The Path to Successful Relationships

Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu

I am very happy to inform all of you that my book, “The Path to Successful Relationships” is now complete and ready to share with you. The book is about understanding and managing our many different relationships in a manner that conforms to the various guides provided in The Quran and Sunnah. Relationships with Allah, Qur’an, Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam, wealth, parents, spouses, children, relatives, and friends are amongst those covered and I am sure you will find many useful tips here. I certainly learned a lot when researching this book and I hope you get as much pleasure and information reading it as I did in compiling it.

You can download your FREE copy here, http://www.ebook.believerspath.com
Testimonials:

"Sister Zakia has compiled a wonderful book on the different relationships that a Muslim has. She covers everything from our relationship with Allah (swt) to that of our relatives. It is full of touching verses and ahadeeth to learn from and reflect on."

Sheikh Navaid Aziz, AlMaghrib Instructor


I have read several books on Islamic teachings related to our daily lives, but this book did more than all of those combined. Written in a simple but effective format, “The Path to Successful Relationships” helped me understand my role in these important relationships around which a Muslim’s life revolves; and provided me the opportunity to perform well in all of them. It helped me become a better Muslim woman.
I am quite hopeful and pray for this book to bring positive changes in lives of many sisters, Muslims and non- Muslims alike.
Aasia, University of Alberta, Edmonton

An act of kindness

To do an act of kindness is a branch of compassion, or, rather, its fruit. It can have many forms, such as, the doing someone a favour, the offering a gift, or the rendering a service or acting in any other manner that may be a source of joy or comfort to anyone. The holy Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam has urged upon his followers to make all these part of their social and moral behaviour.

Anas radiallahu anhu related to us that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam said: "He who fulfils the need of any of my people to make him happy, truly makes Me happy. And, he who makes me happy, in fact, makes Allah happy, and, he who makes Allah happy, Allah will make him enter Paradise." (Baihaqi)

It tells that a true Believer should always be kind-hearted and amiable to others and an act of goodness should not be done only to those who are good to us, but to such people, as well, who treat us unjustly. We can see how much the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam cares for his people from the above hadith. If anyone pleases another person by doing something for him then he pleases the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam and thereby earns the pleasure of Allah and Paradise.

Sweatness of faith

It is related by Anas radiallahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam said: “None of you believes unless his love for me exceeds the love he has for parents, children and all men.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Faith can attain perfection and a Muslim can become a faithful Believer only when his love for the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam is greater than for any other person, even his parents and children.

The love for Allah, the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam, and the Islamic faith being stronger than for anyone or anything else in the world was declared as essential for tasting the sweetness of faith. True devotion to Allah and Islam is not possible without devotion to the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam and true devotion to the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam cannot be imagined without devotion to Allah and Islam. Love for the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam, will, of course, be for the sake of Allah and out of deep attachment to Him and love for Islam will, instinctively, stem from it. It is for this reason that love for the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam alone has been stressed in the above hadith.

The love of the Believers for Allah, the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam, and the Islamic faith must be stronger than for all the lovable objects in this world. Without it, the continence of Allah cannot be gained, nor His special guidance obtained, nor can eman acquire perfection.

Once this stage is reached, it will not only be easy for anyone to observe this duties of Islam and to carry out the command of Allah and the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam’ but he will also derive a pleasure even from laying down his life for the sake of eman.

A person whose heart the love for Allah and His Messenger is not well established firmly will find it most difficult to keep to the everyday Islamic duties and to obey the common religious rulings. At best, it will become a routine affair, an automatic procedure. Hence, it has been said that unless the love for Allah and the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam governs and has the control of all other attachments and affections the true station of love cannot be attained nor its sweetness perceived.

Contentment of heart

Among the moral virtues, which make a man beloved of the Lord, and raise him, also, in the estimation of the world, and save him from a lot of frustration is contentment. What it denotes, in a nutshell, is that one should rest satisfied with what one has and be not greedy of more. He, indeed, is fortunate who is blessed with a contented heart. There is special favor of Allah on him.

It is related by Abdullah ibn Amr radiallahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah said: “Successful is he who is blessed by Allah with the reality of Islam, and is granted enough provision to sustain life, and Allah, also made him satisfied with it.” (Muslim)

Happy is the man who is blessed with the wealth or Faith and with it he is also has enough worldly goods to meet his needs, and the Almighty has, further favored him with a content heart. Contentment can make even the life of a beggar happier than that of a king.

A person may have heaps of wealth, but if his acquisitive desire is beyond reason and it is ceaselessly urging him on to acquire more, he can never enjoy peace of mind, and will, in face be no better than a beggar. On the contrary, if his worldly possessions are sufficient to keep him going, and he is satisfied with what he has, he is rich at heart in spite of poverty, and his life will be a life of comfort and cheerfulness.

In truth, prosperity and poverty are related more to the heart than to wealth. Prosperity does not come from worldly possessions, but real prosperity is the contentment of the heart.

Allah's Will

Occasionally, a man has to pass through events and experiences that are not to his liking. In these circumstances, his felicity and good fortune would lie in reconciling himself to adversity and quietly submitting to the Divine Will, believing that Allah is Omniscient and All-wise, and Most Kind and Gracious to His believers. Allah says in Qur’an:

“But it may happen that you hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that you like a thing which is bad for you, Allah knows, you not. (al-Baqarah 2:216)

Besides, the Believer should always beseech Allah to decide what is good for him in His judgment. The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam has said that it was the height of misfortune for a man not to entreat Allah for prosperity and welfare. In the same way, it is most lamentable for a believer to feel sore and unhappy over what the Almighty decides or prefers for him.

