About the Life of This World - Abdul Malik Al-Qasim

Excerpted from "The Life of This World Is a Transient Shade"

Sufyan ath-Thawri said: "Man's love for the life of this world is shown in the way he greets people."
[Look at a chaste poor man ... nobody talks to him. People greet him so warily as if fearing that he may pass poverty to them. But see how the people welcome a rich man, even if he does not perform prayer. They stand up with smiling faces, and each one hopes to greet him first. Note the difference between a man who is so great as seen by Allah and another who does not even weigh a mosquito's wing - but this is life.]

Narrated Muhammad ibn Abi Imran, "I heard a man asking Hatim al-Asamm: 'On what have you based your dependence on Allah?' He said: 'On four points: I knew that my sustenance cannot be eaten by someone else and I am assured, I knew that my duty cannot be done by anyone else, so I kept myself busy with that. I knew that death will come suddenly to me, so I prepared myself for it. I knew that wherever I go I am under Allah's Eye, so I am always shy of Him.'"

`Abdullah ibn Mubarak said, "O man! Prepare yourself for the Hereafter, obey Allah to the extent of your need for Him and anger Him to the extent of your patience in Hell."

Abu Safwan ar-Ru`wini was asked: "What is that life dispraised by Allah in the Qur'an and that the sensible man should avoid?" He said: "Whatever you love in this life seeking worldly benefits is dispraised, and whatever you love seeking benefits in the Hereafter is praised."

Yahya ibn Mu`adh said, "O how poor is man, if he fears Hell in the same degree of his fearing poverty, then he will enter Paradise."

Ali ibn Al-Fudayl said: "I heard my father saying to Ibn Al-Mubarak: You order us to renounce the worldly pleasures and to be satisfied with the minimum, whereas you are buying goods, so what is that?" He said: "I do that to protect my face and my honour, and this helps me obey my Rabb." My father said: "How good is that if realised."

An ascetic said: "I know none who has heard of Paradise and Hell, then spends an hour of his life without praying, remembering Allah or doing a good deed." A man said: "I weep so much." He said to him: "To laugh and admit your sins is better than to weep and feel proud of your deeds." The man said: "I need your advice." He said: "Abandon the life of this world to its people as they have abandoned the Hereafter to its people."

Shumait ibn `Ajlan used to say: "Two persons are tormented in the life of this world: a rich man who is given a great wealth that keeps him so busy with worldly pleasures, and a poor man who is deprived of such pleasures for which he is longing with a heartbreak."

Al-Hasan said: "How good is life in this world for a believer because he uses it to prepare his provisions for Paradise. And how evil it is for a disbeliever who uses it to prepare his provisions for Hell."

Yahya ibn Mu`adh said: "The life of this world is a house of deeds and the Hereafter is a house of horrors. Man remains between deeds and horrors until he settles either in Paradise or in Hell."

One of the salaf said: "Beware of the life of this world because its magic is more effective than that of Harut and Marut. The two latter's separate a man from his wife whereas the life of this world separates a man from his Rabb."

Abu Dardaa' said: "Everyone has an imperfection of knowledge and wisdom, if his wealth increases, he becomes so happy though day and night are working hard on destroying his life-span. So what is good of a wealth that increases and a life-span that decreases."

Al-Hasan al-Basri said: "I am astonished about those people who are ordered to prepare their provisions, then the start of the journey is announced, however they remain unmindful in their vain discussions and fruitless deeds."

A man came to Sufyan ath-Thawree seeking his advice, and he said to the man: "Work for the sake of this life within the extent of your stay in it, and for the Hereafter within the extent of your stay therein."

Al-Fudayl ibn `Ayyad said: "Man's fear of Allah is equal to his knowledge of Him and his renunciation of worldly pleasures is equal to his desire in the Hereafter."

Salman ibn Dinar said: "What you love to have with you in the Hereafter you should advance today, and what you hate to have with you, you should abandon today."

A poet said: "Don't seek anything other than contentment, because therein is the bliss and the comfort of your body. Then consider the case of a person who possesses the whole world, can he take with him in the grave more than cotton and a shroud?"

Thanks For Your Time...

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh. Sorry Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important... Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture... Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said.

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most," Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful
gold pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most was... my time"

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.

"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away."

Think about this. You may not realize it, but it's true.

1. At least 2 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3 A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

4. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

5. You mean the world to someone.

6. If not for you, someone may not be living.

7. You are special and unique.

8. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you trust God to do what's best, and wait on His time, sooner or later, you will get it or something better.

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.

10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.

11. Someone that you don't even know exists, loves you.

12. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

13. Always tell someone how you fee l about them; you will feel much better when they know and you'll both be happy.

14. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

On The Topic Of Riyaa'

Information every Muslim should be aware of...

Since Riyaa’ (performing righteous deeds or acts of worship to show off) is a serious and debilitating disease that can lead the Muslim astray, it is therefore of great importance for him to be able to know what is real Riyaa’ and what is not. The following are some matters that are NOT:

1 — Being praised for the good works that one performs: The Messenger of Allah, Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, was once asked, "What about a man who does righteous deeds and then the people praise him for doing them?’ He replied, ‘This an immediate glad tidings delivered to the believer.’" [Muslim].

