Hikmah

Bismillahi rahmani rahim
Alhamdulillahi rabbil 'alamin
wassolatu wassalamu 'ala rasulillah

Why is it that some people when trying to give advice or when talking about their own preference for doing something, sound 'holier-than-thou' and 'self-righteous'.. making other people feel down and worthless.. while others say something and make you feel remorse, but at the same time, you really want to take that advice or try to do what he is doing?

I know a brother who used to be in RPI, whenever he gives advice (intended or unintended), subhanAllah.. I always felt 'terasa' (what should I translate this as? :)), I felt terrible for not doing what he mentioned, but at the same time, his words always made me think and want to be a better person. SubhanAllah walhamdulillah.

How do we achieve that level? Allahu'alam.

Some of my own reflections:

sincerity plays a major role.. sincere in seeking out our own weaknesses before looking and noticing other people's weaknesses. Sincere in knowing that however bad someone else is, I know I am much much worse.. Sincerity in giving advice and wanting only good for the other person. Not because I feel I am a better person, not because she is 'oh-so-terrible', not because I love opening my big mouth to sell 'advice' when I never try to live by them.....
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knowledge of the sunnah and the ways that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam gave advice and taught his companions. Knowing what is the priority in teaching first - what to correct, what to keep quiet about. Certain ways are best for teaching certain things and there are ways for teaching different people...

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Yet, these are 'reflections' from someone who does not know what hikmah is herself, and from someone who often times practices the poorest of imans (re: hadith of changing things with your hands, tongue, and hating in the heart)...

Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbul 'afwa, fa'fu'annaa

as salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah ..let us learn how to increase our love
to Allah swt, and in sha' Allah win the love of Him!



What brings love to Allah:

Recitation of the Qur'an with reflection and with understanding of its
meanings.

Seeking closeness to Allah by performing voluntary deeds after having
performed obligatory ones, for that leads one to the highest levels of
love.

Remembering Allah during every situation - with one's time, heart and
deeds ... one's share of that love is to the degree of one's share in that
remembrance.

Preferring what He loves to what you love when your desires are strong.

Allowing your heart to reflect on His Names and Attributes.

Reflecting on His many favors and blessings, both the apparent ones and
hidden ones, for that leads to His love.

Having your heart softened as it is worshiping Allah.

Being alone with Him in worship when He descends during the last third
of the night. And this means to invoke Him, to recite His Speech, to stand
with all sincerity and with good manners and with good submission, and then
to end that with repentance and with seeking His forgiveness.

Sitting with those who are truthful in their love of Allah.

Staying away from all that creates barriers between the heart and Allah.

post sgt best dari misg mailing list.

The Illusion of Reflection

Once there was a king who had presented his daughter, the princess, with a beautiful diamond necklace. The necklace was stolen and his people in the kingdom searched everywhere but could not find it. Some said a bird may have stolen it. The king then asked them all to search for it and put a reward for $50,000 for anyone who found it.

One day a clerk was walking home along a river next to an industrial area. This river was completely polluted and filthy and smelly.As he was walking, the clerk saw a shimmering in the river and when he looked, he saw the diamond necklace. He decided to try and catch it so that he could get the $50,000 reward. He put his hand in the filthy, dirty river and grabbed at
the necklace, but some how missed it and didn't catch it. He took his hand out and looked again and the necklace was still there. He tried again, this time he walked in the river and dirtied his pants in the filthy river and put his whole arm in to catch the necklace. But strangely, he still missed the necklace! He came out and started walking away, feeling depressed and wanted to get it, no matter what. He decided to plunge into the river, although it was a disgusting thing to do as the river was polluted, and his whole body would become filthy. He plunged in, and searched everywhere for the necklace and yet he failed. This time he was really bewildered and came out feeling very depressed that he could not get the necklace that would get him $50,000.

Just then a saint who was walking by, saw him, and asked him what was the matter. The clerk didn't want to share the secret with the saint, thinking the saint might take the necklace for himself,so he refused to tell the saint anything. But the saint could see this man was troubled and being compassionate, again asked the clerk to tell him the problem and promised that he would not tell anyone about it. The clerk mustered some courage and decided to put some faith in the saint. He told the saint about the necklace and how he tried and tried to catch it , but kept failing. The saint then told him that perhaps he should try looking upward, toward the branches of the tree, instead of in the filthy river. The clerk looked up and true enough, the necklace was dangling on the branch of a tree. He had been trying to capture a mere reflection of the real necklace all this time.

Bottomline: Material happiness is just like the filthy, polluted river; because it is a mere reflection of the TRUE happiness in the spiritual world.

We can never achieve the happiness we are looking for no matter how hard we endeavour in material life. Instead we should look upwards, toward God, who is the source of real happiness, and stop chasing after the reflection of this happiness in the material world. This spiritual happiness is the only thing that can satisfy us completely.


(author unknown) - taken from email.

*all we have to do is 'look up'

the visit

Bismillah walhamdulillah wassolatu wassalamu ala rasulillah

A few weeks ago, I was blessed with being able to visit baby Aina Nadirah in Boston. I was there with Tauhirah to deliver the donations collected by the Malaysian students here.. mashaAllah she's such a beautiful baby. And she's almost like a normal baby, except that she has to be connected to the oxygen tank and she needs to be fed through a tube. Sometimes she forgets to breath and the doctors have planted a pump for the liquid in her brain to go down to her stomach, but she cries, has grown bigger, and wants to be held by her mother and father, just like any other baby.

It was a touching experience to be able to hold her, the fragility of life and the strength of both her and her parents juxtaposed at the same time.. something that Allah has given them. May Allah keep giving them strength, and may He grant baby Aina shifa'.

If you have the chance, do visit them, they are a wonderful family, mashaAllah. And baby Aina.. you will feel so blessed, just from holding her. SubhanAllah.

They sent their salams and gratitude for the donations and prayers.
I send my wishes for us all to keep making du'a for them inshaAllah.

~ the visit on 30 Jan 2004