The Crow

An 80 year old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45 years old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow perched on their window.

The father asked his son, "What is this?"

The son replied, "It is a crow".

After a few minutes, the father asked his son the 2nd time, "What is this?"

The son said, "Father, I have just now told you, It's a crow".

After a little while, the old father again asked his son the 3rd time, "What is this?"

At this time some expression of irritation was felt in the son's tone when he said to his father with a rebuff. "It's a crow, a crow".

A little after, the father again asked his son the 4th time, "What is this?"
This time the son shouted at his father, "Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times "IT IS A CROW". Are you not able to understand this?"

A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered diary, which he had maintained since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary:-
"Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow was sitting on the window. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not at all feel irritated I rather felt affection for my innocent child".
While the little child asked him 23 times "What is this?", the father had felt no irritation in replying to the same question all 23 times and when today the father asked his son the same question just 4 times, the son felt irritated and annoyed.
So....

If your parents attain old age, do not repulse them or look at them as a burden, but speak to them a gracious word, be cool, obedient, humble and kind to them. Be considerate to your parents. From today say this aloud, "I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered their selfless love on me. They crossed all mountains and valleys without seeing the storm and heat to make a person presentable in the society today".

Say a prayer to your Creator, "I will serve my old parents in the best way. I will say all good and kind words to my dear parents, no matter how they behave.

Your Lord has enjoined the following: You should not worship anyone but Him Alone! Treat your parents with great kindness; if either or both of them attain old age, do not even say ‘uff’ to them; nor rebuke them; but speak to them kind words. Treat them with humility and tenderness and pray, “O our Lord, be merciful to them, just as they brought me up with kindness and affection in my childhood.”
Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Bani Israel verses 23-24

The story of Shaykh Abdullah Al-Andalusi

Source: Qisas.com

This is a story filled with lessons and warning, anyone who is in a high position of academic activity or in Tasawwuf or in any other service of Deen will derive benefit and guidance from it. They will learn that it is of utmost importance for one to avoid thinking of others as being inferior to him. They should always remember the advice of Shaykh Shahabuddin Suhrawardi (rah), the spiritual guide of Shaykh Saadi (rah):

“Never become self-conceited and never look down upon anyone else.”

This story takes place at a time when piety, trust and righteousness was quite prominent in the lives of the people. In every town there were numerous Ulema and pious men, especially in Baghdad, which at the time was the seat of the Islamic State. It was a gathering place for the jurists, scholars of hadith, and the saints. In this city among all these pious people, was one Abu Abdullah Al-Andalusi (rah), who had thirty khanqahs (spiritual retreats) in Baghdad. In addition he was a well-known scholar and muhaddith and it said that the number of his disciples was 12,000. He knew 30,000 hadith by heart, and could recite the Quran in all the various Qiraats.

On a certain occasion he was going on a journey and was accompanied with a large crowd of attendants among whom were the well-known Junayd Baghdadi (rah) and Shibli (rah). Hadrat Shibli (rah) continues the story: “Our caravan was travelling along quite nicely, safely and comfortably until we passed by an area where Christians were residing. It was already time for Salaah, but because of the unavailability of water, we had not performed it yet. When we reached the Christian village, a search was made for water. We went about the village and discovered the town had many temples, sun-worshipping altars, synagogues and churches. Some of them worshipped the sun, some were worshipping the fire, and some were directing their pleas at the cross. We passed all this and reached the outskirts of the town, where we found a well and a few girls drawing water for people to drink.”

Shaykh Abu Abdullah’s (rah) eyes fell upon one of the girls who stood out from the rest through her exquisite beauty. She was dressed in beautiful clothes and adorned in jewelry. The Shaykh (rah) asked the other girls who she was. They replied: “This is the daughter of our chief”. The Shaykh (rah) replied: “Then why did her father degrade her to such an extent that she has to sit by the well and give people water to drink?”

The girls replied: “He does not want her to sit around and be proud and boastful of her father’s possessions”. Hadrat Shibli (rah) says: “The Shaykh (rah) sat down with his head bent forward and remained silent like that for three days. At the time of Salaah he would perform his Salaah.” On the third day becoming despondent with his situation, I decided to speak to him. I said: “O Shaykh, your mureeds (disciples) are very worried and perplexed at this continued silence of yours. Please speak to us. What is the problem?”

