Wise sayings!!!

One of the greatest means to prevent Satan from overwhelming our hearts is to know the entrances he exploits to find a way into them. Some of them are:

1. Anger and lustfulness.

2. Jealousy and avarice.

3. Overeating -- this strengthens the carnal appetites which are the weapons of Satan.

4. Love of ostentatious furniture, clothing and houses.

5. Seeking to impress people.

6. Haste and inadequate preparation for tasks.

7. The love of money.

8. Stinginess and fear of poverty.

9. A fanatical defense of one's positions and opinions.

10. A bad opinion of other Muslims. [Imam Ghazali]

What is the Real Success?

The Messenger of God (Sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,
”He is successful who has accepted Islam, who has been provided with sufficient for his wants and been made contented by Allah with what He has given him.”

Muslim

Patience and Calamity!!

The Prophet of Allah (Sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,
“The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.”

Reported by Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol. 2 : No. 389

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Truth leads to piety and piety leads to Heaven!!!

Abdullah bin Masud (Radiyallaahu `anhu) reported the Prophet (Sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,
“Truth leads to piety and piety leads to Heaven. A man persists in speaking the truth till he is enrolled with God as a truthful. Falsehood leads to vice andvice leads to the Fire (Hell), and a person persistson telling lies until he is enrolled as a liar”

Al-Bikhari and Muslim

How to memorize the Holy Qur’aan!!!

Praise be to Allaah.

Important rules for memorizing the Holy Qur’aan.

Sincerity. It is essential to have a pure and sincere intention and a proper aim. One should learn the Qur’aan and pay attention to it for the sake of Allaah and attaining Paradise and earning the pleasure of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “So worship Allaah (Alone) by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allaah’s sake only. Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allaah only” [al-Zumar 39:2-3]. According to a hadeeth qudsi, Allaah says: “I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus he who does an action for the sake of someone else as well as for My sake will have that action rejected by Me to the one whom he associated with Me.” So there will be no reward for the one who reads and memorizes Qur’aan for the sake of showing off or gaining a good reputation.

Correct pronunciation and reading. This can only be learned by listening to someone who reads well or has memorized properly. The Qur’aan can only be learned from a teacher. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) learnt it orally from Jibreel, and the Sahaabah learned it orally from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Then it was passed down orally from the Sahaabah to succeeding generations of this Ummah.

Deciding the amount to be memorized each time. The one who wants to learn the Qur’aam should decide how much he wants to memorize each time. After he has set out his objective and learned the correct pronunciation, he has to keep on repeating it over and over. This repetition should be with the proper intonation so as to avoid getting bored and so that he can memorize it properly. The intonation makes a person enjoy listening to it, helps him to memorize it and makes the tongue get used to that intonation, so that he will spot mistakes immediately, as the rhythm will be interrupted. This is in addition to the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “He is not one of us who does not recite the Qur’aan with a rhythmic intonation.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari).

Not going beyond what one has decided to learn in one day until one has memorized it perfectly. The haafiz should never move on to a new portion until he has perfectly memorized the prvious portion , so that it will stick in his mind. One thing that will help the student to memorize it is to preoccupy himself with it night and day, by reciting it in the prayers where Qur’aan is to be recited silently, and if he is leading others in prayer, by reciting it out loud. He can also recite it during his naafil prayers, and whilst waiting for (congregational) prayers. In this way it will become easy for him to memorize Qur’aan. Everyone can do this, even if he is busy with other things.

Adhering to one style of writing in the Mus-haf you use for memorizing. One thing that will help in memorizing Qur’aan is to have one's own copy of the Mus-haf (i.e., choosing a specific edition) and never changing it. This is because people learn as much by looking as by listening, so the pattern of the verses and where they appear on the pages of the Mus-haf stays in the mind as one reads and looks at the Mus-haf. So if a person changes the Mus-haf from which he is learning, or he learns from various Masaahif where the relative positions of the aayaat may vary, he will get confused and it will be difficult for him to memorize.

Understanding is the key to memorization. One of the things which is of the greatest help in memorizing is understanding the verses one is learning and knowing how they are connected to one another. This means that the haafiz has to read the tafseer of some of the aayahs and soorahs which he is memorizing and he has to focus his mind when he is reading. This will help him to remember the verses. But when he is committing the verses to memory, he should rely on understanding; what he has to do is rely on repetition so that it will be easy for him to memorize them.

