Keys to Happiness

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful

Assalam Alikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatahu

Keys to Happiness

Happiness is the only goal on earth that all people without exception are seeking to attain. Believers and unbelievers alike seek to be happy, but each party is using different methods. However, only believers can achieve genuine happiness. All forms of happiness attained without a firm belief in God, the Almighty, are mere illusions. The following are tips for the attainment of happiness: 1. Know that if you do not live within the scope of today, your thoughts will be scattered, your affairs will become confused, and your anxiety will increase. These realities are explained in the following hadith: “When you are in the evening, do not expect to see the morning, and when you are in the morning, do not expect to see the evening.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) 2. Forget the past and all that it contained. Being absorbed in things that are past and gone is sheer lunacy. 3. Do not be preoccupied with the future because the future is in the world of the unseen; do not let it bother you until it comes. 4. Do not be shaken by criticism; instead, be firm. Be sure that in proportion to your worth, the level of peoples criticism rises. Also, make good use of criticism in discovering your shortcomings and faults, and let it drive you toward self-improvement. 5. Have certain faith in Allah (swt) and perform good deeds; these are the ingredients that makeup a good and happy life. 6. If you desire peace, tranquility, and comfort, you can find it all in the remembrance of Allah swt 7. You should know with certainty that everything that happens, occurs in accordance with the divine decree. 8. Do not expect gratitude from anyone. 9. Train yourself to be prepared for the worst eventuality. 10. Perhaps what has happened is in your best interest, even though you may not comprehend how that can be so. 11. Everything that is decreed for the believer is the best for him. 12. Enumerate the blessings of God and be thankful for them. 13. Remember that you are better off than many others. 14. Relief comes from one hour to the next. Indeed, with each difficulty there is relief. 15. In both times of hardship and ease, one should turn to supplication and prayer, either patiently contented or thankful. 16. Calamities should strengthen your heart and reshape your outlook in a positive way. 17. Do not let trivialities be the cause of your destruction. 18. Always remember that your Lord is Oft-Forgiving. 19. Assume an easy-going attitude and avoid anger. 20. Life is bread, water, and shade; so do not be perturbed by a lack of any other material thing. “And in the heaven is your providence and that which you are promised.” (Quran 51:22) 21. Most evil that is supposed to happen never occurs. 22. Look at those who have more afflictions and be grateful that you have less. 23. Bear in mind the fact that God loves those who endure trials with steadfastness, so seek to be one of them. 24. Constantly repeat those supplications that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us to say during times of hardship. 25. Work hard at something that is productive, and cast off idleness. 26. Do not spread rumors and do not listen to them. If you hear a rumor inadvertently, do not believe it. 27. Know that your malice and your striving to seek revenge are much more harmful to your health than they are to your antagonist. 28. The hardships that befall you atone for your sins, if you endure with patience.

Description: Some of the means for achieving happiness.

By Ayed Al-Qarni
Published on 23 Mar 2009 - Last modified on 02 Apr 2009

Courtesy:http://www.islamrel igion.com/ articles/ 2407/

Complied, Edited, and Adapted by Khalid Latif.

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Allaah's love for a person

n the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones...

(Qur'an, Surah al-Tahreem:6)

