Spiritual Health and Purification of the Soul

[Cordoba]

Craving for Wealth

The person who has this craving for wealth wastes his valuable time and engages himself in that which is of no benefit to himself - in journeying and exposing himself to dangers in order to amass that which will only benefit someone else, so it is as is said:
"So one who spends his days in gathering wealth

Out of fear of poverty - then he has achieved only poverty."


It was said to a wise man, "So and so has amassed wealth," so he said, "Then has he amassed days in which to spend it?" It was said, "No." So he said, "Then he has amassed nothing!"


He will one day depart from this world and leave it behind so that he will be the one held accountable for it, yet someone else benefits from it. So in reality he is only gathering it for someone who will not praise him for that, whilst he himself goes on to One who will not excuse him for that - this itself would indeed be enough to show the blameworthiness of this craving.

Source: http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=602

 

[Cordoba]

Refinement of the Soul

Refinement of the Soul“Tazkiyat an-Nafs is the basis for development and improvement of the personality.

It is a long, pro-active, and uphill task. It is not an easy esoteric rite or overnight formula. Misunderstanding of Tazkiyah manifests when people look for quick methods of becoming better. Some may visit graves of the righteous; some may repeat certain supplications for a given number of times. Yet others subject themselves to physical suffering in the hope that this will lead to spiritual purity. All of these are forms of escapism from facing the real challenges of Tazkiyah.

Preliminaries of Tazkiyah

Good intentions: Tazkiyah is not accidental. It is a pro-active process. It must be based on the good and sincere intention to please Allah and draw near to Him. The process of Tazkiyah can not be sustained if done for other reasons.

Commitment: Tazkiyah can be a difficult process especially at the start. Some may try and think of giving up. Continuing commitment is needed to be able to travel all the way to the end of the process.

Being true: The person undertaking Tazkiyah must be true to self, to others and to Allah. True to self means understanding and accepting yourself as you are with all the negatives and positives such that the negatives can be suppressed while the positives can be enhanced. Being true to others is saying and acting according to the truth and never deceiving or giving the wrong impressions.

Earnest entreaty to Allah: Tazkiyah requires that a very strong desire and longing to turn to Allah and get closer to Him. This gives a sense of direction and a sense of purpose to the Tazkiyah efforts.

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545500

 

[Cordoba]

Good Deeds Soften the Heart

The fourth way for us to soften our hearts is by way of good deeds. Righteous deeds done sincerely for Allah will soften our hearts.

In the initial stages, maybe we can’t see how it softens our hearts, but we have to stick with it and believe. As the Prophet peace be upon him told us, that the slave of Allah does not come closer to Him except by doing the deeds that He has made compulsory for him.

The compulsory deeds — the 5 daily prayers, the fast, etc. While praying, sometimes we wonder, "Where is the benefit? Where is the change?" The point is that if we keep working at it, there will be benefit. We may not see it immediately. It is something that becomes cumulative, like a person growing. They can hardly wait till they are going to be big and they put a mark on the wall, wondering when they are going to get up there. They cannot perceive themselves growing because it is something accumulating within them.


Similarly, righteous deeds… and the first of the righteous deeds are the one that God commands.

http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=448

 

[Cordoba]

A Sound Heart

The heart becomes well when it acquires knowledge of its Lord and Creator and in His Names, Attributes, Actions and Commandments.

The heart also becomes well when it prefers acquiring Allah's Pleasure and prefers what He likes, all the while avoiding His prohibitions and what might lead to His displeasure.

There is no life, health, or wellbeing for the heart except by this method, which only the Messengers can provide. It is wrong to think that one can ever attain the heart's wellbeing through any other way than through the guidance of the Messengers of Allah.

These errors result from confusing the heart's true wellbeing with satisfying and strengthening its lower animal lusts and desires. By this way the heart will be far from acquiring its true wellbeing, strength and even its very existence will be in danger.

http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=437

 

[ΩRôghênΩ]

you seem very zealous..

 

[Cordoba]

Forgiveness: A gift to ourselves

A teacher told each of her students to bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to school.

The teacher suggested to her pupils that for every person they had refused to forgive in their life's experience, they were to take a potato, and write on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag.

The teacher then told each of her students to carry this bag with them over their shoulders and on their backs everywhere they went for one week -- keeping the bag next to them at all times even beside their beds at night and by their desk throughout the school day, basically 24-hours a day!!!

Some of her students complained that the plastic bags were too heavy to lug around.

The hassle of physically lugging these heavy plastic bags around with them made it clear to the students what their teacher was trying to convey to them about the value of friendship and forgiveness. The students realised what a weight they were carrying spiritually!

