What would you do if the world turns against you and difficulties become almost unbearable? Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) went through tremendous problems in the path of Islam.

It is related that when Abu Talib died, the Prophet (peace be upon him) went out on foot to Taif to call its people to Islam. They rejected his call, and he walked away until he got to the shade of a tree. So, he prayed two Rak’at and said:

“O Allah, I complain to You of my weakness and my insignificance in the eyes of the people. You are the most Merciful. No matter who You have put me at the mercy of – an enemy who will be stern with me, or a friend to look after my affairs – as long as You are not angry with me, then I don’t care. However, the relief You bring would be more comfortable for me. I seek refuge with Your Face – for which the darkness has lit up, and the affairs of this world and the next are organized – from being afflicted with Your Wrath or deserving of Your Anger. You have the right to admonish as You please, and there is no might nor power except by Allah.”

This was related by Al-Haythami in ‘Majma’ Az-Zawa’id’ (6/35), and he mentioned in it that Al-Tabarani related it in ‘Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir’ on the authority of Abdullah Bin Ja’far Bin Abu Talib.

Look at how even in such moments of his life, all he cared about (peace be upon him) was whether or not Allah was pleased with him

Despondency is a characteristic of the Kuffaar. Why? Because, the fact of the matter is there’s no need for us to feel despondent. Allah has promised His love to those who adopt taqwa, but also those who repent frequently. That’s not a green light to sin, but it means that if, at times of weakness, we do, we can always turn back to Allah.

The method of tawbah is simple: 1) stop doing that sin immediately, 2) regret doing it, 3) make the firm intention never to return to it again, and lastly, if that sin imposes on the rights of another, than ask him for forgiveness, and make sure that anything that must be done to make it up to him is taken care of.

Even the greatest amount of sins, even the most despicable of sins cannot compare to Allah’s infinite forgiveness. We are reminded of that when we read the du’a for Salat-ut-Tawbah:
اللهم مغفرتك اوسع من ذنوبى و رحمتك ارجى عندى من عملى

Translation: O Allah! Your forgiveness is wider than my sins and I have more hope in your mercy than in my own deeds.

We cannot exhaust Allah’s forgiveness and mercy, so never feel that you cannot turn to Allah and beg Him for forgiveness. He is always listening, and He will always be there for us, as long as we put in the effort. How do we know?

It is reported in the Sahihain, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (s) said, “Allah Almighty says, ‘I am in My slave’s opinion of Me and I am with Him when He remembers Me. When he remembers Me by himself, I mention him by Myself. If he mentions Me in a gathering, I mention him in a better gathering….When he comes to me walking, I come to him running.” Subhanallah! If we walk towards Him, then He runs towards us.

So what are we waiting for? Let’s get to walking.

Source: http://annoor.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/leave-despondency-for-the-kuffar/

from Al-Haadi

Amongst the highly emphasised teachings of Islam is to love every Muslim for the sake of Allah Ta`ala. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) emphatically stressed this lesson when he said: “None of you is a believer until he loves for his brother (his fellow Muslims) what he loves for himself.” (Sahih Muslim)

The message is clear: The person who does not love for his brother what he loves for himself is not worthy of the title of Mu’min (Believer), though his Imaan itself is not negated by this serious deficiency in his life.

What does it really mean to love for others what one loves for oneself? There are two meanings to this hadith.

Firstly, one should treat others in the same manner that one would like to be treated. For instance, every person loves that he should be treated with respect and honour. He does not like to be mocked or ridiculed, or want anyone to harm his life, dignity and belongings. He should therefore treat others in the same manner. He should not harm anyone in any way or desire any ill for anyone.

The second aspect that applies is the following: If you were in the next person’s situation, what would you have desired for yourself. For instance a fellow Muslim is a trader. If you were the trader in his place, what would you have desired for yourself? Surely you would have earnestly wished that your business prospers and is protected from all harm, that it becomes the means of earning the good of this world and the Hereafter, etc. You should now love the same for your fellow Muslim trader. Think in a similar manner with regard to every other person, whoever he may be. What good you would have desired for yourself had you been in his shoes, desire the same for him.

