Intention

All of these attainments are dependent on Niyyah—intention, purpose and will.  Niyyah is located in the heart and a scholar has divided it into two components: knowledge and action. 


Knowledge Is The Knowledge Of Things 
You Want To Do Or Do Not Want To Do; 
The Purpose And Goal Of What You Want To Do; 
And Why You Want To Do Or Not Do It.
According to your knowledge, what your action means to you, how much you believe in it and its purpose, and what you are going to achieve from it for yourself and others will generate the niyyah—whether it is to carry out an action or avoid it.  By this way, the niyyah itself stands on three pillars:

• Knowledge,
• Will/desire to do, and
• The ability to do it

The More You Know About Something 
The More Convinced You Become About Your View Of It... 
And The More You Believe In It,
The More It Will Generate A Will Within...
This is what pushes you and gives you the strength to carry out the actions! And all this is the PILLAR or pre-requisite of niyyah, after all; this is what niyyah is. What is the purpose of knowing all of the above?
A Mo’min (Believer) Weighs All His Actions ...
According To The Teachings And Pleasure Of Allah And His Prophet SAW
He will always question his intentions asking before each action—why yes, and why no; what am I going to gain from this act in this life and the hereafter; and how does it help me leave the kind of legacy I want to leave behind in this world. This is called sincerity. 
The Purity Of Intention Where You Do Everything 
Just To Please Allah SWT Without Waiting 
For Any Acknowledgment From Others, 
But Waiting For The Reward And Pleasure Of Allah 
And The Benefit Of Muslims And All Mankind...

Life Is Seasonal

Our life is like the four seasons, one succeeding another; cold, hot, colorful and dark. Everything is in constant motion; day and night, health and sickness, youth and old age, tranquility and tension, wealth and poverty, life and death. Nothing is to last forever and at different levels we all experience these successive stages of life. All of these are part of destiny-what has already been ordained. The challenge is how we behave once faced with our destiny!


The Key Of Success Is Faith;
If We Have Faith It Will Lead Us To Always Be Content, Thankful, 
And Show Gratitude To The Creator, The Owner Of Destiny...


The happy time will never be forever, the sad time will never be forever. We will always be fluctuating between give and take; the state of receiving a blessing and the state of losing it. Regardless of what state you are in, the life will continue. And just the like that, the journey of Iman must continue. 
Just Like In Any Other Journey...
We Will Have Obstacles In Our Journey Of Iman Too
But If The Eyes Are On The Prize, There Is Nothing You Cannot Overcome! 


What about family, spouse, job demands, social and educational obligations becoming a hindrance?  This life will continue with the things we desire or do not desire; with the things we like and dislike.

A Believer Knows That... 
Allah Does Not Take From Him, Except To Give Him...  
This Giving Might Be In The Form Of A Blessing In This Life, 
Or In The Form Of Good Deeds In The Next!


The real point of concern is how to leave this life with a legacy and a sign that will benefit you and benefit others.  The focus should be on how to please your Lord so that your Lord will please you and allow you to attain your purpose in life and leave a mark in this world.  These thoughts can take a lifetime to internalize!

By~

Daee Ahmed Moait

Influence

Introduction

Positive And Negative Influence

Maturity To Distinguish Influences

Analyse The Consequences!

Who Is The Lucky One?

Introduction

How Does One Affect Us So Much?

Human beings are shaped by two factors. In contemporary terms, we refer to them as nature vs. nurture.

The First Is Our Nafs 

We Were All Created With Our 

Unique Inborn Characteristics, 

Impulses, Strengths And Weaknesses. 

Our Natural Desires - 

Those Which Determine 

Our Likes, Dislikes, 

And A Large Part Of Our Personality 

And Our Inbuilt Strengths And Weaknesses; 

The Ones That Make Us Unique.

These are our genetic imprints, or in Arabic, our jibillah. These characteristics are similar to our physical characteristics in that we have were born with such qualities, they form part of our being, and they will remain with us forever.

The Second Is Our External Influences. 

We Are A Sum Total Of All Our Experiences. 

We Are Constantly Exposed To External Influences 

Which Leave Imprints On Our Beings 

Whether A Book, A Tool, A Friend, An Experience, 

A Sensation, An Inspiration Or An Idea. 

This includes the people we meet. Our lives are not static. People come in and out of our lives, each one having an impact on us. Think of the people you have encountered in your lives and how they shaped your lives in one way or another:

- the people who raised you when you were a young child 

- your family and relatives 

- your friends 

- your teachers 

- your spouse 

- your colleagues etc...

Positive And Negative Influence

Each contact, each friendship, each relationship can carry with it positive or negative elements. We have little influence over who we connect with as children, but as we mature, we become more selective in who we associate with.

Look Around Us. 

How Many Times Have We Said, 

Whether In A Positive Or Negative Way - 

“Ever Since She Married Him, She’s Become A Different Person.” 

“Ever Since He Had That Group Of Friends, His Personality Has Changed.”

We should not underestimate the power of influence that others can have on us.

Think of the teacher who educated us, the friend who changed our manner of talking, the parents who influenced our behaviour, the boss who inspired us, the love who motivated us 

Think Of People Who, In Their Own Way, 

Have Influenced Our Mannerism, 

Introduced Us To A New Idea, 

Hobby, Recipe, Book, Way Of Thinking. 

Some In A Subtle Way, 

While Others Can Totally Change The Direction Of Our Lives

The people we meet are not only a reflection of who we are, but also an indication of who we want to be.

Maturity To Distinguish Influences

Do we have the maturity to distinguish between the positive and negative influences? This distinction is important, because the people we meet can:

- unravel all that we have learnt 

- defeat or encourage our natural desires 

- change our way of thinking 

- bring out the best or the worst in us 

If We Are Influenced And Affected By The Right Person, 

That Person Can Bring Out Our Goodness, 

Reinforce Our Souls 

And Guide Us Towards Making Our Lives A Fulfilling One.

If we are influenced and affected by the wrong person, that person can lead us to emotional, physical and spiritual ruin.

Hence, whenever we build a new relationship, whether in terms of friendship or marriage, we need to reflect what the goal of that relationship will be.

What is the goal? Is it For fun? To learn a new hobby? To make money? To be popular? For love? To have a good time?

Or, Is It Because, We Have A Goal? 

Does The Person Have The Same Goals We Do? 

Can The Person Lead Us Towards Our Goal?

This kind of introspection is tough. And it requires sincerity.

Analyse The Consequences!

Without a goal in life it is easy to enter into a relationship for the wrong values. We end up building relationships which are empty and do nothing to enrich our lives.

Human Beings Tend To Follow Their Emotional Inclinations.

When An Aim In A Relationship Lacks An Objective, 

It Is Easy For Emotions To Take Over. 

With No Goal In Life, 

Concepts Of Right And Wrong, Good Or Bad... Become Blurry!

We become unfocused, and we move towards nowhere. We just drift along, living for the moment, without any common objective, or a known destination. And before we know it, we are stuck.

When People Do Not Have A Higher Goal To Aim For, Their Relationships Become A Muddle Of Conflict, Aimlessness And 

Eventually, Emptiness. 

Their Relationships Have No Sense Of Purpose, 

And Are Driven (Or Destroyed) By Emotions And Short Term Thinking.

With no destination, they allow themselves to be influenced by anyone who gets close to them, living moment by moment, without the ability to judge or filter whether such influence will benefit them in the long run.

The couple will keep changing directions, colliding constantly and going in circles, achieving nothing. Whatever influence that such people can exert over us, is likely to be devoid of value or meaning.

However, If A Relationship Is Based On A Common Goal, 

There Is A Focus And Unity. 

