Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Good Cheer
Yunus (Jonah) - Chapter 10: Verse 58

"Say, 'In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy - in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.'"

We must learn to remedy our sorrows with joy and good cheer. There are so many things that we can rejoice in. We should rejoice in our very humanity, knowing that Allah has so honoured the human being. 

We should rejoice in the blessings that we have, and that we often overlook or take for granted. We should feel joy in being alive. We should rejoice in our family and loved ones, and in the provision that Allah has given us. 

We should take cheer in thanking Allah for His blessings, since through our gratitude Allah will continue to bless us. 

When Allah says in the aforementioned verse: "Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His Mercy…" He is calling us to rejoice in His bounty and His mercy. This refers to all the goodness that Allah provides for us in our lives, including but not limited to material wealth. 

Allah's bounty refers to His providence – to everything that He gives us that we obtain in a wholesome and lawful way. Even if what we are given is little, we should not exhaust ourselves spiritually and emotionally in the pursuit of wealth and in the incessant competition with those who may have more than us. A little wealth that suffices our needs is far better that an abundance of wealth accompanied by avarice and discontent. 

Allah likewise tells us to rejoice in His mercy, which we can find in our knowledge of Him, in our faith, in the revelation of the Qur'an, and in the goodness He has placed in our hearts. 

When we achieve joy and contentment in these two aspects, we have attained true worldly happiness. This is a blessing that Allah bestows on whomever He pleases. Moreover, it is a blessing born of faith, since faith brings us to pin our hopes on Allah and to set our sights on the Hereafter. Faith allows us to look beyond our present circumstances – even when those circumstances seem hopeless – with the expectation of surmounting them by Allah's grace. 

We take strength in such faith so we can persevere.

Compiled From:
"Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His Mercy - in that let them rejoice" - Salman al-Oadah

From Issue: 800 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Poor-due of Ramadan

The Messenger made incumbent on every male or female, freeman or slave, young or old, the payment of one sa' of dates or barley as charity or poor-due or charity for Ramadan. The people then equalized one sa' of dates or barley with half a sa' of wheat. Others used to give dates. Once there was scarcity of dates in Medinah and they gave barley. Even if a baby is born to the family before the Festival prayer, the poor-due at the end of Ramadan (zakat al-fitr) becomes obligatory on the guardians to be paid on behalf of the newly born child. The head of the family is responsible to pay on behalf of each member of the family, especially if they are young, but if they are adults then they must pay it by themselves. The husband must pay on behalf of the wife. Any person who possesses the day's provision for self and family has to pay the poor-due at the end of Ramadan.

The poor-due purifies the soul of the fasting person. Ibn Abbas narrated, "The Messenger, upon whom be peace, made charity of poor-due compulsory as purification of a fasting person from vile discourse and vain talks and also as food to the poor and the needy." [Abu Dawud] In another narration, Ibn Abbas said, "The Messenger enjoined charity of the poor-due so that those who observe fasting are purified of their indecent and shameful errors, and the poor and the needy ones are enabled to arrange for their necessities of food and clothing." [Abu Dawud] Therefore a person who gives his poor-due before the prescribed Festival prayer will be accepted by God as poor-due marking the end of Ramadan, but whosoever gives it after the prescribed Festival prayer will be treated as an ordinary charity. Poor-due also serves as a token of thankfulness to God for having enabled him or her to observe the fast.

Compiled From:
Ramadan: Motivating Believers To Action, "The Poor Due at the End of Ramadan" - Navid Hanif

From Issue: 1001 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Top 5 skills to teach your kids this summer

While we want our kids to relax after a grueling school year, it's important their brains don't turn to mush while school's out.

There are many productive things kids can do, but here is our list of top five skills they should learn to succeed in school and beyond.

1. Learn CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation)

"And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people...." (Quran 5:32)

What could be a more useful skill than one that helps preserves life itself? Check out your local Red Cross to find out where and when the next CPR class is being offered.

2. Writing a letter to the editor

This teaches assertiveness, clarity in thought, and basic writing skills all in one. All it requires is being able to write simple English. Find an article that your child feels strongly about in the local newspaper. Discuss it first, then put your thoughts down on paper. Then help him or her compose a letter to the editor and send it off. If it gets published, post it up on the fridge!

3. Swimming

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, emphasized teaching children how to swim. It is not only great exercise and fun, but it could also save your life. Check out your local park district or gym for lessons.

4. Managing money

Help your kids avoid problems like debt, impulsive shopping, and overspending by teaching them money management skills this summer. If you already don't, start giving your child a weekly allowance. Then, help him or her draft a budget of how to spend and save. Also, make sure they give to charity.

5. Volunteering for a cause

Giving and not receiving any monetary return is a skill critical in our increasingly materialistic culture. Assess your child's skills, talents, and interests, and find a volunteer opportunity for him or her this summer. Some ideas include: helping peace and justice groups; helping younger kids learn English; making and delivering meals to an elderly person who cannot get out much; writing articles for a non-profit organization's website or helping with its technical aspects; answering phone calls, etc. 

Source:
"Top 10 skills to teach your kids this summer" - Samana Siddiqui

From Issue: 481 [Read original issue]