Friday Nasiha 1 June 2007

Jumada al Awwal 15, 1428, A.H. - June 1, 2007, C.E.

Living the Quran

Al-Isra (The Ascension) Chapter 17: Verse 19 Road to The Final Destiny "Those who desire the life to come, and strive for it as it ought to be striven for, and are true Believers - they are the ones whose strivings find acceptance and reward" When the lifestyle of one who is working solely for the material gains of this world is compared with that of a person who is striving for the everlasting rewards of the Hereafter, there is seemingly very little difference. In both cases, each person is seen to be striving to maintain a quality life. But, it is clear that the non-believer cannot compare with the true Believer. The non-believer may find that all his worldly desires are fulfilled, but his accomplishments will only bring temporary satisfaction. The true Believer on the other hand, may achieve worldly gains but he realises that true contentment will only come when the ultimate reward of Paradise and the pleasure of his Lord is achieved. This understanding of life and its true objective is the secret of the believer's strength and support. This makes him the most powerful and resourceful person to walk upon the earth. Start, then, to prepare for the Hereafter today! Why waste your time and energy on what will perish when you can use the same to earn the delights and pleasures of the life to come? Everything you have must be put forward as an investment for that life, but you must keep in mind that the investment is not the objective. All that Allah has bestowed on you - body, mind, faculties and property - are valuables for investment, but the real objective is to earn the pleasure of Allah and the rewards of Paradise. Remember that your personal destiny and, therefore, the end of all your life's pursuits, lay in the Hereafter, but the road to that destiny lies in Dunya, in this world. Indeed the achievements made during the time of the Prophet were the results of full participation in this world - neither withdrawing nor retiring from it - for the sake of the Life to Come. The Prophet and his Companions planned for this world as though they were going to stay here forever but equally they sought the rewards of the Hereafter as though death was close at hand. It is this delicate balance that you must strive to achieve in your approach to life. Source: "In The Early Hours" - Khurram Murad

Understanding the Prophet's Life

Good Character In Islam the value of morality is very high. The fact is that if religion is the name of good conduct between man and man, then on the other hand in its spiritual sense it is also the name of the best relationship between man and his God, and in both these aspects there is the same reality. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, has said: 'A slave achieves, by means of the goodness of his character, great position and high honour in the Hereafter, though he may be weak in matters of worship; but on account of his wickedness of character he is thrown in the lowest recesses of the Hell.” [Tibrani] Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, is reported to have narrated: “I have heard the Prophet as saying: 'A Muslim who observes moderation in matter of worship, on account of the goodness of his character and decency achieves the position of that man who observes fast and recites Allah's verses during prayers in the night.” [Ahmed] Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, has quoted the Prophet as saying: “A believer's nobility is his religiosity, his tolerance is his intelligence, and his lineage is his good character.” [Hakim] Source: "Muslims Character" - Muhammad Al-Ghazali

Towards Better Writing

The Writing Process Writing is a process that seems to be complicated but actually demands merely the accomplishment of a few basic skills. It can be made easier if we understand our subject, our purpose, and our audience. Given that, we can minimize the frustrations associated with writing by breaking up the process into manageable steps. These steps are described below: A. Planning Writing begins with planning. This means thinking about what can and may be written about the subject at hand. It can also mean taking notes, making lists, or creating a rough outline of the ideas being presented. The thinking, verbalizing, and imagining that precede the first word down are just as important as the mechanics of writing the entire piece. B. Drafting To begin writing, we prepare the first draft in concise form, using no more words than necessary and avoiding vague words that will confuse the ideas being conveyed. While doing so, we must keep the readers and their ability to comprehend the main ideas in mind. Our use of descriptive examples can often clarify difficult ideas. The draft is the foundation of the written piece. Once it is ready, we review it to recognize usable elements - ideas, examples, and style - so that we may develop them in the revision stage. We should be prepared to throw out part or all of the draft if it does not work. C. Revising We go over our draft to weed out unimportant details and clarify any vague ideas. However, revision is not to be considered merely a mechanism for fixing the first draft; it should be treated as a means to create the final product. In this phase of writing, it is not unusual to change a major portion of our work, its tone, or the point of view from which it is written. D. Proofreading We proofread the final manuscript to check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. For quick reference, it helps to have a dictionary and a handbook of grammar rules handy. We should make it a rule that if we do not have time to proofread, we do not have time to write. Compiled From: "Training Guide for Islamic Workers" - Hisham Altalib, pp. 166, 167