They Are Constantly 

Mindful Of What They Are Trying To Achieve, 

And The Relationship Is A Platform 

In Order For Them To Realize Their Objectives.

The overreaching goal overcomes any shortcomings in their jibillah and keeps their emotions in check. There is clarity in vision, mutual respect and long term vision. The influence that each person in the relationship has on the other is positive.

With The Common Goal In Mind, 

There Is No Catastrophic Impact, 

Conflict Of Values 

Or Loss Of Direction 

On Either Side

Whether between friends, relatives, spouses, students, colleagues, such a relationship, fostered by a mutual goal as its foundation, will affect everyone in a positive way.

Who Is The Lucky One?

So what is the criterion when we allow people to affect us? What is positive and what is negative? The answer depends on who we want to be and what our goal in life is.

The Lucky One 

Is The One Who Structures His Life 

From A Revelation And Spiritual Point Of View.

To be governed by constitution and purpose of life, to have a self identity, which leads him to his goal and what he wants to achieve in this life and in the hereafter.

If this is the case, his emotions, feelings, thinking, the kind of people who accompany him, the kind of people who he allows to influence or affect him, will be governed and directed by all of the above.

One’s Goal And Identity Allows Him To Try And Seek 

The Right Book, 

The Right Person, The Right Company, 

The One Who Can Affect Him In A Way 

To Help Him To Guard, Grow 

And Achieve His Spiritual Goal... 

His Success In This Life And In The Hereafter.

Even his love, his hate, his likes, his dislikes, his will be all governed by his goal, what he wants to achieve and who he wants to be

This awareness is crucial for his salvation. If he has a spiritual goal in this life, he will seek:

the one who has a positive influence on him

the one who stays true to his spiritual goal

the ones who can remind, educate and guide him

the one who does not allow himself to be swayed or distracted from the goal

the one who remains stable even if the environment is shaky

On The Other Hand, Consider The Unlucky One. 

He Has No Identity, Goal, Constitution Or Guidance.

Everything is a bunch of feelings, up and down, to achieve short term benefits or things he likes or dislikes. He is living in a broken roller coaster. It takes him 60 miles per hour to nowhere, to break his neck, in this life and the hereafter.

He’s happy, he’s sad, he’s a jumble of emotions and desires, and everything in his life is without conclusion, goal or purpose. If he has no goal in life, does he care what kind of criteria he applies in seeking his companions?

Which Side Are You On?

You’re lucky at this moment if you think – which one is me? The lucky one, or the unlucky one, a combination of both?

The majority of people are lost between one and the other.

People Straying... With No Purpose In Life, 

No Goal, No Identity 

And They Never Even Think About 

The Question Of 

How One Person Affects The Other So Much.

Can we succeed if we have a combination of both? We cannot try to balance between relationships which build or destroy us. No man can travel in two directions at the same time. We must pick a side and decide who we want to be. We cannot be jumping from one to another. We cannot be part here and part there.

We Have To Define Ourselves, 

One Way Or Another 

To Success Or To Loss..... 

And From There, We Will Know The People 

Whom We Would Like To Affect And Influence Us.

One Last Thing …

Do we want to go through our life collecting the wrong relationships and wrong influences, or do we want to seek people who guide, strengthen and fortify us?

We Are The Gatekeepers Of Our Own Souls, 

And We Should Constantly Be Vigilant 

Of The Ones We Permit 

Into The Private And Vulnerable Areas 

Of Our Minds And Hearts.

If we are sincere, we should seek the company of those who will help us achieve salvation in this life and in the hereafter.

Do We Give Serious Thought 

About The Ones In Our Lives 

Who Will Help Us Attain And Maintain 

The Spiritual Momentum We Need? 

Are We Confident That The Ones Who Influence 

Our Hearts, Minds And Behaviour 

Are The Taking Us Along The Right Road? 

Are We Sure That We Are Absorbing 

The Correct Kind Of Influence?

And likewise, are our hearts, minds and behaviour taking others along the right road? Are we sure that we are projecting, giving and showing the correct kind of influence?

When We Meet Someone, Do We Question 

Whether He Enhances Our Personalities, 

Our Understanding In Life, 

Our Journey, Our Purpose, 

Our Goal?

And what does success mean to us? Is the success of this life and the hereafter, or just the success of the material life?

The next time you meet someone, question yourselves:

Who am I? Who is he? 

What can I gain from him? What can he gain from me?

Where are we going? Where am I going? 

Am I serious about my journey? Is he serious about his journey? 

Can I define myself? Has he defined himself? 

Can I focus? Is he focused? 

Can I?.....




by Daee Ahmed Moait

The Light and Wisdom Of Allah SWT

The Light and Wisdom 

Of Allah SWT

Introduction
The Message of Qur'an
Conclusion

Introduction
Ramadan Is The Month Of Qur'an
The Month Of The Message,
The Light, Mercy
And Wisdom From Allah Swt

Qur'an is Furqan, the criterion, the one that distinguishes right from wrong, the light. Hereunder are some of the meanings of the messages of the Qur'an on which Allah SWT emphasizes.

The Light Of Allah Swt Equals
Guidance, Closeness, To Be For Allah Swt,
Allah Swt Says,"I Will Be With The Patient One,
I Will Be With The Generous One,
I Will Be With The Righteous One"

We should ask ourselves, Do I want to be with Allah SWT? Do I want to be among the people who Allah SWT will be with, whom he will support, give light to, from his light, guidance and wisdom?"

We Need To Ask Our Selves If We Want To Be Among Those
Whom Allah Will Guard, Give Strength To,
And Take Care Of Their Affairs...
Meaning, In The End, If We Are With Allah Swt,
We Will Have No Worries
And We Will Be Worry Free!!

Now we will go through some messages I believe are very important to inculcate, reflect upon and ask serious questions, for us as individuals and as a group. After that, we should ask ourselves what we should do with the message. Please read carefully and try to read it over and over again and beg Allah to give you the comprehension of what you are reading.

Ask yourself, What is the purpose of all these messages from Allah SWT to me? What does Allah SWT want me to do after hearing it? Say, Bismillah, and beg Allah SWT to give you the understanding and ability to live the message.


The Message of Qur'an
Quran Chapter 2, Surah Al Baqarah [Verse:257] 
Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He bringeth them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein.

Quran Chapter 5, Surah Al Maidah, Verse 15-16 
O People of the Scripture! Now hath Our messenger come unto you,expounding unto you much of that which ye used to hide in the Scripture, and forgiving much. Now hath come unto you light from Allah and plain Scripture,Whereby Allah guideth him who seeketh His good pleasure unto paths of peace. He bringeth them out of darkness unto light by His decree, and guideth them unto a straight path.

Quran Chapter 6, Surah Al Anaam, [Verse:1]
Praise be to Allah, Who hath created the heavens and the earth, and hath appointed darkness and light. Yet those who disbelieve ascribe rivals unto their Lord.

Quran Chapter 6, Surah Al Anaam, [Verse:88] 
Such is the guidance of Allah wherewith He guideth whom He will of His bondmen. But if they had set up (for worship) aught beside Him, (all) that they did would have been vain.

Quran Chapter 6, Surah Al Anaam,  [Verse:91] 
And they measure not the power of Allah its true measure when they say: Allah hath naught revealed unto a human being. Say (unto the Jews who speak thus): Who revealed the Book which Moses brought, a light and guidance for mankind, which ye have put on parchments which ye show, but ye hide much (thereof), and by which ye were taught that which ye knew not yourselves nor (did) your fathers (know it)? Say: Allah. Then leave them to their play of caviling.

