Remembering Allah is Success

Our Creator, Allah has given us the precious gift of life and with it comes the freedom to live it as we desire. We are able to make our own decisions and choices in life and this freedom in itself is a gift from Allah. Our Creator knows us very well and is aware of our weaknesses and so has given us guidance on how to spend our lives so that we can be successful.

We accept that Allah is the Greatest and we hear these words every so often. However, our hearts and minds do not truly appreciate the significance of this statement. Surely, if we believe that Allah is the Greatest, we must regard the path that he has prescribed for us as the Greatest path. Therefore, the way we choose to live our lives should be based around the guidance that Allah Has given us because He is the Greatest and those who follow His divine guidance will be truly successful.

Despite knowledge and awareness of the above, we are drawn into alternative ways of life which conflict with that which Islam has recommended for us. A lifestyle which distances us from the beauty of Islam and the guidance of Allah, unfortunately becomes attractive and desirable. When I refer to adopting a lifestyle which takes you away from Islam, I am not referring to embracing a culture or integrating within a society. In fact, understanding the culture of different societies across the world is beneficial because one is able to understand the diversity which Allah has blessed mankind with. However, as a Muslim, one must be aware that the guidance of Islam is not neglected in the process of embracing any culture – be it your own culture or any other culture.

There are Muslims across many different nations of the world, they all have their own cultures and backgrounds, e.g. they have their own unique dress, cuisine, language, etc. Despite all their cultural differences, what brings them together is their belief in Allah. Problems will only arise when we forget the guidance that Allah has given us and embrace a culture to such an extent that we neglect Islam. For example, we make it culturally acceptable to drink alcohol; discrimination based on caste becomes a norm, having relationships outside marriage is nothing to be concerned about. These examples seem quite severe, but they will no doubt become prevalent in any society which gradually moves away from the guidance of Allah.

Remember, there is no compulsion in Islam and nobody can force you to accept it as a way of life. In fact, I don’t believe that Islam can ever be forced upon anyone. You might be able to force an individual to pray or carry out any other action of Islam but you can never force him/her to have inner belief. Islam can only be complete with inner belief in the Oneness and Greatness of Allah and belief in His Final Prophet, Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Actions themselves are something that support belief, so when there is no belief, what good are actions? For example, if someone doesn’t believe in the existence of God yet spends most of their time in activities which are deemed Islamic, there is little value in their actions because the foundation of faith i.e. belief is missing. Allah knows best what lies in our hearts and minds.

Allah has described an approach to life; the choice is ours whether or not we choose to accept it. However, we cannot avoid the consequences of whatever decision we make. Let us consider the example of a crying toddler who wants to grab a hot cup of tea and his mother doesn’t allow him to do so. The child is limited in his knowledge, so from his perspective, he only sees a cup full of something nice. When the mother stops him, the child cannot comprehend the actions of the mother and feels anger and disappointment. The mother acts in the interest of her child and out of love for him. In the same way, our Creator, the One who has given us everything we have, is advising us on how to live our lives, His advice demonstrates the love that He has for His creation. The issue is that we fail to see this great love and continue to follow our own desires against the will of Allah, in the hope that they will lead us towards contentment. When the child doesn’t listen to his mother, the result is that he will burn himself. When we neglect the advice of Allah, it also has negative consequences for us.

Today, mankind feels a sense of pride and achievement and believes his own reasoning and knowledge to be powerful enough to question the law of the Creator. By following our own desires, we are only fooling ourselves and moving towards self-destruction. Islam is all about breaking this arrogance in oneself and realising that we as humans are limited and weak and must submit to the will of our Creator. Allah knows what we know not and He understands what we can never understand, that is why we repeat in our prayers, that Allah is The Greatest. The human mind and heart are weak, they need to be reminded of this fact - time and time again.

Remember brothers and sisters in Islam and in humanity, it is Allah who helps us to open our eyes in the morning and Allah who gives us sleep at night. We must keep reminding ourselves that Allah is the Greatest and without His blessings we would cease to exist. Many of us are going astray from the path of Islam, and out of love, we must help one another to return to success. The life of this world presents success in various guises - wealth, fame, luxury are only a few of these. Each person lives in pursuit of success yet many realise not that it lies in obeying Allah, following His commands and living life according to them. I believe that life is a great gift from Allah and Imaan (belief in Allah) is an even greater gift which must be cherished and protected. Your life will eventually come to an end but the benefits of Imaan will continue to support you for eternity. 

