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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]How to Live in Prayer Before the Act of Praying[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
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When we say Salah most of us believe it begins when we stand and say “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great). But it begins before that.[/FONT]
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The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:[/FONT]
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“A person is considered in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)[/FONT]
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For men, this refers to one who has prepared for and is waiting for the prayer to start in the mosque. For women who are not at the mosque, this refers to performing Wudu and dressing in the appropriate attire, if necessary, and waiting for the time for prayer to set in.[/FONT]
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An oft-neglected aspect of prayer is the Adhan (call to prayer).

Have we ever tasted the sweetness of the Adhan?
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Whoever tasted the sweetness of the Adhan will increase in devotion in the prayer...
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How to Live in Prayer Before the Act of Praying - Prayer - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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For a Sound Heart [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

The Crucial Role of the Heart [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, informed us in a very famous narration, commonly quoted with reference to lawful and unlawful, about the important role of the heart:[/FONT]
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"... Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body, if it is reformed, the whole body becomes good, but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt; indeed it is the heart.”[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] (Al-Bukhari)...[/FONT]
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How to Protect the Heart

[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]However, what protects a person from the forbidden matters and ensures that he remains in the lawful ones is knowledge; but beyond knowledge, it is the state of the heart. If the heart is good, then it makes use of the knowledge and it avoids what is prohibited. If the heart is corrupted, then the knowledge is of no benefit to it and it will indulge in what is prohibited.[/FONT]
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During the last (and only) pilgrimage the Prophet informed his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and it was an instruction to the entire Muslim nation to come, and said that:[/FONT]
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“People are not favored based on their race or color, but rather based on piety and on how much they are fearful of Allah. After that, he clarified that the place of piety is in one’s heart.”[/FONT]
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In these statements and other similar statements, we find stress being placed on the heart, that the heart is the part of the body which Allah has favored over all other parts. It is the place of faith, and had there been in the body another part that was nearer to Allah, piety would have been placed there, because faith is the most valuable thing that a human possesses...

[/FONT]The Crucial Role of the Heart - Growing in Faith - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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The Secret of Inner Peace: What the Prophet Knew

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions knew something that is not often displayed today.

They were able to face difficulty with a certain determination in their heart; they were grateful for even the seemingly small blessings; they took pleasure in praying at night while the people were asleep.

What they knew was this: if they sought Allah Almighty, they would not be let down...

So when a person reads the Quran, and Allah tells us He is with the patient – let us take comfort in that. When the Prophet tells us that Allah is too shy to turn away the hand that asks Him with nothing, let our hearts find rest in that Allah indeed has heard our supplication and will give us something.

Therefore, as we near the end of this section of things to know in seeking tranquility of the heart, let us take the Prophet as the example we should aspire to. He knew that if he followed the path to Allah, no matter the physical hardships, Allah's promise would prevail. And that gave him ultimate peace at heart.

What The Prophet Knew - About Muhammad - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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How to Live a Productive Life

Those who wish to lead a productive life need to know how to proceed. They need to anticipate the pitfalls and obstacles that will come in their way and have an idea how to cope with them. How many people who start on the path of great and important works never follow through with them?

Soon enough, one inevitable problem or another dissipates all their initial zeal. Some people cannot take negative criticism. Others get distracted by problems with their family or their jobs. Some people are just easily distracted. One thing cannot hold their interest for too long.

Long experience shows that there are two paths industrious people can take that the success of their efforts depends on which path they choose. One leads to greater and greater success. The other leads to disappointment and frustration.

Going for the Sun

This is the straight path to success. It is the path of initiative forward-thinking and focus. Being on this path means not to look back too often. It means not to let yourself get distracted or preoccupied by what other people are doing and saying. You might make a mistake in your efforts, but when you do, you do not let it stop you. Instead, you remedy your mistake by engaging in even more work and renewing your efforts. You do not let discussion and debate get so excessive that you let it stop you in your tracks.

