Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Whenever we direct our hearts towards our Lord Almighty we are immersed in inner peace, and when we turn away from Him we are stranded at the bottom of a deep and dark well seething with snakes, scorpions and spiders.
Grandsheikh (Dagestani) told me of a man who always felt aggravated by his surroundings who always felt as if people were disturbing his peace of mind. One day he got so fed up with the society of men that he decided to leave it behind and become a cave dwelling hermit. So he settled all of his affairs and retired to a remote mountainside. After searching for many days he finally found a cave suitable for his purposes, and occupied it, saying: "There is no one here and no one knows where I am. I am finally in peace."
Just as he was saying this to himself, someone passed in the valley below, looked up at the mountainside and noticed a very beautiful rock just near that cave. "I must have a piece of that colourful rock", he said to himself, began climbing the mountain and started chiseling away at the rock, tak! tak! tak!
At this the man in the cave became really exasperated and said: "Oh my Lord, I try to escape from people and You send me this! There are so many mountains, why did you have to send him to this one?
No one can escape discomfort in this life, as the Holy Prophet said, "There is no rest in this world." You may live in a city or a village, even on the side of a mountain - but all you will discover is that this life is made of unrest. We have been ordered to be patient in the face of this situation, for, "He who is patient ultimately succeeds". Allah sends us trails and burdens in accordance with our capacities, but every single person must carry some burden through this life. We will be asked to carry burdens in accordance with our faith-power. In our times believers will be loaded to their absolute capacities, as spiritually blind people have made sure to make the lives of believers as difficult as possible.
-Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Haqqani
(taken from Mercy Oceans : Lovestreams)
seajpj
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
“What can my enemies do to me? My paradise is in my heart, it goes with me wherever I go. To put me in prison is to allow me to have a private devotion to Allah. To execute me is to give me martyrdom. And to kick me out of my land is for me to journey in the path of Allah.” ~ Ibn Taymiyyah
ghrt
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Jalal-Uddin Rumi
(1207-1273) Turkish Sufi Mystic Poet
Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.
Friends are enemies sometimes, and enemies friends.
I was a tiny bug. Now a mountain. I was left behind. Now honored at the head. You healed my wounded hunger and anger, and made me a poet who sings about joy.
If your guidance is your ego, don't rely on luck for help. you sleep during the day and the nights are short. By the time you wake up your life may be over.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
Let the lover be disgraceful, crazy, absent-minded. Someone sober will worry about events going badly. Let the lover be.
Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.
Most people guard against going into the fire, and so end up in it.
My friend, the sufi is the friend of the present moment. To say tomorrow is not our way.
Nightingales are put in cages because their songs give pleasure. Whoever heard of keeping a crow?
No longer a stranger, you listen all day to these crazy love-words. Like a bee you fill hundreds of homes with honey, though yours is a long flight from here.
No mirror ever became iron again; No bread ever became wheat; No ripened grape ever became sour fruit. Mature yourself and be secure from a change for the worse. Become the light.
Only from the heart Can you touch the sky.
Patience is the key to joy.
People of the world don't look at themselves, and so they blame one another.
Since in order to speak, one must first listen, learn to speak by listening.
That which is false troubles the heart, but truth brings joyous tranquility.
The intelligent want self-control; children want candy.
The middle path is the way to wisdom.
The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart.
Thirst drove me down to the water where I drank the moon's reflection.
To praise is to praise how one surrenders to the emptiness.
We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust.
We rarely hear the inward music, but we're all dancing to it nevertheless.
You think the shadow is the substance.
dil
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Heaven (1)
Knock, And He'll open the door Vanish, And He'll make you shine like the sun. Fall, And He'll raise you to the heavens. Become nothing, And He'll turn you into everything.
bimi
Monday, July 17, 2006
This Ummah is like a Tasbih
A Tasbih is used to keep count of dhikr. It is usually made up of 100 beads which are held together in a necklace form by a thread. As long as the tasbih remains in its original form, it can be used for doing good deeds. However, what happens if the thread rips? The beads fall all over the place and create a mess. Similar is the example of this ummah. As long as the Muslims remain united together, good results will come out of them. However, as soon as they are divided, they will create a big mess, which is clearly visible in these days.
wfal
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Quraan.
His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa, I try to read the Quraan just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Quraan do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house.
The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Quraan. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives."
Jazakallahukhairankathira....
A Special thanks to my friend who sent me this great story.
bismi
Thursday, July 06, 2006
5 Guidelines if you want to disobey Allah (SWT)
Disobedience
Ibrahim ibn Adham:
A man came to Ibrahim ibn Adham, may Allah be pleased with him, and said, "Abu Ishaq, I am unable to control myself. Please give me something to help me with it." "If you accept five conditions," said Ibrahim, "and are able to put them into practice, your disobedience will not cause you any problem."
"Just tell me what they are, Abu Ishaq!" the man said. "The first is that when you want to disobey Allah you do not eat anything He provides." "Then how will I get anything to eat? Everything on the earth is from Him!"
"So is it right to eat His provision and disobey Him at the same time?" replied Ibrahim. "No, it is not. What is the second condition?" "When you want to disobey him, move off His land." "That is even more difficult! Exclaimed the man. "In that case where will I live?" "Is it right to eat his provision and live on His land and then to disobey Him?" asked Ibrahim. "No, it is not."
"What is the third condition?" "When you want to disobey Him in spite of eating His provision and living on His land, find a place where He will not see you and disobey Him there." "What do you mean, Ibrahim? He knows everything that happens even in the most hidden places!" "So is it right to disobey Him when you eat His provision and live on His land and when you know that He can see everything you do?" "It certainly is not!" the man replied.
"Tell me the fourth condition." "That when the Angel of Death arrives to take your soul, you say to him, 'Give me a reprieve so that I can repent and act righteously for Allah.'" "But he won't listen to me!" "Then if you cannot ward off death long enough to give yourself time to repent, and you know that when it comes there will be no reprieve, how can you hope to be saved?"
"What is the fifth?" "That when the angels of the Fire come to you to take you to the Fire, you do not go with them." "They will take me whether I like it or not!" exclaimed the man. "So how can you hope to be saved?"
"Enough, enough, Ibrahim! I ask Allah's forgiveness and I turn to Him!" The man's repentance was sincere and from that time on he was assiduous in his worship and avoided acts of disobedience until the day he died.
"O you who believe! If you obey those who disbelieve, they will send you back on your heels, and you will turn back (from faith) as losers." (Aal-'Imraan 3:149).
caligdome
Thursday, July 06, 2006
The Frogs
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit.
The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs asked him, "Why did you continue jumping. Didn't you hear us?"
The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
This story holds two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.
The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.
Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage
rosey1
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Be with those who help your being.
Don't sit with indifferent people, whose breath
comes cold out of their mouths.
Not these visible forms, your work is deeper.
A chunk of dirt thrown in the air breaks to pieces.
If you don't try to fly,
and so break yourself apart,
you will be broken open by death,
when it's too late for all you could become.
Leaves get yellow. The tree puts out fresh roots
and makes them green.
Why are you so content with a love that turns you yellow?
allahrim
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Visit the sick, and you will heal yourself.
The ill person may be a Sufi master,
And your kindness will be repaid in wisdom.
Even if the sick person is your enemy,
You will still benefit,
For kindness has the power to transform
Sworn enemies into firm friends.
And if there is no healing of bad feeling,
There certainly will be less ill will,
Because kindness is the greatest of all balms.
rotatinalengi
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