Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Lost Opportunity
Al Muminun (The Believers) - Chapter 23: Verses 99-100

"When death comes to one of them, he says, 'My Lord, let me return, let me return to life, so that I may act righteously in whatever I have left behind.' Nay, it is but a meaningless word he utters; for, behind them now is the barrier of death until the day they shall be raised up."

Allah has created everything with a fixed life span. Indeed there is no certainty of life except death. Not only is death itself inescapable, but the place and the very day and hour of death have been forever fixed.

In death we are compelled to return to God. In life, however, we can choose to draw closer to God voluntarily by living our lives according to His will. In this way, we have the opportunity to meet Allah and gain His pleasure even before we leave this world.

Those who fail to use the bounties of Allah to earn His pleasure during this life will forever regret their mistakes, for the cessation of life brings the cessation of opportunities for redemption and salvation.

Compiled From:
"In the Early Hours" - Khurram Murad, pp. 136, 137

Understanding The Prophet's Life

The Art of Asking

Remembrance has greater merit than supplication. This is because remembrance is adulation of God Almighty by the beauty of His attributes, His gifts and His names; while supplication consists in the servant asking God for something he needs. And what is this compared to that? Thus, it is stated in a hadith: 'To someone too busy with My remembrance to supplicate Me, I give what is more excellent than what I give to those who ask.' [Muslim]

This is also why the preferred form of supplication begins with praise and adulation for God, then gives blessings upon His Prophet and, finally, asks for what one needs. This follows a hadith from Fudala Ibn Ubayd. When the Messenger of God heard a man in worship supplicating God without praising Him and without invoking blessings upon His Prophet, he remarked, 'This one has rushed things.' Then he called the man over and said to him or someone else [who was with them], 'When one of you offers the prayer, let him begin with adulation for his Lord Almighty, then let him ask for blessings upon the Prophet. After that, let him ask for what he wants.' [Ahmad, Tirmidhi]

Compiled From:
"The Invocation of God" - Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, p. 120

Blindspot!

Drugs and Alcohol: 10 Reminders

1. Know the law. All kinds of narcotic drugs and alcohol are forbidden by Islam. They are also illegal in most part of the world. Apart from the fact that you are accountable to Allah for what you do and could very well be punished in this life and the next for using drugs and alcohol, you could also face legal penalties according to the law: depending on where you are caught, you could face high fines and jail time.
2. Be aware of the risks. Drinking or using drugs increases the risk of injury. Car crashes, falls, burns, drowning, and suicide are all linked to drug use.
3. Keep your edge. Drug use can ruin your looks, make you depressed, and contribute to slipping grades.
4. Play it safe. One incident of drug use could make you do something that you will regret for a lifetime.
5. Do the smart thing. Using drugs puts your health, education, family ties, and social life at risk.
6. Get with the program. Doing drugs isn't "in".
7. Think twice about what you're advertising when you buy and wear T-shirts, hats, pins, or jewellery with a pot leaf, joint, blunt, beer can, or other drug paraphernalia on them. Do you want to promote something that can cause cancer? make you forget things? or make it difficult to drive a car?
8. Face your problems. Using drugs won't help you escape your problems, it will only create more.
9. Be a real friend. If you know someone with a drug problem, be part of the solution. Urge your friend to get help.
10. Remember, you DON'T NEED drugs or alcohol. If you think "everybody's doing it," you're wrong! Over 86% of 12-17 year-olds have never tried marijuana; over 98% have never used cocaine; only about half a percent of them have ever used crack. Doing drugs won't make you happy or popular or help you to learn the skills you need as you grow up. In fact, doing drugs can cause you to fail at all of these things.

Compiled From:
"Tips for Teens on Drugs, alcohol, and your friends" - SoundVision.com