Do Not Expect Gratitude From Anyone

By Sheikh `A’id Abdullah Al-Qarni

Almighty Allah has created His servants so that they may worship and remember Him, and He has provided sustenance for them so that they may be grateful to Him. Nevertheless, many have worshipped other than Him, and the majority of people are thankful not to Him, but to others. Indeed, the characteristic of ingratitude is widespread among human beings. So, do not be dismayed when you find that others forget your favors or disregard your kind acts. Some people might even despise you and make you an enemy for no other reason than that you have shown them kindness.
Almighty Allah says:

(And they could not find any cause to bear a grudge, except that Allah and His Messenger had enriched them of His Bounty.] (ِAt-Tawbah 9:74)

From among the ever-repeating pages of history is a story of a father and his son: The father raised his son, fed him, clothed him, and taught him; he would stay up nights so that his son could sleep, stay hungry so that his son could eat, and toil so that his son could feel comfort. And when the son became older and stronger, he rewarded his father with disobedience, disrespect, and contempt.

So, be at peace if you are requited with ungratefulness for the good you have done. Rejoice in your knowledge that you will be rewarded from the One Who has unlimited treasures at His disposal. This is not to say that you should refrain from performing acts of kindness toward others; the point is that you should be mentally prepared for ingratitude.

Perform acts of charity seeking solely Allah’s pleasure, because with this attitude you will assuredly be successful. The ungrateful person cannot really harm you. Praise Allah that that person is the transgressor and that you are the obedient servant. Also, remember that the hand that gives is better than the hand that receives.

Allah, the Most-High, says:

[We feed you seeking Allah’s Countenance only. We wish for neither reward nor thanks from you.] (Al-Insan 76:9)

Many people are shocked at the nature of ingratitude in others, as though they had never come across this verse and others like it, such as:

[And when harm touches a person, he invokes Us [Allah], lying down on his side or sitting or standing. But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on his way as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him.] (Yunus 10:12)

Hence, do not be in a state of agitation if you give someone a pen as a gift and he or she uses it to satirize you, or if you give someone a walking stick to lean upon and he strikes you with it. As pointed out earlier, most human beings are ungrateful to their Lord, so what kind of treatment should you and I expect?

Constructive Positivism

Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If the Hour (the day of Resurrection) is about to be established and one of you was holding a palm shoot, let him take advantage of even one second before the Hour is established to plant it.”

The spirit of constructive positivism and active endeavor is one of the principles stressed by Sunnah. This spirit should control the Muslim’s mind, senses, thought, and conduct. It symbolizes interest in deeds rather than verbal eloquence and rhetoric. It lays great importance on construction rather than destruction, and in lighting candles rather than cursing darkness.

This positive orientation is quite evident in the above hadith, that calls for exerting one’s utmost until the very last moment of one’s life even though the Last Hour is established or is about to be. Now, why should a Muslim use this precious moment in planting a palm shoot? Why should he busy himself with it, when the Last Hour is established or is about to be, notwithstanding the fact that neither he nor anyone else is going to benefit from it? How come he wastes that invaluable second of the establishment of the Hour in planting a palm shoot that will not yield before years to come?

This tiny shoot is a symbol of the value of activity per se. A Muslim worships Allah through his work in constructing and developing the land. He is to keep on working until his last breath.

This positive orientation is evident in elevating the mastery of one’s work to the level of obligation and worship. Encouraging Muslims to attain the highest degree of quality and perfection in their work, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told us that Allah likes one to perfect one’s work, no matter how big or small this work.

This principle appears in many hadiths that prohibit cursing and swearing. Even with regard to Satan, the open enemy to humans, we are ordered not to waste a moment in cursing him; rather, we should busy ourselves with more useful and fruitful acts such as remembering Allah and seeking His support and help. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, “Do not abuse Satan, but seek Allah’s Refuge from his evil” (Sahih al-Jami` as-Saghir).

