Al-Harith Bin Qays (Allah have mercy on him) said: “When intending to do something good, do not delay it until tomorrow. When involved in something to do with the hereafter, keep yourself involved as long as you can. When involved in some worldly matter, put your mind to it (so as to get it done). And if you are praying and Shaytan whispers, ‘You are showing off,’ then make your prayer even longer.”

Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) said: "The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) deputised me to keep (guard over) Sadaqah of Ramadan. Someone came and started taking handfuls of the Sadaqah quickly. I took hold of him and said, 'By Allah, I will take you to the Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'I am needy and have many dependents.' I released him, and in the morning the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) asked me, 'What did your prisoner do yesterday?' I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! The person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so I pitied him and let him go.' The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, 'Indeed, he told you a lie and he will return.' I believed that he would return again as the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) had told me that he would return. So I waited for him watchfully. When he returned and started stealing handfuls of foodstuff I caught hold of him again and said, 'I will definitely take you to the Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again.' I pitied him and let him go.

In the morning the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) asked me, 'What did your prisoner do?' I replied, 'O Messenger of Allah! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free.' The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, 'Verily, he told you a lie and he will return.' I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he came and started stealing handfuls of the Sadaqah, I caught hold of him and said, 'I will surely take you to the Messenger of Allah as it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come.' He said, 'Forgive me and I will teach you some words with which Allah will benefit you.' I asked, 'What are they?' He replied, 'When ever you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi: 'Allah – There is no God but He, the Living, the Everlasting', till you finish the whole verse. If you do so, Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no devil will come near you till morning.' So, I released him.

In the morning, the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) asked, 'What did your prisoner do yesterday?' I replied, 'He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will benefit me, so I let him go.' The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) asked, 'What are they?' I replied, 'He said to me, ‘When ever you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi from the beginning to the end: ‘Allah – There is no God but He, the Living, the Everlasting.’ He further said to me, ‘If you do so, Allah will appoint a guard for you, who will stay with you, and no devil will come near you till morning.’ The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, 'He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Hurairah?' Abu Hurairah said, 'No.' He said, 'It was Shaytan (the Devil).'" [Sahih Bukhari: Book of Wakalah]

Abd Allah ibn Ahmad (Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal's son) said: "I heard Abu Zur`a [al-Razi] say: ‘Your father had memorized a million hadiths, which I rehearsed with him according to topic."

Ibrahim al-Harbi said: "I held Ahmad as one for whom Allah had gathered up the combined knowledge of the first and the last."

Harmala said: "I heard al-Imam al-Shafi`i say: ‘I left Baghdad and did not leave behind me anyone more virtuous (afdal), more learned (a`lam), or more knowledgeable (afqah) than Ahmad ibn Hanbal.’"

`Ali ibn al-Madini said: "Truly, Allah reinforced this Religion with Abu Bakr al-Siddiq the day of the Great Apostasy (al-Riddah), and He reinforced it with Ahmad ibn Hanbal the day of the Inquisition (al-Mihna)." This is referrring to the lies that were said about the Quran being a creation of Allah (SWT).

Abu `Ubayd said: "The Science at its peak is in the custody of four men, of whom Ahmad ibn Hanbal is the most knowledgeable."

Ibn Ma`in said, as related by `Abbas [al-Duri]: "They meant for me to be like Ahmad, but by Allah! I shall never in my life compare to him."

Muhammad ibn Hammad al-Taharani said: "I heard Abu Thawr say: ‘Ahmad is more learned and more knowledgeable than al-Thawri."

Al-Dhahabi concludes: "Al-Bayhaqi wrote Abu `Abd Allah’s biography (sîra) in one volume, so did Ibn al-Jawzi, and also Shaykh al-Islam [`Abd Allah al-Harawi] al-Ansari in a brief volume.
"He passed on to Allah’s good pleasure on the day of Jum`a, the twelfth of Rabi` al-Awwal in the year 241, at the age of seventy-seven. I have two of his short-chained narrations (`awâlîh), and a licence (ijâza) for the entire Musnad."

Al-Dhahabi’s chapter on Imam Ahmad in Siyar A`lam al-Nubala’ counts no less than 113 pages.

