Verses of the Week
10. It is He who sends down rain from the sky: from it ye drink, and out of it (grows) the vegetation on which ye feed your cattle.
11. With it He produces for you corn, olives, date-palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: verily in this is a sign for those who give thought.
12. He has made subject to you the Night and the Day; the sun and the moon; and the stars are in subjection by His Command: verily in this are Signs for men who are wise.
13. And the things on this earth which He has multiplied in varying colours (and qualities): verily in this is a sign for men who celebrate the praises of Allah (in gratitude).
14. It is He Who has made the sea subject, that ye may eat thereof flesh that is fresh and tender, and that ye may extract therefrom ornaments to wear; and thou seest the ships therein that plough the waves, that ye may seek (thus) of the bounty of Allah and that ye may be grateful.
15. And He has set up on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you; and rivers and roads; that ye may guide yourselves;
16. And marks and sign-posts; and by the stars (men) guide themselves.
17. Is then He Who creates like one that creates not? Will ye not receive admonition?
18. If ye would count up the favors of Allah, never would ye be able to number them: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
19. And Allah doth know what ye conceal, and what ye reveal.
20. Those whom they invoke besides Allah create nothing and are themselves created.
21. (They are things) dead, lifeless: nor do they know when they will be raised up.
22. Your Allah is one Allah. as to those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts refuse to know, and they are arrogant.
23. Undoubtedly Allah doth know what they conceal, and what they reveal: verily He loveth not the arrogant.
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ مِنْ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً لَكُمْ مِنْهُ شَرَابٌ وَمِنْهُ شَجَرٌ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَ
يُنْبِتُ لَكُمْ بِهِ الزَّرْعَ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالنَّخِيلَ وَالأَعْنَابَ وَمِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمْ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومُ مُسَخَّرَاتٌ بِأَمْرِهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآياتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
وَمَا ذَرَأَ لَكُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ مُخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهُ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
وَهُوَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ الْبَحْرَ لِتَأْكُلُوا مِنْهُ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُوا مِنْهُ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ مَوَاخِرَ فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
وَأَلْقَى فِي الأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَأَنْهَارًا وَسُبُلاً لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
وَعَلاَمَاتٍ وَبِالنَّجْمِ هُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ
أَفَمَنْ يَخْلُقُ كَمَنْ لاَ يَخْلُقُ أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ
وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لاَ تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ
وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لاَ يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ
أَمْوَاتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاءٍ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ
إِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بالآخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ مُنكِرَةٌ وَهُمْ مُسْتَكْبِرُونَ
لاَ جَرَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ[16:10-23]
Hadiths of the Week99 Perfect Names and Attributes of Allah
(Asma-o Allah al-Husna)
"His are the best (or most beautiful) names."
(17:110; 20:8; and 7:180)
p.s. It is not possible to perfectly translate the names and attributes of Allah subhanahu wataala from their original Arabic into English. However, I am trying to provide you with many different but fairly close explanations.
Name of the Week
Al-Shakour الشكور
The Most Appreciating
The Most appreciating is He Who endows abundantly and lavishly even if deeds are minute, and rewards the simple duties; Allah endues people with high degrees and bestows unlimited bliss for the limited deeds.
Allah guides people to take heed and to be grateful to Him; in the Qur'an He praises his thankful worshipers, He says, "..how excellent in Our service ever did he turn to Us!" (38:30).
Appreciation could be by praise and could also be by giving something as a reward; when praise is bestowed from someone of dignity, then his praise has its great value; the more the reward the greater the giver. Since Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, rewards the human being lavishly with much greater rewards than his good deeds, then no one can ever imagine a more gracious reward.
How to Show Gratitude
Always, start and end with the name of Allah
The Messenger of Allah salallahu alaihi wasallam said, "Do not drink in one gulp like a camel, but in two or three [Gulps]. Mention the Name of Allah when you start drinking and praise Him after you have finished Drinking.'' [tirmidhi]
The Messenger of Allah salallahu alaihi wasallam said, "Allah is pleased with His slave who says: `Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)' when he takes a morsel of food and drinks a draught of water.''
