ENLIGHTENMENT

Blossoming today, tomorrow scattered. Life is like a delicate flower; Can one expect the fragrance to last forever? FragranceHopeChastityHappinessProsperous AspirationsWishesCaptivatingTenderPeaceful

Fate, free will, & CROSS-ROADSSSSS !!!

The question of fate and free will is one of the most intriguing topics in metaphysics and religion. Muhammad Iqbal, the renowned Islamic poet, has written: 'Divine knowledge must be conceived as a living creative activity, to which the objects that appear to exist in their own right are organically related. By conceiving God's knowledge as a kind of reflecting mirror, we no doubt save His foreknowledge of future events. But, it is obvious that we do so at the expense of His freedom. The future certainly pre-exists in the organic whole of God's creative life, but it pre-exists as an open possibility, not as a fixed order of events with definite outlines.' Time as an abstract concept- encompassing the past, present and future- is very much relative. It is, however, a great 'present' for the All-Seeing God. The whole continuum of time lies before Him in the shape of now. Knowledge is an act of creative activity and not the mere reflection of it. When He decrees a thing it happens and He sees it before it happens. God in Islam is therefore a free Creator with foreknowledge. God's knowledge, however, is not like our knowledge. God's knowledge covers everything created, its past and its future. ... With God is the Decision, in the past and in the Future... Surah 30 Verse 4

How To Lose Your Heart and Still Have Good Sense!

There have been many times during the past years that it would have been an accurate description to say that I had lost my mind. But the way we normally think of losing our minds is not what I mean! LOSING OUR HEARTS!!!

HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN...

AND AFTER THAT COME TO OUR SENSES??!!

! SOMETHING TO PONDER UPON !

Ideals are like stars: you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you reach your destiny.

You are what your deep driving desire is; As your deep driving desire is, so is your will; As your will is so is your deed; As your deed is so is your destiny.

"Man was created weak," says the Quran.

Jesus & Adam

«"The case of Jesus in the sight of God is the same as the case of Adam. He created him of dust and then said to him: 'Be,' and he was."»

The birth of Jesus is indeed amazing when compared to what is familiar to man. It is, however, far from amazing when it is compared with the creation of Adam, the father of the human race. The people of earlier revelations who debated and argued about Jesus's nature, because of his miraculous birth, and wove around him all sorts of legends and fantasies because he had no father, believed that Adam was created of dust, and that it was the breathing of a spirit from God into him which made him a human being. They did not, however, weave any similar legends around Adam as they did around Jesus. They did not claim that Adam had any Divine nature. Yet, the very element which made Adam a human being is the same one which caused Jesus to be born without a father: spirit from God was breathed into both Adam and Jesus. There was also the Divine command, "Be", to initiate whatever God wanted to initiate and cause to come into existence. We can, then, appreciate the simplicity of the creation of Jesus, Adam and all creatures. We find ourselves accepting it with ease and clarity. We indeed wonder why the birth of Jesus should lead to all these disputes and arguments when it took place according to God's law which applies to all creation. We can also appreciate the method of the Quran, the wise reminder, in addressing human nature with simple, realistic and natural logic which makes even the most complicated of matters appear to be so simple.

"O God, when I listen to the voices of the animals, to the sound of the trees, the murmur of the water, the singing of the birds, to the rushing of the wind or to the rumble of thunder, I see in them evidence of Your Unity; I feel that You are supreme power, supreme knowledge, supreme wisdom, supreme justice.

O God, I also recognize you in the difficulties I am experiencing now. God, let Your satisfaction be my satisfaction, and let me be Your joy, the joy that a Father takes in his child. And let me remember You with calmness and determination, even when it is hard for me to say: I love You."

:: A lovely prayer written by the Egyptian Sufi master Dhu 'l-Nun (AD 796-861)

My Lord,
if You condemn me for my crimes,
I will cling to Your forgiveness.
And if You hold me for my sins,
I will cling to Your granting pardon.
If You haul me into the hell,
I will tell its inmates that I love You.