The state of wholehearted submission to the Divine Will be attained only when a man has a complete faith in Divine Attributes, as mentioned in the Qur’an, and the love for Allah pervades his heart and takes hold of it as a result of this belief and conviction.

The keys to victory

* The key to glory: Obedience to Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alaihe wassalam

* The key to provision: Striving hard whilst praying for forgiveness and fearing Allah

* The key to Paradise: Tawhid

* The key to righteousness: Sincerity

* The key to a spiritual life: Studying the Qur'an, beseeching Allah in the hours before dawn, and giving up sin

* The key to knowledge: Asking the right questions and listening attentively

* The key to victory: Patience

* The key to success: Fearing Allah (piety)

* The key to getting more: Gratitude

* The key to longing for the Hereafter: Disinterest in worldly gain

* The key to a response: Du'a

... And bear with patience whatever befalls you... (Qur'an 31:17)

(from the book of Dr. 'A'id al-Qarni)

Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wassallam's Advice

Narrates Abu Dhar Ghiffari radiallahu anhu that one day he asked Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam, “O Messenger of Allah! Give me some advice.” The Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam replied:

1) I exhort you to Taqwa, the piety of the Lord for it will embellish your deeds.
2) I exhort you to make a Tilawah and Zikr compulsory for yourself for Tilawah and Zikr will be the cause of your being mentioned in assembly of the angels and there will be light for you on the earth.
3) Cultivate the habit of keeping silence much and talk little for it the domain of Faith.
4) Do not laugh much for it kills the heart and deprives one’s face of radiance.
5) Speak always truth though it may be bitter (for the people).
6) Care not for the reproach of him who reproaches in the path of Allah.
7) What you know about yourself and your inmost self should be enough to prevent you from seeking out the faults of others.

In it the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam, first of all, advised Abu Dharr radiallahu anhu to adopt Taqwa, observe piety and said that it will purify his action and make them beautiful. Indeed, if a man were to make the fear of Allah the guiding principle of his life, his entire existence would become on of loyalty and submission and both exterior and interior existence would be enriched and get adorned with beauty. The Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam then urges him to recite the Qur’an and celebrate the praises of the Lord much for his name will, thereby, be mentioned in the celestial world. As another saying of the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam has it: “When the believer remembers Allah in this world, Allah speaks about him in the company of angels.”

Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam has, further told Abu Dharr radiallahu anhu to remain silent most of the time for it is very efficacious in keeping the devil away and also beneficial in many other ways to faith. Falsehood, backbiting, slander, abusiveness, and tale bearing are the commonest of sins. The believer who develops the habit of talking little will, thus, be more successful in guarding his faith against the intrusions of the devil. It should be remembered that what it means is that a person should not engage in vain and unnecessary talk which has no utility here in this world nor in the Hereafter and not that he kept silence just for the sake of it and refrained even from saying things that were good and useful.

The Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam also warned against laughing excessively as it benumbs the heart and makes the face lusterless. The benumbing of the heart denotes that it becomes neglectful and insensitive and a sort of gloom settles over it, an apparent effect which is, that the radiance which is, generally, noticed in the devout believer of Allah, with an awakened soul and illuminated heart, departs from the face.

The last exhortation to Abu Dharr radiallahu anhu is that the anxiety resulting from the awareness of his own faults and transgressions ought to be so overwhelming that it gave him no time to look into or talk about the sins and weakness of others. Anyone who keeps a watch on his own failings and moral and mental processes will always be ready to overlook the defects and shortcoming in other people. He will consider himself to be the worst of sinners. The fault and failings of others are, generally noticed by those who never care to look into themselves.

Although the advice of the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam is very brief in words, but has a deep and wide meaning. May Allah help all of us to follow the advice of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alaihe wasallam.

How do I prepare for Ramadan

I prepare for Ramadan throughout the year by developing few key habits that take me through this month in an appropriate way. For example, if my goal is to recite Quran four times in Ramadan and if I am not reciting every day through out the year then to achieve this goal would be pretty difficult. Therefore, I try to recite a portion of Quran everyday and have developed this into a habit. I try to fast in the month of Sha’baan in order to prepare myself for Ramadan. I put aside money for donation since this is a month in which hasanaat are multiplied. By developing good habits everything becomes more effective, more lasting and brings the result I want.

We all have habits that we may not like or that which may not be liked by Allah. As of result of this, we feel its negative effects in our lives. The best way to get over it, is not to try to stop the habit straight away. Instead, work on a counter habit. It is difficult to overcome habits that are and have been long standing, but relatively it is easy to start new ones.

Contentment of the heart

Among the moral virtues, which make a man beloved of the Lord, and raise him, also, in the estimation of the world, and save him from a lot of frustration is contentment. What it denotes, in a nutshell, is that one should rest satisfied with what one has and be not greedy of more. He, indeed, is fortunate who is blessed with a contented heart. There is special favor of Allah on him.

