When You Ask, Ask Allah

Allah's kindness is very near to us. He hears all and answers our supplications. It is we who are full of shortcomings, and so we badly need to be persistent in our supplications. Boredom or hopelessness should never cause us to stop invoking Allah, nor should one of us say: I prayed yet I have not been answered. Instead, we should press our heads humbly on the ground and beg for help from Allah. The best way to do this is to ask Him by His Perfect Names and Attributes. But until we are answered, we must be persistent in asking Him.

Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret.  (Qur'an 7: 55)

A writer narrated this story:

A Muslim went to a certain country as a refugee and he implored the authorities there to grant him citizenship. All doors were shut before him. Despite his many efforts at importuning others, all of his contacts failed. One day he met a righteous scholar, and he gave him an account of his predicament. The scholar said to him, `Supplicate to your Lord, for He is the One who makes things easy.' The meaning of this advice is found in the hadith:

"If you ask, then ask Allah; and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. And know that if the nation were to gather together in order to give you some benefit, they would not bring you any benefit, except with what Allah has written for you."

The refugee later related,

"By Allah, I stopped going to people for help or for intercession, and instead, I began praying to Allah in the last third of the night just as the scholar had told me to do. Just before the break of dawn, I would call to Allah and invoke Him for relief. Only a few days passed, after which, I submitted an application for citizenship without using any person of position to intercede for me. A few days passed and then suddenly, to my astonishment, I was called to pick up my citizenship request papers. They were stamped with 'Approved.'

Allah is very Gracious and Kind to His slaves.  (Qur 'an 42: 19)
-Excerpt from the Book: Don't Be Sad - By Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni

You Can Be The Happiest Woman

With your beauty, you are better than the sun; with your morals you are more sublime than musk; with your modesty you are nobler than the full moon; with your compassion you a more beneficial than rain. So, preserve your beauty with faith, your tranquility with contentment, your chastity with hijab.

Remember that your adornment is not gold, silver or diamond, rather, it is two rak'ahs at Fajr going thirsty when you fast for Allah, concealed charity which no one knows except Him, hot tears that wash away sin, a lengthy prostration born of utter submission to Allah, shyness before Allah when the inclination to do evil overwhelms you.

Clothe yourself with the garments of taqwa (piety) for you are the most beautiful woman in the world, even if your clothes are shabby. Clothe yourself with cloak of modesty, for you are the most beautiful woman in the world even if you are barefoot.

Beware of the life bewitching immoral disbelieving women, for they are the fuel of the fire of Hell.

O' sincere Muslim, O' believing woman who constantly turns to Allah, the Exalted, be like the palm tree and rise above evil and harm; if a stone is thrown at the palm tree, it lets its fruit drop (and does not retaliate). It remains green summer and winter, and gives many benefits. Do not lower yourself to the level of trivial matters, and rise above all that may damage your modesty and honour.

A man had an argument with his wife and said, "I am going to make your life miserable." The wife calmly replied, "You cannot do that." He said, "Why not?" She said: "If happiness were to be found in money or jewellery, you could deprive me of it and take it away from me, but it is nothing over which you or any other person has control. I find happiness in my faith, and my faith is in my heart, and no one has power over it except my Lord."

The One Who created happiness is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, so how can you seek happiness from anyone other than Him? If people had control over happiness, there would be no deprived or grieving person left on earth.

Excerpts From: You Can Be the Happiest Woman in the World!
By Sheikh 'A'id al Qarni

Ten Useless Matters According to Imam Ibn-ul-Qayyim

1- Knowledge that is not acted on.
2- The deed that has neither sincerity nor is based on following the righteous examples of others.
3- Money that is hoarded, as the owner neither enjoys it during this life nor obtains any reward for it in the Hereafter.
4- The heart that is empty of love and longing for Allah SWT, and of seeking closeness to Him.
5- A body that does not obey and serve Allah SWT.
6- Loving Allah SWT without following His orders or seeking His pleasure.
7- Time that is not spent in expiating sins or seizing opportunities to do good.
8- A mind that thinks about useless matters.
9- Serving those who do not bring you close to Allah, nor benefit you in your life.
10- Hoping & fearing whoever is under the authority of Allah SWT & in His hand; while he cannot bring any benefit or harm to himself, nor death, nor life; nor can he resurrect himself.

Wasting the heart is done by preferring this worldly life over the Hereafter, and wasting time is done by having incessant hope. Destruction occurs by following one’s desires & having incessant hope while all goodness is found in following the right path & preparing oneself to meet Allah SWT.

How strange it is that when a servant of Allah has a [worldly] problem, he seeks help of Allah SWT but he never asks Allah to cure his heart before it dies of ignorance, neglect, fulfilling one’s desires & being involved in innovations. Indeed, when the heart dies, he will never feel the significance or impact of his sins.