The Migration (Hijrah/Hijrat) of Prophet Muhmmad (peace be upon him) to Madina

Aisha (Radiyallahu anha,  May Allah be pleased with her.) (the wife of the Prophet PBUH) narrated that I never remembered my parents believing in any religion other than the true religion (i.e. Islam), and (I don't remember) a single day passing without our being visited by Allah's Apostle  in the morning and in the evening. When the Muslims were put to test (i.e. troubled by the pagans), Abu Bakr (ra) (Father of Aisha ra)set out migrating to the land of Ethiopia, and when he reached Bark-al-Ghimad, Ibn Ad-Daghina, the chief of the tribe of Qara, met him and said, "O Abu Bakr! Where are you going?" Abu Bakr replied, "My people have turned me out (of my country), so I want to wander on the earth and worship my Lord." Ibn Ad-Daghina said, "O Abu Bakr! A man like you should not leave his home-land, nor should he be driven out, beCause you help the destitute, earn their livings, and you keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the weak and poor, entertain guests generously, and help the calamity-stricken persons. Therefore I am your protector. Go back and worship your Lord in your town."

So Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu anhu) returned and Ibn Ad-Daghina accompanied him. In the evening Ibn Ad-Daghina visited the nobles of Quraish and said to them, "A man like Abu Bakr should not leave his homeland, nor should he be driven out. Do you (i.e. Quraish) drive out a man who helps the destitute, earns their living, keeps good relations with his kith and kin, helps the weak and poor, entertains guests generously and helps the calamity-stricken persons?" So the people of Quraish could not refuse Ibn Ad-Daghina's protection, and they said to Ibn Ad-Daghina, "Let Abu Bakr worship his Lord in his house. He can pray and recite there whatever he likes, but he should not hurt us with it, and should not do it publicly, beCause we are afraid that he may affect our women and children." Ibn Ad-Daghina told Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu anhu) of all that. Abu Bakr stayed in that state, worshipping his Lord in his house. He did not pray publicly, nor did he recite Qur'an outside his house.

Read more »

"None spoke in cradle but three"

Narrated Abu Huraira (ra)


The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "None spoke in cradle but three: (The first was) Jesus, (the second was) a man from Bani Israel called Juraij. While he was offering his prayers, his mother came and called him. He said (to himself), 'Shall I answer her or keep on praying?' (He went on praying) and did not answer her, his mother said, 'O Allah! Do not let him die till he sees the faces of prostitutes.' So while he was in his hermitage, a lady came and sought to seduce him, but he refused.

So she went to a shepherd and presented herself to him to commit illegal sexual intercourse with her and then later she gave birth to a child and claimed that it belonged to Juraij. The people, therefore, came to him and dismantled his hermitage and expelled him out of it and abused him. Juraij performed the ablution and offered prayer, and then came to the child and said, 'O child! Who is your father?' The child replied, 'The shepherd.' (After hearing this) the people said, 'We shall rebuild your hermitage of gold,' but he said, 'No, of nothing but mud.'

(The third was the hero of the following story) A lady from Bani Israel was nursing her child at her breast when a handsome rider passed by her. She said, 'O Allah! Make my child like him.' On that the child left her breast, and facing the rider said, 'O Allah! Do not make me like him.' The child then started to suck her breast again. (Abu Huraira further said, "As if I were now looking at the Prophet sucking his finger (in way of demonstration.") After a while the people passed by, with a lady slave and she (i.e. the child's mother) said, 'O Allah! Do not make my child like this (slave girl)!, On that the child left her breast and said, 'O Allah! Make me like her.' When she asked why, the child replied, 'The rider is one of the tyrants while this slave girl is falsely accused of theft and illegal sexual intercourse.' "

Bukhari 4.645

Peace

Peace my brother Peace my sister
Peace
Peace
Peace

Peace to you mankind
Who thinks you've found heaven on earth
I wish you happiness
But more so I wish you peace
I pray that one day your wealth is swept away
Allah takes a favor on you
And shows you humility
And shows you,
Peace

Peace
Peace, to you sad soul
Alone
Out of control
Without a place to call your own
You've been preyed upon by the wealthy
Made indecent by the powerful
Scolwed by the passerbys
Pretending you have no soul to cry

I know you want the world
So one day you can show them your worth
But my sister
Those fancy clothes may one day burn your skin
And my brother
The money you hold may turn against you
And cause you to sin

So I pray not that you ever
Ever see wealth in this life
Though I pray God realease you from your strife
I pray more so
That he gives you patience to conqure this test
Bestow on you his mercy
Making you blessed
With bliss -real bliss
With peace

Peace, peace
The little you have
The less you give
You fathered that child and took care of him
You mothered your young
And made sure they were safe
You nutured your soul with hadith, quran, faith and good intention
To you also I wish a garden
Of endless supply
And a soul that isn't worried late at night
And peace
Peace
Peace!

For who am I?
Just a well wisher
Just another with an uncertain fate
Heaven or hell?
I should worry more
Written test
A family of my own
A few letters by my name to make me well known

These things are fleeting
Passing ships
Fallen brincks
But heaven and hell are forever eternal

I pray for you and for me
Lord, Unblind our eyes so we can see
Long enough to shield us from this life
Long enough to convince us to do right
Long enough so we could see
The river passing beneath our feet
Long enough to walk through heaven greeting eachother;
"Peace, Peace, Peace!"