[Muslim]
Praying at night
Ayesha reported: "The Prophet used to offer prayers at night (for such a long time) that his feet used to crack. I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Why do you do it since Allah has forgiven you your faults of the past and those to follow?' He said, 'Shouldn't I love to be a grateful servant?'" (Bukhari)
Joke of the week
A young boy came home from school burning mad.
"I'm not going back to school tomorrow!" he declared, in no uncertain terms.
"What do you mean you're not going back to school tomorrow?" asked his mother.
"Well, here's how it is. On Monday, the teacher told me that four and four make eight. On Tuesday, she told me the five and three make eight. On Wednesday, she told me that six and two make eight. And today, she told me that seven and one make eight."
"And?" prompted his bewildered mother.
"And I'm not going back until she makes up her mind!"
Story of the Week
There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving fiance. He was always there for her. She told her fiance, "If I could only see the world, I will marry you."
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her fiance.
He asked her, "Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?" The girl looked at her fiance and saw that he was blind too. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life, led her to break off the engagement and refuse to marry him.
Her fiance left in tears. Days later wrote a note to her saying, "Take good care of your eyes my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine."
This is how the human brain often works. When our status changes, only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situation.
Life Is a Gift from Allah subhanahu wa taala so keep some positive thoughts in your mind.
Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.
Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who left this life too early.
Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone who walks the same distance on their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and Alhamdulillah!
Wisdom of the Week"So know that the world - and whatever is above it and below in the water - will not be corrected except when the actions of its people are all for Allah. The actions of the body follow on from the actions and intentions of the heart. So when the actions and intentions of the heart are purely for Allah alone, then it is corrected, and likewise the actions of the body will also be correct. However, if the actions and intentions of the heart are for other than Allah, then it is corrupted, and likewise the actions of the body will be corrupted in proportion to how much the heart is corrupted.
Hearts will not be corrected until the knowledge and realization of Allah - being in awe of His greatness, loving Him, fearing Him, hoping in Him, relying and trusting in Him - is not firmly implanted in them. This is the reality of Tawheed and the meaning of the saying: laa ilaaha illallaah (that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah). Thus, hearts will not be corrected until Allah is made the ilaah (deity) to be known, to be loved, feared and hoped in, and that He - along with this - becomes the only ilaah (deity) worthy of this, without associating any partner to Him in this.
Indeed, we may begin to appreciate the greatness of Allah - the Most High - and being in awe of Him, by considering some narrations regarding what He - the Most High - has created.
He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "The seven Heavens compared to the Kursee is like a ring in which is thrown into a desert. And such is the magnitude of the Arsh (the Throne of Allah) compared with the Kursee."So, the need of the servants for this (type of) knowledge is greater than every other need; and it is the most necessary of all things for him, since there is no life for the hearts, nor any delight, nor any tranquility, except through knowing their Lord, the only One Who deserves to be worshiped, their Creator - with His Names, His Attributes and His Actions, and that He - along with all that - is more beloved to the person than anything else. So man's striving is with regards to everything that will draw him nearer to Allah, to the exclusion of the creation. So the people who know Allah the best, are the ones who best follow the way to Him; and know best what lies at the end of the way."
~By ibn Rajab
Sunnah of the Week
show gratitude as soon as you receive good news
When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to receive good news, he would prostrate himself and give thanks to Allah.
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf (radee Allahu 'anhu) narrated: "The Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) entered upon us in the mosque, stood facing the qiblah, then prostrated himself and remained in sujud for a long time. I said to him, "O Messenger of Allah, you prostrated yourself for such a long time that we thought Allah had taken your soul." He said "Jibril came to me with good news. He told me: "Allah says, whoever sends blessings on you, I will send sixty blessings on him in return and whoever salutes you, I will salute him in return", so I prostrated myself and gave thanks to Allah."
Allah loves to see the effect of his bounties on his slaves
The Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam said: "Eat, drink and give out in charity without arrogance or exaggeration, because Allah loves to see the effect of His Bounties on His slave." Therefore, the limit when expressing and showing the effect of the favours from Allah on oneself is to neither be boastful and proud, nor to exaggerate.