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah

-As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu

The signs of Allaah's love for a person

by Ibn-Qayim

Praise Be To Allah The signs of Allaah's love for a person are as follows : 1. When Allah loves someone he puts them under trials ( the more righteous they are, the harder the trials) in order to purify them. 2. When Allaah loves someone, he gives them the "understanding" of the religion of islaam. 3. Whomever Allaah loves, He deviates them and their heart from disobedience and sins.. Abu Huraira Radhiallahu anhu narrated tha Allah's Messenger Salallahu alaihi wa Salam said that Allah said: I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of mine And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My worshipper keeps on coming closes to Me through perfoming Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is (obligatory) till I love him, When i love him I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hands with which he grips, and his legs with which he walks; and if he ask Me, I will give him, and if he ask My Protection (Refuge), I will Protect him. ( Narrated by Al-Bukhari.) In a Hadith Qudsi (Sacred Hadith), the Prophet (SAWS) mentioned that Allah (SWT) said, Myself, Mankind and Jinn are in a great serious state. I create them, then they worship other gods that they make for themselves; I bless them with my bounties, then they thank someone else for what I sent them; My Mercy descends to them while their evil deeds ascend to Me; I endear them with my gifts even though I have no need to any of them while they alienate themselves from Me with their sins even though they are desperate for my help. Whoever returns to Me, I accept him no matter how far he is; and whoever turns away from Me, I approach him and call on him. Whoever leaves a sin for my sake, I reward him with many gifts and whoever seeks to please Me, I seek to please him. Whoever acknowledges My Will and Power in whatever he does, I make the iron bend for his sake. My dear people are those who are with Me.Whoever thanks Me, I grant him more blessings; whoever obeys Me, I raise him and endear him more. Whoever disobeys Me, I keep the doors of My Mercy open for him; if he returns to Me, I bestow him with My Love since I love those who repent and purify themselves for My Sake. If he does not repent, I still treat him by putting them in hardship to purify him. Whoever favors Me over others, I favor them over others. I reward every single good deed ten times over or seven hundred times over to countless times over. I count every single bad deed as one unless the person repents and ask for My Forgiveness in which case I forgive even that one. I take into account any little good deed and I forgive even major sins. My Mercy supersedes My Anger; My Tolerance supersedes My Blame; My Forgiveness supersedes My Punishment as I am more merciful with My slaves than a mother with her child. And Allah Knows Best.

20 Tips to gain concentration in PRAYER (Salah)

Praise Be To Allah

When the companions of the Prophet (saw) stood in salah, they would sweat and shake and cry, out of fear and hope in Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. We, on the other hand, go through our salah like robots, with our hearts and minds busy somewhere else. The level of attentiveness and awareness of Allah is what we should be striving for, every time we stand to make the salah

WE CAN FOLLOW THESE TIPS WHICH HAVE BEEN GLEANED FROM THE DISCUSSIONS OF THE SALAF AS-SALIH (PIOUS PREDECESSORS):

1. Avoid praying in a state in which you are mentally and physically fatigued. Keep your mind free of worldly worries, evil thoughts, and ideas.

2. Plan what verses/duas you are going to recite.

3. If you do not understand Arabic, learn the

meaning of what you recite in your Prayer.

4. Remind yourself that engaging in Prayer offers you an opportunity to release yourself from the tensions of this world. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) has said that in Prayer was placed the comfort of his eyes. Therefore cherish the opportunity to remove the burdens of this world from your shoulders.

5. Use your Prayer to remain focused on your mission in life, which is to bring your entire being to serve only Allah.

6. Use your Prayer as a source of strength, inspiration and enthusiasm for your life and activities.

7. Fulfill all your personal needs before you commence your Prayer, for e.g. thirst, hunger and calls of nature.

8. Pray in a pure physical state. Perform your wudhu with care and perfection. Although the whole earth is a masjid or a place of worship, choose a place that is clean.

9. Pray in an environment free of noise and one where there is no distraction. Adorn yourself with clean and respectable clothes.

10. Assess your mental readiness for Prayer before its commencement, during the various postures, after each rak'ah and ultimately at the end.

11. Pray with humility both in your mental state and in your physical manner.

12. Pray with hope and awe.

13. Remind yourself continually that you are talking to the most important One in your life - your Creator and Sustainer. He is in front of you. You are facing Him and you are involved in a dialogue with Him.

14. Commence your Prayer by seeking Allah's help and protection from the influences of Shaytaan.

15. Lower your gaze while praying and do not allow the physical environment to distract you.

16. On each occasion that you recite the Sifat or attributes of Allah in Ruku and Sajda, consider how indebted you are and how grateful you should be to Allah and express your true emotions.

17. Utilise the occasion of Sajda to make additional dua to Allah. The Prophet said: A servant is nearest to his Lord when he is in Sajda, so increase your supplication when in Sajda. (Muslim.)

18. Pray as if it is your last Prayer. In fact, it could very well be the last one, since no one is given a guarantee that he would live to perform another Prayer.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: When you stand up to pray, perform your prayer as if it were your last. (Ahmad)

19. Pray to Allah and beg Him to grant you true the joy of concentrating in your Prayer and protection against the wanderings of your mind.

