upon them, yet they look the other way. Humankind is witness to the world and everything in it, yet they deny the very Creator of it. Subhanallah. Narrated Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه): The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said, “Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said: ‘The son of Adam tells a lie against Me, though he hasn’t the right to do so.

Do you control your eyes? If so, then stop yourself from blinking. Do you control your heart? If so, then stop yourself from feeling. Do you control your brain? If so, then stop yourself from thinking. Can’t do it, can you? If we’re not in control then who is? Who else besides Al-Khaliq, The Creator — Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) Reality Check … this dunya is not what it percieves to be, so next time we think we got things under control, we should think again, because more than likely we don’t.

There are many times throughout our daily activities that we do things without clarifying the intention to ourselves. We may buy a new car but end up doing it to raise our status in society or for pride. At the same time though, we may buy a car and do it solely for Allah’s cause, and in this there is good. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the Qur’an: “So whomsoever does good equal to the wieght of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it.