Cursing Satan is futile. Instead, one should remember Allah the Exalted and seek His refuge from the evils of Satan. One of the most famous hadiths concerning this matter is as follows: Abu Tamimah Al-Hujaimi reported: One day as I was riding behind the Prophet on a donkey, it stumbled and I shouted, “Let Satan perish!” The Prophet said, “Do not say ‘let Satan perish,’ for if you say so he will feel important and haughty and he will say, ‘I thwarted him with my power!’ Instead say, ‘In the name of Allah,’ so that he will (feel humiliated and) be smaller than a fly” (Sahih at-Targhib wat-Tarhib).

This means that the devil becomes puffed up with pride whenever one curses him or invokes Allah against him. However, when one remembers Allah and ignores Satan, then Satan feels dwarfish and grovels. Certainly, pronouncing “in the name of Allah” is a positive act because it means that one is remembering Allah and seeking His refuge; whereas saying “let Satan perish” is a negative act, as it does not offer solutions nor achieve anything; thus Satan rejoices on hearing it.
——————————————————————————–

* Based on the book: The Sunnah: A Source of Civilization

** Yusuf Al-Qaradawi is the head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR) and the president of The InternationalUnion for Muslim Scholars (IUMS). He has been active in the field of da`wah and the Islamic movement for more than half a century.

Two Days Without Worry

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and its poor performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow’s sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today. Any person can fight the battle of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities, Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad, it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, Live but one day at a time.

Allah’s Plans

Some things are beyond planning.
And life doesn’t always turn out as planned.
You don’t plan for a broken heart.
You don’t plan for an autistic child.
You don’t plan for spinsterhood.
You don’t plan for a lump in your breast.You plan to be young forever.
You plan to climb the corporate ladder.
You plan to be rich and powerful.
You plan to be acclaimed and successful.
You plan to conquer the universe.
You plan to fall in love – and be loved forever.

You don’t plan to be sad.
You don’t plan to be hurt.
You don’t plan to be broke.
You don’t plan to be betrayed.
You don’t plan to be alone in this world You plan to be happy. You don’t
plan to be shattered .

Sometimes if you work hard enough, you can get what you want. But MOST
times, what you want and what you get are two different things.

We, mortals, plan. But so does Allah in the heavens.
Sometimes, it is difficult to understand Allah’s plans especially when
His plans are not in consonance with ours .

Often, when He sends us crisis, we turn to Him in anger. True, we cannot
choose what Allah wishes us to carry, but we can carry it with courage
knowing that He will never abandon us nor send something we cannot cope
with .

Sometimes, Allah breaks our spirit to save our soul.
Sometimes, He breaks our heart to make us whole.
Sometimes, He allows pain so we can be stronger.
Sometimes, Allah sends us failure so we can be humble.
Sometimes, He allows illness so we can take better care of ourselves.
And sometimes, Allah takes everything away from us so we can learn the
value of everything He gave us .

Make plans, but understand that we live by Allah’s grace.

Truth About Friendship

The truth about friendship is this: We learn more from our friends than we ever will from books. Sooner or later, our standards come to rest with the standards of our friends. Nothing influences us more than our peer group. The people you surround yourself will tell me something about who you are or something about who you will shortly become.

The people we surround ourselves with either raise or lower our standards. They either help us to become the-better-version-of-ourselves or encourage us to become lesser version of ourselves. We become like our friends. No man becomes great on his own. No woman becomes great on her own. The people around them help to make them great. We all need people in our lives who raise our standards, remind us of our essential purpose, and challenge us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves. [Kelly, The Rhythm of Life]

Be Thankful…

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also
thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they
can become your blessings.

Why Adversities befall us?

Sajid Hameed

As this life is a trial for man, he has to face circumstances of varying nature designed to test the veracity of his claim that he believes in God and also to cleanse him of undesirable immoral characteristics. The meticulous details of this trial for each person are undeniably prefigured. This should ensure us that the trial in question would be carried out in the most appropriate and befitting manner. In other words, since the scheme of this trial is designed by the Most Wise, it can never be unfair. Being engulfed by adversities-an essential element of this trial-man is, however, prone to forget this indisputable reality i.e. the trial of life is fair no matter how tremendous the adversities that befall us. He needs to know that this trial presupposes certain immutable facts that conform to sense and reason and accord with perfect justice. Losing sight of these facts means to lose strength and courage to fight trying circumstances. What follows is a brief note meant to elucidate these facts so that we refresh our knowledge in this respect and thus consolidate our faith in order to combat adverse circumstances.