20. Picture the scene of the Last Day when people will be lined up into two groups, one destined for Heaven, and another for Hell, and ask yourself where you would be placed.

If, in spite of your best efforts, your mind is still wandering, seek refuge in Allah and bring your mind back to Prayer and approach the Prayer with zest and passion as if it is the most important task in your life. Actually the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us that we could do nothing in this world that could ever surpass Prayer in merit and excellence.

And Allah Knows Best.

The Prophet (PBUH) said "Pass on knowledge from me even if it is only one verse"

MAY ALLAH GUIDE US ALL TO THE STRAIGHT PATH

Why We Need To Pray ?

In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

"Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. For, the worldly life is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion."

(Surah al-Imraan: 185)

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah

As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu

Praise Be To ALLAH

After a long and hectic day at work, how difficult it is for a tired person to go out to the mosque and concentrate on his prayers to Allah, the Almighty. Snuggled up in a warm and cozy bed, how difficult it is to get up at the call of the Mu`ezzin: “Come to prayer! Come to success!”

The love of Allah demands total and unconditional obedience. Allah, the Almighty says:

Say (O Muhammad, peace be upon, to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an, 3:31)

Arrogance and pride have often led man to behave as an oppressor and a tyrant. Some men have been carried away by their own self-importance that they have even claimed divinity.

But is man really as strong and great as his ego tells him? The Qur’an tells us the reality of man’s nature: “Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills. And it is He Who is the All­Knowing, the All­Powerful.” (Qur’an, 30:54)

Weakness in the beginning and weakness in the end: This is the essence of man. He is so weak and helpless at birth that his entire existence dependent. He needs a gentle and loving hand, not only in his infancy, but also in his childhood and his teenage years. As this child enters the years of youth and independence, he begins to take control of his own life.

He looks with pride at his strong physique, his handsome features and his many talents. He begins to despise those of lesser abilities. He becomes unjust and cruel, using his strength and vigour to dominate others. He thinks he is master, free to act as he wills. But does this youth, these good looks last forever? In only a few decades, he begins to lose his strength. His youth is replaced by old age.

Weakness in the beginning, weakness in the end. The message is clear: The real Master is Allah. He Alone is Mighty, He Alone is Great. He Alone never gets tired, never needs rest, is never dependent upon anyone. Allahu Akbar!

In our everyday lives, we say a warm ‘thank you’ for the small acts of kindness which others do for us. So what about thanking Allah, Who, in His infinite Mercy, has provided for every single one of our needs. Just observe the beauty and perfection of the earth around you and fall down in gratitude to your Lord.

The prayer is a gift given to every believer to experience a spiritual ascension five times a day.It gives every Muslim the chance to communicate with his Lord. Allah has emphasized the need for humility and concentration in prayers.

For instance, when we recite Surah Al-Fatihah, we should remember that it is a conversation with Allah. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) reported that Allah, the Almighty, said: “When my slave says in his prayer: ‘Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-Aalameen (All praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds),’ I say: ‘My slave has praised Me’. When he says: ‘Ar-Rahmanir- Raheem, Maaliki Yawmid-Deen (The Merciful, the Compassionate, Master of the Day of Judgement),’ I say: ‘My slave has glorified Me.’ When he says: ‘Iyyaka Na’budu wa Iyyaka Nasta’een (You Alone we worship and your Aid we seek),’ I say: ‘This is between Me and My slave.’ When he says: ‘Ihdinas-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem’ (Show us the Straight Path),’ I say: “This is for My slave, and I give My slave what he wants.”

The prayer is so very important that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Verily, between man and polytheism and disbelief is abandoning prayer.” (Sahih Muslim)

Allah says, concerning the plight of the disbelievers on the Day of Judgement, that they will be asked by the believers:

“What has caused you to enter Hell?” They will say: “We were not of those who prayed.” (Qur’an, 74:42-43).

- Abridged from ‘Why Do We Pray?’ by Dr. Suhaib Hasan

And Allah Knows Best

The Prophet (PBUH) said "Pass on knowledge from me even if it is only one verse"

MAY ALLAH GUIDE US ALL TO THE STRAIGHT PATH