A promise to the foremost

And those Foremost (in Faith) will be Foremost (in the Hereafter). (10) These will be those Nearest to Allah: (11) In Gardens of Bliss: (12) A number of people from those of old (13) And a few from those of later times. (14) (They will be) on Thrones encrusted (with gold and precious stones). (15) Reclining on them facing each other. (16) Round about them will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness). (17) With goblets, (shining) beakers, and cups (filled) out of clear-flowing fountains: (18) No after-ache will they receive therefrom, nor will they suffer intoxication: (19) And with fruits, any that they may select; (20) And the flesh of fowls, any that they may desire. (21) And (there will be) Companions with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes-- (22) Like unto Pearls well-guarded. (23) A Reward for the Deeds of their past (Life). (24) No frivolity will they hear therein, nor any taint of ill― (25) Only the saying "Peace! Peace."

Covering

“Man in early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It’s the removal of clothes again that is regressive back to ancient times''- Noble (Peace Prize Winner) from Yemen, Tawakul Karman

Compensation and destruction

The messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"Everyday two angels come down from heaven and one of them says, 'O, Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your cause and the other says 'O Allah! Destroy every Miser.'
[Sahih Al Bukhari 2/ 1442]

Updated repost: Safa and Marwa

Oh my mother Hagar!
The wife of Ibrahim
Running and searching to fed your dying babe
In distress
Running out of breathe
Feeling helpless
And feeling weak

Taking your faith to every mountain
In search of water for your boy
Your dying boy
Oh how the angel took pity on you
Striking the ground and causing water to flow

Fed your babe
All alone in the desert
Wasting away

But it was not the wish of your husband
To cause you such cruelty
He could not even turn back to you
As you pleaded for a reason
His heart was soft
But their was someone he loved more then you
For Allah?, you asked
And he said yes

For Ibrahim loved unconditionally
More then anyone in the world
The one who created the heavens and earth

When Allah spoke to him, he listened
He tested repeatedly his most faithful servant
And in turn Ibrahim is a friend to Allah

And now my mother
We run like you run
Retracing your steps
Not with a babe in our arms
But with our hearts filled

Asking for mercy
Praying that a mere ritual
Will grant us a place in paradise

But for you Hagar, my sweet mother
My faithful mother
I pray for you, a place beside your husband
Where you'll wear gold and never be cold
And never have to run again

____________________________________

Current pictures of Safa and Marwa courtesy of Ibn Hanif,

http://lifenatureandme.blogspot.com/2011/11/recent-photos-of-al-safa-and-al-marwah.html

Misfortunes

‘Do not detest the misfortunes that befall you, for what you detest may be the cause of your salvation and what you like may be the cause of your ruin.’~ Hasan Al-Basri(may Allah ta’ala be pleased with him)

http://sidramushtaq.wordpress.com/category/hasan-al-basri/

God doesn't tire

‎"I swear by God, He does not tire of your deeds, rather it is you who become tired; and the best religious acts are those that the worshiper performs consistently"-Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

My Lord has sufficed me -Imam Al Haddad (translated to english)

My Lord’s knowledge has sufficed me

from asking or choosing
For my du’a and my agonising supplication

is a witness to my poverty.
For this secret (reason) I make supplication

in times of ease and times of difficulty
I am a slave whose pride

is in his poverty and obligation
———-
O my Lord and my King

You know my state
And what has settled in my heart

of agonies and preoccupations
Save me with a gentleness

from You, O Lord of Lords
Oh save me, Most Generous

before I run out of patience (with myself)
———-
O One who is swift in sending aid

I ask for aid that will arrive to me swiftly
It will defeat all difficulty

and it will bring all that I hope for
O Near One Who answers

and All-Knowing and All-Hearing
I have attained realisation through my incapacity,

my submission and my brokenness
———-
I am still standing by the door, so please my Lord

have mercy on my standing
And in the valley of generosity, I am in i’tikaf (solitary retreat) 

So, Allah, make my retreat here permanent
And I’m abiding by good opinion (of You)

For it is my friend and ally
And it is the one that sits by me and keeps me company

