Ignorant Piety

I wonder…

If Cleopatra visited Swarovski Jewelry store or Claire's, I wonder how she would feel about her jewelry?

If Kisra, the ruler of Persia spent the night sleeping in YOUR bed, what would he think of his own royal bed?

Would Caesar be proud of his luxurious life; reclining on a couch and fanned by slave girls if he knew that my living room has a more comfortable reclining chair and an A/C unit that can make it feel like an igloo even in a Texan summer?

Would Qaroon strut arrogantly about the keys to his wealth that needed strong men to carry, if he knew that the keys to my wealth are carried in plastic cards in my wallet.

In the land of Mesopotamia so mesmerized by their chariots, what would they think if they saw a Toyota Corolla?

If the people of Baghdad and Cordoba, who used to pride themselves at the vastness of the collection of their libraries, saw the amount of books that can be carried by a college student on their USB drive, how would they feel?

If the kings who used to pride themselves on the quickness of their messengers and carriers were introduced to email, text messages and whatsapp, what would they think of how we were living?

If Al-Nu’man, the king of Arabia, who used to drink cold water kept in a special made skin container and the people used to envy him for that, how would they feel if they saw the water fountain in our masjid?

If the ‘Abbasid Caliph Al-Mansour who used to have his slaves mix hot water with cold water to create a unique bath for himself and his people used to imagine what that was like, what he would think of trying out my jacuzzi?

If the people who used to dream about items and search for them all their lives knew that we simply search and purchase them on amazon.com?

If the people who used to travel for months and maybe years to reach their destinations knew that it takes us only a few hours on planes, trains, cars or motorbikes!

My brothers and sisters, we live today better than many of the kings and royals of the past, but we can’t see it! We only have eyes for what others have, remember every time your eyes wander wide, your heart constricts!

"And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring." (Taha v. 131)

Do not focus on what you DON’T have. Focus on what you DO have!

Comprehend the following statement with your heart and memorize it on your tongue:

When you are grateful to Allah and do what He asks of you, He will give you much more than what you ask of Him.

This is called tolerance amongst each other
I heard an amazing thing from a recent Bayaan I was listening to about how much respect and adab our akaabir had for each other...

It was narrated how Imam Shafi (RA) went to visit the mazaar (burial site) of Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) in kufa, there was a mosque nearby and it was time for namaaz and so Imam Shafi and his travel companions decided to go for namaaz, Imam Shafi went and led the salaah, after the salaah finished, Imam Shafi's companions asked him, O hadrath, you never lead salaah, you prefer not to, but how comes here you did so?

Imam Shafi responded to the nearest meaning by saying that in my maslak praying surah fatiha behind the Imam is wajib, however in Imam Abu Hanifa's maslak, praying anything behind the Imam is deemed as makruh, I did not want to go against my maslak by not reading surah fatiha behind an imam, but at the same time Imam Abu Hanifa is my elder, and I respect him, so out of respect I led the salaah so this whole masla is avoided.

May Allah also give us the same wisdom

Our culture has become such that the delight we get in criticising, taking faults and analysing the vices of others is not to be found in any work or real change. To discuss the problems of our surrounding is a pass time for which we invent creative ways of new insight but we are unwilling to take any significant steps to alleviate these problems. If we take up the standard then our wish is that somebody else start the reformation (for us).

Our reformative works progresses on the notion that other than us every person is corrupt- we are responsible for correcting their character and deed. They think and act on all these things but it transpires to very few minds that we have faults also. At the very beginning, we must consern (ourselves) with rectifying these (faults of ours).

Hence, any reform movement that is unaware of itself and makes others their target will have no weight or effect. It will merely become a bureaucratic endeavour.

"I met some people who had no faults, but when they started exposing other people's faults, they started having their own faults; and I met some people who had faults, but when they concealed other people's faults, their faults were forgotten. (Maalik ibn Anas)

Its amazing...abdur rahman bin auf ra spoke the truth....وجدنا حلاوة الإيمان في المكاره
We found the sweetness of iman in doing the things againgst the nafs

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

“From the plots of the enemy of Allāh سبحانه و تعالى (i.e. Satan) is that he makes the believers afraid of his soldiers and allies. So, they do not strive against them, they do not enjoin what is good, and do not forbid what is bad.

This is from his greatest plots for the believers, as Allāh سبحانه و تعالى has informed us by Saying:

“It is only Satan that suggests to you the fear of his allies. So, do not fear them, and fear Me if you are believers.”

…Qatadah explained this by saying:

“He makes them great and powerful in his heart. This is why Allāh سبحانه و تعالى said:

“…So, do not fear them, and fear Me if you are believers.”

So, the stronger your faith becomes, the weaker the fear in your heart will be of Satan’s allies, and the weaker your faith becomes, the stronger the fear in your heart will be of them.”