Saturday, November 29, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Honesty
By 'Ali Ba Dahdah
Honesty is one of the greatest of all moral virtues. From it springs forth many of the noblest of human qualities like integrity, chastity, and valor. Some people might suppose that honesty is restricted to words. This is not the case. Honesty can manifest itself in our actions as well as in our innermost state of being.
The great scholar and ethical thinker, al-Muhâsibî, once said: “For honesty to be complete, it must exist in three things. It must exist in the heart as one’s faith, it must exist in the intentions behind one’s deeds, and it must be present in the words that one speaks.”
Honesty penetrates to the innermost fiber of a person when his inner being is in harmony with his outer self. A person’s deeds are honest only when he practices what he professes. Dishonesty in deed is more despicable than dishonesty in word, for it is naught but a hypocritical display of sincerity. This is what the brothers of Joseph (peace be upon him) did when they came with Joseph’s bloody clothing to their father. Allah says: “So they came with his shirt stained with false blood.” [Sûrah Yûsuf: 18]
Allah warns us saying: “O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do? It is loathsome indeed with Allah that you say what you do not do.” [Sûrah al-Saff: 3]
Truth in word is the most familiar and obvious kind of truth, since every statement that is inconsistent with reality is obviously a lie. Allah says: “Verily those who fabricate a lie against Allah will not find success.”
Allah commands the believers, saying: “O you who believe, fear Allah and be among those who are honest.”
Allah gives glad tidings to the believers who are honest. He says: “Allah will reward the honest people for their honesty.”
Allah informs us that our honesty will bring us good even in this world: “And when a matter is resolved upon, it would be best for them if they were true to Allah.” And of course, honesty will be of doubtless benefit to us in the Hereafter. Allah says: “This is the day that the honest people will benefit from their honesty.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 119]
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was renowned for his honesty long before he began to receive revelation and became Allah’s Messenger. He had been known among his people for years as al-Amîn (the Trustworthy).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) informed us of the effects that both honesty and dishonesty have on our personalities when he said: “Honesty brings about security and lying fosters doubts.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “Honesty leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man remains honest and concerned about honesty until he is recorded as an honest man with Allah. Lying leads to sinfulness and sinfulness leads to the Fire. A man keeps lying and remains partial to lies until he is recorded as a liar with Allah.” [Sahîh al-Bukharî and Sahîh Muslim]
He also explained the effects that honesty and dishonesty have on our interpersonal dealings: “Honesty and clarity are blessed for both parties to a sale, while concealment and deceit destroy the blessings of their sale.” [Sahîh al-Bukharî and Sahîh Muslim]
We must be honest in our relationship with Allah. There are many dimensions to this most important expression of honesty. There is our sincerity to Allah. Then there is being cognizant that Allah is ever watchful of what we do. There is the sense of humility and shame that we must feel before Him. If we truly want to be honest in our relationship with Allah, we must become so fully sincere to Him that there remains in our hearts no other motive for what we do but to seek His pleasure. We must care nothing for the thanks and appreciation of our fellow men. We can achieve this by making our greatest concern the attainment of Allah’s mercy. We must be constantly aware that Allah is ever watchful over us. This will make us feel too shy to ever willingly disobey Allah.
Honesty with other people is also extremely important. There are many aspects to this as well.
First, we must be honest in our dispensation towards others. We should not behave deceptively and present a false face to people. Instead, we must be genuine and straightforward with people as much as possible.
We must be honest in what we say. This requires from us to be careful to ascertain the truth of the news that we hear before we go ahead and pass it on to others. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “It is enough to make a person a liar that he tells others everything that he hears.”
We must be honest in giving advice to people. We should be sincere in our advice and truly do our best to help people avoid misfortune and attain what is good for them.
We need to be even more honest with our spouses. We must be able to confide in them and speak freely to them about our concerns, our secrets, and our ambitions. A husband or wife is a life partner, a friend, a confidant. The more openly a husband and wife are able to communicate with each other in an atmosphere of trust and confidence, the stronger their relationship will be.