It is related about one of our pious predecessors that an idle man with nothing to do wanted to stop him from the work he was doing to talk with him. He said to the idle man: “Go for the Sun.” This is attributed to 'Amr ibn Qais. (Ibn al-Jawzi 2/315)...

How to Live a Productive Life - Living Islam - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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Toward a Better Future

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Long Term Vision for Success (Watch) [/FONT]

there is a hadith that we mention a lot, but this is not usually one of the lessons that we take from it. That hadith is “Verily actions are by their intentions.” And actually one thing that we can take from this is that if actions are by their intentions, then we should know exactly why we are doing something. That means we should also know what will the result of that action be, and we should be thinking about everything that we do.

This will build in us this sort of habit of having a long term vision of looking towards the consequences of our actions, because many times we choose to do things and we do do things without really thinking about what’s going to happen next. And this can have different levels of manifestation. Sometimes it’s in something small, sometimes it’s in something very big.

But if we don’t build this habit, one of the immediate effects that it will have is that we would be terrible at time management. If we can’t look towards what’s coming next, what is going to happen in the future, what the result of that action is, then we won’t be able to manage our time, we won’t be able to organize our day or our life...

Long Term Vision for Success (Watch) - Ethics & Values - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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Allah’s Plan for You and Me‏

God had a plan for you before you were born, and He still has a plan for you. God's plan for you is necessary and glorious. His plan is vital to your success and important to the world.

God's plan is not set in stone, as if we were robots pre-programmed in the factory. That would strip us of free will and deny our natures.

Rather, I believe that God has a flexible plan for each human being: a plan that allows that person to benefit the world with his/her unique talents...

Allah

 

[A Troubled Man]

Allah’s Plan for You and Me‏

God had a plan for you before you were born, and He still has a plan for you. God's plan for you is necessary and glorious. His plan is vital to your success and important to the world.

That certainly does explain why tens of thousands of children starve to death every year although I'm still struggling to understand how that is vital to their success and import to the world or anyone else. Could you explain that?

 

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Hello there

Children who starve to death around the world are because of mankind's greed and mismanagement

There is plenty of food for all human beings, but greedy investors and multinationals often dump some crops to maximize profits rather than sending them to countries affected by drought or severe food shortages

God showed us how to care for the poor and the needy, and if the human race refuses to do that then don't blame God ...

 

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Tips for Muslim Youth:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]American Culture or Islamic Ideals? (Watch) [/FONT]

... for the Muslim-American who is going through the complexities of the natural complexities of the adolescence, we have a very sensitive socio-political climate that they have to live through. As they try to develop their own self image and their own self esteem, they are already being defined from the students and the teachers in the classrooms to every news source from print and television and radio, they are defined in a very negative way, the whole array of negative ways, be you oppressed or barbarian backwards or be you a terrorist or evil. So they are already being defined at this young sensitive age and trying to develop their own self image.

Now to add to that, they have a hyphenated identity. They are Muslim and they are American. And sometimes those two are quite harmonious. They are. They really are. They share a lot of similar values. But often times they are very problematic because the youth are not only American and Muslim, but what they have is on one side American youth cultural ideals, and on the other side Islamic ideals. And when you are comparing American youth culture with Islamic values there are fundamental problematic conceptual differences.

So they grope. They grope trying to find a middle path between complete assimilation or complete denial. And studies have shown in my own researches that there are different coping strategies that young Muslims use to reconcile these differences. For example, one out of so many examples is that girls growing up in America are being told by their American youth culture, be it through their magazines because it is theirs we are not going to deny it because the music and the TV and the magazines is theirs. It’s their culture. It’s not a middle eastern magazine, and these things have to exist in their culture if you don’t plan an alternative it is their culture.

And so through these aspects of their culture, they are being told that what you need to do is lure, and that’s what will make you successful; to lure, to attract the attention of the opposite gender. The whole fashion line is designed to do that.

And on the other hand, their Islamic ideals are telling them to be successful you must be dignified. Now try taking what is offered to you in the fashion line and putting it together so that you can be dignified!
It’s a struggle, and that’s just one example!