:: The Invocation of Shabaniyah

Light, Joy, Purity, Beauty, Innocence, and Real Reconciliation!

In The Name Of Allah
We seek Allah's protection
From Shaitan's evil mind;
And begin with the name of Allah
Most Merciful, Most Kind!
Allah is Great
Allah is Great this I know,
For the Qur'an tells me so;
All of us to him belong,
We are weak but he is strong.
Allah is One
Related to none
Allah is One!
No father, no mother
No sister, no brother
No daughter, no son
Allah is One!
We Thank you Allah
For All the things
we have today;
for all our friends
we love so much
for home, for food
for work and play,
we thank you,
Oh Allah.
When I was Ill
One day when I was feeling ill
a sparrow flew on to my window sill.
He didn't see me tucked up in bed
as he pecked away at a piece of bread.
I thought of how he could fly
when I, in bed could only lie.
I thought how Allah had made him small
and then of dinosaurs, and giraffes so tall.
I thought of many, many things
some with four legs, others with wings.
I thought how wonderful Allah is
because everything around me is really His.
Allah
Before summertime, the cherry blossom looks like pink icing
The ground beneath shoots up daffodils
Trumpeting their praises to Allaah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala)
During summer the days are long and hot
The trees are green and shady.
Flowers bloom bright and perfumed
Bees hover and drive for pollen.
Before wintertime, Allah paints the leaves red, orange, and gold.
They cover the springy moss with a colorful carpet.
Squirrels scurry, choosing the juiciest nuts to store for their winter larder.
In winter Allah causes the earth to die hard and cold
He permits water to form stalactites and fossilize animal bones
Reminding us that He is the One who brings back to life His creation...
Thank you Allah
Thank You Allah for all that You give
I know sometimes I'm naughty so please forgive.
Please teach me to be good every day
and let my heart be ready and willing to pray.
Thank You Allah for Your Prophet whom I love,
please raise him in rank in Paradise above.

If the purpose of life is to become wealthy, there would be no purpose after becoming wealthy. The fact is that when people approach their purpose here in this life from the aspect of only gaining wealth, after collecting the money they have dreamed of their lives loose purpose and then they live in restless tension suffering from a feeling of worthlessness. How could wealth then be considered as the aim of life? Could the acquisition of wealth guarantee happiness? Of course not. When we hear of millionaires or members of their families committing suicide, how could we consider the purpose of life would be to gain great wealth? A child of 5 years would obviously prefer a new toy to a deposit slip for a million dollars. A teenager does not consider millions of dollars in the bank a substitute for movies, videos, pizza and hanging out with his friends. A person in their 80s or 90s would never consider holding on to their wealth in place of spending it to hold on to or regain their health. This proves that money is not the main purpose at all the stages of one's life. Wealth can do little or nothing to bring happiness to one who is a disbeliever in Almighty God, because regardless of what he or she would gain in this life they would always live in fear of what will happen to them in the end. They would wonder what would become of them and how they would end up. Wealth and its accumulation as a purpose would be doomed to a temporary success at best and in the end it would only spell out self destruction. So, what is the use of wealth to a person without belief? He would always fear his end and would always be skeptical of everything. He may gain a great material wealth but he would only lose himself in the end. Worship of the One True Almighty God of the Universe [Allah in Arabic] as a primary goal or aim in life provides a believer with everything he needs to succeed in both this life and the Next Life.

INTRESTING?

