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