Assalamu’alaikum Warohmatullohi Wabarakatuhu...
Bismillaahirrohmaanirrohiim

Positivism: The Right Mentality
by Brother Ibrahim Abu Khalid

When we possess knowledge, we know that the trials in life can be passed, since Allah does not place a greater burden on us than we can bear. With knowledge, we know that these trails, once passed, will bear fruits in the form of pleasing our Creator, rising in ranks towards Him, cleansing us of our sins, and strengthening our Iman further...

Allah's Apostle (s.a.w) said: "Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shown resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it." [Saheeh Muslim]

There is a disease that is consuming the enthusiasm of our youth, the determination of our elders, the spirit of our mothers. It's a disease that has really taken its foothold this century, and grown rapidly. It's the disease of pessimism.

The consequence of our pessimism is that we have committed ourselves to whinging more then acting. A great deal of our talks, articles, Khutbahs and lessons seem to be concerned with how bad the West is treating us. How they do not really understand who we are. How we are being discriminated upon. This feeling of alienation by the West is disturbing considering that as readers and followers of the Qur'an, this treatment comes as no surprise and is a characteristic of the true followers of Allah's religion.

The Nature of Being a Muslim

Islam raised a despotic people from the clenches of injustice and spiritual destitution to that of the greatest power the world had ever seen. But this honour and victory came at a price, for everything which has worth in Allah's Eyes has a price. The companions paid that price with their money and their blood. They faced persecution from their own family, and bore hunger bravely.

The following incidences provide a useful insight into the positive attitudes the Prophet (s.a.w) displayed and his companions adopted.

1- A close companion of the Prophet (s.a.w) Abu Talha, had a son who was very sick. Abu Talha would each day arrive home and enquire from his wife as to the health of their son. One day their son died, and Abu Talha at that time was not at home. When his wife saw that he was dead, she washed and shrouded him and placed him somewhere in the house. When Abu Talha came, he asked about his son's condition, and his wife said that he was in peace.

Abu Talha slept with his wife that night. His wife informed him about the death of their son in the morning. When Abu Talha informed the Prophet of what happened to them, Allah's Messenger said, "May Allah bless you both concerning your night (that is, may Allah bless you both with good offspring). And indeed, Allah blessed Abu Talha and his wife with nine sons, all of whom became reciters of the Qur'an [Saheeh Bukhary].

This story illuminates the patience the Companions had. The wife bore the death of her beloved son patiently, and furthermore kept the knowledge of his death hidden from the father for a more appropriate time. This virtuous act was blessed by Allah, with offspring who would serve as a blessing for their parents in the Hereafter.

2- A female companion had a husband whom she dearly loved. He died however and she was very depressed over his death. So she sought advice from the Prophet (s.a.w), who taught her to recite a Du'a beseeching Allah to replace her loss with something better than it. She obeyed the Prophet (s.a.w), and Allah answered her call, by providing her with a husband better than any women could have - the Prophet (s.a.w) himself.

3- Perhaps one of the greatest shows of optimism came after the Prophet (s.a.w) had been stoned in Ta'if. Bleeding profusely and emotionally hurt, he was visited by the Angel of the Mountains which encompassed the valley of Ta'if. He was offered the choice to have those people who denied his message to be crushed. He (s.a.w) however refused to assign these people to destruction, citing that their offspring may become believers. And indeed, this foresight eventuated.

The Guaranteed Victory

As believers, we are guaranteed victory no matter what our condition is, and that's what makes us special. If we become ill, our sins fall away from us like leaves fall from a tree. If our child dies, he or she will wait for us in the Hereafter and intercede for us until we enter paradise. If we fight in a war, we will either win, or die as martyrs, which is a greater victory in itself.

So the question begs to be asked, why then are Muslims so pessimistic?

Clearly this stems from a lack of knowledge and trust in Allah. For when we possess knowledge, we know that the trials in life can be passed, since Allah does not place a greater burden on us than we can bear. With knowledge, we know that these trails, once passed, will bear fruits in the form of pleasing our Creator, rising in ranks towards Him, cleansing us of our sins, and strengthening our Iman further. The trust in Allah will make us certain that nothing is lost with Allah, no fear we experience, nor pain, sadness, anguish or distress.

Indeed, Allah Says "So verily along with every hardship, is relief". This means there has to be hardship, in whatever form it takes, in the form of death, loss or poverty, divorce, difficult relatives, or persecution.

Time to Act

If this Ummah persists in complaining rather than acting, we'll get nowhere. We already know that the Kufaar hate us, and have known this for centuries, and have known that they never will like us. If these people persecuted their own prophets, why wouldn't they persecute us today? Allah has already warned us about their feelings towards us: "And verily the Jews and Christians will never be pleased with you until you follow their religion."

And this emotion should be carried forth in all aspects of our lives, for if the companions had resigned themselves to the trials of life, they would never have succeeded.