It is related by Abdullah ibn Amr radiallahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah said: “Successful is he who is blessed by Allah with the reality of Islam, and is granted enough provision to sustain life, and Allah, also made him satisfied with it.” (Muslim)

Happy is the man who is blessed with the wealth or Faith and with it he is also has enough worldly goods to meet his needs, and the Almighty has, further favored him with a content heart. Contentment can make even the life of a beggar happier than that of a king.

A person may have heaps of wealth, but if his acquisitive desire is beyond reason and it is ceaselessly urging him on to acquire more, he can never enjoy peace of mind, and will, in face be no better than a beggar. On the contrary, if his worldly possessions are sufficient to keep him going, and he is satisfied with what he has, he is rich at heart in spite of poverty, and his life will be a life of comfort and cheerfulness.

In truth, prosperity and poverty are related more to the heart than to wealth. Prosperity does not come from worldly possessions, but real prosperity is the contentment of the heart.

Do not spend your time doing nothing

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihe wassallam said to Aisha radiallahu anha: "If you commit a sin, then ask Allah for forgiveness and repent to Him, for if a person acknowledges his sin and repents, Allah will accept his repentance."

Imagine that you possess all the money you ever wanted and achieved all you dreams and fulfilled all your wishes, then you lost everything. You would weep and complain, and be filled with regret; you would bite your fingers in sorrow for what you have lost. So what about your life which is slipping away from you without you even realizing it?

Our life is precious jewel whose value cannot be measured in material terms. Every minute of our life that passes can never come back. These minutes are our capital in this world, with which we can buy whatever we want of the delights of Paradise. In one minute we can do a lot of good and earn much reward. In just one minute, by giving in charity, studying, memorizing, or striving to do good deeds, we can make sure that this minute of our life is not wasted. One minute may be recorded in our book of good deeds if we know how to make the most of it and take care of it.

The time is too precious to be wasted or neglected, limit your time with worthy efforts and righteous deeds that please Allah and benefit other people.

You may hate a thing which is good for you...

Occasionally, a man has to pass through events and experiences that are not to his liking. In these circumstances, his felicity and good fortune would lie in reconciling himself to adversity and quietly submitting to the Divine Will, believing that Allah is Omniscient and All-wise, and Most Kind and Gracious to His believers. Allah says in Qur’an:

“But it may happen that you hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that you like a thing which is bad for you, Allah knows, you not. (al-Baqarah 2:216)

Besides, the Believer should always beseech Allah to decide what is good for him in His judgment. The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam has said that it was the height of misfortune for a man not to entreat Allah for prosperity and welfare. In the same way, it is most lamentable for a believer to feel sore and unhappy over what the Almighty decides or prefers for him.

The state of wholehearted submission to the Divine Will be attained only when a man has a complete faith in Divine Attributes, as mentioned in the Qur’an, and the love for Allah pervades his heart and takes hold of it as a result of this belief and conviction.

Goals of fasting

I’ve dedicated the month of Ramadan to the topic of "Goals of fasting". Here’s what I am going to give you in Ramadan, insha Allah. Turn up your speaker and click the link

http://portal.sliderocket.com/AHJYS/Believer%E2%80%99s-Path-Institute

Zakia Usmani: When things become unbearable...

Zakia Usmani: When things become unbearable...: "Ibn al-Jawzi said: 'Something was causing me a great deal of grief and distress, and I started to think long and hard about how to get out o..."

When things become unbearable...

Ibn al-Jawzi said: "Something was causing me a great deal of grief and distress, and I started to think long and hard about how to get out of this situation by any means, but I could not find any way out. Then I came across this verse:

"...And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (of every difficulty)." 65:2

I realized that taqwa is the way out of every kind of grief and distress. As soon as I followed the path of taqwa, I found the way out."

For the wise believer, taqwa is the way that leads to everything good, for calamity happens only as the result of sin, and it can only be lifted through repentance. Sadness, grief and worry are punishments for sins that we have committed, by falling short in our prayers, or backbiting or committing a haram action. Whoever goes against the laws of Allah, has to pay the price for the shortcoming. The One Who created happiness is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, so how can we seek happiness from anyone other than Him? If people had control over happiness, there would be no deprived for grieving person left on earth.

"Cast away all discouraging thoughts that make you feel helpless, and focus on success, then you will never fail."

(from the book of Dr. A'id al Qarni)

Zakia Usmani: How to Deal with Anxiety

Zakia Usmani: How to Deal with Anxiety: "One of the worst consequences of anxiety is that it makes us unable to focus. When we are anxious our mind is scattered, but we force oursel..."

How to Deal with Anxiety

One of the worst consequences of anxiety is that it makes us unable to focus. When we are anxious our mind is scattered, but we force ourselves to confront the worst-case scenario, we put ourselves in a position where we can focus our minds on the heart (core) of the matter.

We cannot be enthusiastic about an exciting task and feel worry at the same time; one of them will chase away the other.

When you feel anxious about something in the present, go back to the worst case of anxiety that you can remember. Thus, you will deal with your anxiety in two ways instead of one. The episode in the past was worse, but you coped with it, so you will be able to deal with the present problem which is less intense; one could say that there is nothing worse than the past episode, but you got through it successfully. If you faced that crisis and came through it safely, then how less serious and less dangerous the current problem is.

Anxiety is more likely to overwhelm you at times when you are not active, when your imagination runs wild and thinks of all possible scenarios. The remedy for that is to keep yourself busy with something useful.