Al Waqia, Al Quran
(89) And if he is of those on the right hand, (90) Then (the greeting) "Peace be unto thee" from those on the right hand. (91) But if he is of the rejecters, the erring, (92) Then the welcome will be boiling water (93) And roasting at hell-fire. (94) Lo! this is certain truth. (95) Therefore (O Muhammad) praise the name of thy Lord, the Tremendous.

Rainbows

Special dedication to all our beloved readers

~ from the brothers and sisters of The Guiding Friends Admin ~

RAINBOWS

If I could catch a rainbow
I would do it just for you.
And share with you it's beauty
On the days you're feeling blue.
If I could build a mountain
You could call your very own.
A place to find serenity
A place to be alone.
If I could take your troubles
I would toss them in the sea.
But all these things I'm finding
are impossible for me,
I cannot build a mountainOr catch a rainbow fair
But let me be...what I know best,
a friend that's always there.

~Khahlil Gibran~

Tests for the Believers: Fluctuations of Life

By Sheikh Salim Al-Hilali

A Scholar of Hadith

A person’s life in this world is not stable. One passes through alternating periods of happiness and dismay, strength and weakness, wealth and poverty, health and sickness, etc. A true believer is one who maintains a clear level of faith throughout the worldly fluctuations. He continues to remember Allah and ascribe the bounties to Him, and he turns to Him in submission, asking for relief from his affliction. This is described by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: “Indeed amazing are the affairs of a believer! They are all for his benefit. If he is granted ease of living he is thankful; and this is best for him. And if he is afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres; and this is best or him.” (Muslim) And Allah said: [Certainly, We shall test you with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits; but give glad tidings to the patient—those who, when afflicted with calamity say, “Truly to Allah we belong, and truly to Him shall we return.” It is those who will be awarded blessings and mercy from their Lord; and it is those who are the guided ones.] (Al-Baqarah 2:155–157) Thus, a believer shows gratitude and thankfulness for all the wonderful blessings that Allah grants him. And he displays patience and submission during sickness and hardships, hunger, or other afflictions. Hardships Benefit the Believer Allah has decreed that, in this life, hardships and disasters strike both believers and non-believers. For a non-believer, they are inconveniences that hinder him from proceeding with his normal involvement in the worldly life. For a believer, on the other hand, they are instances of rest and remembrance, tests that promise great rewards, and indications of atonement and expiation of sins. Regardless of how little is the harm that strikes a believer, it carries with it good news of forgiveness and elevated rank in Paradise. The Righteous Predecessors used to be pleased when a hardship afflicted them, seeing it as a token of Allah’s forgiveness and benevolence. Expiations of Sins Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet said, ”Hardships continue to befall a believing man and woman in their body, family, and property, until they meet Allah burdened with no sins” (At-Tirmidhi). Sign of Allah’s Love Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whenever Allah wills good for a person, He subjects him to adversity” (Al-Bukhari and others). Sign of Faith Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Ka`b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The parable of a believer is that of a fresh and moist plant; the wind tilts it this way and that way; and so is the believer; he continues to be subject to affliction. And the parable of a hypocrite is that of a firm cedar tree; it does not shake—until it is uprooted all at once.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) Sign of Righteousness The prophets and righteous people are afflicted the most, and their rewards are the highest. Sa`d (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The most in their suffering among the people are the prophets, then the best, then the (next) best. One is afflicted in accordance with his faith. If his faith is firm, his affliction is hard, and if his faith is weak, his affliction is light. Indeed, one would be so much subjected to adversity until he walks among the people without any sins.” (Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi) Early Punishment Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When Allah wills good for a servant of His, He expedites his punishment in this life; and when He wills retribution for a servant of His, He holds his sins for Him to judge him by them on the Day of Resurrection.” (At-Tirmidhi) Multiplication of Rewards Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The amount of reward is in accordance with the amount of suffering. When Allah loves some people, He tries them (with affliction). He who then is content (with Allah’s decree) has achieved the acceptance (of Allah), and he who is dissatisfied (with Allah’s decree) will attain the anger (of Allah).” (At-Tirmidhi) Rewards for Sickness One should not look to sickness as a gloomy episode, but should remember the great good in it. It is one form of affliction with which Allah tests His servants, giving them a chance to acquire rewards, as was explained above, as is further emphasized below. Removal of Sins and Elevation in Ranks Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whenever a Muslim is afflicted by harm from sickness or other matters, Allah will drop his sins because of that, like a tree drops its leaves” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A Muslim is not afflicted by hardship, sickness, sadness, worry, harm, or depression—even if pricked by a thorn—but Allah expiates his sins because of that” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Read more »

Friends who guide you

Friends who guide you

by Rumi

The reflection cast from good friends is needed
until you become, without the aid of any reflector,
a drawer of water from the Sea.
Know that the reflection is at first just imitation,
but when it continues to recur,
it turns into direct realization of truth.
Until it has become direct realization,
don't part from the friends who guide you?
don't break away from the shell
if the raindrop hasn't yet become a pearl.