Wisdom from the Holy Quran

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious and The Most Merciful

Wisdom from the Holy Quran

"Verily this Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right" (17:9).

RIGHTEOUSNESS
"Do no evil nor mischief on the (face of the) earth." (2:60)

"Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong." (3:104)

"Do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are of kin, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess." (4:36)

"[God] forbids all indecent deeds, and evil and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition." (16:90)

"Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you." (49:13)

GENEROSITY
"Give of the good things which ye have (honorably) earned, and of the fruits of the earth which We have produced for you." (2:267)

"If ye disclose (acts of) charity, even so it is well, but if ye conceal them, and make them reach those (really) in need, that is best for you ." (2:271)

"By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye give (freely) of that which ye love." (3:92)

"Those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones that achieve prosperity." (59:9)

"[Do not] expect, in giving, any increase (for thyself)!" (74:6)

GRATITUDE
"Eat of the good things that We have provided for you, and be grateful to God, if it is Him ye worship." (2:172)

"Show gratitude to Me and to thy parents: to Me is (thy final) Goal." (31:14)

"[God] liketh not ingratitude from His servants: if ye are grateful, He is pleased with you." (39:7)

CONTENTMENT
"In no wise covet those things in which God hath bestowed His gifts more freely on some of you than on others: to men is allotted what they earn, and to women what they earn: but ask God of His bounty." (4:32)

HUMILITY
"Call on your Lord with humility and in private: for God loveth not those who trespass beyond bounds." (7:55)

"Celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration." (15:98)

"The servants of (God) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, 'Peace!'" (25:63)

"Exult not, for God loveth not those who exult (in riches)." (28:76)

"Swell not thy cheek (for pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the earth; for God loveth not any arrogant boaster." (31:18)

KINDNESS
"God loveth those who are kind." (5:13)

"Be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: 'My Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.'" (17:23-24)

"We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was his weaning." (31:14)

"Treat not the orphan with harshness, nor repulse him who asks." (93:9-10)

COURTESY
"When a (courteous) greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy. God takes careful account of all things." (4:86)

"Let not some men among you laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): nor let some women laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames." (49:11)



PURITY
"Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps of the Satan, for he is to you an avowed enemy." (2:168)

"[God] loves those who keep themselves pure and clean." (2:222)

"When ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles. If ye are in a state of ceremonial impurity, bathe your whole body... God doth not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean." (5:6)

GOOD SPEECH
"Say to My servants that they should (only) say those things that are best: for Satan doth sow dissensions among them." (17:53)

"[The believers] have been guided... to the purest of speeches." (22:24)

"Woe to every (kind of) scandal-monger and backbiter." (104:1)

RESPECT
"Say to the People of the Book and to those who are unlearned: 'Do ye (also) submit yourselves?' If they do, they are in right guidance, but if they turn back, thy duty is to convey the Message." (3:20)

"Enter not houses other than your own, until ye have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order that ye may heed (what is seemly). If ye find no one in the house, enter not until permission is given to you: if ye are asked to go back, go back: that makes for greater purity for yourselves." (24:27-28)

"Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: and spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?" (49:12)

WISDOM
"Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious." (16:125)

TOLERANCE
"Say: 'O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but God; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, lords and patrons other than God.' If then they turn back, say ye: 'Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to God's Will).'" (3:64)

"If it had been thy Lord's Will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth! Wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!" (10:99)

JUSTICE
"Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve." (4:135)

"God loveth those who judge in equity." (5:42)

"Take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law." (6:151)


"Woe to the worshippers... who (want but) to be seen." (107:4-6)

PATH TO PARADISE

This made my eyes wet

QUOTE
Every Friday afternoon, after the Jumma prayers, the Imam and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out "PATH TO PARADISE" and other Islamic literature.

This particular and fortunate Friday afternoon, as the time came for the Imam and his son to go to the streets with their booklets, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring rain.