All day and night
———-
There is a need in my soul, O Allah

so please fulfill it, O Best of Fulfillers
And comfort my secret and my heart

from its burning and its shrapnel
In pleasure and in happiness
 and
as long as You are pleased with me
For joy and expansion is my state

and my motto and my cover

Surah Al-Lail

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

By the night enshrouding (1) And the day resplendent (2) And Him Who hath created male and female, (3) Lo! your effort is dispersed (toward divers ends). (4) As for him who giveth and is dutiful (toward Allah) (5) And believeth in goodness; (6)Surely We will ease his way unto the state of ease. (7) But as for him who hoardeth and deemeth himself independent, (8)And disbelieveth in goodness; (9) Surely We will ease his way unto adversity. (10) His riches will not save him when he perisheth. (11) Lo! Ours it is (to give) the guidance (12) And lo! unto Us belong the latter portion and the former. (13)Therefor have I warned you of the flaming Fire (14) Which only the most wretched must endure, (15) He who denieth and turneth away. (16) Far removed from it will be the righteous (17) Who giveth his wealth that he may grow (in goodness). (18) And none hath with him any favour for reward, (19) Except as seeking (to fulfil) the purpose of his Lord Most High. (20)He verily will be content. (21)

The light of Allah

They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.61. 8

Orphan Girls

'A'isha said that as for the words of Allah:

" If you fear that you would not be able to observe equity in case of orphan girls)," it was revealed in reference to a person who had an orphan girl (as his ward) and he was her guardian, and her heir, and she possessed property, but there was none to contend on her behalf except her ownself. And he (her guardian) did not give her in marriage because of her property and he tortured her and ill-treated her, it was in relation to her that (Allah said: )" If you fear that you would not be able to observe equity in case of orphan girls, then marry whom you like among women," i. e. whatever I have made lawful for you and leave her whom you are putting to torture.

Arabic reference: Book 57, Hadith 7715

English reference: Vol. 1, Book 43, Hadith 7158
sunnah.quran.com

Asalamu Alakum Dear friend,
Today, Insha Allah, instead of a poem or a quranic verse I want to give a reminder, to you and myself to set aside time today for God. Whether its reading Quran, making dua, dhikr, or simply thanking God for his continuos blessings in our life it is extremely important that we keep our connection to our Rabb (on top of our daily obligations, i.e. salah). Those of us who are Muslim are blessed in this world with the true message of God sent down from his prophets (peace be upon them all). For those of us who are not yet Muslim I urge you to set aside time today for you creator, God willing, he will soon point you in the right the direction.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be on our dear Prophet Muhammad and may we all look forward to meeting our Lord.
Your sister in islam, Nuriddeen bint Yusuf

Journey

It is a matter of certainty
That day will come
When none will matter but the One

And yet our aims are different
Each striving for success
Striving for happiness

Our aims will be unmet
When our hearts, our minds, and limbs forget

For were all traveling on a path
And we who would like to meet our Lord
will be met the same by him
And we who would spend every moment of breath denouncing his being
Will be before him with despondent souls
Begging God to go back home
Begging God for a second chance

For some -what we would do for just one glance!
For those who know
the hereafter is home
The present life is the time for growth

I beg of you
As I beg of me
Please don't be blind in this sea of illusion
Please bring your heart to this final conclusion
Where all going to meet our Rabb

Where all on the same journey
So why not hope to meet with him?
Why not face the afterlife hoping for his mercy?
May God bless us all, all of us on the journey

Sura Lail (The Night) Mishary Rashed Alafasy

Mary and Jesus

[And mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary - distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah ].He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous." She said, "My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?" [The angel] said, "Such is Allah ; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is. And He will teach him writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel. 
And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah . And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead - by permission of Allah . And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.And [I have come] confirming what was before me of the Torah and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear Allah and obey me. Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path."
Al Quran 3: 42- 51

Surah ash - Shams - Mishary Rashid al-Afasy

Salaah The Best Gift

Tired feet touch the soft prayer mat and the heart finds peace,

Almost immediately the limbs are put at ease,

Spiritual and physical benefits in each posture,

All the blessings we’ll never know for sure.

