.:Bullet Proof Read:.

Example is not the main thing in influencing others,
it is the only thing.
Albert Schweitzer

I love powerful quotes like that. Sure, they can be overly cheesy to the extent of annoyance when pushed in your face ad nauseam. Or when the generally cute ones are picked out and decorated with sickly outdated flower .gif’s and added with some obnoxiously stupid perky note to forward it around to show that aww, you freakin’ really care about the hundreds of nameless emails on your contact list - half of which you don’t even know work anymore.

Hmm. Ok, so you get how much I hate chain mail no matter how dang “sweet” you think it is. Moving along…

I thrive on self-help books and articles (when I actually want to read them). Started on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (recommended by the dearest of friends) one day, and subsequently gained interest to explore a variety of materials all with the same aim - to help you improve in certain aspects of your life, or life in general. And they can be truly helpful when you place them alongside the advice of the deen you read and receive. Bi idhnillah.

I could elaborate but those who know will simply nod in agreement while the cynical ones will continue to contest. Take my view or leave it eh. Let me just recommend a website for starters, one that I discovered through Seeker’s Digest, lifehack.org. Try and see it for yourself. Or read Why Pursue Personal Development. Seriously, this stuff resonates well with anyone with a real goal in life. These are a few of the good things left in this world that I believe beautifully benefits one’s Islamic lifestyle. Just as a cooking class or a doctor’s degree would in their very own ways.

So lead by example. Help yourself before you help others… and before you expect others to help themselves and each other. :-)

Spectacular scenery from Saif-ul-Malook lake found in this flickr photo collection.

Subhan Allah. Such splendour makes you think eh. I chose a similar photo - lush mountains beyond a scenic meadow - as the print background for the following quote. You might have a mountain of an issue to overcome but with the right intention, proper preparation, focused effort, and most importantly, sincere supplications, you’d find Allah’s Help there with you on your uphill task…

“The degree to which a person is helped and aided by Allah depends on the degree of his intention, drive, aim and hopes. Help from Allah comes to people in proportion to their drive, intention, hopes and fears, and failure comes to them in like manner.”
Ibn al-Qayyim

Heart-shaped Post-its from Kati :$

These are a few of my favourite quotes…

Love is like terrorism, everyone talks about it,
but no one knows what it is.
- ABU DUJANAH (hafidhahullah)

Husbands come and go, but the Shari3ah is forever!
- HASS (LBWH)

A truly admirable armour is

a bulletproof heart resistant

against shots from shaytan.

Heh.

This is a quote par excellence. Read it, ponder upon it and keep it in mind always.

Ibn Qudamah (rahimahumullah) once said that when one slanders you, you should be thankful that he spoke something about you which was untrue, for there are many blemishes on your account which are true which Allah hid from the world.

[originally posted here]

Living by Islamic Principles… It’s the only way to go.

Die, you pinky monster! DIE!

It feels good to win. When Italy won the cup last Sunday, it was sweet victory, albeit that controversial headbutt. But what was one aspect the Muslims would chat about regarding that “one heck of a header”? They’d say, “He could’ve controlled himself.” Control himself from the anger that was burning within him, the pride, the ego that would be bruised if he didn’t react as such. So who won in that instance? The answer is clear. Shaytan did.

All right. Some of you are getting excited from the mere mention of the World Cup incident. So before you let your itching fingers post a comment about whether Zidane is a practising Muslim (may Allah guide him and us), let me assure you that I could care less about what you have to say with regards to that :P.

The point here is when we know shaytan has deceived us, tricked us or (easily enough) led us into sin… what do we do? Well, hopefully, we’ll realise our mistake and seek forgiveness from Allah. But sometimes when we dwell on the fact that it was shaytan’s work, that his whispers are to blame… we fall into the trap of glorifying his apparently successful actions. We might mutter under our breaths, “Dang that shaytan!”

Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad, that a person who was riding behind the Prophet said, “The Prophet’s animal tripped, so I said, `Cursed Shaytan.’The Prophet said,
“Do not say, ‘Cursed Shaytan,’ for if you say these words, Satan becomes arrogant and says, ‘With my strength I made him fall.’ When you say, ‘Bismillah,’ Satan will become as small as a fly.”

[Ahmad 5:59]

Further, An-Nasa’i recorded in his book Al-Yawm wal-Laylah, and also Ibn Marduwyah in his Tafsir that Usamah bin `Umayr said, “I was riding behind the Prophet…” and he mentioned the rest of the above Hadith. The Prophet said in this narration,

“Do not say these words, because then Satan becomes larger; as large as a house. Rather, say, ‘Bismillah,’ because Satan then becomes as small as a fly.”