Watch Amal Ali’s talk

American Culture or Islamic Ideals? (Watch) - Society - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Torn Between Two Loves[/FONT]

Zainab was the eldest daughter of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Eldest, and by default, a role-model, Zainab's story of loving, losing and loving again was probably the most painful yet most endearing of the four sisters.

As a young Arab woman, she was married to a wealthy man from Shams, a tribe of Quraish. However, as Islam came to Makkah, little did the family realize that Zainab's marriage had to be terminated, having to choose her beloved father over her husband.

Her tale is an emotional one, embalmed in tears — both sad and happy...

Torn Between Two Loves - His Children - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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The Freedom of Living Without Debt

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Debt Debacle: The Consequences and Resolve[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Borrowing money to buy or finance something that we can’t afford in the first place means that we are going in debt. We owe someone, something; we owe someone money. It may look harmless to borrow a few dollars from a friend for a quick lunch, but in reality, that money is not ours, and we need to repay our debt. That is just a few dollars of debt over a meal.
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]But the same goes for the television set that we purchased using the store’s flexi plan; the clothes that we purchase online by using a credit card; and the loan repayment on the car and on the house. When we enter into these types of transactions, we are technically in debt.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Borrowing is allowed in Islam for sustenance over things that are necessary. God even stands by those who borrow money with sincere intentions to pay these funds back. There is a hadith that reads:[/FONT]
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"Whoever takes people’s wealth intending to pay it back, Allah will enable him to pay it back." (Ibn Majah)[/FONT]
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Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also said:[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Allah will be with the borrower until he pays off his debt, so long as the loan is not for something that Allah dislikes." (Ibn Majah)[/FONT]
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Perhaps a home and a car are seen as necessities today. But what about everything else? Gadgets, matching furniture, an excessive collection of clothes and accessories, second cars and second homes, quarterly holidays abroad... personal loans for personal shopping, personal loans for financing – how do these add up in light of the Quran and the Sunnah? Are they not luxuries, rather than necessities?...[/FONT]
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A Muslim in Debt[/FONT]
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Taking on debt, whether interest-based or not, has some serious consequences as a Muslim. It was narrated by Aisha that the Prophet used to say in his prayer:[/FONT]
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"O Allah, I seek refuge with You from sin and heavy debt. Someone said to him: “How often you seek refuge from heavy debt!” He said: When a man gets into debt, he speaks and tells lies, and he makes a promise and breaks it." (Al Bukhari & Muslim)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Imagine the Prophet being afraid of debt – he was afraid of debt as he was afraid of heavy sin!...[/FONT]

The Debt Debacle: The Consequences and Resolve - Living Islam - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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The Leadership Process in Islam

Conditions of the Ideal Leader In Islam

Leader Characteristics

The characteristics of an Islamic leader affect his/her behavior, and are congruent with the characteristics of effective leaders identified by Kouzes and Posner (1995). We will now relate the top four characteristics identified by these researchers to the Islamic model.

Honesty: Leaders are considered honest to the extent that there is ‘consistency between word and deed.’ They do what they say they are going to do. In the Quran, the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) is himself labeled as “strong and trustworthy” by one of the damsels (as in chapter 28: 26) and the Prophet Joseph (peace be upon him) is described as one who is truthful. (Chapter 12: 46) Similarly, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to be called Sadiq (the truthful) and Amin (the trustworthy) during his youth...

Competence: People are more likely to follow a leader’s directives if they believe that this person knows what he or she is doing. If followers doubt the capabilities of their leader, they will be less enthusiastic in accepting directions from him...

Inspiration: Followers expect their leaders to remain positive about the future no matter how bad the situation may be. The leader must never give up or lose hope. An example of how a leader inspires his followers comes from Abu Bakr. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims were in shock. Omar was especially distraught. Abu Bakr calmed him down, and then delivered the following address:

"O People, if you have been worshipping Muhammad, then know that Muhammad is dead. But if you have been worshipping God, then know that God is living and never dies."...