"Trivial things may push wise people to the brink of insanity".

from the book of Dr. 'A'id al-Qarni

(from the book of Dr. 'A'id al-Qarni

Zakia Usmani: Why answer to my supplications is delayed?

Zakia Usmani: Why answer to my supplications is delayed?: "There is an interesting situation that confuses many: the believer who is afflicted with a calamity and then invokes Allah constantly, yet s..."

Why answer to my supplications is delayed?

There is an interesting situation that confuses many: the believer who is afflicted with a calamity and then invokes Allah constantly, yet sees no signs of an answer to his prayers. Then when he comes near to the point to hopelessness, the true worth of his heart is found out. If he is pleased with what Allah (SWT) decreed for him, without losing hope of Allah's Favor, then in most situations it is at this point that such a person's supplications are answered, answered because his test is over: his faith has shined through and the Devil has been defeated. So it is at the time of near hopelessness that the worth of man is judged.

"...Surely, Allah's Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers. (7:56)

Never, therefore, should one feel that too much time has passed by without his supplications being answered. One should realize that, whenever one is tested with hardship, one's faith is being tested. To pass such as test, one must drive away the whispers of the Devil and then turn for help to the Most Merciful, the Most Generous, the Most Wise.

"And seek help through patience and as-Salah, and truly it is extremely heavy and hard except for al-Khashi'in (i.e. the true believers in Allah - those who obey Allah with full submission, fear much of His punishment, and believe in His promise and in His Warnings). 2:45

Look at the clouds and not at the ground

Be ambitious, keep climbing and always have hope. Beware of falling, and remember that life is minutes and seconds. Be like the ant in hard work, patience and perseverance. Always keep trying, and keep repenting.

If you go back to sin, then repent again. Memorize Qur'an, and if you forget it, go back and memorize it again and again. The main thing is that you should never feel defeated or frustrated, because there is no such thing as the last word or the bitter end, rather there is always trial and error, and learning from your mistakes. Life is like a body that may undergo cosmetic surgery; it is like a building that can be renovated and rebuilt from scratch, with new decor and paint. Do away with all thoughts of failure, and stop thinking of calamities and problems, for Allah, the Almighty, says:

"... and put your trust in Allah if you are indeed believers." (5:23)

Dream for beautiful tomorrow

If winter has closed the door of your house and mountains of snow have besieged you in all directions, then look forward to the coming of spring and open your windows to a breath of fresh air. Look far ahead, and see the flocks of birds starting to sing again.

Do not try to look at what happened yesterday and what you lost, for in life, when a leaf falls it will never come back, but with each new spring new leaves will grow. Look at the canopy of leaves between you and the sky, and forget about the leaves that have fallen to the ground and have become part of the earth.

Since the past is past, you have today ahead of you, and if today is going to gather its leaves and depart, then you have tomorrow. Do not grieve for yesterday, for it will never return. Do not regret today, for it is leaving. Dream, instead, about the shining sun in beautiful tomorrow.

"Glory is not granted except to those who always dreamed of it."

Your loved job is the secret of your happiness

A genius in any field is overwhelmingly and irresistibly attracted to the field for which Allah, the Exalted, created him and in which He gave him the potential to be innovative and creative.

Even if he complains about the backlog in that field, it is still only area that he can work in with contentment and enjoyment, no matter what difficulties he encounters, how small the remuneration or how much he sighs and wishes he could do something more lucrative.

Regardless of how much he complains about the poverty caused by this profession, it is still giving him contentment and bringing out the best in him.

"Life is no more than minutes and seconds."

(from the book of Dr. 'A'id al Qarni)

Points to help you find happiness

Avarice and greed are fatal, and their remedy lies in the following:

1. Economy in spending, for the one who spends a great deal will never be content, rather he will be overwhelmed by avarice and greed. Economy in spending is the basis of contentment. As the saying goes: Good management will save you half of your wealth.
2. Do not worry too much about the future, and try to focus your wishes on the short term, having faith that whatever has been decreed for you will reach you.
3. Fearing Allah, the Almighty, for Allah says: "... And whosoever fears Allah (and keeps his duty to Him), He will make a way out for him (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from sources he never could imagine..."(65: 2-3)
4. Realizing what contentment brings of pride in being independent of means, and what greed and avarice bring of humiliation - and learning lessons from both.
5. Contemplating the lives of the Prophets (may Allah's peace be upon them) and righteous Companions of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wassallam, how they were content and humble and how keen they were to do righteous deeds. Take them as your example.
6. Look at those who are worse than you in worldly terms.

"The wise man seeks to benefits from wise opinions; he never despairs or gives up thinking and trying."

Reliance on Allah

One of the fundamental truths we have learnt through the Prophets aliahim assalam is that whatever is taking place in the world and everything that is reaching us or not, is from Allah, and by His leave. The cause which, apparently, bring about a result are simply, the ways and means, decreed by the Lord Himself.

To put one's trust in Allah, to be steadfast in one's loyalty towards Him, to keep one's eye set upon His Power and Beneficence, to make Him the centre of one's hops and fears, and to supplicate to Him for one's needs, with a complete faith in the reality, is Tawakkul.