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal had many teachers, the most prominent was Imam Shafiee (RA) whom he met on several separate occasions and each time he took full benefit of the opportunity. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal commented, ‘Only after sitting in the Majlis of Imam Shafiee (RA) did I understand and comprehend nasikh and mansukh hadith.’ even though by this time he was very knowledgeable in uloom-al-hadith.

It was only at the age of forty, in 204 A.H., the Imam began formally teaching hadith. Whilst his teachers were still alive he refused to teach and narrate hadith out of humility and respect for them. Imam Ahmad was acknowledged by the Ulama of his time as Imam ul Hadith. May Allah (SWT) have mercy on him.

A'isha (Radiya Allahu Anha) reported that Jibreel (peace be upon him) made a promise with Allah's Messenger (salla allahu alayhi wasallam ) to come at a definite hour; that hour came, but Jibreel did not visit him. And there was in his hand (in the hand of Allah's Messenger) a staff. He threw it from his hand and said: Never has Allah or His messengers (angels) ever broken their promise. Then he cast a glance (and by chance) found a puppy under his cot and said: 'A'isha, when did this dog enter here? She said: BY Allah, I don't know.
He then commanded and it was turned out. Then Jibreel came and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to him: You promised me and I waited for you, but you did not come, whereupon he said: It was the dog in your house which prevented me (from coming), for we (angels) do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture.



[Sahih Muslim : Book 24, Number 5249]

Lesson learned: keep the dog outside, and do not hang the picture in your house.

In the statement of Al-Fadheel ibn 'Iyaadh in relation to the meaning of Allah's statement: [That He might test you, which of you are best in action.] Qur'an 67;2, he said:

"The most sincere and the most correct." It was said to him: "O, father of Ali, what is the meaning of the most sincere (of actions) and the most correct?" He said: "Verily, any action, though it may be correct, which is not done with sincerity, is not accepted; if it is done with sincerity, but is not correct, it is also not accepted, until it is done both with sincerity, and is correct. The sincere action is the one done purely for the sake of Allah, and the correct action is the one which is in accordance with the sunnah."

It has also been narrated by Ibn Shaaheen from Sa'eed ibn Jubair that he said: "No statement is accepted without action. And no statement and action is accepted without (pure) intention. And no statement and action and intention is accepted unless it is in accordance with the sunnah. This statement has also been narrated from Al-Hassan Al-Basry who used the word "is not valid" instead of "is not accepted".

http://www.java-man.com/pages/books/alhisba.html#THE MEANING OF SUBMITTING ONE'S FACE TO ALLAH

“Like all the Islamic virtues, zuhd is a golden mean between two extremes; in this case the extremes of worldliness and of monkery."

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal defined zuhd as not being pleased when given the things of this world, and not being sorry when they are taken away.

He, RahimahuAllah, also taught that there are three degrees of zuhd:
that of the common people, which involves avoiding what is forbidden (haram),
that of the elite, which is to avoid what is permissible (halal) but unnecessary,
and that of the highest elite, which is to avoid everything which distracts one from God.”

[Abdal-Hakim Murad, translator, The Seventy-Seven Branches of Faith p.56]

Those who are most aware of death and prepare themselves for it, are the wisest of people. (Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 4, Number 13)

On the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with them both), he relates that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) once held my shoulders and said:

“Live in this world as (if you are) a wayfarer or a stranger.” And Abdullah ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with them both) used to say: “If you live till night, then do not wait for the next day (i.e. do not have hopes that you will live to the next day), and if you wake up in the morning do not have hope that you will live till the night. And take (advantage) from your health before your sickness and take advantage of your life before your death (i.e. do every possible obedience in your life before death comes to you for then no deeds can be performed.)”

[Bukhari and Tirmidhi]

And a traveler carries with him only the the really basic needs. Get rid of jealousy, envy, hatred, disobediance, bad memories, bad habits, sins, and travel light.
Also, Rasulullah (S) advised, "Fear Allah wherever you are, and follow up a bad deed with a good one and it will wipe it out, and behave well towards people." From the 40 nawawi ahadith.
so all these bad deeds that are worrying you can be replaced by good.

