Think.

Every after rainfall must come a rainbow.

But what if it rains at night?

The rainbow may not be seen in the sky, but it is always in your heart

~ AmeenMisran ~

ii.

Dear You,

Thank you for being here. Thank you for being with me all this while. Nothing more that I can say except, "O' Allah, grant him with Your Love, Kindness, Merciful. Give him strength to face any scenes of life. He got nothing except You, My Lord, The Almighty. Anta Maqsudi. La haw la wa la quwwata illa billah..."

15 Gifts You Can Give Yourself for Free

The best things in life aren’t things.  So next time you want to give yourself a gift, save your money, and consider gifting yourself one of the following instead:

1. The freedom to be unapologetically YOU. – Wearing a mask wears you out.  Faking it is fatiguing.  The most arduous activity is pretending to be what you know you aren’t.  Trying to fit some idealistic mold of perfection is a fool’s game.  It’s much wiser to just be yourself – faults and all.  Take off your mask and start being unapologetic about who you really are.  Remember, imperfection is beauty; madness is genius.  It is better to be ridiculously you, than ridiculously boring by trying to be the same as everyone else.  Read The Mastery of Love.
   
2. An uninhibited imagination. – If we’ve learned anything as a society over the past few decades, it’s that life is changing faster and faster with every passing day.  The world tomorrow looks nothing like the world today.  And the people with big imaginations are the ones not just living it, they are creating it.
   
3. An open mind. – Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t; everyone can teach you something new.  The purpose of keeping an open mind isn’t just to change your mind, it’s to expand your mind to understand the true potential in each moment of your life – to discover a self who has the ability to see more possibilities and expanded points of view (even the ones opposing yours) and then to choose creatively, intuitively, and sacredly going forward.
   
4. The commitment to fail forward. – Failing is as certain as sunsets and detours.  So why exert energy avoiding the unavoidable?  Embrace it.  Shift your energy from protecting yourself from failure to squeezing the life out of life.  Get real comfortable with that uneasy feeling of going against the grain and trying something new.  Doing so will always take you to places you never thought you could go.
   
5. Using encouraging words. – Words are powerful.  They can create or they can destroy.  The simple words you choose, especially when you speak to yourself or about yourself, can offer encouragement and positive thoughts going forward, or they can send you further into despair.  So choose your words wisely.
   
6. A ‘glass’ filled with the right things. – It’s not just whether your glass is half-empty or half-full that matters.  You also have to be mindful of what you’re filling your glass with.  Be sure to fill it with those things that satisfy your soul: good friends and family to love, passions to pursue, dreams to fulfill, and charity for others.  Because the only situation more tragic than seeing your glass as half-empty, is filling your glass until it is overflowing, and then realizing that there’s nothing in it to satisfy your thirst for a meaningful life.
   
7. Enjoying what you have. – The thing you need to do is enjoy the ride while you’re on it.  Think positive, be positive, and positive things will happen.  Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.  Enjoy your blessings right now.  Remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.  Celebrate this.  Work on being so appreciative and happy that when others look at you, they become a little happier too.
   
8. Lifelong learning. – You are simply the product of what you know, so develop a passion for acquiring knowledge.  A passion for learning is different from just studying to earn a grade or please teachers.  It begins in the heart and home.  Read for pleasure, ask questions, analyze, and exploit your curiosities.  In other words, learn to actually love the act of learning.  Read The Last Lecture.
   
9. Hope. – Remember, it’s always darkest just before the dawn.  Never underestimate the strength of your will to live after a loss, to love after heartache, or to rise after a fall.  For although your troubles may be too dense and dark right now for you to see the light, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a strong spirit within them, or a beautiful sunrise just beyond the horizon.
   
10. Spirituality. – Faith elevates your view of the universe, your world, and your life.  You would be wise to instill into your mind that you are more than just flesh and blood taking up space.  You are also made of heart, soul, and will.  And decisions in your life should be based on more than just what everyone else with flesh and blood is doing on the outside.
    
11. Stability and love at home. – A stable home becomes the foundation on which you build the rest of your success.  Subconsciously we all need to know we have a family core who we can trust, and who is going to be there for us through thick and thin.  Faithfulness to your partner is a big part of this.  Faithfulness in any intimate relationship includes more than just your body; it also includes your eyes, mind, heart, and soul.  Guard your sexuality daily and devote it entirely to the one you love.
    