Not moving on until one has learned a soorah well. After having memorized one soorah, the haafiz should not move on to another soorah until he has memorized the first soorah perfectly from beginning to end and he can recite it fluently without having to think too hard about it. Remembering it should be easy, and he should not move on to another soorah until he is sure that he has memorized the first one.

Continually reciting to someone else. The haafiz should not rely upon training by himself; he has to recite what he has memorized to another haafiz, or to someone else who can follow his recitation in the Mus-haf. This other person should be someone who knows how to recite Qur’aan properly, so that he can point out any mistakes or omissions in pronunciation or reading. It often happens that an individual may memorize a soorah incorrectly by himself, and he does not realize this even when he looks at the Mus-haf. So the person who wants to memorize a soorah looks in the Mus-haf and does not see where he is making a mistake in his recitation. So reciting to another person is an excellent means of correcting one’s mistakes.

Continually following up. When it comes to memorization, the Qur’aan is different from any other material such as poetry or prose, in that it may be quickly forgotten. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it tries harder to run away than a hobbled camel” (Agreed upon). One only has to leave it for a little while and it escapes one’s mind and is quickly forgotten. So one has to keep reviewing it and always work hard at retaining what one has memorized of the Qur’aan. Concerning this, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who has memorized Qur’aan is like the owner of a hobbled camel. If he pays attention to it and takes care of it, he will keep it, but if he lets it go, he will lose it” (Agreed upon). This means that the one who has memorized the Qur’aan has to recite it regularly as part of his wird [regular dhikr]. At least he should recite one of the thirty juz’ and at most he should recite ten juz’ each day, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever reads the whole Qur’aan in less than three days does not understand it” (Agreed upon). By continually reciting it in this fashion he will retain what he has memorized.

Paying attention to the parts of the Qur’aan which resemble one another. The parts of the Qur’aan resemble one another in their meanings and wording. Allaah says: (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah has sent down the Best Statement, a Book (this Qur’aan), its parts resembling each other (in goodness and truth) (and) oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allaah” [al-Zumar 39:23]. So the good reader of Qur’aan has to pay particular attention to those parts which resemble one another, i.e., the parts where the wording is similar, as this will help him to memorize it properly.

Making the most of the best years. The one who is truly blessed is the one whom Allaah enables to make the most of the best years for memorizing, which come approximately between the ages of five and twenty-three. During these years, a person is able to memorize things very well. Before the age of five, he is not able to do that, and after the age of twenty-three his ability to memorize declines whilst his ability to understand increases. So young people of these ages should make the most of it and memorize the Book of Allaah, because they are at the age when they will be able to learn it quickly and will be slow to forget it, unlike when they get older. He spoke the truth who said, “Learning by heart when one is young is like engraving something on stone; learning something when one is old is like engraving something on water.”

It is our duty towards the Book of Allaah that we should memorize it properly, accept and follow its guidance, and make it the constitution of our lives, the light of our hearts, the comfort of our souls. Hopefully these rules will form a good foundation for those who sincerely want to memorize the Book of Allaah properly. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Dua cards!!!

You can print out these cards, and use them to read the duas whenever needed.

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Quran Download aya by aya- Surah Balad (Aya 1-20)

Surah Balad Aya 1

Surah Balad Aya 2

Surah Balad Aya 3

Surah Balad Aya 4


Surah Balad Aya 5

Surah Balad Aya 6

Surah Balad Aya 7

Surah Balad Aya 8

Surah Balad Aya 9

Surah Balad Aya 10

Surah Balad Aya 11

Surah Balad Aya 12

Surah Balad Aya 13

Surah Balad Aya 14

Surah Balad Aya 15

Surah Balad Aya 16

Surah Balad Aya 17

Surah Balad Aya 18

Surah Balad Aya 19

Surah Balad Aya 20 


Click the link, and then download :)

Islamic Wallpaper!!

7 lessons from the greatest minds!!!

Have you ever wished you could go back in time and have a conversation with one of the greatest minds in history? Well, you can’t, sorry, they’re dead. Unless of course you’re clairaudient, be my guest. But for the rest of us, we can still refer to the words they left behind. 