Quran Chapter 6, Surah Al Anaam, [Verse:122] 
Is he who was dead and We have raised him unto life, and set for him a light wherein he walketh among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge? Thus is their conduct made fairseeming for the disbelievers.

Quran Chapter 7, Surah Al A'raaf, [Verse:157] 
Those who follow the messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah and the Gospel (which are) with them. He will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul; and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. Then those who believe in him, and honour him, and help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him: they are the successful.

Quran Chapter 14, Surah Ibrahim, Verses 1-3 
Alif. Lam. Ra. (This is) a Scripture which We have revealed unto thee (Muhammad) that thereby thou mayst bring forth mankind from darkness unto light, by the permission of their Lord, unto the path of the Mighty, the Owner of Praise, Allah, unto Whom belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. and woe unto the disbelievers from an awful doom; Those who love the life of the world more than the Hereafter, and debar (men) from the way of Allah and would have it crooked: such are far astray.

Quran Chapter 14, Surah Ibrahim, Verse 4-5 
And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk, that he might make (the message) clear for them. Then Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth whom He will. He is the Mighty, the Wise. We verily sent Moses with Our revelations, saying: Bring thy people forth from darkness unto light. And remind them of the days of Allah. Lo! therein are revelations for each steadfast, thankful (heart).

Quran Chapter 64, Surah At Taghabun, [Verse:8] 
So believe in Allah and His messenger and the light which We have revealed. And Allah is Informed of what ye do.

Quran Chapter 24, Surah An Noor, [Verse:40] 
Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light. 

Quran Chapter 42, Surah Ash Shura, [Verse:52] 
And thus have We inspired in thee (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our command. Thou knewest not what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith. But We have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of Our bondmen. And lo! thou verily dost guide unto a right path. 

Quran Chapter 42, Surah Ash Shura, [Verse:13]
He hath ordained for you that religion which He commended unto Noah, and that which We inspire in thee (Muhammad), and that which We commended unto Abraham and Moses and Jesus, saying: Establish the religion, and be not divided therein. Dreadful for the idolaters is that unto which thou callest them. Allah chooseth for Himself whom He will, and guideth unto Himself him who turneth (toward Him).  

Quran Chapter 9, Surah At Tawba, [Verse:32] 
Fain would they put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah disdaineth (aught) save that He shall perfect His light, however much the disbelievers are averse.


Quran Chapter 27, Surah An Naml, [Verse:77] 
And lo! it is a guidance and a mercy for believers.

Quran Chapter 61, Surah An Naml, [Verse:8] 
Fain would they put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light however much the disbelievers are averse.


Quran Chapter 13, Surah Ar Raad, [Verse:16] 
Say (O Muhammad): Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth? Say: Allah. Say: Take ye then (others) beside Him for protectors, which, even for themselves, have neither benefit nor hurt? Say: Is the blind man equal to the seer, or is darkness equal to light? Or assign they unto Allah partners who created the like of His creation so that the creation (which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them? Say: Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Almighty.

Quran Chapter 24, Surah An Noor, [Verse:35] 
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light. Allah guideth unto His light whom He will. And Allah setteth forth for mankind similitudes, for Allah is Knower of all things.

Quran Chapter 24, Surah An Noor, [Verse:40] 
Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light.

Quran Chapter 33, Surah Al Ahzab, [Verse:43] 
He it is Who blesseth you, and His angels (bless you), that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light; and He is Merciful to the believers. 

Quran Chapter 39, Surah Az Zumar, [Verse:22]  
Is he whose bosom Allah hath expanded for the surrender (unto Him), so that he followeth a light from his Lord, (as he who disbelieveth)? Then woe unto those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah. Such are in plain error. 

Quran Chapter 57, Surah Al Hadid, [Verse:9] 
He it is Who sendeth down clear revelations unto His slave, that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light; and lo! for you, Allah is Full of Pity, Merciful. 


Quran Chapter 65, Surah At Talaq, [Verse:11]  
A messenger reciting unto you the revelations of Allah made plain, that He may bring forth those who believe and do good works from darkness unto light. And whosoever believeth in Allah and doeth right, He will bring him into Gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein to abide for ever. Allah hath made good provision for him.


Quran Chapter 4, Surah An Nisa, [Verse:174] 
O mankind! Now hath a proof from your Lord come unto you, and We have sent down unto you a clear light;

Quran Chapter 57, Surah Al Hadid, Verse 12-13
On the day when thou (Muhammad) wilt see the believers, men and women, their light shining forth before them and on their right hands, (and wilt hear it said unto them): Glad news for you this day: Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein ye are immortal. That is the supreme triumph. On the day when the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women will say unto those who believe: Look on us that we may borrow from your light! it will be said: Go back and seek for light! Then there will separate them a wall wherein is a gate, the inner side whereof containeth mercy, while the outer side thereof is toward the doom.

Quran Chapter 17, Surah Al Isra, [Verse:9] 
Lo! this Qur'an guideth unto that which is straightest, and giveth tidings unto the believers who do good works that theirs will be a great reward.

Quran Chapter 3, Surah Al-E-Imran, [Verse:101] 
How can ye disbelieve, when Allah's revelations are recited unto you, and His messenger is in your midst? He who holdeth fast to Allah, he indeed is guided unto a right path.

Quran Chapter 6 Surah Al Anaam, [Verse:108] 
Revile not those unto whom they pray beside Allah lest they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance. Thus unto every nation have We made their deed seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return, and He will tell them what they used to do.

Quran Chapter 19, Surah Maryam, [Verse:76]
Allah increaseth in right guidance those who walk aright, and the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord's sight for reward, and better for resort.  


Quran Chapter 47, Surah Muhammad, [Verse:17] 
While as for those who walk aright, He addeth to their guidance, and giveth them their protection (against evil).

Quran Chapter 2, Surah Al Baqarah, [Verse:2] 
This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil).

Quran Chapter 2, Surah Al Baqarah, [Verse:38] 
We said: Go down, all of you, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.

Quran Chapter 2 Surah Al Baqarah, [Verse:185]
The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.

Quran Chapter 3, Surah Al-E-Imran, [Verse:138]
This is a declaration for mankind, a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off (evil).

Quran Chapter 27, Surah An Naml, [Verse:2] 
A guidance and good tidings for believers. 

Quran Chapter 31, Surah Luqman, [Verse:3]
A guidance and a mercy for the good. 

Quran Chapter 41, Surah Fussilat, [Verse:44]
And if We had appointed it a Lecture in a foreign tongue they would assuredly have said: If only its verses were expounded (so that we might understand)? What! A foreign tongue and an Arab? - Say unto them (O Muhammad): For those who believe it is a guidance and a healing; and as for those who disbelieve, there is a deafness in their ears, and it is blindness for them. Such are called to from afar.  

Quran Chapter 45, Surah Jathiya, [Verse:20] 
This is clear indication for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy for a folk whose faith is sure. 

Quran Chapter 2, Surah Al Baqarah, [Verse:153] 
O ye who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. Lo! Allah is with the steadfast.

Quran Chapter 2, Surah Al Baqarah, [Verse:144]
We have seen the turning of thy face to heaven (for guidance, O Muhammad). And now verily We shall make thee turn (in prayer) toward a qiblah which is dear to thee. So turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship, and ye (O Muslims), wheresoever ye may be, turn your faces (when ye pray) toward it. Lo! Those who have received the Scripture know that (this revelation) is the Truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.  

Quran Chapter 16 Surah An Nahl, [Verse:128] 
Lo! Allah is with those who keep their duty unto Him and those who are doers of good. 

Quran Chapter 42, Surah Ash Shura, [Verse:36] 
Now whatever ye have been given is but a passing comfort for the life of the world, and that which Allah hath is better and more lasting for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord.

