Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Stand Up
Hud (Prophet Hud) Sura 11: Verse 116 (partial)

"Why were there not among the generations before you owners of wisdom restraining others from corruption on the earth, except a few of those whom We delivered from among them?"

This verse holds a mirror to the conduct of earlier communities. It forcefully and effectively remarks on their failings. So doing, the Quran reminds Muslims of their role as the leaders of mankind, their duty to reform and to enjoin good and forbid evil. Muslims will be held accountable on these counts.

Moral decay is like a fire raging through a community; it does not discriminate. People are quickly corrupted by rampant immorality, leaving only a select few with the fervour generated by faith to fight against it.

The Quran does not warn mankind in this instance against polytheism. The focus of attention instead is on moral corruption. Only a select band of true believers stand up against it.

Throughout history there have been those who resisted corruption in all its forms, be it mammon-worship or base desire. They remain ever ready to expose falsehood.

Compiled From:
"Guidance from the Holy Quran" - Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, pp. 163, 164

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Dangers of Procrastination

Those who are used to delaying things till a later time or like doing things last minute don’t realize the costs of procrastination.

Procrastinators think that tomorrow is guaranteed to them. How can they put off an immediate priority, an obligatory act, or a good deed till a time when they may not even be alive?

Even if they live till tomorrow, they cannot be certain that their day will free of obstacles and distractions. How can they be sure they will have the time and energy to carry out that action? The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, used to call on Muslims to take the initiative to do good deeds before any problems arise.

For instance, he said, “Lose no time to do good deeds before you are caught up by one of seven calamities awaiting you:

1. a starvation which may impair your wisdom;
2. a prosperity which may mislead you;
3. an ailment which may damage your health;
4. an old age which may harm your senses;
5. a sudden death;
6. the Dajjal (Antichrist);
7. or Doomsday, which is indeed the hardest and most bitter.”
(at-Tirmidhi, al-Baihaqi)

Procrastinators don’t appreciate the time, means, and opportunity Allah gives them to be productive. As Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, once stated, “Good health and spare time are two of the blessings of Allah with respect to which many people are deceived.” (Al-Bukhari)

Each day has its own share of work and each time has its own share of obligations. Therefore there is no such thing as idle time.

Postponement of good deeds and delaying of charitable acts leads people to become accustomed to ignoring them gradually. After a while they don’t even feel what good they are missing. Procrastination can eventually lead to sinning.

Compiled From:
"Perils of Procrastination" - Taha Ghayyur

Blindspot!

Good Thinking: You Can Do It!

Good thinkers are always in demand. A person who knows how may always have a job, but a person who knows why will always be his own boss. Good thinkers solve problems, they never lack ideas that can build an organization, and they always have hope for a better future. Good thinkers would rarely find themselves at the mercy of ruthless people who would take advantage of them or try to deceive them. In short good thinkers are successful in all circumstances.

Here is the good news. How successful people think can be learned. Good thinking can take you to a whole new level - personally and professionally. If you change your thinking, you can change your life!

Three things you need to know about changing your thinking:

1- Changed Thinking is Not Automatic: Sadly, a change in thinking doesn't happen on its own. Good ideas rarely go out and find someone. If you want to find a good idea, you must search for it. If you want to become a good thinker, you must work at it - and once you begin to become a better thinker, the good ideas keep coming.

2- Changed Thinking is Difficult: The only people who believe thinking is easy are those who don't habitually engage in it. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstien, one of the best thinkers who ever lived, asserted, "Thinking is hard work; that's why so few do it." Because thinking is difficult, you want to use anything you can to help you improve the process.

3- Changed Thinking is Woth the Investment: Author, Napoleon Hill observed, "More gold has been mined from the thoughts of man than has ever been taken from the earth." When you take the time to learn how to change your thinking and become a better thinker, you are investing in yourself. Gold mines tap out. Stock markets crash. Real estate investments can go sour. But a human mind with the ability to think well is like a diamond mine that never runs out. It's priceless.

Compiled From:
"How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life" by John C. Maxwell, pages IX-X1.