Therefore, a believer should pay the fullest regard to the good pleasure of Allah and His commandments while making use of worldly means and resources, and believed that the Divine Will and Power was not bound by the causes, and Allah could do anything without or outside of them. Allah has said:

"And whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will suffice him." (At-Talaq 65:3)

A believer should always beseech Allah to decide what is good for him in His judgement. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wassallam, has said that it was the height of misfortune for a man not to entreat Allah for prosperity and welfare. In the same way, it is most lamentable for a believer to feel sore and unhappy over what the Almighty decides or prefers for him.

The state of wholehearted submission to the Divine Will be attained only when a believer has a complete faith in Divine Attributes, as mentioned in the Qura'n, and the love of Allah pervades his heart and takes hold of it as a result of this belief and conviction.

An Act of Kindness

A true believer should always be kind-hearted and aimable to others and an act of goodness should not be done only to those who are good to us, but to such people, as well, who treat us unjustly.

An act of kindness is most pleasing to Allah, no matter to what kind or class it belongs or to whom it is done. To attend to the need of a poor and helpless man or woman and to take pains in order to bring relief to them is an act of such a high order, in the sight of Allah, that the believer who do so are worthy of the same reward that is on fighting in the way of Allah or devoting one's nights, habitually, to prayer and days to fasting.

It is related by Abu Hurayrah radiallahau anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wassallam said: "Whoe ever exert himself for the sake of a helpless widow or a weak and indigent man is equal in recompense to him how exerts himself in the path of Allah." (Bukhari and Muslim).

The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wassallam has mentioned these kind acts of fellow-feeling and kind treatment so that everyone should be ready to do what favour he can to others, no matter how insignificant it appeared.

Wealth Is A Blessing If......

The wealth which breeds Allah-forgetfulness and indifference towards future existence is bad and pernicious, but if a man, by the grace of Allah, makes his worldly possessions a means of seeking the good pleasure of the Lord and gaining the entry into Paradise, these are a great blessing and a divine gift.

A Companion of the Prophet sallallahu alaihe wassallam has related, "A few of us were sitting together and the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihe wassallam came. There was a trace of water on his head. So, one of us said, 'O Messenger of Allah! We feel you are in very good spirits at the moment.''Yes, by the grace of Allah, it is so', the Prophet replied. We, then, began to talk about wealth. The Prophet sallallahu alaihe wassalam thereupon, remarked, 'There is no harm in being rich for one who fears Allah, and for the virtuous good health is better than wealth, and tranquility of the heart, too, is a Divine favour. (Musnad-Ahmad).

If material prosperity is accompanied by righteousness and the fear of Allah and willing observance of His commands, it is not harmful for faith. On the contrary, with Allah's favour, worldly possessions, in that case can be a source of spiritual advancement and elevation of ranks in the Hereafter. It is however, evident that piety does not, generally, go with wealth. In a majority of cases the wealthy go on the wrong track.

A Simple Approach to complete the Qura'an once a Month

Allah's Messenger sallalahu alaihi wassalam said: "The most blessed of deeds is that which is done consistently, even if it is a minute one. " (Sahih Bukhari)

The Qur'an is made up of thirty parts, like the month. One should read one part of the Qur'an every day so that it can be completed in its entirety in one month. Furthermore, each part consists of twenty pages. If one were to read four pages during the daily obligatory prayers, it would facilitate the completion of one part every day.

See, how much good escapes us because we do not know how to organize our lives? When you practice this habit with regularity, you will not only be one of the guided ones, but you will also find profound pleasure and fulfillment in a consistent act of worship. You will also see the benefit and reward in a small act done continuously, as opposed to much done at irregular intervals.

What is your advice?

Shu’bah and Qatadah related from Yunus bin Jubair, who said that he and his companions visited Jundub and said to him, “Give us some advice.” He replied, “I advise you to fear Allah. I advise you to adhere to the Qur’an – for it is light in the darkest of nights and it is guidance during the day.

Apply it… and if a trial, such as poverty, comes to you, give precedence to your religion over wealth. If that trial worsens, continue to put your religion before your wealth and your soul, for indeed the only one who is destroyed is the one whose religion is destroyed; the one who is poor is the one who has lost his religion.

Know that there is no poverty after Paradise and there is no richness after the Hellfire.”

A little that makes you happy is better than a lot that makes you miserable

"Be content with that which Allah has decreed for you, and you will be the richest of people."

The part of your life that really counts is that in which you are happy and contented. As for greed and panic, they do not count at all. They are bad for your health and rob you of your beauty. Remain content with Allah and with what is decreed for you; believe in al-qadar and be optimistic about the future. Be like a butterfly, which is light-hearted and beautiful, not attached to mere things; it flies from flower to flower, from hill to hill, from garden to garden.

"Allah loves those who repent and turn to Him."

Want Allah's Love?

Ten Causes that Result in Allah's Love For His Slave and the Slave's Love for his Lord

First, reciting the Qur'an while pondering over its meanings and what is meant by it.

Second, getting closer to Allah by performing voluntary deeds after completing obligatory deeds. This is as is stated in a Hadith Qudsi: "My slave continues getting closer to Me by performing voluntary deeds until I love him."

Third, continual remembrance of Allah under all circumstances, with one's tongue, heart and actions. The extent of one's love of Allah is determined by this.

Fourth, giving precedence to what He loves over what you love when you are overtaken by your desires.

Fifth, the heart being avid of Allah's Names, and Attributes and the heart roaming in that garden of knowledge.

Sixth, observing Allah's kindness, goodness and bounties, both hidden and open.