Allah is not our Enemy
The foremost thing we must bear in mind is that Allah does not harbor hostility against us. He does not raise obstacles in our way because-May Allah forgive me-He bears grudges or strong resentment to us nor is it that He despises our very existence so much as to do away with it.
He has presented Himself as a friend of mankind; and as good friends usually do, He warns us of our foremost enemy, Satan, lest we should let ourselves be carried away by his illusive promises. Similarly, it is evidently clear that Allah does not take any step without giving respite to His servants. He has asserted the fact that if He were to catch everyone guilty of committing sins right on the spot, none from the progeny of Adam (sws) would remain protected. He has indeed devised the law of giving respite to the sinners. He in fact awards reprieve to each wrong doer in order to allow him to repent for his sins and mend his ways. If it were not for this allowance, we would have been punished as soon as we erred.
Allah is our well-wisher and great friend too. However, He should not be taken as a friend who maintains unprincipled friendship and continues to support His friends even when they do mischief. On the contrary, He is a sincere friend; instead of helping us transgress moral limits, He is always there to guide us to the right path. In addition to sending us various Prophets and awarding us Divine Books, He has designed a world of comfort and difficulty to teach us and help us remain steadfast on the right path.
We must also know that Allah is not how the Jews endeavored to portray Him. They suffered from the illusions that since they were the descendents of the righteous Prophets of Allah; they were entitled to cross the threshold of Paradise no matter how immoral life they would lead. And if, in all probability, they were cast into Hell, they would not stay there but for a few days. The Almighty has rebutted their misconception and has termed this: Al-Had Fi Al-sifat (denying the essential attributes of the Lord)-a term which implies that this is as heinous a crime as associating partners with Him.

Allah does not burden us beyond our Capacity
The second fact we ought to always keep in view is that Allah burdens us with only those responsibilities that we can easily discharge; they are never of such high intensity as to make us lose our faith. The Holy Qur’an has elucidated this fact in the words that follow:

We task not any soul beyond its capacity. (7:152)

Obviously, if this sublime principle had been overlooked, the entire scheme of test and trial would have become an act of tyranny and oppression. Keeping this premise in mind about the Shari‘ah, we can safely conclude that Allah will adhere to this principle regarding other tests of life as well. His attributes definitely negate the very notion that He overburdens us just to shake our strength and shatter our hopes. Therefore, the underlying purpose behind every seemingly astronomical adversity is to test us; the Almighty never aims at exasperating us through adversities.

Adversities are not meant to deprive us of our Faith
As an offshoot of the principle delineated above, what comes to light is that Allah does not create troubles for us in order to divest us of our faith. The Holy Qur’an has also shed light on this principle: it was put forth before the Muslims and the Jews, at the time when the directive regarding change of Qiblah (i.e. the direction toward which Muslims stand and offer prayer) was given, that Allah did not want that their faith should go in vain.

And it was not Allah’s purpose to divest you of your faith. He is full of pity, merciful toward mankind. (2:143)

Kindness is hidden under the Veil of Troubles
The fourth fact that we must be very clear about is that hardships indeed bring to our life many promising opportunities as well. Sometimes, we encounter these opportunities along with the hardships; and sometimes, after the tough period of trial is over.
Allah, on the basis of His all embracing wisdom and sagacity, has fashioned this world in pairs. We may observe this phenomenon in everything that we come across. Without night, the mere idea of daylight is not only inconceivable but meaningless as well. Similarly, many potential opportunities come to our way only after we face various hardships. For instance, a woman has to endure excruciating labor before she is blessed with a beautiful baby; a student acquires his degree after working hard for a considerably long period of time; an exhorter to the path of truth only succeeds after investing his best efforts in his mission for a long period of time.
Likewise, a person only becomes eligible to enter Paradise after facing full-blown adversities and troubles. The Holy Qur’an says:

You think that you will enter Paradise while there has not yet come to you the like of [that which came to] those who passed away before you? Affliction and adversity befell them; they were shaken as with earthquake, till the Messenger [of Allah] and those who believed along with him said: ‘when comes Allah’s help?’ Now surely Allah’s help is near. (2:214)

In short, it is the established practice of the Almighty that He, before blessing a person with another bounty or instilling within him new ability and skill, tries him by testing him with hardships and adversities. However, the implied objective evidently is to make him eligible to receive divine favors.

Allah helps us during Hardships
The fifth fact which should be deep-rooted within our heart and soul is that Allah does not forget His servants after they are engulfed by troubles. On the contrary, He keeps watching over them and comes forward to help them with all His armies when they call upon Him. When Zulaykha tried to captivate Joseph (sws) by her ravishing beauty, the Almighty hastened to help him. Similarly, the Ever Merciful helps His servants whenever troubles envelop them. However, the provision of this help hinges upon one divinely ordained clause: a believer must try his utmost and spend his last particle of energy to fight tough circumstances, then the help of Allah will descend down upon him and he will be sifted out of the tough situation.
The Holy Qur’an has unveiled the emotions of the Prophet Moses’ (sws) mother when she cast him into the river. If she had failed to compose herself and then refused to undertake the great task, it would have been eventually disclosed that Moses (sws) was among the slaves of Israelites. Consequently, he would have been put to death. But Allah helped his mother demonstrate perseverance. He, in addition, consoled her that His help was meant to fortify her heart so that she might be of the believers. (28:10)

Allah is Merciful
One after the other, a series of egregious mistakes emanates from us but He, the Merciful, keeps ignoring them. Like a true mentor, He reprimands us such that He creates some hardships for us in order to save us from going completely astray. He, sometimes, reveals our mistakes to others as well. The objective is to teach us that we had better mend our ways. This retribution continues to take place; if the person pays heed to the calls of his conscience, he feels contrite and seeks the forgiveness of the Almighty, which is readily granted by the Ever Merciful. In case, the person neither feels remorseful nor does he turn to His Lord for forgiveness; then his reins in the realm of evil are let loose. He is given a further period of respite. This respite provides him with two opportunities: he may of his own volition turn back to His Lord or may prefer to move further ahead on the evil route that he has selected for himself. For the extent of his transgression, Allah however has marked a manifest line. In case, he becomes as daring as to touch the borderline, he is deprived of the essence of his hearing, seeing and reasoning faculties; so no admonition would now make way to his heart.
This does not happen in a day or two. Allah decides this matter adhering to the virtues of tolerance. The decision is actually arrived at after taking into account the special circumstances of the criminal, his capabilities, the contribution of the society toward his character building etc. In short, everything that can be done under the head ‘justice’ is taken properly into consideration. Hence, the criminal is not declared an outlaw after he has overruled just one instruction of the Shari‘ah.

Tests are an Integral Part of this Life
Allah has created this world so that we could enter Heaven by following the path of truth. This is why the present life will never be devoid of tests. The very purpose behind the trials is to take us to Paradise. This world is analogous to an examination hall where lack of seriousness will cause the candidates to meet a drastic failure.
No inhabitant of this world should suffer from the illusion that he will not be tested since this is against the very objective of his creation. The entire scheme of the Almighty is that He will undoubtedly try His servants here in order to select those who will dwell in the blissful place called Heaven. Any attempt to escape from this trial would also culminate in complete failure.