This is a great metaphor for the price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity! Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, but it clearly is for ourselves.

Of all the things we can give other people in life, forgiveness is one of those that require the most effort. This phrase seems to make the process of forgiving easier for me: "To bear a grudge against someone is like burning down your house to get rid of a rat."

Forgiveness is something we "give other people", but forgiveness, really, is a gift to ourselves. When we wreak vengeance on people whom we think have done us an injustice, we invariably end up bitter and resentful. Worse still, if our vindictiveness provokes retaliation, we might start a cycle of vengeance. And when you bear hatred within your heart, what you're essentially doing is destroying your own state of mind and potential to be happy.

Each day yields opportunities for us to let go of or hold on to grudges, although the severity of each situation may vary. Are you better off holding on to them, or letting go?

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/story/plastic_bag.html

 

[Cordoba]

To care for others​

Author Unknown​

A nurse escorted a tired, anxious young man to the bed side of an elderly man.

"Your son is here," she whispered to the patient. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened. He was heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack and he dimly saw the young man standing outside the oxygen tent. ​

He reached out his hand and the young man tightly wrapped his fingers around it, squeezing a message of encouragement. The nurse brought a chair next to the bedside. All through the night the young man sat holding the old mans hand, and offering gentle words of hope.

The dying man said nothing as he held tightly to his son. As dawn approached, the patient died. The young man placed on the bed the lifeless hand he had been holding, and then he went to notify the nurse. ​

While the nurse did what was necessary, the young man waited. When she had finished her task, the nurse began to say words of sympathy to the young man.​

But he interrupted her. "Who was that man?" He asked. ​

The startled nurse replied, "I thought he was your father." ​

"No, he was not my father," he answered. "I never saw him before in my life." ​

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?" asked the nurse. ​

He replied, "I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, I knew how much he needed me..."
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http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/story/care_others.html​

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[Cordoba]

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Serif]The Shipwreck[/FONT]​

(Author Unknown)​

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island.

He prayed feverishly for Allah to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. ​

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. ​

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.

The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "Allah, how could you do this to me!" he cried. ​

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.​

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.​

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because Allah is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground-it just may be a smoke signal that summons The Grace of Allah.​

"Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard except for the humble-minded."

[Surah al-Baqarah; 2: 45]

Patience implies firmness of purpose, dogged determination, strong will, steadfast pursuit and self-control. By patience and prayer a person strengthens his relationship with God. ​

It has been said that: ​

'Patience and prayer are the two great powers'​

There is a warning in the same verse to the effect that it is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit. ​

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[Light]

Salam,

Great thread brother.:clap

 

[Cordoba]

Salam and thanks Light.

The mother's hands
Author Unknown

My mother was visiting, she asked me to go shopping with her because she needed a new dress. I don't normally like to go shopping and I'm not a patient person, but we set off for the mall together.

We visited nearly every store that carried ladies' dresses, and my mother tried on dress after dress, rejecting them all. As the day wore on, I grew weary. Finally, at our last stop, my mother tried on a lovely blue three-piece dress. The blouse had a bow at the neckline, and as I stood in the dressing room with her, I watched as she tried, with much difficulty, to tie the bow. Her hands were so badly crippled from arthritis that she couldn't do it.

Immediately, my impatience gave way to an overwhelming wave of compassion for her. I turned away to try and hide the tears that welled up involuntarily. Regaining my composure, I turned back to tie the bow for her.

Our shopping trip was over, but the event was etched indelibly in my memory. For the rest of the day, my mind kept returning to that moment in the dressing room and to the vision of my mother's hands trying to tie that bow. Those loving hands that had fed me, bathed me, dressed me, caressed and comforted me, and, most of all, prayed for me, were now touching me in the most remarkable manner.

Later in the evening, I went to my mother's room, took her hands in mine, kissed them and, much to her surprise, told her that to me they were the most beautiful hands in the world.

I can only pray that some day my hands, and my heart, will have earned such a beauty of their own.

"We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: In pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth." [The Qur'an, 46: 15]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/story/mothers_hand.html

 

[Cordoba]

Think Twice​

Author Unknown

One night there was a woman at the airport who had to wait for several hours before catching her next flight. While she waited she bought a book and a pack of biscuits to spend the time. She looked for a place to sit and waited.​

She was deep into her book, when suddenly she realized that there was a young man sitting next to her who was stretching his hand, with no concern whatsoever, and grabbing the pack of cookies lying between them. He started to eat them one by one.