Rather, we should feel delight for the faith we have embraced, continue our struggle to spread and establish Allah's Word on this earth no matter the consequences, and whenever grief hits anyone of us, remember the Hadith: "Strange are the ways of a believer, for there is good in every affair of his, and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shown resignation (and endures it patiently), then there is a good for him in it."

http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/positivism.htm
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Indeed, Allah Says "So verily along with every hardship, is relief". This means there has to be hardship, in whatever form it takes, in the form of death, loss or poverty, divorce, difficult relatives, or persecution.

Assalaamu'alaykum Wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu
Bismillaahirrahmanirrahim.......

Importance of greeting one another with salaam

All people have the custom of greeting one another, and every group has its own distinctive greeting that distinguishes them from other people.

The Arabs used to greet one another with the words “An’im sabaahan” or “An’imu sabaahan” [equivalent to “Good morning”], using words derived from “al-ni’mah”, which means good living after the morning. The idea was that because the morning is the first part of the day, if a person encounters something good in the morning, the rest of the day will be good too.

When Islam came, Allaah prescribed that the manner of greeting among Muslims should be “As-salaamu alaykum,” and that this greeting should only be used among Muslims and not for other nations. The meaning of salaam (literally, peace) is harmlessness, safety and protection from evil and from faults. The name al-Salaam is a Name of Allaah, may He be exalted, so the meaning of the greeting of salaam which is required among Muslims is, “May the blessing of His Name descend upon you.” The usage of the preposition ‘ala in ‘alaykum (upon you) indicates that the greeting is inclusive.

Ibn al-Qayyim said in Badaa’i' al-Fawaa’id (144):“Allaah, the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Peace, prescribed that the greeting among the people of Islam should be ‘al-salaamu ‘alaykum’, which is better than all the greetings of other nations which include impossible ideas or lies, such as saying, ‘May you live for a thousand years,’ or things that are not accurate, such as ‘An’im sabaahan (Good morning),’ or actions that are not right, such as prostrating in greeting. Thus the greeting of salaam is better than all of these, because it has the meaning of safety which is life, without which nothing else can be achieved. So this takes precedence over all other aims or objectives. A person has two main aims in life: to keep himself safe from evil, and to get something good. Keeping safe from evil takes precedence over getting something good…”

The Prophet (SAW)made spreading salaam a part of faith. Bukhari and Muslim narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar that a man asked the Messenger of Allaah (SAW): “What is the best thing in Islam?” He said, “Feeding others and giving the greeting of salaam to those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”

Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (1/56): “i.e., do not single out anybody out of arrogance or to impress them, but do it to honour the symbols of Islam and to foster Islamic brotherhood.”

Ibn Rajab said in al-Fath (1/43): “The hadeeth makes the connection between feeding others and spreading salaam because this combines good actions in both word and deed, which is perfect good treatment (ihsaan). Indeed, this is the best thing that you can do in Islam after the obligatory duties.”

Al-Sanoosi said in Ikmaal al-Mu’allim (1/244): “What is meant by salaam is the greeting between people, which sows seeds of love and friendship in their hearts, as does giving food. There may be some weakness in the heart of one of them, which is dispelled when he is greeted, or there may be some hostility, which is turned to friendship by the greeting.”

Al-Qaadi said in Ikmaal al-Mu’allim (1:276): “Here the Prophet (SAW )was urging the believers to soften their hearts. The best Islamic attitude is to love one another and greet one another, and this is achieved by words and deeds. The Prophet (SAW) urged the Muslims to foster love between one another by exchanging gifts and food, and by spreading salaam, and he forbade the opposite, namely forsaking one another, turning away from one another, spying on one another, seeking out information about one another, stirring up trouble and being two faced.

Love is one of the duties of Islam and one of the pillars of the Islamic system. One should give salaams to those whom one knows and those whom one does not know, out of sincerity towards Allaah; one should not try to impress other people by giving salaams only to those whom one knows and no-one else. This also entails an attitude of humility and spreading the symbols of this ummah through the word of salaam.”

Brotherhood
Thus the Prophet (SAW) explained that this salaam spreads love and brotherhood. Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Messenger of Allaah (SAW) said: “You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam amongst yourselves.”

Al-Qaadi ‘Ayaad said in al-Ikmaal (1/304): “This is urging us to spread salaam, as mentioned above, among those whom we know and those whom we do not know. Salaam is the first level of righteousness and the first quality of brotherhood, and it is the key to creating love. By spreading salaam the Muslims’ love for one another grows stronger and they demonstrate their distinctive symbols and spread a feeling of security amongst themselves. This is the meaning of Islam.”