Quran Chapter 40, Surah Ghafir, [Verse:44]
And ye will remember what I say unto you. I confide my cause unto Allah. Lo! Allah is Seer of (His) slaves.


Quran Chapter 43, Surah Az Zukhruf, [Verse:36] 
And he whose sight is dim to the remembrance of the Beneficent, We assign unto him a devil who becometh his comrade;

Quran Chapter 44 Surah Ad Dukhan, [Verses 1-8]
Ha. Mim. By the Scripture that maketh plain. Lo! We revealed it on a blessed night - Lo! We are ever warning - Whereon every wise command is made clear. As a command from Our presence - Lo! We are ever sending - A mercy from thy Lord. Lo! He, even He is the Hearer, the Knower, Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if ye would be sure. There is no God save Him. He quickeneth and giveth death; your Lord and Lord of your forefathers.

Quran Chapter 44, Surah Ad Dukhan, [Verse:9] 
Nay, but they play in doubt.

Quran Chapter 51, Surah Ad Dhariyat, [Verse 55-58]
And warn, for warning profiteth believers. I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. I seek no livelihood from them, nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Lo! Allah! He it is that giveth livelihood, the Lord of unbreakable might.

Quran Chapter 24, Surah An Noor, [Verse:55] 
Allah hath promised such of you as believe and do good work that He will surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as He caused those who were before them to succeed (others); and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He hath approved for them, and will give them in exchange safety after their fear. They serve Me. They ascribe no thing as partner unto Me. Those who disbelieve henceforth, they are the miscreants.


Quran Chapter 27, Surah An Naml, [Verse:62] 
Is not He (best) Who answereth the wronged one when he crieth unto Him and removeth the evil, and hath made you viceroys of the earth? Is there any God beside Allah? Little do they reflect!


Quran Chapter 33, Surah Al Ahzab, [Verse:72] 
Lo! We offered the trust unto the heavens and the earth and the hills, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it. And man assumed it. Lo! he hath proved a tyrant and a fool.

Quran Chapter 35, Surah Fatir, [Verse:32] 
Then We gave the Scripture as inheritance unto those whom We elected of Our bondmen. But of them are some who wrong themselves and of them are some who are lukewarm, and of them are some who outstrip (others) through good deeds, by Allah's leave. That is the great favour!

Quran Chapter 36, Surah Ya Seen, [Verses 1-6]  

Ya Sin. By the wise Qur'an, Lo! thou art of those sent On a straight path, A revelation of the Mighty, the Merciful, That thou mayst warn a folk whose fathers were not warned, so they are heedless.

Quran Chapter 36, Surah Ya Seen, [Verses 7-9]
Already hath the word proved true of most of them, for they believe not. Lo! We have put on their necks carcans reaching unto the chins, so that they are made stiff-necked. And We have set a bar before them and a bar behind them, and (thus) have covered them so that they see not.

Quran Chapter 36, Surah Ya Seen, [Verses 10-12] 
Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not, it is alike for them, for they believe not. Thou warnest only him who followeth the Reminder and feareth the Beneficent in secret. To him bear tidings of forgiveness and a rich reward. Lo! We it is Who bring the dead to life. We record that which they send before (them), and their footprints. And all things We have kept in a clear Register.

Quran Chapter 36, Surah Ya Seen, [Verse 69-70]  
And We have not taught him (Muhammad) poetry, nor is it meet for him. This is naught else than a Reminder and a Lecture making plain, To warn whosoever liveth, and that the word may be fulfilled against the disbelievers.

Quran Chapter 36, Surah Ya Seen, [Verse 82-83]

But His command, when He intendeth a thing, is only that he saith unto it: Be! and it is. Therefor glory be to Him in Whose hand is the dominion over all things! Unto Him ye will be brought back





Conclusion
Questions that need to be answered...

Now that you have read the messages that the Quran has to give you, Please answer these questions, before death approaches you!

Where are you now?
Where am I?
Where is the Ummah?
What are we going to do with what we just read?

What Knowledge Benefited You...
Did you benefit from reciting the Quran?
Did you benefit from hearing the word of Allah SWT, the Quran during the time of Taraweeh?
Did you try to comprehend and reflect over what you heard, i.e. the word of Allah SWT?
Did you prepare yourself for the meeting with Allah and answer about your life, your role in life and your responsibility, the one Allah SWT granted you?
Did you think that you might drop dead any moment and you have no time if you are a believer?
Did you ask Allah SWT to give you the chance to renew your faith and develop the good qualities, the ones Allah SWT loves and will be pleased with?
Did you think about where youre going, what your purpose in life is? Did you ever wonder if you are with Allah SWT or with Shaitan? What do you want?

Today We Can, Tomorrow We Cannot...
These Questions Need To Be Answered
Before You Enter The Grave.



by~Daee Ahmed Moait

Trials and Tribulations on Way

"O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient."~2; 153

"And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah ]"~2;45

"And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides."~4;103

"And whoever does that seeking means to the approval of Allah - then We are going to give him a great reward."~4;114

"Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful."~2;5

When you are hurt by the people who share blood relations with you, recall Yusuf [alayhi salaam] who was also betrayed by his brothers.

When you find your parents opposing you (in deen) recall Ibraheem [alayhi salaam] who was made to jump into a blazing fire by his father.

When you are mocked and abused by your own relatives just because you adopted deen over duniya, recall Rasul Allah [sallalhu alaihi wa sallam] who faced the same.

When you are stuck into some problem and find no way out recall Yunus [alayhi salaam] who was stuck inside the belly of a whale.

When you fall ill and your whole body cries with pain, recall Ayoob [alayhi salaam] who was more ill than you.

When you see some physical fault in yourself, recall Moosa [alayhi salam] who could not properly speak.

When someone slanders you, recall Ay'esha [radiallahu anha] who was also slandered throughout the city.

When you feel lonely recall how Adam [alayhi salaam] felt when he was created alone at first.
When you can't see any logic in what's going on and your heart asks why this is happening, recall Nooh [alayhi salaam] who built the biggest ship without questioning. 

Subhan Allah! Allah put all those great personalities in trial so that the generations to follow may learn a lesson in patience and perseverance. May Allah swt include us among His patient and grateful servants. Ameen! - Unknown source ♥

Allah is Beautiful, Allah Loves Beauty

 

Allah [swt] Said 

Quran Chapter 20 Ta-Ha

Allah! There Is No God But He! 

To Him Belong The Most Beautiful Names. 

[Verse 8]

You Will Never Be A Believer Until... 

You Have Steadfastness With The Names Of Allah [swt]!

 Focus

The Fountain Head of Achievement

One Reason So Few Of Us Achieve What We Truly Want 

Is That We Never Direct Our Focus; 

We Never Concentrate Our Power; 

Most People Dabble Their Way Through Life 

Never Deciding To Master Anything In Particular!

Purpose Of Knowledge

Everything In Islam Has A Purpose... 

Behind This Purpose There Is Regulation... 

Behind Regulation There Is Manner; 

The Implementation Of Manner Needs Wisdom; 

And Wisdom Needs Rahma... 

If Any Of These Links In The Chain Are Broken, 

The Entire Chain Is Scattered!!!

Importance Of Focus

Allah [swt] says in the Qur’an! 

Chapter 51 Adh-Dhariyat

And [Tell Them That] 

I Have Not Created The Invisible Beings And Men 

To Any End Other Than That 

They May [Know And] Worship Me. 

[Verse 56]

But How Can One Love, Worship And Build A Relationship 

With Someone He Doesn’t Know?

We Need To Re-Learn Islam 

As A ‘Message’ From The Creator For All Humanity. 