Seventh, and this is the most wonderful, the heart being soft, subdued and meek before Allah.

Eighth, being alone with Allah during the time when the Lord descends during the last portion of the night while reading His Book and ending that by asking for forgiveness and repenting.

Ninth, sitting with the beloved and sincere, benefiting from the most fruitful of their speech. And not to speak unless speaking is more beneficial and you know that it will improve your state and be beneficial to others.

Tenth, remaining away from every cause that comes between the heart and Allah.

(Ibnul Qayyim al Jawziyyah)

Smile at life

When you smile even though your heart is filled with worry, you reduce your suffering and open a door to the way out. Do not hesitate to smile, for inside you there is a kind of energy full of smiles. Beware of suppressing it, for that means that you are strangling yourself with pain and suffering. It will not harm you if you smile, even when you are talking to others about serious matters from the depths of your heart. How wonderful it is when our lips speak the language of smiles!

"Glory is not granted except to those who always dreamed of it."

Is not morning close at hand?

You have to seek reward with Allah. If some worry, distress or grief befalls you, remember that it is an expiation for sin. If you lose one of your children, remember that he will intercede for you before Allah. If some disability or sickness befalls you, remember that it brings its own reward from Allah, which is preserved with Him. Hunger, sickness and poverty all bring their own rewards from Allah. Nothing is ever lost with Him. He keeps it as a trust with Him until He gives it to its owner in the Hereafter.

"Prayer is guaranteed to bring tranquility and chase away worry."

Turn your losses into gains

Do not despair if your feet stumble and you fall into a big hole. You will come out of it stronger than before. And Allah, the Almighty, is with those who are patient.

Do not grieve if you receive a fatal arrow from one of those who are closest to your heart, for you will find someone to pull out the arrow, treat the wound and bring back to you life and smile.

Do not stand for too long looking at the ruins, especially if they are inhabited by bats, and ghost have found their way to them. Rather, look for the sound of a birdsong heralding the coming of a new dawn.

Do not look at papers whose colour has changed and whose writing has faded, whose lines wander between pain and loneliness. You will find that these lines are not the best things that you have written and these papers are not the last thing you will ever write. You should differentiate between one who will read these lines and one who will throw them to the wind, for they are not merely beautiful words; they are feelings of a heart that has lived these lines, letter by letter, the pulse of one who took them as a dream and felt the pain of their fire.

Do not be like the heron, which sings its most beautiful song when it is bleeding. Nothing in this world deserves even one drop of your blood.

"He who sows the wind, reaps the storm."

From the book of Dr. 'A'id al-Qarni

A Good Deed that is not accepted

Asma'i related: "I was with a man from the inhabitants of Sham (Syria) and was attempting to appease him in a certain manner when a vendor with a bucketful of pomegranates passed by. To my surprise, my companion who was of the noble aristocrats of Sham quickly snatched a pomegranate and slipped it into his sleeve. I could not believe what my eyes had witnessed, until we happened upon a beggar. This man from Sham retrieved the hidden pomegranate from his sleeve and handed it to the beggar. I questioned him about this strange action." He replied, "Do you not understand that taking the pomegranate was one evil deed and giving it to the beggar equated to ten good deeds?" Asma'i responded,

"Do you know that the taking of it was an evil action and the good of giving it was not accepted of you because it was Haram."

(from Gems and Jewls by Abdul Malik Mujahid)

As Time passes

Abdullah bin Mas'ud radiallahu anhu said: "Indeed I hate to see a man idle, neither working for this world nor for the Hereafter."

Hasan Basri radiallahu anhu said: "O son of Adam, indeed you are only but a number of days. Whenever a day passes, a part of you leave with it."

Hassan said: "I have met (pious) people who are more miserly with their time than they are with their wealth."

Hassan also said in a sermon, "Do not let the temporary and little charms of this world distract you and entice you...and do not say tomorrow and tomorrow, for indeed you do not know when you will be heading to Allah."

How to deal with doubts

Shaykh al-Islam (may Allaah be pleased with him) once said :

“Do not make your heart like a sponge soaking up any idea and specious arguments that come to mind, rather make it like a glass through whose surface the specious arguments pass but do not settle there, otherwise if all those doubts and specious arguments settle in your heart, it will be overwhelmed by them.”

I do not think that I have ever benefited from any advice on how to deal with doubts and specious arguments as much as I benefited from this.

Believer's attitude towards calamities

"The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allah loves a people He tests them. Whoever accepts that win His pleasure but whoever is discontent with that earns His wrath." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2396) and Ibn Majah (4031).

Explanation:

Calamities and disasters are a test, and they are a sign of Allah's love for a person, because they are like medicine: even though it is bitter, despite its bitterness you give it to the on whom you love - and for Allah is the highest description.

Calamities are good for the believer in the sense that reward is stored up for him in the hereafter, he is raised in status and his bad deeds are expiated.

Sheikh al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said; A calamity that make you turn to Allah is better for you than a blessing which makes you forget the remembrance of Allah.

Is your speech beneficial

Abdullah bin Mubarak related that it was said to Hamdun bin Ahamd, "Why is the speech of our pious predecessors more beneficial than our speech?" He replied, "Because they spoke for the honor of Islam, for the salvation of the soul, and for the pleasure of the Most Merciful. However, we speak to honor ourselves, to seek out the world, and to please creation."