If every Muslim adopts only this one concise teaching of Deen, most of the problems between people would be resolved. Malice, jealousy backbiting, revenge and a host of other social evils will be eliminated. Love and brotherhood will prevail.

We should therefore endeavour to bring this Hadith alive. Wish for the good of every Muslim. Daily make dua for every Believer. If you find yourself not wishing good for any Muslim, especially make dua for him that Allah Ta’ala should grant him the best of both worlds and save him from every difficulty and hardship. Insha Allah this will remove the ill-feeling and generate love. One will then become worthy of the title of “Mu’min”.

Ayoob was the kind of person who would always amaze you. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would be twins!”

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Ayoob was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day Ayoob was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Ayoob and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?”

Ayoob replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, ‘ Ayoob, Allah has given you two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.”

“Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested.

“Yes, it is,” Ayoob said. “Life is all about choices Allah has given us. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: Allah has given you an option how you live your life!”

I reflected on what Ayoob said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life before reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Ayoob did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Alhamdulillah [all praise is to Allah], Ayoob was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local hospital’s trauma centre.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Ayoob was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.
I saw Ayoob about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, “Alhamdulillah , Allah is so Great and so Merciful” and then he added “If I were any better, I’d be twins. Wanna see my scars?”
I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Ayoob replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that Allah had given me two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live. By the Will and Acceptence of Allah I choose to live and Allah accepted my dua[prayer]“

“Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked.

Ayoob continued, “The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, ‘He’s a dead man.’
“I knew I needed to take action.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me,” said Ayoob. “She asked if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes,’ I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Bullets!’ Over their laughter, I told them. ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”

Ayoob lived thanks to Allah who made available skilled doctors at this critical moment and also because of his amazing attitude that Allah had given him. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is so important!

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaho anho) narrated that the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said:
“Almighty Allah says, ‘I treat my slave (man) according to his expectations from Me, and I am with him when he remembers me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart; if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better and nobler gathering (i.e. of angels) if he comes closer to Me by one span, I go towards him a cubit’s length, if he comes toward Me by a cubit’s length, I go towards him an arm’s length, and if he walks towards Me, I run unto him.” [Hadith]

In current times, we all know how close we are to Qiyamah and many of the signs are rapidly materialising in front of our eyes.
Muslims At Work sent a short email about Dajjal

The Story of Dajjal
Narrated by Tameem al-Daari Radhi Allahu Anhu

Faatimah bint Qays Radhi Allahu Anha narrates: Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam completed the Salaah and sat on the mimbar.
He was smiling and he said: “Let each person remain where he had performed Salaah.” Then he said: “Do you know why I called you together?”
The Sahabah replied: “Allah and His messenger know best.”

Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said: “By Allah, I did not call you together for any recommendation or for a warning. I have called you together because Tameem al-Daari was a Christian and he came, swore allegiance and became Muslim, and told me something which conforms with what I had told you about the Dajjaal. He told me that he sailed in a ship with thirty men of Lakhm and Judhaam and they were tossed by the waves of the sea for a month. Then they arrived at an island just as the sun was setting. They boarded a small rowing-boat and reached the island. They were met by a beast whose body was covered by so much of hair that they could not distinguish his front from his back.
They said: ‘Woe to you, what are you?’
It said: ‘I am al-Jassaasah.’
They asked: ‘What is al-Jassaasah?’
It said: ‘O people, go to this man in the monastery for he is keen to know about you.’

The narrator says: ‘When it took the name of a man before us we were afraid that it might be a Shaitaan (devil) so we quickly left until we entered the monastery, where we found the biggest man we had ever seen. He was bound strongly in chains. His hands were tied to his neck and his legs bound from the knees to the ankles with iron chains.