Even though these great teachers have passed on, their words still live, and in them their wisdom. I’ve made a list of seven what I believe are some of the greatest teachings by the world’s greatest minds.

1. Realizing Your Dreams
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”
- Lawrence J. Peter

In order for us to achieve our dreams, we must have a vision of our goals. Writing down our dreams and creating a list of actions helps us stick to our plan. As it’s said “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”. When we turn our goals into measurable actions, we gain clarity and are able to see the necessary steps we must take in order to achieve them.

Action: Visualize a life of your wildest dreams. What did you dream of doing when you were a child? What would you do if you had a million dollars? Create a vision for your goals and start breaking them down into small actions that you can take on a day by day basis.

2. Overcoming Fear
“It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, “Always do what you are afraid to do.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The best way to learn something is to dive right in to it. When we overcome our fear of failure, we learn that only those who are asleep make no mistakes. Fear is the only thing keeping us from experiencing a life of love and fulfillment. If we make a commitment to an uncompromisable quest for truth, we will realize that as we grow more into the truth, our fears start to disappear.

Action: You must define your fears in order to conquer them. Create a list of everything you’re afraid of and start facing them one at a time. Make a commitment to yourself now to not let fear rule your life.

3. Intention and Desire
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.”- Guatama Buddha

Our thoughts determine our reality. When we stop thinking about what we don’t and begin thinking about what we do want, our lives begin to transform. Instead of working against our desires and intentions, we move into alignment with them.

Action: Create a list of your intentions and desires. Wherever you go, take this list with you. Read it when you wake up and before you go to sleep.

4. Happiness
“Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances.”
- Benjamin Franklin

Happiness comes from an inner peace, understanding and acceptance of life; a perspective of truth that opens your eyes to the beauty of life all around us. Happiness cannot be achieved by external status, it must be an internal state that we realize when we see our innate perfection.

Action: Realize that happiness is a choice. In every decision you make ask yourself “how can I respond to make myself happy and fulfilled?”

5. Self Acceptance
“If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” - Jesus

When we stop trying to be what we are not, we realize our authenticity. Before we had knowledge, we were completely authentic. We learn to use knowledge to measure and judge, which is a powerful tool we have as humans. However we create an image of perfection in our mind of what we should be, but are not. We confuse knowledge for nature. We believe in the lie of our imperfection. When we realize this we can reclaim the truth of our perfection and live in love and acceptance.

Action: Make a commitment to never go against yourself. Practice non-judgment and realize that the same part of your mind that condemns you is the same voice that caused you to take the action in the first place. We don’t even have to believe what we say to ourselves.

6. Appreciation and Gratitude
“So much has been given to me, I have not time to ponder over that which has been denied.”
- Helen Keller

How many times do we count our misfortunes rather than our blessings? When we take time to open our eyes to the miracle of life we can see the many gifts that have been given to us. Remembering all the beautiful aspects of life and all the reasons you are blessed can immediately shift our mood. We can move from sorrow and despair to appreciation and hope.

Action: Each time you find yourself complaining about something, re-direct your focus to something you are grateful for. Make a habit of transforming your awareness of troubles into an awareness of abundance.

7. The Art of Simplicity
“I made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it short.”
- Blaise Pascal

Perfection is not when there is nothing to add, but when there is nothing more to take away. As Bruce Lee once said “the height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.” True mastery of our lives is realizing the simple joys of life, removing distractions and clutter from our lives.

Action: The art of simplicity is knowing what to take away. Practice recognizing when you’re spending your time on unimportant tasks and re-focus on the important.

This list is by no means exhaustive. There are other many great teachings that I did not include here because I felt like they were already expounded on thoroughly elsewhere, such as Einstein and Gandhi’s timeless classics. There are also great teachings to be found from our parents or friends.

A Beautiful Story; Why do we read the Quran, even if we can't understand a single Arabic word?

   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 the Quran. 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 Quran 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 Qur'an do."


   The grandfather quietly turned from putting the 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 grandpa 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 at the house. The boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran harder, 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's 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 coal basket and was now clean, inside and out. 
   
    "Son, that's what happens when you read the Quran. You might not understand or remember anything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives."