We Have To Learn That Islam 

Is The Status Of The Heart 

And A Muslim Is Required To Be Surrendered 

To The Will Of Allah [swt] At Any Given Time

This Ability To Focus And Concentrate 

Is An Integral Part Of Our Deen... 

No Messenger And Prophet Received Guidance And Revelation 

Without First Mastering The Ability 

To Focus His Thinking 

Focus Of Thinking On The Creator!

Extract of an article by Da'ee Ahmed Moait.

Want to read more of this article? Please visit http://noora1.com/ orhttp://noora1.com/allah_attributes.htm.

For feedback/questions/queries mail to amoait.noor@gmail.com

Life Is Temporary

Regardless of us all experiencing these seasonal changes in our lives, we behave with an 

attitude of permanency towards this world. We have all heard this numerous times that so

 and so is dead; irrespective of the educational level, the distinguished titles of doctor or 

engineer, and the amount of wealth one has successfully accumulated, death is an inevitable

 reality. It will be you and me tomorrow, it is a just a matter of time. And at this point, 

what will matter most is how we spent our lives and what we did with the blessings that 

Allah SWT had given us.

How Many Of Us, When Making Decisions About Our Lives 

Question Ourselves As To Whether 

This Decision Will Lead Me To Heaven Or Hell? 

How Many Of Us Plan Our Actions 

According To The Kind Of Legacy 

We Want To Leave Behind In This World? 

How Many Of Us Are Vigilant About Our Behavior

, 

Well Aware Of The Fact That Everything In This World 

Will Either Bear Witness To Us Or Against Us? 

How many of us are ‘men’ (or women) as Allah describes in the following Ayah:

Quran Chapter 33 Surah Al Ahzab

Among The Believers Are Men 

Who Have Been True To Their Covenant With Allah.

Of Them Some Have Completed Their Vow (To The Extreme), 

And Some (Still) Wait: But They Have Never Changed 

(Their Determination) In The Least.

[Verse:23]

by~Daee Ahmed Moait 

Life Is Seasonal

Life Is Seasonal

Our life is like the four seasons, one succeeding another; cold, hot, colorful and dark. Everything is in constant motion; day and night, health and sickness, youth and old age, tranquility and tension, wealth and poverty, life and death. Nothing is to last forever and at different levels we all experience these successive stages of life. All of these are part of destiny-what has already been ordained. The challenge is how we behave once faced with our destiny!

The Key Of Success Is Faith;
If We Have Faith It Will Lead Us To Always Be Content, Thankful,
And Show Gratitude To The Creator, The Owner Of Destiny...


The happy time will never be forever, the sad time will never be forever. We will always be fluctuating between give and take; the state of receiving a blessing and the state of losing it. Regardless of what state you are in, the life will continue. And just the like that, the journey of Iman must continue.
Just Like In Any Other Journey...
We Will Have Obstacles In Our Journey Of Iman Too
But If The Eyes Are On The Prize, There Is Nothing You Cannot Overcome!

What about family, spouse, job demands, social and educational obligations becoming a hindrance? This life will continue with the things we desire or do not desire; with the things we like and dislike.

A Believer Knows That...
Allah Does Not Take From Him, Except To Give Him...
This Giving Might Be In The Form Of A Blessing In This Life,
Or In The Form Of Good Deeds In The Next!

The real point of concern is how to leave this life with a legacy and a sign that will benefit you and benefit others. The focus should be on how to please your Lord so that your Lord will please you and allow you to attain your purpose in life and leave a mark in this world. These thoughts can take a lifetime to internalize


to read more articles please visit noora1.com 

LOVE OF ALLAH

In the name of Allah the most Gracious The most Merciful

LOVE OF ALLAH

We start by asking Allah SWT to put in our hearts What is beneficial to us

In this life and the life after death! 

We ask Him to give us sincerity in our intentions! 

We cannot talk about Allah SWT unless

He permits us to talk about Him.

Allah SWT is the Doer, He is the Giver!

And the Protector!

One day Musa (AS) was walking and he said to Allah SWT �Oh Allah I want to be close to You�. Allah responded by saying �Oh Musa, love Me, love those who love Me, and make people Love Me�. Musa AS said �Ya Allah, I know the first and I know the second but how can I do the third?� Allah SWT replied �remind them of my gifts, about the treasures that I gave them, and they will love me�.

Why can�t we love Allah SWT the way we should? 

We cannot love Allah SWT unless we know who He is. Allah SWT has put certain format and structure in our lives; it is very similar to the way we deal with eachother. In order to love someone, we have to know the person; you cannot claim to love someone without knowing him or her!

The more you see, feel and understand this person�s qualities, the more you will get attracted to him/her. The good qualities will make you love that person; no one loves a person who has a bad character or negative qualities, unless the lover is really sick in the heart. But based on normal human fitra (natural instinct we are created with) people love goodness, beauty, kindness, generosity; we love those who help us, and those who are considerate towards our feelings. The more someone cares for you and does things for you, the more you will love this person. 

Love is something that is not generated overnight; at the same time, some people no matter how much goodness you do, will take the goodness for granted and give you evil in return, and will never recognize what you do for them. Once you see this you should know that they are blocked by Allah SWT because of the sickness in their hearts, and there is nothing you can do about it. But here, we are talking about the normal fitra, pure hearts without diseases inshallah, or sick hearts with minimum diseases. Such people are naturally attracted to those who are good to them. Bad quality is attractive to those who themselves have bad qualities. This is why Prophet Muhammad SAWS said of the meaning of : �Similar souls are attracted to each other and the souls that are different move apart. 

We have to ask ourselves the following question: Am I a normal person? If so, I should love these qualities; Beauty, generosity, kindness, peace, happiness, tranquility, honesty, sincerity, truthfulness, etc. These qualities will effect and in turn generate love inside our hearts. If I love these qualities, I should in turn love Allah SWT, the owner and distributor of all these qualities and who possesses the highest of all these qualities. 

The Creator of the heavens and the earth has all the qualities and from these He gave us a very small part. How Merciful is Allah SWT? How patient? How generous? We should go back to the names of Allah SWT, study His attributes and qualities and ask ourselves, �Which one is more valuable--to think about, recognize, and get closer to Allah SWT, the one who is the owner of everything, or beg those who cannot do anything for us?� 

Allah SWT has command us to love Him and has praised those who do so. He has given us qualities that if we inculcate in our character, we will gain the love of Allah SWT. He tells us in the Qur�an that He loves those who are patient, and those who repent to Him after committing sins. Repentance gains Allah�s love because when we repent we are in fact recognizing our mistakes and going back to Allah SWT believing in His quality of forgiveness; but at the same time, we have to promised Allah SWT that we will not repeat our mistakes.

Why does Allah SWT open for some people and not for others?� 

Allah SWT opens His door according to the amount of love we have for Him , and no one knows about this amount except Allah SWT himself. We can fake it and show off but we cannot pretend to Allah SWT. Qualities are like links of a chain; if you cut one you break the entire chain and if you bind one you bind it all. Who gave us our eyes for vision, our ears for hearing, our bodies, etc? It is Allah SWT that gave us everything without us asking for them. In Sura Al-Mulk, verse 23 Allah SWT said:

Say: �it is He who has created you (and made you grow), and made for you the faculties of hearing, seeing, feeling and understanding: little thanks it is you give�. 

Are these gifts that we are provided with, not enough to thank Allah for? When Allah SWT calls us toward Him, how many of us respond to His call? He is the one who has created us, fashioned us, made us who we are, and has given us everything we have. He is the one who cures diseases and saves us from all evils.