Not wanting to make a fuss about it she decided to ignore him. The woman, slightly bothered, ate the cookies and watched the clock, while the young and shameless thief of biscuits was also finishing them. The woman started to get really angry at this point and thought "If I wasn't such a good and educated person, I would have given this daring man a black eye by now."​

Every time she ate a biscuit, he had one too. The dialogue between their eyes continued and when only one biscuit was left, she wondered what was he going to do. Softly and with a nervous smile, the young man grabbed the last biscuit and broke it in two. He offered one half to the woman while he ate the other half.​

Briskly she took the biscuit and thought, "What an insolent man! How uneducated! He didn't even thank me!" She had never met anybody so fresh and sighed relieved to hear her flight announced. She grabbed her bags and went towards the boarding gate refusing to look back to where that insolent thief was seated.​

After boarding the plane and nicely seated, she looked for her book which was nearly finished by now. While looking into her bag she was totally surprised to find her pack of biscuits nearly intact. "If my biscuits are here", she thought feeling terribly, "those others were his and he tried to share them with me." Too late to apologize to the young man, she realized with pain, that it was her who had been insolent, uneducated and a thief, and not him.​

How many times in our lives, had we know with certainty that something happened in a certain way, only to discover later that it wasn't true?​

How many times has our lack of trust within us made us judge other people unfairly with our conceited ideas, often far away from reality. ​

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa1/think_twice.html

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[Cordoba]

Better to Give ​

Author Unknown

A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking a walk with a Professor, who was commonly called the student's friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.​

As they went along, they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field close by,and who had nearly finished his day's work. ​

The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them."

"My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man.
Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him."


The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.

While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again.

He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. ​

He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.

His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to the heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand,would save from perishing.

The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears.
"Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"

The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. ​

I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: ​

"It's more blessed to give than to receive." ​

​

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/story/better_give.html​

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[Cordoba]

Sincerity of a Six Years Old

There was a little girl (six years old) who was fasting in Ramadan, even though it is not obligatory on children at that age.

She was in school, and at lunch time, when all the other children went out to eat and have lunch, she sat in the classroom, because she was fasting. Her (non-muslim) teacher thought that she was too young to fast, and so said that it was not necessary, and she could eat a little.

The girl still didn't eat. Then the teacher said: "Your parents are not here, it doesn't matter if you eat a little". The girl replied: "I am not fasting for my parents, I am fasting for Allah".

 

[Cordoba]

The 90/10 Principle
Author: Stephen Covey
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
10% of life is made up of what happens to you.
90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean?

We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.

How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light., but you can control your reaction. Don’t let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.

Let’s use an example.

You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.

She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work.

You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.

Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning.

Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?

The answer is ” D”.

You had no control over what happened with the coffee.

How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, “It’s ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time”. Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.

Notice the difference?

Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.

Why? Because of how you REACTED.

You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle.

If someone says something negative about you, don’t be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don’t have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.

How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off) Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive?

Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.

You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job.The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger.

Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.

The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle.

The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache.

We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.
It CAN change your life!!!

 

[Cordoba]

The boy and the Apple tree

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by, the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.

"Come and play with me", the tree asked the boy.

"I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees any more" the boy replied.

"I want toys. I need money to buy them."

"Sorry, but I do not have money, but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money."

The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was excited.

"Come and play with me" the tree said.

"I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?"

"Sorry, but I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house". So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted.

"Come and play with me!" the tree said.

"I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?" said the man.

"Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy."

So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the man returned after many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you", the tree said.

"No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite" the man replied.

"No more trunk for you to climb on".

"I am too old for that now" the man said.

"I really cannot give you anything, the only thing left is my dying roots," the tree said with tears.

"I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years," the man replied.

"Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest, come sit down with me and rest." The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.

The tree is like our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with our Mum and Dad. When we grow up, we leave them; only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble.

No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could just to make you happy.

You may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but that is how many of us treat our parents. We take them for granted; we don't appreciate all they do for us, until it's too late.

 

[Cordoba]

The Passenger

The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.

It had been a year since Sarah, thirty-four, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis, she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Sarah now felt condemned by this twist to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around her. But no matter how much she cried or ranted , she knew the painful truth - her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung over Sarah's once optimistic spirit. Just getting through each day was an exercise in frustration and exhaustion. And all she had to cling to was her husband,Ismaeel.

Ismaeel was a Military officer, and he loved Sarah with all of his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again. Ismaeel's home background had trained him well to deal with sensitive situations, and yet he knew this was the most difficult battle he would ever face.

Finally, Sarah felt ready to return to teaching, but how would she get there? She used to take the school bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Ismaeel volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted Sarah and fulfilled Ismaeel's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. Soon, however, Ismaeel realized that this arrangement wasn't working - it was hectic, and costly. Sarah is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe. She was still so fragile. How would she react?

