\r\n
\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n| Living \r\n the Quran |
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSurah Bani Israel \r\n (Children of Israel)
\r\n
\r\n [aka. Al-Isra (the Ascension)]
\r\n Chapter 17: Verse 53Translation:
\r\nTell My servants \r\n (O Muhammad), to always say that which is best. Verily it is Satan who \r\n sows discord among men. Satan indeed is an open enemy to man.
\r\nCommentary:
\r\nDo not loose temper
\r\nIn their discussions with the unbelievers and polytheists, \r\n in fact with all opponents of their faith, Muslims should refrain \r\n from losing their temper. Additionally, they should not \r\n resort to exaggerated and extremist statements. \r\n Even in the face of provocation from their opponents, Muslims should not \r\n utter even a word that is contrary to the truth; nor should they lose \r\n their temper at the vulgarities which are flung at them by their opponents, \r\n nor should they be provoked to the point of paying back their opponents \r\n in the latter’s own coins. \r\n Instead, they should keep their composure and say only that which is balanced \r\n and true, and is in keeping with the grace \r\n and dignity of the faith which they seek to uphold.
\r\nBe mindful of Satan
\r\nThe Quran tells believers that whenever in the course \r\n of their discussion on contentious issues with unbelievers, they feel \r\n overly provoked and overwhelmed with rage, they should immediately realize \r\n that such reactions are instigated by Satan who is keen to hurt \r\n the cause of their faith. Satan will certainly try to \r\n prompt the believers to give up, as their opponents had done, all efforts \r\n of reform, and to become entangled in futile \r\n wrangling and strife. For it is Satan’s aim that \r\n all mankind remain perpetually enmeshed in such controversies.
\r\n[compiled from \"Towards \r\n Understanding the Quran\" Vol. V by Abul Ala Mawdudi,
\r\n
\r\n (The Islamic Foundation, UK), p. 51]
| Understanding \r\n the Prophet's Life |
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe \r\n Evil Of Craving For Wealth And Status
\r\nThe Prophet, peace be upon him, \r\n said, "Two ravenous wolves \r\n remaining amongst sheep whose owner has lost them will not be \r\n more harmful than a Muslim`s seeking after wealth and status \r\n is to his Deen.” [at-Tabaranee]
\r\nThe first type of craving for wealth \r\n is that a person has extreme love \r\n for wealth and also relentlessly exerts efforts \r\n to attain it - via means which are lawful - being \r\n excessive in that, striving hard and making \r\n painstaking efforts and toiling in order to attain it.
\r\nIt has been reported that this \r\n hadeeth was in response to the appearance of some elements of \r\n this, as at-Tabaranee reports from Asim ibn Adiyy, may Allah \r\n be pleased with him, who said, "I bought a hundred shares \r\n from the shares of Khaybar and the news reached the Prophet," \r\n and so the Prophet uttered the above words.
\r\nThere is nothing more to chasing \r\n after wealth than the wastage \r\n of a person's noble life for that which has \r\n no value. Instead he could have earned a high rank (in Paradise) \r\n and everlasting bliss, but he lost this due to his craving after \r\n provision - which had already been assured to him and allotted \r\n to him, and it was not possible for anything to come to him \r\n except what was decreed for him - then on top of this he does \r\n not benefit from that, but rather abandons it and leaves \r\n it for someone else.
\r\n[By \r\n Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, taken from http://www.islaam.com/Article.asp?id=602]
\r\n
| Quotes \r\n to Ponder Upon |
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIn \r\n commenting on the title of "Rabbil `Alameen" that \r\n Allah is addressed with in Surah Al-Fatiha, Imam Muhammad Al-Razi \r\n [rahimahullah] (author of Tafsir al Fakhr Al Razi) says:
\r\n"Strange \r\n it is, that Allah, all praises belong to him, has other creations \r\n besides you (humans). Whereas you have no Sustainer besides \r\n Him. Yet He looks after you as if he has no other creation besides \r\n you; while you serve Him as if you have many sustainers besides \r\n Him!"
\r\n[Taken from Tafsir \r\n Ishraq Al-Ma`ani. Vol. 1. By Syed Iqbal Zaheer]
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| Your \r\n Family | Your Community |
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n:: 10 Things You Can Do For Your Mom ::
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOften, moms do virtually all of the \r\n giving and very little, if any, of the taking from \r\n their families. They may not say it, but most of them \r\n want to be appreciated in small ways. You don't have \r\n to buy them a car or a house (you could do that too), \r\n but it's the small things that count with mom.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nHere are some ideas of how you can \r\n let mom know that all of her giving has and continues \r\n to be appreciated.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n1. Give mom \r\n a vacation
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nDon't think Hawaii. Think \r\n of a day away from the kitchen. Or \r\n the home. Give her a vacation from the home where \r\n for her, most of the seemingly endless housework is \r\n done daily. Or, if she doesn't want that, start \r\n doing your share around the house. \r\n Maybe you could start giving her one day of the week \r\n off, when she does no cooking or household chores. \r\n Remember, fathers and husbands work hard at the office, \r\n but they get a two-day weekend in most cases. Moms \r\n usually don't even get a full day off. And if they \r\n are also working outside, it's like two full time \r\n jobs.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n2. Let's hear \r\n her life story: a mom's circle
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nShe may have read you bedtime stories \r\n when you were small, but now it's time for her to \r\n tell you a different story-about herself. Make a mom's \r\n circle at home in which you ask her to tell her life \r\n story. Mom's circle may actually turn into a project: \r\n one family member could write this up into a report, \r\n another could make a story book out of it and a third \r\n could video/audio record it. A mom's circle may become \r\n an ongoing family tradition.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[a continuing series based on \"10 Things \r\n You Can Do For Your Mom\" by SoundVision.com]\r\n