2 — Being active in performing acts of worship when seeing or when being in the company of righteous Muslims: Imam Al-Maqdisi said in his book, Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qasidin, "A person may be in the company of those who stand up in prayer most of the night, while he is used to praying for only an hour (for example), so he does what they do. They may also fast, and so he fasts along with them. If it was not for their presence, he would not have become this active. Some people may think that this is Riyaa’. Not at all, for there is room for explanation in this case. Every believer aims to worship Allah, but he sometimes faces hurdles or even forgetfulness.

But when he sees others busy in this regard, his own laziness disappears." He then said, "Such a person can test his intention by being alone in a place where he sees his company but they cannot see him. If he then generously continues busying himself with acts of worship, then it is for Allah’s Sake alone. Otherwise, his actions are indeed Riyaa’." When one is alone, his laziness with regards to performing acts of worship fits the description that the Prophet gave, when he said, "The wolf only eats the isolated (sheep or cattle)." Getting rid of this laziness is easily achieved by following and implementing the Prophet’s command, "Therefore, stay with the Jama’ah (the group or the congregation) ."

3 — Wearing fine and clean clothes and shoes: Imam Muslim reported that the Prophet Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam said, what translated means, "He who has even one atom of Kibr (arrogance) in his heart will not enter Paradise ." A man said, "But one likes that his dress is fine and that his slippers are also fine!" The Prophet said, "Allah is Beautiful and He likes beauty. Al-Kibr is rejecting the truth and belittling the people."

4 — Keeping sins a secret matter: This, in fact, is an obligation on all Muslims, for they are not allowed to announce the sins they have committed. The Prophet said, what translated means, "All my Nation is safe, except Al-Mujahirin (those who announce their sins). Among the acts of Mujaharah is that a man commits an evil act, then wakes up in the morning, and while Allah has kept this sin a secret, he boasts, ‘O Fulan (fellow)! Last night, I did this and that.’ He goes to sleep while Allah has kept his secret, but he wakes up in the morning and uncovers what Allah has kept secret!" [Al-Bukhari & Muslim].

Announcing the sins that one commits leads to many evils, such as encouraging others to follow suit and taking Allah’s prohibitions lightly. Those who think that keeping sins secret is a type of Riyaa’ have in reality fallen prey to the plots of Satan who has confused their religion for them.

5 — Acquiring fame without seeking it: Imam Al-Maqdisi said, "Seeking fame is not allowed for Muslims. However, there is no harm in unintentionally acquiring fame, by Allah’s Grace and without one actually seeking to be famous. Yet, fame is a Fitnah (test, trial, calamity) for those who are weak in their faith."


The Muslim Creed Magazine

Are You Sporting This Hand Sign?

Ever wondered about the hand sign so often held up during concerts or rallies or even simply when listening to a song, specifically heavy metal music. Come on, you know which one I'm talking about right? The one the teens are always putting up.

Most people are aware of the meaning behind it, but choose to ignore it. They say it don't matter what it means, it's just a hand sign! Some simply don't have a clue. Really?!

For one, it is a satanic hand sign. A satanic cult.

It represents the Goat of Mendes or Baphomet. The two outer fingers represent the horns and the two clenched fingers with the thumb represent the goat's head & beard.

Well, I'm no expert in this topic, all I can do is direct you to the following site to follow up on this bizarre "trend". Just click on the picture of the goat statue below:

The pathetic thing is... people don't even realize this thing is too widespread to even control it. The hand sign is everywhere, not only evident for adults, but also for children who grow up seeing this hand sign & imitating it.

Subhanallah!

Here are more famous people grinning from ear to ear with their beloved hand sign.



Oh & in case you were thinking oh, that's ok, I'm not surprised about it at all. Did you see the obvious below? If you click on the picture, it'll take you to a site that has a bigger collection of famous people sporting the hand sign.

Addressing The Muslim Youth

I just watched these 2 vids yesterday. Its worth sharing them as I feel the issues the brother talks about is important for today's muslim youth to reflect on.

Part 1

Part 2

Thumbprint Vs. Face

I was blog hopping & I came across this interesting post about a fatwa issued in Egypt recently on the issue of forcing niqabis to remove their niqab. You can read the post here.

(Sorry for those who cannot read in bahasa melayu.)

A summary of the main point is that there was a fatwa released in Egypt stating that nobody has any right whatsoever to request any sister to remove her niqab, no rights, absolutely nada, zero.

Wouldn't it be lovely if that was the case worldwide... well yeah I know that change won't be overnight but application of such a method would be a sister's right!

I have come across a few situations where I was "required" to remove my niqab for identification purposes. I know its important to verify someone's identification but isn't there a better way?

I toyed with the idea of having a thumbprint identification method instead of the usual way of showing your photograph & your face. Hmmm... not a bad idea after all since there is no two thumbprints that are the same! Even a set of twins' thumbprints can never be the same.