The Fate of Animals, Jinn & Angels in the Hereafter

“First of all, we’d like to state that we should not be much concerned about the status and fate of such creatures. What one should busy himself with is “what will be my fate in the afterlife” and this will be determined according to what man does of good or bad deeds. However, in some reports it is stated that the hornless ram will retaliate for the harm caused to her by the horned one. This indicates absolute justice will prevail in the Hereafter to the extent that it will include some sort of oppression or aggression taking place among animals. More knowledge than this is not of any benefit for us. As for the Jinn they are held responsible for their deeds just like men and hence will be called for account on the Day of Judgment and will be either punished or rewarded according to their deeds. Almighty Allah says relating the speech of Jinn: “And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules. And we know that we cannot escape from Allah in the earth, nor can we escape by flight. And when we heard the guidance, we believed therein, and whoso believeth in his Lord, he feareth neither loss nor oppression. And there are among us some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully. And as for those who are unjust, they are firewood for hell.” (Al-Jinn: 11-15) The status of angels on that Day will be as mentioned in the Qur’an in several places. For instance, Allah says: “Then, on that day will the Event befall. And the heaven will split asunder, for that day it will be frail. And the angels will be on the sides thereof, and eight will uphold the Throne of their Lord that day, above them.” (Al-Haqqah: 15-17) However, it is to be stated that they will not be called to account and will not be rewarded or punished as a result. This is because they are all-time Allah’s devotees; they never disobey Him. Allah says: “O ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded.” (At-Tahrim: 6) As for the final point in your question, Almighty Allah says: “We mete out death among you, and We are not to be outrun, That We may transfigure you and make you what ye know not.” (Al-Waqi`ah: 60-61) It is reported that no elderly will enter Paradise in the sense that all people will be in the age of youth. The bodies and form will be of another nature that will be prepared either for punishment or for reward. But a detailed information about the ‘HOW PROCESS’ is known only to Allah alone.” Allah Almighty knows best.

A POEM BY SARA TO ZAYTUNA...

Zaytuna brings about true peace, peace of soul, & peace of heart. Peace of body & peace of mind, it brings to all people apart. Far from the sin of all bad deeds, & closer to a brand new start. Begin a journey to our final abode, that will be in heaven’s comfort. Hope Zaytuna I come one day, & walk in your gorgeous yard. And gain the light of wisdom, for it leads to courage of heart. Outcome then will be pure temperance, bringing justice to a perfect world. A world of chaste intentions & sincerity, wrapped in a blanket of hidden solidarity. Go ahead Zaytuna & carry on your path, of spreading needed comfort & support. Quenching thirsts of those in need, by rectifying us inward & outward. And invite us all to a profound insight, which can never be bought or sold. --BY ME--

Body Language May Trump Facial Expression When the 2 Clash

Your Body Language Speaks Volumes When you first meet someone, what do you find more revealing -- their body language or facial expression?
What about when that person's body language doesn't match the look on his or her face?
Picture someone who smiles with clenched fists, or who swaggers confidently but won't make eye contact. If you had to size that person up instantly, which would you believe more: his body language or facial expression?

Stairway to Paradise

Recordings of the Live radio show ...

"So close, no matter how far..."

HEART'S KEY IS WITH GOD...

The heart is the small box of God and its key is with Him. Nobody knows that it contains.

That being the case, why should anyone talk of what he thinks is in the heart of another person and thus become a sinner.
The hadeeth (saying of Allah's Apostle) tells us that there would be a great sinner. God would call him to come near Him and then He would stretch His hand to hide him from the view of the people. Then, God would ask him if he had committed the sins that He would name; these sins would be minor ones. The man would admit that he really had committed those sins. Then, God would tell him that He had forgiven those sins and instead, had rewarded him with ten good deeds for each sin. The man would think that if that is the reward for minor sins, how great the reward would be for his major sins. And he would begin to tell God that he had committed some other sins also, which he would name and they would be major sins. God would listen to him and laugh; He would say: "My kindness has made this man bold to the extent that he has himself told me of his major sins." Then He would command him to go and enter paradise through any of the eight doors.
What does anyone know how God is going to deal with the man (about whom people talk as if they know what is there in his heart) and what is there in his heart. One should therefore shun backbiting altogether.

I love to relate to the process of creation as much as the creation itself. And against popular belief, I think we live in a beautiful world only if we choose to. And this world is a very deceptive prelude to a much, much bigger after-world. And I like to think ahead.