The Shaykh (rah) replied: “My beloved friends! For how long can I keep my condition hidden from you? My heart has become filled with love for the girl we saw the day before yesterday. So much has this love filled me that it is in control of all my limbs. It is not possible for me under any circumstance to leave from here.” Hadrat Shibli (rah) replied: “Our leader! You are the spiritual guide of all Iraq. You are known for your piety, knowledge and virtues. Your disciples number over 12,000. I beg you through the Holy Quran not to disgrace us.” The Shaykh (rah) replied: “My beloved friends, your lot and my lot has already been sealed by fate. The cloak of sainthood has been removed from me and the signs of guidance have been taken away from me. What has been predestined has come to pass, now I am nothing.” Saying this the Shaykh (rah) started weeping bitterly.

When the people heard of our return, they turned up in large numbers at the outskirts of the city to come and meet the Shaykh (rah) . They saw that he was not with us and asked about it. We told them the entire story. They was a lot of sorrow and crying. Many fell down in prayer begging Allah to guide the Shaykh (rah) to the right path and return him to his former position. In the meantime all the khanqahs were closed down. We were still talking about the Shaykh’s (rah) tragedy one year later when we decided to visit that town again and find out how he was. A group of us set forth and after enquiring were told that he was in the woods looking after pigs. We said: “Allah protect us! What has happened? The villagers told us that he had proposed marriage to the daughter of the village chief. The girls’ father had accepted the proposal on the condition that he would look after the pigs.”

“With tears streaming down our eyes, we went to the woods where he was rearing pigs. We saw him with a string of sacred beads around his neck. He stood leaning on a staff as he watched the pigs, standing in the same way in which he stood when he used to deliver the Khutbah for us. This was like rubbing salt into our open wounds.”

When he saw us coming towards him he bent his head in shame. We came nearer and said “Assalamu Alaykum.” He replied: “Walaykumus salaam”. Then Hadrat Shibli (rah) asked: “Shaykh (rah) inspite of your knowledge and virtue what is this that has happened to you?” The Shaykh (rah) replied: “My brothers! I am now no longer driven by my own choice and will. Whatever Allah has desired for me, He has done with me. After having brought me so near to His door, He has now thrown me very far away from Him. Who is there that can overturn the decree of Allah? O my brothers, fear Allah’s power and wrath. Never become proud and arrogant regarding your knowledge and virtues. Then turning towards the heavens he said: “O my Lord, I never expected that You will make me so disgraced and despised and send me away from Your door.” Then he began crying bitterly and appealing to Allah.

Seeing the Shaykh (rah) in such hopelessness, they left for Baghdad. However on the way they saw the Shaykh (rah) in front of them coming out of a river, where he had just performed a bath. In a loud voice he said: “I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) is the Messenger of Allah”
The Shaykh (rah) asked us for pure clothing to wear. He then started performing Salaah after which he was asked the reason why he was put through such an intense trial? The Shaykh (rah) replied: “When we arrived in the village and saw the temples, synagogues and churches and we saw fire-worshippers busy worshipping things other than Allah, a pride overtook my heart. I thought that these people were so foolish to worship lifeless things. At that time I heard a voice inside me saying: “This Iman that you have, in not part of your virtue or good qualities. All this is merely Our favors upon you. Do not consider your faith to be of your own choosing, that you can now look down upon these people with despising eyes. And if you so wish, We will test you now.’ At that moment I felt has if a dove had left my heart and flew away. That was in fact my Imaan.”

Hadrat Shibli (rah) relates: “Thereafter our caravan arrived in Baghdad with great joy all around. All of his mureeds were extremely happy that the Shaykh (rah) had reverted to Islam. He resumed his activities in Tasawwuf, Tafseer and Hadith. The Khanqahs were reopened and in a short while, his mureeds numbered over 40,000.”

Sunnah is like Medicine

Source: Qisas.com

Shaikh Khidir from Toronto, Canada once gave a very beautiful example on the importance of following the ways (sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He said that sunnah is like medicine. Usually, when we visit the doctors for treatment, they write on the prescriptions the medicines we need. We take these prescriptions to pharmacists who then sell the medicines to us. Sometimes these medicines are bitter and hard to swallow, but we still consume them as we know that the cure is in them. Similarly, each and every sunnah has physical and spiritual cure for us in this world and in the hereafter. Even if some of the sunnahs are hard to follow, we should still follow them as the cure is in them.