Or we might expose the sin to a friend (which in itself is wrong!*) and add words that we think humble ourselves before others - by blaming shaytan with harsh words. You have to realise one thing, even though the devil’s work is evil, that’s exactly it. When you acknowledge in any way that he has done it… you might as well praise him. Seriously. Instead you should just focus on how to correct yourself, to seek forgiveness from your Maker and to repent to Him. He will deal with shaytan… Busy yourself with what you’re told to and are able to do.

Sure, inevitably there is this “battle” against shaytan… and the believers are promised victory by following the guide that is the Qur’an. But it is an ongoing battle, and alongside the devil are our own desires, peer pressure and worldly temptations in general. So what a ride we are in for if we choose to approach this battlefield called life from that aspect. Rather, the Muslim’s life is a dash for mercy, a race to redemption, the continuous marathon to Jannah.

I fear that we as Muslims are so prone to mere rhetoric these days. Words that are seemingly heroic - to curse shaytan, the oppressors, the world - but are truly empty. Words that bring false comfort. To ease the blame of our own sins. And to lessen the guilt of our inactions. For ourselves and for our brothers and sisters locally, and worldwide.

When is the battle really won then?

In this life of poverty, hardship and trials, Abdullah asked his father one
day, “Abi when will we ever relax?” His father, one of the greatest
revivers of the Sunnah, a role model for all Muslims, looked him in the eye
and said, “With the first step we take into Jannah.”
[Memoirs from the life of Imam Ahmad]

A recap of Surah al-Mu’minun gives us a glimpse of the qualities of the successful. You may agree with me that the application of this particular ayah is severely lacking:

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ
And they who are to their trusts and their promises attentive.

[al-Mu'minun: 8]

Oh, the reminders. The reminders.

* Sins and its effects on the one who commits it. Refer to point #9 for the hadith on exposing sins. The whole article is beneficial too.

PS. About the image. I was thinking about DOOM 3 and battling “demons” but yea, forgot to incorporate it into this piece (more obviously), heh. But it still makes sense.

** Mu’jam I’rab Alfath al-Qur’an al-Karim **

We finally got our books! Alhamdulillah! The Dictionary of Grammatical Analysis of the Holy Qur’an. Along with al-Balaghah al-Wadihah. Ahh… how the immediate feeling upon obtaining a book is a delusion of cleverness :P But yea. I’m just extra proud of this one purchase, alhamdulillah. And hey, if anything, my own teacher’s experience of only realising he owned the (same) book later on in life (a wonderful realisation at that!) gives me hope that this will indeed be more than useful one day, insha Allah. Yes, yes, am using bits now too.

Books. They’re wonderful friends… The best…

The Truest Companion

“The book is a companion that does not praise you and does not entice you to evil. It is a friend that does not bore you and it is a neighbour that causes you no harm. It is an acquaintance that desires not to extract from you favours through flattery and it does not deceive you with duplicity and lies. When you are poring through the pages of a book, your senses are stimulated and your intellect sharpens. Furthermore, your tongue will find eloquence and grandeur. Through reading the biographies of others, you gain an appreciation of common people and you learn the ways of kings. It can even be said that you sometimes learn from the pages of a book in a month, that which you do not learn from the tongues of men in a century. All this benefit, yet no loss in wealth and no need to stand at the door of the teacher who is waiting for his fees, to learn from someone who is lower than you in manners.

The book obeys you by night as it does by day, both when you are travelling and when you are at home. A book is not impaired by sleep nor does it tire in the late hours of the night. It is the teacher who is there for you whenever you are in need of it and it is the teacher, who, if you refuse to give to it, it does not refuse to give to you.

If you abandon it, it does not decrease in obedience. And when all turn against you, showing you enmity, it remains by your side. As long as you are remotely attached to a book, it suffices you from having to keep company with those who are idle. It prevents you from sitting on your doorstep and watching those who pass by. It saves you from mixing with those who are frivolous in their character, who are foul in their speech, who are base in character, and who are woeful in their ignorance.

If the only benefit of a book was that it keeps you from foolish daydreaming and prevents you from frivolity, it would certainly be considered to be a true friend who has given you a great favour.”

- Al-Jahiz

[posted here]

A love affair with knowledge will never end in heartbreak.

-
Said Michael Garrett Marino.
And what do you know?
He spoke the truth so.

