One of the most beautiful things I found in Islam when I first encountered it was the emphasis on good manners. One quote a shaykh once made in a lecture particularly stuck with me: A Muslim is made by manners.
Nowadays something strange is going on in the UK, where I live. The Islamic schools are becoming known for bad manners— not only from students but from teachers as well. Muslims themselves prefer non-Muslim landlords because at least they’re punctual. The areas in the city that are most dirty are the Muslim areas. What kind of da’wah is this? There’s clearly something wrong. Why is there such a massive difference between what Allah ‘azza wajal teaches us and what is being reflected in society? The answer is: manners. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said: No father can give a child anything better than good manners.[At-Tirmidhee] Stop a moment and realize that your manners are one of the main reasons for Allah to enter you into His Gardens of Paradise. Do you know which manners Allah subhanahu wa ta’alaa loves to see in you? Do you want to motivate yourself to master them and to please your Beloved? In this talk you’ll learn about five beautiful practices that can take you to Paradise. It is as Allah says in this week’s central ayah: Allah will say, ‘This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.’ For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment. [Quran, 5:119] Habits for the Sake of Allah “Say please.” “Say thank you!” Why are almost all parents so keen on teaching these among their children’s first words? Because it is fitrah (natural inclination) for parents to want good manners from your children. You should speak the truth, for example, not just because society considers it good manners; you should speak the truth because Allah ‘azza wajal has commanded you to do so! Allah(swt) has told us which manners are good. So develop your good habits only for the sake of Allah, remembering your relationship with Him and seeking closeness to Him while focusing on your manners. Where Can We Find the Best Model of Good Character? How do I know what a good character is? Look at the prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He is the perfect example of good character, Allah says about him: You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah. [Quran, 33:21] Perfection in All You Do The main attribute of the Prophet’s character was perfection; he strove for perfection in everything he did. When someone would speak to him, he would turn around fully to talk. When he shook hands, he was the last one to let go. When speaking with him, he was never the first to look away. From people who used to bury their own babies alive to the most compassionate, caring persons– he brought out the best in all his companions. Likewise we should try to perfect anything we do, no matter how small the deed! Five Practices With Which to Adorn Your Character for the Sake of Allah 1. Be truthful. Allah tells us in this week’s central ayah that a beautiful reward is awaiting us for our good manners. Feel it: Speaking the truth is not always easy, especially if it can get you into trouble. But think about this: you’ll feel much better after you’ve told the truth— even if the consequence is blame or punishment— because you did something for the sake of Allah. Motivate yourself: The Prophet said: Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to al-fujur [wickedness, evil-doing], and al-fujur leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar. [Al-Bukharee] 2. Keep your promises. You’re defined by your actions, not your words. Feel it: We don’t really intend to break promises, yet so many things we promise are not happening. Especially with loved ones we tend to just say things and never do them, because ‘they are family anyway.’ For example promising to help your little sister with her homework. These little things all count in the sight of Allah, so ask yourself this: am I trying hard enough to keep every promise I make to anyone? Motivate yourself: Allah says: Oh you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is in the sight of Allah that you say that which you do not do. [Quran, 61:2-3]. 3. Be trustworthy. Scenario: Your friend tells you about a personal problem and asks you not to tell anyone. You meet with another friend and it just all comes out. Feel it: Are you considered trustworthy? When we say Allah is the most trustworthy, we realize that He will never let us down, will never leave our sides. Motivate yourself: The Prophets of Allah were all trustworthy people and Allah declared the trustworthiness of those who were doubted by their people, for example Prophet Hud: I but fulfill towards you the duties of my Lord’s mission: I am to you a sincere and trustworthy adviser. [Quran, 7:68] Learn from the prophets and practice daily developing the habit of being trustworthy, not just in some situations. Accept responsibility and then fulfill it. When others trust you, do not betray their trust. 4. Be a sincere adviser. Do you know you can gain Paradise by the mercy of Allah by helping two people resolve their differences? Feel it: It’s so easy to just fire up an argument between two people by joining in and saying bad things about the other. But is this honorable? No! One of the best manners is to advice people sincerely and help them to get back together. Motivate yourself: Allah says: The believers are but a brotherhood. So make reconciliation between your brothers, and have Taqwa of Allah so that you may receive mercy. [Quran, 49:10] 5. Give with a clean heart. One day you’re walking on the street and you’re stopped by a homeless person asking you for money for food. You either ignore him or her completely and think this person is not “real” or that they won’t really buy food. You might even wonder why this person doesn’t even have a job like the rest of us. Feel it: Does thinking like this make you feel better? Wouldn’t it feel better to just give something for the sake of Allah and maybe ask him or her to buy food with it? Or buy something to eat and just give this? Motivate yourself: The lesson is here to never turn away a person who asks your help—this was the character of our beloved Prophet! A Special Trait One of the beautiful traits of a Muslim is bravery. When it comes to doing the most extreme sports etc. we are being brave! But what about being brave for our deen? Anas ibn Malik said:The Prophet was the best of the people, and he was the most generous of the people, and the bravest of the people. [Al-Bukharee, Muslim] His courage can be seen in the way he told the Quraysh about Islam, how he was on the battlefield in the cause of Allah. You and me are all in need of some level of courage in order to establish our deen in our daily lives! So here’s a special dua the Prophet made: اَللّهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعِجْزِ ، وَالْكَسْلِ، وَالْجُبْنِ ، وَالْهَرَمِ ، وَالْبُخْلِ ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ O Allah, I seek refuge in You from weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, anxiety and sorrow, and I seek refuge in You from the torments of grave, and I seek refuge in You from the trials and tribulations of life and death. (Al-Bukharee, Muslim] Homework: Two duas for good manners Dua for good manners: The Prophet used to say: ‘Oh Allah, I ask you for good health, chastity, trustworthiness, good manners and to be content with destiny.’ [Al-Bukharee] Dua to seek protection from bad manners: The Prophet used to supplicate: ‘Oh Allah! I seek refuge in You from reprehensible manners, deeds and whims.’ [At-Tirmidhee]
