Momin's Contentment

Aslamu Alikum Rahmatulahi Wabarakatu~

[momins-contentment]

Lying to Yourself

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Mankind will not perish till they make excuses for their conduct to themselves.” [Mishkat]

The worst kind of deception is self deception. There is very little hope for a person’s success in any sphere of his or her life, in relationships, in religion or in their careers, till they view themselves and their shortcomings realistically. Only then can they improve themselves. So stop blaming, complaining and procrastination. Successful people take full responsibility for their lives.

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Paying Zakah Protects Wealth

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Zakah never mixes with a property but that it destroys it.” [Bukhari]

When we do not pay the Zakah due on our wealth and property in a timely manner and it remains with us, then it begins to destroy our property.

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Lock Your Doors

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Lock your doors and mention the name of Allah, for the Shaytaan cannot open a locked door. Seal your waterskins and mention the name of Allah. Cover your vessels and mention the name of Allah, even if you just lay something across the top of it. And extinguish your lamps.” [Muslim]

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) has commanded us to protect our wealth from the Shaytaan by locking doors, covering open food and drink containers, and mentioning the name of Allah, for this will help protect us from the Shaytaan.

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Going Out Unnecessarily

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Allah remains displeased with a woman who emerges from her home wearing perfume and gives men the opportunity to look at her, until she returns home.” [Tabrani]

May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) give us the opportunity to behave like believing women. If we need to go out of our houses, we should dress plainly and not use perfume, heels, or jingly ornaments that will attract attention towards us. 

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says: “And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance.” [Quran: Surah Ahzab, Ayat 33] This Commandment states that the best way for women to observe Hijab is to stay in their homes and not to come out without a valid necessity. Observing Hijab in this manner is known as Hijab Bil Buyoot (observing Hijab by way of staying home).

Since Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) wants women to emerge from their homes as little as possible, He (subhana wa ta’ala) has kept all the reward for us in it. All the levels of Paradise are for us, but they are earned through obedience to Allah’s commands and without the same requirements that are placed on men.

Thus, the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Jihad, Friday prayer, and going to the cemetery for burials are not required of women.” [Tabrani]

When these highly rewarded deeds are not things that women are encouraged to participate in, then how much time should we be spending shopping, in the place most hated to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) - the market/bazaar/malls?

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Types of People Anger Wise

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Some are swift to anger and swift to cool down, the one characteristic making up for the other; some are slow to anger and slow to cool down, the one characteristic making up for the other; but the best of you are those who are slow to anger and swift to cool down, and the worst of you are those who are swift to anger and slow to cool down." [Tirmidhi]

In other words, the best people are those who spend the shortest time being angry, and the worst people are those who spend the longest time in a state of anger.

A point to realize and remember is that a short tempered person thinks very highly of himself for hidden within anger is the trait of pride. 

When striking out in anger a person has the inferiority of the opposite party embedded in his heart and attempts by his anger to prove his own superiority. 

When you succumb to anger, study your face, and if you can record your voice, the inflections therein. You will realize that it is very much like Shaytaan’s.

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The Prize for Self Control

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “One who desires that lofty mansions be constructed for him in Jannah and that he be granted high levels in Jannah should forgive those who deal unjustly with him, he should give to those who deprive him and he should establish ties with those who sever them.” [Rooh ul Ma’aani]

We are wounded by words, attitudes and behaviour all the time. But aren’t the high, beautiful, strongly built mansions of Jannah worth suppressing our negative feelings for? 

But how many times do we retort and how many times do we swallow our anger, forgive the person who deals unjustly with us, give to him who exclude us, and keep taking steps to enhance relationships with those who cut off from us?

Sometimes we don’t even forgive the people nearest and dearest to us such as our children, our spouses, our parents, our aunts and uncles. With every sunset ask yourself who did you forgive today and who were you exceptionally nice to despite their angering you?

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Treasures of Life for Who Don’t Want Them

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever is preoccupied with the next life, Allah will place his wealth within his heart, and gather his people around him, so that life will come and offer itself to him.” [Tirmidhi; Kitab az-Zuhud]

The special blessings of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) descend on the person who lives in a state of preparedness for the next life to begin. This person’s first thought is always about Allah, “What will Allah think of my doing this? Will he like it?” So he preoccupies himself with doing the actions Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has described as beneficial.

Since this person is working for Allah, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) Himself sees to it that his worldly needs are taken care of.

Allah saves this person from worrying about wealth and as a result he feels content with his blessings.

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) sees to it that the people important to him love him and are in sync with him.

Life itself throw its treasures at his feet, but this friend of Allah’s cares nothing for them, for it is less than a shadow of the real thing which is the next life.