Native Deen - Not Afraid to Stand Alone

Maulana Tariq Jameel Sahab's bayan on Be Hayai (Urdu)

We Will Not Go Down - Song for Gaza

Daddy, can you give me £10?

Source: Qisas.com

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door.



“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”



“Yeah, sure, what is it?” replied the man.



“Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?”



“That’s none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.



“I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?” pleaded the little boy.



“If you must know, I make £20.00 an hour.”



“Oh, ” the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I borrow £10.00 please?”



The father was furious. “If the only reason you want to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you’re being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don’t have time for such childish games.”



The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy’s questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. May be there was something he really needed to buy with that £10.00 and he really didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door. “Are you asleep son?” he asked.



“No daddy, I’m awake, ” replied the boy.



“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier, ” said the man. “It’s been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here’s that £10.00 you asked for.”



The little boy sat straight up, beaming. “Oh, thank you daddy!” he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.



“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father grumbled.



“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do, ” the little boy replied. “Daddy, I have £20.00 now… Can I buy an hour of your time?”

Heroes of Gaza

Log on to www.heroesofgaza.com

A Humble Reminder

One day of the many days
There was a man traveling on a trip with his Wife and Kids
And on the way he met someone standing in the roadway
So he asked him: Who are you?
He said:
I am the money

So the man asked his wife and kids :
Should we ask him to ride with us?

They said together: Yes of course because with the money it can help us if we wanted to do anything, and if we wanted to get anything we desired,
So they took the Money to ride with them.

And the vehicle continued its way until the man
met someone else on the road

So the Father asked: Who are you?

He said:

I am the high position and power

So the father asked his wife and kids :
Should we ask him to ride with us?

So they all answered together in one voice:

Yes of course because with the high position and power we have the ability to do anything we want and own anything we desired.

So they took the high position and power with them
And the vehicle continued to finish its trip .

And likewise he met in the same manner many people which give the pleasures and desires of this life, UNTIL ..
They met one person on the way..

The Father asks him Who are you?

He said:

I am the Deen (Islam)


So the father, wife, and kids said all together in one voice: No no this isn't the time, we desire the pleasures of this life and dunyah, and the Deen will prevent us and ban us from these things and it will take control over us, and we will be worn-out from being loyal to it and its learning. And the halal and the Haram, and this thing prayer and that thing hijab, and this fasting , and and and and and etc, It will be a burden upon us!!!
But what is certain is that we will definitely return for you to pick you up but only after we enjoy this life and everything in it.

So sadly they left him behind and the vehicle continued its trip.


And out of no where something appeared in the middle of the road

It was a check point in the road and it had a sign saying

STOP!!!

And they found a man gesturing for the father to get out of the vehicle.

So the man said to the father:
The trip has ended as far as you are concerned!!!!
And it is upon you to get out and come with me.


The father was shocked with fear and didn't say a word.


So the man said to him: I am searching for the DEEN.e Islam Is he with you?

He answered: No I left him not too far back. So if you can let me go back, I can get him for you :

You do not have the ability to go back, your trip has ended and there is no going back now.. returning is impossible said the man.

But I have

The Money,
The high position and power,
My Wife,
My Kids,
and and and and and and on.

The man said to him:
They will not benefit you nor will they
protect you in front of Allah. Not one bit!

And you will leave all of this, and not one of them will help you except for The Deen e Islam you know? The one which YOU left back in the road.
So the father asked: And who are you exactly?


I AM DEATH


The one which you were needless
of and didn't take into account in your trip!!


The father looked at his vehicle and found his wife taking control of it and continuing the trip with all of its passengers but him
And none of them stayed with him, and none of them helped him in any way.



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Abu Hurairah (r.a.) reported: Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

" Be prompt in doing good deeds (before you are overtaken) by turbulence which would be like a part of the dark night. A man would be a believer in the morning and turn to disbelief in the evening, or he would be a believer in the evening and turn disbeliever in the morning, and would sell his Faith for worldly goods" Riyadh-us Saliheen Muslim Haidth number 87 Chapter 106



Allah says in The Holy Quran Chapter 102 Surah Takhathur verses 1-2:

1 The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things; ie. salvation in the life Hereafter)

2 Until ye visit the graves (ie. until one is buried in one's grave!)

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