The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, 'OK, dad, I'm ready!'

His dad asked, 'Ready for what' 'Dad, it's time we go out and distribute these Islamic books.'

Dad responds, 'Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring rain.'

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, 'But Dad, aren't people still going to hell, even though it's raining?'

Dad answers, 'Son, I am not going out in this weather.'

Despondently, the boy asks, 'Dad, can I go Please'

His father hesitated for a moment then said, 'Son, you can go. Here are the booklets. Be careful son.'

'Thanks, Dad!'

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a pamphlet or a booklet.

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST BOOKLET. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a booklet to, but the streets were totally deserted.




Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered..

He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, he turned to leave, but something stopped him.
Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch!

He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, 'What can I do for you, son?' With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, 'Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that ALLAH REALLY LOVES AND CARES FOR YOU and I came to give you my very last booklet which will tell you all about God, the real purpose of creation, and how to achieve His pleasure.'

With that, he handed her his last booklet and turned to leave.

She called to him as he departed. 'Thank you, son! And God Bless You!'

Next week on Friday afternoon after Jumma prayers, the Imam was giving some lectures. As he concludes the lectures, he asked, 'Does anybody have questions or want to say anything?'

Slowly, in the back row among the ladies, an elderly lady's voice was heard over the speaker.
'No one in this gathering knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Friday I was not a Muslim, and thought I could be. My husband died few years ago, leaving me totally alone in this world.. Last Friday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, i was contemplating suicide as i had no hope left.

So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home.. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and broken-hearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.

I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly....

I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.' I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that ALLAH REALLY LOVES AND CARES FOR YOU!'

Then he gave me this booklet, Path To Paradise that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this book. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more.

You see? I am now a Happy Vicegerent of the One True God. Since the address of your congregation was stamped on the back of this booklet, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell.'

There was not a dry eye in the mosque. The shouts of TAKBIR...ALLAH AKBAR.. rented the air.

Imam-Dad descended from the pulpit to the front row where the little angel was seated....

He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Probably no jama'at has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a father that was more filled with love and honor for his son... Except for One. This very one...

Blessed are your eyes for reading this message.

Don't let this message die, read it again and pass it to others. Heaven is for His people!
Remember, God's message CAN make the difference in the life of someone close to you.
Please share this wonderful message
Spread His Word, help Him and you'll see His hand in everything you do...

Q 5:3: This day I've perfected your religion for you, and completed my favor on you, and chose Islam for you as religion....

With prayers...........

The Story Of The Bull

The Story Of The Bull - Khutbah by Imam Anwar al-Awlaki

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

“O you who believe! Fear Allâh (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared.[Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islâm (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allâh.” (Aali Imran 3:102)

“O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allâh through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship. Surely, Allâh is Ever an All*Watcher over you.” (An-Nisa 4:1)

“O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allâh and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth.” (Al-Ahzab 33:70)

Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Ubbay ibn Ka’ab (may Allah be pleased with him), “What is the meaning of Taqwa?”

Ubbay ibn Ka’ab said, “O Amir ul Mu’minin, have you walked on a field that had a lot of thorny plants?”

Umar said, “Yes” Ubbay ibn Ka’ab said, “So what did you do?”

Umar replied, “I lifted up my clothes and I was very careful,” Ubbay ibn Ka’ab said, “That is Taqwa.” We are walking on a field that is full of thorny plants.

Shaytan and his followers will try to seduce you and invite you to Evil. So having Taqwa in Dunya is lifting up your clothes and being careful, so that you would not touch this evil. And that is the definition of Taqwa and we ask Allah to make us of those of al- Muttaqeen. Dear Brothers and Sisters, there’s a famous Story (parable) that I will go through, you may have herd it before, but there are some very important lessons we can learn from it.

The story goes like this: “There were four Cows. One of them was white and the other three were black. They used to live in a dangerous area surrounded by wolves. The way they protected themselves was that they were always together, they would stick together, watch out for each other, everyone was keeping an attentative eye, and they survived, even though the area was surrounded by wild beasts.