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salam. i'm a sister from seattle who's witnessed a lot of death in the past couple of days, some of which were deaths of young brothers in my community, one of them being related to my friend. it's sad, and it's scary because it means death could hit us at any moment and are we even prepared? make dua to die righteously and to live well, too. we die however we spent our lives living, so to die with the kalima on our tongues and with peace at heart, we gotta set our priorities straight. we think people die of old age, but it could really happen anytime. jazakallah khair if you post this.
I look at him and I look at her and I can't help but feel this indescribable feeling. A different city, a different homestay, but this feeling is the same, this feeling never changes because this feeling comes from an eternal place. This place where our separate bodies go back in time to the moment before the Big Bang, before the entire universe blew into being to that place where everything was the size of a single pea. I go further still travelling to that pre-eternal state where all souls were one in the witness of God. This feeling makes me look passed their bodies, makes me look passed their words and their stories, their triumphs and their failures, nothing they do can affect this feeling of reverence. It feels like worship listening like this, it feels holy just to be in their presence. I feel it so viscerally so tangibly the part of me that resides in them and the part of them that resides in me. I feel like that pea, where there is no distinction between me and all of existence, and then I sink deeper passed the world of tangible forms and I feel the soup of spirits, where everything is the breathe of God, then I lose even that grasp of myself and I feel the place where nothing exists but only God. In this place, the literalists will say I am wrong to want to bow at their feet. The strict will say that only God should be bowed to. But I finally see what the angels were told to see in the human being. I can't help but bow to that breathe they carry inside. I can't help but bow because in this place where a soul sees itself in another person love is born and the other is annihilated and only unity exists. And I see so purely how at the level of the Soul all are lovable, it is not based on belief or action because this love has no conditions for it is a holy love and the love bloomed from Divine soil is independent of everything. In this witness of Oneness I feel the stone parts of my heart part into a spring, I see how easy it was for God to let Jesus bring the dead to life, I see how the virgin could give birth, I see so easily how...👇🏽👇🏽
The seas could have parted, because in the Unity, in the dispelling of our differences everything becomes a part of everything so nothing is impossible because every possibility is present and every single person becomes an axis of this infinite holiness. In this place I do not see race or religion I only see beauty, I only see love. Everything else is just bad translation.#lovedoesntdiscriminate Ramadan was my best friend and she just left for a year long vacation. I miss her already. I miss the way she woke me up before dawn, the way she protected me from this world that keeps calling my name, from the whispers in my brain, from the devils that roam free again. As I sit here my heart is so full, so full of all the things I desire and all the faith that I have acquired, but in this conflict of good and evil I miss the emptiness. I miss having the singular goal of appeasing God with every call of my desires, I miss feeling the pain and knowing with such certainty that only God could fill me with the eternal food of faith and patience. I have never felt as full as when my body is empty of this world, and full of this Divine love. I hear the Azan here, thousands of miles from home, I see the hijab here on millions of heads, I notice the beard graced on all these faces and yet I can't seem to find Islam the way I felt it when I was with Ramadan, the way I felt it in the mosque of my heart. I pray to a qibla pointing to Mecca but when I am truly with my Lord this Heart becomes my Kabaa and I pray inside, and inside this Kabaa there is no qibla. The true prayer is in this place, where every direction is sacred, where every where you turn you face your Lord, where the qibla loses all meaning because there is no longer two because all illusions disappear and there is only the singularity of Allah. But here in this outer world, in this Islamic country, in Morocco, in Iran, in Saudi Arabia I don't see the heart of Islam I only see the body, the actions, and the words. I can't feel the heart, the feeling, the living out of these words. And this year too another Islamic country, another reminder that no country, no place, no person, or community will give me the peace that only God can gift. In this moment instead of longing for Ramadan I will live her, instead of waiting for Ramadan I will make her a part of me and live every moment facing Allah with my difficulties, with my bodies hunger, and ask that He bring the endless table of provision He brought for Jesus to appease my hunger with a sustenance beyond the physical 👇🏽👇🏽 I will ask on bended knees this time, I will ask with my face planted like a seed in the dirt this time, I will ask for His Mercy to rain upon my dust made body and make a garden of faith of me, this time I will ask with all of me, this time I will not wait for Ramadan to save me because as much as I love her, I am not sure if I will still be in this land when she returns. And unlike the seasons of this Earth Allah knows no spring or winter when it comes to faith. Every season you can plant seeds of love and every season you can reap the peace watered by sincerity. So today is my day, here and now is my Ramadan, time is no longer my jailer because time only applies to this mortal body and I now seek to live in this eternal spirit. Now I seek to live not in the worship of God but in the giving away of all that is me, of all that is illusion so nothing exists but God. Here I find peace, here where the worshipper with the act of worship pass away and only the One worshipped remains. La Illaha IllAllah #oneness
It’s sad to see Ramadan; such a beautiful month come to an end. A month that brought us all close, as a family, closer to our religion and to Allah. This Ramadan has definitely been a test and surely a blessing also.