Expectations from Allah

In accordance with how good your expectations of and hope in Allah are and how truthful your reliance and trust are in Him, Allah will not betray your hopes in the least, as He does not betray the hopes of those who hope and does not cause any effort to go to waste.

Do you have a heart?

"And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Gracious (Allah) (i.e. this Qur'an and worship of Allah), we appoint for him Shaitan to be a Qarin (an intimate companion) to him. (Qur'an 43:36)

Ibn Qayyim say: "Seek out your heart in three situations:-
1. When you are listening to the Qur'an
2. When you are part of a gathering of remembrance
3. When you are alone and away from the world and it's distractions

If you cannot find your heart in these three situations, then ask Allah to bestow upon you a heart, for indeed you are bereft of one."

What is your concern?

Ibn Qayyim (r) said: "When the slave wakes up as the night encloses upon him and his only concern is Allah and how to please and obey Him, then Allah takes upon Him to fulfill all of his needs and remove from him all that causes him anxiety. Allah also makes his heart free to love Him only, his tongue free to remember Him only and his body free to serve Him only.

However, when a slave of Allah wakes up when the night encloses upon him and his main concern is the world, Allah will make him bear the burdens of it's anxiety, grief and hardships. Allah will entrust him to his own self and He will make his heart busy, stealing from it His love since it will be preoccupied with love for creation. Allah will keep his tongue from His remembrance because it will be engaged with His creation; his body will be kept from obedience since it will be enslaved by its desires and services. And he will toil like a beast of burden toils in the service of another. And all who turn away from the worship, obedience and love of Allah, will be put into trial with the worship, service and love for creation."

Lesson learnt

NicheHero is over but the journey of hero's just began.

Today we learnt how to duplicate the businesses in multiple cities. Here is the recipe for baking a world class cake meaning duplicating your business.

A world-class baker is not using magic. He is using step by step techniques and ingredients that any human can duplicate.

Whether or not you end up with a world-class cake or not depends on how exactly the duplication process was followed.

Change a little bit of this, or disregard this or that instruction ... and you will not get the world-class cake.

That is life!

Today I learnt a valuable lesson from life.

How you deal with others is how you will be dealt with

A wise man once said to his son, "My son, do not become resentful when you are afflicted with trials, for indeed that is tantamount to having bad thoughts about one's Lord, and also, it gives pleasure to one's enemy. Do not mock others, for indeed by Allah, every time I ever mocked anyone, I was afflicted in the same way as the person who I mocked. In this world, man is a target of arrows that come to him successively: some pass him by, some fall short, some fall to his right and others to his left, and some strike him. Know that for every deed, you are rewarded, and how you deal with others is how you will be dealt with. An whoever is dutiful to his parents, his children will be dutiful to him. Avoid greed and ambition, for both represent poverty in the present. Fear Allah as much as you are able. And if you are able to make today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today and your secrets better than your outward deeds, then do so. Beware of deeds that you have to apologize for, for one never has to apologize for goodness. When you stand for prayer, perform the prayer of one who is saying farewell, as if you feel that you will never afterwards pray again (i.e. that you will die). Adhere to modesty, and you will be of its people. Do not inflict harm upon others; rather give them good, and forgive if you are able to. Do not be miserly if you are asked for something and do not tarry when one seeks help from you. Whoever is stingy, then Allah will make things narrow for him; and whoever gives, then Allah will give him a replacement for what he gave."

(Gems & Jewels - compiled by Abdul-Malik Mujahid)

Gems

Here are some gems from Niche Hero Certification Course taught by Sheikh Muhammad Alshareef.

• Say no for the opportunity when the time is not right.
• No matter how difficult situation is learn the message. Learn from the peaceful situation, don't wait to learn from difficult situations only.
• Get people and manage them and give them room to manage for you.
• In life you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.

I hope that we all learn valuable lessons from these gems.

Ten thoughs to ponder

1. Remember that your Lord forgives those who ask Him for forgiveness, and He accepts the repentance of those who repent, and He accepts those who come back to him.

2. Show mercy to the weak and you will be happy; give to the needy and you will be well; do not bear grudges and you will be healthy.

3. Be optimistic, for Allah is with you, and the angels are praying for forgiveness for you, and Paradise awaits you.

4. Wipe away your tears, think well of your Lord, and chase away your worries by remembering the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you.

5. Do not think that this world is ever perfect for anyone. There is no one on the face of the earth who gets all that he wants or is free from all kinds of distress.

6. Be like a tall tree with high aims; if a stone is thrown at it, it simply lets its fruits drop.

7. Have you ever heard that grief brings back what has been lost, or that worry corrects mistakes? So why grieve and worry then?

8. Do not expect trials and calamities, rather expect peace, safety and good health, if Allah wills.

9. Extinguish the flames of hatred from your heart by forgiving everyone who has ever hurt you.

10. Ghusl, wudu, siwak and being organized are effective medicines for all kinds of distress and worry.

Blessings of Allah

All praise is due to Allah alone who perfectly controls everything. May He send salutations and exalt the mention of the warner and the bringer of glad tidings our Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alaihe wasallam, his family and all his companions.

Allah is full of love and kindness to His creation. All blessings and goodness in this world and the next are clear proofs of His Mercy and blessings.