Usually when someone gives us a gift, we try to show gratitude or we try to pay it back. Do we give thanks and show gratitude to the one who showers us with His mercy day and night? Everything that we see around us has been created for our benefit. Air, tress, wind, birds, fish, all the food we eat, whether out of necessity or for the fulfillment of our desires; but sometimes because of our arrogance and blindness we do not see these gifts that are provided for us by Allah SWT. Allah has given us the heart, brain, and good qualities; now it is up to us how we utilize these gifts.

How do we utilize the gifts of Allah SWT? 

We try to utilize them by recognizing them as bounties, trying to learn, and trying to think about them. Allah SWT in many verses in the Quran tells us to go and travel on His earth and ponder. In other verses Allah SWT questions us about something or shows us the wisdom. He recognizes these people in the form of following words, �those who have hearts and minds, those who think and wonder about the glory of Allah SWT, those who are patient, kind, and humble.�

We can�t really get to know Allah SWT unless we try to build good qualities in ourselves. When you know someone who has good qualities, can you meet him/her with bad qualities and manners? Or you try to show good qualities to attract this person towards yourself? Even if you fake it at the beginning, sooner or later the person will recognize your reality and break the relationship? The relationship between us and Allah SWT is similar and we should give more importance to this relationship than anything else.

Why should we love Allah SWT?

Study the qualities of Allah SWT, and you will fall in love with Him. Ask yourself, Is there anyone better or with better quality than the Creator of all qualities? Usually when we spend some time with people of good qualities, we get these in ourselves. Shouldn�t we aspire to get good qualities? But unless Allah SWT allows us, we cannot have them, and why would He allow us unless we honestly inquire them? 

An example of this is the story of a group of villagers who were on their way to a king to present their requests and needs. They were sharing with each other as to what they were going to ask him. One young man among them was quiet. When they asked him about what he was going to ask the king, he replied �nothing; I just want to be near the king so I can take care of anything he might need.� The villagers asked him the reason for that. He said, �If I am closer to the king and take care of all his needs, he will notice me. Once he notices me and appreciates my service, he will take care of all my needs without mine having to ask for anything�. 

What about Allah SWT? Doesn�t Allah SWT deserve this respect and treatment that this simple villager was willing to provide to the king? And if we give Allah SWT the attention that He deserves, wouldn�t He out of His generosity and love, take care of all our needs? 

A man went to Abu-Darda RA and said to him �I am an old man I cannot do too much; teach me something that will make me closer to Allah SWT; something very small but big in reward�. Abu Darda RA was quiet for sometime and then said, �make a Muslim smile�. The old man replied, �I came to you expecting certain amount of worship and dhikr, and you are telling me to make someone smile? What benefit will that have?� Abu-Darda RA relied: �if you go and make one Muslim brother or sister smile, then Allah SWT will smile at you, and if Allah SWT smiles at you He will forbid your body to be in the Hell-fire�. 

Allah u Akbar! Only if we understand the benefit of this; but it does not mean that we go to someone and make them smile by joking around or taking them out to movies. What it really means is that you find someone who has a need and you fulfill that need, because if you do so Allah SWT will love you. There are many ahadith about this topic which you can locate under �loving your brother� or �fulfilling the needs of your brother� in any hadith book. We should always ask Allah SWT �Oh Allah, give me your love, help me to love you, allow me to love those who loves you, and help me to spread your love; without you I can not do anything Ya Allah�.

A man was walking one night and he sincerely asked Allah SWT �Oh Allah I want to be for you, show me how to love you ya Allah�. He was passing by a village and overheard a conversation between a boy and his mother. The mother was talking very harshly with her son because he disobeyed her. She threatened the boy that she will kick him out of the house. The boy begged saying, �mother you can�t do that. It is a cold night; its raining! And some animal might eat me!� His mother said, �you have no respect for me, you do not love me neither do you obey me so it�s best that I throw you out.� Initially the boy was arrogant as he walked out of the house, but he soon realized that he has no shelter from the rain, no food to eat, and once he started hearing animals� noises, he got very scared and felt very insecure. 

Now that he had lost everything, he didn�t know what to do and he realized how valuable his mother was, and how arrogant he was not to recognize this before. He knew that his only choice was to go back to his mother but he was not sure if she would accept him back. He went back to his house and started to cry and beg his mother to open the door and let him come back to the house. He praised her and started to remind her of her wonderful qualities. After some time, the mother opened the door and let him in. She hugged and comforted him and prepared food for him. Was she heartless that she didn�t do it earlier? No. She wanted to teach her son a lesson; and sometimes in order to learn a valuable lesson, a person has to go through tough times.The man who was watching all this cried saying �this boy cried for just a few minutes and his mother became so compassionate, then what about you, Allah the most compassionate, the most merciful?� Who can answer the prayers of the desperate one except Allah SWT? Allah SWT will never leave us alone if we are desperate for His closeness. 

How can we achieve the closeness and love of Allah SWT?

We should replace the love of material life with the love of Allah SWT in our hearts. Think about Him, call Him however way you like as Allah SWT knows all languages. Call the most generous lord who listens to and provides for all! 

Sometimes Shaitan makes us forget the generosity of Allah SWT. He makes us forget the forgiveness and love of Allah SWT. We call so many people in order to fulfil our needs, but what about calling Allah SWT, the one who owns everything? Allah SWT is the greatest, He hears without us saying anything and He SWT can take care of everything! Do not listen to the whispers of Shaitan since he makes us feel poor and helpless. Allah SWT is able to do everything, all we need to do is call Him with sincerity. The generous Lord does not deny any of His servants.

What else can really benefit us if we do not see all the things that Allah SWT has provided us with? If we ever feel that Allah SWT has deserted us, it is truly Shaitan who is making us disbelieve in this way. Allah SWT has showered every one of us with unlimited goodness, most of which we take for granted. If we believe that Allah SWT is not generous towards us, or Allah SWT is not giving us enough, we cannot reach Allah SWT; vice versa, if you want to reach Allah SWT, you have to thank Him for all He has offered you. You have to thank Him all the time and have to be in a state of contentment. We also have to think about Him, remember him, and praise Him all the time because Allah SWT deserves all of our attention and devotion. 

How to Praise Allah SWT?

Who else deserves to be praised except Allah SWT? Who else deserves to be known more than Allah SWT? Who else deserves to be loved more than Allah SWT? You can call and praise Allah SWT any way you like, including the following: 

Ya Allah, You have created me; You are the one who gives light; You are my supporter, my fashioner, my sustainer and my provider; You are the one who has given me knowledge; You gave me my soul, and You allowed me to be who I am; I do not have power or strength except what You have given me. If I do not call on You, try to recognize You or know You, then who would I call and know Ya Allah? Oh Allah fill my heart and soul with your light.

If someone obeys and tries to reach Allah SWT, Allah calls Angel Jibreel and says �O Jibreel bear witness I love so and so (Allah calls that person with beautiful names), so love him�. Then angel Jibreel announces it to the kingdom of angels and they all start to love that person. After that Allah puts the love of that person in the hearts of others on earth. May Allah SWT make us all among those whom He loves. Ameen.

My dear brothers and sisters, if you want Allah SWT to love you then try to recognize him as the giver and always be in a state of contentment and humbleness. Do not say I have such and such, or I own such and such; instead say Allah has allowed me to have or Allah has given me or provided for me, because this is the truth.

And even if you do not recognize this, Allah will continue to provide for you the way He has been doing all your life as He even provides for those who disbelieve in Him. What more generosity than that? Allah SWT�s kindness and generosity does not get affected by the behavior of his creation. He is always generous to those who love Him as well as to those who do not; but His way of generosity towards them both is different. Allah SWT extends His generosity to those who love Him by preparing them for the hereafter; so when we see calamity we should know that it is a trial for us, since calamities are actually designed to test us. 