Are Blessings/Adversities the Criteria to judge People?
Such criteria have somehow found general acceptance just like in the days of ignorance. It is perceived that Allah is pleased with those who are blessed with a comfortable life and displeased with those who are living in penury. Under this concept, some criminals involved in bribery and smuggling business choose to have the following phrase inscribed on the facade of their palaces Hadha Min Fadal-i-Rabi (it is a blessing upon me from my Lord). Such perception is nothing but a mere fallacy.
Poverty and affluence are two aspects of the test and trial that we are put through. Allah tests some people by showering them with His bounties and some by straitening their means; Allah is however not displeased with either of them. It is very likely that the affluent person, who is not burdened with troubles-like the owner of grand treasures, Karun (Korah)-is disliked by the Almighty. The comfort of the present world may be the result of what Allah decided for him-he would be given everything in this world and deprived of everything in the Hereafter. Likewise, if the period of difficulty prolongs for a servant, it is not improbable at any rate that the victim be the handpicked selection of the Almighty. Perhaps, Allah wants that this servant should be rid of all his sins in order to become eligible to enter Paradise.

Attempt to Think

Once, a ten-year-old boy was praying feverishly in prostration, “O Allah [swt], the Most Merciful, the Magnificent, Make Faisalabad [a small city of Pakistan] the capital of Pakistan, make Faisalabad the capital of Pakistan…” Her mother overheard him and inquired, “Why would you pray so, my child?” The boy answered, “Well, Mother. We had a question on our final exam which asked, “What is the capital of Pakistan?” and I mistakenly put “Faisalabad” as my answer.Although, we cannot help but laugh at the naiveté of the innocent child, his trust in his supplication to Allah (swt) and his belief that his prayer will be heard is quite admirable; as a matter of fact, quite “ideal”.

Allah (swt) states in the Quran:
And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calleth on Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright. (Sura al-Baqara, 186)

The art of making dua:
Making dua in the court of Allah (swt) is an art and has an etiquette which if considered, can result in the opening of many doors of Allah (swt)’s Bliss and Bounties. Some of the factors that help are listed below:

Praise Allah (swt) and call Him by His beautiful names and attributes before setting out to ask Him for favors. Indeed He is praiseworthy who never tires of hearing and fulfilling duas of all of His creatures. Allah (swt) states in the Quran:
“Call on Allah or call the All-Merciful, whichever you call upon, the Most beautiful names of His.” (Sura al-Isra, 110).

Be Humble:
When you are praying, do not act as if you are enjoined the right to deserve whatever you are asking for. Make sure that you know that your Lord is the Most Gracious and you the Most Humble. Acknowledge your status before the Magnificent and do not be proud.
“Call your Lord humbly and secretly. He does not love those who transgress the boundaries.” (Sura al-Araf: 55)

Let Him decide:
If you are asking for something which you really like, always remember that whatever you are asking for may not be always in the best interest. Allah (swt) states in the Quran:
“It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah (swt) knows and you know not.”[Sura al-Baqara, 216] Always let Allah (swt) decide what is right for you and what is wrong for you instead of implying or imposing that you know better.

Be articulate and firm:
Make sure to spell out in clear words what you want exactly. It is true that Allah (swt) knows the secrets of the heart but He still wants you to pray and pray in an articulate manner. For example, all the sisters who want good husbands should not just suffice praying as such, “O Allah (swt), give us a good husband.” Though it may sound out-of-the-world, but it is true that there are brothers who are good looking, rich and possess an excellent character. A sister may ask for all three with all her heart, and she will inshallah get her wish, but it will be better if she knows the order of the features that she wants in her husband, i.e., a good character must come first and foremost.

Believe in your dua:
The most critical factor in a dua being accepted or not, is the belief of the seeker in his or her supplication’s being accepted. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported, “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH), ‘The supplication of every one of His slaves will be granted as long as he does not get impatient and say, “I supplicated to my Rubb again and again but I do not think my prayer will be answered.”‘”
[Al-Bukhari, Muslim]. Also, Allah (swt) Himself states, “Do not despair of solace from Allah (swt). No one despairs of solace from Allah except for people who disbelieve.” [Sura Yusuf, 87] Therefore, it is imperative that we do not grow hopeless of Allah (swt)’s Mercy but keep on praying consistently and with patience.