The prayer, so perfect and holistic,

Everything beautifully in sync,

Until we reach the ultimate position,

Bowed down, head and body flat, completely surrendered in prostration.

The words that are uttered have brought many to tears,

That is, of course, for those with open hearts and ears.

It shouldn’t matter how long you take,

Everything else should be left to wait.

The hustle and bustle of the world drowned out,

Remembering what this world and our existence is really about,

Everything seems so insignificant and small in comparison,

The prayer bringing us together in unison.

Some have spoken about a light that emanates,

We cannot all see, but there are different states.

The servant connecting with the Master, the Creator,

Building our faith, stronger and stronger.

Ah! This is a special kind of sweetness,

That we simple human beings are allowed to witness,

The ultimate truth, in the best of ways,

And it really doesn’t matter what who says.

There were times when I used to take it for granted,

Forgetting the treasure I had being given,

But with Allah’s will I was brought back to my senses,

And now I am no longer content to sit on fences.

I wouldn’t give it up for the world,

Because it surpasses all that we know,

The goodness is only for our own benefit,

And this salaah, this prayer is truly the best gift.

(SubhanAllah, Alhamdullillah, Allahu Akbar)

I also just want to say Jazakallah Khayr to brother Ibn Hanif who invited me to post on this blog after reading this poem on my blog, Muslim Women Exposed. And Jazakallah Khayr to sister Nuriddeen as well. May Almighty Allah reward both of you and accept all your efforts in His path, Inshaa Allah.

Goodbye Ramadan

Oh God please protect us from the accursed devil (and his companions),
In the name of God, The Kind and The Merciful:

So how many regrets can you count?
Do they take up a mountain?
An ocean or a sea?
Can you count them on your hands?
Do you see them in your sleep?
If your regrets could follow you how many tears would you weep?

Ramadan is gone
Like a soul without its body
We weep for all the things we should have said, should have done together
Do you wish that Ramadan could spend just one more day
So you could fast in the daytime and stay up all night to pray?

Its gone and left us
In a year it will return
But will we be returned?
Will we live to see again?
And if the sweetness of mercy is brought to us
Will we have the wisdom to repent?

Hell is now reopened and shaitan has been set free
Though somehow I feel we've noticed its our souls that are diseased

Ramadan has come and gone
Yet God's mercy is everlasting
Ya Rabb let us pray for the next 6 months for a Ramadan that is accepted and the 5 months till it comes again
To have Ramadan full of long nights and tedious days...

Goodbye Ramadan
Insha Allah we'll meet again
Ya Rabb
Accept our efforts
Making us winners in the end

For love of the Mother!

"My father said, "The Prophet  said, 'When I stand for prayer, I intend to prolong it but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut it short, as I dislike to trouble the child's mother.' "
Hadith - Bukhari 1:675, Narrated 'Abdulla bin 'Abi Qatada 


A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man said. "Who is next?"  The Prophet  said, "Your mother." The man further said, "Who is next?" The Prophet  said, "Your mother." The man asked for the fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your father."
Hadith - Bukhari 8.2, Narrated Abu Huraira  



The Prophet said, "Allah has forbidden for you, (1) to be undutiful to your mothers*, (2) to bury your daughters alive, (3) to not to pay the rights of the others (e.g. charity, etc.) and (4) to beg of men (begging). And Allah has hated for you (1) vain, useless talk, or that you talk too much about others, (2) to ask too many questions, (in disputed religious matters) and (3) to waste the wealth (by extravagance).
Hadith - Bukhari 1:3:591, Narrated Al-Mughira bin Shu'ba 

Al Quran,The Crowds: Ayat 10

Say, "O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account."

Rejoice

There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.

-The final Message given to Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, Surah 9 verse 128

Zain Bhikha - Praise To The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) Lyrics

Put nothing before Allah

Say, [O Muhammad], "If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad (struggle or to exert one's self) in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people."