12. A positive temper. – Anger can be useful in calling your attention to issues that require your response; but anger itself is not an effective response.  Take a slow, deep breath, and remind yourself of how much more effective you can be by maintaining a positive, results-oriented approach to the issue at hand.  Don’t let the silly, thoughtless, destructive actions of others trap you in an unproductive state of anger.  Take note of your anger, let it go, redirect your focus on being your best self, and you’ll surely emerge with a smile.  Read Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.
    
13. A sense of humor. – He or she who laughs, lasts.  A sense of humor is a major defense against minor troubles – something life is filled with.  So laugh as often as you can with those around you, for your sake and theirs.
    
14. Doing the best you are capable of. – Don’t complain about something you can actually do something about.  Take action.  Do the best that you’re capable of.  Any less is cheating yourself.  Those who get the most from life are those who give the most.  Find something you’re passionate about, and keep tremendously interested in it and focused on it.
    
15. Being the change you want to see. – Happiness, freedom, and peace of mind are always attained by giving them without expectation.  The only way to raise yourself up is to raise others up – to raise your world up – to raise all of life just a little higher.  Joy comes to you when you give it.  Happiness becomes yours when you live it.  Everything you need you are already capable of being.  So smile from the heart and fulfill the destiny that is yours in this priceless moment.

> here

The Mayonnaise Jar Lesson

 

 

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full… The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
 

The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff.’

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.’

‘If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.’

‘Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.’

‘Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.’

‘Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked. The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.’

For you and only you.

I need you to understand something.

I wrote this for you.

I wrote this for you and only you.

Everyone else who reads it, doesn't get it.

They may think they get it, but they don't.

This is the sign you've been looking for.

You were meant to read these words.     

I wrote this for you... - Me

 

If You Know...

Ramadan: A Time for Revival or Survival?

As in years past, the beloved yet unexpected guest of millions, "Holy Ramadan" once again enters our lives. Muslims are filled with great joy in anticipation of welcoming him. Yet to one unaccustomed, it would almost seem as if Muslims had never met him before!



All of a sudden, our new-found love for this guest causes us to radically change our daily schedules and habits to entertain him. Our Mosques mysteriously overflow with worshippers, chapters of the Quran are heard chanted till the wee hours of the morning accompanied by a hail of cries, and our social gatherings and feasts become livelier than ever before - all these sacrifices made to honor this special and 'holy' guest from Allah.


Isn't it interesting and ironic that while he is among us, for a full 30 days, we starve, read numerous articles on do's and don'ts of treating this guest, avoid watching TV in his presence, and sing songs or Nasheeds of joy, yet we fail to understand him and the mission of his visit? For some odd reason, this same "Holy Ramadan" becomes a stranger to us on the 1st of Shawwal!


Let the Scrubbing Begin!


What many of us forget is that this guest accompanies a deep purpose and responsibility. It is as Muhammad al-Shareef notes:


"Whenever a guest comes to our home, we prepare in advance for his arrival by vacuuming the carpet, dusting the shelves, and scrubbing the sinks. We should do this for our guest of Ramadan as well. But the scrubbing should not just be of our physical surroundings, it should include the scrubbing of our sins!"


Ever Wonder Why The 'Change' And 'Blessings' Don't Last?


Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi explains in Let Us Be Muslims:


"The greatest mistake we commit is to regard the outward shape of acts of prayer and fasting as the real 'Ibadah (worship) and we suffer from the delusion that whoever just fulfills these requirements performs the 'Ibadah of Allah. Just as physical strength cannot be obtained from the bread until it is fully digested, the spiritual power cannot be obtained from fasting until the person allows Ramadan’s purpose to permeate one’s heart and mind and dominate one’s thought, intention and deed.”


Ramadan - A Tool Of Transformation And Month Of Sharing


In addition to the indispensable personal benefits of fasting, Ramadan is a time for social awareness. As Hammudah 'Abd al-Ati describes in Islam in Focus:


"No sociologist or historian can say that there has been at any period of history anything comparable to this powerful institution of Islam: Fasting in the month of Ramadan. People have been crying throughout the ages for acceptable belonging, for unity, for brotherhood, for equality, but how echoless their voices have been, and how very little success they have met."


No Time To Hibernate!


As Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick eloquently explains in Ramadan in History:


"Ramadan is actually a time of increased activity wherein the believer, now lightened of the burdens of constant eating and drinking, should be more willing to strive and struggle for Allah. The Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) nine Ramadans were filled with decisive events, such as Jihad, and he left us a shining example of sacrifice and submission to Allah. Throughout Islamic history, most of the significant battles were won in this month!"


Living Taqwa - Moving Dead Hearts To Action!