We said: ‘Woe to you, who are you?’
He said: ‘You will soon find out about me. Tell me who you are.’
They replied: ‘We are Arabs who had set sail on a ship, but the sea became wild and the waves tossed us about for one month. Then they brought us to this island of yours. We used rowing-boats and landed on this island. We were met by a beast with a great deal of hair. He was so hairy that his front could not be made out from his back. We said: ‘Woe to you, what are you?’ It said: ‘I am al-Jassaasah.’ We said: ‘What is al-Jassaasah?’ It said: ‘Go to this man in the monastery for he is keen to know about you.’ So we came rushing to you and we fled from it because we could not be sure that it was not a devil.’
He (the chained person) asked: ‘Tell me about the date-palms of Baysaan.’
We said: ‘What would you like to know about them?’
He said: ‘I am asking you whether these trees bear fruit.’
We said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘Soon they will not bear fruit.’
He then said: ‘Tell me about the lake of Tabariyyah’
We said: ‘What would you like to know about it?’
He said: ‘Is there water in it?’
They said: ‘There is a great deal of water in it.’
He said: ‘Soon it will dry up.’
Then he said: ‘Tell me about the spring of Zughar (which is in the south of Syria).’
They said: ‘What would you like to know about it?’
He said: ‘Is there water in the spring and do the people grow crops with the water of the spring?’
We said to him: ‘Yes, there is plenty of water in it and the people grow crops with its water.’
He said: ‘Tell me about the Prophet from the unlettered. What has he done?’
We said: ‘He has left Makkah and has settled in Yathrib (Madinah).’
He said: ‘Do the Arabs fight against him?’
We said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘How did he deal with them?’

We told him that he had prevailed over the Arabs in his vicinity and they had become obedient to him.
He said to us: ‘Has that really happened to them?’
We said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘If this is so then it is better for them that they show obedience to him. Now I will tell you about myself. I am the Dajjaal and soon I will be given permission to emerge. I will come out and travel in the land, and will I not leave any town without staying for forty nights, except Makkah and Taybah (Madinah). These are both forbidden to me. Each time I will try to enter one of them, I will be confronted by an angel with a sword in his hand, who will stop me from entering. On every route towards each of these two cities there will be angels guarding it.’

Faatimah Bint Qais says: Then the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam struck the minbar with his staff and said: “This is Taybah, this is Taybah, this is Taybah,” meaning Madinah. “Did I not tell you this before?”
The Sahabah answered: ‘Yes.’
The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said: “I liked the story of Tameem because it conforms with what I had told you about him and about Makkah and Madinah. Beware, he is in the Syrian Sea or the Yemeni Sea. No, rather he is in the east, he in the east, he is in the east,” and he pointed towards the east with his hand. (Sahih Muslim)

Hadhrat Salman RA narrates that during the last Jumu’ah of the month of Sha’ban, Rasullullah ( sallallhu alaiyhi wasallam) recited a Khutba(sermon) in which he said:

“0 People! An auspicious month has dawned over you. In that month is a night which is superior to a thousand months (i.e. ibadat in this night is superior to the ibadat rendered in a thousand months. Allah Ta’ala has made fasting compulsory in this month, and has decreed wakefulness at night (i.e. Taraweeh Salat) Sunnah. A Nafl (non-obligatory or optional) act rendered in this month for attaining proximity to Allah, is equal to a Fardh act rendered in other months. A fardh act rendered in this month is equal to seventy Fardh acts of other months. Whoever gives to a fasting person something for Iftar, his sins will be forgiven and he will be saved from Jahannam; he obtains as much reward as the fasting person (to whom he had given something for Iftaar) while the reward of the person is not reduced in any way.”The people asked: ’0 Rasullullah! All of us are not by the means to give something for the Iftar of another. (They were at the time under the impression that Rasullullah SAW referred to a full meal). Rasullullah SAW said: “This reward is even for a person who gives another a date, a drink of water or milk (for Iftaar)…”
(Ibn Khuzaimah)