Website of the Week
http://seekersguidance.org/Videos of the Week
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1sU7fMfEtQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJqe2wn2Za8
Quotes of the Week
"To attain gratitude, we should not look at those who have been blessed more than us, but those who have been blessed less, and they are so many. Those who fail to do this are always complaining about their difficulties and problems, and are never blessed with satisfaction or contentment. Even when their lot improves, they do not experience true contentment. This is because it is impossible for one to be in a state that is in all respects better than that of everyone else."
~~~Amin Ahsan Islahi
"When a man faces affliction, he may pray to Allah and Allah may deliver him from adversity. Then Shaytan comes to the man and whispers, "It was not as bad as you thought." Thus the man's gratitude will be weakened."
~~~Bakr ibn Abdullah al-Muzani
The religion consists of two halves; one half is represented by gratitude and the other half is by perseverance.
~~~ibn al-qayyim
"The right of Allah over the man who is enjoying His blessings is that such a man should not use His blessings in order to commit wrong actions." A man of knowledge said: "The blessing of Allah to us is in keeping the luxuries which he has given us, because Allah did not like His Prophet to have the luxuries of this world. So I prefer to live in a manner which Allah preferred for His Prophet than to live a life which He disliked for him."
~~~Zazan
"The scholar should praise Allah for having deprived him of the luxuries of this life, in the same way that he should praise Him for what He has bestowed upon him. How can you compare the blessings and luxuries for which he will be accountable to the deprivation of luxuries which is a relief from being tested and which keeps his mind free to worship and remember Allah? So he should give thanks to Allah for all of that."
~~~Ibn Abi'd-Dunya
"A worshiper worshiped Allah for fifty years, so Allah told him that He had forgiven him. The man said, "O Allah, what is there to forgive when I have not committed a wrong action?" So Allah caused a nerve in his neck to give him pain, so he could not sleep or pray. When the pain eased and he was able to sleep, an angel came to him, so he complained to the angel of the pain he had suffered. The angel told him, "Your Lord says to you that your fifty years of worship is to pay for the soothing of your pain."
A man said to Abu Hazim: "What is the gratitude of the eyes?" He said "If you see good things, you speak about them, and if you see bad things, you keep quiet about it." He asked "What is the gratitude of the ears?" He said, "If you hear something good, you accept it, and if you hear something bad, you reject it." Then he asked "What is the gratitude of the hands?" He said, "Do not take that which does not belong to you and do not hold back from paying the dues of Allah (zakat)." Then he asked, "What is the gratitude of the head?" He said "To have knowledge in it." Then he asked "What is the gratitude of one's private parts?" He quoted: "Who guard their private parts, except from those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess - for (in their case) they are free from blame, but those whose desires exceed those limits are transgressors." (23:5-7)
"As for those who only pay lip service to gratitude, and do not give thanks with the rest of their faculties, are concerned, they are like a man who has a garment, and all he does with it is touch it, but he does not put it on: it will never protect him from heat, cold, snow or rain."
"He does not understand religion properly who does not count affliction as a blessing and ease as a disaster."
~~~Sufyan
Dua'a of the Weekاللّهُمَ اِنِّى اَسْئَلُكَ عَلْمًا نَّافِعًا وَّ رِرْقًا وَّاسِعًا وَ شِفَآءً مَّنْ كُلِّ دّاءٍ
اللهم أنت ربي لا إله إلا أنت خلقتني وأنا أمتك وأنا على عهدك ووعدك ما استطعت أعوذ بك من شر ما صنعت أبوء لك بنعمتك علي وأبوء لك بذنبي فاغفر لي فإنه لا يغفر الذنوب إلا أنت
O Allah, I ask You to grant me beneficial knowledge, halal pure sustenance, and cure from all diseases.
O Allah! You are my Rubb. There is no true God except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I hold to Your Covenant as far as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge the favors that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none but You has the power to pardon.
Picture of the Week
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Please pray for the person who took time to put this together
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Love Allah. Live Islam. #33 Showing Gratitude
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