Just as Ismaeel predicted, Sarah was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I'm blind!" she responded. "How am I supposed to know where I'm going? I feel like you're abandoning me." Ismaeel's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Sarah that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened.

For two solid weeks, Ismaeel, accompanied Sarah to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He befriended the School bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat. He made her laugh, even on those not-so-good days when she would trip exiting the bus, or drop her briefcase. Each morning, they made the journey together, and Ismaeel would take a taxi back to his office. Although this routine was even more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Ismaeel knew it was only a matter of time before Sarah would be able to ride the bus on her own. He believed in her, in the Sarah he used to know before she'd lost her sight, who wasn't afraid of any challenge and who would never, ever quit.

Finally, Sarah decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Ismaeel, her "temporary bus riding companion", her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, his love. Now for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday ... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Sarah had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself !

On Friday morning, Sarah took the school bus to work as usual. As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "I sure envy you." Sarah wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?" The driver responded, "It must feel so good to be taken care of and protected like you are." Sarah had no idea what the driver was talking about, and asked again, "What do you mean?" The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely, and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, and slowly walks away. You are one fortunate lady."

Tears of happiness poured down Sarah's cheeks. For although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Ismaeel's presence. She was blessed, so blessed, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe - the gift of love that a husband and wife share- The gift of love that can bring light where there had been darkness.

 

[Cordoba]

Dinner Out

After 21 years of marriage, I discovered a new way of keeping alive the spark of love.

My mother had been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

"What's wrong, are you well?" she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

"I thought that it would be pleasant to pass some time with you," I responded. " Just the two of us."

She thought about it for a moment then said "I would like that very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on.

She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.

"I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting". We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. my mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady.

After we sat down, I had to read the menu to her. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entree, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me.

A nostalgic smile was on her lips. "It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said.

"Then it's time for you to relax and let me return the favor," I responded.

During the dinner we had an agreeable conversation, nothing extraordinary - but catching up on recent events of each others lives. We talked so much that we missed the movie.

As we arrived at her house later, she said "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you". I agreed.

"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home. "Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.

A few days later my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.

Some time later I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined.

An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I was almost sure that I couldn't be there but, nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant to me. I love you."

At that moment I understood the importance of saying, in time: "I LOVE YOU" and giving our loved ones the time that they deserve.

Nothing in life is more important than God and your family and friends.

Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off 'til "some other time".

Someone once said "I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I think this is true with your in-laws, grandchildren, sisters, brothers and your friends. Anyone that means something to you-you should spend time with them and let them know how much they mean to you as often as you can.

 

[Cordoba]

Daddi Can you give me $10 ?

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door.

"Daddy, may I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man.

"Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?"

"That's none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.

"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.

"If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour."

"Oh, " the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?"

The father was furious. "If the only reason you want to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money. After an hour or so , the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. May be there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. "Are you asleep son?" he asked.

"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.

"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man. "It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's that $10.00 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.

"Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father grumbled.

"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied. "Daddy, I have $20.00 now... Can I buy an hour of your time?"

 

[Cordoba]

A Guide for the Voyager to both the Material World and the Spiritual World
by Bilal Cleland (Australia)

Islam is indeed a 'middle way'. It is a bridge between that 'spiritual religion' which demands what is beyond the capability of most human beings and the world of the material, what the 'spiritual' see as the world controlled by the forces of evil.

Islam teaches that, while we must spend our lives in a disciplined way and that we must observe the requirements of prayer and fasting, zakah and both inner faith and outward expressions of that faith, we can be confident that what is expected of us is not beyond our capabilities. We can also be confident that the world is a beautiful creation which is to be cared for and enjoyed, not something evil from which we must retreat.

Islam is not a way of life for a tiny devoted spiritual elite. It is a way of life that anybody can follow. It provides for both our inner spiritual needs and our needs for a decent and civilised life, free from fear of oppression, from fear of miserable poverty and from exploitation. Muslims can analyse and combat evil in the world without giving way to despair or to the notion that Satan is in control. God has provided us with the guidance which we are free to use if we wish to deal with this evil.

http://www.islamfortoday.com/cleland03.htm​

 

[Cordoba]

The Love of Allah
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Serif](by Shariffa Carlo)[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Serif]I Love Allah, so I should show it, as should we all. We must feel the fear, and never forget it. We feel the awe and the respect, but we should never neglect the love. For the reward for this love is beyond words. It is the Love of Allah towards us. What more should I crave? [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Serif]When Allah loves His servant, He commands the Angels and all mankind to love him as well. He forgives him his sins, and He helps him when he is in need. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Serif]If you have Allah as your love, you need no one else.
[/FONT]