_________
This post was dedicated to: Kati, my dedicated friend… with much love! And The Silent Observer (yes, with a cooler spelling), a true seeker of knowledge, hafithahullah.

اللهُمَّ فك أسراه، واحفظ دينه وأهله

آميـــــــــــــــــــن

A job that slowly kills you.
(yea, everyone tried to get that coffee stain off)

So I bought this book and after having read just a few pages, I made so many mental nods (of agreement), I know I’m gonna love it… It’d be a great help, insha Allah.

I found out about it from this article though:
The Obnoxious Co-Worker: Is it you?

Read it yet? Ok. So how do you if it’s maybe you who’s annoying people out of their minds? As Muslims, we should make frequent self-checks and have the best of humility… and the ulama have advised us to view ourselves as worse off than the next person. (That’s really easy if you’re even part honest)

Al-Qurash said, Idris informed me on the authority of his grandfather
Wahb b. Munabbih, that Luqman said to his son, Oh my son! A man’s ‘aql
is not complete until he possesses ten characteristics; he is safe from
arrogance, he eats only what is necessary and he spends his excess
wealth.  Modesty is more beloved to him than nobility, and humility is
more beloved to him than prestige.  He is not bored by searching for
knowledge throughout his life, nor is he wearied by people asking him
[to fulfill] their needs.  He considers what little others do to be
great, and he considers what much good he does to be insignificant. The
tenth characteristic, which distinguishes him, and is worth the highest
mention, is that he regards everyone on earth as better than him, and
that he is the worst amongst them. If he sees someone better than him,
he rejoices and hopes that he may follow his example, and if he sees
someone worse than him, he says, ‘Perhaps this man will be saved,
and I will perish.’

At this point is his ‘aql complete.

Beautiful.It’s always about how the other person sees things, and views you. You say potato-ish business, you know? You might be smiling to your brother in such great hopes for that reward (sadaqah) but if all your brother sees is a frown, it DOES matter. Or try the way you compose an email… You may think it’s polite (hey as far as you’re concerned, you minded your Ps and Qs!) but the recipient might beg to differ. So on top of the self-evaluation, get others to give you feedback.

As ‘Umar al-Khattab radiyallahu ‘anh said, “Be grateful to the one who points out your defects.”

While we may have knowledge, our implementation is always weak. It’s worst though when we excuse this fact (for ourselves) to advise someone else because it’s always enjoin good and forbid evil, right? Teach even if all you know is one ayah. Correct someone even if you may be committing the same wrong. Yea, the works. But please, have extra care when it comes to applying a hadith you just learnt on an individual. Often times, the admonitions are for the masses and are in general. You may remind people and quote these statements but to make it sound like you’re reducing and condemning that person to that statement alone is not only wrong… But will backfire on you.

We so desperately need to learn the adab of enjoining good and forbidding evil.

And at the end of it all.
Since it starts off with a book and all. I just noticed how some articles would have a line at the end telling the writer’s designation and such. So you’d start off reading an article by some majhool (unknown to you), it’s interesting then bam! You see what the author does for a living and your perception is changed! Well, it influences me at least… sometimes. Like, you know, a fab article on the women in Islam written by an atheistic professor of engineering.

No, I’ve never come across one.

Point? In relation to the above bit, “Look to what’s being said, not who’s saying it.”

People need comfort.
Some people find it in this, some find it in that and some don’t find it at all.
Allah in His infinite Wisdom has designed everything on this planet earth, the universe around and within it to ultimately point to Him.
The signs are everywhere.
Everything points to Him.
You just have to look.

- Not me. Don’t know who… but may Allah have mercy upon them for this beautiful quote.

Ernest Hemingway said,

“Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.”

I guess that means I shouldn’t go on trips at all, eh? Loving thyself… ahh but if only it were the topic of today but alas, I shall speak instead of travel for indeed I shall be a traveller myself in but few…Travelling. I like it. It’s that nice feeling you get in your heart. It’s that escape that you so badly need… But what is an escape if you ever so willingly return home? A temporal escape of denial? Surely, it’s the perspectives gained from new scenery that’s worth it? Then again, travelling need not be to new places. It could be that common trip to a favourite destination… The road often travelled.

Sigh. Not feeling very articulate at the moment. Tired, excited… and somewhat… down on the upside? Hmm.

All I know is that I’m gonna have a wonderful time, insha Allah… In the end, it is always about the peoples! :)

“Journeys end in lovers meeting”??? Why, Shakespeare could be quite right. Quite right.

Wallaaaaaahu a’lam. My du’as. Your du’as, please :D