Nabi ( sallallhu alaiyhi wasallam) said:
“My ummah has been given 5 special things that were not given to anyone before them. The smell from the mouth of a fasting person is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk. The fish in the sea seek forgiveness on their behalf until they break fast. Allah decorates His special jannah everyday and then says the time is near when My faithful servants shall cast aside the trials of the world and come to you. In this month the rebellious shayateen are chained, so as not to incite evil which they normally do in other months. On the last night of Ramadhan, the fasting Muslims are forgiven.” The companions inquired: “O Messenger of Allah: Is that night laylatul qadr.” Nabi ( sallallhu alaiyhi wasallam) replied: “No, but it is only right that a servant should be given his reward on having completed his duty.”
(Reported by Ahmad and Baihaqi)

Nabi ( sallallhu alaiyhi wasallam) said: “Every good deed of the child of Adam is increased (in reward) from 10 to 700 times.” and Almighty Allah says: “Except fasting, for verily it is for Me and I, Myself will reward it.” “The fasting person abstains from desire and food for My sake.” (Mishkhat Shareef). Nabi ( sallallhu alaiyhi wasallam) said: “For the fasting person there are two occasions of joy – pleasure at the time of breaking the fast and at the time of meeting his Rabb (Sustainer).” (Mishkat Shareef)

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.519
Narrated byAbu Huraira

The Prophet said, “Whoever believes in Allah and His Apostle, offers prayers perfectly and fasts (the month of) Ramadan then it is incumbent upon Allah to admit him into Paradise, whether he emigrates for Allah`s cause or stays in the land where he was born.” They (the companions of the Prophet) said, “O Allah`s Apostle! Should we not inform the people of that?”

He said, “There are one-hundred degrees in Paradise which Allah has prepared for those who carry on Jihad in His Cause. The distance between every two degrees is like the distance between the sky and the Earth, so if you ask Allah for anything, ask Him for the Firdaus, for it is the last part of Paradise and the highest part of Paradise, and at its top there is the Throne of the Beneficent, and from it gush forth the rivers of Paradise.”

Tell them Daddy’s not home!!”
The different forms of lying –by A bint Abdulla

“So you see,” said Hamza’s father as he finished reading the storybook, “A Muslim never lies and always tells the truth. That’s what Islaam teaches us.”

Just then, the telephone bell rang sharply in the house. As little Hamza ran to answer it, his father called out, “If it is for me, tell them Daddy is not home!!”

Subhaan Allaah!

This is just one the scenarios in our everyday lives. We claim to be Muslims and unhesitatingly say that we are proud to follow it, but when it comes to putting our words into actions, unfortunately, we are far from it. We teach our children one thing but we do another. We preach piety but we ourselves don’t practice it.
We lie in our everyday lives and in our dealings with everyone yet we are totally unaware of it.

There are many of us who, pray and fast, and are the first to criticize others. But our practical lives are full of all forms of lying, fraud and dishonesty. And we see examples of such lying left and right, day in and day
out.

And lying doesn’t just mean outrightly telling untruths to someone on their face. Lying includes all kinds of ‘little white lies’, deceit, deceptions and forgery.

So, telling your kid to say “Daddy’s not home’ when, in fact, you are right there is absolutely a from of lying.
And not fulfilling your promises on purpose, when you had the power to do so, is a form of lying.
And cheating in the exams is a form of lying.
Your ‘friend’ marking you present, although you were absent, is another form of lying. Faking a ‘doctor’s note’ when in reality, you were not sick, you just overslept or were too lazy to go to work or school is also lying. Telling the cop that your wife is having surgery or your kid is sick, (or whatever else excuses one can think of) when he pulls you over for speeding is also lying. Dishonesty in your business dealings as well as in your interaction with others is lying. Giving false witness is one of the gravest forms of lying.

