Thursday, August 9, 2007

The Essence of Islam

I found this video by Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, talks about the most essential question, What IS the Purpose of Life?"



May Allah swt give us all Tawfeeq to worship Him alone.



Friday, August 3, 2007

THE HEARTBREAK

So...I like to read blogs and keep things I like from them. Here is my collection..basically majority of my blogs will be stuff I got elsewhere :)

This reminder below made me think of how little I have prepared for my Akhira.. :(

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THE HEARTBREAK


وَإِن مِّنكُمْ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَا كَانَ عَلَى رَبِّكَ حَتْمًا مَّقْضِيًّا
Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished. (Surah Maryam, verse 71)


Abu Sa'id al Khudri reported Allah's Messenger as saying: "When the believers pass safely over (the bridge across) Hell, they will be stopped at a bridge between Hell and Paradise where they will retaliate against one another for the injustices done among them in the world, and when they are purified of all their sins, they will be admitted to Paradise. By Him in Whose hands the life of Muhammad is, everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this world."(Sahih al-Bukhari, Fath Al-Bari)

Having now arrived at the terrifying bridge of Sirat, everything is pitch black except for the fire of hell blazing from underneath. You see people you love go - could be your mother, or perhaps your father... maybe it's that strange guy you once gave salam to - he's also here today! Your sweat dripping uncontrollably from the anxiety of it all, from the apprehension and the scare of falling and slipping. All you can think of is that If you fall then it's all over. If you dont make it through, everything you've ever worked for will have perished. You thought before that this day would never come - yet here it is!

The tragedy of it all. The days that made our our lives were short, and today, we see the slides of our earlier existence back to haunt us. Will we succeed on today? Will we make it through this path?

There is no sun, no independent source of light besides the Fire of Hell itself. But the people that are crossing the bridge - they have light. Their very own light, coming from their bodies. We see the righteous ones fly by us. Some dart across like lightning, some fly like the wind, others gallop like a speeding horse. And still others; others are crawling on all fours. But the righteous ones, they make it. One of them is a person you recognize. It was that guy who spent his time memorizing the Quran while you were watching tv, but you remember him - his strength to fight his desires and determination to please Allah. Over there is a girl that you remember, who spent her weekends with her parents and relatives, struggling to please them.


يَوْمَ تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَسْعَى نُورُهُم بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَانِهِم بُشْرَاكُمُ الْيَوْمَ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ

الْعَظِيمُ

One Day shalt thou see the believing men and the believing women- how their Light runs forward before them and by their right hands: (their greeting will be): “Good News for you this Day! Gardens beneath which flow rivers! to dwell therein for aye! This is indeed the highest Achievement!” (Surah Hadeed, verse 12)


But you chose to go out with your friends, driving around pointlessly, wanting to be seen and wanting to see what your eyes had no right to see. A life in ignorance was bliss. But that life is over.

Wasnt it was easy for you to pursue your desires, delay your salat, ignore charity, and act immoral? Remember how it was easy for you to hoarde money, to cheat, to deal with interest, and to flirt and to gossip? You loved buying new clothes, filling up your driveway with cars, your room with DVDs and music CDs, And you would have fought to keep it all. Back then, it never crossed your mind to spend these blessings for the sake of Allah.

Some invested for a day like this, and others chose to invest in a world that has now passed; a dark, dead and lonely world. All He asked was for you to be grateful, but you choose to forget Him. He offered you everthing, and you turned your backs on Him, eyes bedazzled with so many cheap desires.

يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيم الَّذِي خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّاكَ فَعَدَلَكَ فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ مَّا شَاء رَكَّبَكَ كَلَّا بَلْ تُكَذِّبُونَ بِالدِّينِ

O man! What has seduced thee from thy Lord Most Beneficent? Him Who created thee. Fashioned thee in due proportion, and gave thee a just bias; In whatever Form He wills, does He put thee together. Nay, but ye deny the Judgment!!! (Surah al-Infitar, verses 6-9)

You are completely naked today! So are your sins, everything comes out today. You've brought absolutely nothing with you, and you are all alone. You wonder where your friends could be, where are your past friends on a day like this? If they were worth committing sins for, then how come they are not here to bear this heat for you?


يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيه وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيه وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ

That Day shall a man flee from his own brother, And from his mother and his father. And from his wife and his children. Each one of them, that day, will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others. (Surah 'Abasa, 34-37).


Where is everyone? You feel scared, for all that you knew of, has indeed perished today, except your miserable soul.

You continue to be alone in the darkness, and your knowledge tells you that paradise is just over there, just across this path. Yet, it is so narrow. Paradise is very close, all you have to do is cross this path, and it will surely end. It is your single wish at this very moment, abiding in guilt and in sorrow, to be rescued from the anxiety. You soon see your brothers make it through, standing on the other side, and your cousins too! Knowing this, you want to be with them on that end. You remember how they used to remind you of prayer and to hold your tongue except in good, but you forever refused to listen out of sheer stuborness. You were always better than everyone. You were right and they were wrong. It seems that you thought wrong. Your sweat drips, and your eyes tear...

You turn to Allah desperately, "O Allah, let me make it to Paradise! O Allah, i implore you! By your grace, let me see the gates of Paradise! O Allah, they were only small mistakes!"

Tears.


The Heartbreak of it All.

On that day, that moment, you would give up everyone to be rescued. You would be willing to trade in your wife, your husband, your children, your friends, and even you parents, just so that you could be with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in paradise. You didn't choose him then but you now, you would. How come you weren't from the people of his sunnah and guidance? You quickly remember that this moment is too profound for you and the fire is boiling. You have become desperate, and you don't know what else to do.

