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I ran into a stranger as he passed by. "Oh, excuse me please" was my reply. He said, "Please excuse me too; I wasn't even watching for you." We were very polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and we said good-bye. But at home a different story is told, how we treat our loved ones, young and old.Later that day, cooking the evening meal, my daughter stood beside me very still.When I turned, I nearly knocked her down. "Move out of the way," I said with a frown. My daughter walked away, her little heart broken. I didn't realize how harshly I would spoken.While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said, "While dealing with a stranger (society), common courtesy you use, but the children you love, you seem to abuse. Look on the kitchen floor, you will find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers your daughter brought for you. She picked them herself, pink, yellow and blue. Your daughter stood quietly not to spoil the surprise, and you never saw the tears in her eyes." By this time, I felt very small, and now my tears began to fall.I quietly went and knelt by her bed; "Wake up, little girl, wake up," I said.
[center]One morning in Madina[/b] The weather is calm and beautiful. Its 4: 00 A.M and you hear the voice of Bilal, mellifluously raising the adhan…“Allahu Akbaru, Allahu Akbar…” You feel refreshed. You get out of bed, make ablution, wear your best thawb, pray two raka’ah, and step out the door. You look around and it’s peaceful…the smell of fresh air. You begin heading towards the mosque until unexpectedly you bump into Abu Bakr! What?? Subhanna Allah…it’s really him…the most beloved man to the Prophet, peace be upon him! WOW! You remember his days in Makkah, the way he jumped in the crowd of mushrikeen to defend his beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, and the way he was beaten to the extent he fell unconscious. You shake his hand…you wish you can pause this moment…but Wait!! Look who is coming….it’s ‘Umar…whaaaat? You begin screaming “Al faroooooq wait up” Imagine the sight of him…a man that the shayateen fear and run away from. Subhanna Allah. You exchange a brief word with him until you are interrupted by the sight of ‘uthman and Ali…oh how marvelous…you begin staring at Ali…thinking quietly…NOBODY ever dared to spar Ali! This is one of the most courageous men to ever exist…if someone stepped up to fight him…they died! Allahu Akbar! There there…‘Uthman…just the way you pictured him…a light! MODESTY!! Ok…so you continue on your little journey when you see Sa’ad bin Mu’adh…subhanna Allah…he’s the one that the throne of Allah shook during his death! This is unbelievable…“Asalaaamu alaikom ya Sa’ad”… Then suddenly appears Abu Hurairah…he seems to be walking fast…he’s probably trying to look for the Prophet, peace be upon him….alright…who are these two guys? Oh man! Its Abdurahman bin ‘awf talking to Sa’ad bin Rabi’…and you catch the famous conversation they have…’ajeeb! Altruism. Ok, you are excited now; you want to see the trustworthy one! Where is he…oh wait…there he goes…Abu ‘ubaaaaidah!! Allahu Akbar!! I see him…man…I have to come to your place after the prayer but its best we talk after salat…so you take another step to the mosque…and there is Talhah in front of you with a one hand paralyzed …subhanna Allah…this hand fought and protected the Prophet, peace be upon, him…a blessed hand it is!! Talking about bravery…Abu Dujanah…subhanna Allah…I can’t believe that I would ever see him…its really Abu Dujanah!! He walked boastfully on that day! I remember Uhud well..his red band…killing everyone…wait…you hear the Quran being recited…who is that reading the Qur’an? Oh man…its Abdullah bin mas’ood and Abu Moosa Al-Ash’aree….both of them here together at once?!! This is too amazing…you just sit there a moment…listening to them. That was nice but you realize that you have to make it to Fajr, only 10 minutes left… Subhanna Allah…is that who I think… its Mus’ab!! You look at him and you remember his story… and then tears drip from your eyes…the way he was before…his sacrifice. But you hear you name being called out…is that Huthayfaa? Yes!! It’s him…Ok Ok…I’m coming…you know Huthayfah is the one that holds the secret…yeah its him. You finally reach the mosque and outside…are a group of people talking…you see Sa’ad bin Abi Waqas, Sa’ad bin ‘Ubadah, Khubayb, Salman, ‘Amr bin Al ‘Aas, Mu’adh bin Jabal…all smiling and giving salam to one another…so you squeeze yourself in the crowd…and you look at each face…in awe of them and completely speechless. Then the moment finally arrives and you walk into the mosque.