The Leadership Process in Islam - Politics & Economics - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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Necessity of Reflection and Self–Criticism

Reflection is a vital step in becoming aware of what is going on around us and of drawing conclusions from it.

It opens the door of experience, nourishes the truth, and opens the eye of the pupil of the heart. As Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) stated: "Reflect on God's creation, but do not reflect on Allah'' (authenticated by Al-Albani),for people will never be able to comprehend Allah...

The Role of Self-Criticism

Self-criticism literally means reckoning, settling accounts, and self-interrogation. In a spiritual context, however, it describes believers who constantly analyze their deeds and thoughts in the hope that correcting them will result in increased closeness to God. They thank God for what they have done, and seek His forgiveness through repentance and remorse. Self-criticism is the very important and serious attempt of asserting personal loyalty to God...

Necessity of Reflection and Self

 

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An Invitation to Contemplate and Reflect

Love for Truth

What is the essence and reality of the human being, the universe, and all things?

What do they mean, both as individuals and as a whole?

What is beyond this entire existence—from atoms to nebulas, from the smallest particles of a human being to his material and spiritual depths—and their orderliness, harmony, beauty, and wisdom?

Since these facts cannot be attributed to coincidences, there must certainly be a truth upon which everything—from particles to planets— is based on. Indeed there is such a truth which is the ultimate basis of everything, and every individual has a duty to know this truth with their own particular qualities...

Love for Truth - Understanding Islam - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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The First Muslim Migration

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Linked by Their Love for Prophet Jesus (Part 1) [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In the early years of Islam the Muslims were persecuted and tortured by the ruling families of Makkah. There were even instances of people mistreating members of their own families. Among the new converts to Islam were the poor and weak who were unable to put up with pain and hunger they were forced to endure.[/FONT]
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In order to protect them and their new found religion Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, sent approx 80 people, including one of his own daughters, to Ethiopia. This event is known as the first Hijrah (migration).[/FONT]
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Prophet Muhammad's Letter[/FONT]
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The King of Ethiopia, sometimes known as the Negus and possibly one of the last rulers of the Axum Empire, was known as a just and truthful man. He was a Christian with deep religious convictions.[/FONT]
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Prophet Muhammad believed that his followers would be well looked after if they migrated to a country whose religion was Christianity, a scriptural religion whose Prophet was Jesus son of Mary. The migrants set off on their hazardous journey carrying with them a letter of introduction for the King. What follows is a translation of that letter...[/FONT]

Linked by Their Love for Prophet Jesus (Part 1) - His Life - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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The First Muslim Migration

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Come to a Word that is Just (Part 2) [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Jafar recited the opening verses of Chapter 19 of the Quran, called Maryam in honor of the mother of Jesus. The following is a small portion of Maryam.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]{(The angel) said: “I am only a messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son.” She said: “How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?” He said: “So it will be, your Lord said: ‘That is easy for Me (God): And We wish to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (God), and it is a matter already decreed.’ So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place (i.e. Bethlehem valley)} (Maryam 19:19-22)[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The King and those with him were moved to tears. Silent tears rolled down their cheeks and soaked into their beards. The sublime words of Quran melted their hearts, as it had already begun to do in Makkah.[/FONT]
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Interestingly most of the people at the Ethiopian court would not have understood Arabic, yet the eloquence and subtly of Quran moved them. The words were then translated for them. At this point in the story it is fascinating to realize that God described the Christians as those whose tears overflow when they hear the truth...
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http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/about-muhammad/his-life/457078-come-to-a-word-that-is-just-part-2.html

 

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Love for God:

Reflections on the Branches of Faith (Part 1)

It is narrated in an authentic tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, God’s peace and blessings be upon him, that he said:

“Faith is seventy-something branches. The highest of the branches is the statement ‘There is no god but God’ and the lowest of them is to remove something harmful from the road. Modesty is from faith.” (Muslim)
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In this simple tradition the Prophet clarifies to mankind that faith requires more than lip-service. Faith is an ongoing struggle towards improvement, a journey of actualization and a mission of carrying the message of truth to all of creation.