How is this talk related to Da�wah? (inviting towards Allah)? 

Once you study and recognize who Allah SWT is, it becomes your responsibility to invite others towards Him. Why? Because when a person recognizes the good qualities of someone, he spreads the news of this to. So what about Allah SWT? Who is more deserving of this recognition than Allah SWT? The more you learn about Allah SWT, the more you will know His qualities; and the more you know His qualities, the more you will love His qualities and you will try to implement those qualities in yourself.

Inviting towards Allah SWT is not just to give away bunch of books and tapes to others. This is the attitude of a lot of people where they go, �here take it! I know and you do not know! I am going to paradise and you are going to hell fire!� This is an arrogant attitude which Allah SWT does not like and it shows that a person is in a state of blindness. Allah SWT wants us to deal with others the way he deals with us, which is with mercy, patience and compassion. 

How did Islam spread in Malaysia and Indonesia? 

According to some reports, a few Muslim men went for trading and business to Malaysia or Indonesia. One of them was selling some food/fruits. A non-Muslim buyer came to buy from him, but before he took the money the seller said to the buyer, �some of the fruits might be damaged because of the rain that occurred last night, so when you take them home and find any damaged ones, please bring them back and I will return you your money back�. So the man took the merchandise and left. But this seller felt bad about what he had sold and had doubt that he had sold spoiled goods.

While all the other merchants took their goods and left, this seller did not leave; he felt that he needed to wait for the buyer in case he comes back for his money. The seller had promised this man and had given him his word so he had to wait. This seller ended up waiting for many months, and finally one day that buyer returned to the market
. 

The seller recognized him whereas the buyer was completely oblivious of him. The seller reminded him and said �remember such and such day you bought these items from me�? So the buyer remembered and was shocked to hear that the seller had stayed all these months just to return him the money for some damaged goods. 

He asked the seller, �What made you stay all these months to wait for me?� The seller replied to his incredulity saying, �I am a Muslim and our Prophet and Messenger SAWS taught us that an honest merchant will be close to Him SAW on the Day of Judgment; meaning an honest merchant will be a companion of Prophet SAWS in Paradise. Some one asked the Prophet SAWS if there would be a lot of merchants like that? The Prophet SAWS replied by saying, �No, there will be very little�, and this merchant wanted to be among those people. 

This merchant did not worry about leaving his family, money, and home behind; instead his thoughts were about him being with the Prophet SAWS in Jannah (Paradise). Where are we from these people? Do we even try to think like this man when dealing with our non-Muslim neighbors, co-workers or non-Muslim wives? 

Do we even know who among us will die as a Muslim or who will die as a non-Muslim? If we are in this state of thinking, would we just throw the message to others or we will spread the truth with generosity, kindness, and good manners? This is why it is very important for us to have good conduct, good manners, and kindness towards others. Do not judge/announce who will go to Paradise and who will go to Hell-fire, because we really do not know who will end up where! 

We, ourselves, might be hypocrites and we don�t even know. There might be someone who did so many bad deeds but did something good that pleased Allah SWT right before he died, and thus will enter Paradise. This way, the first thing we have to do is to build connection between us and Allah SWT, build our good manners, and obey the commands of Allah SWT. You can not be in a state of hypocrisy and yet want Allah SWT to be good to you and open the doors for you to work for Him. Prophet Muhammad SAWS said �If Allah SWT uses you to guide one person, it is better than the whole earth and what it contains�. 

By this way I can not want my children to become practicing Muslim, but my life is opposite from Islam. I have to be a Muslim first; follow Allah�s commands; have good manners; and only then can I teach my children. We have to show mercy to our children and cry to Allah SWT about their ending. The invitation to Islam should be in the state of mercy, love, and care. Our wives and children are our responsibility on the Day of Judgment; we cannot gain any thing by forcing, pushing, shoving books at them, and by showing bad manner and corrupt conduct. These are low characteristics which will never work or have good outcomes

Importance of Self Analysis 

We all should ask ourselves, am I an oppressor? There are many Muslims who cheat, lie, abuse other Muslims and non-Muslims, they do all kinds of mischief and after that they invite them to Islam. Muslims act like pure hypocrite in front of them and then they get the invitation to Islam. What do you think the effect is going to be?

Plea towards Muslims 

Dear brothers and sisters in Islam, go back to Allah SWT. He (SWT) deserves to be recognized, and known by all. Get closer to Allah swt by seeking His knowledge. Once you gain the knowledge, commit to obey Him and try to please Him. He will love you and you will love Him; this is the quality of the believer according to the Quran. Allah SWT mentions the companions bysaying that Allah was pleased with them and they were pleased with Him. May Allah SWT make us among them! 

Plea towards Non-Muslims 

Oh non-Muslims! Please do not look at us, instead look at the pure message of Islam. We, Muslims have become sick and dirty. Many of us are far away from Islam and we are drowning in our own spiritual and cultural diseases. 

You might ask: �How come we became like this when Islam teaches otherwise?� It is because we do not sincerely struggle to gain our own salvation. We only have title of Islam, We have just inherited Islamic names, and adopted Islamic clothing, but we never really build up our connection with Allah SWT; except very few people among us. 

Do not look at the way people pray nor the way they dress, rather look at their manner and conduct. A lot of us today make people go far away from Islam with our tongue and bad conduct, and give critics of Islam to point fingers at us. They say: look at him, he pray five times a day in the Masjid but he lies, cheats, he does not keep his word and commitment; I do not want to be like him.

Summary 

If we call ourselves Muslims, we should care; we should be organized, clean, and neat. Why? Because these are the teaching of Prophet Muhammad SAWS. We should study and learn our own Islam before we invite someone else to it. Study the Sunnah, learn about what Allah SWT wants from you; study the characteristic of Muslims, the manners, the behavior and manner of Muslims before we ask others to be a Muslim. If we start behaving and dealing with others like a real Muslim, the others will also enter Islam right away. But we are the ones who block them from Islam. May Allah SWT save us from this. 

Today, we are generating great mischief on earth by our conduct and behavior. On the Day of Judgment we will be responsible for all the mischief that we do; because we are representing Islam; we are a mirror of Islam. But who would like to come near a dirty, ugly, deceiving mirror? We have to try to learn and cry to Allah to clean us inside out. This is the main element of making dawah (invitation) to Islam. After that you have to know the person and try to understand the mentality of that person and be kind, do not make mistakes in talking to the person. It is not how much knowledge you have, rather it is opening from Allah SWT that matters the most. We also have to remember that people enter Islam by the will of Allah, in the way and time He SWT wants. Once I deeply inculcate this in my heart, only then Allah SWT will open for me. We have to consistently try all the time; we have to feel for others; we have to cry for their goodness the way our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW used to cry for his Ummah (Nation). 

Once a Jewish funeral procession was passing by; upon seeing it Prophet Muhammad SAW started to cry. When people asked him the reason for it, he SAW said: one of the son of Adam slipped from my hand into hell fire, and I cannot help him now. How much mercy did the Prophet SAW had for everyone.


 Allah swt said �we did not send you (Muhammad) except as a mercy to mankind�. Following the sunnah of the Prophet, we have to have mercy for others and according to how much mercy we have for others, Allah SWT will be merciful to us. We have to be generous with our tongue, our heart (cry and pray for others), our hands (by giving to the needy). We have to have good conduct, patience, and behave with complete faith that Allah SWT is the doer. At this time Allah SWT will open for us. In order to do this you have to be steadfast; you cannot be a part time Muslim and ask Allah SWT to give you the greatest gift--the treasure of Paradise. 