All they need is a machine that reads your thumbprint or fingerprint. Now isn't that much better than having to force a sister to remove her niqab. She doesn't want to, so don't force her!

Their passports or identification cards or even driving licences can have a special thumbprint mark with a chip inside that validates the owner's thumbprint.

Now wouldn't that be making a niqabi sister's life much easier.

Arrrghh!!

Sorry people... I didn't realise that for the past two days my blog was still "off".

(-_-) But I thought I had changed it back to "public" then! (-_-)

Anyways now its officially back "on"! So welcome to the new layout & stuff!

Afraid Of Laundry?

Are you afraid of doing laundry? Well you may be after reading this piece of news...

Mara Ranger will be a little paranoid doing laundry now. When she was removing clothes from the washing machine at her Maine farmhouse Wednesday, the clothes moved. She told WMTW-TV, "I jumped back" and saw a snake. She quickly shut the lid and called for help.

Maine Animal Damage Control operator Richard Burton reached into the machine and pulled and pulled -- all 8 feet of a reticulated python.

Burton guesses the snake got into Ranger's washing machine through water pipes. The snake's future home will be York Animal Kingdom in York.

Ranger is going to start looking into every corner of her washing machine. She says, "I'm going to be looking in the tub first -- before and after, maybe even during, the rinse cycle."

Eeeee... Yikes I would definitely have fainted if I were her :p

Money Is Everywhere If You Want To Attract It

Taken from my email... for those trying so hard to get money.

After a week of cleaning and tidying my house (sector by sector), I finally came up with 3 huge bags and a few boxes of recyclable garbage.

2 of the bags contained papers and another one filled with unwanted plastic containers. The purpose I separated them up is because I want to recycle them (obviously). It's our duty to protect the Earth.

To give the rubbish away to the truck that come to collect recyclable items for a couple bucks, I rather give it away to a workaholic old Indian man who often collects recyclable rubbish in our neighborhood to "make ends meet" with his "quite run down" bicycle.

The problem is, I did not know where he stays. So, I walked up to a security guard at the guard house near my house, give him my address and told him to ask the Indian man to my house to collect some recyclable rubbish (I wish it's appropriate to use the word "some" here)

To make the long story short, finally, he came to my house with his bicycle. He actually helped me to bring out all those rubbish out of my house and I'm grateful for that.

Since it is too much for him to carry them all by bicycle, I offered to help him to carry all those huge bags and boxes to his house by my car. (It's drizzling at that time)

He agreed and we moved the "rubbish" into my car. He showed me the way to his house and to my surprise ...

He stays in a double storey terrace house (corner lot), fully renovated, with an auto gate, a farm and surrounded by high walls.

Frankly, this is not the first or the first few times I see this kind of real life example. I have seen a lot of multimillionaires who only wear torn singlet, short pants and old slippers (almost
all of the time) but I was still inspired.

The point I want to bring out here is, there's no reason to be poor. Opportunities are everywhere. Money are everywhere if we really opens our eyes and see it.

When there's a will, there's a way.

This old man has a strong unshakable willpower. And that's what I really like about him. He begins his work early in the morning until late in the afternoon. A hot sunny day and rainy day don't seem to be able to stop him.

When I chatted with him in my car, I can sense the positive mindset within him. He didn't talk about the increase of the cost of living such as food and gas. Instead, we talk about real estate in our neighborhood. I really enjoy the time I spent with him. He's simply fantastic!

I hope this story will give you a new perspective.

Raymond Chua

When A Lizard Can, Why Can't We?

This is a true story that happened in Japan .

In order to renovate the house,

someone in Japan breaks open the wall.

Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls.

When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there

because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet.

He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curious, as when he checked the nail,

it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was! First built..



What happened?



The lizard has survived in such position for 10 years!!!!!!!!!!

In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving, it is impossible and mind-boggling.

Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 10 years! Without moving a single step--since its foot was

Nailed!

So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it has been doing, and what and how it has been eating.

Later, not knowing from where it came appears another lizard, with food in its mouth.

Ah! He was stunned and touched deeply.

For the lizard

That was stuck by nail; another lizard has been feeding it for the past 10 years...



Imagine? It has been doing that untiringly for 10 long years, without giving up hope on its partner.



Think, will u do that to your partner?



Think that will you do it to your Mom,



Who brought you after a big struggle of nine long months?

Or at least to your Dad, Friends, Co-workers, brothers and Sisters?



Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with a brilliant mind can't.



As information and communication technology advances,

our access to information becomes faster and faster.

But the

Distance between human beings . .. . is it getting closer as well?

Please never abandon your loved ones

Never Say U R Busy When They Really Need You...

You May Have The Entire World At Your Feet......

But You Might Be The Only World To Them....



A Moment of negligence might break the very heart which loves you thru all odds....




Before you say something just remember. It takes a moment to Break but an entire life to make...
To Live Use Heart and to Survive use Brains.


Then Life would be a paradise Unfurling only Love Joy and
Happiness....