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Save yourselves from the fire of Hell even if it be by giving away a bit of a date, or by uttering a good word." [Sahih Bukhari]

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) encouraged us to do good deeds, even if they appeared to be very small. He (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Do not look upon any good work as insignificant, even if it be emptying a bucket into the vessel of one asking for water, or receiving a brother of yours with a pleasant face." In an advice to women he said: "O Muslim women, no woman should look upon sending a gift to her neighbor as mean, even if it be the hoof of a goat." [Sahih Bukhari]

It was from the duaa of Rauslullah (Salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) to say:
"Oh Allah, I ask you to increase me in useful knowledge and I seek refuge in you from knowledge that is not useful."

Useful knowledge is that which:

makes you grow in the fear of Allah
increases you in awareness of your defects
deepens your knowledge of the worship of your Lord Most High
decreases your desire for this world
increases your desire for the life to come
an opens your eyes to the defects of your actions so that you guard against them
-Imam Ghazali

Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said,
"The guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me are like abundant rain which fell on a land.
A fertile part of it absorbed the water and brought forth profuse herbage and pasture;
and solid ground patches which retained the water by which Allah has benefited people, who drank from it, irrigated their crops and sowed their seeds;
and another sandy plane which could neither retain the water nor produce herbage. Such is the similitude of the person who becomes well-versed in the religion of Allah and receives benefit from the Message entrusted to me by Allah, so he himself has learned and taught it to others; such is also the similitude of the person who has stubbornly and ignorantly rejected Allah's Guidance with which I have been sent.'
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Mu`awiyah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (S) said, "When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen.'
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Al Qabr

Abu Hurayrah (radiya Allahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“The grave is more horrifying than any horrible scene I ever saw.”
[Tirmidhi, Bayhaqi, regarded as Hasan]

"Once you are carried to the graveyard you are brought close to the ground so that you dwell in a small, dark lonely hole. The nearest of kin and the most beloved to you will lower you into your grave, where you will rest placed on your right side, with the top of the shroud on your face untied and a stone placed on the hole (Lahd) inside your grave.

Then, soil is thrown into your grave and when the task is completed, one of the people will say, “Invoke Allah for forgiveness for your brother and for making him firm (so that he affirms to the angels Munkir and Nakir that Allah is his Lord, Islam is his religion and Muhammad is the Messenger he followed), for he is now being asked.”
[Silent Moments: The Description of Before and After Death Aspects by Abdul-Malik Al-Qasim]

Whenever Uthman (radiya Allahu anhu) stood next to a grave, he used to weep until his beard became wet. He was asked, “You mention Paradise and do not weep, but you weep from this scene?” He said, “The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The grave is the first in the stages of the Hereafter. If one is saved from it, what is afterwards is even easier. If one is not saved from it, what comes after that is even harder.”
[Az-Zuhd, Page 189. Hasan hadith collected by Tirmidhi, Bayhaqi, Hakim.]

Imam Malik Ibn Anas saw the Death Angel in his sleep, and the Imam asked him: "How much left for me to live?" The Angel pointed to his five fingers. Then the Imam asked him: " Does that mean 5 years, or 5 months, or 5 days ?" Before the Imam had a chance to get an answer back, he woke up.

The Imam went to someone who would interpret dreams. That man told him: "Imam Malik, when the Angel pointed to his five fingers he didn't mean 5 years or months or days, but the Angel meant that your question 'how much left for me to live' is among 5 matters that only Allah (SWT) knows about, and he recited the following verse from the Qur,an:


" Verily, with ALLAH alone is the knowledge of the Hour. And HE sends down the rain, and HE knows what is in the wombs. And no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Surely, ALLAH is All-Knowing, All-Aware." 31:34


Fear death, but do not hate it, prepare for it, but do not dread it.

I want to make my blog better

I have been reading so many blogs and I just realized my blog really sucks. I mean, really, half the things that I write are just quotes from other internet sources, and at the same time I don't want to bore anyone with my daily rantings about how hard life is.