Why would Allah SWT give us the gifts? We have to ask ourselves: Do I deserve the gifts from Allah SWT? Do we really, honestly connect our heart with Allah SWT so He can open for us? We have to stop complaining and blaming others. Most of us are occupied with complaining about others: Husbands complains about wives; wives complain about their husbands; parents complain about the children, and the children complain about their parents. Did we ever stop to think and complain about ourselves? Did we ever realize that we are the problem and we need to wake up before it�s too late?
Only sixty four Muslims went to Spain and the entire Southern Spain became Muslim. Look at the amount of Muslims we have in America and how many people are becoming Muslim? People used to come close to the companions of RasulAllah, whereas now a days people run away from Muslims. What is the reason? Islam is the same; it is our bad, hypocritical conduct; cheating; and lying. We have to wake up quick since we are in a big trouble with Allah SWT. If we want Allah SWT to love and support us, how can we spread mischief, instead of spreading love, mercy, and goodness? One scholar suggested that in order to do dawah you have to hit the non-Muslims with three punches:

1. The punch in the face: This is to show good manners, and good 

behavior. People are attracted to the goodness.

2. The punch in the stomach: This is to be generous; with food and other things. We need to show other people the generosity of true Islam. We should deal with the people according to the way Allah SWT wants us. In America today if every Muslim implements one hadith, most of the Americans will become Muslims tomorrow:The rights of neighbors. If people truly understand this, they would be crying. 

- Abdullah bin Umar (son of Umar bin Al-Khattab RA) was slaughtering an animal and he told the people that after cleaning the animal, take the best piece of the meat and give it to his Jewish neighbor. They asked him the reason; he replied, �I saw the one who is better than me and all of you did the same thing, so I am following him (that is Prophet Muhammad SAW). 

- While studying the life of the Prophet SAW, we come across the story of a Jewish woman who used to throw trash in the way of RasulAllah SAW. Once there was no trash, upon inquiry he found out that the woman was sick. He SAW went to visit her and took care of her needs; this led her to embrace Islam. 

These are the teachings of our Prophet SAW, consideration even towards the aggressors and abusers. Do we even try to act like this with our neighbors? No, we are actually the opposite. We keep our homes dirty and damage the rented property instead of saving it. Instead of spreading Islam we make people hate us, and run away from us because of our bad conduct. What will happen to us if Allah SWT does not send His Mercy to us in this life and on the Day of Judgment? Do we even believe that we will meet Allah SWT? 

3. The punch in the heart: This is the main fundamental part of inviting to Islam. The spinal cord of spreading Islam. It is to call Allah SWT in the 
darkness of the night and ask Him to allow you and use you to spread Islam. 


Deep down in your heart you feel the burning desire to help others to see the reality of life. You can ask Allah, �Oh Allah send your mercy, oh Allah open the heart of so and so person�. This way you are returning everything to Allah SWT, because He is the real owner of everything. You can not say, �I gave him/her this book, I gave the message, I taught them this, therefore I cannot do anything else for them�. Can we meet Allah swt with this kind of attitude? People will believe in our conduct more than the books because once they open the book, they will realize that either the book is wrong or the person is a hypocrite. We cannot force teachings of Islam on people, we need to invite them to the truth with care and love in our hearts.

We need to spread The True Message of Our Creator!

Spread His Mercy and His Qualities!

Spread the Reminder Of Death!

No One Can Deny This!

We have to spread the real message of Allah SWT and not focus on the rulings, because rulings are for the believers, not for the people who do not believe to begin with. So we should not burden anyone with rules and regulations before developing the reality of Iman (faith) in their hearts. Allah SWT gave the rulings to the believers saying, �Oh you who believe�. Are we as a Muslim implementing these commands from Allah SWT? neither I, nor my family. 

As Muslim implements the verses referring to �those who believe�, how can I tell someone else to follow those regulations when they do not even believe?


 Why do we push the women to put Hijab when they do not even have faith in Allah SWT? We push each other to build the outside but our insides are not clean. Islam is supposed to be inside out, not outside in. Not to say that outside is not important, but we need to set the priority. For this we need to ask the people who have knowledge and who have walked this path of internal journey, and if we do not find any one then we should call Allah SWT. He SWT will lead us if we are sincere.

The message is oneness of Allah SWT, so go back to it. Focus in the message; do not go back and forth and debate about different topics because the majority of non-Muslims do not really know the truth and essence of Islam. We should tell the non-Muslims loud and clear to not look at the actions of the Muslims, rather the message and teachings of the Creator. 

People watch us; our clothing, the way we conduct with others, and our manners more than our knowledge. 


It does not mean that knowledge is not important, it is important but majority of the people in this world are very simple and they want a simple message. They hardly study about religion, regardless of the fact that they go to churches or synagogues, they hardly have knowledge about their own religion. But majority of the people believe in the Creator and it is our responsibility to teach them about Him SWT slowly and with good manners.

May Allah SWT allow us to reach the level of delivering His message! 

And again, there is no way to reach it unless we get closer to Allah SWT; since Allah is the only one who can open for us the way, put the word in our hearts, and open the heart of others for us. We can talk but we cannot penetrate our words in someone�s heart unless Allah SWT takes these words and put them in the heart of others. So if we are not steadfast with Allah SWT and do not have good manners with Him, neither do we respect or obey Him, why would He SWT use us to guide others? Why would Allah open the heart of others for me if I am not for Him? It is not my eloquent speeches, and books that can guide others, but rather only Allah is the Guide. Books and speeches are just tools that Allah can accept and let people benefit from them.

In order to reach this level we have to deny ourselves, be humble, be considerate and helpful to the family in the house, be neat, do not make our surroundings dirty, let fresh air come in our homes, clean our bodies even when there is no one around, make sure we smell good because angles do not like dirt and we need their presences in our homes. 

Our Prophet SAW was clean, neat, and he taught us to be clean. We have to always keep our commitment; never say inshallah to something while we do not plan to do it since inshallah is a Qasm (swear). Where are the qualities of Muslims? 

Rasuallah SAWS said the signs of a hypocrite are three: 

 � If he speaks he lies. 

 � If he gives a commitment, he will not fulfill it (if he makes a promise, he brakes it). 

 � When he is given a trust, he betrays it. 

These are the signs of a complete hypocrite, now I have to ask myself if I am among these people? We should study about the good character of Muslims and cry to Allah to give us this conduct.

Final Du�a

(Supplicate: ask the Creator!) 

Oh Allah make us love You, love those who love You!

And allow us to make others love You!

Please make us among those:

Who are completely in love with You!

Use us to spread your Message, Ya Allah!

Make us remember you day and night, Ya Allah!

Make us devote our hearts and minds for You, Ya Allah!

Make us live as a Muslim and die as a Muslim!

And Be resurrected as a Muslim, Ya Allah!

Make us an inviter to Islam, Ya Allah!

Allow us to submit to You!

The way it pleases You and Your Prophet!

And not according to our wishes or desires!

Oh Allah give us the humbleness and humility towards you, and your creation, and to show gratitude and thanks to you, and to be steadfast for you, and your message and give us the acceptance and light and wisdom and blessing by you, for you, toward you, to be the magnet and the lighthouse to your guidance of mankind.

Oh Allah clean us from our bad habits and custom!

From our bad conducts and diseases!

Oh Allah, make us truthful, pure and sincere!

Bless us and put your blessings in whatever we do for you!

We need you, ya Allah! We need you in our lives!

In the moment of death! Ya Allah!

In the grave where there will be no one else except You!

Please accept our prayers!

O� Lord of the Worlds!

Ameen!

~By Daee Ahmed Moait