When will it happen?

when will it happen?
when will I see? when will I know?
when will I know that I am blessed? when will I know that I just can not afford to be otherwise?
there are so many things one can accomplish. there are so many things that I have done. what is it worth?
God says clearly in the Quran,
“I have not sent Jin & Men but to worship me”
when will I live up to the real worship? The real worship that is not just namaaz/prayer? when will I ‘know’ God like one is supposed to ‘know’ God?
when will I look inwards to have a clearer picture outwards?
but dont I already do that?
when will I know that it is never enough?
when will God show me the true nature of free will?
God says that He will not change a person’s state unless that person changes what is within him. I try. God knows I try. To change what is within me. And I know as well, that I do not try hard enough. For if I do try hard enough, I would acheive.

Acheive the grand prize; hedaayah. In the heart. Light. Pure & guided.

Brand New

R E A D

We have to find God. We have to have a Faith strong enough to take us through all of it. Finding God through His signs. For surely, they are everywhere. I pray that they are!?! For a sign is useful only if one can see it. Here’s hopin that we all have the eyes to see.

Who We Are .........

Now answer me this. Think about it carefully now. Think long and hard if you have to coz most of the people I know stutter for a lifetime when posed with this question. It is a simple question, with the highest implications I have ever seen. It not only has the direct potential of changing your life, but everyone around you. Yes, I said everyone. That can - and probably does - include every living soul on this planet.
The answer to this question is an insight into your own personality. And your own biases, your own fears and your own attempts at being not-so-modest. heh. Ladies and Gentlemen, this question is the bomb. Answer it carefully now.
“What would you do if you could do any and everything?”
One liner question. Simple really, as promised. Just remove the restrictions for a moment. The family pressures, your own home-grown, self-built, grade 60 steel cages, your own inhibitions and your own fears. Toss them out the window. There. No holds, no obligations, no must-do’s, no cant-do’s. Especially no cant-do’s.
What life would you choose? What goals would you achieve? Where would you want to be? With whom? Doing what? Changing the world? Then you be asking yourself as to how? Would you tone it down a notch and start by changing your own country that you call - almost by force - your home? Or would you be practical enough to start by changing your community, maybe your own ethnic group or your own neighborhood? Or you really going to start by doing what every great man and woman and history has started out by doing; change yourself?
Would you plan to start living on the moon? Or would you be content with just living off your salary? What about taking a round-trip around the world? Three times over? Start businesses - successful ones, mind you - in every country on the face of the planet? Or are you content with just doing a nine-to-fiver for a financial institute? Would you want to be the richest man in the world? Or the happiest? Or intelligent enough to get both?
What would you do if you could do any or everything?

I DEDICATE THE LIGHT OF THIS CANDLE AND ITS WARM FEELINGS OF LOVE TO EVERYBODY WHO FACES OR FACED RACISM...

SOMEONE DEAR ONCE TOLD ME:

" i noticed that in the middle east nobody knows anything about surinam but as soon as i mension it's people everyone knows them, like ruud gullit,frank rijkaard, winter, kluivert, edgard davis and i can go on and on. u can find surinam on the map next to brasil. u will hardly find racism among us that's why to be hounast i got confrontated with racism for the first time in saudie arabie, but elhamdulillah i met ISLAAM before i met the Muslims, i just hope my people will follow guidance and set an example for some narrow minded muslims overthere."

