Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Al-Shura (The Consultation)
Chapter 42: Verse 36

Everlasting Success
"What you are given (here) is a provision for the life of this world and what is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who believe, and who put their trust in their Lord."

Opportunities are numerous and varied, but our course in life will depend on how we utilize such opportunities. The attractions of life are numerous and they come in many forms and varieties. They are made available by Allah to see how well we choose and manage our affairs in His cause, and how we apply His guidance.

Man is full of ambitions, desires, needs, and demands. A person may go after social enhancement, power, money, fame or self-service and attain well. But whatever the outcome of his toil, man's success has no permanent value except for what is done for the cause of Allah.

Allah provided numerous attractions for all of us, to be utilized and enjoyed. But this is truly a small measure if we are to compare it to what lies ahead in the heavenly bliss of paradise.

Since our life is limited, what we utilize and enjoy is for a limited time. And if all that we see on earth is only a small measure compared to what is in Paradise, try to imagine how enormous the available attractions are in Heaven!

But the marvellous Paradise is for those who qualify. It is for those who earn it. They are the believers, since through the belief in Allah they will be on the right path. It is a faith directed to noble goal - Allah, and Allah's service, with no strings attached. Such a believer puts his trust in Allah and totally relies upon Him. Such a staunch believer deserves the bounty in Paradise.

Source:
"Quranic Selections Explained" - A.S. Hashim, Vol 4, pp. 69-70

From Issue: 495 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

The Most Virtuous Deed

The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated. It is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned after mentioning the testimony of faith, by which one becomes a Muslim. It was made obligatory upon all the Prophets and for all peoples. Similarly, the prayers were made obligatory upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during his ascension to heaven. Furthermore, when Allah praises the believers, such as in the beginning of surah al-Muminoon, one of the first descriptions He states is their adherence to the prayers.

Once a man asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the most virtuous deed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that the most virtuous deed is the prayer. The man asked again and again. The first three times, the Prophet (peace be upon him) again answered, "The prayer," then on the fourth occasion he stated, "Jihad in the way of Allah." [This is from a hadith recorded by Ahmad and ibn Hibban.]

The importance of prayer is demonstrated in many of the Prophet’s statement. For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad." [Recorded by al-Tabarani]

The importance of the prayers lies in the fact that no matter what actions one performs in his life, the most important aspect is one’s relationship to Allah, that is, one’s faith (imaan), God-consciousness (taqwa), sincerity (ikhlas) and worship of Allah (`ibaadah). This relationship with Allah is both demonstrated and put into practice, as well as improved and increased, by the prayer. Therefore, if the prayers are sound and proper, the rest of the deeds will be sound and proper; and if the prayers are not sound and proper, then the rest of the deeds will not be sound and proper, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself stated.

Source:
"He Came to Teach you Your Religion" - Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo

From Issue: 491 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Lonely Ramadan

For most Muslims, Ramadan is family time. You get up together, eat Iftar together, pray together, etc. But what if you don't have your family near you?

Waking up in a lonely apartment and eating food you've sometimes burnt in an effort to catch Suhur in time are some of the realities of being a single Muslim in Ramadan. But there are ways to make Ramadan special when you're on your own. Here are few ideas.

1. Establish a Suhur telephone tree
Get a couple of friends together and establish a telephone tree to wake each other up for Suhur. Establish a time to call and a schedule of who will call whom. Make it a little exciting by adding some funny phrases every week that will really wake everyone.

2. Invite people over for Iftar
Even if even you couldn't eat the food the last time you cooked, invite people over for Iftar. Make it a potluck, order pizza or if you can afford it, get it catered. The food isn't the thing. The blessing is in the company, and you'll be rewarded for feeding everyone. Make sure to especially invite those who are away from their families.

3. Attend prayers at the local mosque/MSA
Even if the Imam's recitation isn't the best and the behavior of other Muslims can be more than annoying, try to attend Tarawih prayers organized by your local mosque or your Muslim Students' Association (MSA). While praying alone in peace and quiet is great, praying shoulder-to-shoulder with other Muslims with whom you have nothing in common except your faith is a unique and uplifting experience.

4. Keep the Quran playing when you are alone
It's often tempting to keep the TV or radio on when we're alone to avoid the silence. This Ramadan, find a Quran reciter you like and play their recitations during those moments when you want to fill your place with some sound. Choose selections you'd like to memorize, like the 30th part of the Quran.

5. Take care of others
Know a new person at the school/office? Is a friend who lives nearby having problems with their spouse? Or is someone you know having money problems? This Ramadan, reach out with an attentive ear, a generous hand, and most importantly, an open heart to others. Don't let these small opportunities for gaining blessings slip you by.

6. Pick and pursue Ramadan goals
Choose at least three goals to pursue this Ramadan. Whether it's curbing a bad habit or starting a good one, doing this will help you focus and work harder this month to change for the better. It takes 21 days to establish a good habit. With Ramadan, we've got 30. Why not make the best of it by picking up the good? 

Compiled From:
"A single Muslim's guide to Ramadan" - SoundVision.com

From Issue: 694 [Read original issue]