"…So take what the Messenger gives you, and refrain from what he prohibits you…” Al Quran 59:7

How to win hearts

SMILE

It is the first arrow and the fastest of them all. It is like the salt for food. It is also regarded as a kind of worship and alms-giving as mentioned in Hadith "Smiling at your brother's face is as charity (Sadaqa)". Sahaabah reported about the Prophet (Peace be up on him) saying that they had never seen someone smile at the other's face more then as the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be up on him) used to do.

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be up on him) said: "Do not ever waste your good deeds, even by meeting your brother with a frowning face." Your smile for your brother is sadaqah.[bukhari]

BE THE FIRST TO GREET

This arrow is the one that lets you to be in the inner most depths of the others hearts. This arrow needs a skilful shooter. The needed skills are the hearty smile, the warm shaking of hands and the friendly welcoming to the other. Being successfully achieved, such kinds of skills are going to be rewarded, referring to the Hadith: "In greetings, the better is one who initiates greeting the other". You will not enter Jannah until you have Imaan (firm faith) and you will not attain (complete) Imaan until you love one another. Shall I not show you something by doing which there will be love between you? Make salaam common amongst yourselves. (Sahih Muslim)

EXCHANGE PRESENTS

It has a strange charming affection that captivates all senses. Hence, exchanging presents and gifts in different occasions is a pleasant habit however gifts should be within one's tolerable expenses. Prophet (Peace be up on him) told us that giving presents increases love among Muslims.
He said also: "Shaking hands removes hatred and exchanging presents enhances love and ends enmity."

SPEAK WHAT IS NECESSARY

Loud voice and chattering are bad merits. You have to be sweet-worded, tender in expressing yourself. Concerning this merit, The Prophet (Peace be up on him) said "The good word is a charity (is a Sadaqa)." If the good word has its own magic in winning the hearts of your enemies how powerfully it would work then with your brothers' hearts!! Whoever guarantees me the protection of the part between his two jaws (i.e. tongue) and that which is between his thighs (i.e. private parts), I guarantee for him Jannah. (Bukhaari and Muslim) Prophet's (Peace be up on him) said: "Nobility of manners and taciturnity are the best of manners that people are ever characterized by."

BE A GOOD LISTENER

It is to listen patiently and never interrupt the speaker, as the Prophet (Peace be up on him) never interrupted a speaker till he ended his speech. And he who fights for this merit gains others love and admiration, whilst on the contrary is the one who chatters and interrupts the other.

APPEARANCE AND DRESSING WELL

You have to be careful with your appearance so as to be neat, well-dressed. The Prophet (Peace be up on him) says that Allah (SWT) loves beauty to be in everything.

BE KIND AND HELPFUL

Good treatment you classifies you as an obedient, beloved slave of Allah (SWT) as the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be up on him) says: "The more you are in (real) favour of others, the more you are beloved by Allah (SWT) " as Allah (SWT) says in the Quran: " And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah (SWT) and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for Allah (SWT) love those, who do good" (2:195) Every good deed is sadaqah (an act of charity). (Bukhaari and Muslim)Whoever provides ease for someone who is burdened with debt, Allah will provide ease for him in this world and the Aakhirah. (Sahih Muslim)

BE GENEROUS

Offering money is the key for most of the closed doors that hinder you from reaching others hearts, especially in these days. Some people behave stingily as if they see the ghost of poverty waiting to attack them once they think about being generous in offering money i.e. not the behaviour of the Muslim. Sadaqah (the giving of charity) wipes out sin just as water extinguishes fire. (Tirmizi)

EXCUSE SHORTCOMINGS

Keeping an eye on others behaviour is a bad merit that blocks your way to their hearts. On the contrary is to have a good opinion of them. So, try hard to give your brothers the excuse as much as you can. Allah (SWT) told us that if someone hurt others then he or she would have to ask for forgiveness from the person as well as from Allah (SWT) in order to compensate the mistake. The Muslim who conceals the faults of another Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults on the Day of Qiyaamah. (Sahih Muslim)

BE HONEST AND EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS

If you loved someone or felt good feelings about them, don't wait, just tell them at once. Regarding this, the Prophet (Peace be up on him) said: "If you felt the brotherly love of Islam towards any, you should immediately go and tell him about your feelings." He added "It is the way relations are to be strongly indicated". Such love is to be blessed by Allah (SWT) , if it is purely for Allah (SWT)'s sake, not for any other personal affairs such as seeking high position, money, fame etc. Unless this love is for Allah's (Saw) sake, it is a fruitless kind of brotherhood then.