The Road to Paradise / A new advertising slogan

Types of Nafs

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DID SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME ? TODAY...I DID SOMETHING FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME... I USUALLY HAVE MY COFFEE WITH TWO TEASPOONS OF SUGAR... SO, I WENT UP TO THE KETTLE, FILLED IT WITH ENOUGH WATER TO FILL MY YELLOW MUG, THAT HAS A BROKEN TIP, WHICH I ADORE... AND USUALLY SIP FROM... WHILE THE WATER WAS SCREAMING OF THE HEAT, I WAS PUTTING THE COFFEE AND THE COFFE MATE, BUT THIS TIME FORGOT THE SUGAR... THEN AS USUAL POURED THE WATER AND MELTED THE COFFE AWAY..... THEN WENT TO THE COZY COUCH AND RESTED WHILE WATCHING "STAIRWAY TO PARADISE"... A MINUTE LATER, STARTED SIPPING FROM MY MUG,, AND GUESS WHAT? IT TASTES WEIIIIIRD !!!! BUT I AM ALLLLLLLLLLLL SETTLED AND IN A VERY COMFORTABLE POSITION... SO I DECIDED TO HAVE MY COFFE WITH THIS VERY DIFFERENT TASTE AND NOT TO WINE, AND JUST TRY TO DO SOMETHING THAT I SOOOOO NOT PREFER... JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW IT FEELS WHEN U DO SOMETHING THAT U DONT REALLY LIKE WHILE U CAN JUST NOT MAKE IT, BUT JUST GO FOR IT.... AND GUESS WHAT, WHILE HAVING MY 5TH SIP, I STARTED SORT OF FEELING OK... HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THIS PLANET DO THINGS DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T ACTUALLY LIKE IT... AND ESPECIALLY, IF IT IS TO PLEASE THEIR LORD... SO NOT HAVING SUGAR ISN'T THAT BAD??? THANKS FOR APPRECIATING MY BLABBING, AND CARRYING ON TILL HERE.... SO DID YOU GET IT?

THANX OHHHHHH DEAREST FOR CREATING A BRAND NEW BLOG TO JUST INCREASE OUR INSIGHT... ITS RARE THAT PEOPLE SPED THEIR TIME TO JUST MAKE OTHERS SEE BETTER... SO I REALLY WNTED TO THANK U AND SAY THAT I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING...

Art, and consequently story writing, are trips to a person's interior and being, to their transparent and hidden layers. It is a journey of discovery of its layered secrets and mysteries; secrets and mysteries which cannot be explained without referring to environment and society. The more succinct and effective the singular language of art and literature, the more effective and valuable the creation. The language of any art form embodies its significance and value and the secret of its durability must also be sought in these relations.

Why Do I Feel So Bad? --By Selma Cook

[Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye 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.]

(Al-Israa’ 17:23)

What a wonderful exhortation indeed! No words of contempt, no move to repel them! Address them in terms of honor! Anecdotal evidence about the state of the parent-child relationship in the Muslim community tells us that children are not internalizing Islamic values and instead are quite contemptuous and dishonor their parents regularly. And the situation seems ever worse for adult children with elderly parents because the tendency there is to say to the parents, do not interfere with my life. How shameful is our situation indeed! Did we not heed any lessons from the life of our beloved Prophet Yusuf (peace and blessings be upon him) when his brothers so mistreated their elderly father? In one incident, the Qur’an captures a dialog between the sons and their father as follows:
[When the caravan left (Egypt), their father said: “I do indeed scent the presence of Joseph: Nay, think me not a dotard.” They said: “By Allah. truly thou art in thine old wandering mind.]

(Yusuf 12:94-95)
On the one hand, the father is asserting that he is of stable mind and body and on the other hand, the sons are saying of their father that he is in effect senile. Captured for all of eternity, this dialog bears profound meaning for us today in the steps that we can take to improve the condition of the elderly by restoring to them the dignity and honor which Allah has bestowed upon them.

...Honoring the Elderly--By Altaf Husain...

Poor Frog

Surprising true Story....