The Heartbreak of it All.

Your turn has come, and you have walk on the sirat now.

Suddenly, it happens. The hooks come out from the Fires of Hell, and one digs into your flesh. You try desperately to hang onto the bridge, but the bridge is as sharp as a blade. Your hands begin to bleed, and blood trickles down your arms. But the hook will not let go; it only digs deeper.

Your hands are covered in blood. They slip, and just like that, it's all over. Down you fall, farther and farther into the depths of Hell, screaming in fear and terror. You black out, but find no rest. You open your eyes, and see a fearsome, terrifying Angel standing before you, with the gates of Hell open before you. With a whimper, you motion that you dont belong here, that there must be some mistake. A single, choked syllable escapes your lips.



'Why?'


ذَلِكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَمْرَحُونَ ادْخُلُوا أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ

"That is because you exulted in the land unjustly and because you behaved insolently. Enter the gates of hell to abide therein, evil then is the abode of the proud."(Surah al-Ghaafir, 76-77)"

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These are our moments, this is our life. Let us not take it for granted. Let us not despair from the mercy of Allah, and begin to redouble our efforts and our acts of woship with complete sincerity and regards to the One who can rescue us from such a horrifying event.

May Allah [SWT] grant us the abillity to cross the Sirat on the first instance, free of fear and free of terror. Ameen.

How scores will be settled on the Day of Resurrection...

By Dr. 'Umar al-Ashqar

When the Day of Resurrection comes, a man's wealth and capital will be his hasanaat (good deeds). If he had done wrong to any people, they will take from his hasanaat to the extent that he mistreated them. If he does not have any hasanaat, or if his hasanaat run out, then some of their sayi`aat (bad deeds) will be taken and added to his burden.

Bukhari narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam)
said:

"Whoever wronged his brother with regard to his honour or any other matter, should seek his forgiveness today, before there are no longer any dinars, or dirhams; and if he has any righteous deeds, they will be taken from him, in accordance with the wrong he did; and if he has no hasanaat, some of the sayi`aat of his counterpart will be taken and added to his burden.” [Bukhari: Kitaab al-Mazaalim, Baab man kaanat lahu mazlamah `inda rajul, Fath al-Baari, 5/101]

This person whose hasanaat are taken from him by the people, and then has their sayi`aat placed on his own back, is the one who is bankrupt, as the Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) called him. Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Do you know who is the one who is bankrupt?" They said, "The bankrupt is the one who has no money and no possessions." He said, "Among my ummah, the one who is bankrupt is the one who will come on the Day of Resurrection with prayer and fasting and zakah (to his credit), but he will come having insulted this one, slandered that one, consumed the wealth of this one and shed the blood of that one, and beaten that one. So they will all be given some of his hasanaat, and when his hasanaat run out, before judgement is passed, some of their sins will be taken and cast onto him, then he will be cast into the Fire." [Muslim: 4/1998, hadith no. 2581.]

If a debtor died when he still owed money to people, they will take from his hasanaat whatever is in accordance with what he owes them. In Sunan ibn Maajah it is narrated with a saheeh isnaad that Ibn 'Umar (radhiallahu `anhu) stated: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Whoever dies owing a dinar or a dirham, it will be paid from his hasanaat, for then there will be no dinars or dirhams.” [Saheeh al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 5/537, hadith no. 6432.]

If people wronged one another, the score will be settled between them. If they mistreated one another equally, then there will be no score to settle. If one of them is still owed something by the other, he will take what he is entitled to.

In Sunan at-Tirmidhi it is narrated that 'Aa'ishah said: "A man came and sat in front of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, I have two slaves who tell me lies, betray and disobey me, and I insult them and beat them. What is my position with regard to them?” The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

'On the Day of Resurrection, their betrayal, disobedience and lying will be measured against your punishment of them. If your punishment is commensurate with their wrongs, then there will be no score to settle. If your punishment of them was less than their sins deserved, then this will count in your favour. If your punishment of them was more than their sins deserved, then the score will be settled against you.' The man turned away and started to weep. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said to him, 'Have you not read the words of Allah?' -

“And We shall set up Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We to take account.” (Qur'an 21: 47).’” [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 3/66, hadith no. 5561. It is also narrated in Saheeh al-Jaami`, 6/327, hadith no. 7895, where it attributed to Ahmad and Tirmidhi.]

Because zulm (oppression) is such a serious matter, it is better for those who fear that Day to give up oppression and avoid it. The Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) has told us that oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection. Bukhari and Muslim narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Oppression (zulm) will be darkness (zulumaat) on the Day of Resurrection." [Bukhari: Kitaab al-Mazaalim, Baab az-Zulm Zulumaat Yawm al-Qiyaamah, Fath al-Baari, 51100; Muslim, 4/1969, hadith no. 2579.]

Muslim narrated from Jaabir ibn 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Beware of oppression (zulm), for oppression will be darkness (zulumaat) on the Day of Resurrection." [Muslim: 4/1969, hadith no. 2578.]****

So yeah. Give up the harsh treatment of others (ESPECIALLY PARENTS), the gossip and the slander already. Because the irony of ironies is that these people who you believe are inferior to you - (why else would you trash them so?) - will demand free hasanaat from you on Yawm al Qiyamah.

And dont lose your cool when someone else oppresses you either - they're doing you a great favor by either giving you LEGIT reward, or if they have none to give, they'll do you a favor by taking away LEGIT penalties that you've accrued over your lifetime.

Allah knows best how many of our actions are insincere - and therefore not beneficial to us, even though we might think otherwise - but the settling of scores provides a REAL difference on your scales.


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