Dhikr: The Seed of Paradise by Ahsan Hanif
An emotionally stirring highly beneficial lecture by Ahsan Hanif, that serves as an excellent reminder as to the importance of remembering Allaah and the prizes for doing so. You can download the audio file for the lecture here:
Making Good Use of One’s Time
By Shaykh ‘Abdul-Maalik al-Qasim
The Messenger of Allah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“The best actions are continuous ones even if little…” (Reported by Muslim)
Repentance
By Imaam Muhammad ibn Idrees ash-Shaafi’ee (d.204H)
Al-Muzni who is Aboo lbraaheem Ismaa’eel ibn Yahya said:
“I entered upon ash-Shaafi’ee during his illness which resulted in his death, so I said to him: ‘What is your condition?’
He replied: ‘I am journeying from this world, and departing from my brothers, drinking from the cup of death, and upon Allaah - Exalted is His remembrance - arriving. And no! By Allaah, I do not know if my soul is travelling towards Paradise or the Fire!’ Then he started to weep, and he said:
Pray Before You Are Prayed Upon
This is an incredibly motivational lecture by ‘Abdur-Raheem Green, a real eemaan booster, rich with verses from the Qur’aan and narrations from our beloved Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), delivered in a powerful style, systematically thought out with each sub-topic linking perfectly to the next. You can download the audio file for the lecture here:
When Going Through Hardships… Remember the Prophet (saw)
- When becoming humiliated, remember the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in Ta’if.
- When being starved, remember the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) tying two stones to his stomach in the battle of Khandaq.
- When becoming angry, remember the Prophet’s (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) control of anger on the martyrdom of his beloved Uncle Hamza.
We Need Water, but we Want Coca-Cola
By Zayn al-Abdeen
This is the problem with desire. Our natural desire to live well and enjoy life is co-opted by the consumer system and turned into something enslaving. If we could just extinguish consumer desires and stop shopping, we would get a lot closer to every day. Simply because we would not have to do so much work.
The key is not to renounce all pleasures but to be a master of them. When it comes to pleasure, we seem to oscillate between bingeing and abstention. Is it possible that somehow we are encouraged to binge and abstain because that does the double-job of keeping cash flowing through the system and keeping us docile through self-adulation and guilt.
Contentment: The Million Dollar Solution
There are two types of people in this world: those who try to search out the million dollars, so they can live on the high end of life; and those who try to find the million dollar solution to life’s hurdles.
The former group plunges into the profit-driven corporate world like a slave: Obeying the 9-5 hours rule that the master slaps on them and wearing the standard uniform, consisting of a cell phone, laptop, blue shirt and tie, and a compatible suit. This group digs deep into the earth’s resources hoping that one day it will indeed strike that million dollar life-style.
When this group is given some blessings from God, they jump on it like a thirsty dog laps up water, not realising how they approach and use the bounty is also a test. And when this group is tested with an affliction, they lower their heads in dismay, wallowing in self pity, not recognising that they are blessed with much more than several millions who are starving every day, and at times homeless due to a war or natural disaster. This group lacks foresight and remains in this despicable state until God, out of His immense mercy, changes their worldly affairs for them again.
The latter of the two groups tries a different way to attain a similar goal. While they too work those 9-5 jobs, and they too may carry the same stylish, state of the art gadgets that every other corporate slave carries, such as the cell phones, PDAs, and slick laptops, they run a different course.
The Path to Paradise
By Shaykh ‘Alee bin Hasan al-Halabee
Transcribed by Aboo Uthmaan [1]
Explaining the path to paradise for the righteous [2]:
That is Paradise, whose landmarks are clear, a sure thing detailed and this is the path to it, smooth and easy. It has signs and above it are lights. We are at the beginning of the path, so let us travel hastily to the end of it where the doors of Paradise are pen for the travellers. The path which has been described by the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) with his comprehensive words:
“Paradise is surrounded by hardship and the Hellfire is surrounded by wishes and desires.” [3]
“All my people will enter Paradise except those who refuse to. Whosoever obeys me will enter Paradise and whosoever disobeys me, then he has refused.” [4]
“Verily I have left you on a clear path, its night is like its day, nobody deviates from it except that he is doomed.” [5]
The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has explained in these ahaadeeth the path, and described it clearly, for anyone who has an understanding, so let us travel together as loving brothers and co-operating friends.
Accept Life as it Is
By Shaykh ‘Aaidh ibn ‘Abdullaah al-Qarni
Transcribed by Aboo Uthmaan [1]
The pleasures of life are short-lived, and more often than not, they are followed by sorrow. Life means responsibility, a journey wherein change is constant and difficulties are relentless in their onslaught.
You will not find a father, a wife, or a friend who is free from problems. Allaah has willed for this world to be filled with two opposites: good and evil, righteousness and corruption, happiness and misery. Thus goodness, uprightness, and happiness are for Paradise; evil, corruption, and misery are for the Fire. The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“This world is cursed along with all that is in it, except for these: the remembrance of Allaah, what follows it (i.e. good deeds and whatever Allaah loves), the scholar, and the student.”
From a Man’s Perfecting His Religion is Leaving Alone that Which does not Concern Him
By Shaykh Husayn al-‘Awaayishah
Transcribed by Aboo Uthmaan [1]
It is imperative for us to build levels of knowledge and action upon a firm, strong foundation, and that is the saying of the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), “From a man’s perfecting his religion is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.” [2]
In Fayd-ul-Qadeer the author writes: “It is understood from this that from a man’s deficiency in his religion is his indulging in that which does not concern him. This includes everything of secondary importance, whichever form it may take. What should concern him is all that relates to the essentials of his livelihood, that which fulfils his need for sustenance, clothing, keeping himself chaste thereby, and the like thereof from the necessities of life, excluding those things relating to his own personal pleasures. He should be concerned with all that relates to his salvation in the Hereafter, that being Islam, Eemaan and ihsaan. In this way he stays safe from ruin, all forms of evil and argumentation. This is part of perfecting his religion, firm establishment of his piety and keeping away from following his desires. Whereas striving to accomplish other than this is loss of irreplaceable valuable time, in doing what he was not created for. So whoever worships his Lord, with realisation of his closeness to his Lord and of his Lord’s closeness to him, has perfected his religion, as has preceded.”