Moreover, Allah (SWT) says: "Friends on that Day will be enemies one to another, except Al Muttaqoon (i.e. those who have strong faith and deeds)." (43:67) I enjoin upon you truthfulness for indeed truthfulness guides towards virtue, and virtue certainly leads to Jannah. (Bukhaari and Muslim)

BE SOCIABLE

It is the art of being social. Here, a kind of misconception could exist between sociability and hypocrisy. Could you differentiate between the two meanings? The difference between hypocrisy and sociability is that sociability is a desirable legal behaviour in order to improve either life on earth or religion or so as to improve both by sacrificing the worldly affairs, while hypocrisy aims at sacrificing religion for the sake of the worldly affairs.
The Prophet (Peace be up on him) said: "Being sociable is as alms-giving."

The Muslim who visits his sick Muslim brother in the morning, seventy thousand angels pray for his forgiveness until the evening, and if he visits him in the evening, then seventy thousand angels pray for his forgiveness until the morning. And he will be granted a mansion (for it) in Jannah.(Tirmizi)

Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] was asked about the deeds which lead most of the people into Jannah. He replied, 'The fear of Allah and good manners.' (Tirmizi)

Family ties are suspended from the Arsh (Throne of Allah). It proclaims: Whoever upholds me, may Allah (SWT) keep good relations with him and whoever severs me, may Allah sever His relation (of mercy) from him.(Bukhaari and Muslim)

On the Tip of a Muslim Tongue

1. assalaamu alaykum (Peace be upon you) - by way of greetings

2. wa alaykumus salaam (peace be upon you) - in reply to the greetings

3. bismillah (in the name of Allah) - before making a beginning

4. jazakAllah (may Allah reward you) - for expression of thanks

5. fi amanullah (may Allah protect you) - by way of saying good-bye

6. subhanAllah (glory be to Allah) - for praising something

7. insha’Allah (if Allah wishes) - for expressing a desire to do something

8. astaghfirullah (I beg Allah for forgiveness) - repenting for sins before Allah

9. ma sha’Allah (as Allah has willed) - for expressing appreciation of something good

10. alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) - for showing gratitude to Allah after success or even after completing anything

11. ya Allah (Oh Allah) - when in pain or distress, calling upon Allah and none else

12. ameen (may it be so) - the end of a Dua or prayer

13. inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'oon (to Allah we belong and to Him is our return) - this is uttered as an expression of sympathy of the news of some loss or some one's death.

The Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the
floor."

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl!

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly,
"What are you making?"

Just as sweetly, the boy responded,
"Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up."
The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) said: "A parent is the best of the gates of Paradise; so if you wish, keep to the gate, or lose it."
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4928 Narrated by Abud Darda "

Qualities of a Dear Friend

Hadhrat Ali (Radhiallaahu Anhu) mentioned that the good friend and neighbour has the following qualities:

1. Forgive the shortcomings of the friend

2. Show pity to the friend's difficulties

3. Conceal his shortcomings

4. Overlook his excuses

5. Accept his forgiveness

6. Stop the backbiting spoken of the friend

7. Always be with the friend

8. Protect the friendship

9. Fulfill the needs of the friend

10. Visit him when he is sick

11. When he dies, be present at his Janaaza

12. When invited, accept his invitation

13. If he gives a gift, accept it

14. If he does good, then reciprocate accordingly

15. When the friend offers a bounty, then thank him

16. When he needs help then assist him

17. Preserve the honour and respect of your friend and his house

18. Fulfill his needs that accord with Shari’ah

19. Accept his intercession if it is according to Shari’ah

20. Do not make him despondent in his requests

21. Reply to the friend's sneeze by saying "Yarhamukallaah" if he said 'Alhamdulillah'

22. If anything is lost of the friend, then assist him to look for it

23. Reply to his Salaam

24. Support and praise his good works

25. If one has taken an oath to fulfill something, assist him in accomplishing the oath

26. Assist your friend at all times whether he is an oppressor or oppressed. Assisting him if he is an oppressor is to stop him from oppression.

27. Also communicate with him and do not create animosity.

28. Don't disgrace a friend

29. Don't swear at a friend