Quran [2:183] describes attainment of Taqwa to be the real purpose of Fasting. But, what is Taqwa?


Sayyid 'Umar ibn al-Khattab: "A person with the quality of Taqwa is like a person walking with caution on a thorny road. The way he would take care to save his clothes from getting entangled in the thorns, so is a person with Taqwa conscious of every action he does (for fear of falling into wrong)."


Sayyid 'Ali ibn Abi Talib: "Taqwa means fearing Allah, acting in accordance with the Quran, contentment with whatever little you have, and preparing for the day of departure (death)."


Imam al-Ghazali narrates: "Whoever fears something (in the creation of Allah) runs away from it, whereas whoever fears Allah runs to Him (out of love and obedience)!"


Let us all begin to live a life of Taqwa this Ramadan to avoid the 'thorns' that come our way in the form of worldly temptations in the media and society in general.


Intensifying Our Love And Study Of The Quran


It is said when you love someone, you would know every little thing he or she says, likes and dislikes. How can we claim to love Allah, yet know very little about His message and gift to us? Ramadan offers the rare opportunity for an intense reflection on the message of the Quran. It is the source of a constant revolution in the lives of millions of those who possess a living heart, as Allah says, "Indeed in this (Quran) there is remembrance for those who have a living heart, listen attentively and are awake to taking heed." [Qaaf: 37]


It is reported that Imam al-Zuhri would say about Ramadan, "It is recitation of the Quran and feeding of people." Similarly, 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) would recite from the pages of the Quran starting at the break of day at dawn in Ramadan until the sun had risen.

 This Was The Spirit Of Ramadan


"This was the spirit of Ramadan that enabled our righteous forefathers to face seemingly impossible challenges. It was a time of intense activity, spending the day outside and the night in prayer while calling upon Allah for His forgiveness. Today, the Muslim world is faced with drought, military aggression, widespread corruption and tempting materialism. Surely we are in need of believers who can walk in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet (pbuh), the illustrious Sahabah, and leaders like Tariq ibn Ziyad, Salahuddin and the countless heroes of Islam. Surely we are in need of the Muslims whose fast is complete and not just a source of hunger and thirst. May Allah raise up a generation of Muslims who can carry Islam to all corners of the globe in a manner that befits our age."


a passionate reminder from Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick.


A Quick Checklist Of Ramadan:


-Make a resolve to win the maximum favour of Allah: perform extra voluntary prayers (Nawaafil), make frequent Du'a and increase remembrance (Dhikr).
-Try to recite some Quran after every Prayer. In fact if you read 3-4 pages after every Prayer you can easily finish the entire Quran in Ramadan! Study the Quranic Tafseer (commentary) every morning.
-Invite a person you are not very close with to your home for Iftar, at least once a week. You will notice the blessings in your relationships!
-Bring life to your family! Everyday, try to conclude the fast with your family and spend some quality time together to understand each other better.
-Give gifts on 'Eid to at least 5 people: 2 to your family members, 2 to your good friends, and 1 to a person whom you love purely for the sake of Allah.
-Commit to an Islamic study circles to enhance your Islamic knowledge and practice. Plan to complete reading a book on Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) life in these 30 days.
-Donate generously to the masajid, Islamic organizations, and any where people are in need. "This is a month of sharing!"
-Share Ramadan and its teachings of love & patience with your neighbours. Learn how at http://www.soundvision.com/info/ramadan/
-Initiate a project to promote or revive a ‘forgotten’ social cause in the Muslim and non-Muslim community: fight against racism, AIDS, drugs, cancer, smoking…etc.

Did you know, our society, which constitutes only 20% of world’s population, actually consumes 80% of world’s resources! Volunteer at food bank or Anti-Poverty campaign, while fasting!

-Seek the rare and oft-neglected rewards of 'the night better than a 1000 months', Laylatul-Qadr.
-Weep in private for the forgiveness of your sins: It is the month of forgiveness and Allah's Mercy! It's never too late.
-Learn to control your tongue and lower your gaze. Remember the Prophet's warning that lying, backbiting, and a lustful gaze all violate the fast! Abandon foul language forever.
-Encourage others to enjoin and love goodness, and to abandon everything evil. Play the role of a Da'ee (one who invites to Allah) with passion and sympathy.
-Experience the joy of Tahajjud prayers late at night and devote yourself purely and fully to Allah in the I'tikaf retreat during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

For More Info


Islam: The Natural Way by Abdul Wahid Hamid
Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship by Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
Let Us Be Muslims by Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi

#Copied from : Sis Shida

Ramadhan Coming..!

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