Lets pray that Allah SWT carry on blessing our hearts and keep strengthening our imaan and may everyone be blessed to experience such a beautiful month again next year. May Allah accept our ibadah and fill our Eid with nothing but happiness and joy with closed ones and family. The past 30 days have been hard on some of us but at the same time I hope everyone have had gained a lesson or two from such a beautiful experience that Allah have granted us with. May Allah bless all our brothers and sisters around the world with everyday struggles and ease their affairs for those in pain and may He grant us to be the reason for the happiness of others, helping one another to follow on the righteous path and enable us to follow the teaching of Prophet Muhammed SAW. I pray for everyone’s well being today, to have nothing to worry about, other than having good food, good clothes on, looking beautiful and nothing but your close and loved ones around you. Many around the world are unfortunate, as they may not have the opportunity like we do so do not take anything for granted and appreciate the littlest things, as there are many people who are in such heartbreaking situations and for them I pray that Allah continues to watch over them and shows them mercy. Insyaallah we can one day see our Ummah come to the end of Ramadan in peace and happiness wherever we are. Eid Mubarak once again everyone! With lots of love and *coughs* rendang ☺ Please share this page with your friends and family-May Allah reward you for that. Anything helps. Please keep this family and all those who are suffering in your duas.
May Allah reward you and replace for this family what they lost with what is better in both this life and the hereafter. Ameen ya Rab! May Allah protect us and our loved ones from such calamities. Should anything befall our brothers and sisters, may it serve as a reminder and a way for guidance. May Allah forgive us all, ameen. This is a Dua by Mishary Rashid Al-Efasy for the people in Gaza.
Allah is sufficient for us. He is the best disposer of affairs Oh magnificent, oh honored one Save the Muslims of Gaza Oh Allah!!! Oh Allah, be for them a guardian and helper Our Lord, strong are those who are near to you Glorious is your praise And sanctified are your names ... Oh Allah free the Muslims of Gaza Oh magnificent, oh honored one Oh Allah make loose their chains Heal their sickness And uncover their torture Oh Allah replace their fear with safety Oh magnificent, oh honored one Oh Allah strengthen Islam and the muslimeen ... And protect the territories of Islam And unite the word of the Muslims in truth, oh lord of the worlds Oh Allah saves the weak and powerless of the muslimeen everywhere Oh Allah improve the situation of the muslimeen in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and everywhere Oh Allah bring together their hearts Guide them on the paths of pace And lead them from darkness into light, Oh magnificent, oh honored one Al-Fadl ibn Sahl said:
There is a blessing in calamity that the wise man should not ignore, for it erases sins, gives one the opportunity to attain the reward for patience, dispels negligence, reminds one of blessings at the time of health, calls one to repent and encourages one to give charity. Laylatul Qadr - Top Tips "The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. ..." [Qur'an - 97:3] Among the month of Ramadan is a very, very special night - Laylatul Qadr. It is this very night that was sought after by our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and those that came after him due to its countless blessings. Many scholars are of the opinion that it lies within the last 10 nights of Ramadan, and in particular, during the odd nights. Not only is worshiping on this night equivalent to 1000 months of worship, but should one stand in worship while catching Laylatul-Qadr then there is much to be forgiven! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends this night in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward will be forgiven his previous sins.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1901; Muslim, 760 It is important therefore, that we exert ourselves in worship for than we have before, make lots of Du'a, recite lots of Qur'an and perform more good deeds. So what can you do during Laylatul-Qadr, and most importantly, how can you catch it? Here are some top tips: What not to do
If you perform the following example acts of worshipevery night during the last 10 nights, you're more likely to catch Laylatul-Qadr and the rewards will be as if you performed them for 1000 months! Wow!
Have high hopes, for Allah's SWT Mercy and Bounties have no limit! Keep the Ramadan Legacy team in your du'as! May Allah reward the team, ameen! Please share!
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