So my idea is this: my blog should bring benefit to mankind and take away harm. I also want it to benefit me, so I should have a theme. I am thinking I could talk about what I love the most---Islam. So I will try every time I write a post to do some research and teach myself something new about my deen, the one thing that will benefit me even after I die.
So for today, to motivate myself to start, I am going to talk about my first Islamic topic: tawheed.
This is based on what I learned in the khutbah I attended today.
Tawheed is divided into three categories: look them up and make sure you get them thoroughly.
Also, plants do NOT have souls. They do not get judged on anything on the day of judgement. Yet, that does not mean they are to be ignored, rather they are still a test for us. To care for them is a good deed. The prophet (S) said that if the day of judgement begins and any of us have a seed in their hand, they should plant it. Reflect on that. You know that it would never grow or do anything, because that is it, the day of judgement has come, but you still know that you would get ajr for it, even if it never grows.

for a first attempt....well, yeah, I hope to do better next time.

We are not a Minority

Today, I was thinking about how all the non-Muslims must be judging our crowd because we are a minority in the country and we represent all Muslims. And then I tried to look at the positive side: that we have other Muslims in this country.
Imagine if you were the only Muslim(ah) in the entire country and you could find no one to support you, correct you, take the heat with you. We are not really minorities if we can see people of our faith in the lane next to us or in our public library. We are so blessed alhamdulillah.

Eidukum Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak
Eid Sa'eed
Eid Kareem

Kul aam wa antum bi khayr
Kul Sana wa antum Tayyibeen

Happy Eid oh people of planet Earth!!
(p.s it is 4 days this time)

Taste Paradise in This World

If you were in paradise what would you be doing? What would you be feeling?

In this world you may not be able to do what you want to do in paradise, but insha Allah you can at least feel that way.
"Indeed in this world is a paradise and who ever does not enter the paradise of this world will not enter the paradise of the hereafter. "
This is referring to the sweetness of Iman. If you do not taste it in this world you will not reap its fruits in the hereafter. What are some signs of sweetness of Iman that you want to strive for:
1- To love Allah and His messenger beyond all else.
2- To love and want to be loved for Allah's sake alone.
3- To hate to return disbelief just like you would hate to be thrown into the fire.

For those who think it's extreme to keep asking, "Is it showing any details?"

It has been narrated by Usaamah ibn Zayd (radhi-yAllaahu 'anhumaa) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) clothed me with a thick white linen garment which had been gifted to him by Dahiyyah al-Kalbee, so I clothed my wife with it, and he said: «What is the matter with you, you do not wear the thick white linen garment?» So I said: I have clothed my wife with it, so he said: «Be sure that she wears a ghilaalah underneath it, for indeed I fear it (the thick white linen garment) accentuating her body and bones», transmitted by ad-Dhiyaa al-Maqdasee in "al-Ahaadeeth al-Mukhtaarah", and Ahmad, and al-Bayhaqee in "as-Sunan al-Kubraa", and al-Albaanee declared it hasan in "Jilbaab al-Mar.ah al-Muslimah".

And a ghilaalah is a fine textured and light shirt-like gown which is worn underneath a garment to prevent accentuating her body.

I want to be a hajj coach!

How can a person become a hajj coach?

“Who is better in speech than one who calls humankind to God, works righteousness and says, “Verily, I am of those who have surrendered themselves to God”?
The Noble Quran, 41:33


I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.


The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "The mo'min dies with his sweat on his brow (i.e. with labour and hard work)." [Tirmidhi, Nasai]

A mo'min's work is never done. If a conscientious student is sitting for a three hour exam and gets done in two and a half hours, he/she will go over their work making sure that they did not miss anything or make any mistakes. Moreover, if an exam has been designed for three hours, it is meant to take around three hours to finish.

Our lifespan should likewise be fully utilized to make sure we have not left anything undone that we could have earned Jannat with. This is the only chance we get; there will be no exams after this, only results. Therefore, we have to give this one exam our best shot.

If somebody is sitting around with nothing to do, it means that they have not understood the purpose of life, what Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) gave it to us for! There is no time to waste, no moment to lose. As long as we are alive we can keep earning sawaab. A mo'min, therefore, keeps working to please Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) before death overtakes him, and his exam paper is taken away from him.