But the three black cows had a meeting one day. And they said, “This white cow is giving us away. When we try to hide at night, because we are black no one can see us, but the enemy is able to see the white cow, so why don’t we just let him go. The three of us will be together and let’s just let the white cow go away because he is just too much trouble.”

So now from that day on, the three black cows would be on one side and the poor white cow is alone. They boycotted the white cow. Now the wolf is very intelligent. He was able to detect the disunity that was amongst these cows. So he made his move and he attacked the white cow, and while he was devouring his flesh, the three black cows were doing nothing.

They were watching it, while their brother was being torn into pieces! But the following night, the wolf attacked the three black cows, why? Because now there were one cow short. So they were not as strong as they were the day before. Because they let down their brother white cow, now the wolf attacked them and was able to snatch away one of the black cows.

And now we only have two left. So the following night, it was an even easier thing for the wolf because only two are left, so he ate one of them. And then on the final night there was only one cow left and the cow was trying frantically to run away from the wolf, but now the cow has no supporter and no helper.

So the wolf is pursing it with confidence and he knows this cow will get tired and fall down, there’s nothing the cow could do. Nobody to help him, so the wolf is walking around very happily with confidence, and he pounced at the cow and grabbed him by the neck, and while he did that and the cow was pronouncing his last words, he made a very important statement, a statement that is a great lesson that we can learn from.

This black cow said, (while he was dying), “I was eaten, the day the white cow was eaten. I had signed on my execution form, the day I allowed the white cow to be eaten, that’s when I died. I didn’t die now, I didn’t die today…I died when I allowed the wolf to eat the white cow”

The Imam and the old man‏

In the name of Allah, the Most-Gracious, the Most-Merciful
Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide.I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.


Rabi’ ibn Sulayman (a companion of Imam al-Shafi’i) said:

‘We were with al-Shafi’i one day when an old man wearing garments of wool came to us with a walking-stick in his hand. Al-Shafi’i stood up, fixed his clothes and greeted the old man. He sat down and al-Shafi’i began looking at him in admiration when the man said:

Old man: Can I ask?

Al-Shafi’i: Ask.

Old man: What is the Hujjah (evidence) in the religion of Allah?

Al-Shafi’i: The Book of Allah.

Old man: What else?

Al-Shafi’i: The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam).

Old man: What else?

Al-Shafi’i: The consensus of the Ummah.

Old man: Where did you get ‘consensus of the Ummah’ from? (i.e. what’s your evidence).

Al-Shafi’i pondered for a moment when the old man said:

Old man: I will leave you for 3 days. If you come up with evidence from the Book of Allah, fine. If not, then repent to Allah Ta’ala.

Al-Shafi’i’s face changed colour and then he left. He didn’t come out until the third day, between dhuhr and ‘asr. His face, hands and legs had swollen and he became ill. He sat down but it was only a short while when the old man returned. He greeted him and sat down then he said,

Old man: Do you have what I asked for?

Al-Shafi’i: Yes.

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

Allah, the Most High said:
وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءتْ مَصِيراً

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the way of the believers, We shall keep him on the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – and what an evil destination.” [al-Nisa: 115]

… And He (Allah `azza wa jall) will not burn him in Hell for opposing the believers in something except that it is something obligatory.’

Old man: You have told the truth.
Then he got up and left.

Al-Shafi’i then said to those around him: I read the Qur’an 3 times every day (in the 3 days he was given), until I came to this verse.’

- Siyar A’lam al-Nubala



It’s the case that sometimes, the Qur’an reveals its gems and answers at different times and on different occasions. Even if we may have read a particular verse many times before, it will suddenly sink in with us differently at another time.

As they say, ‘لا تنقضي عجائبه ‘ – its wonders never cease. May Allah grant us good understanding of His Book.