Making a false claim that your injury happened at work, although it didn’t, so that you could get compensation is lying. Pretending to be of low income and applying for government aid, although you
are not in need of it, is another form of lying and deception. Forging or altering university certificates to get a job or visa, is just plain and simple, lying and fraud. Paper marriages to get a green card, altering a bill to ‘save’ some money or for insurance purposes or some other kind of personal gain is also trickery and deceit.
And the list goes on and on…….

We forget that Ibaadah doesn’t mean just praying and fasting. TRUE Ibaadah includes our ‘Mu’amalaat’, how we deal with others, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, our manners and our behavior.

We forget that lying is on of the MAJOR SINS.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “Shall I not tell you of the greatest of major sins?”
They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allaah.
He said: “Association of others with Allaah, disobedience towards one’s parents” – and he was reclining, but he SAT UP and said: “And false speech and false witness.”

And we forget that lying is one of the signs of the hypocrites. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he is entrusted with something he breaks that trust.” (al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

We also forget that any apparent ‘gain’ that we get from all these forms of lying is not actually any gain at all.
Actually, any money that we earn or save is all haraam because we didn’t earn it lawfully. And it is one of the reasons why dua is rejected by Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’ala.

Remember the Hadeeth of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam): “Then he mentioned a man who had been traveling for a long time and was disheveled and dusty; he stretches out his hands towards the heavens and says, ‘O Lord, O Lord’, but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, his clothing is haraam. He is nourished by haraam, so how can his du’aa’ be accepted?” (Muslim)

And one of the biggest harms of lying is that it is the key to the door of Hellfire.
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:
“Beware of telling lies, for lying leads to immorality and immorality leads to Hellfire. A man will keep telling lies and striving to tell lies until he is recorded with Allaah as a liar.” (Muslim)

Thus we as Muslims, must learn to recognize the different forms of lying as we come across them. We must realize what being truthful really means. It means speaking the truth and saying and doing things that reflect reality.We have to remember the gravity of sin involved in lying and strive to the best of our ability to tell the truth under all circumstances, no matter what the outcome. If you fear Allaah, He will find ways out of all difficulties for you and provide for you from means you never even imagined.

“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things.” (Surah Talaaq:2-3)

Isn’t the above ayah enough reminder for us??!!

“O you who believe! Be afraid of Allaah, and be with those who are TRUE (in word and deeds).” [al-Tawbah:119]

‘Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt, for truthfulness is certainty and tranquillity, whilst lying is doubt and confusion.” (Saheeh- al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i, and Ahmad)

The Prophet of Allah [Salallaho alaihe wassallam] is reported to have said:

“Anyone who wants high palaces and high stages in Jannah[Paradise]:

• should forgive the one oppressing him
• he should give to the one who deprives him
• and he should keep up relations and communication with one who severs ties.”

[HADITH]

Certain people are such that even if one shows kindnesses to them, they do not do so in return. The rule for them is that even if they keep severing ties, one should keep maintaining ties with them and forgive them. We learn from this hadith that Allâh has promised beautiful mansions and high stages for the person who practises the above.

“One who controls his anger inspite of having strength to enforce it, Allâh will fill his heart with Imân and peace.” [Hadith]

The hadith below, I think applies to everyone in this world. Islam is not simply a ritualistic religion involving daily prayers but more so a complete way of life.  Being honest, just, charitable, modest, deeply rooted to your faith all makes up different aspects of being a Muslims.

The Messenger of Allah Muhammad [Peace be upon him] said:

Seven types of people will be under the shelter of Mercy on the Day whenthere will be no shade other than that of Allah’s Mercy:

1. A just ruler

2. A young person who kept busy in Allah’s worship.

3. A person whose heart was attached to the mosque.

4. Two persons who loved each other for Allah’s sake, met each other for Allah’s sake and then departed for Allah,s sake

5. A man who was tempted by a beautiful woman but declined her offer out of fear of Allah.

6. A person who gave charity so secretly that his left hand did not know what was given by his right hand , and

7. A person who remembered Allah secretly and tears flowed from his eyes.

(Bukhari and Muslim