-God's final book: The Holy Quran, chapter 9; verse 24 

The succesful are not arrogant

Indeed, those who are near your Lord are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, and they exalt Him, and to Him they prostrate.

The Holy Quran, 7:206

Seek Allah in trial and triumph

It is He who created you from one soul and created from it its mate that he might dwell in security with her. And when he covers her, she carries a light burden and continues therein. And when it becomes heavy, they both invoke Allah , their Lord, "If You should give us a good [child], we will surely be among the grateful." 189

But when He gives them a good [child], they ascribe partners to Him concerning that which He has given them. Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him. 190

Do they associate with Him those who create nothing and they are [themselves] created? 191

And the false deities are unable to [give] them help, nor can they help themselves. 192

The Holy Quran, Chapter 7: The Heights

Remind those who have forgotten

And leave those who take their religion as amusement and diversion and whom the worldly life has deluded. But remind with the Qur'an, lest a soul be given up to destruction for what it earned; it will have other than Allah no protector and no intercessor. And if it should offer every compensation, it would not be taken from it. Those are the ones who are given to destruction for what they have earned. For them will be a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment because they used to disbelieve.

Have no fear

Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakah will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.

Do not make your charity invalid

O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like that of a [large] smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable [to keep] anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.

O you who believe, fast this holy month

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous -

[Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]. And whoever volunteers excess - it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.
The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.

2: 177

Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.

2: 143

And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided. And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful.

Ramadan

Dear Lord
Oh Lord
Glory and praise to you
Thank you for your love
In this month
This blessed month
The gates of mercy are opened
Our open enemy
Locked up

The floods of enlightenment
Will wash away all of our past mistakes

Oh Ramadan can't you tell that we've been waiting for you
Praying for a chance to see you through
Oh Ramadan how we've missed you
It seems like every obstacle we've seen has disappeared now that were with you

Oh God this precious decree
To fast and to strive all to be set free
Our desires and whims with the passing of time it seems as though we become blind
But yet in this month
The message of your beloved somehow amplified

Oh God
There is more to life
The desires of the soul
Or to barely do what's right
The lofty principles of the saints are ours to attain
In this month of Ramadan may we continuously praise his name
Leaving Ramadan renewed with hope, our sins non existent and our spirits newly awakened

Forty Hadith: Character

Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said:
"Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers your heart and which you do not want people to know about"
[Muslim]

Happiness

Our soul strives towards happiness but if you don't fufill the function that everything was created for something will go wrong 
-Omar Galal

A good wife

It is reported that the wife of Imâm Sa’îd b. Al-Musayyib – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
We only ever used to speak to our husbands like you address your commanders and leaders: [we would supplicate for them when talking to them] “May Allâh keep you right!”, “May Allâh keep you well!”
Abû Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyâ` 5:198.
After the death of his wife Umm Sâlih, Imâm Ahmad – Allâh have mercy on them, used to praise her. He once said:
In the thirty years she was with me, we never had a single word of disagreement.

Generosity

Â`ishah and Asmâ`. They had different ways of being generous. As for Â`ishah, she used to gather things, until she had a collection, then she would distribute it. As for Asmâ`, she would never keep anything until the next day.

O Son of Adam!

Son of Adam! Know that the angel of death who has been assigned to you has not ceased to pass you and move on to others, ever since you have been in this world. But it is as if he is about to pass someone else and move on to target you, so be careful and prepare for him (by correcting your deeds). And do not forget him, for he does not forget you. And know o son of Adam, if you are heedless about yourself and do not prepare, no one else will prepare for you. You must meet Allah the Mighty and Majestic, so take for yourself and do not leave it to someone else. Peace be on you. 
-Uthman b Affan, Jumuah Kutbah 

Don't be consumed with what has not yet reached you

Do not ask about what has not yet happened until it actually happens, for what has happened is enough of an occupation to worry about what has not happened. 
-Umar

May Allah be pleased with our mother

‘Urwah b. Al-Zubayr – Allah have mercy on him – said:

‘Â’ishah – Allah be pleased with her – gave seventy thousand (dirham) in charity, while her own skirt used to be patched.