Associated rewards
Abu Hurayrah (RA) related that a man passed by the Messenger of Allaah (SAW) whilst he was sitting with some others, and said “Salaam ‘alaykum (peace be upon you).” The Prophet (SAW) said, “[He will have] ten hasanaat (rewards).” Another man passed by and said “Salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allaah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah).” The Prophet (SAW) said, “[He will have] twenty hasanaat.” Another man passed by and said “Salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings).” The Prophet (SAW) said, “[He will have] thirty hasanaat.” [Nasaai]

The Prophet (SAW) commanded us to return salaams, and made it a right and a duty. Abu Hurayrah (RA) said that the Prophet (SAW) said: “The Muslim has five rights over his fellow-Muslim: he should return his salaams, visit him when he is sick, attend his funeral, accept his invitation, and pray for mercy for him [say “Yarhamuk Allaah”] when he sneezes.” [Muslim & Bukhari]

Improving relations
It is clear that it is obligatory to say salaam and return salaams, because by doing so a Muslim is giving you safety and you have to give him safety in return. It is as if he is saying to you, “I am giving you safety and security,” so you have to give him the same, so that he does not get suspicious or think that the one to whom he has given salaam is betraying him or ignoring him. The Prophet (SAW) told us that if Muslims are ignoring or forsaking one another, this will be put to an end when one of them gives salaam. Al-Bukhari reported that Abu Ayyoob (RA) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (SAW) said: ‘It is not permissible for a Muslim to forsake his brother for more than three days, each of them turning away from the other if they meet. The better of them is the first one to say salaam.’”

And AbdAllah ibn Amr related that a man came to Rasul Allah and asked him, “Which Islam is the best?” He said, “To feed the hungry and to give salam to those you know and those you don’t know.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Assalamu’alaikum Warohmatullohi Wabarakatuhu...
Bismillaahirrohmaanirrohiim.... ...

How Can the Muslim Discipline One's Self?

By Sheikh Muhammad Al Munajjid

Acknowledging your shortcomings is one of the first steps in disciplining yourself. Whoever acknowledges that he has shortcomings has started on the path to self-discipline. This acknowledgement is one of the things that make us discipline ourselves and be persistent in doing so. This acknowledgement should not put you off disciplining yourself. It is a sign of Allah’s care when a person tries to change himself and develop, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allaah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change their state themselves” [al-Ra’d 13:11]

So whoever tries to change for the sake of Allah, Allaah will help him to change. Each person is individually responsible for his own self, and will be questioned individually, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allaah) as a slave. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender)” [Maryam 19:93-95]

Man cannot benefit from what he has been told about goodness unless he himself takes an interest in that. Do you not know the story of the wife of Nooh and the wife of Loot, who were members of the households of two Prophets, one of whom was one of the Messengers of strong will? Imagine how these Prophets strove to guide their wives and how much guidance these wives received, but there was no interest on their part, so it was said to both of them:

“Enter the Fire along with those who enter!” [al-Tahreem 66:10 – interpretation of the meaning]

Whereas the wife of Pharaoh – even though she was a member of the household of one of the greatest evildoers – is presented by Allah as an example to those who believe because she disciplined herself. The ways in which a Muslim can discipline himself are as follows:

1- Worshipping Allah, keeping in contact with Him and submitting to Him. That is done by paying attention to doing obligatory acts of worship well, and cleansing your heart of any attachment to anything other than Allah.

2- Reading Qur’aan a great deal, pondering its meanings and seeking to understand it.

3- Reading useful religious books that describe the ways of treating and cleansing the heart, such as Mukhtasar Manhaaj al-Qaasideen, Tahdheeb Madaarij al-Saalikeen and so on; reading the biographies of the salaf and learning about their attitude and behaviour, such as Sifat al-Safwah by Ibn al-Jawzi and Ayna nahnu min Akhlaaq al-Salaf by Baha’ al-Deen ‘Aqeel and Naasir al-Jaleel.

4- Attending educational programs such as classes and lectures.

5- Making good use of your time and using it to do things that will be of benefit in both worldly and spiritual terms

6- Not indulging too much in permissible things and not paying too much attention to them.

7- Keeping company with righteous people and looking for righteous companions, who can help you to do good. Those who live alone will miss out on a lot of the characteristics of a good brother such as preferring others to oneself and being patient.

8- Trying to act on what you learn and put it into practice.

9- Checking closely on yourself.

10- Having confidence in yourself – whilst relying on Allah – because the one who has no confidence cannot act.

11-Despising yourself for not doing enough for the sake of Allah. This does not contradict the things mentioned above. Man has to strive hard whilst still thinking that his efforts are not enough.

12-Practising withdrawal or isolation as prescribed in sharee’ah..You should not mix with people all the time, rather you must have some time which you spend alone, in worship as prescribed in Islam. We ask Allah to help us and you to discipline ourselves and submit to that which Allah loves and is pleased with.

May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions

Making good use of your time and using it to do things that will be of benefit in both worldly and spiritual terms

Assalamu’alaikum Warohmatullohi Wabarakatuhu…

Bismillaahirrohmaanirrohiim