Some things to think about.....

"Take advantage of five before five: You're youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you become occupied, and your life before your death."

My comment: We dont't realise what we have until we lose it. For example youth is a key time in our lives to prepare for the aakhirah. A youth who stands firm on the path shown to us by our beloved Nabi (S.A.W) is readying his/her abode in Jannah. A key question on the Day of Reckoning will be, "I gave you youth, what did you do with it?" Think brothers & sisters, what will we say? Will we say that we spent our time watching movies, listening to music, partaking in other haraam activities? Is that what Allah Azza Wa Jal wants to hear? How are we going to face our creator? Or will be the ones who will answer the following: "I spent my time in your ibaadah, bowing down to you in rukooh & sujood, raising my hands in supplication to you, inviting people towards your deen...."

We can see the importance of utlising our time correctly and wisely. We will not keep our youth forever. One day we will grow old or indeed we may not live to see our old age. What then? We must not have the attitude of some, "I'll grow a beard when I am older, start prayin namaaz when I am older, wear hijaab when I am older, become religious when I am older. " We have to do all these things NOW before it is too late.

May Allah (SWT) grant us all the taufeeq to utilise what he has given us to the fullest benefit and gain his pleasure in doing so. Ameen!!!

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"The sin that makes you sad and repentent is more liked by Allah than the good deed which turns you arrogant."Death is the true beginning of life and the end of this passing realm"

My Comment: Ikhlaas-e-Niyaah is just one quality of a true momeen, in that he/she does good deeds solely for the pleasure for Allah Almighty. It is thus very important to check your intention at three different stages when carrying out a good deed.

(1) At the beginning - If your intention is not to please Allah SWT, then correct it.

(2) During the Deed - Check if your intention is still correct. If not then correct it.

(3) At the end - Check one final time if your intention was solely for the pleasure of creator. If not then again you can correct it.

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'The shortest distance between a problem and its solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to Allah can stand up to anything."

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Whatever good I have written is from Allah and whatever bad is from shaitaan. May Allah Azza Wa Jal accept what I have written and put barkaat in it. Ameen!!!

Shukr - Thankfulness

We should be ever grateful and thankful to ALLAH (swt) for everything that we possess including our wealth,health, status, intellectual abilities and life. We should understand and recognise that our very existence and continuing sustenance are dependant on ALLAH (swt). Whatever praise is due , therfore is due to Him alone, for nobody has the power or the resources to give us anything except by his will. His bounties and blessings are countless.

ALLAH(swt) says:

Is, then, He who creates comparable to any that cannot create? Will you not, then, take heed? For should you try to count Allah's blessings, you could never compute them. Allah is, indeed, All forgiving , All compassionate; and Allah knows all that you keep secret as well as all that you bring into the open. {an-Nahl 16:17-19}

Its for this reason that Allah commanded prophet Ibrahim to say:

It is He who has created me; it is He who gives me to eat and drink, and whenever I am sick it is He who heals me; and it is He who makes me die and then will bring me to life. And upon Him, I pin my hope that He would forgive my sins on the Day of Judgement. {ash-shuara 26:77-82}

Whilst reading the book Spiritual discourses I read that we should grow in four habits.

Gratitude for what we have been given
Express gratitude for that which is in conformity with you nature, like a pleasent breeze, on seeing your family safe and healthy, when sitting for a meal, on seeing a child play say:

Alhamdulillahi allahumma lakalhamdu wa laka shukr
Say it all the time everyday.


Show patience when it is unpleasent
When something happens that you do not like, be patient. For instance, when the light goes off, or when its very hot, when you facing hardship, say:

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun
Remember this all the time.


Istighfar on past sins
When you remeber a sin you had committed in the past, ask for ALLAH (swt) to forgive you.
For example a sin you committed yesterday, or you didn't pray your fajr salah (I would have poured a bucket of water over your head!), or you told a lie, say:

Astaghfirullah rabbi min kulli thanbin wa atubu ilayhi.

We should realise that ALLAH (swt) has blessed us with loads. Even though what we may have may seem little compared to others, make it a habit to compare what you have in this dunya to people who do not have as much as you. You will surely realise and see His blessings.

For example those living in this country should thank ALLAH (swt) for never having made us even experience or see such devastation. In my 21 years I've never seen any natural disaster that has threatened my home, family or livelihood. I can't even begin to explain the countless number of blessings that we have been given...

I pray that ALLAH (swt) has mercy on us and protects us from such clamities, so that we may never witness something so disastrous. May he have mercy on all those muslims who have experienced such calamities. May he bless them with even more than what they had before, and may he give them happiness and success. May He ALLAH (swt) make us thankful towards everything that he has blessed us with and everything he will bless us with, may he plant shukr in our hearts the way a seed is planted in soil, for verily this will take us a step closer to our creator. Ameen.
Wassalam.

Source: http://www.mujahidah-an-nafs.blogspot.com/