Quranic verses Wallpaper!!!!

 

 

Islamic Wallpaper!!!!

Good Advise

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did

When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to recieve something better.

Concentrate on this sentence......... The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you. Something good will happen.

Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say NO to projects that won't fit into your time schedule or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and de-clutter your life.

7. Less is more. ( Altough one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Seperate worries from concerns If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anixety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in you, everyday.

16. Carry the Quran with you to read while waiting in line. (or other well-written inspirational material)

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to tape/CD while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite Quranic verses on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you God."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR US!

A tree in posture of Islamic Prayer!!!

Source: Islamcan.com

Amazing Marks on your hands!!!!

Source Islamcan.com

Friday Reminders!

Recite Surah Kahf
Abu saeed khudri (R.A) says that Rasulalah (S.A.W) has said that :
"Whoever recite Suratul-Kahf on Friday (the night between Thursday and Friday) enjoys the illumination between two fridays."(Nasai)
Hazarat Abdullah Bin Umar(R.A.) says that the Rasulallah(S.A.W) has said that: "Whoever recites Suratul-Kahf on Friday, will enjoy a light shining from his feet to the heaven and will have his sins forgiven comitted between the two Fridays." (Ibn Marduya)
Friday Bath:
Hazrat Abu Amama (R.A.) says that the Rasulallah (S.A.W) has said that: "The bath of Friday, pull out every sin of the man from its root." (Tibrani)
2 extra ruka after Maghrib:
Al isbahaani reports from Ibn Abbas (R.A.) that Rasulallah (S.A.W) said:" The one who performs 2 raka'at after Maghrib on Friday night ( the night between Thursday and Friday) and reads in every rakaat once Suratul-Al Fatiha and Suratul Zilzaal (Iza zul zilatil Ardhy) 15 times, Allah will ease for him the Sakaraat of Death ( the moment of death) and will save him from the pinishment of the grave and make easy for him the crossing of Siraat."
Read "Ale-imraan" after Maghrib
Abdulla Bin Abbas (R.A.) says that Rasulallah (S.A.W) has said that: "Whoever recites Suratul-Aale Imran on Friday, angels enjoy the divine shouwer of salutation on him till sunset." (Tibrani)
Read "hha-meem-Dukhan"
It is reported from Hazrat Abu Huraira (R.A.) that Rasulaalah (S.A.W) has said that: "Whoever recites Suratul-Ham-Mim Dukhan on Friday (the night between Thursday and Friday) enjoys the prayer of 70,000 angels for his forgiveness and gets all sins forgiven." (Tirmizi)

"Strive for your life in the Hereafter as if you will will die tommrow.....
and strive for your life on Earth as if you will live forever." (Islamic teaching)

Duas for Studying

Dua before studying:

Allahumma infa'nii bimaa 'allamtanii wa allimnii maa yanfa' unii
O Allah! Make for useful for me what you taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me.

Allahumma inii as'aluka fahmal-nabiyyen wa hifthal mursaleen al muqarrabeen
O Allah! I ask you for the understanding of the prophets and the memory of the messengers, and those nearest to You.

Allahhumma ijal leesanee 'amiran bi thikrika wa qalbi bi khashyatika.
O Allah! Make my tongue full of Your rememberance, and my heart with consciousness of You

Innaka 'ala ma-tasha'-u qadeer wa anta hasbun-allahu wa na'mal wakeel.
(O Allah!) You do whatever You wish, and You are my Availer and Protector and the best of aid.

Dua After Studying:
Allahhumma inni astaodeeuka ma qara'tu wama hafaz-tu.
O Allah! I entrust You with what I have read and I have studied.

Farradduhu 'allaya inda hagati elayhi.
(O Allah!) Bring it back to me when I am need of it

Innaka 'ala ma-tasha'-u qadeer wa anta hasbeeya wa na'mal wakeel.
(O Allah!) You do whatever You wish, and You are my Availer and Protecter and the best of aid.

Dua While Studying Something Difficult:

Allahumma la sahla illama ja- 'altahu sahla wa anta taj 'alu al hazana etha shi'ta sahla
O Allah! Nothing is easy except what You made easy. If You wish, You can make difficult eay.