‘Abdullah b. Mubârak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqâ’iq Vol. 1 p588, no.705.

Source: http://www.sayingsofthesalaf.net/index.php/tag/aishah/page/2/#ixzz1SKdLkHMZ

There is no god but Allah, English song - Sh. Muhammad Abdul-Haqq Mendes

How a Pearl Develops...

assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

A beautiful reminder for the muslim sisters. MUST LISTEN!

How a Pearl Develops by Muhammad alShareef

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YXiMwSU7TA

Only a traveler

Imam al-Shafi`i used a walking stick for which he was asked: "Why do you carry a stick when you are neither old nor ailing?" He replied: "To remember I am only a traveller in this world."

Al Waqia

When the Event inevitable cometh to pass. (1) Then will no (soul) entertain falsehood concerning its coming. (2) (Many) will it bring low, (many) will it exalt; (3) When the earth shall be shaken to its depths, (4) And the mountains shall be crumbled to atoms, (5) Becoming dust scattered abroad, (6) 

Al Quran

The book which falsehood does not approach
-Imam Amin, Lecture: Illuminating our hearts with Quran, 1-11/ 2001

Repentance

Regret is the essence of repentance
-Sheikh Bilal Philips

Whether before others or alone

"Fear God in public and in private"
Majid At- Taqwa, Jumuah Kutbah, 6-24/ 2011

One of the many benefits of hunger

Reduced expenditure:
Whoever becomes used to eating little will find a modest income sufficient whereas a man who is habituated to eating his fill will find that his belly becomes a creditor impossible to shake off, who seizes him each day saying, "What will you eat today?"
-Al Ghazali, Disciplining the soul

What is for our beloved?

The Messeger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Why are you weeping O Umar?" He replied "Why shouldn't I weep when Khosrau and Caesar enjoy themselves in this world and the Messenger of God (upon him be peace) owns what I see!" He responded: "O Umar wouldn't it please you that this be the share of Khosrau and Caser in this life, and in the hereafter this pleasure would be for us alone?"

When half of Arabia was under the Messenger's control he owned little more then a mat to sleep on a handful of barley, such was the way of our beloved, may God grant him eternal peace

(Information obtained from Muhammad, The Messenger of Allah by Abdurrahman Al- Sheba)

Contentment

*Allah is pleased with them and they pleased with him* (5, 119)

Contentment bears many blessed fruits. More than anything else, by being contented with that which is decreed, one is able to soar to the highest levels of faith and truthfulness.
-Don't be sad, 'Aaidh ibn Abdullah al- Qarni

Better off

You would spend a lot less
Time
Worrying and searching
Fearfully holding on
If your eyes were fixed in the right direction
In the path of perfection
Under his protection

You would better yourself and savour your health
If you turned away
Looking towards the hereafter

You would invest so much less
Not a penny to embrace the greatest of the great
Despair between the eyes when you strive for this life
Contentment when you believe in the next life
When pray is more valued then enjoyment in this life

You would be better off if you read of his mercy
The prophets (peace be upon them) not profits
Deserve your allegiance
The heroes are heroes because they fought their desires
The heroes are the ones who are saved from the fire

We would be better off to compare forever to this life
May Allah show us the truth from his light
And let us pray for mercy instead of respite

Three men

Narrated Abu Waqid Al-Laithi:
While Allah's Apostle was sitting in the mosque with some people, three men came. Two of them came in front of Allah's Apostle and the third one went away. The two persons kept on standing before Allah's Apostle for a while and then one of them found a place in the circle and sat there while the other sat behind the gathering, and the third one went away. When Allah's Apostle finished his preaching, he said, "Shall I tell you about these three persons? One of them be-took himself to Allah, so Allah took him into His grace and mercy and accommodated him, the second felt shy from Allah, so Allah sheltered Him in His mercy (and did not punish him), while the third turned his face from Allah and went away, so Allah turned His face from him likewise. "

The seven

1. A just ruler
2. A youth who rose up worshipping Allah
3. A man whose heart is attached to the Masjid
4. Two men who love eachother for the sake of Allah; they meet on the basis of it and seperate on the basis of it
5. A man who is invited by a woman of high posistion and beauty and replies "Indeed I fear Allah"
6. A man who gives charity and hids it so much so that his left hand is unaware of what his right hand gave
7. A man who remembers Allah in private and his eyes become filled with tears

It was said by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that these are the seven (groups) that will be covered by Allah's shade on the day of judgement.