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How to be Grateful

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) once told Muadh (radi Allahu anhu): “By Allah, you are dear to me! So do not forget to say at the end of each prayer, ‘O Allah, help me in remembering You, in being grateful to You and in serving You well.’” [Ahmad; al-Musnad] Gratitude is thanking the One who grants blessings for His generosity. The gratitude of a servant should have three qualities, without which it can hardly be considered to be gratitude. They are the inner recognition and appreciation of the blessing, speaking about it openly, and using it as a means to worshipping Him. Gratitude is a matter for the heart, the tongue and the limbs. The heart is for knowledge and love of Him; the tongue is for thanking and praising Him; and the limbs are to be used in obeying the One Who is being thanked, and in holding back from committing disobedient acts. Abu Hazim said: “As for the one who uses only his tongue to express his gratitude, he is like a man who only covers himself with the hem of his garment without putting it on, so it is of no use to him in either the heat, or the cold, or the snow, or the rain.” We have to remember Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) in our hearts, be grateful to Him with our tongues, and serve Him with all our faculties.

[muslimnotepad]

[momins-contentment]

The Not So Rich Millionaire

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Richness does not lie in the abundance of (worldly) goods, but richness is the richness of the soul (heart, self).” [Muslim]

There are millionaires who are obsessed with making more money, always worried that their wealth is not going to be enough for them. Their insecurity does not let them enjoy what they are blessed with. Such a person despite having riches cannot be called a rich person. For what good is wealth that does not allow its possessor to feel rich, secure or happy? True wealth is the wealth of contentment. This is a gift from Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) and it lives as contentment in the heart of a person.

[mufti-ismail-menk]

Everyone wants to succeed in life but only a few will be truly happy for your success. The truth is, people will generally only support your goals and dreams until you make it & end up doing more than them. Sadly, they want to see you do good, but never better than them!

Mufti Ismail Menk

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EID MUBARAK ❤

May Allah accept from us and

forgive our sins.

⠀ May Allah bring peace to the

the Muslim Ummah!

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While Waiting In Line

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The nearest to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who invoke blessings on me frequently.” [Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Witr]

The closer we are to the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) on the Day of Resurrection the greater can be our expectation of happiness and reward. 

In fact, while you are driving, or cooking, or waiting in line, make extra use of your time and increase your nearness to the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) by sending Durood on him (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam).

While you are sitting with nothing to do, send blessings to the Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) by reciting the Durood that you do towards the conclusion of the prayers, right before the Tasleem. 

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Confused By Prosperity

Once when Umar (radi Allahu anhu) was in the house of Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) he looked around and saw nothing of importance except three hides. He narrated, “So I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Invoke Allah to make your followers rich, for the Persians and the Romans have been made prosperous and they have been given (the pleasures of the world), although they do not worship Allah.' Thereupon the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) sat up, as he had been reclining, and said, 'Are you of such an opinion, O son of Al-Khattab? These are the people who have received the rewards for their good deeds in this world.' I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Ask Allah to forgive me.'” [Sahih Bukhari]

Unfortunately, many Muslims today get similarly confused by the prosperity that they see non-Muslims in. They say that it is the non-Muslims who must be the beloved of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) as they have been bestowed with His favours. It is implied that the non-Muslims should now be our role models. Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) states in this hadith, as does Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) in the Quran, that whatever qualities the non-Muslims have, they will be recompensed for them in this world, since they have no share in the Hereafter. On the other hand, the main reward of the Muslims is saved for the Hereafter.

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) says that if this world had any importance in His eyes, He would not have given the disbelievers even a mouthful of water to drink! What they are getting in this life is in no ways any kind of reward. Reward and punishment is for the next, never-ending life. This life is the examination hall. If a teacher has been teaching her students all year that 2+2=4 and she notices some students writing 2+2=6, she will not correct them during the exam. It is when they get their reports that they will be rewarded or face the consequences for their lack of effort. During the examination she will not be rewarding or punishing those who are excelling or those who are failing. 

Furthermore, the prosperity of Muslim societies in this worldly life will never happen, by their only having the qualities of the Kuffar. No matter how hardworking, honest, scientifically advanced, or punctual Muslims become, their socieites will not prosper if eeman and the implementation of Islam/Shariah are missing. This is because Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) holds Muslims to a higher standard. A student of Masters level and a PhD student may both be taking the same Chemistry course, but for the Masters student the 'A' may be given at 80% while for the PhD student, obtaining 90% or above will get him/her the same grade. In the same way, since Muslims have guidance with them, they are held to a higher standard.

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Zikr is to Us Like Water is to Fish The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The difference between the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the difference between the living and the dead.” [Bukhari] Ibn Taimiyya wrote: “Remembrance of Allah is to the heart what water is to fish. What happens to a fish when it is taken out of water?” Makhul said: “Remembrance of Allah is (a sign of) health, while remembrance of people is like a disease.”

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Unnecessary Talking

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The faith of a servant (of Allah) is not put right until his heart is put right, and his heart is not put right until his tongue is put right.” [Al-Mundhari]

This hadith shows that the purification of faith is conditional upon the purification of the heart, and the purification of the heart is conditional upon the purification of the tongue.

Umar ibn al-Khattab (radi Allahu anhu) visited Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) and found him pulling his tongue with his fingers. Umar (radi Allahu anhu) said, “Stop! May Allah forgive you!” Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) replied, “This tongue has brought me to dangerous places.” [Abu Ya’la]

[the-movemnt-deactivated20170912]

From terrorist to cabbie to … terrorist, these are the stereotypical roles Hollywood creates for Muslims.