Honesty, in fact, engenders strength on every level. On the personal level, it provides integrity, self worth, and inner fortitude. On the social level, it lends depth and substance to our relationships with other people. On the spiritual level, it brings about the sincerity to our Lord that is the key to our salvation.
Courtesy Of: IslamToday.net
The great scholar and ethical thinker, al-Muhâsibî, once said: “For honesty to be complete, it must exist in three things. It must exist in the heart as one’s faith, it must exist in the intentions behind one’s deeds, and it must be present in the words that one speaks.”
Honesty penetrates to the innermost fiber of a person when his inner being is in harmony with his outer self. A person’s deeds are honest only when he practices what he professes. Dishonesty in deed is more despicable than dishonesty in word, for it is naught but a hypocritical display of sincerity. This is what the brothers of Joseph (peace be upon him) did when they came with Joseph’s bloody clothing to their father. Allah says: “So they came with his shirt stained with false blood.” [Sûrah Yûsuf: 18]
Allah warns us saying: “O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do? It is loathsome indeed with Allah that you say what you do not do.” [Sûrah al-Saff: 3]
Truth in word is the most familiar and obvious kind of truth, since every statement that is inconsistent with reality is obviously a lie. Allah says: “Verily those who fabricate a lie against Allah will not find success.”
Allah commands the believers, saying: “O you who believe, fear Allah and be among those who are honest.”
Allah gives glad tidings to the believers who are honest. He says: “Allah will reward the honest people for their honesty.”
Allah informs us that our honesty will bring us good even in this world: “And when a matter is resolved upon, it would be best for them if they were true to Allah.” And of course, honesty will be of doubtless benefit to us in the Hereafter. Allah says: “This is the day that the honest people will benefit from their honesty.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 119]
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was renowned for his honesty long before he began to receive revelation and became Allah’s Messenger. He had been known among his people for years as al-Amîn (the Trustworthy).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) informed us of the effects that both honesty and dishonesty have on our personalities when he said: “Honesty brings about security and lying fosters doubts.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “Honesty leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man remains honest and concerned about honesty until he is recorded as an honest man with Allah. Lying leads to sinfulness and sinfulness leads to the Fire. A man keeps lying and remains partial to lies until he is recorded as a liar with Allah.” [Sahîh al-Bukharî and Sahîh Muslim]
He also explained the effects that honesty and dishonesty have on our interpersonal dealings: “Honesty and clarity are blessed for both parties to a sale, while concealment and deceit destroy the blessings of their sale.” [Sahîh al-Bukharî and Sahîh Muslim]
We must be honest in our relationship with Allah. There are many dimensions to this most important expression of honesty. There is our sincerity to Allah. Then there is being cognizant that Allah is ever watchful of what we do. There is the sense of humility and shame that we must feel before Him. If we truly want to be honest in our relationship with Allah, we must become so fully sincere to Him that there remains in our hearts no other motive for what we do but to seek His pleasure. We must care nothing for the thanks and appreciation of our fellow men. We can achieve this by making our greatest concern the attainment of Allah’s mercy. We must be constantly aware that Allah is ever watchful over us. This will make us feel too shy to ever willingly disobey Allah.
Honesty with other people is also extremely important. There are many aspects to this as well.
First, we must be honest in our dispensation towards others. We should not behave deceptively and present a false face to people. Instead, we must be genuine and straightforward with people as much as possible.
We must be honest in what we say. This requires from us to be careful to ascertain the truth of the news that we hear before we go ahead and pass it on to others. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “It is enough to make a person a liar that he tells others everything that he hears.”
We must be honest in giving advice to people. We should be sincere in our advice and truly do our best to help people avoid misfortune and attain what is good for them.
We need to be even more honest with our spouses. We must be able to confide in them and speak freely to them about our concerns, our secrets, and our ambitions. A husband or wife is a life partner, a friend, a confidant. The more openly a husband and wife are able to communicate with each other in an atmosphere of trust and confidence, the stronger their relationship will be.