Pray when happy and sad:
Allah (swt) states at numerous places that a human being only remembers Him in the times of distress but forgets Him when he has tears of joy in his eyes. We all know that we do not feel good when our friends remember us in the times of distress but abandon us in the time of need. Though Allah (swt)’s Rahma is infinite and His forgiveness is boundless, yet He expects us to keep on praying even when He has given us good times. Therefore, we should never forget our Lord when our heart’s joys know no bounds or when we are shouting in exhileration.

Remember others during prayers:
Allah (swt) says: “And ask forgiveness for your sins and also for the sin of believing men and women.” [Sura Muhammad, 19]
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “The dua of a Muslim for his brothers in his absence is readily accepted, an angel is appointed to his side, whenever he makes a beneficial dua for his brother, the angel says, ‘Ameen’, and May you be blessed with the same”. [Sahih Muslim] So a great way of having a dua being accepted in your favor is to wish the same for your brother with all your heart and importune the Creater on his behalf. This way, not only will your dua be accepted, but you will become the cause of happiness of your brother as well.

The 90/10 Principle

What is this 90/10 principle? 10% is made up of what happens to you in your daily life. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane arriving late throwing off our schedule. A driver may cut us off in traffic. Ending in a ditch because of icy roads in winter. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light., but you can control your reaction. Let’s use an example.

You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens next will be determined how you react. You swear. Your scream disaster! You get distressed and harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticise her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs to change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus.You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 50 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 (traffic fine) away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 30 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terribly. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find a small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?
A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?

The answer is D. You had no control over what happened with the coffee.

How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently tell her, “It’s ok, you just need to be more careful next time”.

Grabbing a towel you dash upstairs and change into a new shirt, grab your briefcase, and you come back downstairs in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns around smiling and waves. You say goodbye to your spouse before you go to work. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet your collegues and staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.

Notice the difference? Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended differently. Why? Because of how you reacted. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction. Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle.

If someone says something negative about you, don’t be a sponge. Let the comments roll like water off a duck’s back . You don’t have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc. How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? Why stress yourself out if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the other bad drivers ruin your day?

You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep, get stressed, cranky and irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying; energy and time into finding another job. The plane is late – it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90/10 principle apply it and you will find that you have nothing to lose.

Bad days follow bad days. Terrible things seem to be constantly happening. There is constant stress, lack of joy, and broken relationships. Worry consumes time. Anger breaks friendships and life seems dreary and is not enjoyed to the fullest. Friends are lost. Life is a trial and often seems cruel. Does this describe you? If so, do not be discouraged. You can be different! Understand and apply the 90/10 principle. It will change your life. (Source: Dr. Mark R. Crapo, OMD, DAc, BS, LAc, CA
http://www.go-symmetry.com/dr-crapo/dr-secret.htm)

We ask Allah, may He be exalted, to keep us safe from distress, to grant us relief from our daily worries
and to alleviate our stress, for He is the All-Hearing Who answers prayers, He is the Ever-Living, Eternal.

Time

T I M E

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala says in:

(the interpretation of the meaning)

Surah Al ‘Asr

(Time Through The Ages)

103:1-3

 

By (the Token of)

Time (through the Ages),

 

Verily Man

Is in loss,

 

  Except such as have Faith

  And do righteous deeds,

  In the mutual teaching

Of Truth, and of

   Patience and Constancy.

 

  ~    ~    ~

 

There is a Bank that credits your
account each morning with $86,400.
It carries over no balance from day to day.
very evening deletes whatever part of the
balance you failed to use during the day.

What would you do?

Draw out ALL of it,

of  course!!!!

Each of us has such a Bank.

Its name is TIME.
   Every morning,

it credits you with 86,400 seconds. 

Every night it writes off, as lost,
   whatever of this you have failed

to invest to good purpose. 

It carries over no balance.

It allows no overdraft.

Each day it opens a new account for you.
   Each night it burns the remains of the day.
If you fail to use the day’s deposits,

the loss is yours.