Sheikh Bilal Philips 'In the shade of the throne'

Never forget what were working towards...

"As for those who believe and do good deeds, they shall have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the greatest success."
Al Quran, 85- 11

Increasing and decreasing

Charity never decreased anyone's wealth. Allah never increased a slave through forgiveness except in honour, No one was ever humble for the sake of Allah except that Allah raised him
-Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Sahih Muslim

Allah (swt) has said:

As for the one who fears the station of his Lord and guards his soul against its whims, Paradise will be his final repose
79, 40- 41

We've been warned

Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment on the Day when a man will observe what his hands have put forth and the disbeliever will say, "Oh, I wish that I were dust!"
Al Quran 78:40

Istikhara Pray

"Istikhara" means to seek goodness from Allah (Exalted is He), meaning when one intends to do an important task they do istikhara before the task. The one who does the istikhara is as if they request Allah Almighty that, O the Knower of Unseen (Exalted is He) guide me if this task is better for me or not?

According to Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 21, Number 263:
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah :The Prophet (Sallal Laho Alaihi Wasallam) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara, in all matters as he taught us the Suras of the Quran. He said, "If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer a two Rakat prayer other than the compulsory ones and say (after the prayer):

WAY TO PERFORM ISTIKHARA:First pray Two Cycles (raka') of ritual Prayer (nafil) such that in the first raka' after Surah Fatiha (Allhamd…) recite Surah al-Kafirun (Chapter 109) and in the second raka' after Fatiha (Allhamd…) recite Surah al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112). After finishing prayer recite this (supplication/dua'): Dua in Arabic Text above.
TRANSLATION: "O Allah! I seek goodness from Your Knowledge and with Your Power (and Might) I seek strength, and I ask from You Your Great Blessings, because You have the Power and I do not have the power. You Know everything and I do not know, and You have knowledge of the unseen. Oh Allah! If in Your Knowledge this action ------------------------------------------------ (which I intend to do) is better for my religion and faith, for my life and end [death], for here [in this world] and the hereafter then make it destined for me and make it easy for me and then add blessings [baraka'] in it, for me. O Allah! In Your Knowledge if this action is bad for me, bad for my religion and faith, for my life and end [death], for here [in this world] and the hereafter then turn it away from me and turn me away from it and whatever is better for me, ordain [destine] that for me and then make me satisfied with it."
How many times?
It depends. Sometimes it takes only once to get the answer and sometimes it takes longer. It is better to do istakhara seven (7) times. If you have received an answer as explained in the section below, stop doing istikhara. You do not have to continue to do isitkhara for 7 days. It is better that right after reciting the supplication, given above, sleep with ablution (people who cannot keep the ablution for longer times due to health problems do not have to worry about ablution before falling asleep) facing the direction of the Qibla (facing the Qibla is not required but it is a Sunnat of our beloved Prophet Peace Be Upon Him). It is better to recite salutations (durood/ salawat) on the Prophet Allah's Grace and Peace be upon him before and after the above Dua (supplication).
Answer:If in the dream one sees whiteness (means any thing white in color, for example: milk, white paper, white sky, white clothes, white light etc.) or greenness (means any thing green in color, for example: grass, plants, trees, green clothes, green light etc.) then understand that this task is better and if one sees redness (means any thing red in color, for example: blood, red clothing, red fruit, red light etc.) or blackness (means any thing black in color, for example: black water, black light, black clothings, black sky, black wall etc. ) then understand it is bad and avoid it.
If do not remember any dream or do not see any colors then follow your heart. Whatever intention grows stronger in your heart regarding your targated work follow it after seven days of Istakhara.

http://www.islamicacademy.org/html/Dua/How_to_do_Istakhara.htm