Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Exposure of the Heart
Al-Mulk (The Sovereignty) - Chapter 67: Verse 13

"And conceal your speech or publicise it; indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts."

There is naught in this universe except that it is known to Allah, even thoughts and ideas. Whatever crosses one's mind is known to Him; one may keep 'secrets' from other people but one can never keep anything hidden from Allah. Allah knows all that takes place in the universe at once, for He is Omniscient. This attribute is part and parcel of the Islamic creed. The awareness of this attribute, that we are constantly exposed to Him, should have a positive impact on our behaviour. One should be embarrassed to harbour ill thoughts or ill feelings in one's heart or to contemplate wrongdoing, being fully aware that Allah continuously watches one. Moving from being watched to the Watchful, Allah, one should check the action that one contemplates, if it is for His sake, then it should be carried out, but if it is for the sake of Satan, one should refrain immediately from it. And when an action is done for Allah's sake, it should be perfected, taking into consideration all the proper proprieties associated with it.

Being conscious of the exposure of the heart leads to the modification of one's behaviour, hastening to do what is right in the sight of Allah, and shunning what He has prohibited. The heart will then be tranquil, and the limbs will be the witnesses to this state of the heart, by partaking in its tranquillity. As Allah knows one's best-kept secrets, including sinful deeds that are only known to him, one should ask for forgiveness, protection against ill intentions as well as against being exposed in public.

One usually makes one's appearances good for others to see, because they can be seen, and only when one's appearances are seen by them. The same logic applies to the heart. It is seen by Allah all the time. Therefore, one should make one's heart good for Him, by cleansing it from all impurities and adorning it with His traits.

Compiled From:
"A Treasury of Ghazali" - Mustafa Abu Sway

From Issue: 1029 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Humility

Getting close to Allah by voluntary deeds is only done by those people who are completely humble and submissive to Allah. Similarly, having love for the beloved servants of Allah (His Auliya) only comes about through humility and humbleness. Furthermore, some of Allah's beloved servants are the poorest and most humble people of this world. One must love them and be kind to them and accept them as one's brothers. This can only be accomplished by those who are humble and free of arrogant pride. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated,

"Allah has revealed to me that you must be humble, so that no one boasts over another." [Muslim]

Compiled From:
"Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi" - Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 1439-1441

From Issue: 653 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Time-Management Tips

1. First things first: Figure out the real priorities in your life. What's worth spending an hour on? What comes first? What is a must-do and what is good-to-do?

2. Allocate time consistently to activities that matter. Unless you plan for and schedule time for community work, or studies, or attending to parents, spouse, or children, on daily basis, it's not considered important enough to you; chances are you will eventually start neglecting these high priority actions.

3. Schedule your day around five daily prayers. No compromises. This will not only develop your discipline but also your will-power to live a purposeful life.

4. Plan for significant events in your life yearly. Whether it's getting married, or applying for university, or going to Hajj, or paying Zakat, or attending a conference, or organizing a community event, plan for it so other trivial matters do not distract you from your goal.

5. Be an early riser. Schedule your important tasks, especially that require mental exercise, earlier in the day, and see the Baraka (blessings) from Allah do the magic!

6. Honour other's time. Aim to make it to the meetings, classes, events 10 minutes before the start time. If you are running late, inform the other parties. Honouring other's time is part of fulfilling your promise. Breaking a promise not only causes inconvenience to others but also makes you lose respect in their sight.

7. Just do it! Don't waste any opportunity to do good. Don't wait to 'get old' to fix your life. If you are not willing to live a purpose-driven, productive life now, then how do you expect Allah to give you a chance in the future?

8. Be optimistic and futuristic. Do not let failures and disappointments in life distract you from your lofty goals. Look beyond the temporal realities and plan for the future that matters. Otherwise, you may remain a loser now, as well as in the future.

9. Think of a positive legacy you would like to leave, regardless of the time you have. Make your intention today to make a positive difference in your life and the lives of others. If you die tomorrow, your intention will count as your plan for a mission-driven life. But it won't happen if you don't act today to develop a firm intention and plan.

Compiled From:
"9 Things You Can Do To Revive the Prophet's Time-Management Sunnah" - Taha Ghayyur

From Issue: 973 [Read original issue]