There is no going back.

There is no drawing against the “tomorrow.”
   You must live in the present on today’s deposits.

Invest it carefully with wisdom and knowledge.

 

Use your Time to pray sincerely and do good and charity;

To faithfully practice the Five Pillars and perfect your Deen.

To remember to thank Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala for everything;

To adhere to the commandments of the Holy Qur’an

and the teachings of the Sunnah of the

Prophet Sall Allahu alaihi wa sallam.

In order that you may benefit the utmost in

blessings and guidance in your life living with

 strength of eemaan and taqwaa ~

Seeking only the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala

for the sake of your Hereafter.

 

The clock is running.

Make the most of each day.

 

Start working on your

‘Time’

unknown author

 

We should not neglect our Time or use it haphazardly; on the contrary we should bring ourselves to account, structure our litanies and other practices during each day and night, and assign to each period a fixed and specific function for self-development in our Deen and maximise its potential. The better route towards self-development is, of course, to integrate all our efforts into a structured daily life.

 

Acquisitiveness, that is, the passion for seeking an increase in wealth, position, the number of adherents or followers or supporters, mass production and mass organisation, may affect an individual as such, or it may affect whole societies or nations. Other people’s example or rivalry in such things may aggravate the situation. Up to a certain point it may be good and necessary. But when it becomes inordinate and monopolises attention, it leaves no Time for higher things in life, and a clear warning is here sounded from a spiritual point of view. Man may be engrossed and wastes Time in these things till death approaches, and he looks back on a wasted life, as far as the higher things are concerned.

 

In other words, if life be considered under the metaphor of a business bargain, man, by merely attending to his material gains, will lose. When he makes up his day’s account in the afternoon, it will show a loss. It will only show a profit if he has Faith, leads a good life, and contributes to social welfare by directing and encouraging other people on the Path of Truth and Constancy. Faith is his armour, which wards off the wounds of the material world; and his righteous life is his positive contribution to spiritual ascent. Also, if man lived only for himself, he would not fulfill his whole duty. Whatever good he has, especially in moral and spiritual life, he must spread among his brethen, so that they may see the Truth and stand by in patient hope and unshaken constancy amidst all the storm and stress of outer life. For he and they will then have attained Peace within. (Ref: Abdullah Yusuf Ali – may Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala have Mercy on him).

 

I have attached below an essay by Imam Abdul Malik Al-Qasim for you to read on Time.

Inshaa’Allahu Ta’ala, you will find the information beneficial to help you start working on your Time.

                                                                                    Fi Amman Allah

                                                                                         K a r i m a                                                         

 

 

Ten Minutes

What can you do in that Time?

by Abdul Malik Al-Qasim
Adapted from, “Madha taf`al fi `ashara daqa’iq”

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, “The best actions are continuous ones even if little…” (Muslim). After I looked at my own state and the state of those who waste their time, I wanted to encourage our souls to obey and worship Allah `azza wa jall by compiling a list of some well-known actions that Allah `azza wa jall has honored us with and prepared a great reward for those who do them. This list is also a reminder of better utilizing our time and seizing the opportunity of every hour and making use of it. My goal in compiling the list is not to point out the actions as much as to show the necessity of organizing and planning and preserving one’s time by investing it in something good.

First of all, let us talk about time, with which many are heedless and wasteful, and which importance only few recognize.

Time is like wealth, it requires our attention and care in both spending and managing. While it is possible to gather and store wealth, and even add to it, time, however, is in no way like that. For every minute that passes can never come back even if you were to spend all the wealth of this world.

So since time is preordained to be a specific period that can not be brought forward or delayed and since the value of it depends on what it is spent on, it is obligatory upon every human being to preserve time, be it little or long. One should use it in the best possible way and not be heedless about it.

In order to preserve one’s time, one must reflect on how and where to spend it. The best way to spend time is in obeying Allah ta`ala. One will never regret time spent in such acts of obedience. The only regret would be that if one were not to take yet more provisions in terms of good actions. So set your goal, O brother or sister, make your intention sincere, beginning with a desire to preserve your time and beware of wasting any minute of it.