[b]Power of “Istighfar” [/center] This story about “Istighfar” is from the life of Imam Ahmed Bin Hanbal, who is considered as a renowned scholar of Islam and a famous theologian. Imam Ahmed is also considered to be the founder of the Hanbali school of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and is one of the most celebrated Sunni theologians, often referred to as the "Sheikh ul-Islam" or the "Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah." During his old age, while Imam Ahmed was travelling he stopped by a town. After the prayers, he wanted to stay for the night in the masjid yard because he didn’t know anyone in the town. Owing to his humility, he hadn’t introduced himself to anyone thinking that if he did, he would be welcomed by many people. Failing to recognize Ahmed bin Hanbal, the caretaker of the mosque refused to let him stay in the mosque. As Imam Ahmed was quite old, the caretaker had to drag him out of the mosque. On seeing this, a baker from a nearby place felt pity for this man (Imam Ahmed) and offered to be the host to him for the night. During his stay with the baker, Imam Ahmed observed that the baker would constantly recite Istighfar (seek forgiveness from Allah). Imam Ahmed asked the baker if the constant practice of saying Istighfar had any effect on him. The baker responded by telling Imam Ahmed that Allah had accepted all of his duas (supplications), except one. When he asked him what dua was it that hadn’t been accepted, the baker replied that he had been asking Allah to provide him the privilege to meet the famous scholar Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal. On this, Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal said that Allah had not only listened to his dua but had dragged him onto his (the baker’s) doorsteps. [Summarized from Al Jumuah magazine, vol 19, issue 7]
[center]Rashid and Salem[/b] It’s about muslim man named Rashid. He Says. “I was not a practicing muslim, I had bad friends. I enjoyed going out with them. I was almost never home, but always at gatherings with friends, in these gatherings we backbited, gossiped and made fun of ppl. I was especially known among my friends to make jokes and ppl were impressed by the way I was so good at it. One night (at the time I was 30 and married and my wife was pregnant with our 1st child) I was as usual gathered with my friends and talking useless talk. I was telling them how I was at the market one day and I saw a blind man and I put my leg out in front of this man and the blind man tripped and fell on his face. My friends laughed and so on. When I went back home that night, my wife told me ‘were have u been?’ ‘I am so tired and sick and I think I am in labor.’ A tear dropped down her cheek. I felt guilty, for I hadn’t cared about my wife properly.
‘Umar came and people forgot the justice of Kisra, Such was the legacy of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs…’ During the caliphate of Umar bin Al-Khattab (radiallahu ‘anh), Amr bin Al-Aas (radiallahu ‘anh) was appointed the Governor of Egypt. One of Amr’s first projects was to expand the main mosque of Cairo, which was at the time surrounded by the dwellings of ordinary Egyptians. Amr’s workers proceeded to buy the houses of the Egyptians so that they could be destroyed to pave the way for the expansion. All the people agreed to sell their houses except one Coptic Christian man. He refused to give up his home as it was of sentimental value to him. The matter reached all the way to Amr, so he asked to see the Copt. Amr offered the Copt double, triple and quadruple the value of his house but the Copt refused to sell it whatever the price. After much persuasion the Copt refused to budge so Amr became angry and ordered the Copt’s house to be destroyed by force and for him to be offered to take or leave its price. The Copt was distraught and felt that he had been wronged by this new Muslim Governor of Egypt. Unsure who to seek help from he was eventually advised: “Go to Madinah and speak to the Caliph, Umar bin Al Khattab, for no man is wronged in his lands.” So the Copt decided to travel to Madinah to complain to the Caliph about how he had been unjustly treated by one of his governors. When he arrived in Madinah and asked to see the Caliph he was told, “Go to the Sacred Mosque of the Prophet (salallahu ‘alayhe wasalam) and there you will find a man sweeping the floor. Speak to him.” The Copt thus went to the Sacred Mosque hoping that its sweeper would be able to direct him to the Caliph. When the Copt entered the Sacred Mosque, he found this man sweeping its floor so the Copt asked him if he could help him get to the Caliph. The Sweeper asked him, “And what business do you have to speak to the Caliph about?” The Copt replied, “I have been wronged by one of his governors so the people asked me to complain to the Caliph as he is a just man and no one is wronged in his lands,” and he related to the Sweeper the story of what had happened to his house in Cairo.
[color=#800040]The Red Heart It could have been the splash of red or the overabundance of hearts or the young man in a designer jeans that caught his eye, but Sheikh Hamaad stopped under the bold “Valentine’s day Specials” banner, set his shopping basket on the floor and watched the young man battling to select an appropriate gift from the heaps of hearts, teddy bears and chocolates. Like a busy humming bird he flitted from shelf to shelf struggling to choose. Sheikh Hamaad approached him as he stood scratching his head, “Asalaamu Alaikum, young man, seems like you’re battling to make a choice.” “Eish, Moulana, this is more difficult than I thought. And lucky I only have to choose for two of them,” he said, picking up another heart decorated teddy bear, examining the price and putting down with disappointment. “For your sisters?” Sheikh asked, feigning innocence. “Naah, just friends, you know how it is. You have to do these things” came the prompt reply. Sheikh Hamaad remained silent and fixed his gentle gaze on the young man, something more than the loud Billabong T-shirt and hipster jeans told him that this young man had more than a spark of intelligence. “Tell me, how many Valentine’s gifts do your sisters receive?” “Hey, hey.... Moulana my sisters are not like that. They don’t do this boyfriend thing. My sisters...they are pure,” exclaimed the young man an angry frown crossing his face. “Just let the guy try and send my sisters one flower and I’ll make him eat it. You don’t know me!”
[color=#BF0080]The Emperor and the Seed An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!" One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by-still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.
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