Honesty, in fact, engenders strength on every level. On the personal level, it provides integrity, self worth, and inner fortitude. On the social level, it lends depth and substance to our relationships with other people. On the spiritual level, it brings about the sincerity to our Lord that is the key to our salvation.
Courtesy Of: IslamToday.net
Saturday, November 01, 2008
My Little Daughter – A heart rendering story about patience
By Sister Khadejah
Little Sarah (pronounced the Arabic way Sar – ra – h with emphasis on the ‘h’) Vachor was with us for 1 hour and 4 minutes this morning. She was hugged and loved by her brothers and sisters, spent some quality time in her parents’ arms, and as everyone was leaving she was placed in my arms where she died peacefully.
Imam (our religious leader) came to the hospital to wash and shroud her, then the Janazah prayer was prayed for her in Marion mosque, with her brothers (Zakariyya 11 and Omar 7) there to farewell her.
She was finally put to rest in the cemetery at Al-Khalil Mosque this afternoon.
In accordance with her rights in Islam she was buried as quickly as possible so she receive her glad tidings of Paradise from the Angels.
It was the day she was meant to arrive, even though it has been planned for weeks. Sarah was ready today because when I got up this morning her little toes were presenting from the cervix. We were blessed with this sign so we can be relieved of any doubt that we chose the right time to have her.
My dear husband, Ali, was beside me the whole time telling me beautiful stories of the Prophet SAW and the Sahabah RA to distract me from what was happening in the operating theatre. The Qu’ran (our Holy Book) was being recited in the background. And when Ali had our daughter in his arms for the first time he said the Adhan (the call to prayer) in her right ear and the Iqama (the call to line up and pray) in the left ear. It was a moment that all in the theatre felt a tear in their eyes.
She arrived in this world with her ears filled with the sound of the Qu’ran and her father’s call to prayer.
When I was cleared to return to my room, my children Zakariyya, Omar, Soukaina (5) and Thoraiya (20 months) were waiting with their grandparents to meet her. My parents were wonderful, they made it so easy for me, knowing the children were being looked after in the best way emotionally and physically. They played a very special role today, one that I am so grateful for. All the children had a cuddle and photo with her. Thoraiya was getting restless and it seemed time for Mum to take the kids. Ali handed Sarah to me so he could comfort Thoraiya as the family was leaving the room.
She held on by the Will of Allah for everyone to have their turn, and once she was in my arms again, it was as if she knew she was back with mum now and she could quietly slip away. It was hard to tell she was breathing the whole time but I knew in my heart the moment she closed her eyes that she had breathed her last breath. The moments of her life were so perfect, and her passing so peaceful. She never cried once.
Ali then juggled all the arrangements for Sarah’s burial, time with his precious little girl and still managed to be so supportive and caring towards me. He is a very special person, the best husband and dad. I held her while arrangements were being made and her colour and look deteriorated. I truly saw the wisdom in hastening the burial, to preserve the memory of her beautiful face. After Imam had washed her and before the last piece of shroud was placed across her face my husband brought her to me for one last look, she was so peaceful surrounded in white and smelt so beautiful of the perfume they bathed her in. Then she left for her final journey to her grave.
The hospital staff were amazing and really made today a very special day. I cannot think of a single thing that any of the staff could have done differently! Not only did they take into consideration all our religious needs, they were extremely patient and understanding, without hesitation, for every request we had. They did go beyond the call of duty and with the greatest respect towards us and our faith.
Today has been a very special day. She was so beautiful. I do not regret a single moment of suffering or anguish of the last months of knowing how unwell she was, because that few moments she was with us were so precious and gave us all so much.
When a child dies at a young age she goes straight to Paradise , and on the Day of Judgment she will call from the Gates of Paradise for her parents to be allowed to join her. From Allah we come and to Him we return. We have truly been blessed today with a beautiful daughter, who in her short presence has been a gift and a source of so many life lessons.