-recieved in an e-mail

The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “When a morsel of any of you falls, he should pick it up and remove any of the dirt on it and then eat it, and should not leave it for Shaytaan...” [Sahih Muslim]

How humble is that? Salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

Today, quite annoyingly, I read about two South Africans that pedaled their way to Saudi Arabia for Hajj. I was like 'ugh, why didn't I think of that?" then I realized I have a whole lot more than Africa in my way, and that bicycles don't float on water. I'll have to keep thinking...

Control your anger

As our times progress so must the way we show restraint. Especially when it comes to e-mails, text messages, and social networking it's important not to be impulsive. Life is filled with many trials and will often not go the way we plan, but why make things worse by doing something we will regret (and more than likely apologize for later on...Come on, you know you always end up apologizing, we all do!). So here is a nice tip for you. Next time you're angry and have the urge to tweet or respond to an email, try this instead:
Open up a word document and type up what you want to say. Wait 12 hours, 24 would be best, reread what you wrote. If you still feel like sending it then, and more than likely you won't, then go ahead. If not you can now adjust the message to something that is well thought and more likely to get you the results you desire.

Shaykh Navaid Aziz

past vs. future

Do you know why a Car's WIND-SHIELD is so large & the Rear-view Mirror is so small?
Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. Look Ahead and Move on

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

And if you read this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.

Also ......

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day .
If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation . You are ahead of 700 million people in the world.

If you can attend a Masjid without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people
in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare.
If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.

There is plenty to be thankful for. Alhamdulillah.

"‏اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَصَلُّوا خَمْسَكُمْ وَصُومُوا شَهْرَكُمْ وَأَدُّوا زَكَاةَ أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَطِيعُوا ذَا أَمْرِكُمْ تَدْخُلُوا جَنَّةَ رَبِّكُمْ". أخرجه الترمذي

Fear Allah your lord
and pray the 5 prayers
and fast your month (Ramadan)
and give zakah
and obey your authority
you will enter the jannah of your Rabb.

Narrated by Al-Tirmithi

So people, it is from your deen to stop at a red light and buckle your seat belt and follow the rules of your nation.

10 best days ever!!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuhu

I had this genius idea to actually copy and paste the post that I wrote here last year about the 10 days of Dhul-hijjah. But then I knew I would get caught (and it was too long anyway and probably no one read it all) so here is my ....

Dhul-Hijjah Cheat Sheet (cheating is haram):

In the first ten days of Dhul hijjah, you should increase your

fasting: fast every day if possible
salah: pray every day if possible (no, seriously :))
sadaqah: give in silence and secrecy and also in public
Takbir: say takbir whenever you can!
Religion is good character: be on your best behavior!
Smile: smiling in a brother's (or sister's) face is charity.
Advise: Religon is to give good advice. Enjoin what is good. Give the naseeha for the sake of Allah (SWT).
Remove harms from the path of people
Help others complete their needs: help a neighbor, help a relative.
perfect your actions
qiyam al-layl: which, according to a saheeh hadith, can also cure your body from sickness. Subhanallah.
reading Quran: remember how much you used to read Quran in Ramadan? yeah, like that.
Duaa: Turn to Allah (SWT)
Sacrifice: only on the 9th on Eid
Repentance

I know this will keep you busy. Alhamdulillah for that.

A Reminder

God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear."
The Holy Quran, 2:286