A VERY DISTINCTIVE EVENING IN THE CULTURAL FOUNDATION (HERE IN ABU DHABI) TOOK PLACE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO... IT WAS VERY ENLIGHTING... PRAISE HE LORD... THE STORY There was once a man who was an enemy to Islam. He had three famous questions that no person could answer. No Islamic scholar in Baghdad could answer his three questions...thus he made fun of Islam in public. He constantly ridiculed Islam and the Muslims. One day a small boy, who`s age was 10, came along and heard the man yelling and screaming at Muslims in the street. He was challenging people openly to answer the three questions. The boy stood quietly and watched. He then decided that he would challenge the man. He walked up and told the man, "I will accept your challenge". The man laughed at the boy and ridiculed the Muslims even more by saying, "A ten year old boy challenges me. Is this all you people have to offer!" But the boy patiently reiterated his stance. He would challenge the man, and with Allah`s help and guidance, he would put this to an end. The man finally accepted. The entire city gathered around a small "hill" where open addresses were usually made. The man climbed to the top, and in a loud voice asked his first question. "What is your God doing right now?" The small boy thought for a little while and then told the man to climb down the hill and to allow him to go up in order to address the question. The man says "What? You want me to come down?" The boy says, "Yes. I need to reply, right?" The man made his way down and the small boy, age 10, with his little feet made his way up. This small child`s reply was "Oh Allah Almighty! You be my witness in front of all these people. You have just willed that a Kafir be brought down to a low level, and that a Muslim be brought to a high level!" The crowd cheered and screamed "Takbir"...."Allah-hu-akbar!!!" The man was humiliated, but he boldly asked his Second question... "What existed before your God"? The small child thought and thought. Then he asked the man to count backwards. "Count from 10 backwards." The man counted..."10, 9 ,8 , 7 , 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,0" The boy asked, "What comes before 0 ?" The man: "I don`t know...nothing." The boy: "Exactly. Nothing was before Allah, for He is eternal and absolute." The crowd cheered again...."Takbir!"...."Allah-hu-akbar!!!!" The man, now completely frustrated, asked his final question. "In which direction is your Allah facing?" The boy thought and thought. He then asked for a candle. A candle was brought to him. The blessed child handed it to the man and asked him to light it. The man did so and remarked, "What is this supposed to prove?" The young boy asked, "In which direction is light from the candle going?" The man responded, "It is going in all directions." The boy: "You have answered your own question. Allah`s light (noor) goes in all directions. He is everywhere. There is no where that He cannot be found. "The crowd cheered again...."Takbir!"...."Allah-hu-akbar!!!" The man was so impressed and so moved by the boy`s knowledge and spirituality, that he embraced Islam and became a student of the young boy. So ended the debate. Who was the young boy? The young boy was one of our leaders and one of the greatest scholars, Imam Abu Hanîfa (May Allah bless him).

“They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them…”

Allah says: “It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the on the night of the fasts. They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them…” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 187]
Allah chose to use the word “clothing” rather than any other word to describe the special relationship between a man and his wife. Allah made the man clothing for the woman and the woman clothing for the man. The word “clothing” as used in this context is rich with meaning. It would be quite difficult to express in words every subtlety that it conveys. We shall try, however, to consider a few of the ideas that this word expresses.

1. The word “clothing” in its most literal sense is what immediately covers the body with no barrier in between...

2. The word clothing connotes the idea of equality, complementarity, and support of both a psychological and physical nature...

3. Clothing implies adornment and beautification...

4. Clothing conveys the meaning of covering and concealment...

5. Clothing implies cleanliness and purity...

6. Clothing is a sign of wealth and self-sufficiency...

7. Clothing is a pleasure and a delight...

8. Clothing provides protection, shelter, and warmth...

9. Clothing implies peace and tranquility...

10. Clothing covers a person’s body, particularly the private areas...

11. Clothing connotes quality and goodness...

12. Clothing conveys the image of something directly touching the skin...

13. Clothing needs to be kept fresh and clean...

14. Clothing is a personal distinction...

15. Clothing provides variety...

The Muslim Citizen In A Global Village.

To achieve happiness it is important to know the meaning of life clearly. If we were simply created for the dust heap of temporary galactical existence, then human life and endeavor would appear futile. Sadly, the purpose of existence still remains largely a secret, undiscovered by many fellow human beings. Yet this secret is explained in the Qur'an and other Divine scriptures before it, but how many have noted it or understood? 'Wa maa khalaqt -ul-Jinna wal-Insa illa li ya'budoon' (And We did not create Jinn or Mankind except to serve and worship Me) The Creator of this universe, therefore, cannot be ignored. Happiness is connected to fulfillment of one's noble destiny. That is why people who set their life's goals on satisfying their own desires, chasing false gods and material dreams before they get old or die, ultimately miss the great highway to happiness. And for every highway there is a map, and warning signs on the road.