Alhumdu Lillah (Praise be to Allah)
Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’oon. (From Allah we come and to Him we return)
The biggest lesson from today is placing our trust in Allah SWT. When you choose the path pleasing to Allah SWT, stand up for what is right no matter what the personal sacrifice; Allah SWT blesses you with more than you can ever dream of! Allahu Akbar.
Imam (our religious leader) came to the hospital to wash and shroud her, then the Janazah prayer was prayed for her in Marion mosque, with her brothers (Zakariyya 11 and Omar 7) there to farewell her.
She was finally put to rest in the cemetery at Al-Khalil Mosque this afternoon.
In accordance with her rights in Islam she was buried as quickly as possible so she receive her glad tidings of Paradise from the Angels.
It was the day she was meant to arrive, even though it has been planned for weeks. Sarah was ready today because when I got up this morning her little toes were presenting from the cervix. We were blessed with this sign so we can be relieved of any doubt that we chose the right time to have her.
My dear husband, Ali, was beside me the whole time telling me beautiful stories of the Prophet SAW and the Sahabah RA to distract me from what was happening in the operating theatre. The Qu’ran (our Holy Book) was being recited in the background. And when Ali had our daughter in his arms for the first time he said the Adhan (the call to prayer) in her right ear and the Iqama (the call to line up and pray) in the left ear. It was a moment that all in the theatre felt a tear in their eyes.
She arrived in this world with her ears filled with the sound of the Qu’ran and her father’s call to prayer.
When I was cleared to return to my room, my children Zakariyya, Omar, Soukaina (5) and Thoraiya (20 months) were waiting with their grandparents to meet her. My parents were wonderful, they made it so easy for me, knowing the children were being looked after in the best way emotionally and physically. They played a very special role today, one that I am so grateful for. All the children had a cuddle and photo with her. Thoraiya was getting restless and it seemed time for Mum to take the kids. Ali handed Sarah to me so he could comfort Thoraiya as the family was leaving the room.
She held on by the Will of Allah for everyone to have their turn, and once she was in my arms again, it was as if she knew she was back with mum now and she could quietly slip away. It was hard to tell she was breathing the whole time but I knew in my heart the moment she closed her eyes that she had breathed her last breath. The moments of her life were so perfect, and her passing so peaceful. She never cried once.
Ali then juggled all the arrangements for Sarah’s burial, time with his precious little girl and still managed to be so supportive and caring towards me. He is a very special person, the best husband and dad. I held her while arrangements were being made and her colour and look deteriorated. I truly saw the wisdom in hastening the burial, to preserve the memory of her beautiful face. After Imam had washed her and before the last piece of shroud was placed across her face my husband brought her to me for one last look, she was so peaceful surrounded in white and smelt so beautiful of the perfume they bathed her in. Then she left for her final journey to her grave.
The hospital staff were amazing and really made today a very special day. I cannot think of a single thing that any of the staff could have done differently! Not only did they take into consideration all our religious needs, they were extremely patient and understanding, without hesitation, for every request we had. They did go beyond the call of duty and with the greatest respect towards us and our faith.
Today has been a very special day. She was so beautiful. I do not regret a single moment of suffering or anguish of the last months of knowing how unwell she was, because that few moments she was with us were so precious and gave us all so much.
When a child dies at a young age she goes straight to Paradise , and on the Day of Judgment she will call from the Gates of Paradise for her parents to be allowed to join her. From Allah we come and to Him we return. We have truly been blessed today with a beautiful daughter, who in her short presence has been a gift and a source of so many life lessons.
Alhumdu Lillah (Praise be to Allah)
Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’oon. (From Allah we come and to Him we return)
The biggest lesson from today is placing our trust in Allah SWT. When you choose the path pleasing to Allah SWT, stand up for what is right no matter what the personal sacrifice; Allah SWT blesses you with more than you can ever dream of! Allahu Akbar.
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