Dinaar al-'Ayaar

There is an interesting story related about Dinaar al-‘Ayaar. Dinaar had a righteous mother who would constantly advise him to repent for his wayward, sinful existence, but as much as she tried, her words had no positive effect on him whatsoever. Then, one day, as he was walking by a graveyard, he stopped to pick up a bone. He was shocked to see how it crumbled and turned to dust in his hand. The sight of that bone had a profound effect on Dinaar. He began to think about his life and his past sins, and he then exclaimed, “Woe unto you, O Dinaar, you are going to end up like this crushed bone, and your body will turn into dust.” All of his past sins then flashed before his eyes, and he made a firm resolve to repent. Turning his gaze towards the sky, he said, “My Lord, I now turn to you in complete submission, so accept me and have Mercy on me.”
With a completely changed heart and state of mind, Dinaar went to his mother and said, “Mother, what does a master do when he captures his slave who had run away from him?” She said, “[To punish him] the master provides him with coarse clothing and low-quality food; and he ties his hands and feet so that he does not make another attempt to escape.” Dinaar said, “Then I want a garment made of coarse wool, low-quality barley, and two chains. Mother, do with me that which is done with a runaway slave. Perhaps my Lord will, upon seeing my humiliation and humility, have mercy on me.” Seeing that her son was adamant and resolute in his request, she complied.
At the beginning of every ensuing night, Dinaar would begin to cry and wail uncontrollably. And he would continue to repeat to himself the words, “Woe unto you, O Dinaar, do you have the power to withstand the Hell fire? How brazen you have been to have led a life that has made you deserving of the anger of the All-Mighty!” He would continue upon that state until the morning.
Turning wan and pale, Dinaar’s body slowly wasted away. Not being able to bear seeing him in that pitiable state, his mother said, “My son, be easy on yourself.” He answered, “My mother, let me remain tied for a short while, so that perhaps I can achieve long-term comfort later on. For tomorrow, I will be waiting a long time before my Majestic Lord, and I do not know whether He will order me to go to places of beautiful shade or to places of unspeakable horror.”
She said, “My son, at least rest for a while.” He said, “It is not present rest or comfort that I am seeking out. Mother, it is as if I see you and other people being led tomorrow towards Paradise, while I am being led towards the Hell-fire along with his inhabitants.” She left him then, and he returned to crying, worshipping, and reciting the Quran. One night, as he was reciting the Quran, he came across these verses:

فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِين عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ َ

So, by your Lord [o Muhammad], We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all that they used to do.

[al-Hijr : 92-93]
As he contemplated the meanings and implications of these verses, he cried with such intensity that he fainted. His mother rushed to him and tried very hard to revive him, but he wouldn’t respond. She thought he had died. Looking into the face of her son, she said, “O my beloved one, O the joy of my heart, where shall we meet again?” In fact, Dinaar still had some life left in him, and hearing his mother’s words, he answered with a faint voice, “My mother, if you do not find me on the wide plains of the Day of Resurrection, then ask Maalik, the Custodian of Hell-fire about me.” He then made a croaking sound and died.
After she finished washing his body, Dinaar’s mother prepared him for his funeral. She then went out and made the announcement, “O people, come to the funeral prayer of one who has been killed by [fear of] the Hell-fire.” People began to come from all directions. It is said that during that era, no greater gathering came together and no amount of tears were shed as much as on that day.
On the same night that his funeral was held, one of Dinaar’s friends saw him in a dream, attired in a green robe. Dinaar was prancing around in Paradise, all the while reciting the verse:

فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِين عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ َ
So, by your Lord [o Muhammad], We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all that they used to do.

During the dream, his friend heard him say, “By His Might and Majesty, He asked me [about my deeds]. Having mercy on me, He forgave me and pardoned me [my sins.] Lo! Convey news of this to my mother.”

I do not know the authenticity of this story.

“To You, My Lord, I complain of my weakness, lack of support and the humiliation I am made to receive. Most Compassionate and Merciful! You are the Lord of the weak, and You are my Lord. To whom do You leave me? To a distant person who receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy to whom You have given power over me? If You are not displeased with me, I do not care what I face. I would, however, be much happier with Your mercy. I seek refuge in the light of Your face by which all darkness is dispelled, and both this life and the life to come are put on their right courses against incurring Your wrath or being the subject of Your anger. To You I submit, until I earn Your pleasure. Everything is powerless without Your support.”

The duaa of Rasulullah (S) as he was fledding at-Ta'if

If you have not memorized the duaa for istikhara yet, memorize it right now!

We live in a society where the youngest among us, the most inexperienced, are given all the attention. The world revolves around youthfulness and strength and impulsiveness and beauty. What happened to wisdom, experience, tolerance, and knowledge? Our elders are ignored, until one day we will realize that all those who knew more than us have passed, and all that is left is us--with significantly less knowledge :(

And if My servants ask you about Me, I am near, answering the calls of those who call to Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be guided.