My noble brother and sister,

I selected the time span of ten minutes (for performing particular righteous actions listed in this book) due to ease of application, so that one starts with them until he or she engages in good all the time, by Allah’s grace. In these actions there is conformity with the saying of the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, “The most beloved action to Allah is the most continuous, even if little.” (Muslim)

Imam an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said in relation to this hadeeth, “In it (the above hadeeth) is an exhortation to perform deeds regularly and continuously, and [an explanation] that a small deed done regularly is better than a great one that is interrupted. It is because by continuously doing a little of such actions as, [one’s] obedience, remembrance, awareness of Allah, sincerity and dedication to the Creator, subhanahu wa ta`ala, the outcome accumulates and it is multiplied exceeding what is greater but interrupted.”

The Messenger, sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam, spoke the truth. My dear brother or sister, I will give you an example of the blessing of utilizing ten minutes in righteousness. Glorifying Allah subanahu wa ta`ala by saying “Subhan Allah” a hundred times daily means that one will do so 36,500 times in a year. So take account of your soul, my brother or sister. You can only glorify Allah this much in a year if you are regular in performing tasbeeh and if you make good use of your time.

Similarly, if one reads the Qur’an for ten minutes regularly, one can finish reading it in full every two months. Is this how you do it? Ask yourself, do you complete recitation of the full Qur’an outside of Ramadan? And do not limit, my dear brother or sister, these special ten minutes, devoted to obedience, to be performed only once a day. Perhaps you will find the time after the morning prayer, or after the sunrise, or after the noon prayer, or before sleep.

Likewise, if one manages to memorize only a single verse from the Book of Allah, `azza wa jall, every day, he or she will complete memorization the complete Qur’an in only eight years.

Most of the actions mentioned are performed with the tongue, so one is able to gain rewards at all times and in all situations. So whoever wants to strive in obedience to Allah, doors of good are open and one can make one’s days and indeed all of one’s life like the ten minutes. Abu Bakra, radhiallahu anhu, related that a person said: “O Messenger of Allah, which people are the best?” He said, “Whose life is long and his actions good.” He said, “And what people are the worst?” He said, “Whose life is long and his actions bad.” (Muslim)

This is an opportunity for you, dear brother or sister. Ten minutes in which one can taste the sweetness of regularity of performing righteous actions and which can be a step towards managing one’s time, until all of one’s life becomes beneficial. Ten minutes that are in agreement with the saying of Allah `azza wa jall, “And I have not created the Jinn or humans except to worship Me.” (adh-Dhaariyaat 51:56)

Ibn ul-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “In conclusion, the servant, when he turns away from Allah and becomes preoccupied with sins (in this world), he loses days of his true life (in the hereafter). He will see the consequence of losing them the Day he says, “He will say, ‘Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life (i.e. true, everlasting life in the Hereafter).’ (al-Fajr 89:24)

Some actions that can be done in ten minutes:

The forenoon prayer

Recitation of the Quran

Salawat on the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam

Praying Salat al-Janazah

Remembrance of Allah, `azza wa jall

Saying Subhan Allah, alhamdulillah and Laa ilaha ill Allah

Teaching children

Supplication

Taking account of oneself

Reading

Removal of others’ difficulties and fulfillment of their needs

Preserving ties of kinship

Listening to da`wah tapes

Visiting believers for Allah’s sake

Remembering Allah after the obligatory prayers

Making peace between people

Advising

Phoning relatives

Writing one’s will

Giving charity

Reading traditions of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam

Contemplating

Mailing da`wah information

Feeding the poor

Praying Salat al-Istikharah

Taking care of orphans

Serving one’s family

Seeking knowledge

Ordering good

Making sajdah

Spreading Islamic knowledge

Calling to Allah

Giving Sadaqa jariyyah (charity that carries perpetual award)

Guiding and nurturing one’s children

Repeating after the mu’adhdhin

Performing the night prayer