Throughout life, people continually receive Allah’s blessings, be it good health, sight, hearing, nourishment, clean air, children, wealth and countless others. Some use their God given gifts of intelligence and reasoning to acknolwedge these blessings graps the purpose of their existence, and thereby submit themselves to Allah. Others, however, do not appreciate the mercy of Allah towards their own selves even though He feeds and sustains them despite their disobedience towards Him.

Allah said in Qurán: And He gave you all that you asked for, and if you count the blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them. Verily, man is indeed an extreme wrongdoer, a disbeliever , an ingrate who denies Allah’s Blessings by disbelief and by worshipping others besides Allah, and by disobeying Allah and His Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alaihe wasallam (Ibraheem 14:34)

People who have acknowledged His blessings and favours; used them in a way which pleases God; spent their God given wealth in charity and to look after the needy, employed their hands to care for ophans, utilized their gift of speech to speak good and performed other honourable acts ordained by God, therefore, they have received more of Allah’s mercy and blessings.

The Muslim is always asking his Lord to help him to give thanks to Him, because were it not for Allah’s helping His slaves, he would not be able to give thanks. Hence it is prescribe in the Saheeh Sunnah to ask for help from Allah to give thanks to Him.

Muslim relates the following hadith from Suhayb, radhiallahu `anhu, "The affairs of a believer are astonishing, and are all good; this is something which is true of him alone. For when something good comes to him he gives thanks, while when something bad comes he is steadfast, which is good for him also."

Gratitute for blessings is a cause of them being increased. His gratitute should fulfill all the necessary conditions, which are gratitute of the heart, gratitute of the tongue and gratitute of the physical faculties.

Ibn al Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Gratitute may be in the heart, in submission and humility, on the tongue, in praise and acknowledgement and in the physical faculties, by means of obedience and submission.

Hence some salaf said: Whoever conceals a blessing has denied it, but whoever manifests it and spreads it has given thanks for it.

Abu’l-Hasan al-Kindi recited the following lines:
If you have been given blessings, then look after them for sins do away with blessings.

Al-Junayd said, "I once heard al-Sari saying, ‘Because to give thanks for blessings is itself a blessing, one can never cease to give thanks."

The servant is always in the blessings of Allah which necessitate thankfulness, and in sinfulness which requires seeking forgiveness. Both of these matters are required and essential for the servant at all times, as the servant does not cease to alternate between Allaah's (various) favors and blessings, and does not cease to be in need of repentance and seeking forgiveness.

In conclusion, know that we had nothing before the blessing and we'll have nothing after it. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you deny?

Influence People

As a Nichehero our goal is to influence people and make them part of our life.

There are two major obstacles in becoming a leader.
1) Criticism
2) Procrastination

Real leaders will go beyond procrastination and criticism. So what is the solution to defeat criticism and procrastination? Leaders never expect things to happen, they struggle and make them happen.

It was narrated that Suhayb said: the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for all his affairs are good, and this applies to no one except the believer. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks, and that is good for him, and if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.” Narrated by Muslim, 2999.

When you are down with criticism and you think that this is the end of the world then remind yourself that Allah has made leadership in terms of religion conditional upon patience and certain faith, as He says, “And We made from among them (Children of Israel), leaders, giving guidance under Our Command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayaat”. Al Sajdah 32:34

Allah has made patience like a horse that never gets tired, an army that can never be defeated and a strong fortress that can never be breached. Patience and victory are twin brothers, for victory comes with patience, relief comes with distress and ease comes with hardship. Patience is of more help to the one who has it than men, as it helps without any need for equipment or numbers and its relationship to victory is like that of the head to the body.
‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al- ‘Azeez radiallahu anhu said: Allah has not bestowed any blessing upon His slaves then taken it away and replaced it with patience, but what He has compensated them with is better than what He has taken away.

Never expect yourself to be given a good value, create a value of your own. Falling down is not defeat; real defeat is when you are refusing to get up.

How to get over procrastination

1. If you’ve chosen the wrong goal you’ll procrastinate. If you find yourself without energy ask yourself if you are doing the right thing.
2. You need a life coach. I would recommend Discoverulife.com and get your goal-achieved 6x faster.
3. If your goals are too easy you will procrastinate. Get into challenge, which excites you.
4. Wrong frame of perception.
5. You have the wrong tools.

Niche Hero's Journey to Success

Assalamu Alaikum warahmatullah

Countless thanks and countless praises are due to Allah for blessing me with an opportunity to becoming a real hero and becoming a source of guidance for the ummah of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wassallam. I pray to Allah to give us in-depth knowledge of the holy Qura'n and Sunnah and help us to apply it in our daily lives.

The Prophet Muhammad sallallhu alaihi wassalam once went out when the leaves were falling from the trees, he took hold of a branch and said, "Verily when a servant of Allah prays seeking only His pleasure, his sins fall away just as the leaves have fallen from this tree". (At-Tirmidhi, Hadith 199)

Welcome to my blog. I hope it will be a great resource for those who are interested in "The Journey to Success". My intention is to share useful information taught by Sheikh Muhammad Alshareef at Niche Hero seminar . Feel free to leave comments and suggestions on how to make this blog useful.

At this seminar we are aiming to leaving a legacy, benefiting people and getting the financial freedom. Our goal is to design, create, and execute multi city multinational projects insha Allah.

Gem of the day: Your actions gets you result.

I will share more gems in the next post insha Allah.