Therefore, yes, the foundation of such faith is the core conceptualization of the oneness of the Creator and the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, but it is also manifested in other things. That faith shows itself in the way that one pays attention to their internal states and their intentions behind their actions. It manifests itself in outward actions, such as smiling in the face of a stranger or a family member, or removing something harmful from the path...

Reflections on the Branches of Faith (Part 1) - Growing in Faith - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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Toward a Happy Married Life

How to Keep a Successful Islamic Marriage

There is no guarantee for any marriage to be successful or fulfill an ultimate happiness for the bride or groom. However, Islamically, there is a guarantee that if you fulfill the conditions and guidelines of obeying God and His messenger, in your marriage, you will have a real potential of reaching that marital happiness that everyone seeks.

Before we even discuss these Islamic guidelines, we need to understand the importance of a successful marriage to the quality of one's life...

How to Keep a Successful Islamic Marriage - Family - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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Six Obstacles on the Path to Allah:

Impediments in Holding onto Allah

Every day in our Salah we repeatedly make one humble request to Allah, our Creator and Sustainer: {Guide us the Straight Way} (Al-Fatihah 1:4)

It is only by seeking and staying on the Straight Way that we can ever hope to attain true salvation and success.

What then must we do to ensure that Allah accepts and grants our Prayer?

The Quran explains: {Whosoever holds on to Allah, he has already been guided onto a Straight Way} (Al-Imran 3:101)

There are some character traits that you must take care to rid yourself of as you strive to ‘hold onto Allah’.

Pride

One such evil and impediment is pride (kibr in Arabic). This represents the antithesis of humility and is a devastating moral ailment...

Hypocrisy

Another evil that destroys all that the believer has achieved, or is trying to achieve, is nifaq (hypocrisy). Nifaq entails hypocrisy, showing off, and pretending to have what one does not possess...

Pessimism

A third danger is that of al-qunut or pessimism. You must try to rid yourself of this feeling of hopelessness and pessimism. If you have tried and failed a hundred times, your efforts would still have won incalculable gains. The feelings of disappointment and pessimism and of losing heart should be remedied with prayer, gratitude, and Sabr (patience)...

Uncontrollable Anger

A fourth danger is that of uncontrollable anger. Once you begin to truly ‘hold onto Allah’ you will find that life becomes pleasant and easy. To work for the cause of Islam becomes a joy. Inter-personal disputes, family problems and organizational problems will be resolved amicably. Most problems which persist in affecting our social relationships and organizations are due to lack of sincerity and lack of exclusiveness for God.

If you begin to do everything for Him, there is no need to be angry if somebody insults you since he or she cannot harm you at all. Only Allah’s displeasure can harm you...

Abuse of the Tongue

A fifth danger is abuse of the tongue. We should be careful how we use our tongue for its misuse is the fastest way to Hellfire. Lying, slandering, backbiting and obscenity should never be part of our speech. We should be exceedingly careful with what we say about others...

Lustful Sexual Passions

The sixth and last impediment I wish to highlight is that of lustful sexual passions. Sex is a powerful driving force that Allah has blessed us with. In the Quran, Allah praises men who guard their sex organs...

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/living-islam/growing-in-faith/457311-impediments-in-holding-onto-allah.html

 

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Tips for a Happy Married Life

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Spouses: Actualizing Tranquility, Love, and Mercy [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]When one finds a caring mate through marriage, one enters a realm of calm, soothing companionship that becomes a source of peace for their soul. The restlessness, loneliness, irritability, desperation and agitation associated with being a virile but unsatisfied young singleton is gone.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Consequently, the spouses consummately lie together in pleasurable tranquility every night, no longer desiring the company of single friends to eliminate solitude...[/FONT]

Spouses: Actualizing Tranquility, Love, and Mercy - Family - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net