Caught Red Handed | Main | The Qur'an »
by Rami Mahmoud Elsawah
Religion has always been the greatest method of social and self reform; which is why it’s strongest base has always been from the poor, the oppressed, and the weak.
"O ye that believe! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger, and He will bestow on you a double portion of His Mercy: He will provide for you a Light by which ye shall walk (straight in your path), and He will forgive you (your past): for Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Qu'ran 57:28)
If there was any way to measure the amount of good we could expect from others it would not be by how much they call themselves religious but by how much they adhere to those age old test of doing good, standing up to injustice, and benefiting humanity. Faith is shown through our actions. We need not be presidents and prime ministers in order to change the world for the good. But by committing every day to making our lives purer and purer we will find ourselves having to stand up for justice, having to speak truth, and having to do good in order to sleep at night with a clean soul. Even saying a good word can have far reaching implications.
From the time we wake up, if we don't start with a clear soul and perception, then we carry the faults and evils of the day with us till we sleep. Then, as we begin to complete another day we add more vices onto our pile. If we don't take the proper steps to purify ourselves everyday of our inner evils then we will soon find our pile of carried baggage so hard to clean up our hearts will become weighed down.
Someone once said that sins grow like a tree. But f you constantly make repentance to Allah, it will be easy to cut down. Otherwise, the roots will settle and the bark will fully harden.
Al-Agharr al-Muzani who was from amongst the Companions of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) reported that Ibn 'Umar stated to him that Allah's Messenger (may peace 'be upon him) said: O people, seek repentance from Allah. Verily, I seek repentance from Him a hundred times a day.(Sahih Muslim; Book 035, Number 6523)
One thing we can do to cut down this tree:
Let us substitute everyday words with "SubhannAllah" or "Astaghfirullah", things that will give us benefit even when we don't notice it.
I like the title of this article: the good inside of us.
Sometimes, in life it is so hard to keep going on.
You just wanna cry and cry and cry.
Yet my mom told me that excessive crying is a weak state for a person and one should only cry out of love and fear of Allaah SWT and not for their troubles.
on April 20, 2007 6:47 PMAsalaam Aleikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatu,
"Yet my mom told me that excessive crying is a weak state for a person and one should only cry out of love and fear of Allaah SWT and not for their troubles."
Crying is a ntarual human thing, don't be afraid of doing so...just also make dua. Prophet Jacob went blind from his crying but was also so trusting in the mercy of Allah.
Memorize the dua he says below and say this when you are sad ""I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah,"
Read below from Surat Yusuf:
"And he turned away from them, and said: "How great is my grief for Joseph!" And his eyes became white with sorrow, and he fell into silent melancholy.
They said: "By Allah. (never) wilt thou cease to remember Joseph until thou reach the last extremity of illness, or until thou die!"
He said: "I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah, and I know from Allah that which ye know not...
"O my sons! go ye and enquire about Joseph and his brother, and never give up hope of Allah.s Soothing Mercy: truly no one despairs of Allah.s Soothing Mercy, except those who have no faith." "
(Qu'ran 12:84-87)
on April 20, 2007 7:02 PMThen, We sent after them, Our Messengers, and We sent 'Iesa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary), and gave him the Injeel (Gospel). And We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him, compassion and mercy. But the Monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them, but (they sought it) only to please Allâh therewith, but that they did not observe it with the right observance. So We gave those among them who believed, their (due) reward, but many of them are Fâsiqûn (rebellious, disobedient to Allâh). (Al-Hadid
O you who believe [in Mûsa (Moses) (i.e. Jews) and 'Iesa (Jesus) (i.e. Christians)]! Fear Allâh, and believe too in His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight), and He will forgive you. And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Al-Hadid 57:28)
So that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may know that they have no power whatsoever over the Grace of Allâh, and that (His) Grace is (entirely) in His Hand to bestow it on whomsoever He wills. And Allâh is the Owner of Great Bounty. (Al-Hadid 57:29)
To the 1st commenter: I wish I could cry more. These days, I cannot cry too much because the moment I start, the thought comes to mind, think of other people suffering, your worries are NOTHING!! Then I grudgingly have to accept I have nothing to cry about.
Seriously, it becomes almost impossible to cry after you come to realize the extent of others' suffering.
This doesn't include crying for Allah etc. Just general crying when something bad happens..
on August 15, 2007 12:31 PM